WHAT IS THE SECRET OF THE GRAIL?
Author John Matthews gives us a hint:
“For within the Grail is seen to reside healing for all the ills of creation. With its finding, or with the experience that comes to those who discover its innermost secrets, comes a release of energy, of selfless love and service, which could change the world for all time…”
“…it is the sheer applicability of [its] image that gives the Grail such universal relevance. It is not required that those who follow the Grail today adhere to any specific creed or cult – only that they seek the general good, the healing of the barren lands. These things are recognizable and desirable objectives, by whatever terms. Their very enactment causes changes within those who participate in them. By serving we are served. We grow. The Grail encompasses us with its light and an exchange takes place between it and us. In allowing ourselves to be part of its action of healing or redemption, we ourselves partake in its blessing.
“This is the secret of the Grail – which is no secret at all… Everywhere and nowhere, it is sought by many, found by only a few.”
The Grail is often represented as a cup, but sometimes a jewel or platter. As such, it is a symbol that invites us to find it, or at least learn its secret. Something inside us feels drawn to a quest of discovery.
We should avoid getting caught up in medieval trappings. Symbols are meant to point beyond themselves to what they actually represent. What the Grail points to is no small thing: the mystery encompassing existence itself. Such mystery always escapes the limitations of our understanding. This is why the value of the Grail Quest is the search itself. By searching for Truth with humble dedication and a generous heart, we actively partake in the mystery itself. This is how the Grail draws us to higher spiritual development.
That doesn’t mean we will ever understand the mystery behind it. The question asking for the Grail’s secret remains unanswered. That is how it should be. It would not be mystery otherwise. It would lose its power to inspire us.
The most we can achieve is a glimpse now and then, and only then indirectly, in flashing insights, bits and pieces that spiritually grab us. This is how it confirms that our quest is real and of the highest value.
In an attempt to concretize the ineffable, we often clothe this mystery with religious or New Age connotations. Unfortunately, as soon as you clothe it, you reduce as well. It becomes a thing of veneration rather than a vital symbol. As such, it serves more as a stumbling block than “a finger pointing to the moon.”
The mystery that the Grail represents is known by many names. The Jewish Torah calls it “Shekinah,” or “Wisdom.” To Christians it is “Logos,” or the “Way.” The Chinese refer to it as the otherwise nameless “Tao.” The nominally religious call it “Provenance” or “Nature.” For our purposes, the word “mystery” works just fine.
When we do our best to incorporate that mystery into our lives with humility and generosity, we call it “Grail Consciousness” – the spiritual side of Chivalry-Now.
What does that mean to us practically?
Grail Consciousness transitions our lives from something small and selfish to make us part of the overall building and healing impetus of a higher purpose. This is what makes the true Knight different from all the rest.
