Last episode I began a series entitled “Biblical Stories of Awakening,” exploring accounts in the Bible that are examples of spiritual awakening to unitive awareness. I talked about Adam and Enoch. I also mentioned that I would be talking about Jacob next. Well I am changing that. I need to explore another important biblical character before Jacob. I want to talk about Jacob’s grandfather Abraham.

Abraham is a very important figure in the history of religion. Three monotheistic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – trace themselves back to Abraham. So you would think that if anyone was an example of spiritual awakening, it would be Abraham. But we do not see this happening in Abraham’s life. I must address the reason why.

I was just going to skip over Abraham and go onto Jacob, but that would be ignoring the issue. Abraham is typically exalted as a champion of faith, but I consider him an example of what can go wrong in the spiritual life. This explains why these three Abrahamic faiths do not - generally speaking - exhibit nondual awareness but have become entrenched in dualistic thinking.

Abraham experienced a call to spiritual awakening, but he did not take it. He misunderstood it, and therefore missed it.