Open your mind and your heart

'If you open your mind, if you are willing to meet, the the teacher opens his mind as well. It is not a question of magic, the condition of openness is a mutual creation'. Openness is a common theme throughout this chapter, referring to the openness of your thoughts, and the openness of yourself. Being open and allowing the you that is wholly you, and the beauty of self to shine through, without interference from other ideas or people.
Spiritual understanding is not about assuming someone is going to take care of you, nor is it found by putting stock in something because you believe if you put your belief or faith in it, the organization or, whatever your belief, is going to lead and take care of you. In order to reach an understanding, you must make your way there. To be a wisdom keeper, to reach a path that leads you to what could be considered enlightenment, requires a sacrifice on your part. This reading emphasizes that this enlightenment is not just a following of one way, or placing stock in one particular group of ideas, it is understanding and accepting oneself in order to reach understanding and acceptance of greater ideas and truths prevalent to life. The chapter explains to me at least, that there is no magic way, no particular set path for each person to take in order to gain enlightenment. It is not instantaneous, or easily set upon. It is a path set by a person learned through teachings and applied in a personal way. Being true to oneself, and allowing oneself to be open allows for the understanding of these teachings in a way that forcing yourself to understanding or enlightenment does not allow for. This enlightenment just is, and by accepting it just as it comes, and not raising it beyond what it truly is, one comes to true enlightenment and spiritual understanding/liberation. Personal sacrifice in order to understand and perceive is necessary but in doing so there is not some great goal to be reached by letting go of our preconceived notions. What we 'receive' in the end, enlightenment or not,whatever you may call this experience, it just is. This sacrifice is learning to go beyond oneself on the path to understanding, and finally seeing oneself for who and what we truly are. This is a deep and sometimes emotional change because our society deems it necessary to veil who we truly are in order to fit stigmas or ideas. Being true to oneself is the greatest, and most difficult thing one can do, and it is necessary to do in order to examine beliefs and make it to enlightenment and understanding. Naked inside and out, bare to the world and this makes us uncomfortable. With things to hide behind we are easily able to follow ideas put forth by others, and try not to fall into the uncomfortable realm of self actualization. Though this self actualization is the way to a greater spiritual understanding and a step on the road to enlightenment.
This is how I perceived this chapter, and the way that I took it to heart.