FOOTPRINTS ON THE PATH

EILEEN CADDY

"Footprints in snow,
Footprints in snow,
Where do you come from,
Where do you go? "

by Stephen Field

Introduction to the Third Edition

Over the thirty years of its existence and growth the Findhorn Foundation, and now the wider Community around it, has been remarkably open to all ideas and teachings, new and old, which make a contribution to living a more aware and spiritual life and creating a better world.

All these philosophies have much to offer, and yet with the passing of time and the continuing advent of increasingly sophisticated and complex spiritual theories and 'new age' techniques, it becomes more and more obvious that the simple and direct teaching that has come through Eileen Caddy forms an absolutely solid basis for living a practical sacred life. The very simplicity
of this teaching is what makes it stand out among the growing clutter of the new age marketplace.

Eileen has gone through a long process of change in relation to her 'voice within'. When she first became aware of it during the 1950s, and for some years afterwards, it addressed her as 'my beloved child' and spoke to her as does a loving father. After a while the relationship changed and the voice began to address her as 'my beloved'.

In recent years Eileen has come to realize that in regarding the voice as something outside herself she was separating herself from God. 'God is within,' she says now, 'therefore I am the voice.' As she looks back over
the guidance she has received over the years, she sees that again and again she was told: 'We are one; there is no separation. It took her several years, though, to experience this as a reality in her own life.

Much of Eileen's guidance, some of it containing very specific instructions, was received for the community as a whole during its early years and was undeniably valuable in guiding the fledgling centre along the right path. Yet at a certain point Eileen stopped receiving guidance for others, as her 'voice' insisted that in the long run this was not healthy.

Indeed, Eileen believes that the most valuable way to help others is to turn them inwards to their own spiritual resources, and her work now centres around this task. This presents a striking contrast with the modern trend towards 'channeling' supposedly lofty beings—of often dubious credentials—who sometimes seem to expect to be obeyed unquestioningly.

Footprints on the Path contains gentle but direct messages of the kind which are most likely to turn the reader inside towards his or her own divine source. Eileen sees this book as containing a complete teaching in how to live a spiritual life, and the reader can either follow it step by step or dip into it at random. We trust that each individual will discover how they can use it best.

Sandra Kramer, Findhorn Press

FOOTPRINTS

1

Wake up and live.

Set your sights high,
the higher the better.
Expect the most wonderful things to happen,
not in the future but right now.
Realise that nothing is too good.
Allow absolutely nothing to hamper you
or hold you up in any way.

Be enthusiastic about life.
It is a wonderful life;
make it so by your enthusiasm.

Learn to be very clear and definite
about what you desire in life;
never be vague or uncertain.
You can do all things,
you can be all things to all people
when your faith and trust are in Me.
Have confidence in your ability to do all things
because you are drawing your substance,
your all, from Me.
I am your all in all.

Stride forward with a firm, steady step,
knowing with a deep, certain inner knowing
that you will reach every goal you set yourself,
that you will achieve every aim.

Start doing this today.
Why put off until tomorrow
what you know you can do today?
Far too many souls procrastinate
or suffer from inertia,
with the result that nothing gets done;
and they go on vaguely hoping
that one day something will happen to change
..........their lives,
that perhaps circumstances will take a hand,
and then everything will fall into place for them.
It is not the way to live a full and glorious life—
in a vague and dreaming fashion.

Why not take positive action?
Why not start the wheels turning?
Once you have done your part
you will receive all the help you need,
but not until then.
I help those who help themselves,
not those who sit back hoping that something
..........will happen
but fail to take any action.

You can soar to great heights
with hearts filled with praise and thanksgiving;
but like the tiny lark, you have to take off from the
..........ground,
you have to make that special effort.
It need not be a strain,
it can be a joyous light-hearted effort
which is an effortless effort.

Once you are off the ground
up and up you can go with complete freedom. Why
remain anchored
when action on your part can change your life
.......... completely?
When you desire something badly enough
you will achieve it:
you will allow nothing to stand in the way,
you will never take 'no' for an answer
but will know you can do all things with Me.

The take-off of an aeroplane
from the ground
demands a special boost of power.
Go within and receive your special boost of power
to set you on your way.

There is no greater power than
My power
and it is available to you
at any time
when you choose to draw from it.
I never withhold it from any who are ready
who reach out for it
and use it aright.

It is yours
when you are ready.

2

You are surrounded by beauty everywhere.
Open your eyes and see it
and give constant thanks for it.

Let the things of beauty transform you and inspire you
to your highest and best.
Beauty draws the very best out of and unites you
with the highest.

The beauty that is within you cannot be contained.
it will be reflected without;
let it shine forth.
Fill your heart and mind with beautiful thoughts
and reflect Me
for I am beauty.

Look for the beauty in everything,
and when you look deep enough and long enough you will see it.
Rise above the sordid ugly things in life,
for by rising above them
you can help to transform and transmute them.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,
therefore it is deep within you.
Go forth this day determined to see beauty
in everyone and everything
and you will do so.

Love and beauty go hand in hand.
So let My universal love flow freely in and through each one of you,
bringing unity and oneness.
As each one of you opens your heart
and keeps the love flowing
this will come about;
for the more love there is between all of you
the greater will be the unity and oneness.

I say to you over and over again,
'Love one another.'
This does not mean that you are to
tolerate one another,
or try very hard to love one another;
but you will find when you open your hearts
and can fill them with loving, beautiful thoughts
that you will want to love
all those you come into contact with
no matter who they are.

This is the free flow of My universal love
which knows no discrimination
and does not pick and choose who is going to be loved and who is not.
My love is the same for each and every one.
How much you are willing to accept is up to you.

You can be infilled by My wondrous love,
or you can shut it out of your lives;
it is simply up to you.
It is always there waiting for you when you are
ready for it...........

This is what is taking place at this time.
There is a wonderful opening up and acceptance of My love..........
which brings you all closer together,
uniting you in oneness.
Be not afraid to express this love;
it is beyond the personality,
it is of the very highest.

There is nothing possessive about it,
for a possessive love stifles and kills;
it shuts out My divine love.
My universal love grows and grows.
It includes everyone,
it possesses no one,
and yet all are one in it,
all feel part of it.
It enfolds all because it is the allness of all—all inclusive.

Learn to wear your heart on your sleeve
and never be ashamed
to demonstrate your love for one another.
Love is the greatest uniting factor in the universe,
so love, love, love.

When there is love no words need be spoken
for the language of love needs no words.

AWARENESS

4

Open your heart
and accept all My good
and perfect gifts.
They are there waiting for each one of you
but many of you fail to open your hearts
and stretch forth your hands
to accept your rightful
heritage...........
You are either afraid to do so
or feel you are unworthy
or simply do not believe that it is there
and therefore you reject what is waiting for you to claim.

When you have money in the bank
but refuse to accept that it is there
and refuse to draw from that supply
because of your disbelief,
you are the one that suffers lack and has to do without.

My storehouses are full to overflowing
and all that I have is yours;
but you have to do something about it,
you have to claim what is yours.

I can give you one vision after another;
but if you are not faithful
and fail to hold that vision firmly in your consciousness
you will lose it
and it will never manifest in form.
Without vision the people perish.
Without faith and belief
the things of the spirit mean nothing to you.
You cannot live this spiritual life
without faith and belief;
you cannot expect the very best from life
unless you believe that it is yours and claim it.

The new heaven and new earth are here.
Love, peace, harmony, unity are here;
but what are you doing about it?
Are you helping to create it
by your way of life,
by raising your consciousness,
by finding peace and harmony within?
Or are you simply part of the chaos and confusion?
Are you adding your negative, destructive thoughts
to all those around you in the world?

Wake up, watch your thoughts
and see that they are
as positive, loving and constructive
as they can possibly be.

Start right now expecting the very best in life.
Look for the good all around you,
in the people you contact,
in every situation you find yourself in.
Really know and understand
that good comes out of everything
for those who truly love Me
and put Me first in everything.
Watch it come about,
and never, never fail to give thanks.

Live this life daily, hourly, minute by minute.
It is not a life to be lived just one day a week
or only when you feel like it.
It is for truly dedicated souls
who are willing to give all to receive all.

You cannot live by bread alone but by My word,
by My promises
which never fail when I am put first
and your faith and trust is in Me—
in the ways of the spirit and not in human ways.

You cannot build up faith without doing something about it.
You cannot live on someone else's faith
This is something each individual has to develop within.
You cannot reach the top of a mountain
by standing at the bottom and looking up at it.
You have to do the climbing,
you have to want to reach the summit.
The deep desire must be there within
to enable you to get into action.

So it is with faith.
You have to do something about developing it,
you have to put it to the test. If you have a fall,
you must be willing to pick yourself up
and go on and on
knowing that you will get there
in the end,
come what may.

That is faith

CHANGE

6

Take time to be still
and listen to all the wonderful sounds around you.
Enjoy them to the full
and give constant thanks
that you have ears to hear with.

How many times during the day do you stop
and listen to those many inner and outer sounds?
Do you ever stand still listening
and counting how many different sounds you can hear?
This will make you more sensitive,
more alert,
more aware.

When you have tried that
and become more and more aware
of life everywhere around you,
why not try listening to those inner intangible sounds
which can only be heard in absolute stillness and silence;
that stillness which passes understanding
when you become in tune with the things of the spirit,
with the things that really matter in life?

In that state of perfect peace and stillness
your whole life changes,
a deep tranquility and serenity
are radiated from within.
In that state there can be no harsh or jarring sounds
because you become one with the whole of life
and blend perfectly with that whole.
You feel uplifted, inspired,
filled with illumination,
for your whole being is filled
with My divine light
and you can see all things clearly.
You understand not with the mind
but with the higher consciousness
and with the heart.

You are in love with all life
and that includes all your fellow humans.
You do not know the meaning of hate,
jealousy, envy;
but you know what it means to love your enemies,
for you find that you no longer have any enemies
because your heart has expanded so much
that you know what it is like to love with
My divine love...........

The self is completely forgotten
and your life is one of love and service
to your fellows,
of giving, giving, giving.

What joy this brings,
unbelievable joy.
It is only when you are giving
that you find that wonderful inner joy and happiness,
which nothing and no one can take from you
and which nothing can dampen

Joy comes with service
and service comes with dedication.
Dedicate yourself to Me and to My service now
and feel yourself expand as you do so.
Feel your consciousness raised to that state
where you know the meaning of oneness with all
creation,..........
your oneness with Me.

At first this state of consciousness
may only last a very short time,
but as you climb the ladder,
each rung takes you nearer and nearer to the goal—
your conscious awareness of Me,
Keep on climbing and never give up.

Pour your whole being into everything you do
and do whatever it is wholeheartedly
with real joy
and love
and to My honour and glory.
Behold the most wonderful results,
for when everything is done in purest love,
how could it be otherwise?

Flow with the rhythms of nature,
not against them;
nature's rhythms are perfect.
and nothing is out of timing,
out of season,
out of place;
there is a place for everything
and everything is in its proper place.
Peace and harmony reign
and My kingdom
is come.

ONENESS

8

Live, live, live all I am teaching you.
Make My word live in your daily living.
Take action when action is called for.
Be very still when stillness is called for.

Read and re-read what I have to say to you
each day
and then see that you not only take it to heart
but live it,
practise it,
vibrate with it

When I say, 'Be at peace' or 'Be still and know that I am God',
are they just words to you,
lovely, comforting words?

Do you find yourself surrounded with that peace
so that nothing disturbs you?
Do you find yourself being perfectly still,
and find the truth in those words, 1 am God'?
They are such tremendous words,
the most powerful words that were ever spoken.

When you realise they are living words,
when you fully realise the power of those words,
you will find that you have reached and know
the meaning..........
of having dominion over all things.
As you repeat those words over and over
again they become part of you.

You find that when you are very disturbed
or restless
and you repeat to yourself,
'Be at peace, be at peace',
slowly a sense of peace begins to spread over you;
and the more you go on saying it
the more you feel yourself become one
with that peace.

Repetition is a good thing
and very necessary
until you finally have absorbed a certain truth
and it has become a part of your living—
which you will find is what eventually happens.

So when you find I am repeating Myself to you
over and over again,
do not become impatient
but realise that I do this
because you have not yet absorbed fully
what I am telling you,
that the words have not yet become living words to you
and you have not started to vibrate with them.

I have infinite patience
and I will never cease from bringing home My truths
to you..........
until finally they are a part of you
and you are living them all the time
in your daily life.

I have set My hand upon you,
I have chosen you to do a specific work for Me,
therefore I will not let you go.

Very patiently,
very lovingly,
I go on and on instructing you,
leading you,
guiding you

I know your deepest longing is to do My will,
and that is one of the greatest steps in the right direction.
As long as you have that desire to do My will
I can always reach you.

I tell you from time to time
that time is getting short
and there is much to be done,
that time must not be wasted in doing
unguided things,
that everything you do must be done
with My blessings.

Take all this to heart
even though you do not quite know
what I mean by time;
at least let this knowledge keep you ever alert
and on your toes
so you live fully in the now
giving of your very best,
following out My instructions to the letter.

No one knows what tomorrow may bring,
therefore live to the full
in the glorious now.

SERVICE

10

Can you accept that you have within you
all power,
all wisdom,
all understanding?
Or is this still theory to you?

Are you still just hearers of My word
but not doers?
Do you really want to be a power in the world,
do you want to be able to help and uplift?

Then you must learn to be true
to the very highest within you.
You will not only have to accept but know
without a shadow of doubt
that I am within you
and that I can do all things.
Nothing is impossible with Me
and with this inner knowing
you can be master of every situation
and rise above anything that would stand
in your way.

Learn to act from that inner voice
and do not allow yourselves to be influenced
by outer conditions
or by those around you.
It is so much easier to follow the crowd
rather than follow your own individual path
knowing that it is right for you.
It needs inner strength and conviction
to enable you to do this,
and this is something each individual
will have to seek
and find within themselves.

Never be pig-headed and obstinate—
that is not being strong and confident,
acting from that inner knowing and conviction;
it is simply trying to assert an outer power and authority
which leads to dictatorship and slavery
and no good can come out of that.

When you know that something is right for you
there is no need to try and convince anyone
or yourself;
but be strong and of good courage,
go ahead doing it very quietly and unobtrusively
allowing nothing and no one to try and turn you
off course...........
Retain that perfect balance deep within,
then nothing can touch you.

Draw from the infinite source of power
and strength
within,..........
and you will find yourself
doing seemingly supernatural things
simply because you are working with
My divine laws.

When you are doing that, anything can happen
for My laws are the keys that open all doors
and make all things possible.

Recognise them as My laws
and never fail to give eternal thanks for them
and use them to My honour and glory
and for the benefit of the whole.
Then only the most wonderful things
can come out of their right use
and all shall benefit from them.

Power used aright under My guidance
can change the course of history,
creating the new heaven and the new earth,
bringing life,
life,
and more life.

Used wrongly it can bring only devastation and
destruction.

Power is something that must not be played with
but must be treated with great respect;
the way you respect the power of electricity
which can be a great help and benefit
when used aright,
but when wrongly used can destroy and bring
devastation...........

I am power.
I hold all creation
in My hand
and you are all part of that whole.
Blend with it
and find your rightful place in it.

NUTSHELLS

12

Find your own path
and tread it with absolute faith and confidence.
It is foolishness to try and walk in someone
else's footsteps
and try to imitate them in what they are doing.
Until you know your own special path
you will try one path after another— seeking,
seeking, always seeking;
but when you eventually find your path
nothing and no one will be able to turn you from it
and that path will carry you to the ultimate goal:
your realisation of oneness
with Me

There is a time along the pathway of every soul
when it has to stand alone before Me
and find the I AM within with no help or guidance
or support from anyone else.

Release love into every situation
and see what happens.
To release love:
you have to fill your consciousness
with loving,
positive,
constructive thoughts;
you have to transform every seeming negative situation
into a positive one—
but do it quickly.

Raise your consciousness continually
until you are ever conscious of Me and of My presence
and you really understand
that I am within the very centre of your being,
that there is no separateness,
that we are One;
and then never let your consciousness stray away
from that awareness.

It is practice that makes perfect.
Without practice
you will be unable to perfect anything.
A musician has to practise
and practise
to reach concert standard;
an artist has to practise
to reach professional standard
an athlete has to practise
to reach Olympic standard;
therefore to reach a perfect spiritual life
you have to live a life
and practise it
day in
and day out.