By Dr. Scott Zarcinas | Author, Doctor, Spiritual Coach

What does it mean to be a master of your spiritual path?

For many, the word mastery conjures images of perfection, discipline, and control: someone who has reached the end of their growth and now sits atop a mountain of wisdom. Think: guru meditating in a cave.

But true spiritual mastery is not that at all. It’s far more organic, practical, and relatable.

Spiritual mastery is not a single moment of arrival, but a continual unfolding. It’s a path walked step by step, breath by breath.

In the practice that I teach, The Living Path of Awakening, this unfolding takes shape through three natural spiritual phases: Caterpillar (The Seeker), Chrysalis (The Pilgrim), and Butterfly (The Sage).

Each archetype represents a phase of spiritual transformation, guiding you from seeking to embodiment, from longing to living truth.

Let’s explore how mastery arises and unfolds. Not as a destination to arrive at, but as a natural evolution through these three spiritual phases.

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The Caterpillar (Seeker) — Mastery as Aspiration & Exploration

All mastery begins with curiosity.

This is the beginning phase of the Caterpillar (aka The Seeker). Here you stand at the threshold, heart open and eyes wide. This is the phase of questioning, yearning, and discovering.

As a seeker, you feel the pull of something greater — truth, peace, connection — even if you can’t name it yet.

Here, mastery is not about having the answers, but about daring to ask the questions. As such, the seeker learns through exploration: reading, listening, journaling, meditating.

This is where foundational patterns are observed and old conditioning begins to loosen its grip. The seeker is hungry for knowledge but not yet anchored in wisdom. As a seeker, you glimpse the horizon, but your feet are still finding the path.

Spiritually, this is the “white belt” or initial phase, where the beginner’s mind is alive with possibility. The seeker aspires toward mastery and holds its vision, even without knowing what it will truly require.

Your work here is to recognise Truth, to begin seeing clearly, and to trust the impulse that has awakened within you.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.” ~ Shunryu Suzuki

The Chrysalis (Pilgrim) — Mastery as Integration & Surrender

Eventually, the search turns inward. You stop chasing new information and begin integrating what you’ve already found.

This is the intermediary phase of the Chrysalis (aka The Pilgrim).

The pilgrim walks with intention. While the seeker asks, “What is truth?”, the Pilgrim asks, “How do I live it?”

This is the stage of transformation through surrender and trust, where the concepts of Truth begin to root themselves in your being.

Here, in the chrysalis of your mind, mastery becomes a practice of letting go—of ego, resistance, expectations, and the illusion of control. You’re learning that depth comes through stillness, not speed; through presence, not performance; through being, not doing.

The pilgrim’s journey is not always easy. You may feel alone at times, doubtful and unsure whether progress is being made.

But this is exactly the point: the path is now walked by faith, not by sight. And the fruits are quiet but profound: increased resilience, clarity, patience, and inner peace.

This is the “green or brown belt” intermediate phase of spiritual mastery. You’re still learning, still transforming, but the teachings now live in your body and choices. You’re becoming the path rather than merely observing it.

As a pilgrim, your identity has shifted from outward to inward. You begin to see that mastery is not something you earn, but something you remember.

“At the centre of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ~ Lao Tzu

The Butterfly (Sage) — Mastery as Embodiment & Expression

Eventually, the quiet work of surrender gives way to the luminous presence of realisation.

This is the phase of the Butterfly (aka The Sage).

The sage no longer seeks or tries to become, they simply are.

Mastery at this stage is no longer something to pursue, but something to embody and express. There is a natural authority that flows not from domination or doctrine, but from deep alignment.

The sage teaches by being, inspires by presence, and loves without condition. There’s no pressure to prove or convince. The outer world may not even notice the shift, but internally there’s a profound sense of “homecoming.”

The sage knows that mastery is never finished. It is lived moment by moment, in openness, humility, and deep compassion. There is a return to the beginner’s mind, but now it rests on a foundation of wisdom.

This is the “black belt” of the spiritual path. But it’s not an end or completion of the journey, rather a new beginning.

The sage is the mirror: reflecting truth, clarity, and peace for others to awaken within themselves.

“When the flower blooms, the bees come uninvited.” ~ Ramakrishna

Mastery Through The Living Path of Awakening

When seen this way, mastery is not a destination but a movement, a spiral through The Living Path of Awakening: Recognition, Rest, and Reflection.

You might find yourself in all three phases at different times, with different aspects of your life.

You might be a seeker in your spiritual understanding, a pilgrim in your relationships, and a sage in your work.

That’s the beauty of this path: it meets you where you are and invites you forward, gently, honestly, and with grace.

Let’s summarise the journey:

Each phase holds its own challenges and gifts. None is better than the other. All are necessary.

And each one calls you home. Not to a perfected version of yourself, but to the wholeness that’s already within you.

You Are Already On the Path of Mastery

If you’ve read this far, then know this: you are already walking The Living Path of Awakening.

You are already becoming the master you long to be. Not by achieving something new, but by releasing the illusions that tell you you’re not already whole.

The journey along the path is not about becoming someone else. It’s about remembering who you are.

And that is true mastery.