An Antidote For Inconsistency

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Douglas

For various reasons, I have demonstrated a great deal of inconsistency over the course of my life. Therefore, I was pleased to discover that the New Message from God has some specific, practical counsel for me, an antidote for inconsistency, as it were. It is in the form of the revelation “Building the Four Pillars of Your Life,” which can be reached from the page “Experience the New Message from God.” This revelation was received in September of 2008. A fellow student shared it with me in the summer of 2010. I mentioned this teaching about a year and a half ago in sharing my experience of the 2012 Encampment. I am now feeling an inclination to share this with you in greater detail.

An antidote for inconsistency

Your life has four pillars; health, relationships, work/providership, and spiritual development. You need to build all of them. They need to be balanced with each other.

Most people are preoccupied with one of these pillars. Chances are good you know someone who is falling short of their opportunities in life. Chances are good they are falling short because of neglect of one or more of these pillars. Chances are good you know someone who is experiencing difficulty in life, because of imbalance between these four pillars. Their life is a wobbly, unbalanced table, unready for unexpected change or opportunity.

The weakest pillar has an eroding influence upon the stronger pillars. Thus, a person is as strong as their weakest pillar.

Some people are very interested in the possibility that they have a mission in life to fulfill. Some of these people are unwilling, for whatever reason, to do the necessary preparation to engage with that mission. A lot of the preparation activities are relatively mundane, like exercising, like showing up on time at work, like offering gratitude to someone who is nice to you.

Spiritual teachers who offer you abundance or enlightenment or fulfillment or spiritual powers, without telling you the necessity of building a foundation, are selling knowledge without difficulties, truth without falsehood, attainment without effort, and progress without sacrifice. Chances are good you know such teachers. Chances are good these teachers themselves experience neglect or imbalance in the aforementioned pillars.

This teaching could be considered as an antidote for inconsistency, an antidote for unbalanced, inharmonious action and engagement.

Some people look at this task of building the four pillars in such a way that they are strong, tall and balanced, and think “Whoa! That sounds like a lot of work!” It is indeed, but it is also the price of admission for a successful life of greater purpose. What is the metric of success?

“What is success? Success is the ability to experience and express the greater purpose that has brought you into the world, a greater purpose that will require strong relationships, a greater purpose that will require that you are stable and that you can adapt to changing circumstances in the world, a greater purpose that will require that you have a deep connection to the greater Knowledge that God has placed within you, to guide you and to protect you and to lead you to your greater life.”

It is my aspiration to build the four pillars of my life, strong, tall and balanced. I am pleased to take my medicine. I am pleased that there is an antidote for inconsistency.

* * *

Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

Сегодня я буду наблюдать за миром

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Alisa

For English version click here.

Шаг 30. Сегодня я буду наблюдать за миром предлагает наблюдать за окружающим миром, и наблюдать без осуждения.

В своих записях я написала: «Наблюдать за миром без осуждения очень достойное занятие, и я этим занимаюсь по мере способностей». Ну чтож, похвально, а легче сказать, чем сделать. Дальше я писала, что легче наблюдать за более широким миром без осуждения, нежели за миром непосредственно вокруг себя.

В широком мире, мой взгляд стремится к красоте, я останавливаюсь на вещи, которые радуют глаз. Сегодня, пока я гуляла по лесопарке, я наслаждалась тем, как утренний солнечный свет освещал распускающиеся березовые листья. Они сияли изумрудным цветом и плясали на ветру. Я наслаждалась свежим воздухом и радовалась тем, что уборщики убирают мусор. Одни мусорят, а другие убирают. Я тоже убираю чужой мусор, когда увижу и есть урна по пути. Трудно не осуждать других за то, что они мусорят, особенно когда этот мусор портит вид прекрасного пейзажа. Я очень желаю, чтобы люди более бережно и внимательно относились к тому миру, где они живут. В широком миру, я могу наблюдать и пойти дальше.

В мире непосредственно вокруг меня, однако, труднее наблюдать без осуждения. Ежедневные заботы, семейные отношения, проблемы по работе часто выводят меня из колея и я отношусь воле-неволе к ним с осуждением. Чем уже мой мир, тем труднее наблюдать за ним без осуждения.

Сегодня я буду наблюдать за миром

Однако, как я понимаю по Шагу 30, я не должна себя осуждать за это, за свое осуждение. Я должна просто заметить свое поведение, отдать себе отчет, и двигать дальше.

Тем не менее, мне cдается, что наблюдение за миром без осуждения требует приложения намного больше усилий, чем я прикладываю. Мне cдается, что осуждение настолько прочно укоренилось в человеческой психике, что понадобится аж очень много усердной работы, чтобы избавиться от него.

Занимайся этим шагом, я имею представление о том, что требуется. Когда я наблюдаю за миром сегодня, я вижу мир, который занимается своим делом по меру своих сил, с учетом обстоятельств. Как я могу осуждать такой мир? Это равносильно тому, что осудить новорождённого за то, что он не умеет ходить.

* * *

I Will Observe My World Today

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Alisa

When Step 30. Today will observe my world asks me to observe my world, observe my world without judgment and observe what I am doing in the world without judgment, I cannot help but feel the enormity of this task and want to break it down into more manageable chunks.

I wrote in my notes for this Step: “Observing my world without judgment – this is a worthy practice and I am committing myself to it to the best of my ability.” This may seem like an exemplary approach, but easier said than done. My notes go on to say that I find observing what I will call the larger world without judgment easier than observing my immediate world without judgment.

In the larger world, I look for beauty, I look for things that please the eye. Today I took delight in seeing the morning sun shine through the new birch leaves as I took a walk in the woods. They were like dancing emeralds glistening in the sunlight. I took delight in breathing in fresh air and was glad to see the park attendants gathering up the garbage. People make a mess, others tidy it up. I pick up other people’s garbage too when I see it and there is a garbage can on my way. It is hard not to judge others for the mess they make, especially when the mess is an eyesore in an otherwise lovely landscape. I pray for others to become more aware and more solicitous of the world they live in. In the larger world, I can observe with as little judgment as possible and move on.

In my immediate world, however, it is harder to observe without judgment. My daily tasks, the people I live with, the situations I encounter often cannot be observed without my judgment. I find judgment creeps in whether I want it to or not. The narrower my world, the harder it is to be non-judgmental.

I will observe my world today

However, I understand from Step 30 that I am not to judge myself for this judgment. I am merely to observe what I am doing, take stock, and move on.

Nevertheless, I get the feeling that this task of observing without judgment requires a lot more than I am putting into it. I get the feeling that judgment is so ingrained in the human psyche that it is going to take quite a lot of diligent work to free myself from its clutches.

Step 30 ends with:

Do not think that you have seen the world the way it really is, for what you have seen is your judgment upon the world. The world you will see without judgment is a different world than you have ever seen before.

Practicing this step gives me a preview, however. When I observe my world today, I see a world doing its own thing as best it can under the circumstances. How can I judge a world like this? It would be like judging a new-born infant for being unable to walk.

* * *

Further Up And Further In

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Douglas

Today is a significant day for me, a day for which I am interrupting my custom of not mentioning steps in Steps to Knowledge which I haven’t blogged about yet. It is a significant day in that I have completed my first time through Steps to Knowledge.

Further up and further in

It has taken me about four years to do this. I never claimed to be a very consistent student. One could argue that it took me a little less than 25 years to do this, as I started studying Steps to Knowledge very shortly after it was received in 1989, stopping sometime in 1991, somewhere around Step 160.

Someone will no doubt ask, “Well, was it worth it?” Were you worthy of the effort to study Steps to Knowledge? Was it worthy of you? Has the effort of studying Steps to Knowledge been good for you? Has it been good for your world? Other people may disagree, but I say “Yes, oh yes.”

Someone will ask “What are you going to do now?” I’m going to do Steps to Knowledge a second time, as Marshall Summers has suggested. If he can keep doing Steps to Knowledge, I can do so as well. Will I blog about it? Eventually, but it may take a while to get there, as it has taken me 15 months to blog about 86 steps. But for now, it’s further up and further in!

In the US, law school is generally a three year experience, with students being called 1Ls, 2Ls and 3Ls. There aren’t very many people in the world who are pursuing the program of preparation, but perhaps one day there will be. We need better words than 1K, 2K and 3K, though.

This selection by the Pat Metheny Group is ringing and singing in my mind’s ear as I contemplate today. It was the final song on the second side of the 1985 album First Circle, called Praise.

Join me in my happiness today! Further up and further in!

«Alisa writes: I certainly join you, Douglas! Congratulations!! However, that small word does not do justice to the grandiose nature of the task you have accomplished. I do not really think there are words that another person can say to a person who has just completed Steps to Knowledge – especially the first time around – that do justice to the experience of this accomplishment. No one can know what it feels like until they have done it themselves. As I puff and pant along behind you though, I have some small inkling of the effort, diligence, and just sheer guts it takes to do this, so I am congratulating you from a deep place in my heart and encouraging you as you continue.»

* * *

Сегодня я буду наблюдать за собой

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Alisa

With All of Life – touch drawing by Deborah Koff-Chapin

For English version click here.

Когда я занималась Шагом 29. Сегодня я буду наблюдать за собой, чтобы познавать Знание, я отдала себе отчёт о том, что я этим занимаюсь регулярно, это для меня привычка, так сказать. В общем, я радуюсь тому, что Шаги к Знанию часто предлагают заниматься тем, что является для меня обыденным, привычным делом. Я уже много лет наблюдаю за собой, замечаю какие настроения возникают в течение дня, какие мысли всплывают в голове, какие чувства и эмоции мной овладеют, чтобы пересекать негативные мысли или эмоции и менять их на позитивные. Часто говорю «Стоп» или «Нет» особо бесполезным или даже разрушительным мыслям, мысленно поднимая руку перед ними, чтобы их препятствовать, блокировать их продвижение.

Однако спешу добавить, что я не всегда довольна тем, что я замечаю про себя. Значит, я наблюдаю за собой не без осуждения. Шаги к Знанию предлагают развивать способность наблюдать без осуждения. Когда я наблюдаю за собой с осуждением, я препятствую прилив Знания. И чтобы отдавать Знание, сначала надо учиться тому, как его получить. Я стремлюсь к тому, чтобы свободно выражать Знание в мире, быть его проводником, к тому, чтобы искренно отдавать то, что мне щедро дано.

Я буду наблюдать за собой сегодня

В тот день, когда я занималась этим Шагом, я уделила особое внимание тому, чтобы наблюдать за собой каждый час и записывать текущие мысли и чувства в это время. И это приносило плоды. В какой-то момент, я писала о том, как более остро ощущаю присутствие Знания, как будто Знание руководило мной и моему самочувствию. Я ощущала покой и равновесие, несмотря на некоторые трудности, проблемы и раздражительные моменты, которые возникали в течение дня. Я сумела наблюдать за своими эмоциями и их переправлять в позитивное русло, когда необходимо. Почасовое наблюдение и записывание того, что наблюдала, оказалось очень полезным и продуктивным.

А этот шаг предлагает не только наблюдать за собой, но и делать это, чтобы познавать Знание. Мне удалось это сделать. С помощью той связи, которую я ощущаю со Знанием, я сумела следить за мыслями и эмоциями, поправив их когда надо и получив, при этом, благотворные результаты.

Когда я наблюдаю за собой и, тем самим, укрепляю свою связь со Знанием, жизнь становится более полноценной и сглаженной.

Постскриптум: о Шаге 28. Обзор я не писала на русском из-за отсутствии русского материала. Можно читать о нем на английском тут.

* * *

What Of The Wounds My Brothers Gave To Me?

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Douglas

When the same passage appears twice in the space of three chapters in the Bible, I consider it to be a dead giveaway that that passage is something to which I’m supposed to pay particular attention. In chapter 6 of the book of Jeremiah, the prophet brought an indictment against the kingdom of Judah, a corrupt nation living on borrowed virtue and borrowed time. This indictment is repeated in chapter 8:

“From the least to the greatest,
    all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.
They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
    when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:13-14, New International Version)

I share this as I think about Step 86 “I honor those who have given to me” in Steps to Knowledge. Any student who has come this far has already received an answer for the question “How shall I deal with my self-inflicted wounds, the painful consequences of my own errors?” That answer was introduced in Step 26 “My errors give birth to my Knowledge,” and developed in Step 73 “I will allow my errors to teach me.” The answer is something to the effect of “Don’t kid yourself into thinking that error doesn’t exist. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that error doesn’t hurt. Make the decision to learn from your errors so as not to repeat them, thus avoiding the pain and suffering they bring.” I found that to be a satisfactory answer, a satisfactory dressing of my self-inflicted wounds.

What of the wounds my brothers gave to me?

But there is another side of the coin that must be addressed. Many people have difficulty dealing with wounds which are inflicted by others, the painful consequences of the errors of others. Many people question the justice of God, or the character of God, or even the very existence of God when they contemplated the actions of other people. I believe Step 86 provides an empowering context into which to place the evil that men do.

The people who have wounded me put my character, strength, courage and magnanimity to the test. Sometimes I passed the test, sometimes I didn’t. But they offered me a mirror in which I could plainly see myself. Maybe that’s what Rumi meant when he said “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

As I honor those who have given to me, I offer gratitude for the contributions of some people. What of the wounds my brothers gave to me? I thank them for the test they offered me, even if I didn’t pass. I am thankful that Steps to Knowledge is addressing this subject, and not saying “Peace, peace” when there is no peace.

* * *

I Will Observe Myself Today

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Alisa

With All of Life – touch drawing by Deborah Koff-Chapin

When I was asked to observe myself in Step 29. I Will Observe Myself Today To Learn Of Knowledge, I was happy to realize that this is something I practice on a regular basis. In general, I am very happy that Steps to Knowledge asks me to engage in things that are within the realm of my normal behavior on any given day. I am already in the habit of checking in with myself regularly to see how I am feeling, noting the thoughts that arise, reflecting on my shifts in mood, recognizing any negative emotions and choosing positive ones instead. I have a practice where I say “Stop” and “No” to any unproductive or downright destructive thoughts and feelings that come up. I mentally raise my hand to them and bar their way.

I hasten to add that I am not always pleased with what I see when I observe myself. So that means my observation is not free of judgment. Cultivating the ability to observe without judgment is something Steps to Knowledge encourages. If I observe myself with judgment I am blocking the flow of Knowledge. And I need to be able to receive Knowledge in order to learn how to give it as well. Step 29 says that “giving must be genuine, born of the overflowing receptivity that you have cultivated within yourself, within your relationships with others and with life.” Often I do not feel genuine, I feel stymied and contrived.

I will observe myself today

The day I did this Step I made a special effort to observe myself every hour and write down what I was thinking and how I was behaving. During one of my hourly observations, I wrote that I felt the presence of Knowledge more acutely. I felt at peace and balanced despite some problems, difficulties, and irritation that surfaced during the day. I was able to keep on top of my emotions and found the hourly practice profitable.

This Step asks me to do more than just observe myself, I am to observe myself to learn of Knowledge. I felt I accomplished this. Knowledge prompted me throughout the day. I kept tabs on what I was thinking and doing and adjusted my thoughts and actions accordingly to yield the most satisfactory results.

When I observe myself and, during this observation, strengthen my connection with Knowledge, I find my life becomes more integrated and productive.

* * *

Get Your Hand Out The Flame

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Douglas

In my experience, the band Wookiefoot is a 21st century Minnesota version of the 1970’s Anglo-French band Gong. I’ve never quite been able to figure out whether Wookiefoot is really a religious group that just happens to make music, or a band that just happens to traffic in paleo-hippie spirituality. They seem to like Rumi, so they can’t be all bad. For reasons I don’t fully understand, enjoying the music of Wookiefoot is a rite of passage for my children.

Get your hand out the flame

I’m telling you this because Wookiefoot recorded a song that had a sympathetic vibration to my study of Steps to Knowledge. It was on the album Make Belief, which had the singular misfortune of being released on September 12, 2001. The song is called Out Of My Way. I’m including the lyrics because someofthelyricsaresungveryquicklyandtendtoruntogether.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWoHFKpiVE4

and if you can’t stand the pain then get your hand out the flame
and if you don’t like to lose get your ass out the game
and if you don’t like the cold then you had better fly south
and if you don’t like the taste then get the shit out your mouth

get out of your way

how come every damn time i get it but i never get it right
cuz my pants get caught on fire or a needle in my eye
i think i’m gonna hit rock bottom but i fall right through the floor
i hear the opportunity knocking but i never get the door

no i don’t really know
why this place fucking sucks but i don’t want to go
this place fucking sucks but i just can’t leave here

how come every damn time i get it but i never get it right
just a victim to my vengeance anger bitterness or spite
i sabotage myself almost every single day
i can’t get out of my way

and if you don’t like my touch you can hide in your shell
and if you want to eat shit you had better get used to the smell
and if you leg bone is broke then you can learn how to crawl
and if you can’t stand up you better get ready to fall

how come every damn time i get it but i never get it right
cuz my pants get caught on fire or a needle in my eye
my blessing or my tragedy both living in the same beast
hiding underneath the bed with a double sided blade to cut me

i can’t get out of my way

Would you like to stop feeling the burning? Then get your hand out the flame. Steps to Knowledge has been addressing self-destructive practices in Step 80 “I can only practice” and Step 81 “I will not deceive myself today.” The person singing this song is at least aware of his self-destructive practices, which puts him ahead of a lot of people. I recently told two of my children that the students of Steps to Knowledge are people making significant efforts to get of their way, to get out of the way of Knowledge, their true self which is not apart from life.

* * *

How Deep Is My Commitment?

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Alisa

How deep is my commitment I ask myself as I do the Step 28 Review. This is the fourth review so far in Steps to Knowledge and begins with a prayer. The prayer asks me to do a lot of accepting. And much of what I am asked to accept requires a mind that is willing to throw off old, hackneyed thinking and embrace higher, more enlightened thoughts, to say the least. The prayer has been presented in full before in this space, but I think it is worth repeating.

“I accept my Knowledge as a gift from God. I accept my Teachers as my elder brothers and sisters. I accept my world as a place where Knowledge can be reclaimed and contributed. I accept my past as a demonstration of life without Knowledge. I accept the miracles of my life as a demonstration of the presence of Knowledge and I give myself now to cultivate that which is of the greatest good within myself to be given to the world.”

Am I ready to accept these things? Just how deep is my commitment?

My notes for this review say: “I don’t think I am deeply enough involved yet. I am motivated, but still I feel I am expecting results without doing the work. I am not spending enough time on exploring my experience, although I feel the practices offered by the Steps are uppermost in mind as I go about my normal activity. But still, I need to delve deeper and devote more time to searching and investigating.”

This describes me to a tee, expecting results without doing the work, thinking I am progressing without making a deep commitment. But I am not doing this for myself, for my own benefit alone, but for those whom I will serve in the future. For after receiving the benefits of reclaiming Knowledge, I will wish to give in whatever context and in whatever form is appropriate for me. So if my commitment is not deep enough, if I am not motivated enough in penetrating the barriers that exist, I am not doing those who follow me a very great service. I am not cultivating that which is the greatest good within myself to be given to the world.

How deep is my commitment?

However, the flip side of commitment is hesitancy and doubt. And this review did not bring up those things for me. This review helped me to see where my practice needed more dedication and direction, it made me realize I needed to deepen my commitment. It is one thing to be so hesitant that I shun commitment and quite another to see the value of what I am doing and wish to deepen my commitment as I move on. I trust that as my mind studies the tracks, Knowledge will move the train, and my commitment will deepen.

* * *

Glory Be To God For Small Things

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Douglas

The poet Gerald Manley Hopkins wrote “Glory be to God for dappled things.” As someone with freckles, I consider myself included in his song of praise. As I contemplate Step 85 of Steps to Knowledge “I find happiness in small things today,” I say “Glory be to God for small things.”

Glory be to God for small things

The word happiness is mentioned more times in this Step than in all the previous 84 Steps put together. Even though happiness hasn’t been addressed to a great extent by Steps to Knowledge so far, happiness is a result of some of the things Steps has been stressing. Things like being still, as taught by Step 8 “Today I will be still.” Things like observing more and judging less, as taught by Step 29 “I will observe myself today to learn of Knowledge.” Things like engaging with my mission in life, as taught by Step 33 “I have a mission in my life to fulfill.” Things like unwinding my emotional investment in my judgments, as taught by Step 55 “I will accept the world as it is.”

The Step said that small things can carry great messages if you are attentive to them. I don’t remember receiving any particular great messages from small things when I did this Step. I do recall slowly backing away from judging small things as insignificant or unimportant because they are small.

On further review, perhaps my individuality, my body and personality, is a small thing. Even though my individuality is to express life itself (Step 12). it will be gone after a while. Therefore, as I contemplate Step 85, as I contemplate finding happiness in small things, I rephrase myself, and say “Glory be to God for small things. Like me.”

* * *

Mystery of Ascension

A great mystery / Is my true self that I bring / From my ancient home

Monthly Archives: April 2014

An Antidote For Inconsistency

An antidote for inconsistency

Сегодня я буду наблюдать за миром

Сегодня я буду наблюдать за миром

I Will Observe My World Today

I will observe my world today

Further Up And Further In

Further up and further in

Сегодня я буду наблюдать за собой

Я буду наблюдать за собой сегодня

What Of The Wounds My Brothers Gave To Me?

What of the wounds my brothers gave to me?

I Will Observe Myself Today

I will observe myself today

Get Your Hand Out The Flame

Get your hand out the flame

How Deep Is My Commitment?

How deep is my commitment?

Glory Be To God For Small Things

Glory be to God for small things