I Continue to Venture Forth

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Alisa

Two years ago, I wrote a post in this space called “I Wish to Venture Forth.”

It is short, so I take the liberty of repeating it here in full. But I will follow it with new consciousness gained during the interim.

I wish to venture forth to explore what Steps to Knowledge offers me. Step 41 was a crucial milestone for me in affirming and acknowledging the power of God. This Step calls for not being afraid of the power of God, and not only should I not be afraid, I “must venture forth to explore what is most natural.”

The day I reached this Step, my attention kept being drawn to a poem by Robert Frost called The Road Not Taken, the last lines of which I found very significant.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

To me Robert Frost’s poem is very ambiguous. I like to think the last sentence means that he made the right choice. But does it? He was ambivalent at first, he wondered if he might regret his choice, since both roads looked equally inviting and who knows where the other one might have led. He would never know, so he took a leap of faith.

So it was with me. I made a choice over twenty years ago, I ventured forth on an uncharted journey, and it has indeed made all the difference.

This is why the poem so resonated with me when I did this Step.

After stating that I must venture forth, it goes on to imply that if I do, it will be “like breaking new ground and coming home all at once.”

And it has.

I Continue to Venture Forth

Today I am living the full benefits of that choice I made over twenty years ago and am seeing how serendipitous it was to take that leap of faith and follow the road less traveled.

First, it brought me to the New Message from God in general and Steps to Knowledge in particular.

Second, it brought me to the fulfillment of my dream, a dream that began as an echo of recognition and has since blossomed in full.

Yesterday I reached Step 349 “I Am Happy That I Can Finally Serve The Truth” for the second time.

I wrote in my journal:

“Everything you have truly wanted is being given to you now.”

This is my experience today. I am constantly thinking this, realizing that recurring thoughts, wishes, dreams are now becoming a reality. This particularly applies to what I am currently experiencing in my country home.

To me this is verification of the truth as I continue to venture forth.

* * *

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.

We Have Some Suggestions For You

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Douglas

I will readily admit that the New Message from God community has a number of big goals for the future. But we also recognize that not everyone will be interested in what we have to share. We recognize that we may encounter, uh, less than enthusiastic responses from time to time. And in the event you don’t respond with interest and resonance, we have some suggestions we would like you to consider. These suggestions for all people were given to the attendees at the 2014 Encampment. I have some comments about these suggestions.

We have some suggestions for you

1. Quiet time each day to consider the wisdom of your thoughts and actions. [Step 9 of Steps to Knowledge teaches “In stillness all things can be known.”]

2. Make no opinions about anything unless you have spent considerable time studying the problem and its many conceived solutions. Ask yourself if you are really certain about something or are only guessing. [Would you bet your life on it?]

3. Do not waste your precious time and energy complaining about something if you are not prepared to take action regarding it. [Time spent complaining might be better spent studying the problem.]

4. Forgive those who seem to err against you or the world. Ask yourself what genuine need they are attempting to express and fulfill by their behavior. [Their errors give birth to their Knowledge.]

5. Make sure that everything you own really serves you. Travel light and create time for more important things. [I consider this to be a short version of the New Message practice/attitude called the Deep Evaluation.]

6. Consider that you have Four Pillars that are upholding your life:

The Pillar of Relationships
The Pillar of Health
The Pillar of Work & Providership
The Pillar of Spiritual Development

To be happy and successful, you will need to build each of these Pillars and not sacrifice one for the others. [You may wish to consider the New Message revelation “Building the Four Pillars of Your Life.”]

7. Reduce your energy use by 25-50% to save your community and the world from depletion and ruin. [Resource depletion is one of the big ongoing disruptions known as the Great Waves of Change.]

8. Honor your parents and try to understand the circumstances that determined their decisions and behavior. [I think of this as a special instance of suggestion 4.]

9. Know that there is a New Message from God in the world, and that it is here to uplift a struggling humanity, beginning with the individual. [As in you. As in me.]

We have some suggestions for you. I hope this helps.

* * *

The Correction Of Hell And Damnation

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Douglas

Marshall Vian Summers said something that I feel should be shared, on the evening of Day 3 of the Encampment of the New Message from God. The fact that he elaborated on this idea in his remarks on the October 5 webcast demonstrates that he really meant to say this on the evening of October 4. The phrase Marshall used was

“…the correction of hell and damnation…”

The New Message from God categorically rejects the idea of the damnation, or eternal punishment, of sinners. I confess to you that there was a time when I believed such a rejection to not only be wrong, but a hazard to the salvation of sinners. What sinner needs to be saved if the thing they need to be saved from doesn’t exist? Furthermore, the New Message from God rejects the very idea of sinners. I believe the New Message from God characterizes sinners as “erring, suffering, bewildered future saints in need of assistance.”

Step 26, “My errors give birth to my Knowledge” in Steps to Knowledge says a great deal in relatively few words about the nature of error. The word “sinner” is used exactly once in Steps to Knowledge, and the word “sinful” is used exactly once, in this paragraph from Step 241, “My anger is unjustified.”

“Anger, then, is not justified, for it is a misinterpretation of a true communication. Your anger is not justified because anger is born of confusion. Yet, confusion calls for preparation and the true application of Knowledge. Therefore, the sinful are not punished but are attended to. The wicked are not sent to hell but are prepared for Heaven. This is the true nature of God’s purpose in the world. That is why God can never be angry, because God is not offended. God is merely applying God to a situation where God has temporarily been forgotten.”

The 19th-century Irish writer Oscar Wilde wrote “The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” One of the turns on the road to that future is the correction of hell and damnation.

* * *

Don’t Let Me Forget

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Douglas

I recalled this poem by Rabindranath Tagore as I contemplated Step 95 “How can I possibly fulfill myself?” of Steps to Knowledge. Here is the portion of Step 95 which sparked a memory:

“Only in fantasy and imagination can you possibly even entertain the idea of fulfilling yourself. There is no fulfillment here, only increasing confusion. As the years progress, you will feel a growing darkness within you, as if a great opportunity has been lost. Do not lose this opportunity to realize life as it truly exists and to receive fulfillment as it is truly offered to you.”

Don’t let me forget

I recall Step 95 having a significant impact on me when I did it in October of 2011. I consider this another step to be addressed in a series of posts, like Step 26, “My errors give birth to my Knowledge,” and Step 51, “Let me recognize my fears so that I may see beyond them.” I am letting Rabindranath Tagore open the discussion. This is a slightly modernized version provided by Robert Bly. The original version is here.

If I am not to meet you again in this life then I want to feel that I have missed the meeting, don’t let me forget, let me feel the pain of it in my dreams and while awake.

As the time passes in the black dust of the body, and I get fat with money, I want to feel that I have gotten nothing out of it all — don’t let me forget, I want to feel the slivers of pain in my dreams and while awake.

When I walk up the steps, exhausted and tense after a long trip, or when I climb into some lonely bed, I want to feel that the long trip is still ahead of me — don’t let me forget, I want to feel the pain in my legs both while asleep and while awake.

When my house is all cleaned, and drinks are set here and there, and I hear people laughing, I want to feel that I haven’t invited you to my house — don’t let me forget, I want to feel the pain of that grief both while asleep and while awake.

* * *

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.

* * *

Заблуждения приводят к истинному знанию

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Alisa

For English version click here.

По моему опыту, заблуждения приводят к истинному знанию.

Я раньше поделилась опытом по Шагу 26. Из Моих Заблуждений Рождается Знание, где я утвердила, что заблуждения могут быть серендипными.

Я до сих пор так думаю, и могу ещё добавить, что заблуждения приводят к истинному знанию.

В Шаге 26, я читаю, что бессмысленно найти оправдание для моих заблуждений, тем более закрыть глаза на них. Нельзя их отпускать с тщетной надеждой, что их можно просто забыть. Лучше заключить с ними союз, их надо принимать, их нужно использовать так, чтобы извлечь из них пользу, пусть выдадут свои секреты.

В своих записях по этому шагу, я написала: Этот Шаг как нельзя кстати сегодня. Он дополняет и углубляет мой анализ собственных заблуждений.

В прошлом, я пыталась признать истинную природу своих заблуждений, а не карать себя за ними. Однако, часто трудно давалось поступать таким образом. Прежние ошибки ходили хвостом за мной, не давали спокойно жить. Поэтому, меня особенно затронулo следующее предложение из Шага 26:

По правде, нужно признать что ошибка это просто ошибка, а потом пытаться её использовать в твою пользу.

Заблуждения приводят к истинному знанию

Я писала в прежней записи по этому шагу об одном заблуждении летом 2012 г. И о том, как это заблуждение привело меня к Новому Посланию от Бога. В то лето мы с мужем путешествовали на севере России в поиске нашей мечты – дом в деревне. Мы нашли деревню на берегу Онежского озера, в которой мы хотели жить. Мы познакомились с местными жителями, которые обещали нам помочь. А их дружба оказалась ложной, их помощь неверной. Меня вели туда, куда не стоило мне идти, это было ложный путь, неверный след. К счастью, я вовремя образумилась, но не до того, как понесла большой урон в своей духовной развитии, было больно и обескураживающее. А в итоге, я признала свое поражение, признала, что заблудилась, и попросила о чем-то новым и вдохновляющим. Через пару недель я нашла Новое Послание от Бога.

Для меня это наглядный пример того, как заблуждения приводят к истинному знанию.

* * *

Errors Can Lead To True Knowledge

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Alisa

It has been my experience that errors can lead to true knowledge.

I have shared on Step 26. My Errors Give Birth to My Knowledge before in this space, when I claimed that errors could be serendipitous.

This still holds true for me and I will bolster it even further by reiterating that errors can lead to true knowledge.

Step 26 tells me that it is pointless to justify error, nor can errors be condoned. They are not something to be blithely glossed over in the vain hope I can forget them. Rather they are something to enter into a partnership with, they need to be accepted, they are to be utilized to derive value from, I would do well to have them give up their secrets. Douglas quotes George Washington Carver and gives some pertinent pointers here.

My notes for this Step say: This Step is so pertinent to me today. It adds a new quality and depth to my analysis of my errors.

It has been my practice in the past to try and recognize errors for what they are but not blame or beat myself over the head for them. However, often it is difficult to have a kind and loving attitude toward myself for my errors, but I realize that self-forgiveness is the only way to pick up and move on. So the sentence below from the Step really spoke to me.

What this truly means is that you recognize that error is error and then you attempt to use it on your own behalf.

Errors can lead to true knowledge

I will elaborate on what I wrote in my previous post on Step 26 about one particular error in the summer of 2012 that led me to the New Message from God. That summer I travelled with my husband to the north of Russia looking for a place we might find our dream house in the country. We found a village on the shores of Lake Onega where we thought we might like to live. We made the acquaintance of a local couple we thought might help us on our way. Their friendship proved hollow, their mentoring false. I was pulled in a direction that may have proven disastrous had I not come to my senses in time. I suffered, it was painful and discouraging, I experienced a giant setback in my spiritual development. The upshot was that I recognized the error for what it was and asked to be shown something new and empowering. Within a couple of weeks I found the New Message from God.

I consider this an example of how errors can lead to true knowledge.

* * *

The Luxury Of Self-Condemnation

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Douglas

Step 80, “I can only practice” of Steps to Knowledge, gives the idea that what passes for normal life contains a number of unexamined, habitual, detrimental practices. Practices such as confusion, judgment, projection of blame, guilt, disassociation, inconsistency and self-hatred.

The luxury of self-condemnation

Step 81, “I will not deceive myself today,” continues on this path, adding more detrimental practices to confront in one’s self.

“Do not be comfortable with assumptions or the beliefs of others.” As early as Step 4, “I want what I think I know,” we were told that assumptions are rarely founded on experience. The word “assumption” has been used a number of times so far in Steps to Knowledge. It has been consistently described as something too weak to take you to the great mystery of your life. It has been consistently described as something to examine and penetrate.

“Do not accept generalities as truth.” Generalizations have been known for some time to be impoverishments of experience. This is the only instance in Steps to Knowledge of either “generality” or “generalities.”

“Do not accept appearances as representative of the reality of another.” As I thought of this, I recalled a couple of Bible verses. Paul wrote to the Corinthians “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.” (2 Corinthians 5:16, New International Version) John wrote “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2, New International Version). What is the reality of another? The great mystery of their life. The mission they have in their life to fulfill.

“Do not accept the mere appearance of yourself.” See above.

There is one detrimental practice, the practice of self-condemnation, to which an entire paragraph is devoted.

“You must enter uncertainty to find Knowledge. What does this mean? It simply means you are giving up false assumptions, self-comforting ideas and the luxury of self-condemnation. Why is self-condemnation a luxury? Because it is easy and does not require you to examine the truth. You accept it because it is acceptable in this world, and it gives you a great deal to talk about with your friends. It evokes sympathy. Therefore, it is easy and weak.”

As someone who has engaged in a good bit of self-condemnation over my errors and disappointments, I bear witness to these words. Examining what actually happened takes some work, work that is not required to engage in the luxury of self-condemnation. I believe most people will not freely admit that they are just a little bit scared of people who are showing strength and courage. I believe most people will not freely admit that in their strongest and most fearless moments, they notice that other people are just a little bit scared of them.

«Alisa writes: I think that the last two sentences of the paragraph above contain a very potent thought. Apart from it being true at the personal level, I think our world leaders would do well to consider this in their dealings with other world leaders.»

It takes a certain mental rigor, a certain strength, a certain courage to even search for what Steps to Knowledge is offering. People who are comfortable with being safe and weak, for whatever reason, have quit by now, or are thinking about it.

* * *

I Have Signed An Armistice With My Errors

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Douglas

The peace of Step 74, “Peace abides with me today” of Steps to Knowledge isn’t a peace that comes out of nowhere for no reason. It is a peace that results from the willingness to learn from one’s errors. This willingness was asserted in Step 73, “I will allow my errors to teach me.”

It is as if I have signed an armistice with my errors

Oh, but this armistice is not like the Armistice of Compiegne in November of 1918, where one side humbled the other side. Neither is this armistice like the Korean Armistice Agreement in July of 1953, in which both sides are still at war in every way except killing people and breaking things. This is closer to an actual peace treaty, where the two parties not only agree to end violent hostilities, but declare a mutual desire to get along.

I have signed an armistice with my errors. What are the terms of this armistice? The Armistice at Compiegne was based on Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points.” There are a mere eleven points which describe my responsibilities. Here’s my part of the deal.

I will not justify my errors.
I will not forget my errors.
I will learn from my errors.
I will do what must be done that was not done before.
I will avoid what must be avoided that was not avoided before.
I will contemplate how these errors could be recognized in advance.
I will consider the signs that preceded them, and how these warnings might be recognized in the future.
I will allow my errors to teach me.
I will not deny my errors.
I will not bear false witness against my errors.
I will not call my errors by other names.

And what will my errors do? They will cease to haunt and oppress me. They will cease to confront me with the pain I have caused myself and others. They will offer me instruction as to avoid repeating error in the future. They will give up their secrets.

I have signed an armistice with my errors.

* * *

Will My Errors Give Up Their Secrets?

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Douglas

In Step 26, “My errors give birth to my Knowledge,” Steps to Knowledge succinctly demonstrates the incompleteness of a number of ideas in popular culture regarding errors. To briefly review, if you think that error doesn’t hurt, you’re kidding yourself. If you justify your poor choices, you anesthetize yourself to the pain they caused to you and others. If I forget my mistakes, I will inevitably make them again. Therefore, it is important to resolve to learn from errors, and to look for their enablers.

Will my errors give up their secrets?

Step 73, “I will allow my errors to teach me,” continues in this vein. This is the first mention of the word “error” since Step 26. The teaching of Step 26 has been gestating and germinating for a while. Underneath the pain, past the heartache, each error has a valuable secret to share, a point of instruction to offer. This step is strengthening the willingness to receive instruction from one’s errors, and thus to no longer repeat them.

When doing this step, I remember thinking to myself, “Allow my errors to teach me? The heck with that! I’ll be proactive! I’ll initiate! I’ll follow my errors down dark alleyways, wrestle them to the ground, and go through their pockets for every last bit of instruction I can get!” But there seems to be a time to make things happen, and a time to let things happen.

I have shared this quote from George Washington Carver before, and I will most likely share it again before too long. He said “Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough. Not only have I found that when I talk to the little flower or to the little peanut they will give up their secrets, but I have found that when I silently commune with people they give up their secrets also – if you love them enough.”

Will my errors give up their secrets? If I love them enough. What do I mean by loving my errors? The Step declares “If you are willing to learn from your errors, you will not be so afraid to recognize them. Then you will wish to understand them, not to deny them, not to bear false witness against them, not to call them by other names, but to admit them for your own benefit.”

Will my errors give up their secrets? If I love them enough.

* * *

Mystery of Ascension

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

Tag Archives: Step 26

I Continue to Venture Forth

I Continue to Venture Forth

We Have Some Suggestions For You

We have some suggestions for you

The Correction Of Hell And Damnation

“…the correction of hell and damnation…”

Don’t Let Me Forget

Don’t let me forget

What Of The Wounds My Brothers Gave To Me?

What of the wounds my brothers gave to me?

Заблуждения приводят к истинному знанию

Заблуждения приводят к истинному знанию

Errors Can Lead To True Knowledge

Errors can lead to true knowledge

The Luxury Of Self-Condemnation

The luxury of self-condemnation

I Have Signed An Armistice With My Errors

It is as if I have signed an armistice with my errors

Will My Errors Give Up Their Secrets?

Will my errors give up their secrets?