“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.” Eckhart Tolle
Archives for May 2017
Tips from Regina ~ Lesson 124, Let me remember I am one with God
On Wednesday night of this week, we were gathered in the Awakening Together Sanctuary for the Michael Langford Study Group. We were reading from his book, “The Importance of Practice and Effort”. On page 22, Nisargadatta Maharaj and a devotee are discussing awareness-watching-awareness meditation. The devotee said, “I have tried many times and failed.”
When I read that, my first thought was, “How do you know you failed?” And this analogy came to my mind:
Where I live the internet is slower than in most towns and cities. That’s because our area is somewhat rural. When I upload an audio file, it can take several minutes. As the file is uploading, I can watch a progress bar, which shows me that 1% of the file is uploaded, 2% of the file, 3% of the file, etc. So I know the upload is making progress.
However, I don’t have a progress bar that shows my spiritual progress.
When uploading a file, if I ignored the progress bar and declared failure after 5 minutes because the file wasn’t uploaded yet, I would be wrong. It isn’t failure. It is simply in progress, but not yet complete. If I got frustrated that the file wasn’t uploaded and shutdown the computer, I would prevent additional progress.
What if we were to realize that our awakening is in progress? And then with trust in that fact, what if we continue to follow instructions so that spiritual progress can continue?
When Michael Langford was teaching me to meditate, he shared some quotes with me. These are the quotes:
“Don’t look for quick results; there may be none within your noticing.” ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
“Don’t waste energy on thinking or evaluating how well or how badly you are doing in your meditation.” ~ Annamalai Swami
“Don’t be discouraged by the length of the journey, and don’t slacken in your efforts to get home.” ~ Annamalai Swami
“The practice is the progress.” ~ The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss
Compare these quotes to what today’s Course lessons says:
“Peace be to you today. Secure your peace by practicing awareness you are one with your Creator, as He is with you. Sometime today, whenever it seems best, devote a half an hour to the thought that you are one with God. … Abide with Him this half an hour. He will do the rest. Your benefit will not be less if you believe that nothing happens. You may not be ready to accept the gain today. Yet sometime, somewhere, it will come to you, nor will you fail to recognize it when it dawns with certainty upon your mind. … You will remember then the thought to which you gave this half an hour, thankfully aware no time was ever better spent.”
Nisargadatta told the devotee who thought he had failed, “Try again. … Give attention to the reality within you and it will come to light.”
May 19, 2017 Daily Quote
Tips from Regina ~ Lesson 123 ~ I thank my Father for His gifts to me
NTI Luke, Chapter 17 says that gratitude “nurses your willingness to full health. Do not hold back on gratitude. Take time to sit in quiet and know your gratitude.”
NTI Hebrews, Chapter 12 says, “Worship in reverence and awe the true desire of the Heart by giving your gratitude to it. Through gratitude, [true] desire is increased.”
Last week, when reading Chapter 4 from the Direct Means to Eternal Bliss, we learned how important the intense desire for freedom is. We were told that it will bring us everything that is needed for success in the “quest for Freedom including the answer to all your questions, the Direct Path teachings, the solution to all obstacles, the motivation to practice, etc.” We were told that the intense desire for freedom will guide us to our inner Teacher. “Of all the factors that determine if you will or will not be free, the intensity or lack of intensity of your desire for Freedom is the most essential factor. Whatever you can do to most effectively increase your desire for Freedom should be done.”
And so, today we take a day of gratitude in order to increase our desire for freedom.
What should we be grateful for? Here are some things that NTI recommends we be grateful for:
~ “Be grateful for all that is true. All that is true is this: Life, Love, sharing, extension and joy.” ~ NTI Luke 24
~ “It is true that peace is cause for rejoicing and gratitude. It is through gratitude that peace is extended.” So be grateful for peace. ~ NTI 1 Thessalonians 3
~ “Be grateful for the process that is God” That is, be grateful that giving and receiving are one. “In this way, you come to know within awareness that which is God, and you come to accept and love thy Self.” ~ NTI 1 Timothy 4
~ “Teach the mind to be subject to the Heart by being grateful for the desire of the Heart. Through gratitude, desire is stretched within the mind. Let the desire for Love expand within the mind that is conscious, and the conscious mind will give more willingness to rest at the feet of the Heart.” ~ NTI Titus 2
~ “One may rejoice over progress as he notices his perception is being healed. … The transition to true perception is glory. Have gratitude for your Self and this miracle, which is the symbol of your own true desire.” ~ NTI 1 Peter 1
~ “Be grateful for reminders to rest [the thinking mind].” ~ NTI Revelation 19
~ “See all things as an opportunity to learn and to practice, and be grateful for all things. There is nothing that will be placed in your path that is not a gift from Me. See it as your gift and you are blessed indeed.” ~ NTI Luke 9
So today, let’s take time to be grateful as we increase our desire for Freedom.
May 18, 2017 Daily Quote
5/17/17 – Weekly Satsang with Nirmala ~ The Fullness within emptiness
You can learn more about Nirmala and his teachings on his website, which contains several free ebooks, articles, videos and audios.
Minutes for the Member Board of Trustees Meeting – 4/17/17
Click the link below to read the minutes from this meeting.
(To learn more about the Member Board of Trustees, click here.)
Tips from Regina ~ Lesson 122 ~ Forgiveness offers everything I want
What do you think you want? Today is a good opportunity to look and uncover the world-based ‘wants’ that are driving you. Consider writing down everything you think you want, and then ask ‘why.’ Look deeply at your wants until you discover what you really, really want. After you’ve done that, read today’s lesson again.
“Do you want peace? Forgiveness offers it. Do you want happiness, a quiet mind, a certainty of purpose, and a sense of worth and beauty that transcends the world? Do you want care and safety, and the warmth of sure protection always? Do you want a quietness that cannot be disturbed, a gentleness that never can be hurt, a deep abiding comfort, and a rest so perfect it can never be upset? All this forgiveness offers you, and more.”
It’s interesting that this lesson should come to us right after we have watched Michael Singer’s interview about his personal “surrender experiment.” Are we ready for our own surrender experiment?
Are we ready to let go of trying to get what we want? Are we ready to let the universe bring what it will? Are we ready to embrace anything and everything that comes while letting go of all dissenting chatter that arises in our minds?
Are we ready?
May 17, 2017 Daily Quote
Audio & Homework – Week 19 Gentle Healing Group with Regina, 5/16/17
Regina Dawn Akers guides a group of committed students who would like to make consistent, gentle progress toward genuine peace, joy and love. This group meets weekly and all members are committed to specific assignments and practices between group meetings. Everyone who is willing to make a commitment to healing/awakening is invited to join this group.
Homework for the upcoming week:
Homework Assignment A: Workbook lessons 122-128. Practice daily awareness-watching-awareness meditation for 10 – 15 minutes each day. Practice your visualization plan daily. Practice the “Loving All” Method.
Homework Assignment B: Watch the Ellie Roozdar Video called Meditation with Open Eyes. It can be found in the Gentle Healing Playlist.
Homework Assignment C: Read NTI Hebrews, Chapters 1-7 (pgs 399-408)
Regina’s Tips for Year 1 as an ebook
Gentle Healing Facebook group: Sharing in Contemplation Together
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