A universal assembly for true discernment
Please read quotes 1036-1039 in The Seven Steps to Awakening with your inner teacher. Here is the last quote:
Be free from all mental perversions and from the blinding taint of illusion. Rest content in your own Self. Thus, be free from all distress. Remain in an expansive state in the Self, like the full ocean. Rejoice in the Self by the Self.
Note: The next Daily Contemplation will be available tomorrow morning after 2am ET at this link.
What is the Real World?
Our special theme says, “The real world cannot be perceived except through eyes forgiveness blesses …”
What does that mean?
To me, “eyes” implies looking, seeing and perceiving.
We learned from our first special theme that “forgiveness” is recognizing yourself as the unaffected Self.
So, that sentence means that the real world is perceived when we know ourselves as the unaffected Self, and we look out on the world from that knowledge.
With the help of spiritual intuition, we have each selected a perception in which we do not see our self as unaffected. It isn’t helpful to start telling ourselves, “I am unaffected,” when there is probably a deep-seated belief that we are affected. Instead, it is more helpful to look carefully at the belief that we are affected.
It is time for inquiry.
Through Gentle Healing, we have learned about several types of inquiry including root cause inquiry, Byron Katie’s “The Work”, Diederik Wolsak’s “Choose Again” inquiry, and Inner Ramana’s self-inquiry. Use any of these methods, a combination of methods or your own inquiry process in order to learn what you fear regarding the selected perception. Set a goal of being able to honestly explain your fear to another person in a dispassionate way by tomorrow.
Note: According to my dictionary, dispassionate means “not influenced by strong emotion, and so able to be rational and impartial.” That doesn’t mean that you will repress any emotion. Emotion might be present, but your description will not go off into stories that are influenced by that emotion. Your description of the fear will be “rational and impartial.”
All fear is past and only love is here.
We learned previously that the past is only thought. Today’s workbook lesson says, “All fear is past,” which means all fear is only thought.
Today you will look to discover thoughts you believe that also cause you to believe you are a vulnerable affected self. These thoughts are obstacles to the vision of the real world. As today’s lesson says, “Can the world seem bright and clear and safe and welcoming, with all my past mistakes oppressing it, and showing me distorted forms of fear?”
We celebrate the opportunity to be free of an obstacle as we go in search of our mistaken beliefs today.
If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend this meditation:
Loving Consciousness Description V
Helpful Resources for Today’s Practice:
Guidelines for Root Cause Inquiry
Instructions for Doing The Work
The Choose Again Six Step Process
Regina Dawn Akers reads from the Tao Te Ching in order to contemplate enlightened leadership.
Anne Blanchard shares her experience of purification and awakening, unfiltered and as it happens. Raw, reflective, brave, and infused with clarity.
Anne’s open honesty inspires us all to dive deep into the spiritual journey instead of simply skimming the surface.
Please read quotes 1032-1035 in The Seven Steps to Awakening with your inner teacher. Here is the last quote:
Ignorance of the Self is the cause of your sorrow; knowledge of the Self leads to delight and tranquility.
Note: The next Daily Contemplation will be available tomorrow morning after 2am ET at this link.
What is the Real World?
Our special theme says, “The real world is a symbol, like the rest of what perception offers. Yet it stands for what is opposite to what you made. Your world is seen through eyes of fear, and brings witnesses of terror to your mind.”
Yesterday, you made a list describing the world as you see it. Take a look at your list. Label each perception in the list as fear or peace, whichever feels most correct for the specific perception. When choosing between fear and peace, look at how you feel when you perceive the world in that way. Your mind might want to argue that a specific perception isn’t peace, but it also isn’t fear. Trust that any perception that isn’t peace is fear, even if it doesn’t seem that way to you.
Complete this step before continuing to read.
Notice how many of your perceptions are labeled as fear compared to the number of perceptions that are labeled as peace.
The labels help you understand why you see the world the way you do. If the majority of your perceptions are fear, you live in a fearful world. If some of your perceptions are fear and some are peace, you live in a somewhat stable world, but certain circumstances are fearful for you. If all of your perceptions are peace, you see the real world.
A happy outcome to all things is sure.
Today’s lesson says, “God’s promises make no exceptions. And He guarantees that only joy can be the final outcome found for everything. Yet it is up to us when this is reached; how long we let an alien will appear to be opposing His. And while we think this will is real, we will not find the end He has appointed as the outcome of all problems we perceive …”
Look at your list again. Ask spiritual intuition to select one fearful perception for you to work on. Sometimes the mind’s reaction to intuition’s choice is resistance. It might feel like, “I don’t want to work on that one. I’ll pick an easier one.” Those thoughts come from the “alien will” mentioned in today’s lesson. Ignore those thoughts, and choose to work on the one selected by spiritual intuition.
Today, whenever the selected perception arises, repeat today’s lesson to yourself. As you do, realize that a happy outcome is delayed when you cling to your conditioned way of thinking. Give willingness to see that your way of thinking is wrong. Tomorrow, after a day of giving willingness, we will look more deeply at our selected perceptions.
If you have 30 minutes for meditation, I recommend this meditation today:
Regina Dawn Akers guides a group of committed students who would like to make consistent, gentle progress toward genuine peace, joy and love.
Facilitated by Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert & Connie Poole
Homework for Next Week:
*Remember that for the next 2 weeks we will be having Gentle Healing Year 1 on Mondays at 6:30 pm ET.
Anne Blanchard guides a group of committed students through year 2 of Gentle Healing 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 has completed year 1 Gentle Healing and is willing to make a commitment to deepening even further into healing/awakening is invited to join this group.
Please read quotes 1028-1031 in The Seven Steps to Awakening with your inner teacher. Here is the last quote:
I am the fullness. I am the Self-bliss.
Note: The next Daily Contemplation will be available tomorrow morning after 2am ET at this link.
