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You can learn more about Nirmala and his teachings on his website, which contains several free ebooks, articles, videos and audios.
A universal assembly for true discernment
Listen to this recording
You can learn more about Nirmala and his teachings on his website, which contains several free ebooks, articles, videos and audios.
My mind holds only what I think with God.
I have noticed since beginning this review that something is shifting in me. There is greater confidence than there was before in the efficiency of the direct path and in my desire and ability to remain focused on it. I feel as if I am learning now to “claim again” my inheritance.
With this in mind, I contemplate today’s review lessons.
If I defend myself I am attacked. In order to defend myself, I must forget my Self. It doesn’t matter if I am defending my psyche against something that it perceives as an attack or if I am defending against truth by avoiding spiritual practice. Either way, I am not coming from my Self. Therefore, whenever I notice myself defending, I will drop the habit of ignorance and turn attention toward the heart, toward truth.
Sickness is a defense against the truth. I do not feel to focus on effects. It feels better for me to watch where my attention is now. Am I obsessed with thinking about an illness or some other circumstance? Am I resisting an illness or another current circumstance? Do I feel like the victim of an illness or another circumstance? If yes, that focus is a defense against the truth. Instead of being in defense, it feels better for me to be consistently in acceptance, grounded in wisdom, and in contemplation of the truth. When I find myself in defense, I will return myself to clarity and promptly drop the habit of ignorance.
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 148-152. Stay with Lesson 151 for two days and stay with Lesson 152 for two days. Practice daily awareness-watching-awareness meditation for 15-20 minutes each day. Practice the “Loving All” Method.
Homework Assignment B: Read NTI Acts, Chapters 19-28 (pages 246-260). When there is a bible icon before a paragraph, read the annotated verses from the Bible along with NTI.
Homework Assignment C: Practice the 30-minute ‘Recalling Attention’ Meditation’ at least once. You will find it at www.awakening-together.org under Audios & Videos, Meditation Audios, Devotional Meditation. Scroll down in that list until you find the meditation we are practicing this week. Or you can click on this link
What good news yesterday’s lesson was. “No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth.” And yet, one must be honest about her seeking. To say she seeks the truth, but to look to the world for happiness, is to be dishonest with her self. One who seeks the truth seeks inward, toward the great ocean of life-awareness, which is the true Self. “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” ~ Luke 17:21
With this, it is clear that ample time given to awareness-focused meditation is an important part of surrendering to the desire for truth realization. I do not deny this. I embrace this fact, and I take time each day for that most direct path. In addition, I remain aware of truth during my daily activities.
The review instructions say, “…place His Mind in charge of all the thoughts you will receive… And so each one will bring the message of His Love to you, returning messages of yours to Him. … And as His Own completion joins with Him, so will He join with you who are complete as you unite with Him, and He with you.”
It is with this thought that I contemplate today’s review lessons:
I will not value what is valueless. I will not value what is passing. I will be with it, because it is here now, but my heart’s value shall remain with the eternal, and my awareness will rest gratefully with the heart.
Let me perceive forgiveness as it is. When I notice my mind has gone to unnecessary thinking about temporary circumstances or wishes, I bring my attention back to the heart and the eternal. Here I abide as I go through the normal activities of my day. I rejoice in silent contemplation of truth.
The Tao Te Ching ~ Verse 12, “The distraction of the senses, and returning to The Self.”
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Yesterday my focus was watching for defenses and self-deceptions, that which keeps my attention away from my true Self. I did this because it was a request made in the review instructions. After making that request, the review instructions say:
“And yet, your mind holds only what you think with God. Your self-deceptions cannot take the place of truth. No more than can a child who throws a stick into the ocean change the coming and the going of the tides, the warming of the water by the sun, the silver of the moon on it by night.”
This brings me back to, “My mind holds only what I think with God.” With this in mind, I contemplate today’s review lessons.
No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth. Although there are many ideas that distract from truth, they are each temporary. As a stream, they can appear endless. But if I step back from the stream and compare it to the ocean, I see the stream is shallow. It is the great depth of the ocean that calls to me. I shall listen and go where I am called.
I loose the world from all I thought it was. I thought my happiness resided in the world. That is exactly what I thought. That is why it has held my attention for so long. I loose the world from all I thought it was. I give my attention to the depth within.
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One year ago, Regina interviewed Ellie Roozdar in the Awakening Together Sanctuary. During that interview, Regina realized that all of her questions had been answered. She had no more questions to ask anyone.
Now, a year later, Regina will go through the Ellie Roozdar interview again and share the insights that have deepened within her since the original interview last May.
Listen to the Original Ellie Roozdar Interview
About Ellie Roozdar:
Ellie has been a happily married woman for more than 35 years. She has two beautiful children—a lovely daughter and a sweet son. She realized the true Self through committed meditation. She feels meditation is essential to Self-realization. She works with selected people who have extensive experience with meditation to help them realize the Self. She does not charge or accept donations for her service.