Today’s reading says:
The world is an image in the mind, or better said, a picture-thought within the thought of spirit.
Let’s review the Four Principles of God and see how it compares to this excerpt from today’s reading:
First Principle of God– Pure, unmanifest, life-awareness; abstract, unlimited potentiality.
Second Principle of God– Consciousness, also known as I Am or Spirit. It can be called “the thought of spirit” since it is a thought born out of the unlimited potentiality of the First Principle.
Third Principle of God– The ongoing activity of creation, which occurs naturally through the declarative interaction of consciousness with that which is witnessed.
Fourth Principle of God– Manifestation, which is the realm of appearance (experience and images). In other words, “a picture-thought within the thought of spirit.”
Today’s reading points out that although the Fourth Principle isn’t real, it is experienced. It doesn’t take much self-honesty at all to notice that you experience the world. If you don’t believe me, pinch yourself. You will experience the pinch.
One reason the world seems real is because we confuse experience with reality. We think that if we experience it, that means it is real. However, you have experienced many nighttime dreams. Were they real?
No, your nighttime dreams were not real.
Therefore, it is easy to see that experience is not the criterion for determining reality.
As we saw on Day 134, the criterion for determining reality is unchanging existence. The world does not meet that criterion, nor does experience, because experience is always changing. (For example, you no longer feel your pinch, do you? That experience has already disappeared.)
Since experience does not meet the criterion for reality, experience is not real. Clearly, the unreal is not a criterion for reality. Therefore, we cannot determine reality by experience.
But, with all of that said, we still experience experience, which is why you felt your pinch.
Because we confuse experience with reality, when experience isn’t reality, we need another way to perceive or interpret our experience. Today’s reading provides that new interpretation.
Thoughts of Awakening # 150
The inner guiding force
is not a separate force
guiding against the intentions
of the all.
The inner guiding force
is a resulting force
coming from the all
for the all
in love.
This is why you can trust
the inner guiding force.
It is the perfect flow of harmony
given in answer
to the call and request
of all.
~From our Holy Spirit
Homework for this week
- Practice daily meditation for 30-60 minutes each day.
- Practice the “Loving All” Method.
- Thoughts of Awakening, 148-154 including Commentary on the Inner Guiding Force (with 151), Commentary on Surrender (with 152), Commentary on Self-Love (with 153) & Commentary on Calm (with 154).
- Read NTI Romans 11-13
- The reading shared on Tuesday night was from The Transparency of Things by Rupert Spira, 166-172, Consciousness and Being are One & The Fabric of Self.
- Exercise: This is a follow-up to an exercise we did in Week 72. But instead of noticing clinging and pushing away in our meditation, we’ere going to notice this in our daily lives. Notice when you’re lost in thought, anxious, pause and notice, am I trying to cling to this or push it away. Realize that either of these actions works to make our sense of self more dense. Remember your desire to know yourself as consciousness. If you’re trying to hold on to something, let it go. If you’re trying to push soemthing away, let it be. Or, just return to practicing the Loving All Method.
