NTI 2 Peter is about abundance. Take a few moments to write down what abundance means to you. If you were to live a life of abundance, what would that look like?
Please complete this exercise before reading the rest of this tip.
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On Day 136 and Day 202, we learned that the law of attraction is a distortion of truth. Today, we will learn that the ego’s ideas of abundance are a distortion of abundance.
Today’s reading defines abundance as “full awareness of your divine nature.” We often call that awakening or enlightenment. The reading also says, “Abundance cannot be defined in any other way.”
Look at your list of abundance. Are there material ideas of abundance on that list? Are there experiential ideas of abundance on the list?
Whenever the mind tries to define abundance, it thinks about material or experiential ideas. For example, for one personality-type, the mind’s list of abundance might look like this:
– Plenty of money so I am financially secure until my death
– A nice house to live in with beautiful furniture and art work
– A swimming pool, a well decorated meditation room, an art studio
– The time and the money to travel all over the world
– Physical health for me and my family
Today’s reading says that abundance “cannot be defined within the limits of the world.” That means the previous list, or any list of material and experiential ideas, is a distortion of abundance.
If you look at the dictionary definitions of abundance, you will see that none of the definitions use the term “unlimited.” They may say, “a large quantity of” or they may say “ample quantity” or “a relative degree of plentifulness,” but the dictionaries do not define abundance as unlimited.
Any material or experiential idea of abundance is a limited idea of abundance. Therefore, it is not full, complete or unrestricted abundance.
If you look deep within your heart, you will find that your heart is not interested in limited abundance. The mind is interested in limited abundance, because in the pursuit of or the attachment to limited abundance, you maintain identification with the mind.
The heart is only interested in true abundance, which is abundance beyond all limits and beyond all definitions. It is “full awareness of your divine nature.” It is abundance that transcends the world entirely.
The reading says:
For this reason, quiet the mind whenever it seems to stretch to imagine abundance within the world. When the mind is stretching in this way it is stretching to limit itself even more.
Those who believe that material or experiential abundance will fulfill them are identified with the temporary body-personality-mind as who they are. That is the limit that mind’s ideas of abundance put on you. The mind’s ideas of abundance limit you to a temporary manifestation.
Do you want to be limited in that way, or do you prefer to know true abundance as what you are?
The reading also says:
It is through witness that you know. That which you taste as witness cannot be forgotten…
In other words, spend time noticing life-awareness. It is through the direct knowing of your Self that you know your Self. You cannot know your Self through the mind’s concepts, no matter how lofty those concepts might be.
Thoughts of Awakening # 257
Let go of all learned “knowledge” now,
and be guided in trust
by the All.
This is how you become the true Servant.
Without realizing it,
without thinking or “knowing” anything,
you are guided by the Spirit in everyone,
and all needs are provided for
through you.
~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, 253-259
- Read NTI 1 Peter 2-5 & NTI 2 Peter 1-3
- If you do not have The Teachings of Inner Ramana, order it now. We will begin reading fromthat book in week 97.