Lessons

Humanity's goal on the larger scale is what each person's goal is--as the force of one of us, multiplied many times over becomes the whole of humanity.

We feel happy when we are in harmony--when we harmonize with our family, friends, community, and as a country of people with the whole world.

As we each learn that our happiness or harmony is felt when we act for the best of each situation, we will, for our own happiness, learn to spontaneously know and act for the best.

Harmony in our Environment

As we individually and communally grow in consciousness we will create an ever more harmonious environment for all of us and for our progeny. If we think about all the creative ways we are now using our natural resources we can see that if we continue to strive for our human and humanitarian goal of harmony--many new ways of using our natural resources will spontaneously come into our thoughts.

By acting for the best, we preserve the happiness we already feel in our lives. And as we continue to open up to our inner source of happiness, our inner resource of happiness, we come to know and interrelate with our natural Source-Resource, our Creator-Sustainer.

Our Natural Source-Resource

What is here on our planet is ultimately to be used for our benefit--for us to use in our growth in consciousness. For in our growth in consciousness we come into more and more contact and alignment with the natural inner workings of our world--with the harmony underlying our physical world.

This point where science and spirituality meet--where harmony and happiness meet--we label as our Creator-Sustainer.

We can, showing care, go hand in hand through life using the resources from our Creator Sustainer--our intelligent and Self-Sustained Source--the source and support of every atom and item in existence--to effect the opening of our minds and hearts.

Unmasking our Façades

Because we do have a sensitive depth to ourselves, we are careful to protect that depth from trammeling by the world through our facades of certain actions and postures and even the clothing we wear in the world. In friendship we find out that our friends and ourselves are presenting more than gift-wrapping to each other.

Therefore, friendship is very important for releasing our façade and revealing our depths not just to our friends, but especially to ourselves.

In the experience of our steep depth of dimension we come to see that we really have inner resources to handle all problems that present in our lives.

And providing the energy for our outer life of action is the inner radiant sun of endless vitality. That we can and do draw on just by relaxing into the depths of our mind with loving attitudes--allowing the answers to all our dilemmas to float right into our waking consciousness--or perhaps into one of our dreams.

All fruits have skins that hide and protect their lushness until ready to be consumed. Trees have an outer bark protecting their innards--but it is those unseen innards of the tree that provide the structure for its life, for its ability to stand in the world. And, we too, have a sturdy physical form to give protection to our sweet innards of emotion and mind--to house our very soul and provide the working format while we grow in consciousness during our visit(s) on planet earth.

Our façade is therefore essential and useful. What we need to do is realize that our façade and the facades of others are not all there is to any of us. And that is what we find out in the depths of friendship, particularly. And in the combination of time spent in meditation and loving actions with our friends we come to know that we as humans are much more than flesh and bone beings.

Lesson 2.

I have found that when I let myself get wrapped up in someone's issue, or with another's problems, I get swept up in the tide right along with them. 'And then there were two'…

It is good to be involved to the extent that we give positive and useful advice, but not to the extent that we give that person power over our own sense of balance, peace, and happiness. We are not a help to the person having the problem, if we get emotionally involved in or depressed by their situation.

By standing back in mind and emotion, while listening carefully and with compassion, we are 'there' for the person. We are also right there in our own center of balance--best able to clearly see and perhaps work with them on those issues.

If we feel depressed because another person is depressed, we are choosing to empathize but not serve them usefully. The higher choice is to listen carefully to another's problem and then offer useful advice. In offering advice from our highest consciousness we retain our own sense of peace and happiness because we know we are doing what is good in the situation.

Developing a Discerning Mind and Will-Power

When we are able and willing to make the choices and carry through on what is best in each situation we maintain or regain harmony in our lives.

We develop a discerning mind by first following the guidelines that religion and society have laid out for us--basically the golden rule extended. 'Do unto others as we would have them do unto us' and do unto ourselves what allows us to preserve our personal peace, happiness, and health.

Developing will power only comes when we are mentally convinced on what we want. Because it is harder to walk a straight line than a wide road we must be more than convinced to follow through on a plan. We must diligently apply ourselves to our plan all day long. An example of using the combination of discernment and will power is with ending the habit of cigarette smoking. We first use our discerning mind, to consider the pros and cons of cigarette smoking on all aspects of our life. As we all intellectually know that scientific research has shown cigarette smoking is dangerous to our health it is up to us through the use of our will power to quit smoking.

It is in the combination of discernment and will power that we upgrade the quality of our life and make space for our consciousness to expand.

There is a certain degree of refinement needed before the more esoteric thoughts and experiences can flow through our minds--taking shape through our actions.

Course Corrections

Change is not failure--rather, change using new information to get us to our destination more easily is the most efficient path on which to proceed. Even change many times on the way to our goals when a clearer way becomes visible is the best course of action to follow.

The need for course corrections can face us at any stage in the progress of any goal we are seeking--even when we are deeply entrenched along a specific path.

Allowing course corrections makes use of our intelligent, discerning, and creative faculties. We are given these aspects of mind to be able to adjust ourselves to changing circumstances and conditions in our lives--including career goals and relationships.

When we become aware that another action would be for the higher good of a situation we need to make a course correction to maintain our balance of peace of mind and an easeful body.

Our ultimate path in life is to act so that we maintain peace of mind and an easeful body while growing in consciousness of the whole of ourselves. And the whole of ourselves is not limited to our body, mind and emotions. It is the knowing that we use our body in action, our mind in creatively solving life's problems, and our emotions to show care as tools to get to know our infinite soul. Our soul, having far-reaching roots that are sunk in the infinite Spirit--invisible but ever present, experienced through the portal of our heart by our actions of unconditional love.

I have found as I traverse through life, that standing back emotionally--but still using compassion to view issues clearly--I serve most usefully. And at the same time I am preserving my own balance. Being willing to upgrade my actions, making the necessary course corrections along the way continually increases my ability to find constructive answers.
 

Lesson 3.

While we are separated from the people we love a few hours a day, or even days at a time, we still feel their presence in our life, and we still feel our love for them. Loving, connected feelings don't need the person loved to be present in order to be experienced.

Experiment

Close your eyes and visualize a person you love; feel their presence with you; enjoy the warmth you are feeling in your body; relax into the cozy feelings. Open your eyes. Now you know that you can feel connected and one with those you love, even when you are away from them.

And even physically we are always, in an unseen way, interconnected with one another--as molecules of the physical dimension are inter-linked. We are actually feeling this when we say that we have a heart-to-heart connection with another.

Practicing the above experiment gives us some understanding with the underlying ever-present radiant energy sustaining us.

By becoming steeped in the deep ocean of self-sustained love that we are all immersed in, we can experience love independent of another's physical form. We need not cling in an attached dependent way to another person's visible physical presence to feel love and happiness. Rather, we can share our self-sustained loving feelings with others at all times.

Objects

Objects we are attached to could be reminders of some happiness we previously experienced--maybe in an association with a loving experience with a person. Or, we may think that acquiring an object will cause us to feel warmth, happiness, or connection. Here again, we can visualize the object and see ourselves enjoying it, even allowing our bodies to feel what it is like to be enjoying the object. If we do this in our mind, we do not need to have the physical possession to get the feeling we want to experience.

We feel more connected with all the creation while we are feeling warmth and radiance in our body-mind. And as we just experimented with and found out first hand, we are able to live in a state of connection, without having a visible physical manifestation in our presence.

Transitions

Life is a long series of transitions--moment to moment, hour to hour, day to day, birth to childhood, to adulthood, to death, to after death.

We can with ease flow and allow change as it naturally occurs, and in this way grow in fullness and maturity, ripening well as fruits on the tree ripen and share with whomever need them. Or, we can mentally, emotionally, and physically resist the changes--which happen anyway.

Resisting change takes more energy than flowing and accepting. It is harder to stand still against the pounding ocean surf than to float atop the waves. Resistance or acceptance is our choice.

Conscious transitions lead on an upward curve into greater awareness of our whole composite nature, which is powered by a permanent electric-type energy that we call spiritual energy--sustaining us through all the transitory moments of eternity.

It makes more sense to observe mother nature and note that all physical forms only change from physical to energy to physical to energy over and over again. No atom on any plane of existence is ever lost--only in one of its various momentary forms. We can't see energy with our physical eyes so we think that when a physical form disintegrates it is gone forever. Nature itself disproves this. Physics disproves this. The physical has only made a transition to the invisible energy and will probably come into another physical form some day.

There are no breaks or spaces of emptiness in the transition between the various states of being. Whether mineral, plant, animal, or human, there is absolutely no way there could ever be a void of consciousness during transitions.

Watch a paper burn. First the paper is just as it is. Then the lit match touches the paper causing a slight discoloration where the paper is converting to heat energy and then, before our eyes we fully feel and see the heat and flame--the energy--manifesting itself. Then we see a pile of ash. The ash mixed into the earth nourishes a new seedling, perhaps again becoming paper later on. All that we observed were transitions of matter to energy to matter. Was there ever an empty space, a state of nothingness? No.

When we sleep at night our waking consciousness withdraws from the sense organs, rests, then returns upon waking. Later that day consciousness again withdraws. We survive that transition of energy being in our limbs to energy being withdrawn from our limbs, back and forth every day. We do not experience any discomfort or sense of loss as our senses withdraw and we fall into sleep. We continue on, making the transition every day.

From these observations we see that all life continues on--only its visible form disappears from our physical sight. And what we feel attached to is ever with us in our consciousness whether we can see it or not with our eyes.

We can feel our unseen oneness with our family and friends, feel our unseen ties at this moment, those ties not dependent on anyone's physical presence with us, when we are feeling the energy form of manifestation that we call love.

Lesson 4.

It is not just a catchy phrase in our current society. It is self-esteem that opens our inner doorways that we may walk out into public life and even just face ourselves in the mirror--viewing ourselves as worthy and complete people. Able to look ourselves in the eye. Able to look others in the eye, too.

The doorway that shuts us off from marching forth in our radiant wholeness opens at first slowly and then completely as we develop our Self qualities. Because it is really in the reflection of our inner Self that we are happiest and best shine forth in the world.

Steps in developing self-esteem:

1. Spending regular time in the clearing house of meditation;
2. Reflecting honestly on the day's events;
3. Formulating a plan to upgrade any weaknesses we are carrying;
4. Picking an esoteric quality to imbue--charity, kindness, caring;
5. Being serviceful instead of acting needy--a needy person thinks happiness comes from what they get--a person with self-esteem has found that happiness is enjoyed in the very acts of giving;
6. Taking heart in the reality that self-esteem is gained or regained slowly; step-by-step each day--and can be felt moment-to-moment when giving unconditional love.

When we are feeling needy we try to talk another person into interrelating with us. But this is not with thoughts of an equal interaction…

When we, by our free will, substitute a positive for a negative outlook, our physical body relaxes and feels at ease. Remember--it involves more muscles to frown than to smile.

When we smile with our whole body we are letting our internal and eternal Source flow through us most easily and refreshingly. We are literally aligning with the natural flow of energy that powers every atom and molecule in the universe.

Actions powered by the outpouring of our energy are naturally loving and giving--as the nature of energy is to be ever-flowing--ever flooding us with new energy.

Positive energy is the natural outcome of being in harmony with the Source of energy that flows through our body, mind, and actions.

To develop a positive attitude, which is fundamental to erasing the attitude of neediness, requires the reinstallation of harmony in our personal lives.

To help us realign with our natural harmony we can:

1. Consider all the options for action and then act for the best of the situation;
2. Exert our free will to substitute positive for negative attitudes;
3. Maintain our body in optimal condition by taking in the cleanest diet that we can, along with including a combination of stretching and aerobic activities;
4. Above all, acting with care with every person that crosses our path-- every single day.

It is our positive attitudes, thoughts, and words that produce positive actions--giving actions rather than taking actions.

And finally, while we are giving of ourselves we become our most energized self--we are feeling what we label as harmony and happiness. And that is just what the needy person wants, but has been going outwardly instead of inwardly to find.

Lesson 5.

We have the choice to view life from either side--the positive, optimistic side, or the negative pessimistic side.

By being flexible and open to the moment's input we have the best chance of seeing how a situation can grow into its best resolve.

Underlying our cover of thoughts is our bed of preconceived attitudes on life and living. Our attitudes influence our thoughts, our thoughts determine our words--written or spoken--which in turn determine our course of action.

To begin setting the stage for positive attitudes to have their play:

1. Keep in mind that more options for action are available when we are looking for the best resolve. And that the most options come to mind when we hold onto a positive attitude. A positive attitude says--'let's work this out' and not 'let's fight this out'.
2. Resolve to act for the best resolve of each situation.
3. Remember the phrase 'action--reaction'. Positive actions produce positive results; negative actions produce negative results.

Handling Adversity

These opposing energies interrelate--cooperate, causing motion--the flow of energy. Some energy solidifies, forming physical matter; some is felt, but unseen, as in heat and electricity.

When confronted with adversity in other people we can retain our peacefulness by assuming a neutral position. Example: While driving a car, we can go forward, backward, or remain in neutral--as at a stop light--to avoid a collision while traffic crosses our path.

Adversity in people, or a situation is 'cross traffic'.

Allowing their opposing energy to go by, while remaining in neutral, keeps us out of an 'accident' of conflict.

Our self-centeredness tempts us to pull out of neutral into conflict because we feel our point of view is being jeopardized. But, within the negative or opposing side of peace, there is no resolve that serves the highest good. Decisions out of strife fail, as they are not born of balance and harmony--nature's way to maintain universal order.

Self-knowledge

Self-knowledge forms the foundation for building a happy and fulfilling life. When our actions are in-line with the highest good we are contributing to our sense of wholeness and well being--just as a house built upon a foundation with straight and true lumbar creates a framework that perfectly supports its visible outer coverings.

Self-knowledge is like drinking from an ever-flowing spring of clarity. When we need guidance in any situation the way that preserves our personal peace comes to mind. It is an open telephone line from the pervading universal cellular harmony to our conscious mind. The more we converse on this open direct line to our all-knowing Source, the more we can use and incorporate these directives reliably. After awhile, the flow becomes so integrated into our waking consciousness that the best resolve is automatic. This is open communication in its purest sense--the ultimate application of self-knowledge.

Some techniques to develop the connection with our Source are:
Ethical living
Caring actions
Meditation
Self-analysis

For Ultimate Happiness

When we use our energy to seek the ultimate happiness--communion with our Creator--we feel satisfaction within; the knowledge that we are on track.

The process of learning to commune with the harmony permeating every speck of existence goes inversely hand in hand with fulfillment of worldly desires. The less able we are to find true happiness through acquiring possessions and relationships, the more we look for the experience of lasting happiness and joy--driving us at last to look within.

The more we strive outwardly, the quicker--through getting discouraged by disappointments--we decide to tune inwardly, aligning with our state of underlying happiness.

Energy travels in orbits, like the planets in our solar system. What goes out, comes back with the same force. Sincerity in looking for sustained happiness draws this energy to us. Like begets like.

First, we search as much as possible for happiness in worldliness, then the world, by its temporary highs, shows us that the direction is really the journey within to our roots--roots sunk in harmony and finding a home in us by our loving and kind actions in the world.

Lesson 6.

Our conscience lets us know the best resolve to our questions via the degree of peacefulness and relaxation we experience in our mind and body while thinking about a situation.

We develop a clear and pure conscience gradually when, with a caring attitude, we make repeated efforts to act for the highest good.

We are following our conscience when:

1. Our body feels relaxed;
2. Our mind is content and peaceful;
3. No one else is affected negatively by our actions.

Our conscience is our personal inner directive from our inner Source. It is worth the effort to develop this intimate relationship that always serves to produce our clearest experience of peace and happiness.

Also, acting for the best resolve we are aware of nourishes our self-esteem. We feel more in control of our lives knowing that there is a best way to resolve any situation.

As our self-assurance and self-esteem increase, we experience a growing sense of fulfillment and joy in living.

Empathy

Empathy--aligning our feelings with what others are going through.

Empathy--feeling what it would be like to be in someone else’s unresolved situation; then, stepping aside and calmly thinking about how their situation might be best resolved.

Empathy--feeling out the situation; thinking about and reflecting on possible resolves; acting in a way that lightens others’ burdens, or enlightens the situation for them so that they can see a good way to resolve their dilemma.

Serenity

What is serenity? What are we looking for in the quality of serenity? Is serenity possible in our outer life or is it a condition, a state of mind that we carry along with us during the business of daily living--no matter how hectic that may be?

Daily activities, by their very nature of action, are not serene in themselves. We can try, but it is physically impossible to make our actions serene. What we can make serene is our mental attitude while we are being busy and active.

Serenity in the present comes from remembering that in the past every problem had a resolve. Therefore, every dilemma of the present moment and all future moments will have a resolve, also. If we truly keep this idea in mind we need not stray too far before recapturing our serenity.

Selfish or Self-Giving?

Selfishness is the use of energy, time, or resources fulfilling a lesser purpose than what is for the good of the situation.

Self-giving uses the same energy, time or resources to act for the highest good of the moment.

There are personal benefits in self-giving that are absent in selfishness: In self-giving our thoughts remain positive, and our body, by not holding tension, allows us to remain relaxed, yet alert. In selfishness our thoughts are concerned with keeping something to ourselves, which makes our bodily muscles, joints, and movements rigid. This, in turn, constricts circulation to our organs; hence, the possible onset of a whole list of tension-related bodily illnesses.

Selfish or Self-giving? It is easier to allow the natural flow of energy to run through us by being caring, than to cause ourselves mental and bodily tension by constricting our energy in selfishness.

Acceptance

Each of us is a part of the whole. To retain our personal peace of mind, we need only play our part the best we can.

In relationships, we retain our peace of mind when we remember that we are here to control our own actions--but not the actions of other independent adults. And acting for the highest good of ourselves and others gives us the greatest peace of mind. If we act selfishly instead, our mind and body will feel uneasy and restless.

When results are not what we had anticipated, we can look to see why. Then we will see more of the variables that brought about a different outcome from what we wanted or expected to happen. This observation will aid us in understanding that each of us has our own path leading to a desired result.

When we think and act as if our way is the only way, we limit our knowledge of options that we may find useful in similar situations in the future.

Lesson 7.

We feel a burst of energy to get the job done when we adopt a positive attitude toward what we put off doing. We can say to ourselves: "the quicker I get it done, the sooner I'll be through."

Energy is flowing through us all the time from the permanent source--our Creator-Sustainer. By our attitudes and will, we are choosing how much current to draw from the inexhaustible supply. When we really want a certain result, we make the time and space available to create that reality.

Traumatic Events

What changes is changed--there is no reversing. We can use our free will to either resist, or adapt gracefully.

During trauma it is okay to allow ourselves to feel and express naturally. Knowing that there will be a level plateau ahead for recuperation, allows us to express ourselves fully, as befits the current situation--and then go on.

Finding the Best Target

The target is what lies in front of us in our personal circumstances--people, places, things. When we feel energy build up in our body and mind, we aim that energy at one of the targets in our life--firing, by directing energy through our words and actions.

We hit, but it may not be the bulls-eye of the right target.

Pain, disharmony, alienation are our clues that we directed our energy to an inappropriate target. But, we can make amends by redirecting our energy usefully, harmoniously.

Energy is motion, naturally discharging. By upgrading our state of consciousness, we learn to aim and fire our energy where it will serve the highest good. Remembering that we are each responsible for the outcome of our words and actions.

Surrendering to the Highest Good

By accommodating ourselves to the guidance of our conscience we win--we remain peaceful and content--able to rationally consider and decide on a best resolve in any situation.

Surrendering to the highest good allows the pieces of the puzzle to fit together, even before we know how the finished puzzle will look.

From our individual viewpoint we cannot see around the corner, but from the vantage point of the overview--the view of harmony--the path to the highest good is visible.

As we align within our situation, we experience our state of harmony, and those around us are able to more easily see their place in relation to us.

Lesson 8.

We continuously create our reality by our choices, moment to moment--creating and maintaining harmony by following our conscience and acting for the highest good.

Personal integrity takes courage. We are being courageous in living according to our conscience when it would be easy to hide from others that we are not following our conscience. It is easier to slide down the hill of life, maintaining or digressing in our current state on consciousness, than to follow the sometimes hard climb up the path of what we know is right.

The reward for continually upgrading our personal integrity is that we become more conscious of our harmonious self-effulgent nature.

Cause and Effect for Positive Results

Cause and effect is a scientific principle. In everyday living our positive choices result in like outcomes. We also get a positive result when choosing the best way out of a bad situation. When outer circumstances are bleak, we preserve our sense of inner harmony by following our conscience.

Using this principle, we maintain our natural ease. It is our choice, by our will power, to follow the direction of our conscience. The more easeful we are feeling--from following our conscience--the more clearly the best solutions come to our awareness.

Journeying

Taking a leisurely drive, we enjoy the passing scenery without worrying about our destination. During the journey of living we should enjoy what every moment holds--without putting off our goal of happiness or fulfillment for the distant future.

We limit our opportunity to enjoy the present, by thinking that the future will be better.

We enjoy the present moment with the depth and insight we have gained in living till now. Past positive attitudes and choices compound, leading us to naturally fulfilling outcomes in the present. And today's positive actions continue this process into our future.

Loving Wisdom

Harmony is prevalent in every atom of creation--seen in the cooperative interaction of atoms forming molecules, then combining into the complex systems of the universe. Our own body is built by the harmonious interaction of each organ and system, cooperating for the good of the whole.

We make the choice to follow nature's lead, achieving harmony in our daily life, by acting with care, lovingly, for the best resolve of our problems--the wisest good.

Our loving actions, when combined with wisdom, give us the feeling in our body and mind--felt by our sense of ease--that we are in tune with the situation of the moment; acting rightly in the complexities of the moment.

Affirmations

As in any creative process we get an idea in our mind before we manifest it physically. An architect visualizes, then puts down his plan on paper in a form the builder can use to construct a solid building.

Affirmations work the same way. We are the architect, then the builder--bringing into form what began in thought.

To use affirmations:

1. Determine the need;
2. Decide and visualize what the end result will be;
3. Make the affirmation in the present tense.

For mental change: Mentally affirm in present tense the new way you wish to be, such as: I use positive attitudes. I see the bright side of situations. I tune into the harmony of life. I act for the highest good of myself and others. I act for the highest good of the situation.

To get rid of an addiction or bad habit: I am aware of my peace and happiness without outside stimulants. I allow harmonious resolves to my conflicts. (We use alcohol to deaden our will to resolve issues.)

To help another person we can affirm: (Person's name) is becoming aware of their inner peace and harmony. (Person's name) is self-sustained without taking in harmful substances. When we make affirmations on another's behalf we are uplifting ourselves at the same time--positive thoughts produce positive results.

From the first thought of change, change occurs. That is the cause and affect law of nature. As we think, so we become, and because of what we become, we generate new thoughts in a similar tone, on and on.

Form affirmations in the present tense and repeat with firm conviction. Use affirmations to bring about positive change--mentally, physically, and emotionally. To produce the highest good use the universal affirmations to bring about harmony and peace and caring love in our world.

Lesson 9.

'Visualize a plate of food.' Six hours after consuming, the food will have been converted into the format of parts of our body and energy to fuel our body. An amazing process.

If we consume substances that our body can not assimilate usefully, the body-mind organism is thrown off its natural harmonious chemical balance. We become aware of the discord by the unpleasant symptoms that we feel. This is a built-in safeguard system alerting us to change our ways, or suffer further.

We perceive imbalance as: feeling agitated; the inability to think logically; loss of desire to resolve daily or backlogged conflicts; pains and aches that are not from injuries; feelings of sluggishness in digestion, circulation, respiration; and lack of vitality.

Why do we take in that which upsets our natural balance? Mostly because we are unaware of the natural results of our actions. We may think a certain substance will put us in a state of altered consciousness, and that this altering will make us feel right, because we were not feeling right beforehand.

Alcohol

Alcohol deadens the senses--never helps resolve any conflict in the mind. Alcohol affects and breaks down bodily systems as the body does not use it as nourishment, but treats it as a foreign invader and works hard to filter it out of the body. Eventually the body's own systems break down through overwork and then succumb to the poison and die.

Mood-altering, Mind-bending Drugs

Mood-altering and mind-bending drugs alter the natural balance in a way that causes us to lose contact with our higher intuitive center's link with normal bodily functions. This integration is broken down and we are left feeling that something is not quite right. A good thing, too, or we might think that all was functioning normally.

Mind-bending drugs affect the nervous system and brain cells. Our built-in computer systems suffer malfunctions and we are then unable to relate as well or efficiently in our desired activities and interpersonal communications. We may think that we are getting more insight about life, but instead we are having more experience with a malfunctioning mind-brain computer operation.

For experiencing the best of life

If we desire to experience all that life has to offer, we need to keep all our bodily systems in balance, in harmony with the way they were created to function. Then we have the best chance of experiencing the transcendent qualities that are made up of finer than matter particles--bliss and joy self-sustained and continuously manifesting from an inner non-physical mental plane brought up to our consciousness when we have caring and loving feelings.

Summary

1. In order to become aware of our full scope of human potential we must maintain the natural harmonious balance in our mind-body systems by avoiding taking in upsetting or distorting substances--this also includes substances that are normally good for us taken in excess.

2. Reach for resolve to conflict from a balanced state of introspection and analyses of the options presenting. Choose the option that harms no one.

3. Substitute positive activities for time previously spent in abuse and overindulgence. Positive actions include practices that keep our bodies healthy and clean; such as exercise, wholesome diet, and serviceful activities. Keep the mind healthy by substituting positive attitudes for doubt, fear, and negativity. Substitute compassion for anger. And emotionally, practice feeling caring love instead of nurturing jealousy.

Lesson 10.

Our eternal Self is experienced by diving deeply through the narrow gateway into our own heart--at first initiated by ignoring the input of our bodily sensory organs and mind. The permanent joy that is the hallmark of our permanent Self comes into reality for us when we sit very still--immobile--while emanating lovingness for our Creator, creation, loved ones, everyone.

The joyful effects experienced in the outward stillness of meditation eventually carry over into daily life.

Joy invigorates us with plenty of lively energy for caring and sharing. In joy we feel happy and fulfilled. It is our destiny to discover our joyful nature--ever within us--replenishing us with lovingness.

A formal session in meditation:

Sit with the spine as perpendicular to the floor as possible. With eyes closed, and breathing evenly in and out, follow the movement of the breath, or mentally repeat an uplifting word or short phrase--all the while feeling love for at least one other person--in order to grow into a more conscious communion with the humanity.

In this stillness of 5 minutes to 15 minutes, or even 60 minutes later on, our body stills, and as a result our mind stills--allowing peace and contentment to arise in our consciousness, and loving energy to flow through us--refreshing us for our work in the world.

And even when we are not sitting in the formal posture of meditation sublime feelings of love can exist. Feeling love's existence in our mind relaxes our mind-body into fullness, easefulness, wholeness.

With clarity in thinking we are able to assess and make decisions for the higher good of each situation. By acting out the best solution consistently, we grow in consciousness--soon thinking and acting for the greater good spontaneously.

We develop clear thinking by:

1. Practicing the esoteric qualities, such as kindness, charity, and love;
2. Holding positive attitudes;
3. Spendi