7/29/14

Step 210 – Review ~ You are learning to become objective about the nature of learning itself. Entry for Step 209 - I will not be cruel with myself today.



Greetings All –


TODAY REVIEW THE PAST TWO WEEKS OF PREPARATION, reading each lesson as it is given and recalling your practice for that day. In your long practice period today once again begin to assess the progression of events and all of your practices. Begin to see that there is a relationship between how you apply your mind and  what you experience as a result. View your life objectively, without guilt or blame, so that you may understand how your life is truly emerging.


YOUR LONG PRACTICE PERIOD TODAY will see you engaging your mind actively on its behalf. You are learning to become objective about your own progress as a student. You are learning to become objective about the nature of learning itself. You are learning to become objective so that you may see. Allow this Review, then, to give you greater perspective about the work of Knowledge in the world and the presence of Knowledge in your life.

PRACTICE 210: One long practice period.


This Step includes a reference to “crown of thorns” in the first paragraph:  

DO NOT BE CRUEL TO YOURSELF by attempting to wear your crown of thorns, which represents your system of beliefs and assumptions. Do not project upon yourself the weight of blame and unforgiveness. Do not attempt to force your mind to exemplify those qualities that you hold dear, for they will arise naturally from Knowledge.”


In Christianity, the placement of this crown on Jesus by the Roman soldiers is an act intended to humiliate Jesus. He did not put on the crown himself, nor do Christians, but the NM speaks of the crown this way in Greater Community Spirituality: 

“This is what it means to wear a crown of thorns. This is when the mind is a crown of thorns. You wear it, but it torments you. It seems to give you a kingly title, but in fact it is a harness of misery. It seems to elevate you and give you stature in the world, but in fact it cuts you and hurts you, binds you and mocks you. In order for the mind to become a halo instead of a crown of thorns, you must affirm your authority.” 

The only other teaching that has a similar use is "A Course in Miracles." As a Christian, it didn’t make sense there either, way back in the 1990's.

The first time on this Step, I made no note of this. In the last year I brought this up with other students as to how to understand it, as it may be a barrier. As of this date, July 22, 2014, I’ve resolved The Teachers use of the term in this way: for it to make sense, we have to be the Romans mocking ourselves. In fact, we and other Christians have done this due to the emphasis in Christian teachings on the suffering of Jesus. To be martyrs, to suffer as Jesus did, without sin, is something we may be taught to emulate. We judge ourselves, which Steps teaches us to avoid, and take on the burdens of the world, including the mistreatment of Jesus. This can be ego, our mind, making us fail due to idealism and judgement.

Shocking as it is, we may in-fact put on a “crown of thorns” to honor the suffering of Jesus, but that is the wrong message to receive and to send. This is the teaching as I understand it. Anyone without a strong Christian view of the "Crown of Thorns" as mocking may overlook the thinking connected to the term.

Little things can take a long time to resolve. On this point, for me – only fourteen years. Perhaps you’ll be quicker at it, or it's not an issue at all.   

From the Journal:

6:20 a.m. February 10, 2000 Thursday - there is no time for logic and rationality. The idea of maintaining models for transportation plans disappears w/o maintenance folks.

Step 209 - "I will not be cruel with myself today." Have I learned anything? Yes, but I've tried to learn too many things. I actually thought I had time to learn the flute, to drum, so I started too many things – interest was neither time nor talent. I've gone down hundreds of paths – now to prune the tree – focus on the fruitful areas – stay strong – get a broader perspective. Know the mission. (2/11/2000 – Actually – computer replaced/displaced drum/flute.)

– S2K – Practice 1 – In the stillness – "Allow yourself to be blessed so that you may bless the world. Allow yourself to bless the world so that you may be blessed."

---

8:15 p.m. --- I went to Winchester for Chips Lickson and his International Symposium. That will be work – every global org I find on the net I'm sending my local scale planet text and asking for feedback.

Practice #2 – only could do about 15 minutes.

community ='s market

regional market = regional community

There are whole's everywhere.

– scale – scale – scale

– I am not the PDC – I am using the pdc for my education.



The journal did not cover the “crown of thorns” point, which I found important to cover on this day in 2014.
There is much to learn and unlearn. Let us continue.

NNC


P.S. At Step 210, we are into Part Two of Steps, so if you’ve found this and find some appeal in this or other Steps, you should really go to the beginning blog post. From here you learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense and then progress as needed. You can use the posts on this blog as a companion if it helps. They will remain in order in the archives - one per Step.

Often it takes 18 months to get through the Steps once. For this blog, the pace is one-a-day, but it really makes no difference how fast you do it, only that you begin, persist and repeat. Posts here provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well through the Free School of the New Message