Greetings All –
THERE ARE NO TRUE ENEMIES IN LIFE, for all war and
conflict are born of confusion. This you must understand. A life without
Knowledge can only be confused and must create its own inner guidance system,
which is merely the ideas and beliefs with which it identifies itself. Thus,
individuals have their own individual purpose and self-identity. These
evaluations clash with those of other individuals, and thus one to one, group
to group, nation to nation and world to world, war is generated and waged.
IN KNOWLEDGE THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, for in Knowledge
all are your friends. You recognize each person to be at whatever stage of development
he or she is currently engaged. You may become involved with some of them, and
with some of them you may not. Some of them may be able to receive your
contribution directly, while others will need to receive it indirectly. But
they are all your friends. There is no opposition in Knowledge, for there is
only one Knowledge in the universe. It expresses itself through each individual.
As each individual becomes more purified as a vehicle for Knowledge, as each
individual becomes a greater recipient of Knowledge and as each individual follows
Knowledge and becomes responsible to Knowledge, then the opportunity for him or
her to be in conflict will diminish and eventually will disappear.
RECOGNIZE, THEN, THAT ALL WAR AND CONFLICT simply
express a lack of capacity for those involved to join. When individuals join,
they recognize a common need, which becomes their primary need. This must be
born of Knowledge and not idealism if it is to be actualized. It must be born
of Knowledge and not mere philosophy if it is to lead to true action and true
involvement. Thus, you become a peacemaker and a peacekeeper in the world as
you follow as a student of Knowledge. The stronger Knowledge is within you, the
weaker will be your fear and ambivalence. In this way, war within you will be
ended, and your life will be a demonstration that war is unnecessary.
DEDICATE YOURSELF TODAY TO ENDING WAR within the
world by ending war within yourself so that you may be a peacemaker and a peacekeeper.
Upon the hour remind yourself of today’s lesson and apply it to the world that
you see around you. Apply it to all of the conflicts in the world of which you
are aware. Try to understand its complete relevancy to these conflicts. This
will require that you see these conflicts from a different point of view in
order to realize the full impact and meaning of today’s idea. It is this point
of view that you must cultivate, for you must learn to see as Knowledge sees,
to think as Knowledge thinks and to act as Knowledge acts. All this you will
most certainly accomplish as you follow Knowledge each day.
IN YOUR DEEPER PRACTICE PERIODS return to stillness
and silence so that you may strengthen your ability to cultivate and prepare yourself
to be an emissary of Knowledge in the world. This is your responsibility today.
This will permeate all of your other activities and give them value and
meaning, for today you are a student of Knowledge.
PRACTICE 288: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly
practice.
This Step I enjoyed. It says: “With Knowledge you cannot be at war within
yourself.”
In 1970, when I was in the U.S. Navy, stationed on
the USS Barney DDG-6 at Norfolk, Virginia, I struggled with war – the Viet Nam
war – that’s how we spelled Vietnam then, and war in general. I’d enlisted in
the U.S. Navy to save my skin and, choosing not to seek to be an officer, since
I did not want to order anyone into battle. That war was an internal condition
had come to my mind. I was even going to print up a bumper sticker, but it was
more complicated back then. No Staples print shop to go to.
Still, this Step was a welcome confirmation of that
thought 30 years ago. It was an expression of Knowledge in my life at an earlier
age – 24 years.
No doubt, you will have your own confirmations.
Perhaps this is one for many students. These affirm the correctness of the
practices of Steps.
The journal this day was mostly about the
progression of thought about regional community. A few thoughts bold.
12:55
a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2000
---
One
Citizen, Local Planet – Fragmented World. Regional Solutions to re-integration.
– Why do I alone have these ideas? There must be others. I consult the best
ideas I can find – e.g. Harry Beckworth.
- Making
Local Regions Work.
- peer
networking on issues –
- Markets
are local – Making Regions Local – the power of RIMBY - [Region Is My BackYard]
- The
Region is a temporary device to understand/solve a problem. That then becomes
an agency. The only long-term need is data/feedback about growth, decline, change
– attending to the bigger picture –
Regional
Intelligence – 9:05 a.m. (The service I can offer?) – All the other name ideas
are chapters in the book.
Local Planet Regions
Building Regional Community
Strategic Regions
Other Peoples Regions
(The)
Region is a strategy not an Issue
All regions are local
One citizen/customer/owner
9:24
a.m. In complete and true/total
thanks I honor all who have helped me reach this insight – this focus for my
small work in the world. Even if the name is taken/in use – at least I Know how
I can serve the understanding and recognition of the reality of greater
community with in the "only community" – that of the Creator.
– "only" is bigger than
"greater"
I can hardly stay within my body. I go forward
commonly & slowly – for there is much more work to do.
– design comes from intelligence –
"Dance
of Life" – from Sky of Grace by Paul Avgerinos – there are many
ways to Dance life
4:10
p.m. At Little Bear – Practice #1
It
has been quite a day – I have my business name and .com .net .org websites
reserved for regional intelligence. – It is the perspective I shall offer. My
logo - two dots with a line over it -
with a globe?
Roll
out – After July 17 – perhaps at WFS [ World Future Society] – I've much to do
to flesh out the idea. I want to complete S2K 1st – and have breathing room –
lots to do – and I need clients. As I walked in I thought of all to honor in my
book “Regional Intelligence for a Local Planet"
Thanks
to Harry Beckworth.
There is a book outline, but it has not been
written. This thinking will evolve over several years. I work on it still, with
deeper understanding. The notion of “greater community” really focused me. I
only need ten more years. You work is likely to deal with another aspect of “greater
community” in this world. Let us continue.
NNC
P.S. At Step 288, 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.
