Greetings All –
YOU CAN BE AT PEACE TODAY, even while you consider
greater things in the world and beyond the world.You can be at peace today even
while you meet the challenge of becoming a student of Knowledge and the
challenge of observing your world with objectivity. How can you be so active
and have such challenge and still be at peace? The answer is that Knowledge is
with you. As you abide with Knowledge, feel Knowledge and carry Knowledge out
into the world, within yourself you will be still, though on the outside you
may be actively engaged.There is no contradiction between peace and movement,
between inner stillness and outer engagement.Though the world is a difficult
and frustrating place to be, it is a natural recipient of Knowledge. Its
difficulties and its frustrations need not affect your internal state, which is
becoming ever more unified and harmonious.
REMIND YOURSELF UPON THE HOUR to be at peace while
you are in the world. Release all fear and anxiety and fortify your adherence
to Knowledge as you do so. In your two deeper practice periods when you take
refuge from the world, rekindle the fire of Knowledge and take comfort in its
warm presence. Realize that within this fire all things that are imaginary and
harmful are consumed.The fire of Knowledge will not burn you, but it will warm
your soul.You can enter this fire without fear of pain or harm. It will purify
and cleanse you, for it is the fire of love.Today be at peace, for today is a
day of peace, and peace is given you to receive this day.
PRACTICE 327: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly
practice.
This was a confirming Step for me. That may not be
the case for others, but then, I don’t really know what or how others think.
Two notes on the Steps pages give my response:
So, I write: “Knowledge is unity! The community already
exists.” My work in regional planning has led me to understand
that community precedes cooperation. The challenge is to build/recognize
community around issues. This may sound academic, pedantic, bureaucratic, but
it is really experiential.
While
Greater Community is the challenge to Humanity, it is also the solution.
Humanity must itself become a Greater Community. It is the path of evolution we
are told, as hard as that might be to accept.
From the Journal:
6:45
a.m. June 7, 2000 GC – The Long View – K – the reason gloom & doom do not
triumph.
–
with the Internet/media/communication any tragedy or success can become the
center of the planet –
– we
can have multiple centers – success everywhere – instead of tragedy
everywhere/need strategy everywhere
Practice
#1 – "The Greater Community is something I can feel but cannot
understand". This explains a lot – we cannot see beyond local – but can
sense greater community. That worked last night at Sue M--- graduation. It was
interesting to see the community of Augusta County and how it had – 37 years
ago – consolidated schools to create Buffalo Gap HS & how it renovated all
its schools. The community there richer and more community cohesive than FR –
Warren.
So –
it is the "sense" of Greater Community which is the
"Knowing".
Practice
1.5 – 7 p.m. A chaotic day – some progress at work – better than having gone to
Richmond and how much further that would create problems. ME called about David
– more stress there. She may be getting more realistic about the limitations.
Today's
practice is easy for me. Sensing community is what has driven most of my life –
though family dysfunction remains the greatest challenge. The next generation
is living it.
Keeping
patient as flesh is torn from your bones – now that is control/Knowledge – not
going to chocolate, coffee, food.
Judging
here or just an awareness of tools?
Sense
of community saves more than are abandoned – the breath rescues. Some have good
homes, sane parents, and life moves along – the plugger's.
–
text "as you attempt to become one person instead of many people…"
(RUOW fragments?)
"…
all individuality seeks community, for in community it finds its true
expression, it's true contribution and its true role."
This
lesson I can truly sense – word easily confirms what can only be. Thus all
becomes community to me – and the great strength of K – comforts.
Where
do these waves of community? And oceanic tide that ebbs & flows, moving –
yet still.
The
community emphasis may or may not be easy to understand. It has been a primary
attraction of the New Message to me. In the day’s journal I hit a few points
that this message and teachin rubs other teachings I’ve encountered. The Right
Use of Will (RUOW) says we/our souls fragmented and the challenge is to
reconnect our fragments.
The
dysfunctional family is a situation I experienced and had to understand. Like
the Steps, an attitude of gratitude based on understanding of the limitations
of parents and their life situations, an acceptance and gratitude is required
in order to move forward; to be relatively healed, is required. Does the need
to deal with this ever end? Perhaps not in life as we do it here, on earth.
Many
big lessons ahead. Let us continue.
NNC
P.S. At Step 327, we are 38 Steps from the end –
Step 365. This is not the place to begin this Practice. If you’ve some interest
due to this or other Steps, you should go to the beginning blog post. From here you will learn about Steps to Knowledge
and can begin it on the day that makes sense; 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 post 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.
