I am a beginning student
of Knowledge. Step 34 (MP3)
[Open in Drive or copy to your Drive – Download folder or play from Drive –
Step PDF also.]
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| I am a beginning student of Knowledge. Step 34 |
YOU ARE A BEGINNING STUDENT OF KNOWLEDGE.
Regardless of how intuitive you may consider yourself, regardless of how
mentally capable you may consider yourself, regardless of how emotionally
honest you may consider yourself, no matter what your recognized advancement,
you are a beginning student of Knowledge. Be happy that this is so, for
beginning students are in a position to learn all things and need not defend
their accomplishments. We do not belittle your accomplishments but instead wish
to shine the light of truth upon the greatness that waits to be discovered
within you, a greatness that will give you true equality in life and in time
will reveal what you have come here specifically to do.
IN YOUR TWO PRACTICE PERIODS, begin by
acknowledging to yourself that you are a beginning student of Knowledge and by
reminding yourself to make no premature conclusions either about this
curriculum or about your abilities as a student. Such judgments are premature
and rarely reflect the truth in any way. They are usually a form of
self-discouragement and thus serve no worthy purpose at all.
AFTER DECLARING TODAY’S IDEA TO YOURSELF and
reminding yourself not to judge, practice 15 minutes of inner stillness in your
two practice periods. Attempt to feel the truth within you. Focus your mind on
one point, either a physical point or an imaginary point if necessary. Let
everything settle down inside. Let yourself become as quiet as possible, and do
not be discouraged if there is difficulty. You are a beginning student of
Knowledge and thus can learn all things.
PRACTICE 34: Two 15-minute practice periods.
This
is the beginning. We are beginning students.
Picture: Students
in the modern world are not necessarily in austere surroundings as they begin. Here
the upper level lounge of the Harmons City Creek grocery store, Salt Lake City,
Utah on October 18, 2015 – a Sunday.
Plan B - If the MP3 doesn’t work, here’s the link
to the folder: New Message - Student Spoken Steps Recordings -
Steps to Knowledge - Working file
If this is your first time seeing one of the “Steps to Knowledge”,
then welcome. There are 365 Steps, daily spiritual practices if one seeks to
complete them in a year, but that is not necessary. They can be used by people
of any religious tradition or no religious tradition. They will help one to
become mindful in the world.
The Step today is from the book: Steps to Knowledge: The Book of Inner Knowing. The practices were
brought to the world through Marshall Vian Summers, The Messenger for The New
Message From God. Important background for the Steps is in: “Greater Community Spirituality” and the “Wisdom Books - I and II”.
Hard copies are available from the New Knowledge Library Store. The
Society for the New Message from God also has a Free Book Project. If you need
the books now, PDF files can be found here: http://goo.gl/RJuuGP
Keeping a journal is recommended. If you have a Steps book,
write your reactions and comments, highlight or underline points that strike
you, and date the note. In this way, your Steps book can be a partial journal.
Using the PDF, you can print out pages as you need them, or use
the software to maintain a digital copy where you can enter notes and highlight
text that stands out.
Other modern methods of keeping a journal include having a
document on your PC or phone to keep notes. You could send yourself an email or
use the voice recorder function. It is important to capture insights and
reactions because it is by this means that you can understand change. Sometimes
it may just be a word or short phrase, an image or a scene.
To end this post I again offer the blessing: "May the
presence of the Teachers be with you." In the invocative language of
Knowledge this blessing is: "Nasi Novare Coram" (pronounced NAH-see
no-VAHR-ay co-RAHM)
The short form of Nasi Novare Coram used by students is NNC.
The short form of Nasi Novare Coram used by students is NNC.
NNC
P.S. 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 linked below 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.
Doing Steps with only the texts, messages and your life
experience, including what you may have studied and practiced is your journey.
I’m showing Step comments after the Step, so as not to influence anyone in
advance. It is a wilderness trek to be left to your own wits, but then you can
also listen more closely for guides, angels and teachers, always first saying:
“I surround and protect myself with the Love and the Grace of God.” Thankfully,
I was taught this practice in 1989.
