9/13/16

Life is greater than I had ever realized. Step 257 - Steps to Knowledge: The Book of Inner Knowing ~ Spiritual Practices


Greetings All –

Life is greater than I had ever realized. Step 257 (MP3) [Open in Drive or copy to your Drive – Download folder or play from Drive – Step PDF also.]

Life is greater than I had ever realized. Step 257
LIFE IS GREATER THAN YOU HAVE EVER REALIZED and certainly greater than you have ever imagined. Its greatness is born of the fact that you live in a Greater Community of Worlds. Its greatness is born of the fact that Knowledge is the essential aspect of yourself which you carry within you. The greatness of life is affirmed with the presence of your Teachers and the presence of all who prepare to reclaim Knowledge with you.

THUS, YOU HAVE A GREATER PURPOSE IN A GREATER UNIVERSE. Thus, you can see your world in its proper context. Thus, you can see yourself in your proper context, for you will play a small part in the greater evolution of the world, and your part will be essential. It will be within your range and grasp to accomplish. Something small done for something great means that the smallest contribution bears the greatness of that which is served. This redeems you to yourself; this redeems you to life. This casts away all darkness and dispels all negative imagination, for you are serving a greater life.

IN YOUR LONGER PRACTICES ENGAGE YOURSELF in trying to comprehend the meaning of today’s idea. Use your mind meaningfully. Use it actively and objectively, for this is the purpose of your mind.

PRACTICE 257: Two 30-minute practice periods.

Picture:  Space Needle observation deck – Seattle, Washington.


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 Spiritualityand 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.

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.