Greetings All –
The Greater Community is something I can feel but
cannot understand. Step 326 (MP3) [Open in Drive or copy to your Drive – Download folder or play from
Drive – Step PDF also.]
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| The Greater Community is something I can feel but cannot understand. Step 326 |
HOW
CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THE GREATER COMMUNITY when you can barely understand the
community in which you live, let alone the nation in which you live and the
world in which you live? Here you must only understand that there is a Greater
Community and that it is a larger context in which life expresses itself. As
humanity attempts to become one community and as you attempt to become one
person instead of many people, you will realize that you emerge into the world
as a larger person and the world emerges into the Greater Community as a larger
community. Here all individuality seeks community, for in community it finds
its true expression, its true contribution and its true role. This is as true
for you as it is for the world.
YOU
CAN FEEL THIS. It is so evident. You can know this, for this idea is born of
Knowledge. Don’t burden yourself with trying to understand all of this, for
understanding is not necessary here. Only know and feel the reality of this. As
you do this, your understanding will grow naturally. It will not be born of
your own fantasy or idealism, but instead will be born of Knowledge and
experience. Thus, it will abide with you, serve you and make your life more
real and effective.
REMEMBER
THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND AS YOU PROCEED, for understanding is born of hindsight
and true application. Have confidence, then, that your understanding will grow
as your participation grows. You need not understand the universe, but you do
need to experience it. You need to feel it within yourself and around you. You
need to see yourself as one person, you need to see your world as one community
and you need to see your universe as a Greater Community that, within a larger
sphere of participation, is attempting to unify itself as well. Thus, Knowledge
works in all arenas and at all levels of participation—within each person,
within each community, within each world, between each world and within the
universe as a whole. That is why Knowledge is so great and why, though you
receive it within yourself, it is far greater than you can conceive of.
THUS
IT IS THAT NOW YOU MAY EXPERIENCE the Greater Community and not separate
yourself in attempting to understand it. Understanding comes through
participation. Remind yourself of today’s idea upon the hour and in your two
deeper practice periods, attempt once again to think actively what this lesson
means. Apply it to your experience. Apply it to your perception of the world.
Recognize those thoughts that are for it and those that are against it.
Recognize the inspiration and hope that this gives you and recognize the anxieties
that may be aroused. Take inventory of your thoughts and experiences concerning
today’s idea, but do not judge it, for it emanates from Knowledge. It is meant
to free you from the disability of your own imagination. It is meant to free
you and the world as well.
TODAY
UTILIZE YOUR MIND AND YOUR BODY to become a student of Knowledge. In this, you
will learn to comprehend the meaning of yourself, your world and the Greater
Community of Worlds.
PRACTICE
326: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly practice.
Picture: North
bound flight, Miami to Washington, D.C. catching a rising moon, trying to understand.
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. 1x and 2x links above 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.
