Dearest Students, I would like to address a question from Ina, (who has not yet made her way into the Open Classroom). Ina says, “I’m so sorry but I have a really stupid question regarding Lesson 2. It says to focus on the truth, but I guess I’m missing it -what exactly is this truth that is being referred to? Thanks for your patience with me…”
First of all, no apologies necessary, and this is not a stupid question. I am very happy to see you asking an intelligent question, a question of the heart, a question that can actually lead you somewhere.
Lesson 2 actually says: “Maya means that we see the world, including ourselves, through a veil of illusion and believe that what we see is real. We allow our limited mind to define the world for us. The mind gladly takes over this job. The mind likes to stay busy. And so the angels suggest that you keep the mind busy with truth. Read these words and allow their deeper meanings to penetrate your consciousness. Print them out. Carry them with you. When you become aware that you are in pain, read some sentences from your lessons and allow the words to create new syntaxes – new pathways – in your brain. Dedicate yourself to letting go of everything that does not serve you in a positive way. Let your truest commitment be to knowing Truth in your life.”
Although most lessons begin with “answers” - our first Lesson begins with asking you to be aware of the questions you ask.
I am happy to see that Ina’s awareness has taken her to a true, deep question! THIS question has merit! THIS question can lead you higher! THIS question is the question of a heart waking up!
The paragraph I included above from Lesson 2 contains the answer to your question, dear Ina. However, the mind needs to keep hearing the same thing in different ways, because the mind is so accustomed to trusting its own untrue patterns.
Here is a little story to illustrate this point:
A man was brought to a psychiatrist by his wife. “He is convinced he is dead,” his wife told the psychiatrist. "All day he walks around saying, ‘I am dead.’”
The psychiatrist tried all his techniques, but could not convince the man that he was alive. Then he had an idea. He asked the man, “Do dead men bleed?” And the man replied, “No! Dead men do not bleed!”
So the psychiatrist pricked the man’s finger with a needle, and the finger began to bleed. “There!” exclaimed the psychiatrist, triumphantly! “You are bleeding!”
The man looked at his finger in astonishment, and declared, “My Gosh! I was wrong! Dead men do bleed!”
This is how ingrained we are in old habits!
And so read and re-read your lessons. Apply yourself to your homework.
I do not say the path to Truth is easy – the angels promise a clear and simple way – they say nothing about easy.
TRUTH is your Real Nature!
The main purpose of your School is to scrape away the layers of previous conditioning–false beliefs–to reveal the true splendor of your Being– ike cleaning tarnish from silver–like pushing away clouds to reveal the sun– ike breaking a coconut to drink the sweet milk within.
The mind can never know Truth. The mind, as you know it, disappears in the Light of Truth. What do we mean when we say, “the mind as you know it”? –We mean the mind that is a conglomeration of thoughts, impressions, and beliefs. Looking for truth within the mind is like looking for a needle in a haystack, when the needle isn’t even there!
Simply continue to let your mind evolve into higher questions. Notice the old questions, such as, “Does he really love me?” “Will I get a promotion?” “Why is God punishing me?” “What do those people think of me?”
Notice your habitual questions! Be aware, awake, and alert in your own world! Carry a sword through the forest of your mind. Cut away, or at least ignore, limiting, flase thoughts that keep you spinning on the wheel of karma–that keep you in darkness– hat keep you in pain. Cease to give those old questions power over you!
Do you realize that you have been giving mere questions power over you?
Do you realize that you are addicted to hopeless, negative questions and the feelings (reactions) that come when you ask those questions? DO YOU REALIZE THIS? (Don’t worry Ina, I don’t mean just you. I mean all of us!)
You might ask, how can that be true? How can I be addicted to something that is harmful to me?
I will answer this with another question – How can someone be addicted to drugs, to alcohol, to nicotine when they are so harmful?
Before we can commit to giving up a bad habit, we must first become AWARE of the habit, ACCEPT that we have a problem, and be WILLING to give it up.
I used to work with alcohol and drug addiction and, in fact, was trained to do so in graduate school. Some of you may know that there is something called a “dry drunk.” This means an alcoholic who has stopped drinking, but continues all his old habits–goes to the bars every night, associates with all the same people. This person believes he is “cured” but in the end always goes back to drinking. This is because there has been no real inner transformation and all the same habits continue.
Your School gives you an opportunity to transform at deep inner levels. When you find your mind making its way along old familiar (and painful) pathways – do something new and different!
Read your lessons! Follow your homework! Become your own teacher!
You are not alone now! You have your School and your lessons. You are connected to other students who are focused on Truth. There is great energy when a number of people come together in the quest for Truth. You can learn from each other. You can learn the way the mind works. You become part of a greater mind – a greater quest. Is this not beautiful?
What is Truth, really, dear Students? Truth is a clear unbroken stream of Light that flows continuously to and through you – like a sparkling stream flowing effortlessly down a mountain – unimpeded, free, and peaceful. No obstacle can stop the water – not rocks, not storms, not darkness – just as nothing can stop Truth.
When you live in Truth, you live like the flowing stream – spontaneous, and free-flowing, not trying to impress anyone, not trying to control life, not trying to be something or someone – simply BEING – pure, radiant, and sparkling.
Then you are a truly nice human being. You are pleasant to be around. You are your own best friend. Your actions are not contracted, controlled, and guarded, but free, spontaneous, and open.
Truth feels good! It feels right! Truth is not a temporary high - a rush of excitement - a "fix" for the mind.
When you get lost in thoughts, in darkness, in questions that lead nowhere but to more darkness, you might like to imagine a sparkling stream of water flowing down a mountain, or a flower growing in a field, or a bird singing just because it can.
Nature gives us reflections of Divine Truth every day. Use everything that comes your way to take you closer to Truth.
Please keep in mind that words themselves are NOT Truth.
Words are simply guides to truth - sign posts along the way.
You can look at the word Russia on a map. You can point to it with your finger and see its exact latitude and longitude, and this does not give you the experience of being in Russia! You have to go to Russia to have the experience! You have to eat a mango to know what it tastes like.
A very good question, Ina! Please do your best to continue to allow your mind to evolve away from old, hurtful questions into these higher questions.
And remember that you do not have to know all the answers today.
You are on the PATH to Higher Consciousness. Surely you will arrive at Truth and when you do, the mind will no longer be there with its doubts and fears.
All love, Indira and the angels.
First of all, no apologies necessary, and this is not a stupid question. I am very happy to see you asking an intelligent question, a question of the heart, a question that can actually lead you somewhere.
Lesson 2 actually says: “Maya means that we see the world, including ourselves, through a veil of illusion and believe that what we see is real. We allow our limited mind to define the world for us. The mind gladly takes over this job. The mind likes to stay busy. And so the angels suggest that you keep the mind busy with truth. Read these words and allow their deeper meanings to penetrate your consciousness. Print them out. Carry them with you. When you become aware that you are in pain, read some sentences from your lessons and allow the words to create new syntaxes – new pathways – in your brain. Dedicate yourself to letting go of everything that does not serve you in a positive way. Let your truest commitment be to knowing Truth in your life.”
Although most lessons begin with “answers” - our first Lesson begins with asking you to be aware of the questions you ask.
I am happy to see that Ina’s awareness has taken her to a true, deep question! THIS question has merit! THIS question can lead you higher! THIS question is the question of a heart waking up!
The paragraph I included above from Lesson 2 contains the answer to your question, dear Ina. However, the mind needs to keep hearing the same thing in different ways, because the mind is so accustomed to trusting its own untrue patterns.
Here is a little story to illustrate this point:
A man was brought to a psychiatrist by his wife. “He is convinced he is dead,” his wife told the psychiatrist. "All day he walks around saying, ‘I am dead.’”
The psychiatrist tried all his techniques, but could not convince the man that he was alive. Then he had an idea. He asked the man, “Do dead men bleed?” And the man replied, “No! Dead men do not bleed!”
So the psychiatrist pricked the man’s finger with a needle, and the finger began to bleed. “There!” exclaimed the psychiatrist, triumphantly! “You are bleeding!”
The man looked at his finger in astonishment, and declared, “My Gosh! I was wrong! Dead men do bleed!”
This is how ingrained we are in old habits!
And so read and re-read your lessons. Apply yourself to your homework.
I do not say the path to Truth is easy – the angels promise a clear and simple way – they say nothing about easy.
TRUTH is your Real Nature!
The main purpose of your School is to scrape away the layers of previous conditioning–false beliefs–to reveal the true splendor of your Being– ike cleaning tarnish from silver–like pushing away clouds to reveal the sun– ike breaking a coconut to drink the sweet milk within.
The mind can never know Truth. The mind, as you know it, disappears in the Light of Truth. What do we mean when we say, “the mind as you know it”? –We mean the mind that is a conglomeration of thoughts, impressions, and beliefs. Looking for truth within the mind is like looking for a needle in a haystack, when the needle isn’t even there!
Simply continue to let your mind evolve into higher questions. Notice the old questions, such as, “Does he really love me?” “Will I get a promotion?” “Why is God punishing me?” “What do those people think of me?”
Notice your habitual questions! Be aware, awake, and alert in your own world! Carry a sword through the forest of your mind. Cut away, or at least ignore, limiting, flase thoughts that keep you spinning on the wheel of karma–that keep you in darkness– hat keep you in pain. Cease to give those old questions power over you!
Do you realize that you have been giving mere questions power over you?
Do you realize that you are addicted to hopeless, negative questions and the feelings (reactions) that come when you ask those questions? DO YOU REALIZE THIS? (Don’t worry Ina, I don’t mean just you. I mean all of us!)
You might ask, how can that be true? How can I be addicted to something that is harmful to me?
I will answer this with another question – How can someone be addicted to drugs, to alcohol, to nicotine when they are so harmful?
Before we can commit to giving up a bad habit, we must first become AWARE of the habit, ACCEPT that we have a problem, and be WILLING to give it up.
I used to work with alcohol and drug addiction and, in fact, was trained to do so in graduate school. Some of you may know that there is something called a “dry drunk.” This means an alcoholic who has stopped drinking, but continues all his old habits–goes to the bars every night, associates with all the same people. This person believes he is “cured” but in the end always goes back to drinking. This is because there has been no real inner transformation and all the same habits continue.
Your School gives you an opportunity to transform at deep inner levels. When you find your mind making its way along old familiar (and painful) pathways – do something new and different!
Read your lessons! Follow your homework! Become your own teacher!
You are not alone now! You have your School and your lessons. You are connected to other students who are focused on Truth. There is great energy when a number of people come together in the quest for Truth. You can learn from each other. You can learn the way the mind works. You become part of a greater mind – a greater quest. Is this not beautiful?
What is Truth, really, dear Students? Truth is a clear unbroken stream of Light that flows continuously to and through you – like a sparkling stream flowing effortlessly down a mountain – unimpeded, free, and peaceful. No obstacle can stop the water – not rocks, not storms, not darkness – just as nothing can stop Truth.
When you live in Truth, you live like the flowing stream – spontaneous, and free-flowing, not trying to impress anyone, not trying to control life, not trying to be something or someone – simply BEING – pure, radiant, and sparkling.
Then you are a truly nice human being. You are pleasant to be around. You are your own best friend. Your actions are not contracted, controlled, and guarded, but free, spontaneous, and open.
Truth feels good! It feels right! Truth is not a temporary high - a rush of excitement - a "fix" for the mind.
When you get lost in thoughts, in darkness, in questions that lead nowhere but to more darkness, you might like to imagine a sparkling stream of water flowing down a mountain, or a flower growing in a field, or a bird singing just because it can.
Nature gives us reflections of Divine Truth every day. Use everything that comes your way to take you closer to Truth.
Please keep in mind that words themselves are NOT Truth.
Words are simply guides to truth - sign posts along the way.
You can look at the word Russia on a map. You can point to it with your finger and see its exact latitude and longitude, and this does not give you the experience of being in Russia! You have to go to Russia to have the experience! You have to eat a mango to know what it tastes like.
A very good question, Ina! Please do your best to continue to allow your mind to evolve away from old, hurtful questions into these higher questions.
And remember that you do not have to know all the answers today.
You are on the PATH to Higher Consciousness. Surely you will arrive at Truth and when you do, the mind will no longer be there with its doubts and fears.
All love, Indira and the angels.
