confession time

Hello to everyone,

My confession is that I am only on lesson five. But i a having such a wonderful time reading it. When I got to the words of the song 50 ways to loose your lover I starting singing and then laughed and then felt love and a desire to connect to all of you. I have been having such self doubt about the work I do. Feeling scared that I am not really able to help people. So I will apply lesson 5 to this and see how it goes. love Annie

what the angels say:

What is this thing called spirituality, anyway? Spirituality is not about ideas and beliefs. Spirituality is about being absolutely present in your life. Then intuition speaks to you crystal clear. When you are absolutely present in your life, your life is spiritual and you are a spiritual being. Spirituality is not different from this earth you walk upon. It is not something else out there. It is not different from you. It is not separate from God.

Allow gratitude to settle over and around your life like a beautiful melody. Then you will quite naturally find yourself living in the present moment. You will be present in your life. When you are present in your life, intuition speaks to you crystal clear. When intuition speaks to you crystal clear, you know that your life is spiritual, that you are a spiritual being, and that spirituality is not different from the earth you walk upon. It is not something “out there”. It is not different from you. It is not separate from God.

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy You

Dearest Students, For those of you who make the effort to visit the Open Classroom (even if you do not participate) I have a special message for you. You can find it by clicking here: a special message (if you have trouble opening the link, let me know). This message can only be accessed through this link and cannot be publicly viewed, even though it is on my website.

from Monika

Dear classmates, I am leaving for some days. So I am sending now Easter greetings to all of you. Easter time is a time of extreme changes. Life, death, and life again, letting go of old things, habits......I wish all of us a smooth time of renewing.  Love Monika

Hello

Pleased to making the journey here with all of you. Thanks for sharing your insights and the path. Hirth

Poem

Dear Class

My Name is Ruth. This is the first time in my life that I post something. Judy asked me to post a poem from me. Because I am Swiss, I am afraid, my english sound and look also swiss. I am sorry : )

At first I send you a German poem. I am afraid, if I translate it, it loose. I hope I get an English later. My poem tells about a miracle. It says:

A miracle is like a candlelight,
it touches me in my darkest night.
If it happens I can't believe it.
With my intellect I try to steal the magic from it.
I can't explain nor confirm a miracle.
Suddenly it appears.
Often when I'm near despair.
Like the sun breaking through the clouds
a miracle brings light in my life.
Angel of miracle, let me see also the small miracles
now going through the life without attention.
So my life will become brighter.
The darkness will go away faster.
Angel of the miracle I thank you
you appeared in my darkest moment.

I think in German it sounds much better

Wunder

Ein Wunder ist wie Kerzenlicht.
In dunkler Nacht wird endlich Licht.
Passiert es, kann ich es nicht glauben
Mit dem Verstand will ich ihm die Magie rauben.
Ein Wunder lässt sich weder erklären noch begründen.
Plötzlich ist es einfach da.
Oft wenn ich der Verzweiflung nah.
Wie die Sonne, wenn sie durch die Wolken bricht
bringt ein Wunder in mein Leben Licht.
Engel der Wunder, lass mich auch die kleinen Wunder sehen
nicht achtlos durch das Leben gehen.
Dadurch wird mein Leben heller
die Dunkelheit verzieht sich schneller.
Engel der Wunder, ich danke Dir
dass Du in meinem dunkelsten Moment Dich zeigtest mir.

Lovely greatings

Ruth

Waking Up

Dearest Students, I will be posting more often here now, as a way to support and augment your lessons. This Classroom, as you know, is for all students, no matter if you have just begun or have been with the School since the beginning.

Some tips for making the most of your time in the School: Take yourself lightly! Heavy and serious is for the ego. Please do not use the School as yet another way to make yourself wrong or bad (because you did not complete your homework, for example). You have had enough of other people (and your own mind) making you wrong and bad in your life. You will do exactly what you need to do in the School. Even if you only read one sentence of your lesson in a day, that is the sentence you need to read.

Myself, I read the lessons every day and I listen to them on my (talking) MacIntosh. Plus, of course, I write them. Even though I am the "writer" I also consider myself a student just like you. For me, there is nothing more important than waking up in this life and staying awake. The lessons are an alarm clock, reminding you to wake up now! Wake up! Come out of the dream!

Hello teacher,
this is cool, you are also a classmate now ! Is that right ? Welcome ! This is a new experience. Let us have fun.
Love
Monika

Breaking the silence of isolation

Dearest Students, there are times (as some of you have noticed) that I write privately to you. Some of you have expressed surprise and gratitude that I would take the time to do this. I cannot do it all the time, given the number of students in the School (outside of the Open Classroom).

The Open Classroom is where I answer most questions and keep in contact with you. It is also where you keep in contact with me (as well as each other). It is unlikely you will receive a private communication from me unless you post and comment here. Even if you have not received any private communication from me, I read everything you write here and this helps me to connect with you at deeply intuitive levels. Which means that when I feel called to do so, I can reach out to you both privately and here. I would prefer to have all of our communication be open to everyone, as there is truly nothing to hide, no story that is unique. However I understand and respect privacy.

One of the insidious forms the ego takes is ISOLATION. The ego thrives in isolation. In future lessons, I will reveal more of the many cunning tricks the ego uses to stay in control. One purpose of The Open Classroom is to help you come out of isolation - to recognize that your story is not so terrible that it must be hidden - that you must be hidden.

Here you have the possibility to speak your truth, even if your truth is false (the ego is always false). You have the possibility to come out of isolation. When you tell your simple human stories here, you give others the chance to relate to them, to understand that there is really only one story, told over and over again, in different ways.

In isolation, the ego thrives because it can hold onto its (false) story that it is special.

Remember that the primary function of the School is to bring into awareness that which was previously hidden from view. You are traveling a road from the darkness (of ego, ignorance, unawareness) to the light of Consciousness and Truth. This requires shining the bright light of awareness into every crack and crevice where the ego hides.

On Being Powerless

Dearest Students, You might like to consider (for those of you who like extra homework) the following: What in my life (that is causing me pain) am I powerless over?

Begin a list (in your special School notebook which I do hope you have by now!) of the things you are powerless over. Each time something that you are powerless over brings you pain or unhappiness add it to your list.

When you do this, you are telling yourself the Truth about what you are powerless over. This helps to over-ride the unconscious lies we constantly tell ourselves (that we have power where we have none). And it helps you direct your energy toward what you do have the power to change (more about this in future lessons).

For all Classes: Your next Lessons are coming soon, so please make sure you have completed your previous homework and read your lessons.

returning to peace

I was recently asked to contribute some of my writing to a website called, think peace, by Leza Labrador, and you can find it here: http://thinkpeace.wordpress.com/ I included a passage Returning to Peace from my forthcoming book, The Clear and Simple Way.

Everyday Life

Dear Students, Many of you write to me (privately) of your problems in every day life. Some of these seem so overwhelming that you do not know how to solve them. THIS IS THE POINT! YOU do NOT know how to solve them. And yet you continue to try, using the same techniques which have failed you in the past, or maybe seemed to work for awhile, but will not work with your new situation.

As I write in Lesson Five (which some of you have not yet received) Einstein said that no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.

This means that we must rise above our old level of thinking. When we rise as high as we can in our thinking and the problem persists...the next logical and healthy step is to admit our own powerlessness over the situation. Admitting that you are powerless does not mean that you must feel helpless. You are not helpless (without help) just powerless to affect the change you want. Being powerless does not mean you should stop, stagnate, give up, take no action. It just means that perhaps you should be willing to stop reacting from unhealthy patterns of thinking.

Perhaps Gandhi could have decided he was helpless and given up when he failed to affect immediate change in his world. Perhaps Mother Teresa could have looked at the starving faces in India and decided she was helpless and given up too! I am sure that these people also went through tremendous soul-searching, even their own doubt and fear...and they continued along the path of their dharma (duty) to fulfill their highest destiny.

When you "show up" and take the small steps in front of you; when you let go of trying to control the outcome; when you acknowledge the limitations of your thinking, then you are ready to turn to a higher source. If you do not have much practice turning to this Source - you may at first feel only a trickle of love, compassion, and wisdom emanating from this Source - you may feel only the doubt and fear of your own limited thinking - and decide that the doubt and fear is proof that nothing higher exists.

This is why the School offers small steps. Small homework. Let yourself be in kindergarten. Remember how much fun it was to just play, how excited you were to learn new things? Tell yourself that you do not have to be a big stuffy grown-up today. You can play and be light in your School. You will probably have a hard time believing this, but say it to yourself anyway. Even if people around you are being uptight and stuffy, you do not have to follow suit!

I know that when many of you look around life, it does not look so pleasant. I know that you see the mirror of your own fearful thinking. I know that some of you are experiencing some pleasant times right now. And I know that for many of you, if those pleasant times should leave you, you would fall into despair - unless you are firmly rooted in a higher consciousness. If our inner contentment is based upon anything that is impermanent, it is a false idea of happiness - because true happiness is free and independent of anything at all.

Exactly as you walk down a path, one step at a time, so must we walk through life. This may seem like a simplistic statement; I assure you it is not.

Most of you have been walking your spiritual path for a long time - you have been in therapy, workshops, read books, been educated in many ways. Many of you are teachers, business owners, parents, healers, and therapists in your own right. There are no "slouches" in the School. You could not be here if you were.

And now, even with all your accomplishments, I ask you to make yourself a beginner. I ask you to examine your belief systems. I ask you to be WILLING to throw away everything that is not YOU. And I tell you that simply reading your lessons, even a little, month by month, and applying yourself to your homework, even a little, will make a difference in your life.

The same consciousness that created the problem cannot solve it. When you gently and CONSISTENTLY apply yourself to the School over a period of time, your consciousness is gently and consistently transformed. The School is called a School because it is on-going; it is here to guide and assist you on your path. You, yourself, must show up and do the work.

Can you feel the love in these words? Can you feel compassion reaching out to you? You are not alone, even when it seems like it.

Being True to Self

Hi Everyone,

Hope this goes thru to you, guys. I sent a post on 3/19....went somewhere in cyberspace!

It's 12 noon in California....gorgeous sunny day. Watching my animals sitting peacefully in the yard. It's so simple for them....they're are content with just being. Loving, trusting....living in the moment. I do envy them.

I can chose to have a good day or not. It is a conscious decision. When I take "everything" personally, don't know how to separate my truth from others, I always get the same results. Self-loathing....it's old....doubt, resentment, then I blame everyone...think everyone has wronged me. .....can I just let people be who they are? Being aware helps...the behavior is familiar and habitual...know the answers are within. So glad to be part of this class and would like to hear if others identify.

New adventure!

I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello to all of you.

Seems that the questions I ask myself usually have the same answers even before I ask...self doubt...negative feelings. It's never productive....and exhausting. I'm addicted to that way of thinking..... Looking forward to a shift. Yesterday I was at a meeting where someone wise said....you have to have a breakdown to breakthrough. Will stay in touch. Indira is a joy and am happy to be one of her students in this journey.

Hello dear Annie,

I wanted to answer you under comments. Somehow this did not work, so I put a new post.

The first time I saw your picture in the open classroom I thought: 'I want to get to know this woman. She looks very interesting to me. Very soft. I want to know more about her.' And I did not know how to find a way to contact. So I am glad you did this step. I would like to know (and I do not mean you have to answer): What is your daily life. Do you have family. Are you living in town. Do you have a garden....... My imagination says you must have had until now very rich, profound, deep life experiences I can also learn from. What do you have in mind when you speak of a study group ? When I know more about, may be I want to join.

Something in my heart is full of joy to start a communication with you.

Love

Monika

wanting to connect

this is my second try at sending this. i accidently errased the first one. I go through life feeling like I cannot conect with people and I am having this same experience here. I have not been in the open classroom recently and I think it is because I feel left out when I see other people connecting and i am scared of not being accepted. It is very difficult for me to admit this because generally I do a really good job at hiding this trait of mine, but I am tired of keeping up this pretence. Would someone or someones like to join a study group with me? love and light Annie

Dear classmates, teacher and Angels,

great, that you are all here. I like, that some of you have posted a picture of yourself. This gives me some idea of you. And I like, that some of you have written comments. As we are in some way on the same path I am interested about your thoughts, emotions, experiences.... according to the lessons, the school. Also I am interested about other parts of your lifes. And I confess, I do not know exactly how to comunicate all this. This way, with the open classroom and communicating through a computer with people that I do not know is pretty new for me.

Ina, I like your question about truth and thank the angels for the answer. The sentence "Do you realize that you have been giving mere questions power over you ?" did something with me. It brought me to an emotional confusion and I do not have a name for it. But then the emotions calmed down and as a result I felt very quiet and strong inside.

A similar reaction I had with the homework of lesson 3, writing down and reading the sentence brought up strange and uncomfortable emotions that I just observed. But then came a stream of power that drove me to do a lot of work very easy and efficient. mmmh ?

So, I am glad and at the same time a little fragile to share this with you.

Love

Monika

What Is Truth

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.

Good morning dear classmates, dear Judy and dear angels,
I made an interesting experience last night. In the evening I read again the second lesson and I had a problem with homework one. Not about asking an ego question, but to feel the answer.
In the night I had a dream, in the dream I hit my children very hard, like a fury and then I felt so guilty that I couldn't see a perspective to live.
When I woke up, I felt such a pain, I cried and I thought that I have no permission to exist. Something deep in me tells me that and I think that happens more often than I recognize it.
I still feel this emotion, but now, being awake, I feel also something peaceful in my heart.
I am.
Maybe there are some parts of me I don't know about, but all in all, I am.
And when I say that loud I feel being invited to live and to make all my experiences like all of you.
And I thank you again of being part of the school,
love, Antje

... now I try to write in orange... love, Antje