In 1967 I studied the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi. His advice was to keep asking oneself the question "Who am I". This led me into a lot of soul searching. I persisted with this enquiry for thirty years, did a lot of research and discovered a lot about myself.
In 1997 I started studying A Course in Miracles. In the introduction to the Manual for Teachers book the question became "What am I". This question, and the teachings in A Course in Miracles, radically changed my perspective and made sense of what I had learned during my "Who am I" phase.
"To teach is to learn, so that the teacher and learner are the same. It (the course) also emphasizes that teaching is a constant process; it goes on every moment of the day, and continues into sleeping thoughts as well."
"To teach is to demonstrate. There are only two thought systems, and we demonstrate that we believe one or the other is true all the time. From our demonstration others learn, and so do we. The question is not whether we will teach, for in that there is no choice... we choose what we want to teach on the basis of what we want to learn...We cannot give to someone else, but only to ourself, and this we learn by teaching. Teaching is but a call to witnesses to attest to what we believe. It is a method of conversion. This is not done by words alone. Any situation must be to us a chance to teach others what we are, and what they are to us."
"The curriculum we set up is therefore determined exclusively by what we think we are, and what we believe the relationship of others is to us."
"It is our mission to become perfect here, and so we teach perfection over and over, in many, many ways, until we have learned it."
See more here.
One of the expressions that I queried a lot was "We'll always be learning." This is true if we believe that we are here living a separate experience. An exercise I teach in Peace of Mind Healing is to get us to stay in peace from when we wake up in the morning for as long as we can. When we realise that we are not in peace anymore ask ourselves "Why did I decide to take myself out of peace?" The day that we spend the whole day in peace is the day that we have stopped learning and realise that we are perfect.
We are always teaching. Beware what we teach!
10 September 2014
09 September 2014
Food, Glorious Food
There is much written about food, of its effects on us both positive and negative. Over the years I have experimented with various diets and followed a lot of nutritional advice. Currently, I eat what I like and drink lots of water. What I have found is that sugar based foods and drinks seriously effect me. When teaching Peace of Mind Healing I do a short session on "Food, Glorious Food". We examine how food effects us by thinking about a food and then scanning the body to see what changes have occurred. My emphasis is always that it is not the food that is the problem but what we think about it.
New Testament, Matthew 15.11-12
It's not what goes into our mouths that does us harm, it's what comes out of them. For what goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and hence into the drain. But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and thus harms us.
In Chinese Philosophy the Heart houses the mind. This is reinforced by studies published by the Institute of Heart Math. See http://www.heartmath.org/templates/ihm/articles/infographic/2013/mysteries-of-the-heart/index.php
A Course in Miracles, Workbook, Lesson 136, Sickness is a defense against the truth
18. Perhaps you do not realize that this removes the limits you had placed upon the body by the purposes you gave to it. 2 As these are laid aside, the strength the body has will always be enough to serve all truly useful purposes. 3 The body's health is fully guaranteed, because it is not limited by time, by weather or fatigue, by food and drink, or any laws you made it serve before. 4 You need do nothing now to make it well, for sickness has become impossible.
A Course in Miracles, Workbook, Lesson 222, God is with me. I live and move in Him.
God is with me. 2 He is my Source of life, the life within, the air I breathe, the food by which I am sustained, the water which renews and cleanses me. 3 He is my home, wherein I live and move; the Spirit which directs my actions, offers me Its Thoughts, and guarantees my safety from all pain. 4 He covers me with kindness and with care, and holds in love the Son He shines upon, who also shines on Him. 5 How still is he who knows the truth of what He speaks today!
New Testament, Matthew 15.11-12
It's not what goes into our mouths that does us harm, it's what comes out of them. For what goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and hence into the drain. But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and thus harms us.
In Chinese Philosophy the Heart houses the mind. This is reinforced by studies published by the Institute of Heart Math. See http://www.heartmath.org/templates/ihm/articles/infographic/2013/mysteries-of-the-heart/index.php
A Course in Miracles, Workbook, Lesson 136, Sickness is a defense against the truth
18. Perhaps you do not realize that this removes the limits you had placed upon the body by the purposes you gave to it. 2 As these are laid aside, the strength the body has will always be enough to serve all truly useful purposes. 3 The body's health is fully guaranteed, because it is not limited by time, by weather or fatigue, by food and drink, or any laws you made it serve before. 4 You need do nothing now to make it well, for sickness has become impossible.
A Course in Miracles, Workbook, Lesson 222, God is with me. I live and move in Him.
God is with me. 2 He is my Source of life, the life within, the air I breathe, the food by which I am sustained, the water which renews and cleanses me. 3 He is my home, wherein I live and move; the Spirit which directs my actions, offers me Its Thoughts, and guarantees my safety from all pain. 4 He covers me with kindness and with care, and holds in love the Son He shines upon, who also shines on Him. 5 How still is he who knows the truth of what He speaks today!
01 March 2014
David Narby - Chapter 11: Warring Factions
"Let's get something straight." Said Amisa.
Clivid jumped up and going to the art supply cupboard rooted around for something.
"Ah!" he said as he walked over and presented a t-square to Amisa, "Is this straight enough for you?"
We all laughed and Will said, "What an excellent lesson in interpretation, Clivid."
"Seriously," Amisa said, "Let's get something straight, we are all wrong."
Clivid said, "I suppose you could lock us all up if we were not already incarcerated here."
Amisa continued, "I did not mean wrong in the sense that we need to be punished. I meant it in the sense that we need to correct our thinking, that we need to change our perspective. We are looking at everything from an 'ego' perspective."
Will smiled and said, "Since we are sitting here believing that we are all in different bodies what other perspective could we adopt?"
Amisa said, "The ego thrives on conflict. Warring factions attacking each other. Science versus religion. Within science, physicists versus psychologists. Within religion, Catholics versus Protestants. Within politics, right wing versus left wing, government versus opposition, east versus west. No matter what arena you enter it's all about conflict: family, society, sport, politics, media, business..."
Will interrupted, "And we could go on and on naming them."
Amisa said, "And all based on the simple idea that we are all separate. That we must strive for our autonomy and fight for our independence from each other."
Smigs said, "Looking back, the history of the world has always been about conflict, and looking at current policies and trends it's not going to change anytime soon.
Amisa said, "That's one of the ego's favourite ploys. It convinces us that the future will be identical to the past. simply because it looks at everything with a past perspective. It is never in the present and does not want us to become present."
I asked, "Why does it not want us in the present?"
Amisa replied, "Very simply, it does not and can not exist in the present. When we become truly present it disappears."
Darukin said, "Our fear is that if we let the ego go we will be out of our minds crazy, since for the most part the ego is what we have experienced."
Will said, "Yet, while David was describing his in-mind experiences we were all nodding knowingly, like we had experienced something similar."
Darukin said, "That's true, but we are not willing to discuss them with anyone, particularly, not in here."
Amisa said, "So, we all accept that we've had experiences that are beyond our ego and even beyond this world."
Everyone nodded agreement. I was wondering where do we go from here. We all sat in silence. I looked around and realised that I did not really know any of these people. I knew part of their stories, but what I thought I knew about them was based mainly on my own projections. I said,
"We're not really seeing each other. We're all crazy. We think the images we have of each other are real, when they are only ego projections. How do we end this insanity?"
Everyone clapped and congratulated me and said things like 'Well done!', 'Welcome Home!'. I was a bit embarrassed, unable to see what all the jubilation was about. Will said,
"See, David, you've accepted that we are all insane, not just those of us locked up in asylums."
Amisa said, "Within our minds there is a spark of radiant light, that is overshadowed by the ego. As far as the ego is concerned it cannot be. We, as egos, are convinced of this and so we never see the light. Yet, when we sit still, close our eyes and quieten our minds, we see it. It is always there, always was, and always will be, forever."
I asked, "What about the world we see with our eyes open, so convincing it is impossible to see it as an illusion?"
Amisa said, "Simple, David, just look for the light in everyone and everything."
Clivid jumped up and going to the art supply cupboard rooted around for something.
"Ah!" he said as he walked over and presented a t-square to Amisa, "Is this straight enough for you?"
We all laughed and Will said, "What an excellent lesson in interpretation, Clivid."
"Seriously," Amisa said, "Let's get something straight, we are all wrong."
Clivid said, "I suppose you could lock us all up if we were not already incarcerated here."
Amisa continued, "I did not mean wrong in the sense that we need to be punished. I meant it in the sense that we need to correct our thinking, that we need to change our perspective. We are looking at everything from an 'ego' perspective."
Will smiled and said, "Since we are sitting here believing that we are all in different bodies what other perspective could we adopt?"
Amisa said, "The ego thrives on conflict. Warring factions attacking each other. Science versus religion. Within science, physicists versus psychologists. Within religion, Catholics versus Protestants. Within politics, right wing versus left wing, government versus opposition, east versus west. No matter what arena you enter it's all about conflict: family, society, sport, politics, media, business..."
Will interrupted, "And we could go on and on naming them."
Amisa said, "And all based on the simple idea that we are all separate. That we must strive for our autonomy and fight for our independence from each other."
Smigs said, "Looking back, the history of the world has always been about conflict, and looking at current policies and trends it's not going to change anytime soon.
Amisa said, "That's one of the ego's favourite ploys. It convinces us that the future will be identical to the past. simply because it looks at everything with a past perspective. It is never in the present and does not want us to become present."
I asked, "Why does it not want us in the present?"
Amisa replied, "Very simply, it does not and can not exist in the present. When we become truly present it disappears."
Darukin said, "Our fear is that if we let the ego go we will be out of our minds crazy, since for the most part the ego is what we have experienced."
Will said, "Yet, while David was describing his in-mind experiences we were all nodding knowingly, like we had experienced something similar."
Darukin said, "That's true, but we are not willing to discuss them with anyone, particularly, not in here."
Amisa said, "So, we all accept that we've had experiences that are beyond our ego and even beyond this world."
Everyone nodded agreement. I was wondering where do we go from here. We all sat in silence. I looked around and realised that I did not really know any of these people. I knew part of their stories, but what I thought I knew about them was based mainly on my own projections. I said,
"We're not really seeing each other. We're all crazy. We think the images we have of each other are real, when they are only ego projections. How do we end this insanity?"
Everyone clapped and congratulated me and said things like 'Well done!', 'Welcome Home!'. I was a bit embarrassed, unable to see what all the jubilation was about. Will said,
"See, David, you've accepted that we are all insane, not just those of us locked up in asylums."
Amisa said, "Within our minds there is a spark of radiant light, that is overshadowed by the ego. As far as the ego is concerned it cannot be. We, as egos, are convinced of this and so we never see the light. Yet, when we sit still, close our eyes and quieten our minds, we see it. It is always there, always was, and always will be, forever."
I asked, "What about the world we see with our eyes open, so convincing it is impossible to see it as an illusion?"
Amisa said, "Simple, David, just look for the light in everyone and everything."
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