A universal assembly for true discernment
Weekly Sunday Gathering with Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert
Title: “Impermanence & Gratitude”
Description: Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert discussed how a visceral, here-now experience of the impermanence of all things has resulted in a deep gratitude for everything.
Reading: Rev. Shawna Summers read excerpts from Joan Tollifson’s book, Death: The End of Self-Improvement and from Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul.
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500 Days with NTI
Rev. Regina Dawn Akers has developed a new spiritual curriculum, which will be offered through the Awakening Together Daily Update beginning on January 3, 2021. This curriculum was designed for busy people who don’t have a lot of available time, but who are very serious about spiritual awakening.
500 Days with NTI requires only a minimal amount of formal “sit down” practice. You’ll read approximately 1 page of NTI on most days. Occasionally you’ll read more. You’ll have one spiritual education assignment each weekend, which will typically take about 30 minutes to an hour. Sometimes it may take a little longer. After a certain point in the curriculum, you’ll be asked to meditate briefly on a daily basis (can you do 15 minutes?), and you’ll be asked to write every now and then.
All together, it will take about 30-40 minutes on most days. It’s designed so you can break that up into 15-20 minutes in the evening and 15-20 minutes in the morning, if that suits your schedule best.
500 Days provides daily exercises that you can do as you work, socialize, clean house, do yard work, work out, play, etc. It’s a course that goes with you where ever you go!
Regina jokingly calls this curriculum, “super gentle healing.” However, don’t let the nickname fool you. Although 500 Days doesn’t take a lot of time each day, it is incredibly targeted and carefully designed by inspiration to help you achieve clarity and inner peace in this lifetime. You might even wake up to the true Self.
500 Days is not recommended for people who are currently in Year 1 or Year 2 of Gentle Healing. It is also not recommended for people who are currently taking MPP. 500 Days could be combined with Year 3 of Gentle Healing if you have time for both.
If you or someone you know is interested in the lightest curriculum Regina has ever designed, all you have to do is sign up for the Awakening Together Daily Update email. Of course, you’ll need a copy of NTI too.
The 500 Days curriculum will come out on the Daily Update every day, 500 days in a row, beginning on January 3. It’s self-study. There isn’t a group to join. It’s between you and You and will be powered by your own desire for peace, clarity and truth realization.
What is the Holy Spirit?
Spiritual intuition mediates between illusions and truth. It bridges the gap between reality and dreams by reinterpreting perception, so that even dreams point toward truth. Everything in time has a different purpose under the guidance of spiritual intuition than it does with the chattering thoughts of the ego.
The goal of spiritual intuition is awakening to truth. To meet this goal, spiritual intuition acts as the inner teacher for anyone who will listen. Sometimes subtle and sometimes bold, spiritual intuition will guide you using any means that you will pay attention to.
In reality, you are awake consciousness, which is the source of spiritual intuition. Therefore, when spiritual intuition has accomplished its goal, you will have awakened to your Self, which is beyond spiritual intuition. In this way, spiritual intuition is a bridge from what you think you are—your false self—to what you truly are.
Those who recognize the calling to awaken to the true Self realize that spiritual intuition is the means they must surrender to until the goal is accomplished. Those who remain interested in the ego thought system perceive spiritual intuition as a threat. Because they are afraid of it, they repress its guiding intuition. Those who are transitioning from interest in the world to the call to awaken must bring intuition out of repression by following it whenever they recognize its guidance.
Spiritual intuition reinterprets every tool the ego thought system uses for its purpose in order to awaken you to truth. Spiritual intuition uses doubt, desire, attention, thought and judgment as well as time, relationships, contrast, comparison, and even separation (solitude) for its purpose of bringing you back to your truth.
Spiritual intuition leads you to let go of dreams by letting go of the ego thought system, which is the creator and interpreter of dreams. It provides you with another choice, another way to be within dreams—a way that provides the security you think you need without teaching you that you are one who needs protection. In this way, spiritual intuition does not teach fear. It teaches unaffectedness, which is truth.
Accept spiritual intuition as your guide now. Realize that the ego thought system has nothing to offer you. It isn’t needed for anything. Spiritual intuition can and will guide you through every situation you face. It will not leave you comfortless. It will teach you about your truth.
My present happiness is all I see.
When we look at the world through the ego thought system, we see what isn’t there. Here is a story to illustrate that point:
Sally and Moose were high school sweethearts who married and had three children together. Sally was a homemaker. Moose was an athlete who was away from home much of the year.
Sally perceived herself as plain and boring. She knew Moose had many attractive female fans, many of whom had lives that she thought were much more exciting than hers.
Moose worried that Sally was unhappy, because he was away from home so much of the time. He saw himself as an absent husband and father, and he felt guilty for it. He longed to spend more time with his family, but he felt inadequate, like a big, dumb athlete. He didn’t think he had the intelligence to find another way to support his family.
One evening, while Moose was on the road, he and Sally talked on the phone. Moose commented about a friend of his, who had recently married a fan and was planning a honeymoon trip to Hawaii as soon as the current sport’s season ended.
Sally glanced at the family room where she was sitting. Toys were strewn about. It crossed her mind that Moose was envious of his friend, because she and Moose did not take exotic vacations together.
Sally became defensive. She said, “We have a pretty good life right here at home, but you wouldn’t know that, because you are never around.”
Her words cut through Moose like a knife. She had touched on what he feared the most, that he was an absent husband and father. Feeling guilty, he shot back, “I have to support you, you know. I’m not free to do whatever I want to do.”
Sally thought Moose saw her as a burden, something he wished he could be free of. Her voice was clearly agitated. “We don’t need you. Don’t you think we can get by without you? We do it all of the time!”
And the fight continued.
Sally felt unworthy of her famous husband. Moose felt unworthy of his loving wife. Neither saw the misperceptions caused by their thoughts. Six months later, Sally filed for divorce.
This story is fictional, but it is based on misunderstandings that I witness all of the time. These misunderstandings happen, because people see through the filter of their thoughts, and they are blind to what is really there.
Today we commit to slowing down. Whenever you notice that you want to react to something that someone else says or does, pause and look at your thoughts. What thoughts are coloring your perception? Why are you upset?
When you see without the distortion that is caused by the ego thought system, seeing is clear; you feel happiness and love, because happiness and love are what you are. If you are upset, it is a sure sign that ego thinking misleads your perception. Inquiry is needed.
If you have 30 minutes for meditation, I recommend this meditation today:
One key to effective discernment is knowing what to give attention to and what not to give attention to, because it isn’t meaningful; because it isn’t real, because it is temporary instead of eternal.
A second key to effective discernment is letting feeling guide the decision above.
Thinking can be extremely deceptive. You can’t trust thinking to help you discern the wrong-mind from the right-mind, but you can trust feeling.
Whenever you feel content, open, and free, you are in the right-mind. Whenever there is an interruption of any kind to content-open-free, you are giving attention to the wrong-mind.
I chose the word “content” instead of happy or joyous, because sometimes humans are serious, such as when they are looking at a problem that needs to be resolved, and sometimes humans are sad, like when a loved one passes away, etcetera. However, the right-mind is content with seriousness when seriousness is appropriate and content with sadness when sadness is appropriate, etcetera.
Contentment is an underlying permanent feeling. Sometimes other feelings are appropriately present too, but when one is with the right-mind, the other feelings do not cover contentment. They are present with contentment.
If contentment is lost (covered up), attention is with the wrong-mind.
A third key to effective discernment is self-honesty. You can lie to yourself about whether you were content or not while you were swearing at the driver in the car next to you, but lying to yourself will not help you reach the freedom that is called enlightenment. Self-honesty is a very important key.
Today’s reading says:
When any thought does not feel like Love, you may put it aside as false.
That is another way of saying, whenever you do not feel content-open-free, attention is with the wrong-mind. You can disregard what you are giving attention to—because isn’t meaningful; because it isn’t real, because it is temporary instead of eternal—and return attention to the right-mind and to truth.
The reading also says:
Existence cannot be denied, because it is.
Sometimes, when believing-attention goes deeply into false ideas, we can have deep feelings that are not anything like content-open-free. Sometimes content-open-free can be so far from our current experience that we can’t recall the feeling those words point to. However, there is one intuitive knowing-feeling that is never covered up. It is always present, and we can always turn our attention to it. That is existence.
In any moment, no matter how angry you are, … no matter how guilty you feel, … regardless of how ashamed you feel, and etcetera; in any moment you can notice that you exist. In fact, you couldn’t be angry or feel guilty, etcetera, unless existence was there to feel it. So, in any moment you can turn attention from whatever has captured attention and focus on existence instead. Simply notice that right now you exist, and keep attention there.
Thoughts of Awakening # 264
Stillness is like a deep well
because it is life everlasting,
eternal.
Illusion is at the surface
in the world of changing,
non-lasting.
When one focuses on illusion,
one is split in many directions
unaware of the constancy
of one’s Self.
When one is focused on stillness,
one is aware of constancy.
Constancy remains peaceful,
even through the appearance
of change.
~From our Holy Spirit
In this program Anne Blanchard facilitates one of the core practices of the Awakening Together community. This program provides an opportunity to be in community with others who will to find that place of no-place, that attention to our natural attentiveness, that innate humanness that can often be overlooked. Anne Blanchard facilitates this program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 – 8:30 am ET/5:30-6:30 am MT by leading participants through gently guided Being Aware of Awareness meditation. All are warmly welcome.
What is the Holy Spirit?
Our special theme says, “The Holy Spirit understands the means you made, by which you would attain what is forever unattainable. And if you offer them to Him, He will employ the means you made for exile to restore your mind to where it truly is at home.”
The ego is thought and judgment, so many spiritual teachings encourage the spiritual aspirant to let go of thought and judgment. Yet, spiritual intuition uses both thought and judgment to lead us toward awakening.
Let’s look at thought first. Most thought is clearly ego. Ego is best recognized by its ‘chatter’ quality. However, not all thought is chatter. There are two additional types of thought.
Spiritual aspirants do well to discern between the three types of thought, and then to let go of chatter and follow both practical and inspired thought. Interestingly, discerning between the three types of thought and then deciding to let go of a thought or to follow a thought is judgment. According to my dictionary, judgment is “the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions.”
Just as spiritual aspirants are encouraged to let go of thought, spiritual aspirants are encouraged to let go of judgment. However, just as there are three types of thought, there are three types of judgment: judgments that come from ego chatter, practical judgment and inspired judgment.
Humans have brains, and brains are made for thinking. However, listening to, believing and blindly following ego chatter is not thinking. Real thinking is using the brain’s judgment or discernment capability to decide when to listen to and follow a thought and when not to. Real thinking is the hallmark of wisdom.
The past is over. It can touch me not.
Today’s lesson talks about the past. It says, “Unless the past is over in my mind, the real world must escape my sight. For I am really looking nowhere; seeing but what is not there.”
What is the past?
According to my dictionary, it is “gone by in time and no longer existing.”
If one looks clearly for a moment, one can see that the past is not here now. It is impossible for the past to be here now. The past has already “gone by in time” and it is “no longer existing.”
The past that humans hold onto is in thought only.
The past is thought. It might have been actually experienced once, but now it is only thought.
Since the past is thought, let’s look at it as thought.
Which category of thought does the past fit into? Is it ego chatter, practical thought or inspired thought?
If you look carefully, you will see that the past can fit into all three of these categories.
Which type of past thought is today’s lesson talking about when it says, “Father, let me not look upon a past that is not there”?
It is the past as ego chatter that is a block to clarity. Practical thought and inspired thought are not obstacles to clear seeing, even if the past is a component of those types of thoughts.
I would like to point out that there is a difference between the past as ego chatter and memory. A smell can invoke a memory. A sight or a sound can invoke a memory. Memories arise. As long as a memory does not become ego chatter, memories are simply passing phenomena that are witnessed by awareness.
Notice your thinking today. If your thinking is ego chatter, choose to let it go. Ego chatter is not at all beneficial. It is thought that you can live without. Interestingly, most thought is ego chatter, which means that you can live without the vast majority of your thoughts.
If your thinking is genuinely practical or inspired, listen to it. These thoughts either make your life easier or guide you toward awakening. Both are beneficial.
If you have 30 minutes for meditation, I recommend this meditation today:
You cannot read today’s reading from the idea, “I am a person,” and understand it. “I” cannot mean “me and not others.” “I” must mean consciousness, and it must include all things in manifestation as “I,” or the meaning in today’s reading will be lost.
For example, today’s reading says:
The world that you see comes from the thoughts that you think.
That doesn’t mean, “Hey, Regina. The world that you see comes from the thoughts you think.”
Regina is a character. That sentence speaks to consciousness, and consciousness experiences itself as each character.
We are one consciousness, and the world appearance comes from us as one consciousness.
Before reading today, take a few minutes to contemplate one consciousness. Realize you are not the character you identify with. You are consciousness. Everyone and everything is one consciousness, and you are that.
Don’t think about this idea. Just be with it. As today’s reading says:
The thinking mind cannot follow this thought because the thinking mind believes in separation, …
If any part of today’s reading is not clear to you, ask inner wisdom for clarity.
Thoughts of Awakening # 263
Stillness is always present.
It is within and it is without.
It is the one reality,
always constant,
never wavering.
When one is not listening to stillness,
one is focused on illusion.
Illusion is not important.
With desire-stillness,
it can be put aside.
When one is listening to stillness,
one moves and functions within illusion,
but one has not forgotten constant-stillness.
Therefore, one is peaceful, happy, content,
and guided by stillness
as a representative of stillness
within the world.
~From our Holy Spirit
Title: “Impermanence & Gratitude”
Description: Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert will discuss how a visceral, here-now experience of the impermanence of all things has resulted in a deep gratitude for everything.
Reading: Rev. Shawna Summers will read excerpts from Joan Tollifson’s book, Death: The End of Self-Improvement and from Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul.
*Weekly gathering is held every Sunday morning at 10:15 am ET/8:15 am MT in the Awakening Together Sanctuary. Join us after the Gathering for our Fellowship Time, hosted by Rev. George Maddox.
Join us at 1:30 pm ET/ 11:30 am MT for Reflections from the Loving Consciousness Loving All RetreatThis Reflections program is here for you to explore how these particular teachings can end the ego in this lifetime through the Loving Consciousness method of meditation and the incredible fine-tuning and deepening of the practice of the Loving All method. Come and hear the wisdom and insights that have been sparked from attending this deeply inspiring online retreat that was facilitated by Regina Dawn Akers.
Join us at 5:00 pm ET/ 3:00 pm MT for The Mighty CompanionsRevs. Glen Ganaway and Yolanda Mapes, who are interfaith ministers, share a delightful, funny and inspiring hour of A Course in Miracles. Come join in on the fun, the laughs, and the music while unlearning the ego through the lessons and chapters of ACIM.
Join us at 6:00 pm ET/ 4:00 pm MT for Something Genuine with Rev. Jacquelyn EckertRev. Jacquelyn Eckert facilitates this program, in which Awakening Together members and friends join together to watch and discuss TED talks that reveal the Truth of ourselves and our universe based on the actual experience of ordinary people. Their insights are genuine—not based upon theory or dogma—and give us a “man on the street” perspective on what we are coming to learn through Awakening Together.
Join us at 7:00 pm ET/ 5:00 pm MT for The Guiding Light with Rev. Regina Dawn AkersRegina Dawn Akers reads selections from the book Perfect Brilliant Stillness by David Carse. The purpose of this inspired book study is to learn to stop focusing on words and concepts. Look where the pointers point! Be still and realize Perfect Brilliant Stillness just as it is. Join Regina as she dives deep into this enlightened book study which isn’t a book study at all! Here’s a link to the book here: Get the book for free
Awakening Together Internet Broadcast: Listen Live on AT Radio
What is the Holy Spirit?
Our special theme says, “The Holy Spirit understands the means you made, by which you would attain what is forever unattainable. And if you offer them to Him, He will employ the means you made for exile to restore your mind to where it truly is at home.”
The ego uses our attention to keep us absorbed in illusion and ignorance. Our attention is usually focused outward on the ego’s ideas (thought) and perceptions (the world as perceived through thought).
Spiritual intuition uses the same tool that the ego uses—attention. However, spiritual intuition guides us to keep attention focused inward instead of outward. We are focused inward as we ask intuition, “What am I to do now? How am I to see this?” We are also focused inward as we practice awareness-watching-awareness or loving consciousness meditation.
Outward focused attention is guided by ego.
Inward focused attention is guided by spiritual intuition.
There is a third type of attention. It is fully involved in the moment with no “I” or self in it. Examples include being absorbed in creativity or being absorbed in nature.
When we are fully in the moment without ego chatter about “me,” we are in presence. We might call that merged attention instead of outward focused attention, because instead of the idea of me as a person looking outward at a world through “my” thoughts, it is awareness and scenery all merged into one happening.
Therefore:
Outward focused attention is guided by ego.
Inward focused attention is guided by spiritual intuition.
Merged attention is presence.
Let me forget my brother’s past today.
Which type of attention is active when there is a grievance? Is it outward, inward or merged attention?
The answer is outward attention. Outward attention is attention that looks outward through thought, or more specifically, through the ego thought system. Outward attention looks at our brother through the ego’s chatter about the brother and what he did to me, or what I don’t like about him, etcetera.
If we focus our attention inwardly, we will find another thought system. It is the thought system that points toward truth. It may guide us to see our brother differently; it may guide us to inquire into our thoughts in order to see them differently; it may guide us to practice the Loving All Method with our brother and the situation; it may guide us to notice our self as unaffected awareness, etcetera. The specific guidance will vary, but the guidance will always be toward truth and away from untruth.
If our attention is merged, there will be no thought about our brother’s past and there will be no current judgments about him. There will only be this moment as it is in joy.
As you look at the three paragraphs written above, you might notice that inward focused attention is the bridge between outward focused attention and merged attention. Said another way, spiritual intuition is the means to one consciousness, which is awareness and happening as one (not “me” and other than me).
Today, whenever you notice that you are involved in outward attention, shift inward using surrender as it is taught in The Teachings of Inner Ramana.
If you have 30 minutes for meditation, I recommend this meditation today:
Today’s reading is too good to read quickly. It begins with a reinterpretation of Jesus’ crucifixion. Many of us were taught that Jesus died for our sins. Today’s reading says that Jesus “released the sins of the world as illusion … and returned himself to the Awareness of God,” and then it asks us to make the same decision.
Are you ready to give no more meaning to illusion?
Are you ready to give all of your love and attention to truth?
Today’s reading shares a couple of ‘tests’ we can give ourselves in order to be honest with ourselves regarding our own spiritual progress.
First, we are asked to notice how we feel about others. If there is anyone we “do not love truly,” there are misperceptions in our mind that still need healing.
Next, we are asked to notice if some things in our lives have higher priority than other things. If some matters have more meaning to us than others, we do not yet see all things as God. The only exception to this test is when truth has more meaning than illusion.
I hope you decide to read today’s reading slowly and contemplatively. I recommend taking notes as you read today.
Thoughts of Awakening # 262
The mind wants to think,
but the Heart wants to be still.
The Heart knows that stillness
is the surety of God.
Thinking is the frantic-ness of illusion,
of play, or non-reality.
A step from frantic-mind
is desire-stillness.
Recognizing desire
leads to direct-experience.
Direct-experience of stillness
is knowing-surety of God.
It is lasting and always present,
because God is lasting
and always present.
~From our Holy Spirit
