In today’s reading, the purification guidelines are called “new habits.” Our conditioning is referred to as “old habits.” If we continue to live by our old habits, nothing changes. New habits are necessary if we want to rise in vibration.

Here is a summary of the new habits (guidelines for purification):

1. Realize you do not know anything.
2. Rely on intuition to guide you in all things.
3. Have faith, which means:
   ~ trust the healing process
   ~ put confidence in a benevolent power beyond what your senses or mind can know
   ~ accept that all is well, regardless of the appearance
4. Be willing to let darkness rise into awareness.
5. Practice rest-accept-trust when darkness rises. This type of rest is healing.
6. See doubt as a normal part of this process while realizing it is the lower vibration, and then choose faith instead.
7. When you notice that you’ve slipped into old conditioning, shift into the new habits. In this way, the new habits will replace old conditioning.

Note: I recommend printing this tip for future reference.

Purification is a very important step. It’s necessary, which is why it was the very first thing Jesus did after baptism. Baptism represents the decision to awaken fully. Purification is the first important step in the direction of awakening. We follow in Jesus’ footsteps by walking into the purification stage with the help of NTI and inner spiritual wisdom.

If the thought of purification scares you, remember that fear is a low vibration tempting you to remain at a low vibrational level, and then choose to focus on your willingness instead.

Today’s reading begins:

I am your leader in this process of healing. … The way to healing is to listen to Me with the full attention of your ears. Focus them on nothing else and no one else.

That’s the opening instruction—focus your ears on nothing and no one except the combined guidance of conscience and spiritual intuition. That means that intuition will guide you in how to be, including how to respond to your boss, your spouse, your parents, your children, your spiritual teacher, and etcetera. No one has authority over your spiritual intuition. It alone is your guide, and it guides under all circumstances.

Start here by accepting inner spiritual intuition as your sole authority under all circumstances. If you make this commitment, you take a giant step forward.

Three times, today’s reading says, “This is what you are to do.” Whenever you see those words in NTI, pay close attention. That is specific guidance. You heal by following specific guidance.

What does “heal” mean? NTI refers to the lower vibrations as “sickness.” These are the thoughts, emotions and perceptions that lead to suffering. “Healing” is rising in vibrational level until lower vibrations have no effect on you.

There are two levels of healing. The first level of healing is true perception. True perception is similar to being in remission; you are currently healthy, but you are still subject to vibrational levels. One who experiences true perception is at a very high vibrational level and is in the habit of selecting high vibrations, but the possibility for selecting lower vibrations still exists.

The second level of healing is awakening to the First Principle of God, which is awakening beyond the effect of any vibrational level. It’s awakening from the dream of vibrational levels.

As you read NTI today, keep your journal handy. When you read what you are to do, which will happen three times in today’s reading, ask within “What does this mean?” or “How does this apply to me?” Write what comes to you in your journal. The act of writing will help you commit to the guidance inwardly, and it will help you remember the guidance. I also recommend reviewing your journal a few times during the day. In addition, it is helpful to share from your journal in the Sanctuary or in a safe relationship. Sharing will further strengthen your memory and commitment.

At the end of today’s reading, we are told:

Sickness must rest and be quiet. This is the way to health. Let your sickness rest. But health must serve the Son of God, for that is its only purpose.

Here’s something to contemplate in relationship to that:

The right use of mind is in the service of love, of life, of Truth, of beauty. … You must begin in yourself, with yourself – this is the inexorable law. Attend to yourself, set yourself right – mentally and emotionally. ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj

NTI Luke 4 is the beginning of the purification process for the reader. From this point forward, NTI takes the role of spiritual teacher and guides the reader through purification. However, NTI cannot do this alone. You must choose to follow the guidance of NTI in your daily life. If you make that choice, NTI becomes your guide. When NTI becomes your guide, it is more than written words on the page. It is also your inner guide, meaning it will be with you as inner spiritual intuition whether the book is with you or not.

Today’s reading says, “Jesus came out of the desert a teacher, but the one who taught through him was the Holy Spirit. This is the same one that teaches you now, so that no time has elapsed since Jesus seemed to teach until the time that I am teaching you now.”

In other words, that which led Jesus into the desert for purification, that which taught through him after purification, that which speaks through NTI and your spiritual intuition are all the same one. It has been called by many names, including the Holy Spirit and the Voice for God. It is the knowingness of pure consciousness. Today’s reading is an invitation to let this Voice be your guide.

The reading says, “… you will not have to look far to find doubt within your mind.”

It’s helpful to admit that we have doubts, and then move forward trusting inner intuition to the best of our ability anyway. If doubt holds us back, no movement occurs. Doubt can keep us at a lower vibrational level.

Maybe you aren’t sure that you intuit spiritual intuition. That’s okay. It really doesn’t matter at this point whether you do or not. You have access to conscience—everyone has access to conscience—and you have spiritual intuition through NTI, so start there.

NTI Luke 1 said:

Each one comes to the awareness of truth from where he is, so where he is, is where he must begin to learn. There is no shame in his starting point, wherever that starting point seems to be.

Keep things simple. Our goal now is to raise our vibrational level by choosing to follow the highest vibration currently available to us. By doing that, higher vibrations become available. So, that is all you have to do.

If you are worried that you won’t recognize the highest vibration, you can put that worry aside. Worry is a lower vibration. Remember what NTI Luke 2 said:

The birth of Jesus represents the birth of willingness, humble at first, but promising within it all of the glory of Heaven. Mary pondered this promise in her heart, not with the worrisome thoughts of the ego, but in her heart where the Holy Spirit is.

Instead of worrying, simply be willing to take one step at a time. NTI has promised to guide you, and it will. NTI gives very specific guidance—clear and easy-to-follow guidance.

Our guidance begins in tomorrow’s reading. Today, contemplate your willingness to follow NTI’s guidance.

Conscience, Consciousness and God’s Will:

Conscience is the knowing within that encourages us to choose the highest vibration available. Conscience knows that lower vibrations lead to suffering and higher vibrations lead to freedom.

Today’s reading refers to “Christ” and “Son of God,” which are synonymous. They are religious terms for consciousness. When today’s reading says that John the Baptist was “not yet fully the Christ,” it means that conscience points towards consciousness, but the vibration of pure consciousness is higher than the vibration of conscience.

As pointed out on Day 1, spiritual intuition is higher than conscience. That’s because spiritual intuition is the knowingness of pure consciousness. We reach spiritual intuition by following conscience and by desiring truth realization. Only following conscience is not enough to awaken spiritual intuition. The desire for truth must also be present.

Today’s reading also refers to “God’s Will.” In truth, God has no will. God, as life-awareness, simply is. “God’s Will” is a symbol. It represents truth. It is also used to symbolize our desire to realize truth.

Let’s look at the Four Principles of God using the terms from today’s reading:

First Principle of God – Pure, unmanifest, life-awareness. There is no “will” in this principle, but the term “God’s Will” is a symbol for this principle.

Second Principle of God – Consciousness, Son of God, Christ.

Third Principle of God – The creative principle.

Fourth Principle of God – Manifestation. Conscience operates at this level. It is an intuitive mechanism that can reduce suffering in humans and raise their vibrational level.

Distraction and Specialness:

Yesterday’s reading pointed out two ways we can raise our vibration: willingness and being grateful for willingness. Today’s reading points out two ways we maintain a lower vibration:

1. Distraction – Being completely outward-focused and forgetting to pay attention within for the highest vibrational option.
2. Specialness – Thinking you are different from other people.

Whenever you notice you have become distracted, simply remember your willingness, and then turn to intuition to find the highest vibration available to you in the moment. Surrender to that vibrational option as guidance.

Whenever you notice that you feel special (different from other people), remember the exercise that we did with molding clay on Day 48. Jesus was a temporary form made from clay. Clay was the essence of Jesus. Clay was a symbol for consciousness. Just as the essence of Jesus was consciousness, your essence is consciousness. There is no difference between you and Jesus. Since the essence of everyone is consciousness, there are no special people. Everyone is the same, regardless of appearance, vibration, knowledge or behavior.