On Day 110, we learned:
Ignorance is not guilt. It is a call for knowledge.
In other words, every time a human does something wrong, it is an indication that one has listened to ignorance. The correction for ignorance isn’t guilt. The correction for ignorance is knowledge.
“Ignorant” means lacking knowledge or awareness in general. Its root is “ignore.”
Spiritual ignorance is not being aware of truth or now knowing what you are. It comes about because we ignore truth as we pay attention to thought and the world. Outward focus is the cause of ignorance. Inward focus removes ignorance.
Today’s reading is about truth, guilt and sin. In short, it says that only the truth is true, so sin and guilt are imagined. Sometimes this is hard for people to accept, because people believe heavily in the world, in mind-made laws and in action as something real—something that has real effects. The way to see that “guilt” and “sin” are not meaningful is to focus on truth (inward focus) over thought and the world (outward focus).
Let’s try an exercise:
- Imagine yourself as perfectly innocent as the world defines perfect innocence. Imagine that you were born with a perfectly innocent human mind and perfectly loving human heart. Imagine that all of your life, you have only been caring, helpful and happy. You have never hurt yourself or anyone else in any way.
- Close your eyes and imagine what it feels like to be innocence in this way. Feel the experience of being this innocent person.
- Now, as this perfectly innocent person, move into awareness-watching-awareness meditation. As always, let go of all thoughts, emotions, etcetera, and focus attention fully on awareness. Stay there a few minutes.
- Next, imagine yourself as a sinful or guilty person as the world defines sin and guilt. Imagine that ever since you were young, you have been selfish and mean to others. You have committed crimes that cause anguish for others, and you delight in the fact that you continue to get away with your crimes. There is no one you care about as much as yourself.
- Close your eyes and imagine what it feels like to be malevolent. Feel the experience of being this malicious person who thrives on cruelty and taking from others.
- Now, as this malicious person, close your eyes to practice awareness-watching-awareness meditation. As always, let go of all thoughts, emotions, etcetera, and focus attention fully on awareness. Stay there a few minutes.
- Was the life-awareness of the malicious person different from the life-awareness of the innocent person?
If you were able to practice the previous exercise without holding onto judgment, you found there was no difference between the life-awareness of the innocent person and the life-awareness of the malicious person.
Today’s reading says:
God’s Truth has no end, and so it has not ended in you. You are the truth of God in your existence.
I have italicized “in your existence” in the previous excerpt, because existence is truth and existence is truth’s focus. Inward focus is focusing on existence, which is life-awareness. It is through inward focus that we realize truth, and it is through inward focus that we see nothing has ever changed or affected truth in any way. Every action in the world is completely meaningless and fully harmless from the perspective of truth.
Today’s reading also says:
No sin shall cross your mind, because there is no sin in you.
Some people may think, “But sinful thoughts cross my mind all of the time!”
If this is your perspective, you are still focused outwardly. Focus inwardly on awareness-watching-awareness. Thoughts are outward. Only life-awareness is inward. Illusion is outward. That is not you. Truth is inward. That is what you are.
When you focus inward on what you are, you will see that no sin crosses your mind and nothing that occurs outwardly touches you at all.
Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.
