Our current goals:
- Widen the horizons of our vision
- Take direct approaches to uncover the blocks that keep our vision narrow
- Lift those blocks, however briefly, in order to experience the sense of liberation that comes when the blocks are removed
- Intensify our motivation for freedom
We pause before beginning our next review period in order to clarify the goal and intensify our motivation for it.
“There is no peace except the peace of God. Seek no further. … This is the final point to which each one must come at last, to lay aside all hope of finding happiness where there is none; of being saved by what can only hurt…”
What is the peace of God? It is identifying with awareness-life-presence instead of identifying with the individual body-mind. Awareness-life-presence is where we are all the same. It is our truth.
Today’s lesson tells us, we “can ask as easily for love, for happiness, and for eternal life in peace that has no ending. Ask for this, and you can only win. To ask for what you have already must succeed.”
That is “the good news of the kingdom of God.” The good news is that you already have and are what you seek. (Luke 4:43)
Take a moment to turn your attention to awareness. Notice it is here now. It is infused with life. It is peace. And it is your presence.
“The kingdom of God is within you.”
(Luke 17:20 21 KJV)
Today’s lesson points out that Heaven is accessed “through a door that opens easily” to welcome us. That door is your awareness. Awareness is the doorway to infinite awareness, which is absolute truth.
Our spiritual practice is two-fold:
- We practice forgiveness, which is letting go of illusions, because illusions distract us from realizing ourselves as awareness-life-presence. We use different tools, such as self-inquiry, rest-accept-trust, the loving all method, right-reason and right-gratitude, to help us practice forgiveness.
- We pay attention to awareness, which is the doorway to infinite awareness, through meditation and many glimpses throughout the day.
In other words, our path is letting go of the temporary and embracing the eternal.
Although we ignore the world when we are in awareness-watching-awareness meditation, we welcome the world when we are not in meditation. We have gratitude for the opportunities it gives us to practice forgiveness, and we appreciate awareness-life-presence as it is reflected in the world.
“Now the way is easy, sloping gently toward the bridge where freedom lies within the peace of God. … Only if we attempt to wander can there be delay and needless wasted time on thorny byways. … Today we seek no idols. Peace can not be found in them. The peace of God is ours, and only this will we accept and want. … For we have found a simple, happy way to leave the world of ambiguity, and to replace our shifting goals and solitary dreams with single purpose and companionship. For peace is union, if it be of God. We seek no further. We are close to home, and draw nearer every time we say:
There is no peace except the peace of God,
And I am glad and thankful it is so.”
