Practices

"We give only so much methodology as is necessary to aim your mind in the proper direction."

"There are specific activities that can be called spiritual practices, but for them to be truly effective and to be truly meaningful, they must be integrated with a more complete approach" [addressing the] "Four Pillars of life."

"Your practice is a gift to the world, for it gives that which you are affirming within yourself. What you affirm within yourself you affirm for all individuals, in all circumstances, in all worlds and in all dimensions. Thus, you affirm the reality of Knowledge. Thus, you affirm your Ancient Home while you are here."

"You will find that regardless of your circumstances, there will be a way for you to practice this today."

Directives

"But you must proceed every day. Carry on your practice every day. Reinforce your allegiance to Knowledge every day. Learn to be tolerant and compassionate of others every day. Learn to be tolerant and compassionate with yourself every day. And hold fast to those things you most deeply know, for they are the bricks of your foundation."

"Carry forth that which you need to do to deepen your practice, to utilize your practice, to utilize your experience in the world for practice, to carry your practice into the world and to allow your world to support your practice. Do not neglect this, for if you neglect this, you but neglect yourself, your certainty, your fulfillment and your happiness."

Recommended by the Messenger of our time

"For Steps Practice, I recommend you kept a Steps Practice Journal and enter into it a record of your study and practice around that Step. Also, do all contemplation practices in Writing in your Journal. With this you really have something to review and to build upon during the Review Steps."

Core practices

Regular habits particular to The Way of Knowledge

Step practice

Following the guidelines in the texts Steps to Knowledge and Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training for consistent and thorough practice is an efficient initiation into The Way of Knowledge for those who haven't found adequate resource in other traditions. These texts require a three- to five-year commitment for completion.

"In your deeper meditations you practice receiving, and in your hourly practices you practice giving."

"In your hourly remembrances and in your longer meditations in stillness today, allow your efforts to supplement the efforts of others, which will supplement your efforts. Allow the combination of your mutual dedication, then, to be a source of strength which you will experience this day and which will be experienced by those whom you have not yet met in this life."

Hourly

"You will find that there are many situations that you thought were inappropriate for practice where you can practice. In this way, you will find that you have the power to govern your experience to meet your true inclinations, and you will find that any circumstance is an adequate environment for true preparation and self-application. Try to practice each hour. Remain conscious of your time. If an hour is missed, do not worry, but rededicate yourself to practice in the remaining hours as you proceed."

Suggestions for hourly practice

Affirmation

"Upon the hour think of this after you repeat the idea for today."

"Repeat this affirmation upon the hour and consider it in light of all things that happen today."

"Remember your idea upon the hour and attempt to utilize all situations that you encounter today for the purpose of reclaiming Knowledge. In this way, you will see that your entire life can be used for practice. As this is done, everything that happens will serve you, and you will feel love towards the world. Your deeper inclinations will spark and encourage the deeper inclinations in others, and thus you will be a force for Knowledge in the world."

Observation

"Upon the hour practice looking and seeing. Check the mental environment. Check how you feel. Check what is going on inside of you, taking this moment to come back to yourself."

"Each hour you will need to check in to see your thoughts and to observe your current behavior."

"Each practice period need only take several minutes but should be given your full attention. You need not close your eyes to do this, though if it is appropriate, it will be helpful. You may practice in the middle of a conversation with another. In fact, there are very few circumstances that will prevent this moment of introspection. In practice you simply ask yourself, 'How do I feel?' and 'What am I doing now?' That is all. Then feel if there is something you must do that you are not doing. If there are no corrections to be made, continue on with what you are doing. If there are corrections to be made, make them as expediently as possible. Allow your inner guidance to influence you, which it will do if you are not governed by impulses, fear or ambition. Observe yourself this day."

"This day observe your world, following the same practice plan as practiced the previous day. Observe your world without judgment and observe what you are doing in the world without judgment.Then feel if anything needs to be done. Again, your hourly practices take but minutes, and as you practice, they will become more swift, more keen and more effective."

"True attention will always give you that which is true, and false attention will always give you that which is false."

Daily

Suggestions for stillness

"Enter into stillness and peace."

"Do not petition for answers because you do not need to do this in your meditation practices. Your time now is to practice receiving Knowledge."

"Begin by taking three deep breaths and then focusing on an internal point. It may be an imaginary point or it may be a point in your physical body. With eyes closed, simply give this your full attention, without judgment and evaluation. Do not be discouraged if early attempts prove difficult."

"Practice without the expectation of a result. Do not use this practice to ask any form of question because you are practicing stillness, in which all speculation, all questions and all searching end. For 15 minutes, twice today, practice stillness."

"Repeat your idea for the day and enter into stillness."

"Allow this to be a day where Knowledge is strengthened."

"Attempt to give yourself wholeheartedly to your practice."

Invocative language

"Enter into stillness using the word RAHN to take you deep into meditation."

"Upon each exhale, speak the word RAHN. RAHN. RAHN. You only need speak the word RAHN upon the exhale in your meditation. Let this be your total focus. This word will serve to stimulate Ancient Knowledge within you and give you the strength that you most need at this time."

Suggestions for contemplation

"Actively engage your mind in considering the idea for today. Its true meaning is not superficial, and you must investigate it to understand its full value. Do not be complacent with premature conclusions. Do not stand on the outside of Knowledge and attempt to judge it for yourself. Enter into it so that you may be a student today, for you are now a student of Knowledge. You are now giving yourself to the world in your preparation."

"Actively engage your mind in thinking about this. Let your mind be a useful instrument of investigation. Once again review all your ideas and beliefs that are associated with today’s idea."

"Engage your mind actively in attempting to understand the depth and the meaning of today’s idea. Recognize objectively all of the feelings and the thoughts that are in favor of it and all of the feelings and the thoughts that are opposed to it. Take special care to recognize any objection that you might have to today’s idea. Then, recognize the power of this idea within your own mind. This will give you a recognition of today’s idea and its true meaning. This will also help enable you to realize objectively the current construction of your mind. This is all part of your education as a student of Knowledge. Give yourself to considering today’s idea and do not be complacent with simple answers and explanations, for today’s idea contains a gift you have not yet experienced."

"These thinking meditations require mental work. Here you will not be still. You will be investigating. You will be exploring. You will be actively using your mind to penetrate things that you recognize exist there. This is a time for serious introspection. When you realize that what you thought you knew is only a form of imagination, then you will realize your great need for Knowledge."

"Think about this message and all of your ideas surrounding it, and you will begin to understand your own current belief system. You will be able to understand this objectively. Then, you will be able to work with it, for the mind is fixed in a certain structure until it is utilized for other purposes. Do not accept this structure as your reality, for the outward manifestation of your mind is a structure that you have imposed upon it. Yet, its real inward harmony and nature seek only to be expressed.To enable this to happen you must have an adequate structure in the mind to enable the mind to express itself in the physical world without restraint or distortion."

Practice "mental application so that you may learn to think constructively. For when your mind is not still, it should be thinking constructively. It should be investigating. Do not rely upon early conclusions. Do not rely upon self-comforting ideas. Allow yourself to be vulnerable today, for you are only vulnerable to Knowledge. Yet, Knowledge will shield you from all things of harm within this world and will provide a comfort and a stability that the world can never change."

Weekly

Steps review

"Review the practices and instructions for the preceding week. Review your progress objectively. Realize how great your learning must be. Your steps now are small, but substantive. Small steps lead you all the way."

"Review objectively the extent of your involvement and realize the opportunities to give yourself more fully and more completely."

"Beginning with the first day in this two-week period, read the lesson for that day and remember your practice. Continue on in this way to cover all the days in this two-week period, and then attempt to have an overview of your life during this practice time. Begin to see what has occurred in your life in this two-week period."

"Try to gain an overview of all that has transpired in the past week. Try to see how you could deepen and improve your practice. Recognize how much time and energy are wasted in ambivalence and idle speculation. Realize how much of your energy is being wasted in doubt and confusion when you need only abide with Knowledge."

"Review with great emphasis and discrimination. Do not allow yourself to miss the recognition of your learning process."

"Be very thorough in your investigation. Begin with the first lesson in the two-week period and follow it day by day. Recognize what happened in your life each day. Try to remember. Try to concentrate here. In this way, you will feel the movement of your own life. It is in recognizing this movement over a period of time and seeing how the stages of your life progress that you will realize that you are firmly on the road to Knowledge. You will then see that there will be less and less behind you to hold you back and that the future will open itself to accommodate you increasingly. This is the beneficence of life bowing before you who are becoming a student of Knowledge."

"Review the past week of practice, rereading all of the instructions and with each step reviewing what has transpired in your times of practice. Be sure to ask yourself how deeply you were involved in practice—how much you wanted to search and investigate, how carefully you examined your own experience and to what extent you felt motivated to penetrate whatever barriers that might exist."

"Be objective and recognize where your practice could have become deeper or more conscientious. Recognize how you still let the world overtake you and how you need to reapply yourself with greater certainty and determination. Do this objectively. Condemnation will only discourage you and will only lead you to quit your participation, for condemnation is simply the decision not to participate and the justification for not participating. Therefore, do not fall into this habit, but view your participation objectively."

"Refrain from self-judgment if you have not met your expectations. Merely realize what is required to follow the instructions as they are given and involve yourself with them as fully as possible. Remember that you are learning to learn, and remember that you are learning to reclaim your self-worth and your true abilities."

Four-pillar review

• "Come then to the first pillar, the Pillar of Relationship, and ask within yourself, 'Is there anything I need to know about any of my relationships?' Ask for a 'Yes' or a 'No' answer. If the answer is 'No,' fine. Yet, if the answer is 'Yes,' seek out who that might be. Maybe it is the relationship that you need to attend to at this moment. Ask yourself, 'Is there something I need to know here?' "Then open yourself to receive what that could be. This may only take a moment, but you must be very present.
• "Then go on with the Pillar of Career and Providership, the Pillar that deals with work, money, and contribution in the world. Apply the same process: 'Is there anything I need to know regarding my Career and Providership in the world?' If something comes to mind, ask yourself, 'Is there something I need to know here?" Then open yourself to what that could be.
• "Then you go on to the Pillar of Health and ask yourself, 'Is there anything I need to know about my health or about the health of those who are close to me?' If something comes to mind, ask yourself, 'Is there something I need to know here?" If there is, open yourself to it. Face it. Receive it.
• "Then go on to your Pillar of Spiritual Advancement and ask yourself, 'Is there something I need to know regarding my spiritual advancement?' And as with all of the other pillars, if something comes to mind, ask, 'Is there something I need to know here?'"

"Turn to your Four Pillars Review, once again checking, checking, and checking again to see if there is anything that you need to know, if there is anything that is amiss that requires your attention. Look and see if anything is producing consistent discomfort--any relationship or any activity that constantly reminds you that there is a problem or a conflict. Pay special attention should you find this during your Review."

"It is wise for you to review your relationship involvements. Take each person that you have met, with whom you became seriously engaged, and see why you became involved, what attracted you, what happened in your relationship, who got blamed for the errors, how the relationship came to an end, if it has ended, what you thought you learned at that time and what you think you have learned now. This is a very good exercise and you can do this on your own. Though it may call up some painful memories for you, it will give you an overview of your participation in relationships."

Particular practices

Advocacy

"Return to stillness and silence so that you may strengthen your ability to cultivate and prepare yourself to be an emissary of Knowledge in the world. This is your responsibility today."

"In your deeper practices in stillness today, recognize that you have a responsibility to cultivate your faculties of mind as a student of Knowledge. Exercise these responsibilities and do not drift away into imagination. Engage yourself as a student of Knowledge according to the requirements of your preparation, for you are now becoming a person of responsibility and a person of power."

Community

"In your deeper practices in stillness, receive the benefit of all who practice with you. Remind yourself that you are not alone and that their rewards are given to you as your rewards are given to them. Thus, you share in your accomplishments together. The power of your undertaking is so tremendously supported by the endeavor and the giving of others that it far exceeds your own abilities. When this is realized, it will give you all manner of encouragement and will banish forever the idea that you are inadequate to the tasks that are given to you. For your giving is supplemented by the giving of others, and this represents the Will of God in the universe."

"In your longer practice periods, engage your mind actively in attempting to understand" ... "what Spiritual Family really means. Try to understand that it is intrinsic to you. You did not choose it. You are simply born of it. It represents your accomplishment in Knowledge thus far."

"In your longer meditations attempt to penetrate today's idea. Do not be complacent here, but actively engage your mind as your mind was meant to be engaged. Try to recognize your own ambivalence about the world becoming one community. Try to recognize your fears and concerns about this. Try to recognize as well your desire for one community and your understanding that this is necessary. Once you take inventory of your own thoughts and feelings concerning today’s idea, you will further understand why the world is in its current predicament. The world has a certain destiny and a certain course to follow, yet it is ambivalent about everything. Thus, the world itself must unlearn ambivalence, as you are now learning to do, and your accomplishments will assist it in its great undertaking, for this is your contribution to the world."

"Repeat today's idea upon the hour and realize that it is an affirmation of your strength and inclusion in life. In your deeper meditations allow yourself to re-enter the stillness of your sanctuary of Knowledge where it will become evident that you are not alone. Here you are in true marriage with life and in true union with those who have come to serve you and guide you and with those who practice with you now."

"Today's lesson" ... "holds the key to understanding human relationships. A great deal can be revealed to you if you spend time considering the meaning of today's practice."

Deep evaluation

"Think for a moment in terms of everything being a relationship." ... "The next thing to consider is that each of these relationships represents an influence. Each influences you, and you influence them."

"The great evaluation begins with taking stock of where you are now—how you spend your time, your energy, your focus and your interests. Where is your life being given away? What is it being focused upon? Where is it being assigned? You only have so much energy in the day, so much time in the day, so much space within your mind to consider things. Where is that all going now? What are you doing? Who are you with? What are your priorities? Where are you gaining energy in your life, and where are you losing it? And to whom are you losing it, and to what are you losing it? Where do you feel certainty, and where do you feel uncertain? What relationships are you in now that give you a sense of certainty and direction? And which relationships cloud that certainty or obstruct it completely?

"As you can see, there are many questions, and these are not all of them. That is why this deep evaluation takes time. It is not something you do in an hour as a process or an exercise. It is not something you spend a weekend thinking about. Instead, it is something you must give yourself to as one of the main priorities of your life, particularly at this time."

"Begin then with simple things. Review everything that you own. Everything that you own, even insignificant things, have a value to you of some kind and in a subtle way represent an influence." ... "Begin, then, to clear out your life, to simplify."

Inner listening

"When you are out in the world, listen within yourself. Watch the world and listen within yourself. This is a practice you can do almost anywhere. "

Listening to Others

"If people would listen to each other, really, without simply reacting, you would have far less misunderstanding, far less violence and far less conflict in the world today. This is a fundamental skill. You must see beyond your judgments and your reactions. You must gain a greater control over your mind, or you will not be able to see, hear and know the truth about anything."

Mind-mapping

"'Self Knowledge' work and comprises the other side of the 'Knowledge Coin.' This two sided coin consists of the 'Knowledge-Knowing' side of the coin and the 'Self Knowledge-Self Knowing' side of the coin. I encourage us all to engage in the practice of taking inventory of our minds, with the simple model of noting the

• higher order,
• mid order and
• lower order tendencies,
• activities and thought tendencies of our minds.

In the Mental Environment context and on a Self Knowledge level, it is important to be aware of the state and condition of our own minds, especially if someone earnestly asks us “Where are you at?” or “Where you are coming from regarding_____?' we are then in a greater position to respond honestly, if we have been engaging with this important mind-mapping practice. In a mission-based environment, there isn’t the time or resources to expend being confused or befuddled regarding yourself or others. To be able to account for yourself as needed, and if asked, keeps the focus where it needs to be, which is on the core mission. The New Message calls to us to 'do the work.' This is one approach to 'doing the work.'"

The Watchtower

"Look at the world. Listen for its signs. Learn what it is teaching you and telling you about what is coming."

Further study

• The Great Practices

• The Worldwide Community of God’s New Message:Being a Person of the New Message

• Taking the Steps to Knowledge

• Deepening Your Spiritual Practice (November 1, 2008)

See also

Steps to Knowledge: How to Work with Steps

Spiritual practice

Recommendations for People Everywhere

Guidelines for Living the New Message

Stillness

The Great Practices

Practices to release

Practices to strengthen

Advocacy

Inner listening