Practices

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

"Your practice is a gift to the world, for it gives that which you are affirming within yourself."

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

Directives

"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."

"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."

The formal practices of discipline in the Way of Knowledge

Step practice

"In taking the steps to Knowledge, you learn how to still the mind, how to listen within yourself and how to discern the voice and the movement of Knowledge from all the other voices in your mind—the voice of your parents, the voice of your teachers, the voice of your culture, the voice of your friends, the voice of your fear, the voice of your desire, the voice of your self-doubt, the voice of your self-criticism—all these other voices that reside within you. And then there is Knowledge."

Hourly practice

"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."

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."

Contemplation

"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."

Steps Review

"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."

Four-pillar review

"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."

Active practice in the world

Active practice: a particular spiritual practice of your choice undertaken while engaging with your daily activities out in the world, versus the formal practice of meditation, Steps to Knowledge, or a focused contemplation.

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."

"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

"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?"

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."

The Watchtower

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

Study practices

"With regard to these revelations, there's a number of ways to begin to engage with them. Initially, there's the experience, perhaps, of just listening, just being like a blank, white sheet of paper and allowing the revelation to strike you. Just like that, just see what strikes you and what drops to the floor that you have to pick up and look at, so to speak. That's one approach.

Another is, you can listen to the revelation and read it at the same time. Listen to the Voice, read the words. That's another approach.

Another approach is to read and recite aloud the revelation, to hear yourself respeak the words in your own voice. That's an important process to engage in."

"Out in nature, read a paragraph, be with it, keep moving, stop and read another."

Mapping a revelation

"Some questions or criteria that I listen for in these revelations. These are wisdoms that are being communicated. These are admonitions that are being communicated. And I need to hear them. I need to hear them. I need to realize these questions are being posed either to me or to the world:

What must I do? / What must I not do?

What is the revelation asking of me?

What are the specific teachings presented in this revelation?

What are the promises or possibilities spoken of in this particular revelation?"

Deep Reading of a Revelation

"Read one verse, stop and each be with the actual meaning of this verse, and then move on. It takes about two hours, but is like a slow journey through meaning, not just a jog through words and ideas."

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.'"

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

Advocacy

Contemplation

The Deep Evaluation

The Four Pillars of life

Inner listening

Guidelines for Living the New Message

Invocative Language

Practices to release

Practices to strengthen

Recommendations for People Everywhere

Short Quotes About Relationships

Spiritual practice

Step practice

Steps Review

Stillness

The Great Practices