Difference between revisions of "Stillness"

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Stillness is the most fundamental of [[The Great Practices]] of the New Message from God. The still mind can see, hear and discern. Relationship and truth can be known in stillness.
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''Stillness is the most fundamental of [https://www.newmessage.org/about-the-worldwide-community#whatwepractice the Great Practices of the New Message from God.] The still mind can see, hear and discern. [[Relationship]] and [[truth]] can be known in stillness.''<!--no reference found for this statement that is understood to be composed by a Society member authorized to do so-->
  
 +
''[[Knowledge]], and on rare occasions [[the Unseen Ones]], can be heard in a mind that has cultivated stillness. Space has been made, to hear beyond the [[fear]], desire and assumptions of the personal [[the Mind|mind]].''<!--no reference found for this statement that is understood to be composed by a Society member authorized to do so-->
  
[[Knowledge]], and on rare occasions [[the Unseen Ones]], can be heard in a mind that has cultivated stillness. Space has been made, to hear beyond the fear, desire and assumptions of the personal mind. "Knowledge will not arise in a preoccupied mind under normal circumstances."<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 3</ref>
+
<big>"Knowledge will not arise in a preoccupied mind under normal circumstances."</big><ref>[http://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-5/wisdom-greater-community-volume-1 ''Wisdom from the Greater Community Book I''], Chapter 3: [https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-6/wisdom-greater-community-book-1/greater-community-reality Greater Community]</ref>
  
 +
<big>"To practice stillness, let all things come to a rest except the keenness of your mind. Here your mind is all looking and no thinking. Your ears are all listening. Your body is all feeling.”<ref name="wbi26"/></big>
  
==Excerpts==
+
<big>"You practice stillness not to get anything, but to learn to be
"Let Knowledge be your guide and let the world tell you where it is going and what is emerging on the horizon. Be watchful. Still your mind. Set aside your desires and your constant fear by taking the Steps to Knowledge. Receive the Revelation, the New Message for Humanity. You are blessed to even know of this."  
+
still. You learn to be still so that you can feel and listen."</big><ref>''The Great Waves of Change'', Chapter 12: [https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-4/great-waves-change/your-purpose-and-destiny-in-a-changing-world Your Purpose and Destiny in a Changing World]</ref>
<ref>The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)</ref>
 
  
 +
[[File:Practice medallion.jpg|right|Spiritual Practice]]
  
"Silence is the experience of profound relationship, and stillness is the acceptance of profound love."
+
==Knowing in stillness==
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 123</ref>
 
  
 +
"In stillness and quiet, everything becomes apparent."
 +
<ref>[http://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-3/steps-knowledge ''Steps to Knowledge''], Step 38: God knows the way to Knowledge.</ref>
  
"Stillness is a wonderful, glorious experience in and of itself. It is being at peace. It is being quiet. There are no problems to solve, no answers to acquire, no situations to work out, no future to plan for, no past to fret over. Here you are, right here, right now, an incomparable experience—so vast, so pervasive, so reassuring. Only experience can show you that this is true."
+
"Be careful. Become present. If you are still and observant, you will be able to see what others miss." <ref name="ltw10"/>
<ref>Stilling the Mind, (September 14, 1995)</ref>
 
  
 +
"Silence is the experience of profound relationship, and stillness is the acceptance of profound [[love]].
 +
<ref>''Steps to Knowledge'', Step 123: I will not pity myself today.</ref>
  
"Many have claimed spiritual power and dominance. Many have assumed a mantle of spiritual responsibility. Others have claimed to be the true vehicles for Divine Will and intention in life. Yet look at the results of their interactions. After all, everyone wants to feel that they are in the right. Even if people are doing something they know to be wrong, they want to feel justified. There are those who are certain that they are in the right and are unwilling to face the prospect that they might be in the wrong. They claim Divine sponsorship for their lives, their thoughts, their actions, and all they may attempt to do with others. Here you will find abuse. Here you will find grave error. Be careful. Become present. If you are still and observant, you will be able to see what others miss.
+
"Stillness is a wonderful, glorious experience in and of itself. It is being at [[peace]]. It is being quiet. There are no [[problems]] to solve, no answers to acquire, no situations to work out, no [[future]] to plan for, no past to fret over. Here you are, right here, right now, an incomparable experience—so vast, so pervasive, so reassuring. Only experience can show you that this is true."
 +
<ref name="stm">Stilling the Mind, (September 14, 1995)</ref>
  
In the training in Steps to Knowledge, one of the main things you will learn and will have to reinforce over time is the ability to be still. This ability represents a fundamental skill in life. It involves becoming observant, receptive, sensitive, insightful. Here you use your mind rather than be used by it. Here you employ your mind to scan the horizon of your mental and physical environment."
+
[[File:secret chamber.jpg|left|inner chamber]]
<ref>[[Living The Way of Knowledge]], Chapter 10:Being Present in the World</ref>
 
  
== Benefits of Stillness ==
+
== Growing in Stillness ==
"Stillness of mind allows a Greater Mind to emerge and to reveal its Wisdom. Those who cultivate stillness with a desire for Knowledge will be preparing themselves for greater revelation and true insight to emerge."
 
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 9</ref>
 
  
 +
"Life gives to you as you are still."
 +
<ref>''Steps to Knowledge'', Step 155: The world blesses me as I receive.</ref>
  
"In stillness and quiet, everything becomes apparent."
+
"When your mind is still, you will know. When the mind is still, you will be able to respond. When the mind is still, you will be able to take the next step." <ref name="stm"/>
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 38</ref>
 
  
 +
"Stillness of mind allows a Greater Mind to emerge and to reveal its Wisdom. Those who cultivate stillness with a desire for Knowledge will be preparing themselves for greater revelation and true insight to emerge."
 +
<ref>''Steps to Knowledge'', Step 9: In stillness all things can be known.</ref>
  
"Here stillness enables the mind to become a more powerful instrument, more penetrating in its insight, deeper in its contemplation, more focused in its problem solving and more present as a vehicle for communication."<ref>Stilling the Mind, (September 14, 1995)</ref>
+
"Here stillness enables the mind to become a more powerful instrument, more penetrating in its insight, deeper in its contemplation, more focused in its problem solving and more present as a vehicle for [[communication]]." <ref name="stm"/>
 
 
 
 
"When your mind is still, you will know. When the mind is still, you will be able to respond. When the mind is still, you will be able to take the next step."
 
<ref>Stilling the Mind, (September 14, 1995)</ref>
 
 
 
 
 
"Life gives to you as you are still."
 
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 155</ref>
 
 
 
  
 
"Stillness cultivates the
 
"Stillness cultivates the
Line 48: Line 44:
 
will become more refined and have greater depth, greater
 
will become more refined and have greater depth, greater
 
concentration and a greater focus in all aspects of your life."
 
concentration and a greater focus in all aspects of your life."
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 184</ref>
+
<ref>''Steps to Knowledge'', Step 184: My questions are greater than I had realized before.</ref>
 +
 
 +
"Let Knowledge be your guide and let [[the world]] tell you where it is going and what is emerging on the horizon. Be [[the Watchtower|watchful]]. Still your mind. Set aside your desires and your constant fear by taking the Steps to Knowledge. Receive the Revelation, the New Message for humanity. You are blessed to even know of this."
 +
<ref>[http://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-1/new-world/the-shock-of-the-future The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)]</ref>
 +
 
 +
== Stillness practice ==
 +
 
 +
"To prepare for stillness, you must practice a certain kind of meditation, you must have a teacher, you must have a method and you must have a community. These are what are necessary."<ref name="wbi35">''Wisdom from the Greater Community'', Book 1, Chapter 35: [https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-6/wisdom-greater-community-book-1/achieving-peace Achieving Peace]</ref>
 +
 
 +
<blockquote>
 +
"In learning how to still the mind, you must have a focus, you must be in a quiet place, you must be sitting comfortably, and you must have a passive attitude. Four things are required here. Your passive attitude means you are not aggressively trying to make something happen, or to solve problems or to engage in other kinds of mental activities. You are just there in a relaxed manner.
 +
So to sit in meditation and experience nothing but agitation or frustration, clearly means you are not meeting the requirements of the situation. You have to be relaxed; you cannot be aggressive. You breathe deeply. Let your breath take you deeper. You have to have a focus for the mind: an image, a thought, an incantation, something that does not stimulate a lot of intellectual activity, something that the mind can anchor itself upon so you can slip beneath its surface into a well of silence. Within this well of silence, deep within it, is the power and the presence of Knowledge.
 +
Here you learn how to slip beneath the mind. " <ref>[http://www.newmessage.org/the-message/other-revelations/deepening-your-spiritual-practice Deepening Your Spiritual Practice (November 1, 2008)]</ref></blockquote>
  
==Stillness Practice==
 
 
"Some people need an image; some people need a sound; some people need a repeated breathing; some people just need to relax, but stay focused."<!-- Citation? -->
 
"Some people need an image; some people need a sound; some people need a repeated breathing; some people just need to relax, but stay focused."<!-- Citation? -->
  
"At the beginning, when people say, “I cannot do this. I cannot be still. I cannot be quiet. My mind is too restless,” we say, “Practice. Concentrate.” You may repeat the word [[Invocative Language|Rahn]] if it helps you. You may count your breaths if that helps you."<!-- Citation? -->
+
"One of the most simple practices is to sit quietly and repeat the word '[[Invocative Language|Rahn]].' Repeat that. 'Rahn.' That practice is enough to elevate your mind to a phenomenal level, but to get to that phenomenal level, you will go through all your attitudes, feelings and beliefs about the practice. One day it will thrill you. The next day it will bore you. The practice will take you through everything that you are already going through. If you do it consistently, it will provide consistency for you. It will empower your mind over time. Not everyone can do that practice. Some people are so mentally active, they cannot sit still for anything, so they have to do something. Other people are more contemplative and more introverted. That practice is easier for them. Anything you do that consistently engages your mind with something greater will yield a result you could not produce for yourself."<ref>''Wisdom from the Greater Community Book 1'', Chapter 34: [https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-6/wisdom-greater-community-book-1/religion-as-education Religion as Education]</ref>
  
 +
"So the question is not whether you will [[practices|practice]] or not practice. The question is what you will practice. You practice stilling the mind—that is a practice. You practice letting the mind run rampant—that is a practice. You avoid all spiritual practices—that is a practice." <ref name="stm"/>
  
"So the question is not whether you will practice or not practice. The question is what you will practice. You practice stilling the mind—that is a practice. You practice letting the mind run rampant—that is a practice. You avoid all spiritual practices—that is a practice."
+
"When your mind is very noisy, you practice counting or breathing or listening to your pulse. If your mind is a little unsettled and there is a possibility you may settle down, then we practice with sound. If your mind is settled down, well, you are practicing already.Then we guide your mind to the presence of the Teachers directly. The Teachers are like a reflection from Heaven. They fill your mind full of light. You cannot enter Heaven and still be in the world, but you can experience yourself as an intermediary. Overall, that is the final goal.When Heaven, your Home, has been partially established here, then you will be able to serve in a higher capacity. That does not mean the world looks any better. It simply means that you are carrying your Home within you."
<ref>Stilling the Mind, (September 14, 1995)</ref>
+
<ref name="wbi26">''Wisdom from the Greater Community Book I'', Chapter 26: [https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-5/wisdom-greater-community-volume-1/stillness Stillness]</ref>
  
 +
"Allow your mind to be quiet, for in this you are free."
 +
<ref>''Steps to Knowledge'', Step 167: With Knowledge I am free in the world.</ref>
  
"When your mind is very noisy, you practice counting or breathing or listening to your pulse. If your mind is a little unsettled and there is a possibility you may settle down, then we practice with sound. If your mind is settled down, well, you are practicing already.Then we guide your mind to the presence of the Teachers directly. The Teachers are like a reflection from Heaven. They fill your mind full of light. You cannot enter Heaven and still be in the world, but you can experience yourself as an intermediary. Overall, that is the final goal.When Heaven, your Home, has been partially established here, then you will be able to serve in a higher capacity. That does not mean the world looks any better. It simply means that you are carrying your Home within you."
+
"In the training in [[Steps to Knowledge]], one of the main things you will learn and will have to reinforce over time is the ability to be still. This ability represents a fundamental skill in life. It involves becoming observant, receptive, sensitive, insightful. Here you use your mind rather than be used by it. Here you employ your mind to scan the horizon of your mental and physical environment."
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 26</ref>
+
<ref name="ltw10">[http://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-3/living-way-knowledge ''Living The Way of Knowledge''], Chapter 10: Being Present in the World</ref>
  
"Allow your mind to be quiet, for in this you are free."
+
"Stillness is being truly present, either in meditation or in situations out in the world. Stillness is not dead space. It is the mind being a window and not a wall, a state of being, alert, available for Knowledge to shine through."<ref>Marshall Vian Summers, [https://www.community.newmessage.org/forums/topic/campfire-chat-transcript-november-27-2021/ Campfire Chat, November 27, 2021]</ref>
"Without your domination, your mind will be free and will experience its own depth in Knowledge."
 
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 167</ref>
 
  
 
==Practices==
 
==Practices==
Line 71: Line 79:
 
"Stop for a moment. Allow your mind to settle down. Breathe deeply. Go to a quiet place. Set aside your thoughts and your plans, goals and problems long enough, you do this frequently enough and you begin to experience the Presence. After awhile, it just emerges, in small glimpses at first and then, as you proceed, you will have larger experiences of it, enough to show you what you need to see and know about yourself and about your circumstances. This is the process of Revelation."
 
"Stop for a moment. Allow your mind to settle down. Breathe deeply. Go to a quiet place. Set aside your thoughts and your plans, goals and problems long enough, you do this frequently enough and you begin to experience the Presence. After awhile, it just emerges, in small glimpses at first and then, as you proceed, you will have larger experiences of it, enough to show you what you need to see and know about yourself and about your circumstances. This is the process of Revelation."
 
<ref>The Presence (December 7, 2009)</ref>
 
<ref>The Presence (December 7, 2009)</ref>
 
  
 
"Practice in stillness, and do not be discouraged if it is difficult at first. Simply practice and you will proceed."
 
"Practice in stillness, and do not be discouraged if it is difficult at first. Simply practice and you will proceed."
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 18</ref>
+
<ref>''Steps to Knowledge'', Step 18: Today I feel the truth arising within myself.</ref>
 
 
  
 
"During your time of practice, find a comfortable place to sit. Uncross your arms and your legs. Give this practice your total attention, not letting your mind wander to other things."
 
"During your time of practice, find a comfortable place to sit. Uncross your arms and your legs. Give this practice your total attention, not letting your mind wander to other things."
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 2</ref>
+
<ref>''Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training'', Step 2: The gift of Knowledge is given me today.</ref>
  
 
+
== Preoccupation and Distraction ==
==Preoccupation and Distraction==
 
 
"As you perform your stillness practice, bring yourself completely to your exercise. It is a form of personal dedication. In most cases, you will dispel anything that distracts you with this sense of dedication. In those situations where you cannot overcome the preoccupations of the mind, become a detached witness to them."
 
"As you perform your stillness practice, bring yourself completely to your exercise. It is a form of personal dedication. In most cases, you will dispel anything that distracts you with this sense of dedication. In those situations where you cannot overcome the preoccupations of the mind, become a detached witness to them."
<ref>Step 19, Steps Continuation Training</ref>
+
<ref>''Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training'', Step 19: I will observe the world today.</ref>
  
 +
"People ask, 'Well, I want to know the answer to my great question.' I say, 'Practice.' They say, 'Well, I am looking for the realizations that will help me.' I say, 'Practice.' They say, 'Well, I have done practices before.' I say, 'No. Practice. Give yourself.' They ask, 'How long will it take?' I say, 'It takes a year to get started. It takes three to five years to become basically competent, if you practice well.' They say, 'I don’t have that kind of time. I cannot make that kind of investment.' Then I say, 'You are not then serious in your pursuit. You will spend the next five years wasting your time, looking for answers, looking for things to believe in, looking for better beliefs, trying to manipulate the personal mind so it can provide you what you want, what you need. But the personal mind cannot do it. It can only be a vehicle for a greater mind within you, and here it fulfills its purpose.'" <ref name="stm"/>
  
"People ask, “Well, I want to know the answer to my great question.” I say, “Practice.They say, “Well, I am looking for the realizations that will help me.” I say, “Practice.” They say, “Well, I have done practices before.” I say, “No. Practice. Give yourself.” They ask, “How long will it take?” I say, “It takes a year to get started. It takes three to five years to become basically competent, if you practice well.” They say, “I don’t have that kind of time. I cannot make that kind of investment.” Then I say, “You are not then serious in your pursuit. You will spend the next five years wasting your time, looking for answers, looking for things to believe in, looking for better beliefs, trying to manipulate the personal mind so it can provide you what you want, what you need. But the personal mind cannot do it. It can only be a vehicle for a greater mind within you, and here it fulfills its purpose."
+
“People are so frightened and so driven and so compulsive, they cannot be still for five seconds. They close their eyes to begin meditation, and their mind is like a wild animal—going everywhere, like all the channels of your television running at once, going from here and there and everywhere.” <ref>
<ref>Stilling the Mind, (September 14, 1995)</ref>
+
''The Journey to a New Life'', Chapter 9: [https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-1/journey-new-life/courage-and-the%20Will-to-prepare Courage and the Will to Prepare]</ref>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
[[category:practice]]
+
== See also ==
 +
 
 +
[[Emptiness]]
 +
 
 +
[[Practices]]
 +
 
 +
== Further study ==
 +
 
 +
*''Wisdom from the Greater Community Book I'', Chapter 26: [https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-5/wisdom-greater-community-volume-1/stillness Stillness]
 +
 
 +
*''Deepening Your Spiritual Practice'': [https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-3/deepening-your-spiritual-practice/going-beneath-the-surface-of-the-mind/ Going Beneath the Surface of the Mind]
 +
 
 +
[[category:practice]][[Category:Four Pillars/Spiritual Development]]

Latest revision as of 01:28, 26 March 2023

Stillness is the most fundamental of the Great Practices of the New Message from God. The still mind can see, hear and discern. Relationship and truth can be known in stillness.

Knowledge, and on rare occasions the Unseen Ones, can be heard in a mind that has cultivated stillness. Space has been made, to hear beyond the fear, desire and assumptions of the personal mind.

"Knowledge will not arise in a preoccupied mind under normal circumstances."[1]

"To practice stillness, let all things come to a rest except the keenness of your mind. Here your mind is all looking and no thinking. Your ears are all listening. Your body is all feeling.”[2]

"You practice stillness not to get anything, but to learn to be still. You learn to be still so that you can feel and listen."[3]

Spiritual Practice

Knowing in stillness

"In stillness and quiet, everything becomes apparent." [4]

"Be careful. Become present. If you are still and observant, you will be able to see what others miss." [5]

"Silence is the experience of profound relationship, and stillness is the acceptance of profound love. [6]

"Stillness is a wonderful, glorious experience in and of itself. It is being at peace. It is being quiet. There are no problems to solve, no answers to acquire, no situations to work out, no future to plan for, no past to fret over. Here you are, right here, right now, an incomparable experience—so vast, so pervasive, so reassuring. Only experience can show you that this is true." [7]

inner chamber

Growing in Stillness

"Life gives to you as you are still." [8]

"When your mind is still, you will know. When the mind is still, you will be able to respond. When the mind is still, you will be able to take the next step." [7]

"Stillness of mind allows a Greater Mind to emerge and to reveal its Wisdom. Those who cultivate stillness with a desire for Knowledge will be preparing themselves for greater revelation and true insight to emerge." [9]

"Here stillness enables the mind to become a more powerful instrument, more penetrating in its insight, deeper in its contemplation, more focused in its problem solving and more present as a vehicle for communication." [7]

"Stillness cultivates the mind to receive. In stillness you find that things are known already that you have neglected thus far. From these practice periods your mind will become more refined and have greater depth, greater concentration and a greater focus in all aspects of your life." [10]

"Let Knowledge be your guide and let the world tell you where it is going and what is emerging on the horizon. Be watchful. Still your mind. Set aside your desires and your constant fear by taking the Steps to Knowledge. Receive the Revelation, the New Message for humanity. You are blessed to even know of this." [11]

Stillness practice

"To prepare for stillness, you must practice a certain kind of meditation, you must have a teacher, you must have a method and you must have a community. These are what are necessary."[12]

"In learning how to still the mind, you must have a focus, you must be in a quiet place, you must be sitting comfortably, and you must have a passive attitude. Four things are required here. Your passive attitude means you are not aggressively trying to make something happen, or to solve problems or to engage in other kinds of mental activities. You are just there in a relaxed manner. So to sit in meditation and experience nothing but agitation or frustration, clearly means you are not meeting the requirements of the situation. You have to be relaxed; you cannot be aggressive. You breathe deeply. Let your breath take you deeper. You have to have a focus for the mind: an image, a thought, an incantation, something that does not stimulate a lot of intellectual activity, something that the mind can anchor itself upon so you can slip beneath its surface into a well of silence. Within this well of silence, deep within it, is the power and the presence of Knowledge.

Here you learn how to slip beneath the mind. " [13]

"Some people need an image; some people need a sound; some people need a repeated breathing; some people just need to relax, but stay focused."

"One of the most simple practices is to sit quietly and repeat the word 'Rahn.' Repeat that. 'Rahn.' That practice is enough to elevate your mind to a phenomenal level, but to get to that phenomenal level, you will go through all your attitudes, feelings and beliefs about the practice. One day it will thrill you. The next day it will bore you. The practice will take you through everything that you are already going through. If you do it consistently, it will provide consistency for you. It will empower your mind over time. Not everyone can do that practice. Some people are so mentally active, they cannot sit still for anything, so they have to do something. Other people are more contemplative and more introverted. That practice is easier for them. Anything you do that consistently engages your mind with something greater will yield a result you could not produce for yourself."[14]

"So the question is not whether you will practice or not practice. The question is what you will practice. You practice stilling the mind—that is a practice. You practice letting the mind run rampant—that is a practice. You avoid all spiritual practices—that is a practice." [7]

"When your mind is very noisy, you practice counting or breathing or listening to your pulse. If your mind is a little unsettled and there is a possibility you may settle down, then we practice with sound. If your mind is settled down, well, you are practicing already.Then we guide your mind to the presence of the Teachers directly. The Teachers are like a reflection from Heaven. They fill your mind full of light. You cannot enter Heaven and still be in the world, but you can experience yourself as an intermediary. Overall, that is the final goal.When Heaven, your Home, has been partially established here, then you will be able to serve in a higher capacity. That does not mean the world looks any better. It simply means that you are carrying your Home within you." [2]

"Allow your mind to be quiet, for in this you are free." [15]

"In the training in Steps to Knowledge, one of the main things you will learn and will have to reinforce over time is the ability to be still. This ability represents a fundamental skill in life. It involves becoming observant, receptive, sensitive, insightful. Here you use your mind rather than be used by it. Here you employ your mind to scan the horizon of your mental and physical environment." [5]

"Stillness is being truly present, either in meditation or in situations out in the world. Stillness is not dead space. It is the mind being a window and not a wall, a state of being, alert, available for Knowledge to shine through."[16]

Practices

"Stop for a moment. Allow your mind to settle down. Breathe deeply. Go to a quiet place. Set aside your thoughts and your plans, goals and problems long enough, you do this frequently enough and you begin to experience the Presence. After awhile, it just emerges, in small glimpses at first and then, as you proceed, you will have larger experiences of it, enough to show you what you need to see and know about yourself and about your circumstances. This is the process of Revelation." [17]

"Practice in stillness, and do not be discouraged if it is difficult at first. Simply practice and you will proceed." [18]

"During your time of practice, find a comfortable place to sit. Uncross your arms and your legs. Give this practice your total attention, not letting your mind wander to other things." [19]

Preoccupation and Distraction

"As you perform your stillness practice, bring yourself completely to your exercise. It is a form of personal dedication. In most cases, you will dispel anything that distracts you with this sense of dedication. In those situations where you cannot overcome the preoccupations of the mind, become a detached witness to them." [20]

"People ask, 'Well, I want to know the answer to my great question.' I say, 'Practice.' They say, 'Well, I am looking for the realizations that will help me.' I say, 'Practice.' They say, 'Well, I have done practices before.' I say, 'No. Practice. Give yourself.' They ask, 'How long will it take?' I say, 'It takes a year to get started. It takes three to five years to become basically competent, if you practice well.' They say, 'I don’t have that kind of time. I cannot make that kind of investment.' Then I say, 'You are not then serious in your pursuit. You will spend the next five years wasting your time, looking for answers, looking for things to believe in, looking for better beliefs, trying to manipulate the personal mind so it can provide you what you want, what you need. But the personal mind cannot do it. It can only be a vehicle for a greater mind within you, and here it fulfills its purpose.'" [7]

“People are so frightened and so driven and so compulsive, they cannot be still for five seconds. They close their eyes to begin meditation, and their mind is like a wild animal—going everywhere, like all the channels of your television running at once, going from here and there and everywhere.” [21]

References

  1. Wisdom from the Greater Community Book I, Chapter 3: Greater Community
  2. 2.0 2.1 Wisdom from the Greater Community Book I, Chapter 26: Stillness
  3. The Great Waves of Change, Chapter 12: Your Purpose and Destiny in a Changing World
  4. Steps to Knowledge, Step 38: God knows the way to Knowledge.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Living The Way of Knowledge, Chapter 10: Being Present in the World
  6. Steps to Knowledge, Step 123: I will not pity myself today.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Stilling the Mind, (September 14, 1995)
  8. Steps to Knowledge, Step 155: The world blesses me as I receive.
  9. Steps to Knowledge, Step 9: In stillness all things can be known.
  10. Steps to Knowledge, Step 184: My questions are greater than I had realized before.
  11. The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)
  12. Wisdom from the Greater Community, Book 1, Chapter 35: Achieving Peace
  13. Deepening Your Spiritual Practice (November 1, 2008)
  14. Wisdom from the Greater Community Book 1, Chapter 34: Religion as Education
  15. Steps to Knowledge, Step 167: With Knowledge I am free in the world.
  16. Marshall Vian Summers, Campfire Chat, November 27, 2021
  17. The Presence (December 7, 2009)
  18. Steps to Knowledge, Step 18: Today I feel the truth arising within myself.
  19. Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training, Step 2: The gift of Knowledge is given me today.
  20. Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training, Step 19: I will observe the world today.
  21. The Journey to a New Life, Chapter 9: Courage and the Will to Prepare

See also

Emptiness

Practices

Further study

  • Wisdom from the Greater Community Book I, Chapter 26: Stillness