Ask Julie: March 2012

HOW TO KNOW
-----
NOW
The simple, direct, immediate guide to meditation and spiritual guidance.
JULIE PIERCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose................................................................
Prologue...............................................................
Introduction........................................................
Meditation...........................................................
How to Meditate..................................................
When to Meditate................................................
Your Mind.............................................................
Your Space...........................................................
Pitfalls and Trials in Meditation.......................
Do I Need a Teacher?..........................................
The Bliss of Mediation........................................
For Most of Us - The Simpler the Better...........
Sacred Space.......................................................
Inspiration...........................................................
Teaching...............................................................
Control..................................................................
Be Still and Know That I Am God......................
How Can I Approach Such a Drastic Change in My Way of Operating?...........
The Gentle Art of Spiritual Guidance.............
Conscience...........................................................
How to Ask for Guidance....................................
To Whom to You Direct Your Questions of
Guidance?.................................................
What Questions Should I Ask?...........................
Write It Down.......................................................
Follow Your Guidance.........................................
Decisions..............................................................
Asking...................................................................
You Will Know When You Hear It.......................
How Can I Tell if My Guidance Is True?............
What Happens If I Hear Incorrectly?................
When You Don't Think You Have Heard An
Answer.......................................................
Guidance For Others...........................................
People You Know Who Have Followed
Guidance...................................................
Often the Answers Are Right Under Our Noses..................................................
Trouble.................................................................
Praying For Others.............................................
Start a Group.......................................................
Form a New Group...............................................
Spiritual Laws......................................................
"Got You"...............................................................
Self Esteem..........................................................
Stress....................................................................
Will Power............................................................
Forgiveness..........................................................
Give Thanks in All Things..................................
Love.......................................................................
End........................................................................
E-Mail: Paxpanis2@aol.com
Copyright: J.F. Pierce 1998
PURPOSE
PRAYER, MEDITATION,
DIRECT APPROACH, LOVE
The ultimate goal of this work is to be in the continuous presence of loving Spirit,
so that every breath you breathe, every thought you think, every word you utter, every
deed you do is permeated by LOVE. I am giving you some stepping-stones to make your
work easier.
PROLOGUE
We have arrived in a time when none of the old ways of thinking or acting or
planning will any longer work. Take an example from any item in the news about
families, schools, the environment, crime, drugs, politics, health care. All are in desperate
need of new ways of thinking.
Simultaneously, I feel a tremendous surge of support for success on earth from the
Spiritual Worlds. But to access this support we have to do our part, which is asking for
guidance, listening, and acting on what we are given. Our education is supposedly about
thinking for ourselves. I contend that any amount of thinking, in the old way, is not
solving and will not solve our problems. Thinking, clouded by desire for our own
outcomes is not working to resolve the social, political, economic crises we find in the
world.
Now we must find our way to work with Divine Thinking, Illumined Feeling, and
Inspired Action. This can be done by all of us. If we make the change, we will pass
through the threshold of the millennium to a brighter future.
This little book is not meant to make you work hard at yet another panacea or
make you give up anything you cherish, but rather to be a simple guide to get you on
your way to what is already yours. I am no great teacher or lofty guru; I am just another
stumbler on life's path. But I have stumbled into a few wonderfully freeing, profoundly
simple ways to find help in these troubling times. I have not written about anything that I
have not experienced. Therefore, this is sort of personal. But my working with others has
tested these practices and they have rung true.
God Bless,
Jules
INTRODUCTION
There are so many "How To" books around. Why should there be another one? My
impulse to write this came from nudging and urging during meditation.
As I look back, the first indication I had that I was being led to write this guide
was in my journal, written just after leaving a project in El Salvador at Easter of 1995.
The pain, confusion, and hopelessness of the situation I had left was devastating to all
involved. I was angry and frustrated. Having gone to Salvador hoping to use what little
skills I have to support the people in their recovery from the war, I was thwarted from all
sides, as were the people. The people in the villages were in such impossible
circumstances that it is nearly incomprehensible to a privileged North American. I have
made a personal choice for non-violence. But even those people on both sides who had
been driven to take up arms and had fought in a twelve-year war knew that war was not a
solution to their problems. Things were worse than ever. I wrote in my notes after fleeing
El Salvador:
“What this trip has taught me so far is that scenes - life situations - are so unbearably
polarized that there can not any more in our time be a middle ground. There cannot be
resolution by compromise or agreement or by giving and taking. No middle ground -
ONLY A HIGHER GROUND, where LOVE of each other, even of our enemies, even
control freaks, even ANYONE, results in a coming together. This is the stuff of true
community, of averting war, of stepping out of situations. The higher beings are ready
and waiting. All we have to do is to connect, even if only by loving God, it is a place to
start. Then we see the higher in each other. All the FEAR encountered on this trip and
certainly in my work back home, all that fear is on both sides of every dispute. It is not
just the ultimate fear of death, but fear of not being in control (I guess that is the fear of
death) and no one has any control of anything ... except where to put their faith and love.”
If we choose the low road we become part of fear and hate and greed. If we
decide to choose the high road, how is it done?
Coming home from Central America much sooner than I had planned thrust me
into pretty insecure circumstances. My plans were shot. I had really put aside my life to
do this work, having sold my house and left my job. Doing that had taken a lot of energy,
and I really wasn't ready to settle. I asked for guidance about what I should do. My
guidance was unwavering.
Write a book on the Direct Approach.
Use simple examples from your life.
Don't worry about it. Do it.
Of course there were practical questions such as, "Where should I live? Where
should I get the money?" And I really just wanted to go back to Central America or a
least go and work in Chiapas, Mexico.
It doesn't much matter. Live someplace that feeds the soul.
All this will work out. Do any work, anywhere.
The meditation book is the important thing.
Write now!
There was another situation going on inside me, coming back meant culture
shock. I came home to Marblehead, Massachusetts, a sailing town on the coast. It was the
middle of summer. I was horrified at the waste, the ignorance, the insane consumption
around me. No matter how welcoming and eager to hear my stories people were, I was
completely out of it. How can you tell a friend serving you a welcome home lobster
dinner about holding babies as they starved to death with your own stomach so empty
that you were thinking as much about your own next meal as about the dying child? How
can you admire someone's new boat when you still have the screams of a mother saying
that her fifteen year old daughter who was brutally murdered is better off dead than living
any more years of horror?
I had to stop my shock. I also had to get to the west coast to see my youngest
daughter. I couldn't deal with the idea of getting on another plane and arriving in another
alien place. I got a good feeling about taking the bus. I needed to see my country and feel
where I was going. It was a healing experience because of the wonderful people I met on
the bus. What a variety! I met kids leaving the disastrous Grateful Dead Tour, cowboys
trying to find work, men just out of jail, a grandmother taking her 18th trip across the
country with yet another grandchild. There were people on the bus because they feared
flying, there was a bride joining her army husband, a runaway girl. All those I met were
real and open and pretty much searching for answers in life, on a deeper level, not much
different from the peasant of El Salvador or me for that matter.
On the outside my life was chaos, chaos of my own making. On the inside things
were different.
"Should I be worried about getting a job?"
No, you should not be worried about anything.
"Should I be thinking about getting a job?"
No, let me do the thinking. Think about ME.
Do your tasks.
Get some air.
I knew that the voice that had told me to write about the ‘Direct Approach’ was coming
from the right place. I also knew exactly what the urging was about. It had taken the level
of sorrow and frustration and forgiveness that I met in Salvador to bring home to me the
need in the world for help from the spiritual world.
I have had the fortune to meet and enjoy and learn from a number of great spiritual
teachers. I have always had mystical experiences that have given me insights into other
realities. I expect that all of us have had similar experiences. While my life has been
blessed with these experiences, simultaneously it has been very earthy. I have taught
school, raised my three children, had thirty one foster kids, many of whom were refugees,
practiced lay midwifery, run teen projects for marginalized youth, worked in Peace and
Justice projects in the USA and Central America, been a weaver, a gardener, a land
surveyor and much more. By the time one is my age there is a lot of history. I am an avid
reader. I read everything. Something I have noticed in my experience of life, in my
reading and observation, is that the moments of greatness, the glittering, shining
moments, come when we put ourselves aside and let something wonderful come through
us. How to make these moments intentional and consistent is what I am called to teach.
MEDITATION
There are as many ways to meditate as there are people who meditate. But the
suggestion offered here is that you quickly set out to discover what is your natural path.
This is true not only for meditation but for finding guidance.
In meditation you can find your way to a quiet mind through a mantra (a repeated
sound), a breathing exercise, a visualization, a tone, a concentrating on a candle, a crystal,
many ways. In my experience, many of these work. I get very distracted when there is
someone giving a guided meditation, "Picture yourself in a quiet place by a stream, and
so on”, but for some people this is the only way.
If you are starting on your own with only this little book to direct you, please take
a minute for self-examination. What is it that pleases you? Is it seeing something
beautiful? Is it hearing something beautiful? Is it feeling something beautiful? You might
find some hints right from the start.
Everyone can work with following the breath. Breathe in and out. Slow down
your breath slightly, but not uncomfortably. On the in-breath say 'in' and on the outbreath
say 'out.' Try to make the in-breath and the out-breath even. Notice where the in
and the out meet. Feel the breath infusing your body. You are meditating! You can add
quite a lot to this simple practice or you can keep it the same. You can substitute the
words I AM for 'in' and 'out'. Experience that. The I AM will connect you to the God
within you and the God without you. You might picture yourself breathing in light and
out love. What does it look like? What does it feel like?
Practice and experiment with different ways. Keep it simple and know that you are doing
very well. This is the beginning!
HOW TO MEDITATE
THE ONLY PAGES YOU REALLY NEED
SIMPLE, PLAIN, EASY, SATISFYING DIRECTIONS
FOR BEGINNING MEDITATION
Find a place to sit and a half hour of time. (It is okay if you
are tired, upset, hurried.)
Bring something inspiring to say or read.
Wear comfortable, loose clothing or loosen what you are
wearing.
Sit with your back straight in a lotus position or in a chair with your feet
flat on the ground.
Light you candle and/or incense.
Relax you body. Keep your back straight.
Say your prayer or read something inspiring.
Breathe in and out forcefully a few times. Then breathe slowly
and evenly
Close your eyes and let your attention drift to the center of your
forehead.
Quiet your mind. *
Stay there for about twenty minutes.
Come back, opening your eyes.
Shake out your body.
Offer a work of gratitude. With a grateful heart (non-critical)
make a date with yourself for tomorrow.
* Achieving a quiet mind is the central point of it all. Use different techniques
such a breathing or focusing on a candle until you find something with which you are
comfortable. Or just empty you mind of all thoughts and impressions. If something does
intrude, don't be fazed by it. See it and let it go. Do not pursue the next idea which
follows or you will be thinking or fretting, not meditating.
WHEN TO MEDITATE
It is, of course, not required that you set aside a particular time and place in order
to become a successful meditator. But it does help, especially at first. Most people find
early morning to be the easiest time because the concerns and clutter and demands of the
day haven't yet come to consciousness. If you haven't yet become engaged with your
worldly affairs, you don't have to spend as much energy disengaging.
The first years that I meditated, I found very early in the morning to be my best
time. I would awaken at five AM and when I finished, I went back to sleep, awakening
again whenever the first child hit the deck. Having done this work before the day began
helped me to avoid that nagging feeling that there was something I needed to do. I don't
enjoy feeling that I am neglecting something or that the little demands of the day are
keeping me from something. Having that feeling leads to resentment that is not the most
loving attitude toward the children or the inner work. I dislike that ‘should’ feeling.
In later years when I was working outside the home, early morning was the only
time I could guarantee time alone and it set me up with an inner confidence and peace of
mind no matter how frantic the day became.
Now, I can usually ‘tune in' in the midst of anything. I've been in situations of
accidents, war, dissension and have felt the need to be in the presence of a higher power
and immediately felt the light and protection around me. My best days are still those days
when I give my best time and my highest priority to my real work.
YOUR MIND
Your mind will try to cause you a lot of trouble. Have some sympathy. Meditation
is a real threat to your mind. If you have an active, analytical, critical mind, it will be
rebellious when you let it go. There will have to be some retraining to get that mind to
accept its displacement. The younger the student is, the easier it will be for that student to
adapt. There are, however, some qualities of a developed mind that will enhance
meditation. If you are able to concentrate well and focus on whatever is at hand, it will be
easier for you to do inner work. There are executives, for instance, who have never
prayed or meditated who throw their attention into inner work with a clarity and force
that is astonishing. One would have thought that it might be easier for people who were
already a little spacey. Not necessarily.
Other qualities of mind that will contribute to your well-being and success are
positiveness, equanimity and will power. You can practice your development all through
the day.
YOUR SPACE
You need warmth. If it is drafty or chilly put a blanket around yourself. Later
when you are an adept you can will yourself to be warm while sitting on ice or cool while
walking on fire. For now put on a sweater or blanket.
Your clothing. Of course you want all natural 100% cotton, hand-woven, light
colored androgynous meditation robes. But lacking that you mainly want comfort. Many
women undo their bras. Most people unbuckle their belt. You don't want to be distracted
by clothing that is too tight or too hot or too cold.
Quiet is good. I find that there is noise and there is NOISE. Some sounds are
jarring and distracting, others tend to fade into the background. If your child is crying it
might be an impossible situation for you. A cat purring might be helpful. Some people
use earplugs or a Walkman with ocean sounds or Tibetan bells to control the sound. I find
earplugs distracting. Many people use tapes as a replacement sound for noises they can’t
eliminate.
A zabutan, a hard round Japanese meditation pillow, is wonderful to sit on. A
chair, a bed, a pillow on the floor - whatever you can find to make yourself comfortable
will serve. Get comfortable. Some people need to stretch out their legs. Some lie down. It
is okay. Do what you need to feel comfortable and find a situation where there is no
physical resistance. Nothing hard, nothing cold, loud, jarring, penetrating, pinching. It is
easy. Your body will let you know. On the other hand I've meditated in the car with the
radio on because it was the only way at that time that I could be alone. I've also sought
out churches and gardens to sit in.
PITFALLS AND TRIALS IN MEDITATION
This section is fun for me because I have so much experience to draw upon,
especially from the days when I thought I could attain perfection and that anything short
of perfection was failure.
When, during meditation, thoughts or fears or even lists of things that you should
be doing intrude your perfect stillness, don't follow them. See them or hear them or feel
them and then let them go. You might say to yourself, "There is a thought", or "I see
you", or if it is really intrusive, mentally wrap it up and throw it away. But you will cease
meditating if you follow it and become engaged with it. Each conquest over such an
interruption strengthens you.
In old Christian terms, the devil will tempt you (and you can count on this), and
use anything in his bag of tricks to distract you. This is most definitely the case. As your
meditation advances so will the temptations (challenges) to your peace of mind. As in all
of life, you will only be given those challenges that you have the strength to handle.
One winter I had been having a lovely peaceful time meditating and was grateful
for it because my children were young and daily life was full of bustle. Suddenly one day
in the midst of peace I started to see a series of ugly, horrid, twisted distorted faces
expressing the pain and suffering of the world. I was terrified. How could I choose to
close my eyes it that was what I saw? I remembered stories of the Buddha experiencing
all the suffering of the world in his meditation. I remembered Christ sweating blood in
the garden. I chose to sit quietly and use all my will to hold steady and not get thrown off
balance. I don't recall how many sittings or how much time this took. What I do recall as
clearly as if it were now is the sudden and seemingly for no reason ending of that trial by
a burst love and joy and presence of goodness which would have previously been
unimaginable to me.
At another time and another place I met a challenge almost the complete opposite
of the demons. I started to experience bliss while meditating. This certainly doesn't sound
like a bad thing. But the challenge was that it was so fine, so ineffably wonderful that I
didn't really want to stop. I preferred it to living my life. It was like the perfect drug. It
took away everything and took me to heaven. I sacrificed my presence in that place
because of my commitment to my life on earth. I had children and work to do here. I
stopped letting myself go that far out. I kept a grounding by prayer. I have not
experienced that bliss since. This does not mean that I don't find great joy in meditating.
What I think it means is that I was given a choice of becoming a total mystic and I didn't
think that was my path in this life.
Meditation is almost never a static experience. However, my experience is that the
progress and regress come according to some higher plan. I cannot say, "Today I will
meet an angelic being", or "Today I will sit for an hour and have a profound experience."
But what I can do is say I will make the space and time and take what comes.
The biggest pitfall of all is probably self-criticism or not valuing your life enough
to create the space you need for your spiritual work. If you allow this to happen you will
become discouraged and everything else is a moot point.
In terms of time, the spiritual is entirely different from the temporal. Taking time
to ‘check in' above often creates more time in the day. You will be thinking and acting
more clearly and you will be given grace.
DO I NEED A TEACHER?
Do I need a teacher, a class, a priest, a guide? NO. It would be nice and
sometimes the right person does seem to come along at the right time. Often your teacher
is right next to you without your even knowing it. It could be that child who teaches you
patience, the boss who teaches you to stand up for what you know is right, that person
you saw on the news who warmed your heart. Or it could be someone grander, the
woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize who overcame bitterness, anger and despair and
now writes brilliant poetry about love.
But, apart from the fortuitous teachers whom you encounter on life's path, you do
not need anyone else to talk with God. In fact, often the so-called teacher becomes yet
another hindrance to your real work. You do not have to wait to have a direct line to the
spirit until you have one more lesson or until your teacher gives you permission. You
don't need an intermediary person. You are equal in the eyes of God to any other person.
THE BLISS OF MEDITATION
One doesn't have to be a guru or spend a life on the mountaintop to experience the
bliss from a meditative life. One of the true joys I have found is that an epiphany, a
resurrection, a moment of expanded consciousness is completely outside of time. Once
experienced, it is always accessible, anywhere. You can always enter a state of knowing
once you have experienced it.
Some people have higher experiences much of the time. I have been given some
that are as vivid today as when they occurred. The first two that I will share came in
moments of desperation. The third was the opposite. God works in mysterious ways.
I wrote of this experience in an article in Reader's Digest. I was taking my turn, as
a volunteer, sitting with a neighbor who was dying of cancer. Suddenly she was in
trouble. She was desperately hungry and overwhelmingly nauseated. She asked for a
popsicle but couldn't touch it when I brought it to her. She couldn't get quiet and looked
like she was trying to jump out of her skin. My little efforts to help were futile, or even
worse. I sat by her bed and found that I was angry. I was angry that she was suffering
such discomfort. I was really cross that I couldn't help. I said words that were a mixture
of praying and scolding God. "Oh God, help us here, this is a bad scene."
Just after I said those words, I took hold of Kristen's hand and looked at her with
tears of frustration in my eyes. As we caught each other's eyes, both of us were filled with
light, mostly between our eyes. She disappeared and so did I. There was another being in
the room, filling both of us. I can only use one word to describe this being. We were
visited by Unconditional Love. Normal time stopped. I have no clue how long we were
filled with this presence. Then the phone rang and the doctor sent over some new nausea
medicine. And life went on. But it was never quite the same for me or for her. Even now
when I hear someone speak of unconditional love as some warm fuzzy just be nice kind
of attitude, I smile to myself knowing that the real thing is a powerful, life-changing
being of light.
Years later I had another moment of total frustration. I was at a meeting and I was
the subject of conversation. I was leaving a job and some people were very resentful. I
felt clear that I was following my stars and that I shouldn't stay on when my guidance
told me to move on. Finally, I had a strong feeling that they could sort things out better if
I excused myself from the group. I went out the back door and found a little piece of
sunshine on the gravel walkway. I lay down and my glance fell on a little chamomile
plant with one twisted stalk and one little flower.
I felt a lot like that little flower, alone and trying to be cheerful in a gravely
environment. I spoke to the flower, "You're a brave one growing all alone here." As soon
as the words left my mouth, the plant revealed herself to me. Her aura, her energy
patterns, her cosmic nature and her individuality all came into view. There are books
about this kind of thing, and theories that talking to plants helps them grow and whatever.
But this was a sister-to-sister kind of gift. To this day I can see that little chamomile in
my mind in all her glory.
The most recent gift came to me in a moment of relaxation. I had spent a weekend
with good friends. Monday afternoon I had a massage. Monday night I meditated with a
small group. Tuesday morning I didn't want to let go of the good feelings. I took a
whirlpool bath with some relaxing bath salts. I felt great. I went into the bedroom
thinking I would read before I started to work. I sat on the bed and decided to pray my
gratitude for a minute. As I went to close my eyes, the room filled with color,
indescribable color, which moved and changed very subtly and ended up a luminescent
blue-green. I still had my eyes open! When I remember this color I still get an amazing
feeling of well-being.
Almost everyone I talk to has been given spiritual gifts. Children especially live in
a rich environment where extraordinary experiences are not so unusual.
FOR MOST OF US - THE SIMPLER THE BETTER
It often helps to establish some rituals around your prayer work and to create a
sacred space. You may already have some religious traditions from your religious
heritage or you may have tried something that felt ‘right' to you. Perhaps you make the
Sign of the Cross. Maybe you light incense and a candle and turn off the lights. You may
want to face east or turn on a tape of ocean waves. You may always start with the same
prayer. You might want to do some Yoga or breathing exercises. Many years ago, I had
an electric typewriter. I became conditioned to quieting my mind and forgetting my daily
concerns when I heard its click and hum.
If you are chanting, or praying, or gazing at something beautiful, you are setting
the scene and tone for your work. If you establish a ritual that is comfortable and safe and
beautiful it makes you business of letting go that much easier.
But, while having a ritual is wonderful and perhaps necessary for some people, it
is not required. If you are out of candles, it doesn't mean you can't meditate. If your ritual
gets very complicated you may have to examine it and see if it is helping or hindering
your work.
And there is really no limit to how complicated it can get or how meaningful, for
that matter. Perhaps you have had the honor of seeing some of the Tibetan Buddhist
practices. These practices have been building for centuries and include sacred robes,
instruments, tones, texts, calendars, priests, monks, paintings, temples, horns, bells. They
are exquisite. Whatever makes you comfortable is fine. I mostly prefer simple. I have a
little book, The Quiet Mind by White Eagle. I open a page and read. I say a few prayers
and take a deep breath. That's it.
SACRED SPACE
Creating a sacred space is a lost art. Indigenous peoples did it by extraordinary
means like building great temples on highly charged sites or by blindingly simple means
like shoving a stick in the ground. A stick in the ground can be a powerful means of
creating the center of the universe. From that center you can orient the whole world, find
the Cardinal Points, map the stars, etc.
For us it is more a matter, inside or outside, of setting something meaningful and
beautiful (a stone, a shell, a candle, a flower (all of the above) in an intentional placement
to create beauty, timelessness, an offering, an altar.
You most likely know when you have seen or entered a sacred space. The
keynote for me is intentionality. You do not need to have a special place for your inner
work, but it helps, especially when you are beginning. If you have a prayer rug, or a
pillow, a cloth or a candle and you can make yourself comfortable, you have a good start.
If you have a crystal or a Celtic Cross or a statue of Buddha, you can begin to create. It is
quite beautiful to watch another person enter your space and see the change that
overcomes them. Even if you have a picture of an ancestor with a seasonal greenery next
to it, you will see reverence come to the face of another, especially children. Especially
irreverent children.
Just as when you meditate you take time out from time, when you make a holy
place, you take space out of space. Your own taste and comfort will dictate what you do.
Do it!
INSPIRATION
Find some favorite inspirational sayings and images. Ask people in the group to
bring some. Here are a few favorite words to contemplate.
PSALM 100
Make a joyful noise to the LORD,
all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know the LORD is God!
It is he that made us, and we are his,
we are his people, and the sheep
of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
A prayer that has had profound meaning for many people is the Jesus Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me,
a miserable sinner.
From The Quiet Mind, White Eagle:
THE VICTOR
Man is spirit---that is all man needs to know;
and spirit is triumphant over matter.
FEET ON EARTH, HEAD IN HEAVEN
Keep your feet on the earth but lift your face towards the heavens, for the Light
which floods into you on high will steady your feet and guide them on the right path.
Have confidence in this divine Light. Surrender with a tranquil mind and a heart full of
love to this infinite Wisdom.
From Good Eagle, Dakota Sioux holy man:
O ye people, be ye healed;
life anew I bring unto ye.
O ye people, be ye healed;
Life anew I bring unto ye.
Through the Father over all
Do I thus.
Life anew I bring unto ye.
From Lone Man, Teton Sioux:
“ ..I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply
upon himself."
TEACHING
My teaching style is to demystify, to make easy, to open the curtains and let my
students discover that true knowledge is available to everyone. There is no subject that I
have taught that is easier than how to pray, meditate and find a direct relationship with
Godliness. Yet there is probably no discipline that has been more shrouded in mystery,
esotericism, myth and even falsehood. For thousands of years teachers have kept
knowledge and practices to themselves and small groups of initiates who had to pay
dearly for the secrets either by rejecting the world, learning whole complicated systems
of language, culture, and practice or by suffering long and often painful apprenticeships
and sometimes by paying huge amounts of money.
I personally specialize in things that don't separate me from others and especially
that don't cause pain and suffering. There is enough of that already. The old ways had
their place in other times, but the mood of the spiritual world in the present time is to
offer loving and supportive help to any of us who chose to turn seeking honestly for a
connection and to listen when contacted.
CONTROL
Contrary to most of our education and conditioning, the higher moments in life
happen when we let go. Happiness, satisfaction, connection come in those moments when
we give up control and let go of our agendas and get in harmony with something bigger
than ourselves.
There are many names for this something: The Cosmic Christ, Buddha, God,
Allah, The Higher Self. Meeting this experience is becoming one with Truth. Once you
have had an experience of this, you will want more because it feels right. You ‘know'
instead of think. You ‘listen’ instead of speak.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
Do not fear that you will lose your contact with daily life, or that you will become
otherworldly and not be able to cope with daily life. (There are certain disciplines that
create this situation, but people chose them knowing that). If you develop a healthy life of
prayer, meditation, and the Direct Approach, the result will be that you are more
effective, more connected, more aware.
“Ask from your heart
Great is my joy when you ask from your heart.
Bring me all your questions,
no matter how trivial they sound to you.
Learning is but half the relationship,
Asking is the other half.
Know how I hunger for this dialogue with you!
Can you imagine what it is like to see into hearts
and not be invited to speak with them?”
Page 30, TURNING
HOW CAN I APPROACH SUCH A DRASTIC CHANGE IN MY WAY OF
OPERATING?
There are several good motivators. One is sheer desperation. Nothing else works.
My life is a mess. The world is a mess. Education is in shambles. The environment. Time
is running out. The old ways don't work. I've tried every kind of therapy, program,
training, meditation, and still . . .
Another approach comes from the other direction. Notice that when you follow
your conscience, your intuition, your highest standards, then things in your life seem to
fall into place. Therefore determine to do this in every aspect of your life, every step you
take, every decision you make.
THE GENTLE ART OF SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
Everywhere I travel in the United States of America I talk with people. When I
listen to their conversations and their stories two words come to mind: ‘hunger' and ‘fear'.
It is galling to think that we live in a country of hungry people. I've been in many third
world countries and I have experienced physical hunger; that is not what I'm talking
about. The hunger I feel in this country is hard to define. I would feel accurate calling it
‘soul hunger'. Also correct would be ‘spiritual hunger'. And in this land of plenty and this
land of therapy for every situation, I would also mention ‘psychological' and ‘material
hunger'.
In my experience with physical hunger there is a switch that occurs and the
hunger turns to fear. Will there be any food tomorrow? What if there is no rain and the
corn doesn't grow? And then, after they are hungry for a while, many people become
apathetic. Some become selfish and antisocial. When I travel I find that almost everyone
uses the word ‘fear' or ‘afraid' in every conversation. I am afraid about losing my job. I
am afraid of the destruction of the ozone layer or global warming. I am worried about
how my kids will get through the temptations of their teenage years. I haven't any
savings. What if I get sick?
There is no question that the TV, the politicians. the health promoters, the
environmentalists, the salesmen, the advertising industry use fear to get people to do their
bidding. So what is wrong with this? Especially, what is wrong when it is a good cause?
I feel that it is anti-social, anti-spiritual, and in the long run makes us less whole, healthy
and fully alive.
I experience love and truth and beauty as better motivators than fear. I can use
condoms to avoid STDs if I love myself. I can recycle if I love the earth. I can work a
garden if I love vegetables. You get my point. But where I got my point was from the
meditative experience of being loved by higher beings.
CONSCIENCE
All of us are intuitive. We ‘know' things. The practices in this book serve to bring
intuition into the full light of day and to turn intuition into a conscious act. The first step
towards this is to become aware of your intuition in action. Check out those feelings of
danger, or those moments when you think of someone and that person calls, or when you
say or do something and your conscience pricks you or you get a spring in your step or an
ache in your back. It is very possible that your intuition is giving you signals. You are
getting messages. If you have been accustomed to listening, then you are already
following guidance. If you have let you intuition atrophy due to mistrust or a rationality
that overpowers it, then you can change that.
Take the trouble to be aware. Your intuition is one of your best allies. It is God in
you.
HOW TO ASK FOR GUIDANCE
THE OTHER MOST IMPORTANT PAGE!
As you grow accustomed to asking you may not need to be so formal in your
process. Initially, it is a good idea to give a regular form to your work. Create a habitual
familiar process and stick with your routine.
I suggest that you start out by attuning yourself with a prayer. I usually say “The
Lord's Prayer”, for example. I then read from Turning or The Quiet Mind, randomly
opening the book and taking to heart the message I find. Then I spend some time
meditating to empty my mind and feel the presence of God. I ask my question. Listen.
Write down what I hear and give thanks.
Make your questions simple, practical and truthful. Form
your questions and write them down.
Ask the spiritual light to guide you, protect you and give you
the courage to follow God's will in your life.
Sit quietly and open your mind, letting go of all the answers to your questions
that you have thought of and letting go of your wishes and
desires.
Open your heart to the LOVE AND LIGHT.
Ask your first question.
LISTEN. Listen with your inner hearing, your body, your feelings,
but above all else, LISTEN with your HEART.
Write the answer if it comes right. If it is not words, write a description of
the picture or feeling that comes to you.
Think whether more questions need to be asked. If need more specific answers,
ask more specific questions.
Give thanks and know that if you haven't heard during this
sitting, the answer will soon come. "Ask and you shall receive”,
said the Master. This was not some vague promise for the
select few.
Check whether the answer is from the highest level.
Follow your guidance and don't worry about the outcome.
TO WHOM DO YOU DIRECT YOUR
QUESTIONS OF GUIDANCE?
When a student of mine asked me this after we had worked together for some
time, I was slightly taken aback. It is a wonderful question because the answer is the most
simple and the most complicated.
The simple answer is of course "to God", but also it is with whomever you
connect in the spiritual worlds. Right on the heels of "to God" the next question comes
begging, "Is God inside you or outside of you?" I say - both. The ultimate mystical
experience is to become One with God. In this experience you lose yourself and find
yourself. You die to become.
When starting to work with the Direct Approach, I suggest you just ask "Dear
God" or "Dear Higher Self". That sounds real to me. But, if you have a special or alive
connection with a particular being in the spiritual world then by all means seek its
guidance. If you already pray to the Buddha, or The Great Spirit, or Mother Mary, you
may feel their presence immediately.
I have been blessed with help from several sources. On occasion the source of
help reveals itself more fully than in words alone.
You can also ask "the source of light" or your guardian angel, who is already
committed to being with you and helping you. Get to know each other. You are never
alone.
I have also had the experience of feeling that someone from my past who has
passed over is taking an interest in me or my work. What a good feeling!
WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK?
What questions should be asked? How do you form your questions? How do you
ask a question that isn't directed toward an outcome that you desire?
I usually tell my students to start with simple, clear, easy questions so they can
have the experience of hearing guidance and then build from that experience. The process
involves building confidence, faith and the habit of turning to the spirit.
Most people starting out on the path want to jump right into big questions, "What
should I do with my life?” "What is my life's purpose?” "Will I get into college?”
"Should I be a therapist?” There are certain things that aren't meant to be known and
others that it wouldn't be healthy for you to know. This is not an activity of fortune
telling.
My sense is that it is better to start with simple, practical questions. "Shall I meet
the Browns for dinner on Saturday?" Then ask, "Where?" Then ask, "Should I invite
someone else?" Surprisingly, I have heard answers to problems about which I had no
knowledge, such as mechanical situations when my car wouldn't start or medical
situations when I have had a concern but little information.
When you ask a seemingly trivial question, "Should I wear the boots or the
sneakers?" you are doing several things;
a) You are connecting yourself one more time with God.
b) You are letting go of control.
c) You are having an opportunity to see the higher wisdom at
work. Very likely you will soon know why your guidance was correct.
Try to be specific. Instead of, "Should I take the job at U.C.L.A.?" you might be a
lot more specific. "Should I take the job as it is offered at this time in the English
Department at U.C.L.A.?"
You are free to ask the bigger questions right from the onset, and you may be one
of those lucky people who hears a big answer. "You are meant to heal the sick." If you
were to hear such an answer, then from the you could shape queries that would hone your
direction. Some people following this path have gotten themselves all hung up about
asking the right question and have spent considerable time fretting over it. This is not
necessary. This is not a test. This is about a relationship. Also, don't worry about your
question being too trifling or not important enough for the higher beings to care about.
You will find out how endlessly interesting even the smallest detail of you existence is
and how willingly support comes to you. In order for you have freedom, the heavenly
worlds do not interfere with you but if you ask and listen they are there.
As always, give thanks for the guidance even if you haven't heard it, because it
will come. We have been told by the highest source, "Ask and you shall receive." Then
leave the question alone with full confidence that the answer has been given to you. You
simply have not heard yet heard it.
WRITE IT DOWN!
When you get your guidance, write it down. Try to write either the exact words or
to describe the image or feeling you have had. Do this before you start thinking about it.
Also, write down the question as you asked it. I also write the date. This might sound
rather picky, but I have had enough experiences in which I have reviewed things and
found that I had altered my memory of guidance, changing it over time. Looking back I
have also seen the perfection of the original message. This has led me to be much more
careful.
Check your guidance to see if it rings true. Give thanks for it. Obey it.
FOLLOWING YOUR GUIDANCE
YOU HAVE ASKED.
YOU HAVE HEARD.
WHAT NOW?
Your rational, intellectual, self-serving, highly trained Mind-Self is going to want
to "Yes, but" or "What if?" or somehow play out all the outcomes of your following
guidance. Stop it now. If you have asked well, listened well, and it rings true that it
comes from the LIGHT, then obey and leave the rest to God.
Ask for the courage to follow what you have heard. Faith is not a popular concept
among rational, intellectual, modern individuals. But almost everything we do is an act of
faith. When you get a haircut, you have some faith that it will improve your looks. When
your hairdresser proves that she can give a good cut, your faith builds. We somehow feel
that we have to control our affairs. My experience is that the real control comes from our
turning to the highest and letting go of our lower level control.
I once asked for guidance about what to do with a cabin I owned. My guidance
told me that I should sell it and actually told me who would buy it. I was pretty happy
about the situation. Then I had a dream about an old wooden ship that was in a huge
storm at sea and was being tossed and bashed around. The ship was headed for shore and
was sure to crash upon the rocks, when everything settled down and the landing was
perfectly safe. I knew the ship was the camp. In the dream I saw myself in a total panic
about losing the ship, and then I was standing facing the rocks ready for anything.
I had the guidance and I had the dream. What actually transpired was that the deal
with the people who were buying the house fell apart after it was set in motion. The deal
was off, and they were angry. I was upset. I had moved out with my children and was
paying for two places. The real estate people were having a fit. When I meditated and
asked if I had heard my guidance correctly, I always heard the original message. I tried to
steady myself with confidence.
Six months later when I had really let go of the hope of selling, the same people
came back. Their life circumstance had completely changed as had mine. They made a
wonderful offer with no impossible contingencies and the sale happened fast and easy.
There were several times in those months when I might have sold the place for a lot less
money to the wrong people, but I couldn't get a good feeling about it. So, I held to my
faith in what I had heard even when, to an outsider, it looked like I was being stupid not
to unload at any price. Thank you, God. And the thanks are not for the money I earned
but for the helping hand that guided me through the storm.
DECISIONS
Decisions are so easy when you seek help from above and within. You have your
true Father/Mother holding your hands and leading you. You don't need too much
information to find the truth in a situation. You need to be quiet and listen. Then you
become Truth.
You don't need to look for support around you. The support of the higher beings
will hold you and attract the support you need. You will attract the Light and Love you
need by being one with Light and Love. I do not mean this in a flaky, shapeless way. I
mean this in a real, practical, earthy way. Try it and have the experience.
ASKING
Try not to ask a vague question like "What shall I do?' but rather be much more
specific. "Is it your will that I call my mother right now?"
If you are unsure, the solution is not to pray for something that you figure is nice
but not really attainable such as World Peace. A better test would be to ask something
immediate and practical. 'What can I do to help my son's anger about my not lending him
the car tonight?"
This is just my experience. If you feel guided to pray for world peace, by all
means do. You may be the person who hears the answer and leads the world in a new
direction.
“YOU WILL KNOW MY VOICE WHEN
YOU HEAR IT”
We have been told this. Therefore, put away your questions about it and know
that it is true. Have faith in this, believe it, don't doubt it.
A friend asked today, "How do you differentiate between your own desires, your
mind and your earthly voice when you hear guidance?" It is the difference between
thinking and knowing. Your body or your feelings will tell you instantly.
She thought for a moment and responded, "Yeah, the other day I asked for
guidance while driving. I was not at all centered and heard an answer. When I heard, I
immediately got ‘that bad feeling'". She had to toss out that answer and realize that was
an example of non-guidance. She needed to quiet her mind before bringing up that issue
again.
HOW CAN I KNOW IF MY GUIDANCE IS TRUE?
When you hear guidance (and you will) how do you know it's real? Whom can
you trust? Are you fooling yourself? Why should God be interested in you? What if you
become a pawn for the evil forces? What if you blindly follow and find yourself doing all
the wrong things?
These are good questions. I hear them all the time. Every so often you hear on the
nightly news that a murder suspect claims he was ordered by God to kill the victim.
Could it be that with the best intentions in the world you sit down and pray for help and
an evil force comes to lead you to follow its will? Are you putting yourself like clay in
the hands of an unknown sculptor? How can you the inexperienced beginner know the
difference?
It would be a real coup for the forces of darkness if you let these concerns keep
you from the gifts of the spirit. Fear is the sword of darkness.
But this is not to say that you aren't required to practice discernment. Firstly, you
will be awake in full consciousness. Secondly, you will put your guidance through a few
tests.
Your guidance should not contradict any spiritual laws or teachings of the great
Masters. I mean you should not consider anything that does not fully resonate with the
Ten Commandments, The Koran, the teachings of The Christ, The Buddha and so on.
Listen to see whether the voice sounds right. If your guidance is coming in the
spirit of the Buddha, it should be filled with compassion. If it is coming from Christ, it
should be permeated with Love. If it is from Moses, it should be powerful and clear. Also
the sound of the language should be in harmony with its source.
How does it feel when you contemplate your guidance? It is fine to feel that ‘this
is an option I never would have dreamed of.' But it would not be so fine to feel guilty or
secretive. Your emotions and your body will give you strong signals.
Does it foster the highest in you? It needs to.
After some practice, these steps will come very quickly and automatically. Your
signals will grow stronger. You probably have developed this kind of discernment,
unconsciously, for your normal thinking process. Now you can bring it up to full
consciousness.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I HEAR INCORRECTLY?
What if, in my eagerness and with good will abounding, I hear incorrectly?
Think of God as your mother or father. You are a child taking a walk in the
woods. You ask your mother what path to take and mishear her answer. You take off on
the wrong path. Your mother calls to you to tell you of your mistake. Or, if you have
taken a dangerous path she will come and retrieve you and set you right. I experience that
this is what happens if, in my eagerness, I mistake what we hear.
If it is our intention to do good and to be obedient, we will be guided.
WHEN YOU DON'T THINK YOU HAVE
HEARD AN ANSWER
If you are not hearing answers or receiving impressions to your questions DO
NOT worry or concentrate even more on the question or be upset that you might not have
asked the right questions. Attune to the Highest, get quiet inwardly, offer up your
question, give thanks that the answer is there (here) and be quiet.
If the question still plagues you, expend some energy releasing it. Give it to God.
It's not yours anymore. Then, having it on the highest authority that you will get an
answer, ("Ask and you shall receive.") go on to something else. Any further focus must
be on letting go of the question and having confidence that the answer is there.
This gets easier and easier as your experiences stack up.
GUIDANCE FOR OTHERS
Can I get guidance for others? (Pros and Cons) The truest picture is to show
others that there is a simple and dependable way of operating. It is after all the Direct
Approach and is meant to connect each and every one of us with the highest power within
and without.
BUT there are circumstances in which I feel fine about a little intervention. At
times my children have come to me with open hearts and huge dilemmas and have said,
"I wonder if you will ask God?" Implicit in these requests has often been a thought
something like this ‘I am too cynical and far too cool to believe in all your brouhaha but
I've seen a certain serenity develop in your life and I'm desperate so I don't want any
lectures or how-to stuff, I just want help.' When a call comes, I feel that just asking is the
most helpful thing that I can do. Giving them some good guidance also helps build their
faith that is, after all, just what is needed to get them on the right path.
This applies in other circumstances as well. But I do not like the picture of
becoming THE CLAIRVOYANT or THE HEALER. My whole belief is that we all have
this connection if we just learn to open it.
When someone seeks guidance through you, it is helpful to give them something
they can contribute. I usually suggest that they do some homework. "Give thanks in all
things.” “Look for the positive in everything.” “Keep your eyes on the light.” Direct them
towards action that will help their spiritual development and help them make their own
contact with God.
PEOPLE YOU KNOW WHO HAVE
FOLLOWED GUIDANCE
Mother Theresa "Love the Poor"
Peace Pilgrim "Spread far and wide the message of Peace"
Saint Francis "Love all of God's Creation"
Gandhi "Non-violent Resistance"
Oscar Romero “I am the voice of the voiceless "
Joan of Arc "Obey God"
Moses "Give My Commandments to the People of Israel"
Why do we recognize the names listed above? Why do we not know the names of
countless other people who lived simultaneously with these men and women? I would
venture to guess that it is because these people lived from a higher impulse than their
personality, their desires, their earthly hungers. I think the day will come when the
ordinary person will live from this place, serving the Highest from direct obedience.
When this happens there will be no chance of our hurting ourselves, each other and the
earth. I am writing this book because I know that many hunger for that day.
Recently I heard Robert Coles speak at Harvard University. He told an absolutely
silent class that this elite group was, for the most part, well along a path that could lead
them to be insensitive, hollow, soulless shells of absent humanity unless they learned to
love. He did not mean unless they learned how to have a successful relationship or to be a
good personnel manager. He was speaking of seeing the good (God) in each and every
person they encounter. Everyone at the lecture could feel the truth he had spoken.
Like most of you, I have made resolutions to be a better person, to clean up my
act, to take more Yoga classes, to eat healthier food. Often, for me, these resolutions have
demanded more will power than I can muster at a given moment and I have failed.
Working with guidance requires only the "will-to-God" and does not feel like another
burden to carry. It is a giving-over, a placing ourselves comfortably in the arms of angels,
a relief.
OFTEN THE ANSWERS ARE RIGHT
UNDER OUR NOSES
Most of us have had guidance in the form of Intuition, Inspiration, Bright Ideas
and so on, but what I would like to enable you to do is to connect consciously, daily, at
will with these higher states. And do so as if your life depended on it.
There are numberless stories of unconscious guidance ... in Angel Books, in
Guidepost Magazine, in traditional folk and religious stories. You could think of some,
I'm sure. Miracles can and do happen with great frequency. You have experienced some.
We all have.
The other day I was counseling a friend who was in desperate need of money.
My feeling is that more often than not, the way to make some money sits at our
fingertips, is right in front of our eyes. Then I remembered a personal example of how
this had once happened to me ... with a little help from a ‘well connected' friend.
Just before I was separated from my husband we had bought a cabin and 30 acres
in the hills of New Hampshire. It was very beautiful but very rustic. The children and I
got through the first winter there with a lot of help from friends. But when springtime
came I was seriously out of money and couldn’t see my way out of the problem. It was
hard to earn money living so far in the woods, caring for three children. A bad storm
came and the wind tipped over a huge oak tree that was close to the cabin. The tree that
was growing through the roof of the great room was okay. I called Warren Quinn, an old
timer who had been a logger and a forester. But more than that, he read Emerson and
Thoreau and had an enduring reputation for being ‘connected' with the spirits in the
forests ... plant, animal, mineral.
Warren came over to look at the fallen tree. We took a long walk in the woods. I
told him my story of woe. At one point I hugged a big oak tree and said, "I don't know if I
could survive if it weren't for the strength these oaks give me."
The next morning Warren was at my house at the crack of dawn. He allowed as
how he had been thinking about how the oak trees kept me alive and an inspiration came
to him. We went into the woods and he pointed out that the forest was old, that many of
the oaks and pines were too grown up for the land. The land was rock ledge granite.
Because the trees were old, and the granite barely covered with earth, the trees were
falling over with their own weight and height.
The upshot was that Warren marked the trees that were teetering and had a
logging crew come in. The woods seemed much happier with some sunlight and some
thinning. The result was a beautiful job of selecting and leaving. I had a tidy bundle of
money to support the children.
Every once in a while I ran into Warren at the store or the Post Office. He would
chuckle and ask if I remembered "inspiration oak." Of course I remembered. God has a
real sense of humor.
How much simpler this might have been and how much suffering I might have
been spared if I had only asked for guidance at the onset of my troubles and heard "Call
Warren Quinn to cut the oaks."
TROUBLE
WHEN THINGS ARE REALLY OUT OF WHACK . . . Depression, Fear,
Anxiety, Pain, Hunger, Anger, Addiction. I know all these places. These states of being
all push away and close the door to the spirit. When the spirit, which is our highest body,
is sick, then it only follows that sickness will manifest on the physical, the mental or the
psychological levels. I believe that the first and primary healing that we should attend to
is healing the spirit.
The first step is to realize that you are in trouble, that your connection with your
Higher Power is blocked. When things get out of control (which everything is) you will
find abundant good grace by giving up control rather than by grasping for it. By giving
up I really mean giving OVER, handing over, opening the door .... the hard cold door of
fear or the self-absorbed blackness of depression or the jumping out of your skin in panic
.... for the assistance and LOVE that you have shut out.
NO resistance. Your resistance to something inside of you or outside of you is
that which is causing your pain and suffering. No resistance. Surrender. Try it. Try it
now. Shut your eyes. Take the worst burden you have into your arms and carry it to your
angel or to the Holy Spirit or to the top of the mountain and lay it down. Just leave it
there and walk away free, knowing that you don't have to hold that load any more. Each
time you try and pick it up again, and you will, remember that you have given it away.
Turn your attention to the LIGHT.
Many times I have seen the dark tangle that is some problem of mine disappear
into the light, consumed as soon as it is laid down. At that moment my job changes from
carrying that particular overwhelming burden to letting it go. I must turn each and every
time I feel even the slightest twinge of pain. I must turn toward the light and away from
the darkness. It is simple. It is elegant. It's lovely, this process. It's free and open. And
above all, it feels better.
Often it is frightening to let go because whatever you are experiencing is familiar.
It is scary to move into the unknown. Please be assured that the unknown light always
feels better than the familiar darkness.
If things are so bad that this sounds too complicated, just turn to the LIGHT. Say
the word God or Peace or Love. This will change your fear vibrations and bring
assistance instantaneously. Then when things have calmed down a little, go through the
inner action of giving away your problem.
PRAYING FOR OTHERS
There are many good ways to pray for others, but one of the simplest and most
effective is what I call ‘acting like God.' I know that God looks at us as perfect. We were
created in the Image of God. When you are asked to pray for someone else or feel called
to, hold that person in your heart and mind in their perfection. See them radiant, healthy,
wholesome and so on.
This attunes them and you to the Light. This raises them up. It calls down
healing forces.
There are times when you might be praying for someone's recovery and get the
feeling that the person is not going to make it. I don't feel that that needs to change your
healing work or your faith in healing. Your holding the other person in the Light becomes
a healing force for their transition and makes a wonderful circle of light.
START A GROUP
If you are starting out on the path of the Direct Approach and you are feeling
alone, start a group. Find a few like-minded souls and meditate together and seek
guidance together. You don't need to meet all that often, but it is helpful to share with
each other your strivings and successes. Miracle stories of how Spirit has worked in your
lives give every striver a boost. Also, it is good to meet frequently ‘in spirit’. For instance
you can agree to picture each other every Sunday morning at nine o'clock. Just close your
eyes and picture the others, greet them and bless them. This strengthens your work.
When you do have a meeting of your group, keep it simple and to the point. You
might begin by reading something inspirational. Then meditate. In discussion you can
help each other with problems encountered while meditating. Ask guidance together in
the circle. Agree on a question. Each person offers up the question and listens. Then share
what you have heard. It is amazing how objective and helpful this is. The real object is
for each person to develop direct relationship with the spiritual worlds. Give thanks. Do
something together to close the session - sing, or drum, or watch a sunset. You will be
surprised how eager others are for this experience.
FORM A NEW GROUP
A new member sat with a small group meditating and asking for guidance for six
one-hour meetings. He didn't ‘hear' anything, although he did get impressions or vague
feelings. He was not discouraged, but he did wonder when others seemed to get such
clear messages. Then there came a question from a woman who was visiting the meeting.
Alan had never met her and knew nothing about her life.
She asked the group to seek guidance about what she should do next in her life.
He offered up the question and right away had an image of a stone falling into water and
the water being all churned up and the stone sinking to the bottom and everything settling
down.
“That's pretty good”, he thought. He was satisfied and was about to consider the
meaning of his picture when as clear as anything he heard the words, "What she does
right now matters little. What does matter is that she sees a little bit of a lot of different
circumstances.”
He was amazed at the clarity of his hearing. The people in the group compared
what they had heard and the young lady with the question, who had never worked from
guidance, had written down the exact same words Alan heard.
She was terribly relieved because she had been feeling pressure to commit to
something and had felt it wasn't the right time. Alan had no knowledge of this.
SPIRITUAL LAWS
There are spiritual laws and you know them. For the most part they are integrated
in you and your feelings let you know if you are breaking them or following them. I think
that many of the problems that people confront are because these laws are broken.
We are so accustomed to dealing with physical laws that we don't even know we
are practicing physics. If the apple is dropped, it falls. What a shattering experience it
would be if you dropped the apple and it moved higher than your hand or even just stayed
suspended in space. If you take a spiritual law such as "Love your enemy." and don't
comply with it and hate or hurt or even kill your enemy, then you create a situation which
is ultimately as shattering to life on earth as it would be if you dropped a ton of cement
and it floated away.
And we feel this. Hate gives us a bad feeling and acting from hate doesn't
improve this bad feeling. It increases it. There are a million examples of this. In these
times of the nightly news and instant communication we have supposedly raised our
tolerance level until it takes a mother killing her kids to get us to raise our voices in
protest. But, on a quieter level, don't you feel shock and hurt when you hear a mother call
her child stupid? It is counter to the laws of the spirit. If you embark on a spiritual path,
you must obey the laws of the spirit.
And, thank goodness, you have your feeling to help you. If something gives you
'that bad feeling,' stop and examine what you are doing. Your conscience is a real gift and
knows what is right.
"GOT YOU"
God's sense of humor is a reality. Sometimes my lessons seem to have a lot of
fun in them. The lesson is pretty much always the same. Turn to the Lord instead of
toward your own desires. It is kind of an Old Testament theme. I didn't realize the theme
until it was pointed out to me by a third grader in the Cape Ann Waldorf School where I
was teaching, I was telling those marvelous, dramatic stories from the Old Testament.
After weeks of hearing the stories, the BIG ones that we all know, one child piped up,
"Julie, it’s all the same story. The people get in a mess. God speaks to them through
someone and tells them what to do to save themselves. They do it for a while and then
start to forget what God said, then, POW, he nails them and it all starts over again."
When I was teaching, I had a houseful of teenagers. I was a foster mom for local
kids and refugee children. I worked for various peace and justice organizations. It was
winter and I was tired. I had been running too fast and various obligations and
commitments were piling up. It had been easier to say 'yes' to appointments than to sort
out my plans. I was really too tired. A Sunday night came and as I went to bed I realized
that the next morning I was supposed to talk to the principal at the High School about one
of the foster kids. At the same time I was having a visitor come to my class at school to
evaluate my teaching. At the same time I was supposed to be in court with my exhusband
sorting out child support.
It was Sunday so I couldn't get hold of anyone to change anything. As I went to
sleep I sort of apologized to God for being so tired and irresponsible. I promised to get
more organized and fell off to sleep with the feeling that I would get what I deserved.
(Expecting, of course, that everyone would be irritated with me.)
That night I had a dream. It was snowing heavily; in fact, there was about 12
inches of snow on the roads. I decided to ride my motorcycle to work because it was
faster. I put on a light jacket and went speeding out of town. I came to a corner and was
zooming around it and lost my balance and fell to the ground with my bike on top of me.
From the ground, I looked up and there was a huge pay-loader hanging its bucket over
me poised to drop a huge load of stones. Blinking in the snow and filled with fear I
caught the eye of the driver. He smiled and said "Got You." I was yelling "What?" in
disbelief when I was awakened from the dream by the phone ringing.
It was 5:30 A.M. and Stephen Smith was saying, "SNOW DAY school is
canceled." It took me a second to realize that this wasn't my dream. I was off the hook.
School was closed, the high school was closed, the court was closed. I slept a long while,
then cleaned out my papers on my desk and then straightened out my calendar. God has a
fine sense of humor. This memory still brings a smile to my face.
SELF -ESTEEM
All questions of self-esteem are really questions of the relationship between
ourselves and the Divine, the I AM, the beauty, love, and goodness in us. We can't help
another get "good self-esteem" unless we can see the divine in him or her. If we look
beyond the good or bad in a person, we can see the I AM, the eternal light self of that
person. Whether it is ourselves or someone else, seeing their higher self grants us the
ability to transform the slightly false idea of "self-esteem" into the deed of self-love. If I
love the best in me, then I find the best in you.
STRESS
I guess it is good to recognize it. That is about as much entree as I would allow
this concept, even this word into my life.
How do we recognize STRESS in our lives? You can read articles in any
magazine about the most high stressors. You can create it. You can find it in the
environment both physically and mentally. You can stress yourself out by not sleeping
enough, eating poorly and so forth. You know.
But I think, once recognized, it is very unhealthy to keep using the word, let alone
the concept. I would also eliminate the word 'anxiety', I'd get rid of 'overwhelming'. I
have experienced that my subconscious is a good little soldier and obeys orders. If a word
like stress is heard by my subconscious, all the chemicals start doing their thing. My
adrenaline pumps up and so on. In my experience the subconscious does not hear the
whole contest of the thought or the spoken word, It does not hear "I hate stress," but
rather STRESS. If you are feeling stressed and recognize it, try feeding your
subconscious some better food. Try the word PEACE and see what happens.
WILL POWER
"This course will develop your will power." "You will be able to author your own
life and get what you want." "Anything you desire will be yours." There are so many
books and courses offering these promises. And there are many techniques that will
work.
I guarantee you will not be happy. How many stories have we read about the
people who get everything they want and are miserable, empty, restless, dissatisfied?
What if your will is the main focus and you operate with an ‘end justifies the means’
mentality? What is the real cost of this?
I sense that we have been led astray by the promises of pop-psychology: that by
paying attention to ourselves and our needs we can achieve happiness. How can this
work? Everyone really craves relatedness, their interdependence, their connectivity, more
than anything. I submit that if you directly find your connectivity with the divine in
yourself, you will find mental and social health.
The whole issue of WILL POWER is moot when you put your will 100 percent
behind doing God’s Will and turn at each and every intersection of your life to find the
heavenly will for your life. If you remember to will to God, and follow that will, the
outcome of the deed is not in your hands. You are not the whole show. You are not
holding the world on your shoulders.
For many years as a single parent, a breadwinner, a foster parent, a teacher, a
midwife, I held an image of myself as a beast of burden (a donkey, in fact) and I was
carrying around a nasty heavy load until my knees were buckling and my back swaying
(kids in college, car, insurance, no insurance, house repairs). I guess I still have that
image, but now I see myself as a happy little donkey. Each day when I remember I go
and get today's load and carry it through the sunshine and the grass and lay it at God's
feet and go home with nothing on my back. Stupid? Silly? Sentimental? Irresponsible?
Not for me. It is a true picture of how I felt and how I now feel. I do no less in life but I
feel very differently about what I do.
FORGIVENESS
This is not my area of expertise, but I try and try. There is one lesson I learned in
El Salvador that may help. It has certainly opened me to a real idea of forgiveness.
I had the notion that when all was said and done, I could go to my inner place of
sanctuary and ask for forgiveness and for help with forgiving. This is true, but the
situation in Salvador didn't allow for that. What I learned was that I had to be able to
forgive the person sticking the knife in my gut, while the knife was still in me. Or else it
was conditional. I would rather not belabor this, but instead plant the idea and know it
will resonate when it can most help. Forgiveness is key, especially self-forgiveness.
GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS
"Give thanks in all things." What can some cliché like this mean for me? Sure, it's
a nice thought and all that, but what could it have to do with my success in following the
direct approach.
Just about everything!
Firstly, it is about the attitude you bring to your task. If you come to God full of
resentment, anger, frustration, and the over-all feeling that things are not as they should
be and you are getting all the bad breaks, then you have built walls around yourself. Your
task will be much harder.
If you can bring reverence, awe, openness, how much simpler would be your
work and the work of the Divine. "But" you might ask. "where do I find those nice
qualities when I don't feel them?" One place to start is to try saying, "Thank you for..."
and name a few of the good things you can think of. Then try saying "Thank you for..."
and name some of the more difficult things in your life, even if you can't quite find any
gratitude in your heart.
If you can thank God for everything including the thorns that poke your flesh, as
it were, you open yourself to the wisdom that created you in that situation. Everything
that comes to you is a gift from God. What you are and what you are experiencing is just
perfect.1
The simple act of saying THANK YOU, even if you feel foolish because you are
being thankful for a broken leg, opens your heart, opens your energy to experience the
good not only in that particular situation but in your prayer work.
A friend taught me that everything in life is a gift from God. But often we don't
like the wrapping paper. We take one look at it and say we don't want this present. We
don't deserve it. Its very presence is ruining our life and so it sits there making us
unhappy. If we were to say "Thank You" and accept it as a gift, then we would get to take
the next step and open the present. The gift inside would have a chance to manifest itself.
The Grace of the Spirit would have a door to come through.
Try it. It is not that hard. You can do it if I can.
LOVE
LOVE YOURSELF EXACTLY AS YOU ARE,
WHERE YOU ARE,
DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
IT IS JUST RIGHT!
END
Any adventure implies going forth into the unknown. As adventurers we take a
risk, leaving the familiar behind, venturing into new territory, hoping to find the promised
land, risking not finding it. By moving into the territory chartered here you risk little and
stand to gain much. You will always have your old ways of thinking and working to fall
back on. Hopefully you will gain objectivity, equanimity, solid ground to stand on and a
host of willing helping hands reaching towards you with outstretch arms.
I hope that soon you will look back and not believe how much burden you carried
alone, what darkness you journeyed through, how your wants and needs sabotaged your
happiness. I hope this brings a smile to your face and a spring to your step and the
knowledge that "All things work together for the good for those who love God." That's all
it's about; finding a new approach to loving God. Love. God. God Bless.
Julie Pierce
Marblehead
June 1998HOW TO KNOW
-----
NOW
The simple, direct, immediate guide to meditation and spiritual guidance.
JULIE PIERCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose................................................................
Prologue...............................................................
Introduction........................................................
Meditation...........................................................
How to Meditate..................................................
When to Meditate................................................
Your Mind.............................................................
Your Space...........................................................
Pitfalls and Trials in Meditation.......................
Do I Need a Teacher?..........................................
The Bliss of Mediation........................................
For Most of Us - The Simpler the Better...........
Sacred Space.......................................................
Inspiration...........................................................
Teaching...............................................................
Control..................................................................
Be Still and Know That I Am God......................
How Can I Approach Such a Drastic Change in My Way of Operating?...........
The Gentle Art of Spiritual Guidance.............
Conscience...........................................................
How to Ask for Guidance....................................
To Whom to You Direct Your Questions of
Guidance?.................................................
What Questions Should I Ask?...........................
Write It Down.......................................................
Follow Your Guidance.........................................
Decisions..............................................................
Asking...................................................................
You Will Know When You Hear It.......................
How Can I Tell if My Guidance Is True?............
What Happens If I Hear Incorrectly?................
When You Don't Think You Have Heard An
Answer.......................................................
Guidance For Others...........................................
People You Know Who Have Followed
Guidance...................................................
Often the Answers Are Right Under Our Noses..................................................
Trouble.................................................................
Praying For Others.............................................
Start a Group.......................................................
Form a New Group...............................................
Spiritual Laws......................................................
"Got You"...............................................................
Self Esteem..........................................................
Stress....................................................................
Will Power............................................................
Forgiveness..........................................................
Give Thanks in All Things..................................
Love.......................................................................
End........................................................................
E-Mail: Paxpanis2@aol.com
Copyright: J.F. Pierce 1998
PURPOSE
PRAYER, MEDITATION,
DIRECT APPROACH, LOVE
The ultimate goal of this work is to be in the continuous presence of loving Spirit,
so that every breath you breathe, every thought you think, every word you utter, every
deed you do is permeated by LOVE. I am giving you some stepping-stones to make your
work easier.
PROLOGUE
We have arrived in a time when none of the old ways of thinking or acting or
planning will any longer work. Take an example from any item in the news about
families, schools, the environment, crime, drugs, politics, health care. All are in desperate
need of new ways of thinking.
Simultaneously, I feel a tremendous surge of support for success on earth from the
Spiritual Worlds. But to access this support we have to do our part, which is asking for
guidance, listening, and acting on what we are given. Our education is supposedly about
thinking for ourselves. I contend that any amount of thinking, in the old way, is not
solving and will not solve our problems. Thinking, clouded by desire for our own
outcomes is not working to resolve the social, political, economic crises we find in the
world.
Now we must find our way to work with Divine Thinking, Illumined Feeling, and
Inspired Action. This can be done by all of us. If we make the change, we will pass
through the threshold of the millennium to a brighter future.
This little book is not meant to make you work hard at yet another panacea or
make you give up anything you cherish, but rather to be a simple guide to get you on
your way to what is already yours. I am no great teacher or lofty guru; I am just another
stumbler on life's path. But I have stumbled into a few wonderfully freeing, profoundly
simple ways to find help in these troubling times. I have not written about anything that I
have not experienced. Therefore, this is sort of personal. But my working with others has
tested these practices and they have rung true.
God Bless,
Jules
INTRODUCTION
There are so many "How To" books around. Why should there be another one? My
impulse to write this came from nudging and urging during meditation.
As I look back, the first indication I had that I was being led to write this guide
was in my journal, written just after leaving a project in El Salvador at Easter of 1995.
The pain, confusion, and hopelessness of the situation I had left was devastating to all
involved. I was angry and frustrated. Having gone to Salvador hoping to use what little
skills I have to support the people in their recovery from the war, I was thwarted from all
sides, as were the people. The people in the villages were in such impossible
circumstances that it is nearly incomprehensible to a privileged North American. I have
made a personal choice for non-violence. But even those people on both sides who had
been driven to take up arms and had fought in a twelve-year war knew that war was not a
solution to their problems. Things were worse than ever. I wrote in my notes after fleeing
El Salvador:
“What this trip has taught me so far is that scenes - life situations - are so unbearably
polarized that there can not any more in our time be a middle ground. There cannot be
resolution by compromise or agreement or by giving and taking. No middle ground -
ONLY A HIGHER GROUND, where LOVE of each other, even of our enemies, even
control freaks, even ANYONE, results in a coming together. This is the stuff of true
community, of averting war, of stepping out of situations. The higher beings are ready
and waiting. All we have to do is to connect, even if only by loving God, it is a place to
start. Then we see the higher in each other. All the FEAR encountered on this trip and
certainly in my work back home, all that fear is on both sides of every dispute. It is not
just the ultimate fear of death, but fear of not being in control (I guess that is the fear of
death) and no one has any control of anything ... except where to put their faith and love.”
If we choose the low road we become part of fear and hate and greed. If we
decide to choose the high road, how is it done?
Coming home from Central America much sooner than I had planned thrust me
into pretty insecure circumstances. My plans were shot. I had really put aside my life to
do this work, having sold my house and left my job. Doing that had taken a lot of energy,
and I really wasn't ready to settle. I asked for guidance about what I should do. My
guidance was unwavering.
Write a book on the Direct Approach.
Use simple examples from your life.
Don't worry about it. Do it.
Of course there were practical questions such as, "Where should I live? Where
should I get the money?" And I really just wanted to go back to Central America or a
least go and work in Chiapas, Mexico.
It doesn't much matter. Live someplace that feeds the soul.
All this will work out. Do any work, anywhere.
The meditation book is the important thing.
Write now!
There was another situation going on inside me, coming back meant culture
shock. I came home to Marblehead, Massachusetts, a sailing town on the coast. It was the
middle of summer. I was horrified at the waste, the ignorance, the insane consumption
around me. No matter how welcoming and eager to hear my stories people were, I was
completely out of it. How can you tell a friend serving you a welcome home lobster
dinner about holding babies as they starved to death with your own stomach so empty
that you were thinking as much about your own next meal as about the dying child? How
can you admire someone's new boat when you still have the screams of a mother saying
that her fifteen year old daughter who was brutally murdered is better off dead than living
any more years of horror?
I had to stop my shock. I also had to get to the west coast to see my youngest
daughter. I couldn't deal with the idea of getting on another plane and arriving in another
alien place. I got a good feeling about taking the bus. I needed to see my country and feel
where I was going. It was a healing experience because of the wonderful people I met on
the bus. What a variety! I met kids leaving the disastrous Grateful Dead Tour, cowboys
trying to find work, men just out of jail, a grandmother taking her 18th trip across the
country with yet another grandchild. There were people on the bus because they feared
flying, there was a bride joining her army husband, a runaway girl. All those I met were
real and open and pretty much searching for answers in life, on a deeper level, not much
different from the peasant of El Salvador or me for that matter.
On the outside my life was chaos, chaos of my own making. On the inside things
were different.
"Should I be worried about getting a job?"
No, you should not be worried about anything.
"Should I be thinking about getting a job?"
No, let me do the thinking. Think about ME.
Do your tasks.
Get some air.
I knew that the voice that had told me to write about the ‘Direct Approach’ was coming
from the right place. I also knew exactly what the urging was about. It had taken the level
of sorrow and frustration and forgiveness that I met in Salvador to bring home to me the
need in the world for help from the spiritual world.
I have had the fortune to meet and enjoy and learn from a number of great spiritual
teachers. I have always had mystical experiences that have given me insights into other
realities. I expect that all of us have had similar experiences. While my life has been
blessed with these experiences, simultaneously it has been very earthy. I have taught
school, raised my three children, had thirty one foster kids, many of whom were refugees,
practiced lay midwifery, run teen projects for marginalized youth, worked in Peace and
Justice projects in the USA and Central America, been a weaver, a gardener, a land
surveyor and much more. By the time one is my age there is a lot of history. I am an avid
reader. I read everything. Something I have noticed in my experience of life, in my
reading and observation, is that the moments of greatness, the glittering, shining
moments, come when we put ourselves aside and let something wonderful come through
us. How to make these moments intentional and consistent is what I am called to teach.
MEDITATION
There are as many ways to meditate as there are people who meditate. But the
suggestion offered here is that you quickly set out to discover what is your natural path.
This is true not only for meditation but for finding guidance.
In meditation you can find your way to a quiet mind through a mantra (a repeated
sound), a breathing exercise, a visualization, a tone, a concentrating on a candle, a crystal,
many ways. In my experience, many of these work. I get very distracted when there is
someone giving a guided meditation, "Picture yourself in a quiet place by a stream, and
so on”, but for some people this is the only way.
If you are starting on your own with only this little book to direct you, please take
a minute for self-examination. What is it that pleases you? Is it seeing something
beautiful? Is it hearing something beautiful? Is it feeling something beautiful? You might
find some hints right from the start.
Everyone can work with following the breath. Breathe in and out. Slow down
your breath slightly, but not uncomfortably. On the in-breath say 'in' and on the outbreath
say 'out.' Try to make the in-breath and the out-breath even. Notice where the in
and the out meet. Feel the breath infusing your body. You are meditating! You can add
quite a lot to this simple practice or you can keep it the same. You can substitute the
words I AM for 'in' and 'out'. Experience that. The I AM will connect you to the God
within you and the God without you. You might picture yourself breathing in light and
out love. What does it look like? What does it feel like?
Practice and experiment with different ways. Keep it simple and know that you are doing
very well. This is the beginning!
HOW TO MEDITATE
THE ONLY PAGES YOU REALLY NEED
SIMPLE, PLAIN, EASY, SATISFYING DIRECTIONS
FOR BEGINNING MEDITATION
Find a place to sit and a half hour of time. (It is okay if you
are tired, upset, hurried.)
Bring something inspiring to say or read.
Wear comfortable, loose clothing or loosen what you are
wearing.
Sit with your back straight in a lotus position or in a chair with your feet
flat on the ground.
Light you candle and/or incense.
Relax you body. Keep your back straight.
Say your prayer or read something inspiring.
Breathe in and out forcefully a few times. Then breathe slowly
and evenly
Close your eyes and let your attention drift to the center of your
forehead.
Quiet your mind. *
Stay there for about twenty minutes.
Come back, opening your eyes.
Shake out your body.
Offer a work of gratitude. With a grateful heart (non-critical)
make a date with yourself for tomorrow.
* Achieving a quiet mind is the central point of it all. Use different techniques
such a breathing or focusing on a candle until you find something with which you are
comfortable. Or just empty you mind of all thoughts and impressions. If something does
intrude, don't be fazed by it. See it and let it go. Do not pursue the next idea which
follows or you will be thinking or fretting, not meditating.
WHEN TO MEDITATE
It is, of course, not required that you set aside a particular time and place in order
to become a successful meditator. But it does help, especially at first. Most people find
early morning to be the easiest time because the concerns and clutter and demands of the
day haven't yet come to consciousness. If you haven't yet become engaged with your
worldly affairs, you don't have to spend as much energy disengaging.
The first years that I meditated, I found very early in the morning to be my best
time. I would awaken at five AM and when I finished, I went back to sleep, awakening
again whenever the first child hit the deck. Having done this work before the day began
helped me to avoid that nagging feeling that there was something I needed to do. I don't
enjoy feeling that I am neglecting something or that the little demands of the day are
keeping me from something. Having that feeling leads to resentment that is not the most
loving attitude toward the children or the inner work. I dislike that ‘should’ feeling.
In later years when I was working outside the home, early morning was the only
time I could guarantee time alone and it set me up with an inner confidence and peace of
mind no matter how frantic the day became.
Now, I can usually ‘tune in' in the midst of anything. I've been in situations of
accidents, war, dissension and have felt the need to be in the presence of a higher power
and immediately felt the light and protection around me. My best days are still those days
when I give my best time and my highest priority to my real work.
YOUR MIND
Your mind will try to cause you a lot of trouble. Have some sympathy. Meditation
is a real threat to your mind. If you have an active, analytical, critical mind, it will be
rebellious when you let it go. There will have to be some retraining to get that mind to
accept its displacement. The younger the student is, the easier it will be for that student to
adapt. There are, however, some qualities of a developed mind that will enhance
meditation. If you are able to concentrate well and focus on whatever is at hand, it will be
easier for you to do inner work. There are executives, for instance, who have never
prayed or meditated who throw their attention into inner work with a clarity and force
that is astonishing. One would have thought that it might be easier for people who were
already a little spacey. Not necessarily.
Other qualities of mind that will contribute to your well-being and success are
positiveness, equanimity and will power. You can practice your development all through
the day.
YOUR SPACE
You need warmth. If it is drafty or chilly put a blanket around yourself. Later
when you are an adept you can will yourself to be warm while sitting on ice or cool while
walking on fire. For now put on a sweater or blanket.
Your clothing. Of course you want all natural 100% cotton, hand-woven, light
colored androgynous meditation robes. But lacking that you mainly want comfort. Many
women undo their bras. Most people unbuckle their belt. You don't want to be distracted
by clothing that is too tight or too hot or too cold.
Quiet is good. I find that there is noise and there is NOISE. Some sounds are
jarring and distracting, others tend to fade into the background. If your child is crying it
might be an impossible situation for you. A cat purring might be helpful. Some people
use earplugs or a Walkman with ocean sounds or Tibetan bells to control the sound. I find
earplugs distracting. Many people use tapes as a replacement sound for noises they can’t
eliminate.
A zabutan, a hard round Japanese meditation pillow, is wonderful to sit on. A
chair, a bed, a pillow on the floor - whatever you can find to make yourself comfortable
will serve. Get comfortable. Some people need to stretch out their legs. Some lie down. It
is okay. Do what you need to feel comfortable and find a situation where there is no
physical resistance. Nothing hard, nothing cold, loud, jarring, penetrating, pinching. It is
easy. Your body will let you know. On the other hand I've meditated in the car with the
radio on because it was the only way at that time that I could be alone. I've also sought
out churches and gardens to sit in.
PITFALLS AND TRIALS IN MEDITATION
This section is fun for me because I have so much experience to draw upon,
especially from the days when I thought I could attain perfection and that anything short
of perfection was failure.
When, during meditation, thoughts or fears or even lists of things that you should
be doing intrude your perfect stillness, don't follow them. See them or hear them or feel
them and then let them go. You might say to yourself, "There is a thought", or "I see
you", or if it is really intrusive, mentally wrap it up and throw it away. But you will cease
meditating if you follow it and become engaged with it. Each conquest over such an
interruption strengthens you.
In old Christian terms, the devil will tempt you (and you can count on this), and
use anything in his bag of tricks to distract you. This is most definitely the case. As your
meditation advances so will the temptations (challenges) to your peace of mind. As in all
of life, you will only be given those challenges that you have the strength to handle.
One winter I had been having a lovely peaceful time meditating and was grateful
for it because my children were young and daily life was full of bustle. Suddenly one day
in the midst of peace I started to see a series of ugly, horrid, twisted distorted faces
expressing the pain and suffering of the world. I was terrified. How could I choose to
close my eyes it that was what I saw? I remembered stories of the Buddha experiencing
all the suffering of the world in his meditation. I remembered Christ sweating blood in
the garden. I chose to sit quietly and use all my will to hold steady and not get thrown off
balance. I don't recall how many sittings or how much time this took. What I do recall as
clearly as if it were now is the sudden and seemingly for no reason ending of that trial by
a burst love and joy and presence of goodness which would have previously been
unimaginable to me.
At another time and another place I met a challenge almost the complete opposite
of the demons. I started to experience bliss while meditating. This certainly doesn't sound
like a bad thing. But the challenge was that it was so fine, so ineffably wonderful that I
didn't really want to stop. I preferred it to living my life. It was like the perfect drug. It
took away everything and took me to heaven. I sacrificed my presence in that place
because of my commitment to my life on earth. I had children and work to do here. I
stopped letting myself go that far out. I kept a grounding by prayer. I have not
experienced that bliss since. This does not mean that I don't find great joy in meditating.
What I think it means is that I was given a choice of becoming a total mystic and I didn't
think that was my path in this life.
Meditation is almost never a static experience. However, my experience is that the
progress and regress come according to some higher plan. I cannot say, "Today I will
meet an angelic being", or "Today I will sit for an hour and have a profound experience."
But what I can do is say I will make the space and time and take what comes.
The biggest pitfall of all is probably self-criticism or not valuing your life enough
to create the space you need for your spiritual work. If you allow this to happen you will
become discouraged and everything else is a moot point.
In terms of time, the spiritual is entirely different from the temporal. Taking time
to ‘check in' above often creates more time in the day. You will be thinking and acting
more clearly and you will be given grace.
DO I NEED A TEACHER?
Do I need a teacher, a class, a priest, a guide? NO. It would be nice and
sometimes the right person does seem to come along at the right time. Often your teacher
is right next to you without your even knowing it. It could be that child who teaches you
patience, the boss who teaches you to stand up for what you know is right, that person
you saw on the news who warmed your heart. Or it could be someone grander, the
woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize who overcame bitterness, anger and despair and
now writes brilliant poetry about love.
But, apart from the fortuitous teachers whom you encounter on life's path, you do
not need anyone else to talk with God. In fact, often the so-called teacher becomes yet
another hindrance to your real work. You do not have to wait to have a direct line to the
spirit until you have one more lesson or until your teacher gives you permission. You
don't need an intermediary person. You are equal in the eyes of God to any other person.
THE BLISS OF MEDITATION
One doesn't have to be a guru or spend a life on the mountaintop to experience the
bliss from a meditative life. One of the true joys I have found is that an epiphany, a
resurrection, a moment of expanded consciousness is completely outside of time. Once
experienced, it is always accessible, anywhere. You can always enter a state of knowing
once you have experienced it.
Some people have higher experiences much of the time. I have been given some
that are as vivid today as when they occurred. The first two that I will share came in
moments of desperation. The third was the opposite. God works in mysterious ways.
I wrote of this experience in an article in Reader's Digest. I was taking my turn, as
a volunteer, sitting with a neighbor who was dying of cancer. Suddenly she was in
trouble. She was desperately hungry and overwhelmingly nauseated. She asked for a
popsicle but couldn't touch it when I brought it to her. She couldn't get quiet and looked
like she was trying to jump out of her skin. My little efforts to help were futile, or even
worse. I sat by her bed and found that I was angry. I was angry that she was suffering
such discomfort. I was really cross that I couldn't help. I said words that were a mixture
of praying and scolding God. "Oh God, help us here, this is a bad scene."
Just after I said those words, I took hold of Kristen's hand and looked at her with
tears of frustration in my eyes. As we caught each other's eyes, both of us were filled with
light, mostly between our eyes. She disappeared and so did I. There was another being in
the room, filling both of us. I can only use one word to describe this being. We were
visited by Unconditional Love. Normal time stopped. I have no clue how long we were
filled with this presence. Then the phone rang and the doctor sent over some new nausea
medicine. And life went on. But it was never quite the same for me or for her. Even now
when I hear someone speak of unconditional love as some warm fuzzy just be nice kind
of attitude, I smile to myself knowing that the real thing is a powerful, life-changing
being of light.
Years later I had another moment of total frustration. I was at a meeting and I was
the subject of conversation. I was leaving a job and some people were very resentful. I
felt clear that I was following my stars and that I shouldn't stay on when my guidance
told me to move on. Finally, I had a strong feeling that they could sort things out better if
I excused myself from the group. I went out the back door and found a little piece of
sunshine on the gravel walkway. I lay down and my glance fell on a little chamomile
plant with one twisted stalk and one little flower.
I felt a lot like that little flower, alone and trying to be cheerful in a gravely
environment. I spoke to the flower, "You're a brave one growing all alone here." As soon
as the words left my mouth, the plant revealed herself to me. Her aura, her energy
patterns, her cosmic nature and her individuality all came into view. There are books
about this kind of thing, and theories that talking to plants helps them grow and whatever.
But this was a sister-to-sister kind of gift. To this day I can see that little chamomile in
my mind in all her glory.
The most recent gift came to me in a moment of relaxation. I had spent a weekend
with good friends. Monday afternoon I had a massage. Monday night I meditated with a
small group. Tuesday morning I didn't want to let go of the good feelings. I took a
whirlpool bath with some relaxing bath salts. I felt great. I went into the bedroom
thinking I would read before I started to work. I sat on the bed and decided to pray my
gratitude for a minute. As I went to close my eyes, the room filled with color,
indescribable color, which moved and changed very subtly and ended up a luminescent
blue-green. I still had my eyes open! When I remember this color I still get an amazing
feeling of well-being.
Almost everyone I talk to has been given spiritual gifts. Children especially live in
a rich environment where extraordinary experiences are not so unusual.
FOR MOST OF US - THE SIMPLER THE BETTER
It often helps to establish some rituals around your prayer work and to create a
sacred space. You may already have some religious traditions from your religious
heritage or you may have tried something that felt ‘right' to you. Perhaps you make the
Sign of the Cross. Maybe you light incense and a candle and turn off the lights. You may
want to face east or turn on a tape of ocean waves. You may always start with the same
prayer. You might want to do some Yoga or breathing exercises. Many years ago, I had
an electric typewriter. I became conditioned to quieting my mind and forgetting my daily
concerns when I heard its click and hum.
If you are chanting, or praying, or gazing at something beautiful, you are setting
the scene and tone for your work. If you establish a ritual that is comfortable and safe and
beautiful it makes you business of letting go that much easier.
But, while having a ritual is wonderful and perhaps necessary for some people, it
is not required. If you are out of candles, it doesn't mean you can't meditate. If your ritual
gets very complicated you may have to examine it and see if it is helping or hindering
your work.
And there is really no limit to how complicated it can get or how meaningful, for
that matter. Perhaps you have had the honor of seeing some of the Tibetan Buddhist
practices. These practices have been building for centuries and include sacred robes,
instruments, tones, texts, calendars, priests, monks, paintings, temples, horns, bells. They
are exquisite. Whatever makes you comfortable is fine. I mostly prefer simple. I have a
little book, The Quiet Mind by White Eagle. I open a page and read. I say a few prayers
and take a deep breath. That's it.
SACRED SPACE
Creating a sacred space is a lost art. Indigenous peoples did it by extraordinary
means like building great temples on highly charged sites or by blindingly simple means
like shoving a stick in the ground. A stick in the ground can be a powerful means of
creating the center of the universe. From that center you can orient the whole world, find
the Cardinal Points, map the stars, etc.
For us it is more a matter, inside or outside, of setting something meaningful and
beautiful (a stone, a shell, a candle, a flower (all of the above) in an intentional placement
to create beauty, timelessness, an offering, an altar.
You most likely know when you have seen or entered a sacred space. The
keynote for me is intentionality. You do not need to have a special place for your inner
work, but it helps, especially when you are beginning. If you have a prayer rug, or a
pillow, a cloth or a candle and you can make yourself comfortable, you have a good start.
If you have a crystal or a Celtic Cross or a statue of Buddha, you can begin to create. It is
quite beautiful to watch another person enter your space and see the change that
overcomes them. Even if you have a picture of an ancestor with a seasonal greenery next
to it, you will see reverence come to the face of another, especially children. Especially
irreverent children.
Just as when you meditate you take time out from time, when you make a holy
place, you take space out of space. Your own taste and comfort will dictate what you do.
Do it!
INSPIRATION
Find some favorite inspirational sayings and images. Ask people in the group to
bring some. Here are a few favorite words to contemplate.
PSALM 100
Make a joyful noise to the LORD,
all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know the LORD is God!
It is he that made us, and we are his,
we are his people, and the sheep
of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
A prayer that has had profound meaning for many people is the Jesus Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me,
a miserable sinner.
From The Quiet Mind, White Eagle:
THE VICTOR
Man is spirit---that is all man needs to know;
and spirit is triumphant over matter.
FEET ON EARTH, HEAD IN HEAVEN
Keep your feet on the earth but lift your face towards the heavens, for the Light
which floods into you on high will steady your feet and guide them on the right path.
Have confidence in this divine Light. Surrender with a tranquil mind and a heart full of
love to this infinite Wisdom.
From Good Eagle, Dakota Sioux holy man:
O ye people, be ye healed;
life anew I bring unto ye.
O ye people, be ye healed;
Life anew I bring unto ye.
Through the Father over all
Do I thus.
Life anew I bring unto ye.
From Lone Man, Teton Sioux:
“ ..I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply
upon himself."
TEACHING
My teaching style is to demystify, to make easy, to open the curtains and let my
students discover that true knowledge is available to everyone. There is no subject that I
have taught that is easier than how to pray, meditate and find a direct relationship with
Godliness. Yet there is probably no discipline that has been more shrouded in mystery,
esotericism, myth and even falsehood. For thousands of years teachers have kept
knowledge and practices to themselves and small groups of initiates who had to pay
dearly for the secrets either by rejecting the world, learning whole complicated systems
of language, culture, and practice or by suffering long and often painful apprenticeships
and sometimes by paying huge amounts of money.
I personally specialize in things that don't separate me from others and especially
that don't cause pain and suffering. There is enough of that already. The old ways had
their place in other times, but the mood of the spiritual world in the present time is to
offer loving and supportive help to any of us who chose to turn seeking honestly for a
connection and to listen when contacted.
CONTROL
Contrary to most of our education and conditioning, the higher moments in life
happen when we let go. Happiness, satisfaction, connection come in those moments when
we give up control and let go of our agendas and get in harmony with something bigger
than ourselves.
There are many names for this something: The Cosmic Christ, Buddha, God,
Allah, The Higher Self. Meeting this experience is becoming one with Truth. Once you
have had an experience of this, you will want more because it feels right. You ‘know'
instead of think. You ‘listen’ instead of speak.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
Do not fear that you will lose your contact with daily life, or that you will become
otherworldly and not be able to cope with daily life. (There are certain disciplines that
create this situation, but people chose them knowing that). If you develop a healthy life of
prayer, meditation, and the Direct Approach, the result will be that you are more
effective, more connected, more aware.
“Ask from your heart
Great is my joy when you ask from your heart.
Bring me all your questions,
no matter how trivial they sound to you.
Learning is but half the relationship,
Asking is the other half.
Know how I hunger for this dialogue with you!
Can you imagine what it is like to see into hearts
and not be invited to speak with them?”
Page 30, TURNING
HOW CAN I APPROACH SUCH A DRASTIC CHANGE IN MY WAY OF
OPERATING?
There are several good motivators. One is sheer desperation. Nothing else works.
My life is a mess. The world is a mess. Education is in shambles. The environment. Time
is running out. The old ways don't work. I've tried every kind of therapy, program,
training, meditation, and still . . .
Another approach comes from the other direction. Notice that when you follow
your conscience, your intuition, your highest standards, then things in your life seem to
fall into place. Therefore determine to do this in every aspect of your life, every step you
take, every decision you make.
THE GENTLE ART OF SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
Everywhere I travel in the United States of America I talk with people. When I
listen to their conversations and their stories two words come to mind: ‘hunger' and ‘fear'.
It is galling to think that we live in a country of hungry people. I've been in many third
world countries and I have experienced physical hunger; that is not what I'm talking
about. The hunger I feel in this country is hard to define. I would feel accurate calling it
‘soul hunger'. Also correct would be ‘spiritual hunger'. And in this land of plenty and this
land of therapy for every situation, I would also mention ‘psychological' and ‘material
hunger'.
In my experience with physical hunger there is a switch that occurs and the
hunger turns to fear. Will there be any food tomorrow? What if there is no rain and the
corn doesn't grow? And then, after they are hungry for a while, many people become
apathetic. Some become selfish and antisocial. When I travel I find that almost everyone
uses the word ‘fear' or ‘afraid' in every conversation. I am afraid about losing my job. I
am afraid of the destruction of the ozone layer or global warming. I am worried about
how my kids will get through the temptations of their teenage years. I haven't any
savings. What if I get sick?
There is no question that the TV, the politicians. the health promoters, the
environmentalists, the salesmen, the advertising industry use fear to get people to do their
bidding. So what is wrong with this? Especially, what is wrong when it is a good cause?
I feel that it is anti-social, anti-spiritual, and in the long run makes us less whole, healthy
and fully alive.
I experience love and truth and beauty as better motivators than fear. I can use
condoms to avoid STDs if I love myself. I can recycle if I love the earth. I can work a
garden if I love vegetables. You get my point. But where I got my point was from the
meditative experience of being loved by higher beings.
CONSCIENCE
All of us are intuitive. We ‘know' things. The practices in this book serve to bring
intuition into the full light of day and to turn intuition into a conscious act. The first step
towards this is to become aware of your intuition in action. Check out those feelings of
danger, or those moments when you think of someone and that person calls, or when you
say or do something and your conscience pricks you or you get a spring in your step or an
ache in your back. It is very possible that your intuition is giving you signals. You are
getting messages. If you have been accustomed to listening, then you are already
following guidance. If you have let you intuition atrophy due to mistrust or a rationality
that overpowers it, then you can change that.
Take the trouble to be aware. Your intuition is one of your best allies. It is God in
you.
HOW TO ASK FOR GUIDANCE
THE OTHER MOST IMPORTANT PAGE!
As you grow accustomed to asking you may not need to be so formal in your
process. Initially, it is a good idea to give a regular form to your work. Create a habitual
familiar process and stick with your routine.
I suggest that you start out by attuning yourself with a prayer. I usually say “The
Lord's Prayer”, for example. I then read from Turning or The Quiet Mind, randomly
opening the book and taking to heart the message I find. Then I spend some time
meditating to empty my mind and feel the presence of God. I ask my question. Listen.
Write down what I hear and give thanks.
Make your questions simple, practical and truthful. Form
your questions and write them down.
Ask the spiritual light to guide you, protect you and give you
the courage to follow God's will in your life.
Sit quietly and open your mind, letting go of all the answers to your questions
that you have thought of and letting go of your wishes and
desires.
Open your heart to the LOVE AND LIGHT.
Ask your first question.
LISTEN. Listen with your inner hearing, your body, your feelings,
but above all else, LISTEN with your HEART.
Write the answer if it comes right. If it is not words, write a description of
the picture or feeling that comes to you.
Think whether more questions need to be asked. If need more specific answers,
ask more specific questions.
Give thanks and know that if you haven't heard during this
sitting, the answer will soon come. "Ask and you shall receive”,
said the Master. This was not some vague promise for the
select few.
Check whether the answer is from the highest level.
Follow your guidance and don't worry about the outcome.
TO WHOM DO YOU DIRECT YOUR
QUESTIONS OF GUIDANCE?
When a student of mine asked me this after we had worked together for some
time, I was slightly taken aback. It is a wonderful question because the answer is the most
simple and the most complicated.
The simple answer is of course "to God", but also it is with whomever you
connect in the spiritual worlds. Right on the heels of "to God" the next question comes
begging, "Is God inside you or outside of you?" I say - both. The ultimate mystical
experience is to become One with God. In this experience you lose yourself and find
yourself. You die to become.
When starting to work with the Direct Approach, I suggest you just ask "Dear
God" or "Dear Higher Self". That sounds real to me. But, if you have a special or alive
connection with a particular being in the spiritual world then by all means seek its
guidance. If you already pray to the Buddha, or The Great Spirit, or Mother Mary, you
may feel their presence immediately.
I have been blessed with help from several sources. On occasion the source of
help reveals itself more fully than in words alone.
You can also ask "the source of light" or your guardian angel, who is already
committed to being with you and helping you. Get to know each other. You are never
alone.
I have also had the experience of feeling that someone from my past who has
passed over is taking an interest in me or my work. What a good feeling!
WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK?
What questions should be asked? How do you form your questions? How do you
ask a question that isn't directed toward an outcome that you desire?
I usually tell my students to start with simple, clear, easy questions so they can
have the experience of hearing guidance and then build from that experience. The process
involves building confidence, faith and the habit of turning to the spirit.
Most people starting out on the path want to jump right into big questions, "What
should I do with my life?” "What is my life's purpose?” "Will I get into college?”
"Should I be a therapist?” There are certain things that aren't meant to be known and
others that it wouldn't be healthy for you to know. This is not an activity of fortune
telling.
My sense is that it is better to start with simple, practical questions. "Shall I meet
the Browns for dinner on Saturday?" Then ask, "Where?" Then ask, "Should I invite
someone else?" Surprisingly, I have heard answers to problems about which I had no
knowledge, such as mechanical situations when my car wouldn't start or medical
situations when I have had a concern but little information.
When you ask a seemingly trivial question, "Should I wear the boots or the
sneakers?" you are doing several things;
a) You are connecting yourself one more time with God.
b) You are letting go of control.
c) You are having an opportunity to see the higher wisdom at
work. Very likely you will soon know why your guidance was correct.
Try to be specific. Instead of, "Should I take the job at U.C.L.A.?" you might be a
lot more specific. "Should I take the job as it is offered at this time in the English
Department at U.C.L.A.?"
You are free to ask the bigger questions right from the onset, and you may be one
of those lucky people who hears a big answer. "You are meant to heal the sick." If you
were to hear such an answer, then from the you could shape queries that would hone your
direction. Some people following this path have gotten themselves all hung up about
asking the right question and have spent considerable time fretting over it. This is not
necessary. This is not a test. This is about a relationship. Also, don't worry about your
question being too trifling or not important enough for the higher beings to care about.
You will find out how endlessly interesting even the smallest detail of you existence is
and how willingly support comes to you. In order for you have freedom, the heavenly
worlds do not interfere with you but if you ask and listen they are there.
As always, give thanks for the guidance even if you haven't heard it, because it
will come. We have been told by the highest source, "Ask and you shall receive." Then
leave the question alone with full confidence that the answer has been given to you. You
simply have not heard yet heard it.
WRITE IT DOWN!
When you get your guidance, write it down. Try to write either the exact words or
to describe the image or feeling you have had. Do this before you start thinking about it.
Also, write down the question as you asked it. I also write the date. This might sound
rather picky, but I have had enough experiences in which I have reviewed things and
found that I had altered my memory of guidance, changing it over time. Looking back I
have also seen the perfection of the original message. This has led me to be much more
careful.
Check your guidance to see if it rings true. Give thanks for it. Obey it.
FOLLOWING YOUR GUIDANCE
YOU HAVE ASKED.
YOU HAVE HEARD.
WHAT NOW?
Your rational, intellectual, self-serving, highly trained Mind-Self is going to want
to "Yes, but" or "What if?" or somehow play out all the outcomes of your following
guidance. Stop it now. If you have asked well, listened well, and it rings true that it
comes from the LIGHT, then obey and leave the rest to God.
Ask for the courage to follow what you have heard. Faith is not a popular concept
among rational, intellectual, modern individuals. But almost everything we do is an act of
faith. When you get a haircut, you have some faith that it will improve your looks. When
your hairdresser proves that she can give a good cut, your faith builds. We somehow feel
that we have to control our affairs. My experience is that the real control comes from our
turning to the highest and letting go of our lower level control.
I once asked for guidance about what to do with a cabin I owned. My guidance
told me that I should sell it and actually told me who would buy it. I was pretty happy
about the situation. Then I had a dream about an old wooden ship that was in a huge
storm at sea and was being tossed and bashed around. The ship was headed for shore and
was sure to crash upon the rocks, when everything settled down and the landing was
perfectly safe. I knew the ship was the camp. In the dream I saw myself in a total panic
about losing the ship, and then I was standing facing the rocks ready for anything.
I had the guidance and I had the dream. What actually transpired was that the deal
with the people who were buying the house fell apart after it was set in motion. The deal
was off, and they were angry. I was upset. I had moved out with my children and was
paying for two places. The real estate people were having a fit. When I meditated and
asked if I had heard my guidance correctly, I always heard the original message. I tried to
steady myself with confidence.
Six months later when I had really let go of the hope of selling, the same people
came back. Their life circumstance had completely changed as had mine. They made a
wonderful offer with no impossible contingencies and the sale happened fast and easy.
There were several times in those months when I might have sold the place for a lot less
money to the wrong people, but I couldn't get a good feeling about it. So, I held to my
faith in what I had heard even when, to an outsider, it looked like I was being stupid not
to unload at any price. Thank you, God. And the thanks are not for the money I earned
but for the helping hand that guided me through the storm.
DECISIONS
Decisions are so easy when you seek help from above and within. You have your
true Father/Mother holding your hands and leading you. You don't need too much
information to find the truth in a situation. You need to be quiet and listen. Then you
become Truth.
You don't need to look for support around you. The support of the higher beings
will hold you and attract the support you need. You will attract the Light and Love you
need by being one with Light and Love. I do not mean this in a flaky, shapeless way. I
mean this in a real, practical, earthy way. Try it and have the experience.
ASKING
Try not to ask a vague question like "What shall I do?' but rather be much more
specific. "Is it your will that I call my mother right now?"
If you are unsure, the solution is not to pray for something that you figure is nice
but not really attainable such as World Peace. A better test would be to ask something
immediate and practical. 'What can I do to help my son's anger about my not lending him
the car tonight?"
This is just my experience. If you feel guided to pray for world peace, by all
means do. You may be the person who hears the answer and leads the world in a new
direction.
“YOU WILL KNOW MY VOICE WHEN
YOU HEAR IT”
We have been told this. Therefore, put away your questions about it and know
that it is true. Have faith in this, believe it, don't doubt it.
A friend asked today, "How do you differentiate between your own desires, your
mind and your earthly voice when you hear guidance?" It is the difference between
thinking and knowing. Your body or your feelings will tell you instantly.
She thought for a moment and responded, "Yeah, the other day I asked for
guidance while driving. I was not at all centered and heard an answer. When I heard, I
immediately got ‘that bad feeling'". She had to toss out that answer and realize that was
an example of non-guidance. She needed to quiet her mind before bringing up that issue
again.
HOW CAN I KNOW IF MY GUIDANCE IS TRUE?
When you hear guidance (and you will) how do you know it's real? Whom can
you trust? Are you fooling yourself? Why should God be interested in you? What if you
become a pawn for the evil forces? What if you blindly follow and find yourself doing all
the wrong things?
These are good questions. I hear them all the time. Every so often you hear on the
nightly news that a murder suspect claims he was ordered by God to kill the victim.
Could it be that with the best intentions in the world you sit down and pray for help and
an evil force comes to lead you to follow its will? Are you putting yourself like clay in
the hands of an unknown sculptor? How can you the inexperienced beginner know the
difference?
It would be a real coup for the forces of darkness if you let these concerns keep
you from the gifts of the spirit. Fear is the sword of darkness.
But this is not to say that you aren't required to practice discernment. Firstly, you
will be awake in full consciousness. Secondly, you will put your guidance through a few
tests.
Your guidance should not contradict any spiritual laws or teachings of the great
Masters. I mean you should not consider anything that does not fully resonate with the
Ten Commandments, The Koran, the teachings of The Christ, The Buddha and so on.
Listen to see whether the voice sounds right. If your guidance is coming in the
spirit of the Buddha, it should be filled with compassion. If it is coming from Christ, it
should be permeated with Love. If it is from Moses, it should be powerful and clear. Also
the sound of the language should be in harmony with its source.
How does it feel when you contemplate your guidance? It is fine to feel that ‘this
is an option I never would have dreamed of.' But it would not be so fine to feel guilty or
secretive. Your emotions and your body will give you strong signals.
Does it foster the highest in you? It needs to.
After some practice, these steps will come very quickly and automatically. Your
signals will grow stronger. You probably have developed this kind of discernment,
unconsciously, for your normal thinking process. Now you can bring it up to full
consciousness.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I HEAR INCORRECTLY?
What if, in my eagerness and with good will abounding, I hear incorrectly?
Think of God as your mother or father. You are a child taking a walk in the
woods. You ask your mother what path to take and mishear her answer. You take off on
the wrong path. Your mother calls to you to tell you of your mistake. Or, if you have
taken a dangerous path she will come and retrieve you and set you right. I experience that
this is what happens if, in my eagerness, I mistake what we hear.
If it is our intention to do good and to be obedient, we will be guided.
WHEN YOU DON'T THINK YOU HAVE
HEARD AN ANSWER
If you are not hearing answers or receiving impressions to your questions DO
NOT worry or concentrate even more on the question or be upset that you might not have
asked the right questions. Attune to the Highest, get quiet inwardly, offer up your
question, give thanks that the answer is there (here) and be quiet.
If the question still plagues you, expend some energy releasing it. Give it to God.
It's not yours anymore. Then, having it on the highest authority that you will get an
answer, ("Ask and you shall receive.") go on to something else. Any further focus must
be on letting go of the question and having confidence that the answer is there.
This gets easier and easier as your experiences stack up.
GUIDANCE FOR OTHERS
Can I get guidance for others? (Pros and Cons) The truest picture is to show
others that there is a simple and dependable way of operating. It is after all the Direct
Approach and is meant to connect each and every one of us with the highest power within
and without.
BUT there are circumstances in which I feel fine about a little intervention. At
times my children have come to me with open hearts and huge dilemmas and have said,
"I wonder if you will ask God?" Implicit in these requests has often been a thought
something like this ‘I am too cynical and far too cool to believe in all your brouhaha but
I've seen a certain serenity develop in your life and I'm desperate so I don't want any
lectures or how-to stuff, I just want help.' When a call comes, I feel that just asking is the
most helpful thing that I can do. Giving them some good guidance also helps build their
faith that is, after all, just what is needed to get them on the right path.
This applies in other circumstances as well. But I do not like the picture of
becoming THE CLAIRVOYANT or THE HEALER. My whole belief is that we all have
this connection if we just learn to open it.
When someone seeks guidance through you, it is helpful to give them something
they can contribute. I usually suggest that they do some homework. "Give thanks in all
things.” “Look for the positive in everything.” “Keep your eyes on the light.” Direct them
towards action that will help their spiritual development and help them make their own
contact with God.
PEOPLE YOU KNOW WHO HAVE
FOLLOWED GUIDANCE
Mother Theresa "Love the Poor"
Peace Pilgrim "Spread far and wide the message of Peace"
Saint Francis "Love all of God's Creation"
Gandhi "Non-violent Resistance"
Oscar Romero “I am the voice of the voiceless "
Joan of Arc "Obey God"
Moses "Give My Commandments to the People of Israel"
Why do we recognize the names listed above? Why do we not know the names of
countless other people who lived simultaneously with these men and women? I would
venture to guess that it is because these people lived from a higher impulse than their
personality, their desires, their earthly hungers. I think the day will come when the
ordinary person will live from this place, serving the Highest from direct obedience.
When this happens there will be no chance of our hurting ourselves, each other and the
earth. I am writing this book because I know that many hunger for that day.
Recently I heard Robert Coles speak at Harvard University. He told an absolutely
silent class that this elite group was, for the most part, well along a path that could lead
them to be insensitive, hollow, soulless shells of absent humanity unless they learned to
love. He did not mean unless they learned how to have a successful relationship or to be a
good personnel manager. He was speaking of seeing the good (God) in each and every
person they encounter. Everyone at the lecture could feel the truth he had spoken.
Like most of you, I have made resolutions to be a better person, to clean up my
act, to take more Yoga classes, to eat healthier food. Often, for me, these resolutions have
demanded more will power than I can muster at a given moment and I have failed.
Working with guidance requires only the "will-to-God" and does not feel like another
burden to carry. It is a giving-over, a placing ourselves comfortably in the arms of angels,
a relief.
OFTEN THE ANSWERS ARE RIGHT
UNDER OUR NOSES
Most of us have had guidance in the form of Intuition, Inspiration, Bright Ideas
and so on, but what I would like to enable you to do is to connect consciously, daily, at
will with these higher states. And do so as if your life depended on it.
There are numberless stories of unconscious guidance ... in Angel Books, in
Guidepost Magazine, in traditional folk and religious stories. You could think of some,
I'm sure. Miracles can and do happen with great frequency. You have experienced some.
We all have.
The other day I was counseling a friend who was in desperate need of money.
My feeling is that more often than not, the way to make some money sits at our
fingertips, is right in front of our eyes. Then I remembered a personal example of how
this had once happened to me ... with a little help from a ‘well connected' friend.
Just before I was separated from my husband we had bought a cabin and 30 acres
in the hills of New Hampshire. It was very beautiful but very rustic. The children and I
got through the first winter there with a lot of help from friends. But when springtime
came I was seriously out of money and couldn’t see my way out of the problem. It was
hard to earn money living so far in the woods, caring for three children. A bad storm
came and the wind tipped over a huge oak tree that was close to the cabin. The tree that
was growing through the roof of the great room was okay. I called Warren Quinn, an old
timer who had been a logger and a forester. But more than that, he read Emerson and
Thoreau and had an enduring reputation for being ‘connected' with the spirits in the
forests ... plant, animal, mineral.
Warren came over to look at the fallen tree. We took a long walk in the woods. I
told him my story of woe. At one point I hugged a big oak tree and said, "I don't know if I
could survive if it weren't for the strength these oaks give me."
The next morning Warren was at my house at the crack of dawn. He allowed as
how he had been thinking about how the oak trees kept me alive and an inspiration came
to him. We went into the woods and he pointed out that the forest was old, that many of
the oaks and pines were too grown up for the land. The land was rock ledge granite.
Because the trees were old, and the granite barely covered with earth, the trees were
falling over with their own weight and height.
The upshot was that Warren marked the trees that were teetering and had a
logging crew come in. The woods seemed much happier with some sunlight and some
thinning. The result was a beautiful job of selecting and leaving. I had a tidy bundle of
money to support the children.
Every once in a while I ran into Warren at the store or the Post Office. He would
chuckle and ask if I remembered "inspiration oak." Of course I remembered. God has a
real sense of humor.
How much simpler this might have been and how much suffering I might have
been spared if I had only asked for guidance at the onset of my troubles and heard "Call
Warren Quinn to cut the oaks."
TROUBLE
WHEN THINGS ARE REALLY OUT OF WHACK . . . Depression, Fear,
Anxiety, Pain, Hunger, Anger, Addiction. I know all these places. These states of being
all push away and close the door to the spirit. When the spirit, which is our highest body,
is sick, then it only follows that sickness will manifest on the physical, the mental or the
psychological levels. I believe that the first and primary healing that we should attend to
is healing the spirit.
The first step is to realize that you are in trouble, that your connection with your
Higher Power is blocked. When things get out of control (which everything is) you will
find abundant good grace by giving up control rather than by grasping for it. By giving
up I really mean giving OVER, handing over, opening the door .... the hard cold door of
fear or the self-absorbed blackness of depression or the jumping out of your skin in panic
.... for the assistance and LOVE that you have shut out.
NO resistance. Your resistance to something inside of you or outside of you is
that which is causing your pain and suffering. No resistance. Surrender. Try it. Try it
now. Shut your eyes. Take the worst burden you have into your arms and carry it to your
angel or to the Holy Spirit or to the top of the mountain and lay it down. Just leave it
there and walk away free, knowing that you don't have to hold that load any more. Each
time you try and pick it up again, and you will, remember that you have given it away.
Turn your attention to the LIGHT.
Many times I have seen the dark tangle that is some problem of mine disappear
into the light, consumed as soon as it is laid down. At that moment my job changes from
carrying that particular overwhelming burden to letting it go. I must turn each and every
time I feel even the slightest twinge of pain. I must turn toward the light and away from
the darkness. It is simple. It is elegant. It's lovely, this process. It's free and open. And
above all, it feels better.
Often it is frightening to let go because whatever you are experiencing is familiar.
It is scary to move into the unknown. Please be assured that the unknown light always
feels better than the familiar darkness.
If things are so bad that this sounds too complicated, just turn to the LIGHT. Say
the word God or Peace or Love. This will change your fear vibrations and bring
assistance instantaneously. Then when things have calmed down a little, go through the
inner action of giving away your problem.
PRAYING FOR OTHERS
There are many good ways to pray for others, but one of the simplest and most
effective is what I call ‘acting like God.' I know that God looks at us as perfect. We were
created in the Image of God. When you are asked to pray for someone else or feel called
to, hold that person in your heart and mind in their perfection. See them radiant, healthy,
wholesome and so on.
This attunes them and you to the Light. This raises them up. It calls down
healing forces.
There are times when you might be praying for someone's recovery and get the
feeling that the person is not going to make it. I don't feel that that needs to change your
healing work or your faith in healing. Your holding the other person in the Light becomes
a healing force for their transition and makes a wonderful circle of light.
START A GROUP
If you are starting out on the path of the Direct Approach and you are feeling
alone, start a group. Find a few like-minded souls and meditate together and seek
guidance together. You don't need to meet all that often, but it is helpful to share with
each other your strivings and successes. Miracle stories of how Spirit has worked in your
lives give every striver a boost. Also, it is good to meet frequently ‘in spirit’. For instance
you can agree to picture each other every Sunday morning at nine o'clock. Just close your
eyes and picture the others, greet them and bless them. This strengthens your work.
When you do have a meeting of your group, keep it simple and to the point. You
might begin by reading something inspirational. Then meditate. In discussion you can
help each other with problems encountered while meditating. Ask guidance together in
the circle. Agree on a question. Each person offers up the question and listens. Then share
what you have heard. It is amazing how objective and helpful this is. The real object is
for each person to develop direct relationship with the spiritual worlds. Give thanks. Do
something together to close the session - sing, or drum, or watch a sunset. You will be
surprised how eager others are for this experience.
FORM A NEW GROUP
A new member sat with a small group meditating and asking for guidance for six
one-hour meetings. He didn't ‘hear' anything, although he did get impressions or vague
feelings. He was not discouraged, but he did wonder when others seemed to get such
clear messages. Then there came a question from a woman who was visiting the meeting.
Alan had never met her and knew nothing about her life.
She asked the group to seek guidance about what she should do next in her life.
He offered up the question and right away had an image of a stone falling into water and
the water being all churned up and the stone sinking to the bottom and everything settling
down.
“That's pretty good”, he thought. He was satisfied and was about to consider the
meaning of his picture when as clear as anything he heard the words, "What she does
right now matters little. What does matter is that she sees a little bit of a lot of different
circumstances.”
He was amazed at the clarity of his hearing. The people in the group compared
what they had heard and the young lady with the question, who had never worked from
guidance, had written down the exact same words Alan heard.
She was terribly relieved because she had been feeling pressure to commit to
something and had felt it wasn't the right time. Alan had no knowledge of this.
SPIRITUAL LAWS
There are spiritual laws and you know them. For the most part they are integrated
in you and your feelings let you know if you are breaking them or following them. I think
that many of the problems that people confront are because these laws are broken.
We are so accustomed to dealing with physical laws that we don't even know we
are practicing physics. If the apple is dropped, it falls. What a shattering experience it
would be if you dropped the apple and it moved higher than your hand or even just stayed
suspended in space. If you take a spiritual law such as "Love your enemy." and don't
comply with it and hate or hurt or even kill your enemy, then you create a situation which
is ultimately as shattering to life on earth as it would be if you dropped a ton of cement
and it floated away.
And we feel this. Hate gives us a bad feeling and acting from hate doesn't
improve this bad feeling. It increases it. There are a million examples of this. In these
times of the nightly news and instant communication we have supposedly raised our
tolerance level until it takes a mother killing her kids to get us to raise our voices in
protest. But, on a quieter level, don't you feel shock and hurt when you hear a mother call
her child stupid? It is counter to the laws of the spirit. If you embark on a spiritual path,
you must obey the laws of the spirit.
And, thank goodness, you have your feeling to help you. If something gives you
'that bad feeling,' stop and examine what you are doing. Your conscience is a real gift and
knows what is right.
"GOT YOU"
God's sense of humor is a reality. Sometimes my lessons seem to have a lot of
fun in them. The lesson is pretty much always the same. Turn to the Lord instead of
toward your own desires. It is kind of an Old Testament theme. I didn't realize the theme
until it was pointed out to me by a third grader in the Cape Ann Waldorf School where I
was teaching, I was telling those marvelous, dramatic stories from the Old Testament.
After weeks of hearing the stories, the BIG ones that we all know, one child piped up,
"Julie, it’s all the same story. The people get in a mess. God speaks to them through
someone and tells them what to do to save themselves. They do it for a while and then
start to forget what God said, then, POW, he nails them and it all starts over again."
When I was teaching, I had a houseful of teenagers. I was a foster mom for local
kids and refugee children. I worked for various peace and justice organizations. It was
winter and I was tired. I had been running too fast and various obligations and
commitments were piling up. It had been easier to say 'yes' to appointments than to sort
out my plans. I was really too tired. A Sunday night came and as I went to bed I realized
that the next morning I was supposed to talk to the principal at the High School about one
of the foster kids. At the same time I was having a visitor come to my class at school to
evaluate my teaching. At the same time I was supposed to be in court with my exhusband
sorting out child support.
It was Sunday so I couldn't get hold of anyone to change anything. As I went to
sleep I sort of apologized to God for being so tired and irresponsible. I promised to get
more organized and fell off to sleep with the feeling that I would get what I deserved.
(Expecting, of course, that everyone would be irritated with me.)
That night I had a dream. It was snowing heavily; in fact, there was about 12
inches of snow on the roads. I decided to ride my motorcycle to work because it was
faster. I put on a light jacket and went speeding out of town. I came to a corner and was
zooming around it and lost my balance and fell to the ground with my bike on top of me.
From the ground, I looked up and there was a huge pay-loader hanging its bucket over
me poised to drop a huge load of stones. Blinking in the snow and filled with fear I
caught the eye of the driver. He smiled and said "Got You." I was yelling "What?" in
disbelief when I was awakened from the dream by the phone ringing.
It was 5:30 A.M. and Stephen Smith was saying, "SNOW DAY school is
canceled." It took me a second to realize that this wasn't my dream. I was off the hook.
School was closed, the high school was closed, the court was closed. I slept a long while,
then cleaned out my papers on my desk and then straightened out my calendar. God has a
fine sense of humor. This memory still brings a smile to my face.
SELF -ESTEEM
All questions of self-esteem are really questions of the relationship between
ourselves and the Divine, the I AM, the beauty, love, and goodness in us. We can't help
another get "good self-esteem" unless we can see the divine in him or her. If we look
beyond the good or bad in a person, we can see the I AM, the eternal light self of that
person. Whether it is ourselves or someone else, seeing their higher self grants us the
ability to transform the slightly false idea of "self-esteem" into the deed of self-love. If I
love the best in me, then I find the best in you.
STRESS
I guess it is good to recognize it. That is about as much entree as I would allow
this concept, even this word into my life.
How do we recognize STRESS in our lives? You can read articles in any
magazine about the most high stressors. You can create it. You can find it in the
environment both physically and mentally. You can stress yourself out by not sleeping
enough, eating poorly and so forth. You know.
But I think, once recognized, it is very unhealthy to keep using the word, let alone
the concept. I would also eliminate the word 'anxiety', I'd get rid of 'overwhelming'. I
have experienced that my subconscious is a good little soldier and obeys orders. If a word
like stress is heard by my subconscious, all the chemicals start doing their thing. My
adrenaline pumps up and so on. In my experience the subconscious does not hear the
whole contest of the thought or the spoken word, It does not hear "I hate stress," but
rather STRESS. If you are feeling stressed and recognize it, try feeding your
subconscious some better food. Try the word PEACE and see what happens.
WILL POWER
"This course will develop your will power." "You will be able to author your own
life and get what you want." "Anything you desire will be yours." There are so many
books and courses offering these promises. And there are many techniques that will
work.
I guarantee you will not be happy. How many stories have we read about the
people who get everything they want and are miserable, empty, restless, dissatisfied?
What if your will is the main focus and you operate with an ‘end justifies the means’
mentality? What is the real cost of this?
I sense that we have been led astray by the promises of pop-psychology: that by
paying attention to ourselves and our needs we can achieve happiness. How can this
work? Everyone really craves relatedness, their interdependence, their connectivity, more
than anything. I submit that if you directly find your connectivity with the divine in
yourself, you will find mental and social health.
The whole issue of WILL POWER is moot when you put your will 100 percent
behind doing God’s Will and turn at each and every intersection of your life to find the
heavenly will for your life. If you remember to will to God, and follow that will, the
outcome of the deed is not in your hands. You are not the whole show. You are not
holding the world on your shoulders.
For many years as a single parent, a breadwinner, a foster parent, a teacher, a
midwife, I held an image of myself as a beast of burden (a donkey, in fact) and I was
carrying around a nasty heavy load until my knees were buckling and my back swaying
(kids in college, car, insurance, no insurance, house repairs). I guess I still have that
image, but now I see myself as a happy little donkey. Each day when I remember I go
and get today's load and carry it through the sunshine and the grass and lay it at God's
feet and go home with nothing on my back. Stupid? Silly? Sentimental? Irresponsible?
Not for me. It is a true picture of how I felt and how I now feel. I do no less in life but I
feel very differently about what I do.
FORGIVENESS
This is not my area of expertise, but I try and try. There is one lesson I learned in
El Salvador that may help. It has certainly opened me to a real idea of forgiveness.
I had the notion that when all was said and done, I could go to my inner place of
sanctuary and ask for forgiveness and for help with forgiving. This is true, but the
situation in Salvador didn't allow for that. What I learned was that I had to be able to
forgive the person sticking the knife in my gut, while the knife was still in me. Or else it
was conditional. I would rather not belabor this, but instead plant the idea and know it
will resonate when it can most help. Forgiveness is key, especially self-forgiveness.
GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS
"Give thanks in all things." What can some cliché like this mean for me? Sure, it's
a nice thought and all that, but what could it have to do with my success in following the
direct approach.
Just about everything!
Firstly, it is about the attitude you bring to your task. If you come to God full of
resentment, anger, frustration, and the over-all feeling that things are not as they should
be and you are getting all the bad breaks, then you have built walls around yourself. Your
task will be much harder.
If you can bring reverence, awe, openness, how much simpler would be your
work and the work of the Divine. "But" you might ask. "where do I find those nice
qualities when I don't feel them?" One place to start is to try saying, "Thank you for..."
and name a few of the good things you can think of. Then try saying "Thank you for..."
and name some of the more difficult things in your life, even if you can't quite find any
gratitude in your heart.
If you can thank God for everything including the thorns that poke your flesh, as
it were, you open yourself to the wisdom that created you in that situation. Everything
that comes to you is a gift from God. What you are and what you are experiencing is just
perfect.1
The simple act of saying THANK YOU, even if you feel foolish because you are
being thankful for a broken leg, opens your heart, opens your energy to experience the
good not only in that particular situation but in your prayer work.
A friend taught me that everything in life is a gift from God. But often we don't
like the wrapping paper. We take one look at it and say we don't want this present. We
don't deserve it. Its very presence is ruining our life and so it sits there making us
unhappy. If we were to say "Thank You" and accept it as a gift, then we would get to take
the next step and open the present. The gift inside would have a chance to manifest itself.
The Grace of the Spirit would have a door to come through.
Try it. It is not that hard. You can do it if I can.
LOVE
LOVE YOURSELF EXACTLY AS YOU ARE,
WHERE YOU ARE,
DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
IT IS JUST RIGHT!
END
Any adventure implies going forth into the unknown. As adventurers we take a
risk, leaving the familiar behind, venturing into new territory, hoping to find the promised
land, risking not finding it. By moving into the territory chartered here you risk little and
stand to gain much. You will always have your old ways of thinking and working to fall
back on. Hopefully you will gain objectivity, equanimity, solid ground to stand on and a
host of willing helping hands reaching towards you with outstretch arms.
I hope that soon you will look back and not believe how much burden you carried
alone, what darkness you journeyed through, how your wants and needs sabotaged your
happiness. I hope this brings a smile to your face and a spring to your step and the
knowledge that "All things work together for the good for those who love God." That's all
it's about; finding a new approach to loving God. Love. God. God Bless.
Julie Pierce

Ask Julie

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

I'm a bit of a political junkie

Monday, March 26, 2012

ADORATION

Friday, March 23, 2012

Getting Rid of Old Bad Karma

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The whole book, I think