On Day 272, we learned:
We all have ways of finding meaning—ways of interpreting—and whether we realize it or not, we use our conditioned ways of interpreting in order to apply meaning to everything we experience during our daily life.
Our “conditioned ways of interpreting” come from beliefs that we hold on to, because those beliefs are a part of who we think we are or they are a part of how we want to see the world. Conditioned beliefs are not all positive; in fact, the beliefs we treasure most are typically highly negative.
Today we will begin looking at the conditioned beliefs we carry in the mind, beliefs that color our interpretation of everything we perceive.
On Day 275, we looked at six of the seven steps to awakening (as those steps are put forth in NTI). We didn’t look at the seventh step that day. Today, we will begin looking at the seventh step.
The seventh step that one must pass through in order to awaken to truth is this:
Give no meaning to anything the ego says or to any experience you have as the ego dies its final death.
The only way to do this is to purify conditioned beliefs so you are no longer unconsciously subject to them.
The first step in purifying conditioned beliefs is becoming aware of those beliefs. You want to see them in action as part of your interpretation. When you see them, you can let go of them. If you do not see them, they control you.
Today, you will be asked to read a passage from Revelation. As you read, please take notes about the thoughts that flash across your mind. These thoughts will give you insight regarding conditioned beliefs that you still hold onto.
Complete today’s reading this way:
- Read today’s reading in NTI.
- After you finish today’s NTI reading, read Revelation 8 from the Bible. Write down the thoughts you see as you read Revelation 8.
- After you finish reading Revelation 8, look at the notes you took and answer these questions:
- What meaning did I give as I read Revelation 8?
- What beliefs led to that interpretation?
For example, let’s imagine you begin the reading with a peaceful feeling, and you think, “That’s nice.” Write that down. Let’s imagine that as the reading continues, you see an anger thought arise. That thought is, “How could anyone think that is holy?”
You continue reading and continue writing down all of the thoughts you notice.
In this example, after you finish the reading, you look at everything you’ve written down. You notice that you liked the first part of the reading and didn’t like something that came later in the reading. Ask yourself about those thoughts. Why did you think the first part was good and the second was bad? What did your mind see in the first part that it judged as good? What did it see in the second part that it judged as bad? What is underneath those judgments? Practice root cause inquiry to find out why you were upset about the second thing you read.
If you look at your thoughts carefully today, you will learn something about the filter through which you interpret everything you experience.
Thoughts of Awakening # 277
The truth is within.
Look nowhere else.
You are the answer you seek.
Find you,
and you’ve found everything.
~From our Holy Spirit