Step Two Hundred and Ten

Step 210. Review

Today review the past two weeks of preparation, reading each lesson as it is given and recalling your practice for that day. In your long practice period today once again begin to assess the progression of events and all of your practices. Begin to see that there is a relationship between how you apply your mind and what you experience as a result. View your life objectively, without guilt or blame, so that you may understand how your life is truly emerging.

Your long practice period today will see you engaging your mind actively on its behalf. You are learning to become objective about your own progress as a student. You are learning to become objective about the nature of learning itself. You are learning to become objective so that you may see. Allow this Review, then, to give you greater perspective about the work of Knowledge in the world and the presence of Knowledge in your life.

Practice 210: One long practice period.

Here you will find the entire book free for download http://stepstoknowledge.com/

Here you will find pointers for getting started if this is your first encounter with this practice: Taking the Steps to Knowledge.

November 3, 2013 Round One: What I can sum up from this review:

Knowledge must be treated with mystery, I cannot confine it to my own parameters or confine it to limits that suit my way of thinking. It is expansive and much greater than this, and I cannot comprehend, I can only continue seeking Knowledge.

Preconceptions must be dropped, I need to distinguish between preconceptions and what life really is—life is really what I need, not what I want.

Deprecation has no value—I must look at the world objectively, laying no blame, if people are not there yet, it is not their fault, I can feel compassionately toward the world, knowing that by following the Way of Knowledge myself I am paving the way for others. What I do for myself I am doing for humanity as a whole.

I am part of the Greater Community and the Greater Community is influencing the world – I may not be able to comprehend how, but I trust it is for the higher good.

I need to live and let live, I will love as I can and allow others to love as they can too.

Discernment is the key, keeping my sights on the compass, on Knowledge, and when I see I am going astray, I reorient my course to bring it back in line with what Knowledge is showing me.

I am a beginning student, I can make mistakes, I can say the wrong words, I can be misunderstood, I can misunderstand, but if my aim is pure, if my perseverance does not wane, if I keep asking questions of Knowledge and listening for the answers, I can be sure I am headed in the right direction.

March 1, 2015 Round Two: “Begin to see that there is a relationship between how you apply your mind and what you experience as a result.”

This sentence stands out for me today. I am integrating this into my being and understand it. This is true – there is a relationship between how I apply my mind and what I experience as a result. I am not my mind, but I can use my mind objectively as a tool to reach Knowledge. I use my mind as a climbing block, as a bridge, to reach Knowledge, I pass through it and thus shed it as I ascend (Step 197).

This review points me again and again to objectivity. I am learning to be objective. I can affirm this today. This is my experience. I feel much stronger within (Step 198).

I am a small part of a much bigger, even infinite, picture that has no bounds (Step 199). 

I do not need to analyze this, I just feel it to be true. So it stands to reason that I can only gain access to Knowledge at a much more expansive level (Step 200). 

But I can use my mind to serve Knowledge, my mind is a bridge to Knowledge (Step 201).

I look on the world and no longer really feel apart. I am here physically, in a separate body, but my spirit is part of something with no bounds, it is part of the whole (Step 202). 

Everything is interconnected and intermeshed. What happens in one body, in one mind, in one spirit affects the whole (Step 203).

I cannot become too intense about all of this though, because too much is a mystery beyond my present understanding. So the only true and sane course of action is to be at peace (Step 204).

I live in an evolving world, a world that continues to make mistakes and flounder in folly. This is just the way it is. I cannot judge, condemn, or blame a world like this. I have faith that the world will learn (Step 205).

My part is to allow love to flow from me, in every situation, to every person, whenever I can (Step 206).

I forgive, for there is nothing to blame. People cannot be blamed for their ignorance, they can only be shown compassion (Step 207).

All things I truly value will be expressed from Knowledge – there is no greater truth than this (Step 208).

I cannot be kind to others if I am cruel with myself, and kindness is what others need (Step 209).

I truly feel that these past two weeks of Steps have given me greater perspective about the work of Knowledge in the world and the presence of Knowledge in my life.

February 2, 2019 Round Three: I looked at the first seven steps for this review period (Step 197-203) and read back on my journal, remembering my practice and how I felt each day. Sasha was gone and returned with our money, the landlord came back, the Vigil began. I was working well on translation of the NM and enjoying my walks. The whole emphasis in these Steps is recognizing the vastness of Knowledge, the vastness of the Universe and the unfathomable nature of everything. There is more to everything than meets the eye and I am to accept this and not try to confine things to my ideas and personal concepts. I am to allow the mystery to exist and stretch beyond what my mind can understand, just knowing there is more to it all than I can fathom. That is alright by me. I love my life, I love living in this village, my whole life has been bringing me to where I am today and to the people I am with today. It really is a miracle!

February 3, 2019 - continuing with the review (Steps 204-209). There is not much to say. I stuck with the Vigil, attending every day. I have something to do here, so I am continuing to engage. This has been a wonderful time of translating the NM, devoting my time to it, able to devote the time since I have nothing else to do. True bliss.