Blessings of Happiness. I am Guided to share some ideas about the
'spiritual community' topic that has been receiving lots of attention
lately:
Often I am asked what it is like to live in 'spiritual community,' and
I say that it is truly a State of Mind and nothing else. Through the
ego's lens there appears to be bodies that come and go and details and
logistics that seem to require care and attention, but from a healed
Perspective everything is like a smooth, free flowing Dance.
'Spiritual community' is all about the attitude of Communion with
God. It is about devotion and reverence and willingness, and
everything Flows in the miracle. Among my holy encounters this
month on the phone, on Skype, through e-mails, and with the people who
are living here on the east coast of Australia, I feel carried on the
Wings of Peace. It is an honor and a Pure Joy!
EveryOne wants to feel connected and loved, and to have a feeling of
belongingness and wholeness. Every day, every hour, every minute,
even every moment, there are many, many opportunities to give, to
extend that which is All Value & Meaning. The Holy Spirit gives
whatever seems to be needed at any given moment. The Love radiates
to everyOne and everything in the universe. There is a deep feeling
of acceptance and all-inclusiveness in the miracle. Many times people
ask: "How will this play out in form?" The form, whatever it appears
to be, must be perceived from the Flow, from the miracle's
Perspective, to be experienced as whole.
Jesus taught: "Freely you have received, now freely give." This
statement is symbolic of our shared Purpose of learning to give as God
Gives. How does this unfold in a practical way. It is very simple.
We live simple, devotional lives, trusting completely on Divine
Providence. This means we are supported entirely by donations / love
offerings and all support is seen as Given by the Holy Spirit / God.
All offerings are accepted with deep gratitude and used to continue
the work of the Holy Spirit in shining the Light and sharing the
message of Christ throughout the world. We live in spiritual
community and I have shared that really this "community" is of the
heart and it is wholly inclusive. There is nothing special about
bodies coming together in form but the symbol can be used in a very
helpful and supportive way, in addition to being an acceleration or
speed-up for healing and thus undoing the ego.
The ego is afraid of commitment and so coming together with a devotion
to Purpose, a commitment to exposing and releasing the ego, is a very
helpful step towards accepting the Atonement. Atonement is a total
commitment. Regarding living in community, the Purpose must come
first and be held in mind at all times, for then the symbols of form
are always Given by the Holy Spirit. This sense of form following or
flowing from Purpose feels natural, obvious, and flows in Divine Ease.
To lead with the form is to lose sight of the Purpose since leading
with the form involves focusing on the needs of the body and ego
preferences. With Purpose out front there are no perceived problems,
for problems only seem to arise when Purpose has been forgotten.
Enlightenment is the undoing of the make believe self concept of the
ego, of pride, of preferences, of possession, and of ownership. The
Holy Spirit takes us gently by the hand, leading us step by step
as we deepen in our trust, and deepen in our commitment to hearing
only the Voice for God. Thus we release the mistaken belief that
anyone could be sustained by any Source other than God. And along the
way Jesus taught me and showed me the reality of Divine Providence.
Seventeen years ago I took Jesus up on it. Suddenly a whole new world
appeared in awareness with a sense of fearlessness, a joy in following
the inner prompts, and a rejoicing in every symbol of coming Home.
After several years of living and traveling in this way I began to
meet friends who wanted to share more time being around me, asking
their questions and closely observing the way I lived my life to gain
insight into the principles and teachings I held dear. These friends
and I began living in spiritual community, and though the names and
faces have seemed to change throughout the decade that would follow,
this deep feeling of community has remained with me ever since. Now I
experience this community feeling always and in all ways in my heart
whether the body of David seems stationary or in motion, alone or in a
small group or among hundreds of people. The Purpose I was Called to
extend has stabilized my perception of the world, and a feeling of
sameness pervades everything and everyone I look upon. It is very much
like a lucid dream that is very happy and calm. The serenity comes
from being aware of the dreaming and not taking any of the signs and
symbols personally (as if they were actual things existing in and of
themselves). The unshakable peace comes from a detachment from
appearances and an unswerving dedication to shared Purpose that is
continuous.
Everything that seems to come into my awareness I see as Given from
the Holy Spirit and Jesus. Being Source-dependent has dissolved away
all sense of lack, and thus my attention is never drawn to the images
of the world for the purpose of 'getting' anything. The images are
freed from past egoic intentions and therefore free Now to be used by
the Spirit to inspire and bless and comfort in the Plan of Awakening.
There is no question or curiosity about the timing of events and no
need to figure out the meaning of the world. There is no one and
nothing of the world to fix or change. Being Present allows all things
to be exactly as they are. Seeming plans and logistics and details are
Given as they are necessary and helpful, though there is never an
emphasis on future outcomes or goals. All that is Given comes safely
and surely, and each seeming step feels obvious and natural.
In 1996 I was guided to a small house in Cincinnati, Ohio to use as a
quiet retreat and also as a base for launching on subsequent travels
and hosting friends from around the world. Immediately the name that
was Given to the house was 'PeaceHouse' and the house became a symbol
for always abiding in peace of mind. The ideas and love and joy I
experience in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit I share on the Internet
and at many, many gatherings as time passes by without its touch upon
me. I have shared at gatherings and stops and visits in 21 countries
around the world and in countless holy encounters and Course In
Miracles groups as well. The invitations have kept coming and so I go
wherever the Spirit Guides in response to the Inner Invitation to join
Given by Christ.
The gatherings I share are always very open discussions. As I go to
the gatherings I have the willingness to show up in mind and to be
truly helpful. I have no agenda and no clue what will be asked or if
there will even be talking or not. Instead, I make myself available to
answer questions and to facilitate the expression of the Holy Spirit,
which comes through many people, not just myself. People come from so
many different backgrounds, cultures and languages. Sometimes I don't
even speak the language, but translators show up and it seems like the
Holy Spirit is orchestrating the whole thing just for me to share this
state of joy and peace and happiness. I'm there to join with everyone.
Those that show up in my gatherings are showing up calling for help. I
would say that the Holy Spirit is extremely practical and meets every
questioner with what could be most helpful. There is no formula and
there is no set answer that can be given across the board because
people's consciousness and awareness have such a range. But when I'm
showing up, I truly show up to be only helpful and the Spirit flows
through me. I experience joy and so does everyone else in the room. So
typically, by the end of the gathering, there are lots of hugs and
kisses, sometimes tears, and always a feeling of lightness and joy.
Every encounter I have is a chance to get to know me in the truest
sense. What I am always teaching is that there are no private thoughts
and no private minds. So the experience that I have when we gather
together is of our sameness. We share the same Spirit. This is a
feeling more than a group of concepts. It's still always an adventure
for me to meet my Self over and over in many delightful ways. I like
the spontaneity of the encounters. I like the sense of innocence that
we experience together. I always share in gatherings that there is
nothing off limits. This offers a sense of openness that enables
everyone to express whatever they're feeling in the moment. This is
how we know ourselves. We take the lid off all our feelings and
emotions. We bare our soul, and we realize we are not judged for
baring our soul. People who I've met along the way feel like they can
talk to me and unburden their soul no matter how shameful they feel
about it.
Our sole Purpose is Awakening, which is the undoing of the ego, and so
we are guided by the Holy Spirit within, and we never lead with the
form. Jesus teaches that nothing the world believes is true and that
every belief held in the mind must be questioned and undone, in order
to be shown what reality is. It is not of this world. Living in
Purpose is abstract, it involves being highly intuitive and it
involves a deep devotion to mind training.
Although it can be helpful for those new to mind training to have some
structure / routine to come together to discuss what is coming up to
be healed and released, conforming to set rules & routines dissolves
the deeper one goes into Mysticism. Jesus teaches that no two people
see the same world, which is why there is no universal agreement upon
anything. The only solid foundation is a deep, shared Purpose with
trust and willingness to unlearn all concepts - including those of
family, authority, work, life-style, use of time, use of resources etc.
We live as Jesus did, traveling where invited without expectations of
reciprocity. We are not interested in growing or building anything -
these concepts have been dissolved. Purpose is a full time devotion
and it can look different for everyone. With unfolding peace house
communities in the United States, Sweden, Belgium, and Australia it is
important to realize that there is no central authority or unifying
structure with any of them. The Spirit directs the way and each
seeming spiritual community unfolds through intuitive Guidance
received by the founders and the participants. I am always happy to
offer teaching-learning resources and materials for these communities,
and these are to be disbursed freely and on a donation basis.
As for Guidelines, I received the following from the Holy Spirit to
assist the developing spiritual communities:
A Guide to Spiritual Practice with Awakening Mind
The Holy Spirit offers this 10 step Guide that can be used as a
Guideline for spiritual practice. The focus is expressing Divine
Principle in action:
1. Volunteers- Awakening Mind does not involve the concept of
membership and therefore relies entirely upon volunteers for every
aspect of the ministry. Volunteers receive no financial compensation
and no perks or tangible rewards for their devotion to Awakening. The
benefits given & received are entirely Spiritual & always purely and
simply a State of Mind.
2. Non-profit- Awakening Mind is completely non-profit. The Purpose
for the ministry is experiencing Present Inner Peace through
forgiveness and thus there is no incentive to grow larger or attain
money or power or possessions or property. Present peace is content
with the Present Moment and therefore unconcerned with the past or
future.
3. Intuitive- Awakening Mind encourages everyone to develop intuitive
listening to their Inner Guide and to trust and depend upon this
Guidance for decisions in everyday living. How one feels is a
barometer for discerning that which is intuitively helpful, and peace
is its own reward.
4. Divine Providence- Awakening Mind nurtures the awareness and
experience that trust would settle every problem now. Trust in the
Holy Spirit & Christ is the means Given by God to Answer every seeming
problem that arises in perception. Participants in the ministry are
always referred and directed to the Voice for God within and toward
the recognition that God is the Creator & Source & Provider.
5. Non-judgment- All comparisons & opinions & assumptions naturally
give way to Intuitive Guidance as a practical Alternative to conflict.
Guidance is always respected and following Inner Guidance is always
encouraged. The outcome of listening to and following the Holy Spirit
& Christ is always peace, love, happiness, freedom, & joy. There need
not be any exceptions to trusting Inner Guidance and living a life of
integrity and honesty and harmony.
6. Generosity- To give is to receive. Awakening Mind honors the Divine
Law of Love. Freely you have received, now freely give. Giving is an
attitude that extends Love and continuously receives and experiences
Love extending. Love knows no lack or scarcity or deprivation. Love is
an Abundant State of Mind that is whole and completely Shared.
7. No private thoughts- Awakening Mind is the experience of Union, a
Unified Mind in which there is no secret kept apart from Spirit.
Everything is openly revealed in the Light of Truth. Love has nothing
to hide and is forever openly revealed exactly As It Is. Only the
Thoughts of God can be shared, and there is nothing else to share.
8. No people pleasing- Awakening Mind advocates always following Inner
Guidance and accepting complete responsibility for one's state of
mind. Conformity to `external authority' or unconscious beliefs is
never authentic or helpful on the spiritual journey. The laws of the
land need not be broken if one follows the Inner Guidance of the Holy
Spirit, and impeccable integrity is the certain outcome of yielding to
the Holy Spirit for all decisions. `Holy Spirit decide for God for me'
is our constant prayer of gratitude, and it is very practical. This
yielding to the Spirit offers immediate results.
9. No control over the world- With total responsibility for one's
state of mind also comes the realization that there is nothing to
control in this world. The Observer is One with everything and now all
things are perfect exactly As Is. Atonement is a state of perfect
Acceptance. Such is the happy dream of forgiveness, the forgiven world.
10. Peaceful Experience- Awakening Mind is an experience that
transcends all specific concepts. Divine Silence simply Is. Simply do
this: Be still, and lay aside all thoughts of what you are and what
God is; all concepts you have learned about the world; all images you
hold about yourself. Empty your mind of everything it thinks is either
true or false, or good or bad, of every thought it judges worthy, and
all the ideas of which it is ashamed. Hold onto nothing. Do not bring
with you one thought the past has taught, nor one belief you ever
learned before from anything. Forget this world, forget this course,
and come with wholly empty hands unto your God.
It feels like the years to come will see the symbol of spiritual
community used by the Holy Spirit to experience complete forgiveness
of the dream of separation. In the coming years the Messengers of
Peace plan to visit spiritual communities in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia/South Pacific, where and when there is a strong Call to forgive and Awaken. The visits will most often be longer than the travels and talks and workshops and repeats of the past 17 years, and offer many moment to moment, day to day opportunities to put the Purpose into practice in a very direct, effective way.
I hope to meet with you and your community as it unfolds, and rejoice
together in the Love of God as obstacles to Love are exposed and
removed. Thanks be to God for leading everyone Home.
In Love & Gratitude Always,
David <mysticspiritone@yahoo.com>
http://awakening-
http://miracleshome
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In celebration of MDC's 30th anniversary, we're bringing our popular Weekend of Miracles to the Sunshine State! On April 4th and 5th 2008, Beverly and the staff of MDC will present a transformational weekend of lectures, experiential exercises and music, all designed to help the truths of A Course in Miracles come alive for you. Space is limited so please reserve your place early. 
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The Holy Encounter 
