Everyone wants freedom – the freedom to survive, the freedom to be secure, the freedom to meet the basic needs of life: food, water, clothing and shelter. Everyone wants the freedom to pursue their goals and interests. Everyone wants the freedom to establish meaningful relationships with others.
Developing Clarity and Discernment
Certainly, becoming aware of what you think and why you think what you think is directly connected to how you see what you see and what you value. If you are taught to think in a certain way, then you will only see certain things that are associated with that, and this will help determine what you value.
Developing Greater Honesty
It is necessary that We talk about honesty within the context of preparing for the Greater Community and learning how to follow and live The Way of Knowledge. It could be said that the experience of Knowledge is the experience of profound honesty. This is the result of wanting to know the truth above and beyond all other considerations. It could be said that learning The Way of Knowledge is learning the way of honesty—going beyond the honesty of what you feel and think into the honesty of what you truly know.
The Determination
You were born with a purpose and a mission in life – a service to perform given to you before you came, planted deep within you beneath the surface of your mind, planted deep beyond the reach of your worldly mind and intellect so that it could be preserved and not contaminated – only emerging when you are prepared and mature enough to recognize the true need for this, the true need to find your real direction in life.
Maintaining Relationships
A relationship worth maintaining is the one worth starting again.
What are the necessary criteria and the basic requirements for maintaining a primary relationship?
First, it is necessary that you share a commitment to each other’s spiritual development. Second, you must be able to function together harmoniously in the mundane world. Third, you must meet each challenge as it comes along. The challenges will come along one after the other. They may seem difficult at first, but they provide the means for your relationship to become established. If seen correctly, these challenges enable you to grow closer together and grow outwardly at the same time.
The Pillar of Work
We will divide our conversation regarding work into three categories. The first is your work in the world. The second is your greater work. And the third is the handling and contribution of money.
Let us start with your work in the world. To build a foundation for learning and living The Way of Knowledge, it is necessary that you be able to provide for yourself in order to meet your basic needs and expenses and that you deal with these resources—money, time and effort—effectively. If this is neglected, you will be disabled in your attempt to build your foundation and to begin your journey into the next great stage of your life, which is the reclamation of Knowledge and the discovery of a greater purpose.
Fear and Fearlessness
You have two fundamental aspects to your nature. You have a personal mind, which is associated with your body, a mind that has been conditioned by your cultures, your society, your families and by nature itself. This mind is driven by the need for survival. It is driven by the need for security and for resources. It is fundamentally fearful because it is so very aware of the risks and the prospect of loss in the future. It is haunted by this prospect of loss, and it is governed by the need to offset these risks.
The Pillar of Health
There is a great deal of conversation in the world about how to regain, enhance and maintain health. But let us look at a more fundamental question before we deal with these questions. That question is, What is health? What constitutes genuine health within a person?
Sex and Sexuality
It is important that We address the issue of sex and sexual relationships. This is such an important part of the human experience and such an area of confusion and misappropriation that it must be addressed as a significant part of any approach to living a more meaningful and more powerful life.