September06StudyGuide

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 - at THE INN OF CHICAGO - 11:00 A.M.

JOEL

S. GOLDSMITH: THE 1962 LONDON SPECIAL CLASS

“The Temple Not Made With Hands,’” Tape 3, Side 2

Now you can see that if we keep going within in order that we may make more harmonious this discordant human self, we will

not be “dying” to it, we will be catering to it; we will not be “putting off” that “old man,” we will be trying to dress him up with a

few patches to make him look better. This is the metaphysical life, really: it is taking our sickness of today and making it healthy,

and then when the next sickness comes along, overcoming

that

and making it healthy, and so forth. Then, if a period of lack comes

in, let’s overcome

that

and have some abundance; none of these things being permanent. The reason is this: our human selfhood isn’

t permanent. Our human self is in a constant state of flux, because the basic element of our human self is the belief in two powers.

Good and evil constitutes our humanhood. Therefore, the best we can do is demonstrate some good, knowing that evil is right

around the corner and will have to be dealt with in its time. But if we can overcome the human self, if we can die [to], if we can

put off that human self with its belief in good and evil, and awaken to our true identity, then, of course, we are through with

“patch-work;” we are through, then, with demonstrating some good today and wondering what we will have to meet next year.

Within each of us is the perfected Self that never has fallen, never has left heaven, never can gain heaven. It is already a state

of heaven; it is already living the perfected life, the spiritual life, the Christ-life, that can never be crucified, can never be

resurrected, can never be ascended, because it already is the perfected Self. That is called, within us, the Son of God, or the

Christ, or it is called “the hidden manna,” or it is called “the pearl of great price.” Yes, it is called “the robe of immortality;” we

must all be “clothed upon with immortality.”Actually it is

you

; actually it is

; actually it is our

Self

, and we do not patch it up, we

do not demonstrate for it, we do not heal it; we cannot even make progress with it: we can bring it to light. We can bring to light,

in our experience

our perfected Self, our Christ-self. But in order that we may accomplish this, we have to go into our meditation,

not with the idea of meeting an outside problem, because what we are trying to do is to die to the “self” that has a problem, not

have the same self without a problem. Think of this, now, because this is your spiritual goal: not developing a self that has no

problems, but dying to the self that has them or has not them and being reborn of our already perfected Self.

For Meditation

: "All appearances are sense-objects – not of God, or Truth." - Joel, Wisdom #127.

For Study:

THE MYSTICAL I, Chapter 9.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 - 12:30 P.M.

VIRGINIA STEPHENSON: THE 2004 PHOENIX CLASS

"The Light of the World," Tape 2, Side 1 (No. 0435)

There are students, here, that have been led to contribute in political ways for issues they felt were unjust, and that, too, is a

calling. We don’t say you can’t do that. Like Joel said, he certainly felt that Florence Nightingale was called to do what she was to

do. So, there is a right place for all of these things.

[However,] He said that, “in the period that lies just ahead, let us remember to open ourselves to spiritual Grace, instead of

trying to work out the rights and wrongs of any problem, personal or national. In this way, we will be able to introduce that spiritual

element that will change the picture; it will transform society. ... By living the spiritual principles without speaking of this, then

others witness what takes place and are led to us. ... Let us enter meditation, not for the purpose of changing a condition, but for

the purpose of enlightenment.” See what a burden that takes off you? When you are focused on a human situation and you are trying

to change it, trying to bring truth to

bear

on the problem, you’re going to fail, because

spiritual power doesn’t contend with

nothingness

. There’s no contention in “My kingdom.” So it’s important that we don’t allow the issues to be joined. When the issue is

joined, we’re into the mental argument; and that is what this world is in now, a mental argument. It is being expressed, in political

life, and as warfare, and it’s a mental argument, the basis of it. It’s an ideology of “right and wrong,” who’s right and who’s wrong.

It is all based on

fear

, and there is no fear in love, no fear in love at all. If I am incorporeal Being, infinite Life, and the substance of

my being is Love, I’m indestructible. You can kill this body, and another one will be raised up. I’m not afraid of having this body

taken away. Another one will be right there, because Life is always embodied, it cannot be without its self-expression. So, when

you look at the human mentality, it’s a constant argument, it’s a belief system, and there’s no solution on that level, because it’s

always going on: it’s called “the arena of conflicting forces.”

For Study

: Virginia's Monthly Lesson For September, 2006; Subscriptions for Virginia’s Monthly Lessons:

Leslie Lewis, 340 108th St. West., Bradenton, FL 34209 (941)794-2150 llewis17@tampabay.rr.com

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 - at

UNITY ON THE NORTH SHORE

- 7:30 P.M.

GENESIS, Awakening From the Dream

, by Virginia Stephenson,

Chapter 9: “The Sixth Day: Immortality”

The discernment of the second day is expanded in the sixth day when God appears as Man, made in His image and likeness, full

of grace and truth. The beasts of the field, the cattle and all creatures are brought into being after their own kind, but man is made

in the image and likeness of God, having all the qualities and capacities of God. He is not brought forth with the animals but is

immaculately conceived in divine Consciousness ans individual being. “... Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... .”

These plural pronouns refer to the divine Principle: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This is the triune

principle of Being, Whose attributes are life, truth, and love. Principle and Its idea is one. God, Consciousness, appears as conscious

being individually expressed. This Consciousness is invisible, infinite, and immortal, embracing all mankind. As this Consciousness

unfolds individually, It is the Son of God appearing. I AM manifests as I AM through the Sonship-consciousness, for each of us is the

unfolding of the One.

The glory of God is revealed as the character of the male/female of His creating: “... in the image of God created he him; male

and female created he them.” The Infinite Unseen encloses deep within Itself the eternal masculine and the eternal feminine

principles. The male and the female are in perfect balance in each manifestation of spiritual creation. Through the perfect union of

Spirit and Soul, the Fatherhood and the Motherhood of God unfold and disclose the Son, the living Word, Who upholds all creation

in is perfection and completeness. In this hymn of creation there is no human conception, only spiritual unfoldment. The spiritual

principle of IS and AS is revealed allegorically for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Divine Light, or Life, is appearing as

individual being. Love is manifesting as the activity of love; Truth is manifesting as the consciousness of truth. Therefore, in the

image and likeness of Life, Truth, and Love, man is not the limited being he appears to be, but is unlimited Being.

God commands his offspring to be fruitful. As Spirit quickens and activates the Soul-faculties, the fruit of the Spirit, “... love,

joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. ...”, [Galatians 5:22-23] is revealed and replenishes

the earth. Illumined men and women are on earth to establish God’s government and to impart this legacy of grace to every

generation. Peace on earth, good will to all mankind is the charge, and Love is the only way.

Subdue

means to refine. The spiritualization of consciousness is a refining process. Just as gold is refined in the furnace of fire to

remove its impurities, the human experience is our refining process, where its impurity of material sense is separated from the

gold of our spiritual nature. Our furnace of fire is the variety of opportunities that enable us to outgrow our human nature. These

opportunities may look like problems, but they are being presented to us for growth in grace.

For Meditation

: GENESIS 1:24-31

For Study

: GENESIS, Awakening From the Dream, Chapter 9.

SIGNPOSTS

“For centuries those functioning in the unillumined human mind have tried to reconcile God to the mortal concept of man and

universe, but just as the first and second chapters of Genesis can never be reconciled to each other, neither can we reconcile God

to the material sense of existence. Material sense has no relationship to the truth, and there is no way in which God can be

reconciled to a misconception.”

- Virginia Stephenson

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we personalize, we go AWOL (Absent, Without LOVE)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What is the most essential point in becoming aware of God? And that really is the most important question that can ever be asked.

What is the most necessary step for us to take in becoming aware of God? Well, the most important step for us to take is this: To

acknowledge God to be all there is to us. When we acknowledge God to be our mind; when we acknowledge God to be the life of

us, the soul, the spirit of us; when we make the acknowledgment that God is the only element and only activity and the only law of

our being, then we have taken the most essential step in becoming aware of God.”

- Joel, RISING IN CONSCIOUSNESS, Pgs. 96-97

~~~~~~~~~~~~

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 - at

THE INN OF CHICAGO

- 11:00 A.M.

JOEL S. GOLDSMITH: THE 1957 INNER WORKING GROUP

“Function, Action, Law of Mind,’” Tape 4, Side 1

It is possible that on this coming trip, that the Work, wherever I go, will center around this one single point; because there is

just no use of me traveling around the world, talking, talking, talking, ... and having so few people able to carry on after I leave.

And there’s only one reason; this is the point they’re not catching; they think that there’s something beyond this, or they think

there’s some miracle way of making contact with God. You can’t make contact with God through hypnosis, because that’s the only

sense of separation there is. Sitting around, meditating, in the midst of the hypnosis ... . Nothing breaks hypnosis, except facing it

and realizing its nothingness. Nothing breaks it but that. Mystics, throughout the years, have had conscious contacts with God, and

still lived in their hypnotism. It’s because the world has never acknowledged one power, NEVER! Never at any time. There have

been a few people, like Lao-tzu, Buddha, ... John, who caught some vision of one power; but it died with them. Mrs. Eddy caught

it, and a lot of those around her caught it, for a good while, but it died with

them

. I think that is the hypnosis, that’s what brought

on Adam and Eve’s expulsion: the hypnosis takes the form of two powers, and as long as you see two powers, you are under the

hypnosis. When you see only one power, the hypnosis is not operating. As long as you can look at any form and say there isn’t any

good or evil, not even a power of good. There is only Good, Itself, but not as a power, as a condition. Only then is the hypnosis

broken. Now, it is easy to say it, it is easy to repeat it: it’s not easy to demonstrate it, because it has to be practiced, practiced,

practiced, hundreds of times daily, until actually the hypnosis breaks. On the other hand, you can intensify it by over-practice, by

making it seem as if it were a power that you have to break, instead of having to break the belief within you that it is a power.

See the difference? ... I know that it leaves a question: “Yes, but where is God in all of this?” As long as there is hypnosis, there is a

sense of separation from God, and that’s why there is no spiritual demonstration. A spiritual demonstration only begins to take place

when that hypnosis is broken.

For Meditation

: “Go at it [a claim] as if it were a power, and it will lick you! Go at yourself, as if you were overcoming any belief

that it

had

a power, and you’ll master it.” Joel, from the tape

For Study

: CONSCIOUSNESS IS WHAT I AM, Chapter 3.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 - 12:30 P.M.

JOHN STEPHENSON: THE 2006 WAIKIKI CLASS

"Floating In Oneness," Tape 2, Side 2 (No. 0602)

Are we subject to material law on the Other Side? It’s like saying, “Is there karma? Is there punishment? If we have been a

sinner, if we have done really bad things, are we going to get punished when we die? Are we going to go to hell?

there a heaven

and a hell?” Well, all of those are material concepts. [Do] you realize in Jesus’ message, there is no punishment. Not once does he

mention punishment. When the woman was taken in adultery and brought to him in the temple by the Pharisees, it was a test to see

if Jesus would obey the law of Moses and condemn this woman and have her punished for her sin of being a prostitute. When Jesus

contemplated, and he thought - you see the way Omniscience works. He didn’t say “yes” or “no,” he said, “You, (all of you priests

and Pharisees and Sanhedrin,) you who are without sin, let him cast the first stone.” Their conditioning was punishment; their

conditioning was “an eye for an eye.” So, if they were to cast the first stone, they would be admitting that they were absolutely

blameless, and they couldn’t do that under their conditioning. They all walked away, and Jesus said to the woman, “Neither do I

condemn you.” He wasn’t going to punish her. “Go and sin no more.” Don’t go and violate your spiritual integrity by living a material

life; but you’re not going to get punished. Love isn’t going to punish you.

When he was being crucified, the thief on the cross, “This moment, today, you will be with me in Paradise.” Not, “Oh, you bad

person! You’re being executed for a crime, and you are going to go to hell!” No, “today you will be with me in Paradise.” And that

is not a personal statement, because Jesus taught this impersonal nature of the spiritual life. “Today you will be with me in

Paradise” is every person who has come to that place where they are dying to their material sense of life, their humanhood, all the

good and all the bad. And the moment we die to our humanhood, that instant we are in Paradise, because that instant we have

stepped out of this human conceptual world of crime and punishment, good and evil, all the pairs of opposites, and we have

stepped into that dimension of Now, that dimension of Oneness.

So, the Other Side, all we carry with us on the Other Side is what we have developed spiritually, because the whole human

picture and all of the concepts of good and evil are left behind. ... What is the truth we know about God? That is what we carry

with us.

For Study

: THE JOURNEY BACK TO THE FATHER’S HOUSE, Chapter 7 (July, 1979 Letter).

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 at

259 SKYLINE DR., CARPENTERSVILLE

- 7:30 P.M.

Class and Tape:

LUELLA OVEREEM: THE 1974 MILL VALLEY CLOSED CLASS

"Why Do We Lose Things?" Tape 2, Side 1 (Click this link to listen:

http://www.infinite-invisible.net/AudioFilesPage.html

)

We lose things because we think they are material; there is no other reason. You can’t lose anything except a concept; and it

would be better if we could lose them more easily! If you believe that something is a “thing,” it is “material,” and that the material

sense of it is the reality, like the light [reflecting] in a pail, [you believe] “that’s real light in the pail,” and you try to take it into a

dark closet, you don’t have it, because it wasn’t there [in the pail, but in the source of the light.]

If you have a problem, [it is] like an arrow-sign, along the road, pointing to the city; and ... the city, let us say, is your

consciousness of God. ... If you’re next to an arrow that’s pointing to the city, you know that you’re not

the city, you’re out of

it, you’re outside it. If you’re in the middle of the city, you don’t see any arrows pointing

the city, but if you are outside it,

there’s going to be arrows pointing to it. Well, so that’s all a problem is, it’s an indication that you’re outside of God-realization.

So, you don’t sit down and camp by the sign, and you don’t pull it up and take it with you. It is there as a direction.

For Study and Meditation: