Opening Someone Say an Opening Prayer Or Read This One

Three Modern Mystics Study Guide

Eighth Week: Following the Highest Path Week of July 28, 2008 or beyond

You should have read the following in Your Soul’s Compass for this week Chapter 6 p. 67-86 Chapter 8 p. 101-115 Chapter 10 p. 139-148 Chapter 13 p. 183-197

Opening – Someone say an opening prayer or read this one.

We open to the Divine Guidance of God. We open to all that God knows for us. We know the Mind of God to have all knowledge and that knowledge that is for us, specifically. We know that we have access to that knowledge because our mind is the Mind of God. We know that we are on a life course with guidance available to us so that we are able to live the life we took birth to live, filled with joy and well-being. We give thanks for our divine experience and guidance together and alone. We let this be and release our prayer to the operation of the Mind of God. Amen.

Discernment – Knowing what is true guidance and what is our ego wanting something and being very clever to make it seem to us like we are receiving divine guidance are two places in consciousness, which are extremely important for us to differentiate. In Chapter 6 Borysenko writes about the “fruits of the Spirit” on page 74 and beyond. Her words come from Paul as he writes in Galatians, “The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” On the other hand, destructive behaviors that are the opposite of fruits of the Spirit include adultery, lust, idolatry, greed, revenge, hatred, cheating, gossip, intentional hurt, satisfaction at another’s pain, lying, anger, envy, to name a few. It is very illustrative to share stories of both fruits of the Spirit and their opposite. Share stories in which you really wanted a particular outcome and participated in some of the behaviors that we would think did not come from Spirit. What happened and how did it feel? How did other people feel? Did you get what you wanted? Was it satisfying? Then share stories in which it is easy to answer, “ Where is the love?” or “Where is generosity?” What was the outcome with these stories?

Listening One Another Toward Wholeness – In Chapter 10, Borysenko writes about how important a community is in helping its members live their highest intentions and really discern and follow the urgings of Spirit. On page 111, Borysenko quotes Rev. Suzanne Fageol, writing about loved ones truly seeing her: “There’s a quality of listening, a holding, of me in my best self that they have a picture of, and the ability to make inquiries that open my experience and help me shift out of ego or move into Spirit.” Each person use your group to ask for that spiritual mirroring. Share a course of action that you are considering, or a moral dilemma that you are facing, or a desire that you are not sure of, and ask for assistance in coming to Spirit for inspiration. This is not a time to ask for advice or to give advice, but to see and mirror back each person’s magnificence so they can find their own spiritual guidance. Remember each person has access to the Mind of God; we can remind each other of that Truth.

Taming the Ego – In the tenth chapter, Borysenko writes about getting to the bottom of the clever ego that wants importance, recognition, and a secure separate identity, which feeds on pride and inspires fear in us. (Don’t you just want to give the ego a good cuddle, tell it that all is fine and just go play?) She tells us, on page 140, of Reb Zalman, who celebrates Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish Day of Atonement, by “asking two or three good friends to point out the things that may be obstructing his way that he can’t see himself.” You are encouraged to do this with your group. You get to request feedback on your blind spots. You might ask, “I have wanted a relationship for a long time and I must be doing something that I cannot see in myself to keep it away; can you see it?” Or another example might be, “I have worked on my prosperity consciousness for a long time and I must not be aware of something that I believe. Do you know what it might be?” This is a time to be ever so lovingly honest with the members of your group, who are putting themselves out so vulnerably for the purpose of spiritual growth.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecies – On page 185 Borysenko writes of Fred Polak’s study of the rise and fall of world cultures in his book, the Image of the Future. He documented that the “most reliable indicator of any civilization’s continuing vitality or imminent decline could be found in its dominant images of the future. These hypothetical riveting projections of collective hopes or fears tend to operate, Polak showed, as self-fulfilling prophecies.” Each of us has access to some news sources, studies, or stories that are positive and illustrate the creative process at work in powerful and healing ways for our country, our world, and for the planet, herself. Share these stories with your group, co-creating positive self-fulfilling prophecies for our future. If you are moved to DO something about these stories, that is, contribute in some way – great. Let me know!

Beginning the Ending Process – You have all the books you have read with you at this, your final meeting. Share with your group the most powerful idea you thought about during these eight weeks and tell why this idea affected you so strongly. Share with your group how it was to be together for this time in spiritual communion. It might be fun for your group to attend the Three Modern Mystics event together on August 9th. Make these plans, if you desire. You might also want to make new agreements about continuing your group in some new form. Even if this is the case, it is now time to consciously draw this experience together to a loving conclusion.

Closing – Share a detail about each person in your group that you especially appreciated. Someone say a closing prayer or everyone repeat this to each other: “May the highest expression of your life come through you in perfect ways for your own joy and for the greatest contribution to the world. You are an unrepeatable miracle.”

GOOD WORK, EVERYONE!