[Unknown Member]

May 1, 2014 Round One: I have always felt that I am protected. I do not hesitate to take a leap of faith out of fear of the consequences.

“Here you must realize that your preparation requires that you step away from fear and darkness and that you step forward into the light of truth.”>/em>

As I continue with Steps I feel this stepping forward into the light of truth more and more. Someone reading this may think I am just saying this, making it up, but I assure you I am not. Taking the Steps to Knowledge has been the most affirming thing I have ever done. It affirms for me things I have long known, things that have become buried in my consciousness, but are now beginning to surface again.

I am not afraid, I know there is a Greater Power in the world and I am so happy to be consciously aware of it.

June 25, 2015 Round Two: “Here you must realize that your preparation requires that you step away from fear and darkness and that you step forward into the light of truth.”>/em>

I continue to step forward into the light of truth.

May 23, 2019 Round Three: The darkness of fear and imagination can only take hold if I deny the reality that there is a Greater Power in the world. This Greater Power returns me to the beneficence of Knowledge and allows me to re-enter true preparation and restore my complete engagement. The world can take nothing from me when I am a source of Knowledge. This awareness calls for my complete participation in the world and my complete service to Knowledge. When I see there is a Greater Power working in the world, I will realize I have brought my Ancient Home with me and that my Ancient Home is here as well. I am beginning to realize this. I have found my Ancient Home here in the world in Krasnaya Ushna. I have no fear, for the world cannot take anything away from me when I abide with Knowledge and Knowledge abides with me.

[Dave]

319

Why should I be afraid when a greater power is in the world?

I don’t know. Why SHOULD I be afraid when a greater power is in the world? I suppose it depends upon what I want. If and when we find ourselves searching for the ‘better way’, then we may begin to question ourselves. When you’re in the midst of fear, it can be very difficult in the moment to do or think anything. Anyone who has really felt this to some degree would understand and agree. Fear is sticky. It’s hard to process unless you’ve had practice or help or both.
The lesson here, at least, opens the door to begin to inquire; to shine the light of our mind upon it.

The aspirant must get some distance from fear. Getting above it when you can; pick it up; look from different angles and see just how the ego is maneuvering. This is what it means to ‘shine a light upon it.’ The seeker must also go directly into the fear. The thing feared must be entered for the way out is through. (Have you heard this before?)

Entering into fear is how we get distance from fear. Understanding what fear is and how it works is paramount if we would succeed. This has been my experience anyway. Have you had success my brothers? Or do you still struggle? Process is a paradox sometimes. Just like Truth.

So since we can understand there is a Greater Power, why fear?

From the first paragraph then,.. there is this:

“Whenever you fall into the darkness of fear, you are withdrawing from Knowledge and entering the darkness of imagination.”

There’s a lot going on just in this one sentence. Test me out here. See if I am wrong. But if you don’t know the terminology then you won’t really understand the Step.

Falling into the darkness of fear
withdrawing from Knowledge
entering the darkness of imagination

These are all the same thing said in different ways. You are of two Minds; only one of them is True. You are either in the personal mind(ego) or the Spirit Mind. You continually choose between these two systems of thought. If we fall into the darkness of fear we have simply made the choice to perceive through the personal mind, the imagination; and so we have withdrawn from Knowledge. This is so because you cannot be both thought systems. You go into one completely or in the other completely.

It ain’t so bad because if you’re in the Spirit Mind, you are there completely. I wonder what that is like? Got any ideas?
The question really becomes, “How do I know the difference between the two systems of thought?”

Next is as I stated: “Whenever you fall into the darkness of your own fear, you are denying the reality of a Greater Power in the world and are thus losing its beneficence for yourself. “

The Greater Power is, of course, Knowledge. Fall into the personal mind (ego) and you deny Knowledge (Spirit). And vice versa! Easy.

And:

“Whenever you fall into the darkness of your own fear, you are following the teaching of fear, which runs rampant in the world. You are allowing yourself to be a student of fear. You are allowing yourself to be governed by fear. Recognize this and you will realize that this need not be, that you have the power to redirect your studenthood and that you have the ability to re-enter true preparation.”

We have some good terms here:

Teaching
Student
Allowance
Recognition
True Preparation

Let’s start here: “Whenever you fall into the darkness of your own fear, you are following the teaching of fear….”

Falling into the darkness….is simply making the choice for your personal mind. While in the egoic system of thought you are following the teaching of fear. Teaching implies learning. What you teach is what you will learn. To say it another way…, what you demonstrate is what you will learn or what you will be shown or what you will believe when you see it. What goes out must come back. Karma—- Instant karma——The state and quality of your awareness flows out from you and then it is reflected back to you.

This is the Law of the Mind. So let us ask again: Why should you be afraid when there is a Greater Power in the world?

You are going to teach or demonstrate whatever it is you are believing. Whatever you are believing is a statement of what you desire. This is where you will place your Faith and Faith is the power of your Mind. Place your Faith in fear and it comes alive in the world you perceive. It is reflected back to you. This Step is clearly pointing to this Truth of your Mind. “You are not the victim of the world you see.” (ACIM) You are the Cause of the world you see. It is YOU that is this Greater Power in the world and because of this you need not be afraid.

If we are students, then this implies that we are learning something. Or, at least, there is something to learn. What we are learning is what we are demonstrating or teaching. So teach from the Spirit Mind; allow Knowledge to direct your teaching and then Truth is what is reflected back to us. This is the way.

Recognition is the key. As the Course says, “Recognize the problem and you have recognized the answer.” This is clever because it is saying that recognition is the answer—the recognition of the movements of the personal mind (ego). We must become incredibly adept at spotting when ego flows into our awareness. And we mustn’t resist it!! ALLOWANCE is the way. I am the Cause of this disturbance. And now can I allow it? As The Way of Mastery states, “Become a Master of Allowance.”

True Preparation: Will anyone venture a guess as to what is meant by this? Very simply, true preparation is the process of awakening itself—the training of the Mind to relinquish attack. In the darkness of our imagination we must learn to wade in. This is the part no one wants to do. Here is the ‘Dark Night’ of St. John of the Cross. And as he says: “In the dark night of the soul….., bright flows the River of God.”

There’s much more in this Step but that’s all for now.
Go with God.