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Instructors' Training Manual |
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Instructors' Training Manual |
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A copy of The Instructors' Training Manual,
written by Maharaji, which follows an explaination by the
contributing ex-Instructor. Pay close attention to the
flow-chart revealing the simple path of Knowledge. |
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This manual was given to the instructors (part-time and full-time) during their Instructor Qualification Training in the 1980s. Instructors are high-ranking representatives of Elan
Vital (EV). They are supposed to be able to explain M.'s
teaching. They are qualified by M. only, and not by EV. They
are supposed to be qualified by the International
Learning Center (ILC) if they pass the exam at the end
of their training course. That exam is of course a big joke.
Some candidates never passed this exam, probably because
they did not fit M.'s personal criteria (he didn't like
them). Every paragraph was discussed during these one-week
sessions, between M. and the Instructor Candidates.
In these discussions, M. of course would say lots of things
that he would never dare to write, like: if people have
critics, fuck them. M. tried to persuade instructors to keep it a secret for themselves (like with the Secret Techniques of Knowledge), creating this way the same kind of relationship between him and the instructors. To maintain that special relationship, he also used a few other psychological tricks to create some kind of mysterious qualities to instructors. These included; special meetings with them and private invitations, first-row seats at conferences, keeping them without anything to do for prolonged periods and then calling them for a very special job, giving them personal gifts, allowing certain things to some and not to others - such as smoking, being married or having a boy/girlfriend, having a salary or not, authorization to deal with aspirants or not, keeping secret on certain tasks, having a private apartment or not, etc. saying openly that they are jerks, and that he may fire them whenever he wants to do so (he did a few times), and still keeping them close to him (love/hate/fear-paranoid relationship, for those who like it). Instructors' role:
What has changed since the 80s: Instructors no longer personally take care of the aspirants, except when time comes for the selection meetings. Aspirants preparation is made by watching videos where M. speaks of the various topics mentioned. If the aspirants have questions, they are encouraged to watch more videos, until M. answers these questions. As questions are more or less the same, M. regularly answers them in these aspirant's videos. Videos are also made with questions and answers sessions that M. has with people ready for Knowledge. That usually answers all questions. Aspirants are invited to special meetings where they can watch these videos. They are supposed to come regularly for a minimum of 6 months. |
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*****International
Learning Center i._Foreword The creation of this Training Manual marks a new era in instructor development. All processes have been evolutionary in nature, combined with years of experience being the soul guide, inspiration the main factor, desire to convey Knowledge the impetus and grace the overwhelming power. As always, in any endeavor, it is the intent of the International Learning Center to provide quality learning, but your effort as a participant completes the cycle. As you develop in the practice of your endeavor, hopefully these materials will provide you with the ease and the foreground needed for your growth. No one reason is sufficient to create the right understanding or the consciousness; sometimes many things or factors have to come together for a person to be able to achieve their goal(s). It is therefore, sincerely hoped that this Training Manual will be one of those tools. Your desire, persuasion, trust, faith, willingness to learn, openness and grace will provide the rest. ****INTRODUCTION The Purpose of this conference is to:
Please do not ever hesitate to ask any questions pertaining to the conference and the subject at hand. Do not feel shy or think that any question is too dumb to be asked. Asking questions only enhances the quality and the relativeness of the conference. It breaks the monotony of the conference and allows a fresh perspective. It also helps the conductor to evaluate the comprehension and its rate, therefore becoming more in tune with the participants. **** This training manual has been created to enhance your understanding regarding the instructorship and to assist you in your role as an instructor. These materials cover different topics for your discussion and reflection. Certain important factors can never be provided by a book, such as your commitment and willingness to function as an instructor. Perhaps for some, being an instructor means to have another plaque on the wall. For others it simply means to have conquered something that they saw as challenging. Maybe for others it means to join a group activity or an important activity so they can feel important themselves, for all the wrong reasons. It is sincerely hoped that that is not your intention, or motive, for being an instructor. All of the important aspects of instructorship can never be covered in a book. Sometimes it is a matter of personal discipline, understanding and the ability to put the different components in the right place. **** However, a great effort has been made in this training manual to cover as many important topics as possible, at this time. As we evolve so will this manual and that is certain. So please enjoy and pay close attention to all that is being offered to you via this training manual. CAUTION: All materials and discussions at the training seminar are confidential and must be kept confidential. Breach of confidentiality will lead you to be permanently disqualified from the instructorship program. You are also personally responsible for the safe keeping of all materials and notes. Loss of such items must be immediately brought to the attention of the International Learning Center personnel. The International Learning Center **** A person can learn by three methods: 1. Rote Of the three methods, comprehension is the only one that is enjoyable and long lasting. **** The rote method is usually adopted by people who are goal oriented. They want to "conquer". To them the end result is far more important than how they got there. Generally, a person is not committed to the process, but only to what he or she wants to conquer. Once conquered, the whole process becomes "a let-down". Sometimes, even why a person wanted to achieve that goal is forgotten. Whatever has been learned is easily discarded. It would be easy to blame the student for being in that mode. This should not be the case. There is certainly an element that the teacher has at his/her disposal. If a teacher judges that this person is utilizing the rote method of learning, then it is only fair to say that for this teacher to go on perpetuating the cycle would be wrong. The teacher should at least make an attempt to remotivate the person. In summary, a teacher has a big part to play in how a student learns and what the student accomplishes. **** The second method, of learning by fear, can only be
described as lethal to the learning process. The effects of
this method are not dissimilar to the first one. A person
will forget, or abandon, once the reason for the fear
changes. It is sometimes hard to believe that the fear may
actually be caused by the teacher, the institution or a
misunderstanding. When a person is afraid, they may not be
afraid of learning the particular topic, but they may just
be afraid to learn. It is not that they don't want to learn,
but the reason why they want to learn may be putting
unjustified pressure on them and thus really prohibiting
them the joy of comprehensive learning. If we consider for a
moment why a person would be afraid the reasons sometimes
are all too obvious. After all, we all love to judge, but
are afraid to be judged. Some of this responsibility must be shared by the teacher. It is easy for any teacher to put the burden of motivation on the student. But if one allowed themselves to step back, one could see that the teacher happens to be the most ideally suited person to provide the proper motivation needed for the full potential growth of the student. **** The third method is learning by comprehension. The dictionary defines comprehension as "inclusion, concept whose idea is so broad as to cover all other concepts; the act or action of grasping a process with the intellect; understanding of all difficulties; appreciative knowledge or knowing." To put it another way, to understand. To accept. This is any teacher's dream come true. When there is comprehension there is joy of learning. It fulfills the criteria most fundamental to learning. Not only is the student's self-worth catered to, but also the student feels good. When I say the student feels good, I don't mean he feels good because he had an ice cream cone, but because he has "boldly gone where he/she has not been before". Definitely learning produces uncertainty, but these uncertainties are finally resolved and the outcome is one of clarity. This is not only evident in the student but also in the teacher. A teacher has no greater joy than to feel that someone has understood something that they appreciate. **** Sometimes the role of a teacher can best be described as a camera and the student as the film. The camera does not retain the picture, but allows a process to unfold in which the picture is transferred to the film. As a teacher, sometimes we stop learning. Sometimes it is better to define the teacher as a student, because after all, one of the teacher's roles is to study the student. When a teacher is clear, the student will also be clear. If we use the analogy of the camera and the film, it is not necessarily that the film was out of focus, it's usually the lens. If the teacher was to see his or her role as one of creating the ideal environment for the student to flourish, and concentrate on that which is necessary for him or her, it would bring troth closer to a harmonized comprehensive field of learning which is joyful and satisfying to both the teacher and the student. It is easy for the teacher to become a know-it-all; this automatically has the implication for the student to become a NOT-know-it-all. At this point, the consequences of such an environment can lead to fear or rote methods of learning. ***** Management: a. Resources An instructor has to be a good manager. When dealing with other people, or themselves, it is management that is taking place and proper management of the aspirants and your own resources is invaluable. When instructors allow themselves to be over-burdened by the sheer challenge or the complexity of any problem, then defeat is unavoidable. How much time is available, and how to spend it wisely, is of course important. Time scattered is time wasted. An instructor must mentally prepare themselves for the event. After all, learning or teaching is not an on-off switch. If we take a look at any person as a corporation (ie. that there is a chairman of the board (or the owner), the president, vice-president, floor manager, secretary and the worker), then all of these people or elements combine to provide a certain final product. It is imperative that the purpose of the corporation be known to all involved. Then a natural harmony is created which frees up the necessary energies required for excellence to take place. Since, in this example, you are the owner, and the rest of it, you need to know exactly what your purpose is and exactly what product you want to produce. Following are some questions for your consideration: 1. Why do you want to become an instructor, or on the other side of the coin, why does the aspirant want to receive Knowledge? **** Topic A: If you want to manage your life, then are all aspects of life well understood by you? Do you consider them tangible and manageable? Topic B: Are you in control of the circumstances that control the events in your life? Would you rather control the circumstances or the events? Topic C: Can you really control all the events that lead to the end result, and is the end result always clear? Topic D: Do you know all the components of your life, and if they are manageable or not? Topic E: Do you believe that this has worked for you in the past and it will continue to work for you in the future? Since you are willing to leave everything to chance, where does your effort come in? **** COMPONENTS OF LEARNING Learning is a fascinating subject. Learning is partly natural and partly dependent upon the environment (i.e: needs and necessity). Let's break down learning into four categories. 1. Fundamental or automatic learning (de: seeing, touching, hearing, requiring no effort). 2. Walking, talking, eating (de: Learning that takes effort, and at a certain point becomes automatic, and is essential to some degree, for personal survival). 3. Social behavioral learning (de: How to dress, etiquette of talking, to be socially acceptable, to better harmonize with society and to fulfill the egoistical needs of the person). Education. 4. Self-Harmony. This is the kind of learning which is above and beyond the realm of automation. It goes beyond the egoistical satisfactions, or egoistical fulfilments. In this fourth kind of learning the primary objective is self-fulfillment. This kind of learning is not required for self-preservation, but is essential for the preservation of the inner self. **** Discussion: Let's consider two extremely important elements in learning. 1. The element of learning itself (Ie: Different inputs perceived and sensed by a person are given a cohesive meaning). 2. Fear. Fear is sparked by uncertainty. For an example, if we consider what we know up to a certain point in time, and consider that to be our house, then leaving that house and charting unknown territories creates uncertainty. That uncertainty threatens the following: self-preservation, self-worth, self-effort, self-accomplishment, and it can at times create self-doubt. These not only have an effect on one's mental process but can affect the physiology as well. The more we can endure the uncertainty the more learning can take place. Let's take some of these points and discuss them in further detail. **** Let's start with self-accomplishment. If a person realizes that so many years have been invested in a process of learning, and they come to an understanding that what they have learned is either not enough, or not correct, then it attacks the very essence of their ego and certainly makes one uncomfortable. Let me quote a very old saying 'It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.' Self-effort. Once the basic foundation of everything they know, that they have taken great efforts to preserve, is put in question, then the effort to get there, and the effort to go on, starts to be put in doubt (ie: I am comfortable where I am, I see no benefit for change). Here, a very interesting phenomenon of masking starts to take place; in other words, a person blinds themselves to all the other things except what they know and feel comfortable with. "What I don't know won't hurt me." Self-worth. If such basic foundations as
self-accomplishment and self-effort start to get questioned
then the self-worth is automatically placed in jeopardy. To
preserve one's self a person tends to resort to "I don't
want to hear about it, I don't want to know about it, I
don't want to have anything to do with it". Even though the word "doubt" sounds unreasonably harsh,
the consequence - that the person has felt something more
exists is in fact, the recognition of the deficit. Many
people never get to this point. Many people who do, realize
that only vacuums can be filled and that very vacuum, or the
recognition of it, creates the self-doubt. Of course, the
role of the teacher is ever present in all the processes of
learning, but when the student has self-doubt, the teacher
has to be ever present, ever aware, and be right there for
the person. Think of it as the "make it or break it"
point. Through a living master, this bucket acquires the capacity to expand. The more we allow the master to expand it, the more we can fill it. Therefore, the role of the master is not to fill the bucket as much as it is to expand it. **** I give no wisdom, for I do not want to part with it. *****AN
ASPIRANT As the dictionary describes it'd who aspires" and aspires is defined as "to yearn (for) or have a powerful or ambitious plan, desire, or hope (to do or be something) To rise to a great height [from latin ASPIRARE to breathe upon, from SPIRARE to breathe]." Doesn't that, by definition, make all of us aspirants? Don't we all desire and want the greater amount and quality of happiness? After all, no matter what situation we are in, don't we all innately want to feel fulfilled? So then how do we define an aspirant, except to include ourselves in the same processes as them? Someone seeking contentment and fulfillment. It's easy enough for anyone to point a finger and say "I have it, you don't". But the process of Knowledge is ever unfolding and is not static. **** When we are at a certain threshold of our beings, whether it is in time or understanding, we imagine what can make us fulfilled. Yet, when we arrive at the projected threshold, so much of the other environment has changed, that what we considered then, may not be valid now. Therefore, even to project what it is that can make a person happy now, may not be the same a year later. It is then easy to conclude that not only the wish, but the wisher, is in transit. The only thing that remains constant is the desire for being fulfilled. What causes this to remain constant, while the other parameters are always changing? Maybe the question can be answered much more easily than one might think. All that you have done has not satisfied the core from which this desire to be satisfied emerges. It may very well be that all of what we do, does not reach the real place, but bypasses it entirely. one thing I have always found curious is when people readily know what they don't want, but rarely ever know what they do want. Is it that we have trained ourselves all wrong? Is it that we have gotten used to doing and evaluating things the wrong way? Have we been trained by others, and ourselves, to know what to avoid, and in this training a major piece of information has been overlooked (i.e: what is it that you do want?) If that is the case, then we should be aware that these
are premises that an aspirant is going to come from. He or
she will more readily tell you what they don't want. But if
they do not know what they want, then what is it they are
looking for? The only common place that you and they have is
just that desire to feel content or fulfilled. Yet how does
one address that? How does one reach deep down within one's
own self and come up with the most honest and correct
desire, in relationship to what they want? When one wants to
pursue Knowledge this is even more magnified. Does this
person want to conquer or discover? When a person has already made up their mind exactly what
they want, it becomes a question, or the battle, of getting
there. Everything is seen as an obstacle. But in discovery
you don't have obstacles. Everything is closely connected to
the learning process. There is greater harmony, and in each
step, a greater satisfaction. An instructor's patience,
endurance, correction, and participation are indeed of
utmost importance in allowing a To a person who is in the conquering mode even the instructor, and what they are learning, becomes an obstacle, because they are totally goal oriented and getting the "degree" is the only important thing. Conquering is not necessarily bad and definitely allows a person to achieve specific goals. Discovery is a process much more attuned to life. A person learns, grows and knows that there is no limit to the endeavor they have undertaken. Believe it or not, people conquer-oriented, or goal-oriented, are constantly judging their progress by a very specific result. Sometimes they get the result and realize it is not pertinent or relevant to their lives anymore. Also, this process causes frustration. Those who are willing to go the discovery way will always find whatever they discover pertinent and relevant. Therefore, an instructor has to discover the aspirant and the aspirant has to discover themselves. It is through this process of discovery that the instructor can be instrumental. The word commitment strikes different chords in different people. But rarely do people understand what it means to be committed. We, as conscious human beings, are composed of three elements: the mind, the body and the soul. When these three are in unison then a true commitment takes place. only a person with high ideals can commit themselves, but only to a high ideal. Most of our lives we commit to things that have little or no significant impact in our lives and sometimes it is only one real thing that we can commit all ourselves to. **** Then the following questions must be asked: a. Can you make real commitment? Obviously answers to such questions are very personal. one cannot be expected to write or verbalize these answers. For these answers dwell in the heart, soul and the mind of an individual. **** In our daily routines and functions we make minor commitments. Sometimes we break them, sometimes we uphold them, but these commitments are not the kind of commitments that are being discussed here. The heart and soul of the commitment that is being discussed goes to the very core of one's existence. You, as an individual, and you alone can decide what you want to be committed to. A person without a commitment that touches their core, is a ship without a rudder, is a piano without keys, is a violin without strings, is a bird without wings, is a day without a sun. A real commitment is something that does not waver, nor can it be made towards something that does. Most of us perhaps never had to take such a daring step, but if one is to participate in the instructorship then this is a step we will have to take. once a person has committed themselves to this instructorship, they have also committed themselves to the Knowledge process and Maharaji, and this commitment has to be real, unquestionable and unwavering. Then, and only then, the fruits of making this commitment and the effort towards instructorship can be enjoyed. **** Sometimes in life believing is not enough. Faith and knowledge and an unquestionable desire are necessary as well. The choice is yours and always will be. ****ETHICS"The principles of conduct governing an individual or a profession- standards of behavior." (Webster's Third New International Dictionary). It would be easy to create very specific rules, covering very specific situations, and provide the instructors with a great list of what not to do. But that is not the purpose of this training. Rather it is expected that good conscious behavior, good judgment, and good discretion on the part of the instructor would be more appropriate, and perhaps serve a better function. If it all had to be put in one sentence then this sentence would be the most appropriate: "The behavior, the character, the display and the action of an instructor should always be impeccable." **** When one undertakes the responsibility to represent Knowledge, and the excellence it stands for, then that representative must be as flawless as what is being represented. There are many actions or behaviors that would seem appropriate, but to be an instructor means to rise above it and set a new standard of impeccability. To compromise one's position, or one's self, is compromising not only one's dignity and essence but also Knowledge and Maharaji as well. It is sometimes all too easy to hide behind the mask of ignorance and it is sometimes all too easy to hide under the protection of "I didn't know". But as an instructor this excuse is inexcusable. If you don't know then find out. Once you have compromised your position as an instructor, you have also compromised your role as an instructor. Impeccable behavior and character is the least that is expected of an instructor. ****PREPARING FOR A PROGRAMWhen preparing for a program the following elements are important:
****COMMUNICATIONFor people who think that giving a speech about any subject would be easy, it is sometimes a question of either: a. Write a speech and read it. But true talk, and true delivery, have little to do with writing or smart little "atoms". True talk is true conveyance. True conveyance is true talk, and that leads to true communication. True communication is not necessarily about truth, but conveys a true message. Thought and feeling combine to make a message; understanding, persistence and conviction help to convey it. Environment, concentration, relevance & simplicity help to transfer it into meaningful and useful pieces of information, thus establishing and completing the cycle one set out to accomplish. A heart felt message must be conveyed in a heart felt way. Before we go any further regarding communication, it is important to consider the following: a. Is the topic you are going to discuss, or talk about, really a heart felt subject? Here, even though the format is important, the above mentioned (a through f) are even more important. The know-how of delivery is easy to attain if all of the main ingredients are in place. Many people believe that a polished speech, or talk, is the only way to communicate. But there is no way to fool the heart. Of course a message must be delivered in a way that it is clear and comprehensible, but the content is of utmost importance. The opposite chair. This is the chair that not only is facing opposite in the auditorium, but has many more features about it that are opposite. When seated upon this chair, or standing in the particular spot, many odd things have been known to happen. First of all, the person pretends to know it all. It doesn't matter which question the audience throws at this person they seem to have an answer, even if the answer is wrong or irrelevant. Secondly, everything said to them is taken personally, even if the assault was on the guy across the street. Sometimes either this person is over-sympathetic, or over-crude and malicious, as though everyone was out to attack them. There rarely seems to be a person who is just themselves, delivering a message that is pure and simple. Another name for this seat is the hot seat or the hot spot. once standing or seated at this spot, one assumes that everyone is out to put them down, embarrass them or make them look like they don't know anything. When speaking, or answering questions, just be yourself. If you don't know the answer, then it seems obvious that the appropriate answer would be "I DON'T KNOW". If you are unsure, then get clear on what the question is. Remember that the question asked is not always the intended question. Try to be aware of what is going on inside the person. Here are some helpful hints: a. What does this person want to know? ****PREPARATION STEPSAfter the initial selection has been made, the person may now be taken through preparation steps leading towards a final selection and Knowledge session. Everything that happens in the preparation stage is only a magnification of what has happened in the speaker stage. Nothing new is introduced during the preparation. 1. The Questions. In this step the aspirant should be allowed to question and the preparation instructor should question as well. a. Why the Knowledge? From the aspirant's view there needs to be a purging process, creating the right space and understanding to help the aspirant assimilate more information and future topics. 2. The answers. From the instructor's viewpoint all answers should lead a person to their own understanding. Answers must be such in nature that they always go beyond the immediate need, further the person's understanding and open new doors into their insight and understanding. Before answering the question think about what instigated the question; usually what is asked is not the real question but what a person could compose. Many times what the person asks is influenced by several things that ultimately lead the person to entirely change the question. The reasons for this may be; a. Embarrassment. Therefore, patience and caring is extremely important. Sometimes the instructor has to PULL the question out (see Answering the Questions). From the aspirant's viewpoint these answers are needed for further growth. But the aspirant should come to these conclusions by himself/herself and should not be given a "cranium cram". 3. The understanding. It is important to remember, when interacting with an aspirant, to be in touch with their understanding regarding the various components of Knowledge. Thus, an evaluation must be made before and after the interactions. These evaluations must be made between the instructors only. 4. The acceptance. A more appropriate word, and certainly more relevant in the case of the aspirant, would be trust. Trust is the element that allows an aspirant to be bonded to: a. The aspirant process. To begin to trust, first the person has to be able to
trust themselves. Before a person can begin to trust
themselves they have to have some understanding that there
is something bigger and greater than themselves. When a person is being led towards Knowledge, and when they do receive this Knowledge and continue to enjoy the Knowledge process, there mill be a significant impact on their lives. This impact is a positive impact because it forces them to evaluate some of the most simple things in their lives. But if the trust is absent in the process, then neither the process itself, nor the outcome, is enjoyable. There is never a point in our lives where we could make a statement like "I have enough trust". When we are "let down" by someone, or something, that we thought we trusted, then something to examine would be, did we really have enough trust? Did we trust the outcome or the process? Trust, and learning how to trust, is a process which must start in everyone's life. 5. The commitment. An aspirant's commitment is unique. Most people who do make some sort of commitment usually are familiar, or as familiar as possible, with what they are going to make a commitment towards. But in the case of an aspirant, the experience itself is just a promise. They have not yet received Knowledge, and whether they should, and will, is only a question of "if they like it or not". Even though the choice to go on will always be theirs, they still have to make a commitment towards Knowledge and the Knowledge process. Some questions come to mind: How can they make a commitment to something they do not yet have? Who are they making this commitment to? Perhaps the key lies in the questions above. Knowledge is real and so is the Knowledge process. These two elements are present in each living individual. If all processes and elements are correct there is absolutely no reason why the whole process won't be fulfilling and enjoyable. In essence Knowledge works. Or, Knowledge works, at least for those for whom all the elements have been properly brought together. But to the aspirant, all of this is still hypothetical. When one is being asked to make a commitment, it is towards themselves; which essentially means that through the aspirant process they have been allowed to get in touch with themselves to a point where they can trust: a. Themselves. Again, these will only materialize if all elements have been brought together well, and are complete.
Clarity is by no means an accident, nor is it something that just seems to happen to someone by luck or chance. It is a sum total of conscious learning, understanding, effort, comprehension and commitment. From an instructor's viewpoint, clarity is the final phase and is only accomplished if the rest of the homework has been done right. If the person has fully understood all of the aspects of Knowledge, and the Knowledge process, has had his or her questions answered properly and the proper space has been given to them to grow and develop, then clarity is inevitable. Clarity can also be described as, "Harmony with the growth that the person experiences, through what the person has learned and understood." The aspirant's clarity is what will allow them to be prepared for Knowledge and allow them a healthy growth in the Knowledge process. Of course, on every occasion that an aspirant has an interaction with an instructor, whether it be at a program or at the preparation meeting, it should always be the hope of the instructor to promote clarity. This kind of healthy promotion can only take place if the instructor himself herself is clear about their: a. Commitment. All of the above are important for the instructor, and
these elements always have to be there when exercising the
privileges of an instructor. *****PREPARATION PART 2Different phases of preparation: The following phases are not what must happen day to day,
but rather each phase of progress, that may take whatever
time necessary, to accomplish each step. Let the person come and hear, and hear some more. (Here synchronization between both groups of instructors is important.) In this phase a person is allowed to begin the primary four steps: a. Evaluate for themselves what it is that is being said. No one should be in a rush to hand the person over for
evaluation towards the Knowledge preparation process. Time
well spent at this phase will only help them establish a
solid foundation. only after the instructors doing speaking
feel that a person has solidly accomplished this phase
should they be recommended for the initial Knowledge
preparatory process. At this phase a person already has been selected for preparation towards Knowledge. In the second phase, the person is going to understand a little more about themselves and the relationship between themselves and the experience. The best way to start this phase would be to begin with questions and answers. The following is just a sample for your consideration: a. Why the Knowledge? The Third Phase: The third phase primarily deals with information being given. In the second phase a space was made for the aspirant to purge, or conquer, the initial question in depth, giving them a good sense and letting them make a decision whether to continue. Now that phase is over and new and meaningful information must be provided. It is also the time where some of the subjects that were mentioned before will be greatly amplified. a. Why the teacher? The Fourth Phase: The fourth phase further amplifies the second phase and deals with: a. Acceptance of Knowledge. At this phase, all the person has to accept is that something like Knowledge exists and that this Knowledge can connect one to the experience within, which also exists. This obviously takes trust. If foundations are laid improperly none of the above would ever manifest. Sometimes it might be necessary and beneficial to go back and re-lay the foundation, if it is evaluated that originally it was not laid properly. The Fifth Phase: The fifth phase amplifies the first, second, third and fourth phases and it is the phase in which the person: a. Feels enthusiastic. This is the phase in which commitment and understanding
are both jelling together, giving the person the proper
clarity and inspiration to continue. of all phases the fifth
phase is critical. Here the manifestation of all phases must
be present. For some people this phase requires extra
effort. on the part of the instructors, not only does it
require extra effort, but also extra discretion. This phase
is not one of debate nor questions. For an instructor this is also a supernal phase of delivering and evaluating the aspirant's readiness. Once successfully and comfortably past this phase, Knowledge is imminent. Regardless of how much enthusiasm the fifth phase may bring, it is a time of extreme observance. All of the foundations laid up to this point will and must sustain the sixth phase and final phase. This is where it must be determined whether or not the person has the "right stuff' to continue and enjoy the Knowledge process. The Sixth Phase: The sixth phase is where the instructor prepares the person for the final selection. Up to this point everything has been cantered towards wanting Knowledge. Now it has to be cantered on the very fact that they are going to be receiving Knowledge. Instructors involved in the preparation process have done their job and hopefully done it well. This changing of the trend for the aspirant has to be a gentle, cautious and an affirmative one. It is all too easy, through whichever words we use, to convey a sense to the aspirant that they are going to be judged. Judgment, by anyone, is not what is taking place. Even though the final selection process is one that is quite unscientific, nevertheless it is one that has worked and is real. What is the basis by which a person is judged if they are ready or not? **** The true qualifications for an Aspirant. Let's consider some of these points: a. The person must be sincere. It would be appropriate to begin this discussion with two simple questions. a. When does the Knowledge process begin? The Knowledge process begins when a person consciously wants to enjoy themselves. The Knowledge process ends when either a person consciously terminates it or when there is a distinct separation between them and their consciousness (i.e. they are no longer). Therefore, a person coming to hear about Knowledge is their way of following-up, to fulfill that fundamental and inherent desire to enjoy this life. once a person has received this Knowledge, it is necessary for us and them to continue the follow-up necessary for the ongoing growth and enjoyment of this Knowledge. There needs to be a distinction between Knowledge and the Knowledge process. Perhaps one could define Knowledge as the four techniques but the Knowledge process goes beyond that. The Knowledge process includes: Caring Let us also take a look at follow-up from two perspectives. First, the perspective of an instructor. The instructor can provide, up to a limited scale, the impetus and some of the necessary ingredients to make the triangle come alive. When a person grows, and every time there is some growth, there is some confusion and there is some doubt. Some of this confusion and some of this doubt cannot be alleviated by any instructor but only by the master himself. One of the key ingredients necessary for growth happens to be inspiration. Some- times people feel that inspiration is given by words. But there is no greater inspiration than to witness another person's commitment, conviction and perseverance. All of us who do have Knowledge can at least provide these to those who are just beginning. Sometimes beyond that little needs to be said or done. Amazingly enough, if we are to look at it from the
aspirant's viewpoint, it is not that much different. We get
more courage if we see another do and accomplish the same
that we are challenged with. The process of growth is not
easy for anyone. Yet there is an extreme attraction and
beauty in commitment, conviction and perseverance. One
person's commitment can be very conducive for the other,
conviction very convincing and perseverance very preserving.
Those people, regardless of whether they are just starting
out or have been involved for awhile, all need the same.
Words can sometimes fail to accomplish the above. ***** Create within me the desire, **** |
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