NOW The Power
NOW The Power
NOW The Power
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how not to make that which is false in you into a self and into a personal problem, for
that is how the false perpetuates itself.
On another level, I speak of a profound transformation of human consciousness - not
as a distant future possibility, but available now - no matter who or where you are.
You are shown how to free yourself from enslavement to the mind, enter into this
enlightened state of consciousness and sustain it in everyday life.
On this level of the book, the words are not always concerned with information, but
often designed to draw you into this new consciousness as you read. Again and again,
I endeavor to take you with me into that timeless state of intense conscious presence
in the Now, so as to give you a taste of enlightenment. Until you are able to expe-
rience what I speak of, you may find those passages somewhat repetitive. As soon as
you do, however, I believe you will realize that they contain a great deal of spiritual
power, and they may become for you the most rewarding parts of the book.
Moreover, since every person carries the seed of enlightenment within, I often
address myself to the knower in you who dwells behind the thinker, the deeper self
that immediately recognizes spiritual truth, resonates with it, and gains strength from
it.
The pause symbol ~ after certain passages is a suggestion that you may want to stop
reading for a moment, become still, and feel and experience the truth of what has just
been said. There may be other places in the text where you will do this naturally and
spontaneously.
As you begin reading the book, the meaning of certain words, such as "Being" or
"presence," may not be entirely clear to you at first. Just read on. Questions or
objections may occasionally come into your mind as you read. They will probably be
answered later in the book, or they may turn out to be irrelevant as you go more
deeply into the teaching - and into yourself.
Don't read with the mind only. Watch out for any "feeling response" as you read and
a sense of recognition from deep within. I cannot tell you any spiritual truth that deep
within you don't know already. All I can do is remind you of what you have
forgotten. Living knowledge, ancient and yet ever new, is then activated and released
from within every cell of your body.
The mind always wants to categorize and compare, but this book will work better for
you if you do not attempt to compare its terminology with that of other teachings;
otherwise, you will probably become confused. I use words such as "mind,"
"happiness," and "consciousness" in ways that do not necessarily correlate with other
teachings. Don't get attached to any words. They are only stepping stones, to be left
behind as quickly as possible.
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When I occasionally quote the words of Jesus or the Buddha, from A Course in
Miracles or from other teachings, I do so not in order to compare, but to draw your
attention to the fact that in essence there is and always has been only one spiritual
teaching, although it comes in many forms. Some of these forms, such as the ancient
religions, have become so overlaid with extraneous matter that their spiritual essence
has become almost completely obscured by it. To a large extent, therefore, their
deeper meaning is no longer recognized and their transformative power lost. When I
quote from the ancient religions or other teachings, it is to reveal their deeper
meaning and thereby restore their transformative power - particularly for those
readers who are followers of these religions or teachings. I say to them: there is no
need to go elsewhere for the truth. Let me show you how to go more deeply into what
you already have.
Mostly, however, I have endeavored to use terminology that is as neutral as possible
in order to reach a wide range of people. This book can be seen as a restatement for
our time of that one timeless spiritual teaching, the essence of all religions. It is not
derived from external sources, but from the one true Source within, so it contains no
theory or speculation. I speak from inner experience, and if at times I speak
forcefully, it is to cut through heavy layers of mental resistance and to reach that
place within you where you already know, just as I know, and where the truth is
recognized when it is heard. There is then a feeling of exaltation and heightened
aliveness, as something within you says: "Yes. I know this is true."
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1. YOU ARE NOT YOUR MIND
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