The First Step of Guidance

As we said in the parable of The Burning House, to rescue sleeping people caught in fire, the first step was to wake them up, to guide them towards a real life, to deliver and conduct them into the abode of serenity and real joy.

This awakening is the first step from the three steps of joining the boundless and the manifestation of sheer light.  But what does it mean?  We intend to examine it from various angles. 

The first step to return to the Lord is, "To become aware that we don't know."  It is a complete understanding of the present situation; to realize that we are living in delusion and whatever we think and we know is nothing but this delusion.     

This helps to come back to one's senses and to become vigilant.  It is a full understanding of our past and present trend of life.  It is a whole-hearted confession of being in error.  It is to admit our ignorance and our impotency.  It is to recognize we neither see nor hear, we neither know nor can and we are not capable of performing a right and elevated act...

Therefore, we spontaneously surrender; we surrender with our whole being.

As long as we do not realize our extensive and absolute ignorance and inability, we will not truly surrender.  In our first step of returning to the Lord, we have to understand that we are nothing and we possess nothing.  Whatever we do is wrong and distressing.  Whatever we want, think and do is aberrant and ends in suffering and death.

A mere oral confession is neither enough nor efficient; we should confess with our words, acts, attitudes and behavior.  We have to realize that our sleep kept us in that burning house; but now that we are awakened, we shall no longer remain there...

We have to submit ourselves to the rescuer, to trust him and to leave him the rescue operation...              

How one's confession is complete and when one's word is sincere and true?

A mere verbal confession is not worth much.  The first step consists of a complete observation and understanding.  This completeness of understanding and observation is of great importance.  An incomplete understanding brings about an incomplete action which is due to the lack of necessary determination in one's intention.  Therefore, with an incomplete confession it is not possible to get out of the existing situation...      

Everything has its own evidences.  A person who understands reflects his understanding and comprehension through his attitudes, behaviors and changes brought about in his life.   Empty words are not proof of understanding.  Comprehension entails, automatically, changes and evolution.  A full comprehension results in a complete change and an incomplete change is the outcome of an inadequate comprehension.  Now if a complete change and a shift in our itinerary occur, we can say that the first step has been achieved...

The first stage of guidance consists of opening our eyes.  We have to open our eyes to see and to listen to hear; then a full comprehension will be realized and consequently a complete halt will follow and the possibility of an elevated move will rise...When you realize that you are mistaken and are following the wrong path which leads you to death, you will no more continue your move.  If you truly understand, you shall stop and with you, all life's dimensions shall momentarily stand still - completely still for a moment.  This very moment of complete stillness is the first step in the divine teacher's teachings.  That's where the Lord says, "Wait, and know that I am your God..."     

So far, your moves in life have had their origin in darkness and egotism.  For initiating an elevating move resulting in an elevated life, it is not possible to continue the previous trend and to transform it to a new and divine move; otherwise you'd only deceive and satisfy yourself.  Darkness is not transformed into light.  One's old trend of life may well take a new and divine appearance, yet it would only be a parody and a role playing.  A satanic move is different from a divine one, and can it transform itself to the latter.  Nevertheless, most people who are apparently in the right path indulge themselves in this absurd and self-deceiving act...

Attempting or pretending to convert a dark and selfish move to a loving and divine act is not the right solution.  It's enough to stop for a moment; a full and a complete halt.  Everything has to stop for a moment.  Only one moment of complete halt is sufficient...  The very first step of an elevated life requires a full stop... 

Since now you've been running away from your beloved.  In the midst of the way you realize that you are moving off him/her; and if you truly understand and become certain about your wrong direction, you shall start running in the opposite direction.  However, if you do not have clear ideas and are not fully aware of your itinerary, you shall fall into doubt and uncertainty and you run now slow and now fast, now to left and now to right and you turn about yourself...

Your viewpoints, knowledge, deductions, judgments and decisions are like dreams and are delusions.  Your thoughts and feelings are false too; for when you wake up from sleep and recall your dreams, you realize that everything including your viewpoints and decisions were not based upon reality; and a dream is a dream even though it appears good or bad...   

The first step of returning to God and encouraging divine manifestation within yourselves is to acknowledge the falsehood of all your conceptions, to realize that they are not but fantasies.  Only then you are freed from all those delusions and renounce them.   You are not bounded any more.  You do not believe that something is right or wrong; as a matter of fact, you are certain that you know nothing.  Once you realize that the foundation of all your decisions and judgments are based upon falsehood, you also admit that they are, themselves, erroneous and unjust.  Therefore, you refuse to judge or to make any decision.  This way, the Flow of Divine Guidance shall flow...                    

Your mind become spontaneously silent; for it has found out that all these speculations are lies and dreams.  This complete silence is the beginning of guidance...

When you realize your ignorance, you shall seek the true science and divine mysteries.  Your mind and heart shall become soft and receptive.  Then you shall be entirely ready and prepared to receive teachings of mysteries.  You shall confide in the providential master; you shall fully accept divine message and directions without any hesitation.  Hesitation and doubt rise when what you already know come into conflict with what you are going to learn.   But when you realize that you know nothing, all antagonisms disappear and faith shall come.  This faith is the starting point...

To be submitted works as a diving board, a dive into the unbounded divine sea which is the first stage of flying.  The second stage is to float in the sky the distance between the diving board and the sea.  The third stage is to drown oneself in the sea and to become one with it...

Who is submitted?  He/she who recognizes that all his/her decisions and judgments are wrong and unjust.  For any move which is, internally or externally, brought forth by "me" shall make him/her prey of trouble and complication.  Therefore, he/she submits her/himself to the guiding intellect and power of the divine trend.  This submission is not merely by one's deeds and words but by his mind and heart as well...

We have to entrust ourselves to the guide - the Spirit of God - and to submit ourselves to his will.  For he has no will of himself, his will is the will of the Creator Most High.  Let's have faith in the Savior and accept his opinion, will and desire as ours; this way we shall automatically enter the second stage of guidance...         

                                                                                          To be continued

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