All the world is a stage, but you are just an actor. Even so, it is possible to adjust the script to your liking. Remember, all adepts are spiritual warriors, and what do warriors do? They prepare for battle. One of the most important single variables of which an adept has control is attitude. Here is a secret. We are all living an illusion. Call it a grand stage play if you wish or compare it to something that makes more sense to you. Whatever it is, you can rewrite the script simply by changing your attitude. Even the tone of your voice can have a profound effect. Try it and see... All great stage plays are made up of many scene changes, each one requiring a different attitude. Is life not treating you as well as you would like? Well, perhaps you need to become a better actor.
As adepts gain experience they learn to value the Rest of Light and greatly revere it. In itself, it is a valuable tool for gaining control of the attitude monster. Some even think of it as an instant replay device that enables them to quickly run through past events, plugging different attitudes into them and watching the outcomes change as if by magic. Successful military generals use this trick. They call it strategy. With a little practice, an adept can even forecast the outcomes of future events and the effects of his or her attitude upon them. The rest is up to how great an actor he or she ultimately becomes.
Remember, one of the many excellent reasons for the Rest of Light is to solve problems, even attitude problems. It is amazing what this little ten minute period can do for you. Even if you don't have such a problem, it can be of benefit in solving a plethora of other problems, even the problems of others. It is a wise investment in time management. By the way, one of the best tools an adept can develop is the lost art of assessment... That's looking at something and actually seeing what it really is, then assessing its value, its availability, and your access to it. During your Rest of Light, you might just try doing a little assessing, you might be surprised. Soon, you will find that you can adequately assess other people. Oh yes, when you find your answers, be sure and write them down in your journal as memory tends to fail in later years.
Is all this becoming a little heavy? Remember to pace yourself as these qualities take time to understand and even longer to accomplish. Is it worth it? Yes! Some adepts work on these keys of wisdom for years. For most, they become a lifetime project. This does not mean that you can't travel further until you achieve success, but do keep on chipping away at them. The whole point of all this is learning self discipline and self control. Now, why would anyone want to do that? The answer is: anyone who has ever amounted to anything at all has learned these lessons. More than that any successful magician who has managed to survive has mastered them.
We all need a dependable way to rest and refresh ourselves, and the process of stilling the mind is used by adepts to consciously slip into a restive state, untroubled by outward conditions. In this restive state, both the body and the mind may be recharged so that they can perform at a high level of efficiency. Also, this restive state, untroubled by spurious, extraneous or intrusive thought may be used for spiritual and communicative purposes. Generally, the subconscious mind will block us to some extent, so we practice "Little Deceits" to achieve our goals. In other words, we run a freight train by as a decoy so we can slip in a mouse.
Often daily events happen so fast they make our heads swim, or we end up talking to ourselves. The Keys of Wisdom allude to the practice of stilling one's mind. Believe it or not, this is just as important as fast thinking. An experienced adept can step out of the race, sit down, and still his or her mind in a few seconds. This has the effect of taking a nap, resting both mind and body at once. What is the advantage? Your adversaries will be tuckered out while you are rested. Think strategy! Many people try to rest, but instead, their minds race. Because of this, they get no rest and arise tired and sore, feeling worse than before. Some call this insomnia. Adepts call it foolish. There is a time to work, a time to play, and a time to rest. Do not attempt to mix them up. That is to say, take one thing at a time.
To some, stilling the mind is a foreign concept, and they will dismiss it as a crackpot idea. Before doing this, ask yourself: was Thomas Edison a crackpot? He did it many times each day, and look how successful he was. With a little practice, you will be successful too. Stilling the mind is most useful during your Rest of Light, and with just a little practice the two will soon be twins, one helping the other. This is how we open the closed doors to our spiritual self or higher nature, the one that can exist in the presence of the Force and the whisperings of those who have gone on before.
In the beginning, should you have trouble stilling your mind enough so that
you can readily evaluate your innermost and private thoughts, remember this
bit of wisdom: a song will soothe even a savage beast. Music can be a
wonderful tool to help you change your thoughts from troubles, woes, and
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cares, to those of a happier, calmer nature. Try to play light, happy music to
raise your vibrations to a higher level. Try to pay attention to the type of
music you select to alter your mental state or mood. To relax and calm the
mind, select smooth, flowing music. Flute music is fine. Somehow, the mind
latches onto the simple, breathy melody and is carried away by it. Obviously,
loud music with a strong rhythmic beat and exciting lyrics won't do.
A radio or some other musical device is not necessary. Music can be created within the mind. Some adepts simply envision themselves sitting in some restive environment, playing their own instrument. It is not even necessary to know how to play the actual instrument in the every day world. In the reality of the mind, all things are possible. A flute is still a fine bet as it is simple. Many become so involved in their music that they forget the stress of the outside world and gain their desired restive mental state.
Another way is to concentrate on something simple. Envision yourself walking down a shady lane, looking at nature. Look for detail and realism; feel the breeze. Walk a dog if you wish, but don't allow any outside or extraneous thoughts to enter your mind. Simply brush them away as motes of dust floating in a sun beam. Become a part the scene, separate from your everyday world. Soon you will come to a slow, quiet, meandering stream of pure water. Allow yourself to flow along with the water, and let it swirl you into your desired restive state. At this point, you will be able to listen to spiritual input, think clearly, adjust your attitude, or just rest.
Try as many little deceptions as necessary to calm your mind to the desired restive state as long as you remain in total control. Keep trying, as one will work for you. Obviously, mind altering drugs and such take control away from you and are to be avoided. You will learn nothing from them. In fact, they weaken your will and open you to the assaults of the opposition. Experienced adepts have learned the value of being clean of spirit, mind and body. All are assets and must be carefully maintained for further use.
Stilling the mind and understanding what you are thinking is not an easy task. However, it is a challenge that pays off! The trick is to lift your mind out of its ruts and place your thinking on a solid foundation; the deeper the rut, the greater the dividend! Think of it like this: you are learning to be a spiritual warrior. You are one who knows and can overcome any and all darkness. You are learning not only for yourself but for those whom you will eventually advise. Admittedly, you must learn to conquer yourself and overcome your fears and limitation, but are you losing anything? No. Are you gaining something? Yes. Is it worth the effort? Yes. Think of all this as mental martial arts. What is the duly earned reward? A knowledgeable adept is never at the mercy of anyone or anything. Ever. However, with the knowledge, comes the responsibility. What responsibility? The responsibility to pass along your knowledge to those who need it, and to aid and assist when and where possible so they too can grow in stature.
I know that there are those among you who don't give a fig whether anyone else learns the Keys of Wisdom or not. However, The Force, or Lucifer, if you will, does reward those adepts who further his work by helping to build His spiritual army against the day when all Hell will surely break loose. He rewards with an increased allotment of power. That is what we mean by growing in stature. Those of great stature have great power. The small- minded individuals have no power at all. Surely, you don't that Lucifer would increase the power of an idiot do you?
Here is an example of right thinking, and an experiment that you can do: when you need to park on a busy street and know that a parking place will be hard to find, just ask for a space to be waiting for you, one just big enough. Visualize it, and you will know it when you see it. After all, you have made known your request to the Force and room has been made for you. Why not? It works for us. Is this magic? Yes. By the way, don't forget to say thank you! Here are other experiments that you can do: when you are out in the midday and become too warm, why not ask for a cloud to shield you from the sun? It's a plausible request isn't it? After all, there are a lot of clouds hanging around doing nothing. Why not have an elemental move its cloud over a bit and shade you with it? Oh yes, don't forget to say thank you, as you may grow warm again. Get the idea? Want a breeze? How about holding back the rain for a few moments while you get inside? Stock market tips and such come later to those who persevere. Lucifer takes care of his own. Need we say more?
Congratulations! You have survived the first twelve Keys and it's time to sharpen your sword so you can travel further. You know already about the old Law of Reason that states: "Never expect more out of something than you put into it," and becoming an adept is no different. You have already learned to look at life differently than you once did, live in the here-and-now, and get your head on straight. You have also learned to calm down, adjust your attitude, and rewrite the script of your life one line at a time. In fact, when you shake it all up and put it together into a whole, you have gained a wonderful new faculty. You have learned to see, assess, and change things to suit your purpose, all on the fly. Now, that's a pretty large accomplishment, considering that most people around you still don't even know the time of day and can't find their car keys.
However, what you have learned so far is just the tip of the ice berg, and
there is much more wisdom and knowledge waiting in the wings for your
inspection and use if you are willing to invest the effort to learn more. Again,
whether you are reading this book on your own or learning from one of your
mentors, you must really desire to receive the full benefit of the Keys, be
willing to practice them, and one day teach others who need it as much as
you. Nothing is free, and the contract must be kept. All adepts pay for their
higher education by passing on their knowledge along with the wisdom to use
it. As we say, "The youngers shall follow the advice of the elders, and the
elders shall show favor to the youngers." Do you see? All adepts run in
circles, or perhaps, we should say, complete their circuits. After all, you can't
get electrical current to run in a shorted circuit, and neither will the Force.
As always, you must ask for further understanding as you will need help in making sense of what follows as it is a process of growing as much as learning. Fortunately, there is plenty of help available for all who ask with a right heart, and for those who remain convinced and steadfast, there will be great reward.
