2008 Vol 4, December

by Jim Gordon, President of ILM

your gaze can go inward and upward, back up into that higher spiritual aspect of the spiritual eye center, allowing you once again to hold your attention on God rather than on those things in this creation, or your body, or whatever it might be that draws your attention away.

As you move your gaze upward through the spiritual eye, the second component has to do more with a horizontal, forward gaze; and that goes into the psychic realms. That particular focus or awareness opens into a small portion of the astral or creative imagination, and into the emotional nature, and into the mental nature, and actually quite a bit into the etheric or the unconscious. So when we are in our meditation and, again, we are holding our attention inward and upward toward God, if all of a sudden we find our gaze going more forward or horizontal rather than vertical and toward God – again let that be okay. And whatever it is that is present with you in that focus, in that gaze, again enter into the loving; love it just as you would love the Lord. Love it, and that loving will dissolve whatever stands there. And if it still stands, even in the loving, move into the action of forgiveness; that will allow the loving to begin to move into whatever that is that is between you and God, and it will drop away because it cannot stand in the loving.

Then, as we look inward and upward in that upper portion of the gaze, we really are looking more up into the realms of soul, and up into the beginnings of the realms of spirit. And there’s also a little bit of an element in that gaze that has to do with the very top portion of the etheric part of our being. So as we are holding our attention into that, we want to do all we can to stay present, to stay awake, to stay aware; because that little portion that is of the etheric nature can cause us to go unconscious as we are holding that upward gaze. The higher we can hold our attention, the more we will go above the unconscious realm. So

Volume 20 Number 4 December, 2008

INNER LIGHT MInIstrIes JournalINNER LIGHT MInIstrIes Journal

(Spiritual EyE continues on page 3)

For a long time now I have shared about focusing at the spiritual eye while doing the Path of Sound and Light meditation practice. I want to go over

this in a little bit more detail with you.

The spiritual eye has three components. The first part is that which looks downward into this creation – where the gaze is focused into the physical, and into the astral or creative imagination, and somewhat into the causal or emotional realm. When we are focused downward through this aspect of the spiritual eye, those are the realms we will connect to and get caught up in. Those are what will hold our attention and attract us downward. So when you’re in meditation, and you are focusing at the eye center in an inward and upward focus … if something keeps pulling you downward in your gaze, pay attention to that and – let it be okay. Don’t struggle and try to force your gaze to go upward if it doesn’t really want to. If it’s going downward then there is a reason for it; there is something in those realms, within your consciousness, that is to be worked free. So if you are sitting in meditation and your attention keeps getting pulled down into that lower portion of the spiritual eye gaze, let that be alright, and love that which you are holding your attention to. Just as you would love God, now love that which your attention goes to, whether it be in the physical or the creative imagination or the emotional. Love it, and love it as you would love God, because there is what is standing between you and God in that moment; that’s why your gaze has shifted. Your attention is going to go to whatever is standing between you and the Lord. And whatever the attraction is, don’t struggle against it and don’t try to figure it out – well, what is this? Is this a past life? Is it this life? Just look upon it and love it. Love it, and forgive it if there’s an energy of forgiveness that wants to move within you and stir. Love it, and that love will dissolve whatever it is that is standing between you and God. Then once again

hE thrEE aSpEctS Of thE Spiritual EyET

(from Becoming A Living Prayer,February 28, 2006)

and wake up, to know what those energies are, those movements, those dynamics in the world. As we discover the dynamics of the world, and as we love and accept them – that’s how we fulfill the karmas. It is through this process of being pushed, being pulled, being agitated that we progress; because, in this world, it is through our experience of all that movement that we learn. And the karmas are fulfilled through our learning and loving them.

So the next time you find yourself in one of those outer challenges, begin to look and learn from those experiences, as well as continuing to do your inner work of loving, your meditation. And when you really learn from your own experience in this way, you’ll also begin to experience … gratitude. When you experience this gratitude, you as soul will know that you have completed an important part of your journey, of coming to greater fulfillment through your experience in this world. So look to your learning and look to your experience; and look for the gratitude that loving brings. Sometimes, even spontaneously, we can have Grace come in and we experience gratitude moving in us and through us, just like that. However, if you really pay attention, in a deep way, you’ll find a deeper understanding of what it is that we as soul have journeyed through to open the door, to have that action of Grace move in us and through us. Grace is the freedom of loving. And along with that movement of Grace comes gratitude, as an expression of loving. Pay attention in your own life as these things unfold for you. Follow that movement and let the Grace carry you from one experience to the next, because when you can bring that action of Grace into the next experience, into the next challenge, then that next challenge is that much easier. That’s where our burdens become light. That’s where we, as soul, become free – and we walk through this world and its experiences in a greater freedom and loving, with a knowing. Our challenges become lighter because we are doing the inner journey with loving and gratitude, and we are bringing that loving and gratitude to the outer journey as well.

by Brian Yeakey, Vice President of ILM

2

racEfully handling prESSurEg

How do we deal with the pressures in the world that we feel coming from outside of ourselves, that are putting expectations, demands or controls

upon us to perform the way the world expects of us? We spend much of our day looking outward at life from this more worldly perspective, and therefore we experience the pressures that come into our lives in this way. However, there is another perspective as well: that is simply to focus on the movement of Loving. To focus on the movement of Loving, and then participate with It! When I participate in the movement of Loving rather than choosing to perform out of the expectations of the pressures of the world, when I chose to ‘move’ with that Loving, then there’s this greater fullness that wells up within me, the greater fullness of Loving. That’s a big difference I’ve come to find more and more as I’ve handled the challenges in my life. In this process of handling all the outer challenges of life, I’ve come to always look inside to Spirit, to always look to Spirit to lead the way.

That’s a challenge in life for all of us: to always look to Spirit within to lead the way. No matter what it looks like on the outer, to always look within, to follow that guidance, to follow the lead of Loving, of Light, of Sound. And there is a process of coming to know what that is, in order to follow it. Part of this process is going through the challenges, the tests, the pressures of the world – those expectations that are put upon us by family, friends, the people we love and care about, society at large, and so on, often as an unconscious action that takes place. That’s what we call karma, folks. Karma is those things in the world – those things of the mind, of the emotions, of the imagination, of the body – that push us around. That’s what karma is. And as we’re pushed around, we’re going to feel the pushing and the pulling of that dynamic, and the irritation of it. And actually, that irritation begins to form the “pearl of great price” in our life (see ILM’s “Pearl of Great Price” CD). Because it is through that irritation and agitation that we begin to discover

(from Discipleship, November 5, 2006)

I nner L ight M inistriesI L M

eekly Classes: Jim and Brian’s weekly class is held on Sundays, 3-5 pm (nEw timE) at the ILM Center, Franklin Sq. Bldg, 3724 Jefferson, Ste. 100.

prESEntEd by Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy in auStin, tExaS:For additional information, call 512-306-1056.

W

CalendarCLassEs & PRoGRaMs: WINTER – sPRING ‘09

spiritual eye

Each class includes spiritual teachings, practical exercises, group discussion, and meditation. Jim and Brian help participants to become

more deeply aware of the Spirit within. No charge.

by Jim Gordon

(continued from page 1)

(ILM Calendar continues on pages 4 - 9)

stay present and stay conscious and wake up to the truth of who you are as soul.

Check out our recently updated http://www.ILM.org today!Check out our recently updated http://www.ILM.org today!

ILM.org — the innEr light miniStriES Website

We Have Upgraded The ILM Web Site!

ILM.org — the innEr light miniStriES Website

We Have Upgraded The ILM Web Site!To keep up with internet security improvements we recently upgraded the ILM web site. There’s a slightly new format for all the same information, including:

• Jim & Brian’s weekly talks – Listen on-line or download to your computer or MP3 • ILM Quarterly Newsletters – The most recent issue as well as archives • Calendar of Events – Find out what’s going on by geographic location or by minister

Listen to our most recent talks: “The Journey Of Life,” “History Of The Pathway,” “Does Fear Have Dominion,” “Opportunities For Change,” “Awakening Experience,” and “The State Of Being.”

Note to Initiates:If you previously set up a Logon to the Initiates Only section, you will need to re-establish your account. Just click on the Initiates Only link in the menu bar, then click on the word “HERE” at the bottom of the Initiates Only Login Area. Fill out and send the application form. You will get an email notice confirming we received your application, followed, in 5-7 days, by a second email to let you know your access has been granted. Applicants must have completed the initiation process before access can be approved.

And then, at that point, the last part of the inner spiritual journey home is done by loving God. It’s just that simple. If we can remember that, if we can bring that into our awareness in our meditation at that point and just let that lead us, we will find our meditation opening for greater awareness, for greater experience … to greater joy, to greater loving, and to greater nurturing.

3

at earnley Concourse, earnley, Chichester West Sussex:

on Friday, October 16 at 6 pm thru Monday, October 19 at 1:30 pm.

For more information contact: Susanne Cook at 01444 870838 or lynn Johnson at 01903 765928.

To register contact: laura doggett at 512-306-1056 or email Laura at [email protected].

Experiencing The Divine – A Meditative Retreat

Experiencing The Divine – A Meditative Retreat

In England:

4

In Hawaii:

EarnlEy cOncOurSE cOSt: Single Occupancy - £278

Double Occupancy (per person) - £256

at Saint anthony’s retreat Center Honolulu, Hawaii:

on Wednesday, august 5 at 6 pm thru Sunday, august 9 at 1:30 pm.

For more information contact: laura doggett at 512-306-1056 or email Laura at [email protected].

St. anthOny’S cOSt: Double Occupancy (per person) - $350

facilitated by Jim Gordon and Brian Yeakey

20092009In Austin:

a Weekend Workshop at the IlM Center, 3724 Jefferson St., Suite 100:

on Friday, March 20 from 7-10 pm; Saturday, March 23 from 9-6 pm; and Sunday, March 22 from 9 am-1 pm.

To register and for more information contact: laura doggett at 512-306-1056or email Laura at [email protected].

in Michigan and in Indiana

Tuesday, April 28

Saturday, April 18, 2009

(For further information in Ft. Wayne please contact Steven McAfee at 260-485-2167 or by e-mail at [email protected].)

Tuesday, April 21

(For further information in Kalamazoo, please contact Penny Miller at 269 664-3577or by e-mail at [email protected].

in Ft. Wayne:

ILM presents:

in Ft. Wayne:

Tuesday, April 28

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Tuesday, April 21

(For further information in Ft. Wayne please contact Steven McAfee at 260-485-2167 or by e-mail at [email protected].)

(For further information in Kalamazoo, please contact Penny Miller at 269 664-3577or by e-mail at [email protected].

5

mEditatiOn wEEkEnd wOrkShOpwith Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy

Choose one of two weekend workshops at the ILM Midwest CentertimE Of EvEntS fOr Each wEEkEnd:

Saturday: mEditatiOn 9 am-12 nOOn, and tEaching/Q&a frOm 2-6 pm

Sunday: mEditatiOn 9-11:30 am, and Sharing frOm 11:30 am-1 pm

Not Rea

dy

mEditatiOn wEEkEnd wOrkShOpwith Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy

Choose one of two weekend workshops at the ILM Midwest CentertimE Of EvEntS fOr Each wEEkEnd:

Saturday: mEditatiOn 9 am-12 nOOn, and tEaching/Q&a frOm 2-6 pm

Sunday: mEditatiOn 9-11:30 am, and Sharing frOm 11:30 am-1 pm

in Kalamazoo:

pOtluck SOcial EvEning with Study grOupwith Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy

timE Of EvEnt: 6-8 pm at 4715 thiStlE mill cOurt, kalamazOO

in Kalamazoo:

an aftErnOOn with Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy

timE Of EvEnt: 1:30-5:30 pm at tranSfOrmatiOnS Spirituality cEntEr (On thE nazarEth campuS)

3427 gull rOad, kalamazOO

dOnatiOn

pOtluck SOcial EvEning with Study grOupwith Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy

timE Of EvEnt: 6-8 pm at 4715 thiStlE mill cOurt, kalamazOO

an aftErnOOn with Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy

timE Of EvEnt: 1:30-5:30 pm at tranSfOrmatiOnS Spirituality cEntEr (On thE nazarEth campuS)

3427 gull rOad, kalamazOO

dOnatiOn

Weekends: April 25-26 or May 2-3

(To register for one of these weekends please contact Steven McAfee at 260-485-2167 or by e-mail at [email protected].)

Weekends: April 25-26 or May 2-3

(To register for one of these weekends please contact Steven McAfee at 260-485-2167 or by e-mail at [email protected].)

tuESday claSS with Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy

timE Of EvEnt: 6-9 pm

(mEditatiOn: 6-6:45 pm and claSS: 7-9 pm)at ilm midwESt cEntEr, 220 inSurancE drivE, SuitE f, ft. waynE

dOnatiOn

tuESday claSS with Jim gOrdOn and brian yEakEy

timE Of EvEnt: 6-9 pm

(mEditatiOn: 6-6:45 pm and claSS: 7-9 pm)at ilm midwESt cEntEr, 220 inSurancE drivE, SuitE f, ft. waynE

dOnatiOn

(ILM Calendar continues on next page)

I nner L ight M inistries CalendarI L M

tories untold:S Jim and Brian talk about Loving, Acceptance, and Forgiveness in every talk they give. Through our writing in StOriES untOld, we first-handedly get to practice and experience Loving, Acceptance and Forgiveness in the events of our lives, letting go of the past so that we can open more fully to the Divine. As a bonus, the process of writing also prepares us in the present, as well as laying a foundation for the future – keeping us more aligned and in the flow of God’s Loving. These weekends are magical! Try it for one weekend and see for yourself. No experience necessary! You just have to show up!

prESEntEd by laura kEStEn:For additional information, call Laura at 512-266-9400 or 512-658-4117 or email: [email protected].

ilM texas CoMMunity ovie nights:M

michigan: MAR 27-29 ILM Midwest Center Ft. Wayne, Ind. $50 JULY 11-18 (week long) TBA Saugatuck, Mich. $450 OCT 16-18 ILM Midwest Center Ft. Wayne, Ind. $50 tExaS: JAN 17, MAY 16, AUG 22 ILM Center Austin No charge OCT 25-31 (6 day retreat) Red Corral Ranch Wimberley $325

* * *Also, in Texas, there is a small group of writers who write 2-3 times a month during the week. This is not a workshop but a time to work on your own writing within a group setting of other writers. We meet from 10 am – 6 pm at Laura Kesten’s home in Lakeway. Please contact Laura for upcoming writing sessions.

Join Tom and Laura at their home by Mansfield Dam in Lakeway on the 1st Saturday (change in day and time) of every month to watch an uplifting movie. If you have a favorite movie that speaks to you, we can add it to our list. Come early (5 pm) and have a fresh bowl of homemade soup and slice of fresh bread. Movie starts between 6:30 – 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome. Bring nothing but your beautiful self. No charge.

JAN 3, FEB 7, MAR 7, APR 4, MAY 2

AustiN hristmAs Potluck PArty:C

beginning at 4 pm at 203 Buckeye Trail in Austin, Texas.

Everyone is welcome!

It’s a potluck so bring a dish to share.

• •

Join us for ILM’s Christmas celebration on SATURDAY, DEC 6

• •6

I nner L ight M inistries CalendarI L M

I“ nner studies:”

prESEntEd by StEvEn mcafEE, midwESt cOOrdinatOr:For additional information, call Steven at 260-485-2167 or by e-mail at [email protected].

uesday Class series: T

Inner Studies is open only to those already enrolled in this program.

(Steven’s Calendar continues on next page)

Tuesday Meditations:

Intro to Inner studIes 2009 – A YeAr-long StudY ProgrAm:Open to everyone, this meeting will introduce the 2009 year-long study program and present the

contents, program structure, and meeting dates for the coming year. Dec 7 2:30-5:30 pm ILM Midwest Center Fort Wayne Donation

editations: M

The ILM Midwest Center will be open for silent meditation from 6:00 to 6:45 pm. Those wishing to attend are asked to silently enter and be ready to begin by 6:00. After the meditation, participants are free to either leave or to stay for the class immediately following. People coming for just the 7:00 class are asked not to enter the ILM suite until 6:45 so as not to disturb those meditating in the meeting room.

We will periodically be offering two and half hour periods of silent meditation at the ILM Center. Those wishing to attend are asked to silently enter and be ready to begin by 2:30 pm.

FeB 15 2:30-5:00 pm ILM Midwest Center Fort Wayne No charge

Steven offers a series of weekly ILM classes in Fort Wayne on Tuesday nights from 7-8:30 pm at the ILM Midwest Center. Each month-long series focuses on our inner awakening to the Divine Loving that is the essence of the Holy Spirit. Please call Steven for information about current class topics.

ilM oMMunity night: C More fun community nights are on their way! We’ll provide soft drinks and munchies. Please RSVP a week ahead so we can plan appropriately.

Dec 21 3-5 pm “Polar ExPrEss” MoviE Night ILM Midwest Center

JAN 31 7 pm “lEt it sNow!” Music Night Steven & Anita’s home, Ft. Wayne Please bring a dish to share; working the “snow” theme into it is especially appreciated!

FeB 28 7 pm “DEfENDiNg Your lifE” MoviE Night ILM Midwest Center

Apr 30 7-10 pm BirthDaY Bash for JiM aND BriaN ILM Midwest Center Join us for a potluck social event to celebrate Jim’s and Brian’s birthdays.

Bring a dish, plan to have some fun … and, as always, come hungry!

Workshops: (the following programs are open ONLY to those who enroll in the 2009 program) JAN 4, FeB 1, MAr 1, Apr 5 1:30-4:30 pm ILM Midwest Center Fort Wayne Donation

unday serviCes:S Steven frequently serves as a guest speaker for various churches and spiritual groups in the Fort Wayne area. If you would like him to speak to your group, please call to make arrangements. The following are presently scheduled. Dec 21, FeB 15, Apr 12 11 am Brigade of Light Fort Wayne No charge

oins For kids:C Please let us know ahead of time if you plan to participate.

Dec 1 7 pm Shopping Wal-Mart on Coldwater Rd. Fort Wayne No charge Dec 3 6:30 pm Wrapping party ILM Midwest Center Fort Wayne No charge

7

I nner L ight M inistries CalendarI L M

Community ILM Seminars and Events Worldwide: ilm activitiES in kalamazOO, michigan:

For additional information, call Penny Miller at 269 664-3577 or by e-mail at [email protected].

ilm activity in chicagO:Please contact Richard or Trisha LoveJoy at 630-768-8313 for more information.

•

ovie night:M

We meet approx. monthly to support our spiritual growth with a group meditation and the study of ILM books, CD’s or tapes. Join us for an enriching experience of growing in our loving.

JAN 18, FEB 15, MAR 15 1–3 pm 21941 W. Kinsley Ct. Plainsfield, Ill. No charge

tudy group: S•

ilm activity in lOS angElES:Please contact Victoria Eng at 310-980-2224 to RSVP before coming.

S tudy group:

• The focus of each evening is on spiritual awakening, and on supporting one another in experiencing and sharing greater Loving within ourselves and with others. These seminars will be held every other Wednesday at Victoria and Willard Eng’s home in Beverlywood. call for dates 6 pm Beverlywood, Los Angeles No charge

Fun, enjoyable evenings with ILM friends, watching favorite movies with a spiritual message. Welcome all – yourself, friends and family members! A light meal is provided.

JAN 18, FEB 15, MAR 15 4–6 pm Judy Richards, 4715 Thistle Mill Ct. No charge

We meet twice monthly to support our spiritual growth with a group meditation and the study of ILM books, CD’s or tapes. Join us for an enriching experience of growing in our loving.

2nd & 4th Sudays 4-6 pm Judy Richards, 4715 Thistle Mill Ct. No charge

8(Community Calendar continues on next page)

Ft. WAyNe hristmAs PArty:C

beginning at 7 pm at Steven & Anita’s home

in Fort Wayne. Everyone is welcome!

• •

Join us for ILM’s Christmas celebration on MONDAY, DEC 15

• •

You are invited to join in the singing, feasting, and flow of Lovingas we celebrate the season.

eeting:M

In this packet you will find ILM’s book lOvE and lOving,the CD undErStanding thE ‘innEr’ pathway, the CD lOtuS mEditatiOn,

ILM’s brochure innEr light miniStriES guidElinES fOr initiatiOn and initiatES, and a copy of our latest newsletter.

All of these materials were selected to give a newcomera better understanding of who we are and what we’re about.

If you would like an Introductory Packet for yourself or someone else, just let us know.

Call us, email us, or write us! Feel free to take a look at our website too: www.ilm.org

(for more information see page 3). We are happy to do what we can to assist you

on your spiritual journey.

Blessings of Peace, Joy and Loving To You!

Jim Gordon, Brian Yeakey, and The ILM Staff

Welcome to Inner Light Ministries!Introductory Packet

Community ILM Seminars and Events Worldwide (continued):

•

2. Please contact Mig Gaspar at 808-638-8153 for information and directions. Listen to Jim and Brian’s weekly meditations and talks on:Tuesdays evenings 7 pm North Shore of Oahu No charge

3. Please contact Brian Samo Ross at 808-247-3305 or 554-3305 (cell) for directions. Listen to Jim and Brian’s meditations and talks followed by a potluck:

Second Sundays 10 am Kaneohe, Oahu No charge

ilm activity in lOndOn, England:Please contact Nanna Brinker at 0207-485-0699 for directions.•

Join us in a short meditation and talk by Jim and Brian and share your favorite spiritual poetry, music and readings. Our ILM seminars are at 42A Montpelier Grove, London NW5, on the following dates.

Sundays 4 pm Dec 7, JAN 4, JAN 25, FeB 22, FeB 29, Apr 19, MAY 10 No charge

I nner L ight M inistries CalendarI L M

• ilm activitiES in hawaii:1. Please contact Nadine Ferraro at 808-988-7509, or 551-3123 (cell) for directions.

Share in a one-hour meditation and fellowship opportunity on:Monday evenings 6-7:30 pm Manoa Valley, Honolulu No charge

eeting:M

eeting:M

eeting:M

eeting:M

9

Previously Released Tape Now On CD (For more ILM CDs see pgs. 11-12)Previously Released Tape Now On CD (For more ILM CDs see pgs. 11-12)

Our right rElatiOnShip with gOd

God has found so much joy in being, that he wants to share the joy of being by giving us the opportunity of

experiencing that ourselves.

But how often do we stop and really look at what the “joy of being” is all about? How often do we really take time in our day to stop and just look and see the joy, and the beauty, and the love, and the opportunity that is present in our lives?

It is said, “If we can become like a child again, we can enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Well, maybe we ought to start looking at that. Maybe we should start looking at how to stop in the moment of life and find that childlike nature inside of us once again, and begin to acknowledge it if nothing else. And in that

acknowledgement you’ll begin to see with the eyes of the child – that is you – that joy, that enthusiasm, that love, that participation in life.

– Jim Gordon

OrdEring infOrmatiOn: See page 12, or you can go to our website ILM.org to order (see page 3).

Excerpt from Our right rElatiOnShip with gOd:

thE pathway aS a claSSrOOm

rEturning back intO Spirit

Six Essential ILM Meditations and Talks On CDs

10

bEcOmingSOul libEratEd

lOtuSmEditatiOn

thE tOOlbOxwakE up!wakE up!

(See page 12 for information about ordering these CDs.)

11

kEyS Of initiatiOnwith Jim and brian

Other ILM Meditations and Talks On CDs

lOving whOyOu arE

thE tEnth dOOr

undErStanding thE‘innEr’ pathway

To know thyself: to claim, to acknowledge the Divine within. And the more you claim and acknowledge that, the more the power awakens, the more is revealed to

you, and the more you know that. And the more you know that, the more you choose. So simply keep choosing, and in the choosing it’ll continue to awaken. It’s a very simple process of you choosing and then allowing that choice to come back to you. You loving God and allowing God to love you. You choosing God and allowing God to choose you. It’s a very simple process. It’s the circle of Loving. – Brian Yeakey

Excerpt from lOving whO yOu arE:

One day there will be that step – and God knows it even if you don’t – where you will step forward in meditation through that “tenth door” (the “spiritual eye

center”), and then the greater journey begins … the Journey Home. That journey is an easy journey, a loving journey, an amazing journey; for on that journey, that inner journey, you will know God’s love, and you will know a greater sense of freedom than you’ve known while you’ve been in the physical body. – Jim Gordon

Excerpt from thE tEnth dOOr:

Remember that this is an action of the Holy Spirit. That is one spirit, the Loving of God, that is ever manifesting as the audible lifestream – and that is what this

is about. And that is the oneness that is the initiation. It is about the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit works through us individually and collectively to serve those who are initiated and those who are seeking – to bring them clarity on their path in the direction that they might go. – Jim Gordon

Excerpts from kEyS Of initiatiOn with Jim and brian:

We in Inner Light Ministries present a teaching that is universal. It is one pathway that is a pathway of Loving. It is a pathway of Truth.

Throughout time it’s been called many things ... but mostly it is The Path, or The Way. This pathway is an ‘inner’ pathway. It has nothing to do with evolution, it has nothing to do with the Masters of Hierarchy, or angels, or teachers outside. It has everything to do with the divine spark that is in you, and you connecting back to that, and awakening to that, and then traveling as that divine spark on up to your own soul and uniting and connecting back here once again in fullness and awareness. Thus knowing who you are in the whole being of God, and living that and manifesting that at this level as well. – Jim Gordon

Excerpt from undErStanding thE ‘innEr’ pathway:

Having this outer action (a spiritual teacher), somebody physically and personally to relate to, is a wonderful action that Spirit has given us to really assist us in our

own spiritual awakening – to move past all of our own inner blocks so that we can wake up and have that greater experience of the oneness inside.

And so there is that process of the outer reflection. It all takes place inwardly, but in this world of reflection the way this works out here is by reflecting back to one another that greater truth. And so that is part of the action that takes place when you have the individual expression (the teacher), who is that reflection we can see so that we can really begin to awaken into the greater impersonal, if you will, or the formless, where we truly are all one. – Brian Yeakey

(See page 12 for information about ordering these CDs.)

inner light Ministries Materials listinner light Ministries Materials list

Three MediTaTions by Jim Gordon

Two MediTaTions by Jim Gordon

MediTaTion and The healing Process by Brian Yeakey

PracTicing MediTaTion – connecTing wiTh The divine by Steven McAfee

disciPleshiP* siMPliciTy and Journaling* The acTion of giving and receiving* enTer inTo The Journey of loving* The PaThway as a classrooM* reTurning Back inTo sPiriT* loving who you are* To Be or noT To Be* The living loving essence* The TenTh door* BecoMing soul liBeraTed* The ToolBox* wake uP, wake uP!* keys of iniTiaTion wiTh JiM and Brian* The Three fold PaTh* The Pearl of greaT Price* a siMPle way — The PaTh of ilM undersTanding The ‘inner’ PaThway The PaTh of sound and lighT waking uP in sPiriT whaT seParaTes us froM our loving a frequency of change for a new MillenniuM a soul’s Journey focusing on chrisT guardian angels soul vs ego

loTus MediTaTion by Jim Gordon

The sPiriTual PaTh MediTaTion by Jim Gordon The hearT of god MediTaTion by Brian Yeakey

Cds & tapes on Meditation

ilM audio Cds & tapes

NEWNEW

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ilM Books

By Jim Gordon

Love and Loving (revised)

The Knowing of god

The STaff of The Shepherd (revised)

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you have physical karmas because you have a physical body. If in that physical situation you have fears, then yes, it is starting to go into other realms of the imagination, the mind, and the emotions. That’s all inside; that’s the stuff of your “inner kingdom.”

Q: When you start working on this in meditation, and the ‘purple light’ assists you, did you say that this is what initiation is?

a: (Brian): Initiation anchors the frequency of the Holy Spirit in your consciousness to assist you in your journey of awakening to your Soul and Spirit, and part of that action is one of completing karma … and we can see the Holy Spirit in meditation as a purple light. Once you receive initiation, you begin the journey beyond the physical realm, beyond the ‘inner kingdom’ of the body chakras, and start working through and traveling inward and upward through the astral, causal, mental, and etheric realms, and into the realms of soul and spirit. Initiation is the ‘anchoring’ of the sacred Name of God in your consciousness to bring you through it all.

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Q & awith JiM and Brian

Q: Jim, you were talking about when you ‘plow the field in your meditation’ and the old karmas are off to the side, but that if you ‘look over’ you can pick them back up and kind’ve reanimate them. I’ve found myself recently doing a lot of that. So would you be willing to speak more of that?

a: (Jim) Yes. You just don’t look. You pay no attention; because if you try to figure out what has just dropped away, what was released, what was pushed aside, all you’re going to do is draw yourself back into it – because we will follow wherever we are focused upon. So, if we look to something, that’s where our attention is going to go, and we are going to be dropped back into it. If we just keep our focus on God, then we are ever going to be moving toward God; and all these other things that aren’t of that focus are going to drop away because we’re moving into a higher frequency than what they are. They can’t follow with us – but they can attract us back into the old frequency if we’re not careful. So, we give it no attention, and we are just grateful that something has been released, that something has been dissolved. And believe me, this creation is very subtle and very powerful; it can bring in guilt and say, “Well, you haven’t worked that out yet. You have to forgive them, or you have to love them, and you don’t love them so therefore it can’t be healed.” Or whatever the exact karma is. And you just say, “I’m going to God. Thank you very much. I’m coming God. Here I come. I love you. I love you.” And you just keep on focusing on God. Chant Hu, chant Anihu, or chant the Name of God, and it will just keep you moving forward. And you can do that eyes open or eyes closed.

Q: When you’re dealing with karmas physically, are those karmas that come just from the physical realm? Or might the source be the emotional or the mental realms?

a: (Brian) If you’re dealing with physical karmas, it’s the physical realm.

Q: Let’s say fears.

a: (Brian): A physical karma is like if you had a physical injury, a physical illness, a physical relationship;

On initiatiOn

Initiation is simply about awakening. It’s not about overcoming evil or the bad of the world;

it is simply to awaken to the Loving within yourself. And as you awaken to that Loving within yourself you will awaken to the Loving in all things, in all creation, and beyond ... beyond creation itself. The greater purity of Loving that is beyond manifestation, beyond creation, beyond the realm of time and space – that is the greater journey that we begin to move into and experience through initiation.

And once we awaken beyond this realm of illusion, once we awaken into Soul Consciousness, into the knowing of who we are as Soul, then we begin a new journey ... a journey into the Divine, even beyond Soul. That’s what is called Soul Transcendence – an awakening to the realms of spirit, awakening to the fullness of God directly. This is what initiation is. – Brian Yeakey

(from Experiencing The Divine,March, 2008)

So, how can we stay in the moment more often? I know that when I chant the Name of God throughout the day, I more easily stay in the moment. I am automatically with God, and in this moment. It’s when I stop chanting and I start thinking of the past, or the future, that I am not in the moment … and this, for me, creates anxiety, tension, and separation from God.

I started thinking about meditation, and how staying in the moment and chanting the Name of God while I’m doing daily activities can be an aid for when I sit in meditation. Because I’ve been writing things on my list, because I’ve been chanting the name of God, and because I’ve been practicing staying present in the moment, I realized that I can more easily move into my meditation; I’ve already set the groundwork. It’s just a continuation with the focus now being at the spiritual eye.

Chanting the name of God, being in the here and now, sitting in meditation – these are practices. According to the dictionary, practice means: “Repeating something to get better.” Out of curiosity, I went to the thesaurus and looked up the synonyms of “practice.” They are listed as: “do,” “live out,” “perform.”

Then, being an Austinite, I started to think of that well-known “Master of Practice,” Lance Armstrong. Armstrong didn’t just get on his bike and ride over to the Tour de France and win the race. He practiced riding, more than anyone else, up and down the grueling slopes of the Hill Country of Texas. He repeated the same mundane bicycling every day, staying focused, staying in the moment.

So, as students on the Path of Sound and Light, staying present in the moment with God, throughout the day and into our meditation, requires us, as the thesaurus says, to “do it,” to “live out” the “practice,” to make it not just a part of our lives, but our lives. And this we can attain through simply repeating the Name of God whenever we can throughout our daily activities, and bringing that focus into our meditation practice.

Practicing the Path is not grueling, as I found sitting in the salon; it’s actually quite relaxing … it’s more having our hair washed than winning a road race.

by Laura Kesten, ILM Minister

E hErE nOw

Iwas sitting in the salon chair recently, getting my hair washed, and my mind was busy making lists, rolling the things I had to do that day over and over in

my head so I wouldn’t forget anything before getting a chance to write them down. Out of the blue, I added to the list: “Be here now.” It’s an old phrase that was popular in the sixties and seventies and that has popped up over the years here and there, including in Jim and Brian’s talks. And now it was on a list I’d been making in my head. I repeated it. “Be here now.” With a sigh, my body relaxed in the chair. I hadn’t realized how tense I’d been, ready to eject from my seat and into action. “Be here now,” I said again to myself. And my body relaxed even more. The woman who was washing my hair, completely unaware of my inner process, added, “Just relax.”

I closed my eyes and felt the gentle pull and tug of the woman’s hands as she lathered my hair and massaged my scalp. I focused on this moment … this moment … this moment … here, now. Every time I drifted onto something else that I thought I should add to my list, I gently brought myself back to the here and now, to this moment … to this moment … to this moment.

And then I began chanting the Name of God, that we are given at initiation. I saw my lists just disappear as I became more present with God. Throughout that day, I continued to practice being here, now, and I continued to silently repeat the Name of God. And I emptied my mind by putting my lists down on paper. This is a great tool – paper and pen. It is dependable. Once the to-do-thing is on paper, it is out of my head, and this simple action allows me to be more present in the moment. I played a game with myself, seeing how long I could stay in the moment before resulting to old behaviors of distraction, before racing ahead into what I needed to do, or before falling behind into what I should have done.

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b

They were times of being in the loving and consciously attentive to it. And, returning back to ‘now’, I allowed myself the time to re-experience this last summer by getting away from my busy life to just … unwind.

So here is my insight: it is important to find ways to give ourselves unobligated time to truly relax and unwind inside – not just time to meditate, but time to “be.” This is what my spiritual teachers have been trying to get me to ‘wake up’ to: what meditation really is…is just to be! That is when we finally relax enough to let go inside and really let the Loving come forward and just be what it is. This is meditation! It is not easy for me to make such time, since I have a number of responsibilities to keep up with – our children and grandchildren, our ministry, my diet and exercise, our dog and cat, my music, our home, our finances, and all the anxieties that go along with each of these. And if I am not careful, even spiritual activities, such as traveling to meetings, teaching classes and retreats, making music, writing, and even meditation, can become just more things to cross off my to-do list to make myself feel like I’ve accomplished something. Any or all of these things can keep me so focused into ‘doing’ in the world that I forget to be, and the longer I go on doing without being, the more asleep I am to Spirit. But the more I give myself the freedom to be, the more I find myself staying awake to Spirit, not only inwardly in times of meditation and solitude, but even outwardly in the midst of all my activities.

To put it directly, I am suggesting that we give ourselves permission just to be once in a while – the way I did at our little cabin in the U.P. Stop the struggling. Stop all the ‘doing’ – even the doing of continually striving in our meditation for new experiences and profound revelations – and instead just be, just relax and be with God. For me, this is the true meditation. Meditation time is my time where I do the Being!

What I am sharing is not new. It is something we have all known in our souls right along. We have just been lured into the illusion of believing that to be more spiritually, we must do more. Let us remember to let go and return to the simple truth: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

by Steven McAfee, ILM Minister

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D

This past summer my wife Anita and I went to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for a mini-vacation. It was wonderful! Not only did we end up in a comfy

little cottage right on the lake with lots of privacy, but we truly had nothing to do – no schedules to keep, no projects to work on, no to-do lists. Not only that, I did not even make myself keep to a regular schedule of meditation or exercise; instead I literally left each day completely unobligated.

What I discovered was that I did get in my walks; I did eat nutritious foods. And, I did it all without any sense of pressure or the stress of trying to fit it all in each day. It was the most relaxed I have been in a long, long time. And I did, in fact, meditate – some days much longer than if I had stuck to a schedule. Here’s the main point: I felt deeply connected spiritually and had some wonderful insights and awakenings that entire week. So, why is that?

I began to reflect upon when I feel most connected to God. I realized that I have always had ways of connecting to the Divine, even as a child. I remember as a young boy, I would often wake up early on Sunday mornings, walk across the hall to my parents’ room and crawl into bed with them, snuggling down into the covers between them and just drinking in that delicious feeling of being safely surrounded by loving. I also recall how at Christmastime I loved to sit quietly at night just gazing at the beautiful lights on our Christmas tree, basking in the loving and magic of that time of year. And, I can still almost feel the warmth of my dog as I cuddled next to him on the floor while he took his afternoon nap where the sunlight beamed in through the picture window. I could feel his rhythmic breathing, and I would totally relax and just be with him. I was in the loving and I was aware of it.

You’ll notice that my examples are all inwardly focused. They were quiet moments of deep relaxation that gave me time to reflect, time for my soul to soar into its own private ecstasies without interruption from the world.

O-bE-dO-bE-dO?

is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching spiritual awakening through an inner practice of meditation. This meditation practice is an inner path through which the soul transcends the physical realms of creation to its true home in the spiritual realms within the heart of God. In spiritual teachings and literature this inner path is often referred to as “The Path of Sound and Light,” “The Path of The Holy Spirit,” “The Path of Love,” or simply as “The Path” or “The Way.” ILM offers initiation into this meditation practice enabling one to fully experience this inner journey of awakening.

To provide support for those individuals interested in this path, Inner Light Ministries offers numerous publications, materials, programs, and services, which encourage devotion to God and support a life-long practice of prayer, meditation, spiritual study, and service.

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P.O. Box 164332Austin, Texas 78716-4332

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