For the contemplative life to take root in your consciousness you begin by accepting the world in which you find yourself. A world not of your making, not of your design and, perhaps, not to your liking. No matter. This is where you are at this moment in infinity. This is where you need to start to change, not the world but your idea of the world. In all this time since the pairs of opposites drove man from The Garden, man has been making up his own beliefs based on the illusion of his senses and the delusions of his mind. This is a dream of power, a mirage with no substance. Even as he strives for greatness in this world of his creation he cannot become immortal. There is no room in the Inn of the Absolute for this man of the world. In order to obtain reservations he must die daily to the man of the flesh and be reborn of The Spirit. It is not a physical death. No, it is a death to the conditioned man. A death to the myth of me. When a myth is revealed it vanishes. It was never here. It didn't go there. There is no there there as Gertrude Stein tells us. Man came into this world from nothing and with nothing. He will leave it that same way. No matter if he is pauper or king. When your time is come there will be no bag to pack because none of this belongs to you. Might as well begin now to prepare. You might consider beginning by accepting the world as the illusion that it is and leaving it alone as much as possible. There is nothing to be done with it. When problems strike, step aside. Do not take up the sword. To do so is to die by the sword. Step aside, the mantra of the man who would free himself from the shackles that bind him to this world. Many years ago I knew a woman whose last name was Godbe. What a wonderful name for this beautiful creature who strove so hard every day to not answer any question, or enter any discussion before she stepped aside and consulted her inner self. Yes, it made for huge gaps in the conversation sometimes. But when her "guide" reached her, she was not speaking as a conditioned reaction, but as a spirit that had actually thought about was was asked or being discussed and answered from a place that was uniquely her own. We can learn to do that if we will step aside. There can be no argument with a man who has stepped aside. Begin with minor events. When fear grabs you, or hurt, or anger. Step aside. Step into your self and listen or even just move on. There is nothing in this world that has power over you that you do not permit. Even in Genesis there is no mention of God creating the world. God created the heavens and the earth. The world was left to man. And man, being the self created myth, began the journey to aggrandizement that we have become. The confusion and collusion of the conditioned mind. Me, myself and mine became the mantra. Religious beliefs the authority. Greed and battle the measures of might. Suffering was the result. And the fall from Grace was complete. So, dear friends, here we are at the crossroads of this journey. Step aside. Get off the Merry-go-round. Step aside. Step into The Self you really are. A Oneness so complete, perfect and pure that has no need of, and indeed is not of "this" world. Complete, whole. Perfect without flaw. Pure without stain. Step aside and become Being.