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-====== The Inner Life 1938 ======
+====== The Inner Life ======
-== THE HERALD OF THE NEW AGE ==
+== THE HERALD OF THE NEW AGE | MARCH 1938 ==
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+<WRAP centeralign>
+==== A PREVIEW ====
+=== Of the Forthcoming School for Disciples ===
+</WRAP>
+<WRAP justify>
+I HAD studied everything in New Thought, Metaphysics, Psychology, Spiritualism and Occultism, had taken several courses in self-training and development, and had been a member of different Occult and so-called Spiritual Organizations. Each helped me in what I needed to know at the time, and as I look back at it all I realize, despite their limitations, that without what I gained from them I would not have the understanding I have now.
+However, all those years I was unconsciously looking for something, I knew not just what, and I never found it, although several times I thought, “This is it;” only to be disappointed once more on further investigation and personal contact with the leaders of the different Movements.
+Finally I heard about the School for Disciples, fostered by The Sun Center of Akron, Ohio, and its plan and purpose immediately interested me; for it offered an opportunity of undergoing carefully supervised self-training and discipline, accompanied by the kind of instruction that I knew, if faithfully followed, would actually enable one to find the Kingdom—and that was what was claimed would be accomplished in the School.
+Definite help to that end I suddenly realized was what I had been looking for in the other Movements and teachings I had investigated, and had never found; so I wrote to the School asking many questions, in order to satisfy myself that this was not another hope soon to be shattered. I received in reply a Questionnaire that I was required to fill out, and which practically answered all of my questions. For in the many questions I was called upon to answer I was deeply impressed that there was a School with a true Spiritual understanding of what was needed as an equipment for those who wanted to find the Kingdom, and it sought to discover if an applicant was really ready and had the qualifications necessary to find it.
+I likewise was greatly impressed with the fact that the School was conducted on a Free-Will Offering basis, depending entirely on the law of Giving and Receiving as compensation for the help rendered, but accepting no one who was unable to pass the rigid preliminary examination as to his or her fitness to win out and reach the goal.
+To my surprise and joy I was accepted, and I arranged my affairs so that in a short time I was established in the School. I found it to be unpretentious, located in the suburbs of the city in a large home remodeled for the School’s needs, surrounded by large wooded grounds, with several acres of farming land adjoining.
+I was able to secure a room in the home, a few rooms being available for students, likewise meals, although some of the students stayed in nearby homes that were available and got their meals outside.
+I found the School was not large and that it did not care for numbers, but was very particular as to the spiritual and mental qualifications of those enrolled, endeavoring as nearly as possible to bar all whose personalities were not under strict control. As a result I was happy to find an attitude of the utmost kindness and gentle understanding on the part of every person in the School, including the Head of it and the teachers, as well as all the students and workers on the place.
+For I learned that the students did all the work, even to the cooking and cleaning, and what was done on the farm, this in payment for their tuition, board and lodging—those who were unable to pay for same. For the strict rule was that each one must give of what he or she was best able to give—if lacking in money—in return for the spiritual help received.
+In the School itself, classes were held in the morning or afternoon, according to their grade, there being studies on the mind, the soul, and the Spirit, but only one class a day, excepting where a student is thought capable—and if for certain reasons it is desired—of studying two courses at the same time, which is not encouraged. The remainder of the day is reserved for study, meditation and work. In the evenings there were usually lectures and talks.
+The exceptional and to me highly desirable character of the teaching was in the many questions asked by the teacher, compelling the student to do a high degree of thinking; and then the many illustrations and exercises given to prove one’s understanding of what had been studied and one’s ability to use one’s inner powers. Usually the teacher had only one class and stayed with it exclusively, working with students outside of class when they needed individual help.
+The real surprise and joy was in the teachers themselves, in how wonderfully each in his or her way exemplified the truths they taught. This was indeed most unusual, and there were no exceptions, proving the high degree of spiritual understanding of the one choosing and training the teachers. And I noticed they were all able to teach and speak from their higher consciousness, keeping their personal selves wholly submerged, or at least subservient to their Real Selves.
+From the beginning I noticed how attention was directed to the Inner Self, and it was continually shown and stressed how all real instruction and guidance came from that Self and that outer teachers and teachings were but to aid the Inner Teacher to make clear what in time could be got direct from Him.
+Likewise the teachers showed clearly how the only way to reach the Kingdom was to get fully acquainted with that Inner Teacher, so that He could lead the Way inward in consciousness, until the mind of itself could retire within and lose itself in His Consciousness, and thus know with Him that “I alone AM,” and that there is actually no separate self.
+Each teacher gave definite evidence of such knowing, and of having a loving desire to aid each student gain it also, thus inspiring earnest study and meditation upon the great truths taught and persistent efforts to prove them for one’s self.
+It therefore was not long before each student had a clear understanding of what was the Kingdom and what awaited those who entered its Consciousness. And I also found more than a few of the students already had found it and were able to retire into it at times. But their great desire and need was to be able to abide in it and always to think, speak and act from its Consciousness.
+Of course I soon learned that the Kingdom was really the Christ Consciousness; not what many New Thought students think is that Consciousness where they find their inner self and call it the Christ, and think that communion with the inner self is the Christ Consciousness.
+But it was very definitely shown how the inner self is but the soul or real self of man, and that many evil men have found and are in close touch with that self, but being souls grown strong in wickedness they are able to dominate their outer selves, and lead them into many selfish and evil acts. It was shown that not until the Holy Spirit of God, or Divine Love, has been born in the heart, the Christ has not yet made His abode in the Soul, and the outer man cannot know Him or hear His Voice.
+We were also made aware that all students who had been admitted into the School had had that birth, that the Christ was now dwelling in our Souls so that He was now the Real and only Self of us. And now our chief desire and effort was to wait upon Him every moment of the day, concerned only that we were pleasing Him, seeing Him only as our Self, and longing to lose ourselves in His Love, so that He would take complete possession and be all that we are.
+Gradually, little by little, did we then take on His Consciousness—by which I mean, we allowed His Love to enter our Consciousness, and were becoming able to enter and abide for a time in Him, and let His Word abide in us. We knew while thus abiding the glories of the Christ Consciousness—even the same Consciousness that was Jesus’ when He was on Earth. And more and more did some of us become aware of His Power in us and were directed how to use it in the Father’s Service—in healing, or speaking the Word for others, seeing what we decreed made manifest.
+Of course we were aided in attaining all this by our individual teachers, by the lessons, and by our questions in classes, but more especially in our private talks after classes. And then when requiring more intimate help the teacher sent us to the Head of the School whose high consciousness always quickly lifted us out of any limiting concept into a clear understanding of whatever we needed to know.
+The Head of the School radiated so wonderfully a Loving Wisdom and Power that to be in his presence seemed to dissipate every doubt, concern or problem. He undoubtedly kept constant touch with the progress of each student, and often appeared suddenly without announcement, perhaps in a class discussion, or before a student meditating upon some important problem, and with only a few words made everything remarkably clear.
+I cannot close without telling of the wonderful spirit of Love felt by every student in attendance, and we often spoke of it and joyed in it. Very seldom was there a jarring note, for that spirit of Love seemed to draw forth only the highest and best in everyone. We actually knew ourselves to be brothers, members of an Inner Brotherhood far more real than any outer relationship could be; because some of us brought back memories in the morning of experiences together in the soul realms at night, proving to us our membership or intimate soul relationship with Glorious Brothers in those realms Who were guiding the destiny of humanity, and Who were preparing our outer selves as instruments through which They could accomplish the Father’s work on Earth even as They are accomplishing it in Heaven.
+We learned that the Consciousness Jesus had when here was the goal and was the actual accomplishment awaiting us in the School, where we would know, even as He knew, that “I and My Father are One,” and that “All that the Father hath is mine.” We would be stayed with, taught, tried and tested in every way, until that Consciousness was actually ours, and we were ready to go forth into the outer world in the serene knowing that within us awaiting our call was everything we needed—yea, every idea, power, support, supply; they but awaited our need and instantly would flow forth as air into a vacuum and would provide, fulfill or fill out that need.
+Yes, there were those who had attained that consciousness, who had graduated, and had gone forth into the world to do the Father’s work as instruments of their own Divine Selves, members of that Wonderful Inner Brotherhood of Christ which is the Light and Life of the world of men.
+<WRAP centeralign>—————————</WRAP>
+WE ASK our readers to read this Preview over again and again—those to whom it appeals, and who would like to see it a reality, and then to hold continually the picture it has created in the mind, seeing it as an actual living School, joying in the great good it is doing. See it as an actuality, a true and blessed creation of Spirit; and praise our Loving Father for this evidence of His providing the means whereby many of His children are being led into the Kingdom and are becoming established therein.
+One of our students with whom we talked about the School and to whom we presented just such a “preview,” suggested, “Would it not be nice if all Sun Center students would endeavor to go about their daily tasks as though they were already in the School for Disciples?”
+“In meditating upon the getting of the necessary funds for such a School I thought came, ‘Why wait for some wealthy person to endow it?’ Might it not be a good plan to set aside a special fund called ‘The Disciples’ Fund’ for that sole purpose? To this fund, then, members could contribute from time to time dimes, quarters, dollars, or whatever amount they could spare besides their regular Love Offerings, and such a start might in time interest some of greater means.”
+We know that the School will soon manifest in the outer and therefore, following this suggestion, we give all our friends the privilege of helping to bring it about. Any funds sent for the use of the School will be set aside in a Special Trust Fund that will be used only for that purpose.—The EDITOR.
+<WRAP centeralign>————o————
+=== NOTICE ===
+</WRAP>
+WE HAVE received a number of inquiries from students and magazine subscribers regarding letters received from “The Star Press,” giving a P. O. Box number in Fort Worth, Texas, offering for $1.00 to send to a few advanced pupils a photograph of the Editor of this Magazine.
+We wish it known that this is done wholly without our knowledge, consent or approval.
+<WRAP centeralign>————o————
+=== MAGAZINES WANTED ===
+</WRAP>
+IN ORDER to complete needed Bound Volumes, we are anxious to secure the following back numbers of THE INNER LIFE Magazines and we will pay 25c each for April and December 1933 issues, and for April 1935; and $1.00 for the Feb., April, May, June and September (5 copies) of 1936. These prices delivered. Please forward them at once.
+</WRAP>
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