VERNON HOWARD LESSON: Quoted from "Inspire Yourself"

   A citizen said to a famous reformer, "Please explain. You condemn society for violence, yet your protests are equally violent."

   "There is a big difference," said the reformer.

"You demand that other people respect you, but you never speak of your need to respect them."

   "There's a big difference."

   "You criticize other groups for putting on pressure, yet the entire purpose of your group is to apply pressure."

   "There is a big difference."

   "What is the big difference?"

   "How stupid you are. We are good, while others are evil."

A man can be empowered by delusion or by self- knowledge, but only self-insight changes anything. -- Vernon Howard

LESSON: A man can be empowered by delusion or by self- knowledge, but only self-insight changes anything.

CHALLENGE: Break Free of Conditioning (From: Zen)

   Somehow, we are able to confuse reality and the make-believe worlds we create. And much of what we create is based on what we have been told as we were growing up. We are conditioned by our culture, parents, teachers, and peers, and then we proceed to live our entire life out of that conditioning. That conditioning defines who we think we are. All of these authoritative people have told us who we are, so we go on to manifest their predictions. This practice, every bit of it, is about going beyond all that conditioning, finding out for ourselves who we are, and then living our life in accordance with what we have realized. That is what freedom is all about.

TOM'S COMMENT: The challenge is to dare to live what you have found to be true, even though you will make a thousand mistakes in the process.

ESSENCE & HEART & CENTER:

-- Farid ud-Din Attar
Conference of the Birds

TOM'S COMMENT: Many of the great religious classics teach (usually by symbolism and allegory) a return to your Center, into the region of your breath. Here is the domain of renewal, receptivity and authentic confidence. It is now flowing as a trickle, but with awareness this Source expands and turns into rivers. (See John 7:38 KJV)

   It rarely occurs to spiritual travelers to let go of frantic activity in the brain, and simply let things settle into the region of the Heart. If frantic mental activity could have found anything, would it not have done so by now?

   Thinking has its place, but Knowing has its quiet and sacred domain. When we put Knowing first, thinking serves. When we put thinking first, thinking imprisons. What Source will direct your life? It is for you alone to decide.

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart ... Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. -- Carl Jung

   "Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart ... Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens." (Carl Jung)

JANUARY TELE-CLASS TOPIC SET:

   On Saturday January 7th join us for an in depth look at two literary masterpieces:

    " Message to Garcia" by Elbert Hubbard     " The poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling

   The content of the SuperWisdom tele-classes is on a triad: Vernon Howard's teachings -- The Bible -- Great works of literature. We focus in for fascinating discussions that illuminate powerful new connections, potentially saving you a great deal of time.

INSPIRATION: Tom Russell

   VH compared our walk through life with walking through a dark jungle. We hear the shrieks and growls of the animals. It is night and we cannot see where these sounds come from. We fear an attack and walk the path in terror.

   One day a wise man gives us a light to carry with us. It reveals what's going on in the jungle. Yes, the beasts are growling, but they are in a cage! There is no way they can touch us. They bluff well, and we fell for it before we obtained the light. Now everything is different. We hold up the light when we hear the growls and what we see are animals in a cage. With the light we understand there is nothing to fear.

   VH added, "Never forget this story. Use it."

   "Truth reveals itself to you when it sees you will not turn back from your quest, no matter what the false self throws at you." (Tom Russell)