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The Ishaya Foundation Newsletter - September 2010
Practice of Ascension
Ascension leads one to union with the Source – the Ascendant One. The practice is the key. Ascension helps to refine the awareness and the reference point that we come from. Most people have centered their awareness and sense of self within a conglomeration of beliefs and past experiences that is often called the ego. This filter of perception does not allow Reality to be experienced, but rather our projected fears and desires and thoughts. What we perceive outside of us is the world we have created inside through belief and judgment.
The truth of the Ascendant One is simple. However, knowing about it and allowing the awareness to be absorbed in it are two vastly different things. Knowledge is not transformative. It is merely a pointer to the right direction, but that alone does not change the human life from suffering to unending peace.
The Ascension Attitudes of Praise, Gratitude and Love mechanically drive the mind inward back to the source of all thought. This naturally expands the awareness. The shift in our focus, the actual choice to give more space for the Attitudes in our mind is what builds the bridge between the Universal Mind and the mind of the individual. This allows for the experience of Reality, without the limiting filters, to open up.
Every attempt to add something to this practice will only weaken the possible benefits. The transformative power of the practice can be experienced through creating a habit of using the Ascension Attitudes consistently and becoming more familiar with the Ascendant One and gaining the ability to focus awareness on That by choice. This eventually leads to the experience of the Ascendant permeating everything inside and outside. MSI describes this process in his books from many different angles, but even that is merely pointing to the scenery we perceive as a result of the inner focus.
Simplicity is everything. Innocence is paramount to growth. Ego forever projects images ahead and always misses what is present. It is a practice to shift our awareness through choice to Ascend and begin to experience life centered in the Ascendant One.
Nataraja Ishaya
Ascension Attitude
Ascension Attitudes are called
Attitudes because an attitude is a way of looking at the world. They are not
called Ascension Beliefs because there is no need to believe in Ascension for them to work. One does not need to
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believe that a carrot seed planted in the ground and properly tended will grow a carrot. Belief is not required. Belief is a powerful force which can be useful or
destructive, depending on how it is applied, but it is not required to change the nature of our lives. Carrot seeds grow carrots. The seed thoughts of the Ascension Attitudes grow a new way of looking at and living life.
Use of the Ascension Attitudes allows us effortlessly to rise beyond our previous experience of life into a state of problem-free existence. This is accomplished by aligning our limited individuality with Cosmic Universality. This underlying truth of creation can be named anything. Some call it Love. Some call it Life. Some call it Good. Some call it Nature. Some call it Universal Mind. Some call it Mother. Some call it Spirit. Some call it Truth. Some call it the Force. Some call it Beauty. Some call it Higher Self. Some call it God. Some call it the Source. We call it the Ascendant. The name is supremely unimportant. What is important is to stop blocking our perception of this level of Reality.
MSI, Ascension
An Enlivened Heart
I am so grateful for this work. I have never done a meditation that was present with me all the time. Using the Ascension Attitudes during my day may be my favorite thing ever. I feel it
imbues my days with love and goodness. I feel like it may help my patients as well, that is certainly my hope.
This practice is such a blessing in my life.
Elon Cameron
Looking for Enlightenment
The Universe is like the wish fulfilling tree; as you sit under it entertaining your thoughts and ideas, it responds to every thought and desire.
If you were to picture God as the waiter writing your order, and while your mind constantly rambles and the waiter is writing and sending the orders to the kitchen, the kitchen is getting so many orders, some that conflict and cancel previous ones, there is little the kitchen can do but to listen to the waiter who must determine which orders are primary and foremost.
How many times do we say to ourselves "I want enlightenment," but before that desire (or along with that desire) is the program that is running that says “I really want a relationship, sex, money, more hair, less fat on my body, bigger boobs, a bigger penis..etc.etc.”
The first Attitude is sufficient unto itself and will usually prove the most useful for transforming the grossest levels of beliefs and judgments about life. This Attitude above all others can be used at any time of the day or night when it seems that life is not progressing as well as it could.
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It takes a great deal of humility and honesty to notice how many things are piled up on the order sheet along with enlightenment or the desire to know one’s Self and God. If there is much on the order, then it may be a while before your order is dealt with and/or it may be coming in small courses mixed with other orders that are being repeatedly voiced over and over, unconsciously in the mind.
Becoming conscious of thought and stilling the mind chatter takes willingness and the choice to actually do it. That’s 'cause it aint
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gonna happen just 'cause you wish it will in a lesser state of consciousness that is running on habit and ignorance.
Believe it or not the waking state didn't just happen. It came about through the fulfillment of a previous set of desires and actions, the same kind of thoughts and desires that perpetuate it in this lifetime. There is no end as long as you sit in front of the screen that is your life with the remote pushing the same channel button wishing to see something different.
Conscious thought requires conscious awareness. If you want something and you don't believe you can have it then you entertain two desires. The universe doesn't hear negatives so it doesn't hear “I want” and “I don't want”. It hears thought one and thought two and gives equal energy to both.
So to be clear is to shake loose the chatter and still the mind even in activity.
Having the silence underlying the thoughts or desires is not that far from the waking state. While the programs continue to run, the awareness is sometimes directed to the silence. But if it is not anchored permanently in the stillness, then old programs based on ego identity still run. This creates not miracles but the cycle of Idea-Desire-Action with the Ascendant underlying the same patterns of thought and occasionally brought up from the basement of the mind to engage a less than conscious thought of “I don't want” and or “I want” to gain control.
There is no control without conscious awareness and congruity of thought and action. Without stability there is only random moments of awareness created by throwing a choice to be cognizant in and amongst the choice to maintain the awareness on desires to fulfill the senses.
Consciousness is awareness. It can be focused or left alone to wait for your desire to connect to it, heart, mind, body, and soul or on occasion when you want to give it some attention.
It's always just a choice.
Mahadeva Ishaya
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We welcome any questions that you readers may have concerning the practice of Ascension so that they can be addressed here as part of the newsletter. You can email your questions to contact@theishayafoundation.org with the title “Question & Answer”. If you wish to participate in an online dialog about Ascension, we invite you to join teachers on the Ishaya Foundation Bulletin Board. Of course you can call or email us at any time for a more immediate personal response.
In Search of the Miraculous
A very important moment in the work on oneself is when a man begins to distinguish his personality and his essence. A man's real I, his individuality, can grow only from his essence. It can be said that a man's individuality is his essence, grown up, mature. But in order to enable essence to grow up, it is first of all necessary to weaken the constant pressure of personality upon it, because the obstacles to the growth of essence are contained in personality.
P.D.Ouspensky
The Purity of Ishayas’ Ascension
MSI brought forth to the modern world a very simple tool to use in paving a straight path to the goal of human life on this planet, namely, full human consciousness. This can be described in many different ways. I like this example - to accomplish the maximum in the world and at the same time live a life of eternal freedom in permanent contact with, and life directed by, Divine Consciousness.
I will admit to you, there are many paths that will get you to that point. Very few of these paths will achieve it in THIS lifetime. As one who achieved full human consciousness in a lifetime, MSI handed down a Simple Teaching with very simple guidelines.
These techniques are not some invention from some recent person’s mind. These techniques have served throughout history. From the beginning of humanity, a long Lineage of Masters served mankind by holding Pure Consciousness in human form on this planet. It is they who have safeguarded the simplicity of this Teaching.
The Ascendant is the tap root of our Lineage and the Teaching. The Ascendant is the Root of all Being. This Root is what links the Teaching to the Ishayas and the Ascended Masters.
Every time we use an Ascension Attitude it takes us back to the Root or Source. MSI said, “By touching the Source, the energy contained in the Ascendant automatically moves to purify the nervous system. Said another way, the perfect orderliness contained in the Absolute disallows the continuance of any disorder.” By bringing all experiences back to a common point of reference, the Absolute Ascendant, we integrate all fragments back to the whole. Fortunately, with the Source of All Truth, this need not take long.
Using the tool of Ascension with commitment and innocence can drive you most of the way to the goal. MSI said, “Ascension works when we are innocent with it but if we add to it or change it at all, the positive effects will decrease. There can be no value in distorting Ascension”.
Without guidance, one can easily fool themselves. MSI said, “Without proper guidance, any technique will be likely to fail, for there will be no feedback to verify whether or not the aspirant is using the technique correctly.” To fully stabilize higher states of consciousness, guidance of a fully Realized Teacher is required.
Only with feedback from a fully Realized Teacher can one ascertain if they are being fooled by their own ego.
MSI said, “Correctly practiced, Ascension leads to full human consciousness in the shortest possible amount of time. Incorrectly practiced, it is no longer reliable. That is an extremely unfortunate loss.”
The power of these techniques alone is amazing. There are those that feel they need to embellish it. But, MSI said, “Ascension gives you what you need… There are no 'Do's and Don'ts' in Ascension, but if we are interested in maximum evolution in the shortest possible amount of time, it is in our best interest to focus our energy. The natural effortlessness of Ascension is a good signpost that this technique is all that is required.”
Jyoti Ishaya
Basic Practice
The Art of Ascension is a simple mechanical way to take the mind inward to a place of stillness, clarity and one-pointedness. The Art of Ascension is also a simple prayer of Praise, Gratitude & Love that automatically takes you directly into the Divine Source of all creation, a place of inner peace, the rock solid foundation on which to build your house, your life.
The busy mind likes to complicate things, which gives it purpose and importance; however it is best to keep the Practice of Ascension simple, effortless and easy. To help with this there are a couple of things to do consistently. The first is Commitment; to just do it. Commitment is everything. When you actually make it an integral part of your daily life, two or three times with your eyes closed and throughout the day with your eyes open, you receive the greatest benefit. A natural by-product is that the stuff that is in the way of you realizing your True Self simply dissolves. No need for self-improvement when you recognize you are an offspring of Perfection Itself. No need to “do it right” when you realize there is no right or wrong in the field of Infinite Potential, only the Now to create from.
The other important factor is Innocence. Innocence is key. Drop any pre-conceived ideas and expectations of specific results, and those based on past experiences. Most of humanity comes from limited perspectives and cannot see the bigger picture. You are tapping into the Source of All-Knowledge, Omniscience Itself, which knows what is best for you at all times right now; which knows you better than you know yourself. Allow That to work for your best interests and those of others.
Whether you consciously realize it or not, every time you think an Ascension Attitude it is automatically taking you directly to the Ascendant Source. The more you do the Practice, the more opportunities you will have to experience it as Reality, as the Truth. Since the natural tendency of the mind is to seek greater happiness, then continue to use the Attitudes as the tools to do so, thereby giving your mind what it is seeking, the Greatest Happiness of all, the Ascendant, your Beloved Self.
When there is a question or a doubt or concern about your practice and how you are doing, or you simply desire to expand your consciousness more quickly, then seek the guidance of a teacher to re-direct you back to the simplicity of Ascension. Audit a First Sphere, go to Advanced Meetings in your area, attend a Retreat, re-read the Ascension! book or any of MSI’s writings. There is always support for those who sincerely ask.
Nandisvara Ishaya
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This is the 56th edition of the Ishaya Foundation newsletter.
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