THE WAY--The 9-Step Journey
Step 1
IN THE WORLD
Chaos, conflict, seeking to gain and
escape
the Four Dual Basic Urges
Step 2
A MAJOR CHALLENGE FROM LIFE
A big disappointment or loss, or a severe
illness,
or realization that something (or everything)
is not as I thought and felt and believed it to be.
Step 3
SURRENDER
Letting go, asking for guidance.
Step 4
GUIDANCE TO SELF-KNOWING
Appears in the form of a teaching to know
oneself, and if this is recognized, valued and
applied, one begins to see one's conditioning,
one's values, knowing what one is--and isn't.
Step 5
SELF-OBSERVATION
A deeper practice of disidentifying from
the
mechanical self and watching, watching, watching,
without judgment, condemnation, justification.
Step 6
INITIATION
Only after the preparation of the first
five steps does
a real initiation appear, and an initiation is an
invitation from Life to proceed. We don't always
recognize initiation for what it really is, it is usually
sent as a new challenge, usually contains a "shock"
of some kind, and can throw us right back into the
early steps, but this time we have tools. The essence
of initiation is to find oneself in a school, or to realize
that one has always been in a school, but now one
knows it, can observe self and others.
Step 7
DEDICATION
Making a new purpose, reevaluating,
accepting
the School, appreciating its value, making up the
mind to be a student rather than a victim.
Step 8
ACTUALIZATION
After some time living and re-living the
first seven
steps, one changes thoroughly, transforms. The self
we once were is dead, a new one has emerged. With
this come new talents, evidence of Wisdom.
Step 9
SERVICE
The New Self realizes its purpose is to serve Life.