Mention was made of rituals and practices designed to bring about enlightenment.
WE SIMPLY SPEAK OF VARIOUS ASCETICISMS THAT ARE UNNECESSARY. RITUALS DO HELP THE UNINITIATED, BUT ONLY IN THE PREPARATORY STAGES. THESE SERVE TO QUIET THE MIND.
IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE LEFT CEREBRAL HEMISPHERE IS UNABLE TO ALLOW THIS PERCEPTION (of the essence). MANY TIMES PERSONS SUSTAINING BRAIN DAMAGE IN THE LEFT SIDE DO EXPERIENCE THEIR ESSENCE FOR THE FIRST TIME. (“FACILITATE” WOULD BE A BETTER WORD THAN “ALLOW”.)
THE INTELLECTUAL CENTER CANNOT PERCEIVE GOD. THE INTELLECTUAL CENTER IS NOT INTERESTED IN THIS PERCEPTION. IT DOES NOT COUNT IT AS A LOSS. ONLY THE HIGHER CENTERS LONG FOR THE TAO, THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL CENTER. THE DESIRE FOR HUMAN CLOSENESS AND EXCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS DERIVES FROM THIS [trait of the ego]. IT IS THE SUBSTITUTE THAT THE [negative poles of the] OVERLEAVES ACCEPT, BUT SINCE IT LACKS PERFECTION IT DOES NOT SATISFY. THE ESSENCE SEEKS THE PERFECTION THAT IT IS. THE ESSENCE LOVES. THIS IS THE ONLY EMOTION IT IS CAPABLE OF. IT LOVES ALL WHICH IS SELF, AND ALL THERE IS.
TRY AN EXERCISE IF YOU WISH. THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A HOSTILE EXCHANGE WITH SOMEONE WITH INCOMPATIBLE OVERLEAVES, CREATE WITHIN [yourself] THE QUIET SPACE: FACE THIS CHALLENGE SQUARELY, AND ATTEMPT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO THAT OTHER PERSON “THOU ART GOD”. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SAID ALOUD, BUT SAID ENOUGH TO BECOME REALITY. IT DOES NOT EVEN HAVE TO PUT AN END TO THE HOSTILITIES — IT IS MERELY ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT IS IMPORTANT. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS, IT WILL BE THE ESSENCE THAT DOES THE ACHIEVING. THE OVERLEAVES MAY VERY WELL GO RIGHT ON SPITTING. THIS IS THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS THE “STEWARD” (a Gurdjieff term), AND WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU CREATE A CORRIDOR THROUGH WHICH YOUR ESSENCE CAN PASS.
WE WOULD CEASE USE OF THE WORD “DETACHMENT”, AS THIS IS MISLEADING. YOU ARE ALREADY DETACHED FROM THAT WHICH YOU SEEK.
SOURCE: Michael Teachings Transcripts