Lesson 2
Reading Assignment Answers
Pg. 21-22
1. How would you describe your knowledge of religion and philosophy?
a. A philosophy can be described as a plethora of intellectual information. It is what I can explain but not truly experience on a deeper, intuitional level. It’s the mystic part of a religion. An authentic religion composes of three parts that aides its followers to pursue the purpose of life. I have learned that if a practice/system does not include all three parts it is not going to help the follower reach a state of enlightenment spiritually. These three parts are the mystic (teachings, philosophy) that is told in a story format. Then there are rituals that helps one to reflect on the mystic (mediation, ceremonies, etc.) Lastly, there is mysticism, which refers to one applying what he/she has learned and reflected upon on a daily basis.
2. What do you see as the greatest obstacle to your happiness and fulfillment in life?
a. My greatest obstacle in life is finding the balance in my life between focusing on my spiritual growth and everyday life such as having to work to maintain things and relationships. Another obstacle I am observed is not being able to apply fully on a consistent basis what I set out to do, what I am learning related to controlling my emotions. I can be confrontation at times (others view it this way and I view it as being assertive). Having a meditative state of mind consistently is another obstacle and this, I believe, is due to not being able to meditate as often as I would like. As I am writing, it is revealed that I am having these difficulties because my level of devotion is low and this is area I need to commit myself to developing more. I also just listened to the feedback provided to a previous post of mine and it speaks directly to why I am having this difficulty. As you indicated if I do 10-15 minutes every day it would be more effective than doing it two times per week. Lastly, due to the amount of goals I have in place right now, I have a lot on my mind and this does agitate me at times.
3. What do you see as the most important need that you have?
a. The most important need in my life is to feel settled. I have established objectives (a schedule I put together and shared in previous assignment), but I find that I run out of time in the day to get everything done. I am doing my best to maintain a significant relationship, grow on this path and pursue my ultimate professional goal. I find that I tend make the comment, “I don’t feel balanced.” This is due to me feeling as though I am being pulled in many different directions. Hence, I need help with identifying the best way to handle these feelings.
4. What is your previous religious affiliation or faith and how do you that relates to what you are following now?
a. My previous affiliation was Rastafarian. Per how I was taught by my father, Rastafari was a Christian Emperor, hence he also required that we read the Bible and learned about history from that angle as well. Reading the Bible and learning about Jesus, never really sufficed my spiritual thirst. While, learning teachings of Rastafari, kept me closer to my African Roots. Considering the discord in my family regarding these two walks, I began to ask myself how did my ancestors from the times of the Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt worshipped because that is what I want to go back to because I felt as though that path was the most pure. Once, I began to ask these questions, I was led to Shetaut Neter. In terms of the relationship between my previous and current path, Christianity taught me how to have faith and the importance of treating others with unconditional love, while Rastafari kept me close to my African Roots and my favorite speech of Rastafari is titled, Spirituality, and that relates very well with the teachings of Shetaut Neter.
5. What role do you feel spiritually and religion plays in your life?
a. Currently, Shetaut Neter is helping me to maintain a positive energy within and round and about me, it allows me to develop a direct connection with my life source rather than going through another person as taught in Christianity. Because my consciousness is expanding, my understanding of what I used to hear in church became clearer around this as well. Christ gave us a formula to use so that we could be like him. Due to translation, things may have been interpreted differently from what was intended, so I considered it to mean that he is saying, you can reach to the Father when you live a life as I do. Him indicating that ‘I am the Light, I am the way,” is not to be taken literal but for us to understand that he truly understood his essence and these are affirmations we can all use, which I find to be closely link to what is expressed in the GLM. So, over time I have come to overstand what I was taught when going to church being that I am learning and developing my own relationship with God through the Shedy Disciplines. Overall, it is helping me improve the quality of my life.
6. Have you had any previous Yoga instruction, if so, where and what was your experience?
a. No, all of my Yoga instruction commenced when I joined the Temple of Amun. Ever since, my experience has been phenomenal because I am dedicated to my True Self despite the difficulties/obstacle I am having. Understanding the level of aspirants is truly helping me to be patient and non-judgmental of myself and just keeps me motivated to stick to it.
7. Have you experienced any advance spiritual instruction?
a. This is the most spiritual advance instruction I have received in addition to coursed I completed at the Temple of Amun and currently at the Temple of Heru.
8. How do you see your life?
a. I see my life as a tremendous gift. For me to even have life, understanding what life truly is in time and space, truly makes me feel blessed. I am provided with an opportunity to learn about my true nature and I am provided with an opportunity to return to being one with Nun (undifferentiated consciousness), one with all things.
9. What do you think about your own ability to succeed in life?
a. MY success in life is based on my ability to become an enlightened being. I believe I possess all the members herein to accomplish this. It takes time and energy to transform one’s life and no obstacle I encounter will stand in the way of me achieving this mission. I will continue to grow and master that ability to implement and practice all Shedy Disciplines on a consistent basis. I am finally completely vegan and this time, so I know that all the rest will be accomplished as well.
10. If you could, what would you like to do with your life?
a. I desire to develop a therapeutic approach employing important teachings offered through this path to bring healing and people closer to their true Divine Self. I want to continue to bring mental and emotional healing to people so that they can grow and improve their quality of life. Also, I will like to attain spiritual enlightenment during this lifetime.
