Tips for study group

Subscribe
 
Sun, 07/15/2007 - 13:05
tos

Join Date: 2006-07-05
Forum Posts: 94

Hello Everyone! We need your help, we need advice on how can we make this group permanent and in the future make it bigger. The situation: Right now there are three gnostics here in the philippines me, al and moon. Right now we are looking for a place to have group practice. So that in july 23 we are able to follow the online course. We try to meet up every sunday and do awareness walk. My question is should we promote now. i mean should we spread Gnosis and promote Gnosticweb. Or let us three understand the teachings first or one of us becomes a teacher or have some experience first before going out to the people. If there are anyone who would like to share their experience on starting a group pls. share it to us. So that we have an idea on what obstacles we are facing along the way. And there is one more problem... we live in a Cathoilic country. You can't even say Judas here because it means traitor here. I feel like we have to be in a secret mode for awhile. Pls. any advice would be great! thanks!! - tos - :)

#1
Sun, 07/15/2007 - 15:50
MikeL

Join Date: 2003-12-29
Forum Posts: 820
Hello Tos,

That's great that there are three of you who can practice together. Group strength is really precious.

In order to have an official study group, there needs to be a qualified teacher. So that would entail someone taking the online Teachers course and going through the different stages.

But just having a group of students taking the courses together is still quite an awesome thing right there.

There's no special requirement to form a group of students who are taking the courses online and practicing together - you already seem to have that going on :)

Since it is just a small group of you at the moment, you could perhaps arrange group practices at someone?s house in the afternoons.

In terms of promoting the courses; that is a great idea. Talking to friends / people who show an interest about the courses is good promotion.

If you are looking to put up posters, etc., then that needs permission from Gnosticweb. You could send them an email and state your interest.

Living in a Catholic country may post difficulties, I'm sure, but the fact that you three care about Gnosis shows there are people searching...

You know your area best, so how you proceed is up to you.

All the best in making that group grow and become a permanent one!

ML
#2
Sun, 07/15/2007 - 16:00
MikeL

Join Date: 2003-12-29
Forum Posts: 820
Hi m_o_o_n,

I'm sure the Catholic dominance doesn't help, but it is still tough, regardless, to find people who truly care about the spiritual work.

Many of my close friends know that I'm into Gnosis (or know that I'm interested in astral projection, self-knowledge, etc.), and some of them think that it's cool, but very few of them have showed a sincere interest. Not because of any underlying religion, but simply because of other demands/attachments in life, as you had seen yourself.

It's regrettable that so few people care about this. But we can only work upon ourselves and have hope that others who are searching will find their way - there is always hope.

Take care,

ML
#3
Sun, 07/15/2007 - 16:50
nadya

Join Date: 2005-01-24
Forum Posts: 637
I just want to say that what you guys do is great and I sincerely wish all three of you much success with that!!

Hmmm..... what we did with Pavlin before coz we saw Bulgarians find this site rarely and we had a desire to increase our group what we did was finding few forums with spiritual sections and we posted about the courses Gnosticweb provides and we put the info about each of the courses and a link to the site.

Maybe you can try this as a start for making the group bigger.

Have a wonderful day/night!

Nadya
#4
Sun, 07/15/2007 - 21:33
Ahona

Join Date: 2003-08-23
Forum Posts: 336
Hi
Firstly, congratulations and much strength to you guys :)!

If it is just a small group you have at the moment, it would be very easy for you to run it as an unofficial group, just a group of friends and like minded people getting together to do practices, take walks, discuss the work and give each other strength. That is quite easy to arrange and you can use each others houses for the practices and so on I assume (provided families are cooperative of course).

To run official groups I think you need a qualified teacher/trainee there, so I would probably wait for that and take things slowly, learn and grow and help each other. There is no rush, doing the best you can with what you have and learning as much as you can is a good way to open doors.
What you can do if you want to get more people involved, people who are already students of GW, is maybe ask the course admins to send an email to all the students from your area advising them of the study group operational and telling them to contact you if they are interested.
That is what I did in India when I was attempting to start things up.

Good luck!
a.
#5
Mon, 07/16/2007 - 02:02
Michael S

Moderator



Join Date: 2003-11-20
Forum Posts: 94
Hello Tos,

It might be good to try to find or create a dedicated practice room. By creating a place that is only used for practices, it will basically start to become a 'battery' in which everyone that goes there can recharge their strength with. Once this place gets very strong, you may see that it actually attracts people to gnosis. The feeling of just being in the room and doing practices there will be amazing and will inspire new people to tell others about it. From what we've seen, positive word of mouth is one of the best things that bring people to gnosis.

Here are some tips for this:

1. Treat this room/place like a Temple. This is most important. When you enter this place, your maximum effort to stay clear, aware and the mind quiet should be exuded.

2. The place should be kept spotless by regular cleaning with great concentration and attention to detail.

3. Decorate it with esoteric art. Also, try to incorporate the colors red, blue and yellow into it in a balanced way (Ideally you want a blue ceiling, yellow walls and a red carpet). White is fine as well.

4. Once you get a place, email a teacher about what should be done to 'clean and incense' the place.

5. Try not to mix revolutionary and mystical practices in a room. For example, if a room is being used for mostly astral exercises, mantras, concentration practices, etc., try to avoid applying disintegration of egos. The act of concentration inoculates the room with a certain energy that will gain power with time and effort and by doing the disintegration, it will dissipate that force you are trying to enrich there. So if egos come up, just push them out with will and concentration while you are in a mystical practice room.

I don't know where you are all at in the courses, but I would suggest putting your maximum efforts into practicing and getting a practice room. It will be a great source of strength as you are going through the teacher's courses. Once you become a teacher, it become harder and harder to find time to do practices since your 'cross' (3rd key responsibilities) becomes bigger with progress. So now is the time to just practice your heart out and get a lot of experience, forming a good foundation of faith and knowledge that will carry you through the difficulties ahead.

Good luck with this. One thing you should know well is that when we make efforts to do something like this, we get a lot of help from above. So if this is something you interested in doing, make it your goal and just go for it, ignoring and disintegrating all the fear, procrastination, doubt, negativity, etc. that tries to stop you.

All the best! Keep us posted on your progress. You will be setting a great example for others to follow if you succeed!

Michael
#6
Mon, 07/16/2007 - 11:00
Juliana

Join Date: 2004-02-08
Forum Posts: 211
Thanks Michael. I am alone here in New Zealand but I am so eager to start preparations for having a room atleast.

I can feel it rightaway that it should be a great idea. Should this be a room in our own house or something?

Thank you,
Juliana
#7
Mon, 07/16/2007 - 12:12
tos

Join Date: 2006-07-05
Forum Posts: 94
HEllo Everyone!

We had a meeting yesterday at Mc donalds. Me and AL have decided that we should understand and get experience first before going out to the multitudes.

Our first Goal is to get a room or a place where we can practice. We were planning to rent but i think its not a good idea yet because we are only three. So our only option is to practice at my house or at the park.

And we made some exercises that will test our intuition. Like we would meet up at a certain time and try to use our intuiton to find one another. What do you think?

Thank you Mikel, nadya, ahona, micheal and juliana.

We shall not rush into things and try to get more understanding about the teachings and experience!. Then as we try to understand maybe we will try to promote abit so that bit by bit as we are growing inside within ourselves the group will also grow slowly to at the same time.

Yes, there are alot of help from above on july 23 there will be two teachers from canada who will be here!. What a great opportunity for us!. So much help is being sent!. A momentum is starting we will do our best to keep this moving.

Thank you everyone!!!. we shall post if there obstacles along the way.

:) ;) :D
#8
Mon, 07/16/2007 - 12:42
Ahona

Join Date: 2003-08-23
Forum Posts: 336
Good luck Tos!
Taking it slowly and easily seems to be the way and allowing things to grow naturally.
Having a room is good if you can manage/afford it, otherwise you can do things like take walks in parks, go camping and walking in the bush, afternoon astral practices and so on, anything that keeps the work vibrant and alive for you!

Whats most important is that you are meeting as a group abnd supporting each other!

Say hi to Jasmin and Justin for me :D
a.
#9
Mon, 07/16/2007 - 13:31
Vadim

Join Date: 2004-11-30
Forum Posts: 2771
Hi Tos,

It sounds so inspiring for me to hear what you are doing, much strength for you!
And good luck!
Those teachers from Canada are really awesome, I am sure that they will explain you guys all what is needed to make things work.

I like both ideas of park and house for practices, those are very different environments, both having their advantages and disadvantages.

Usually, as we do the work and honestly try to improve it, more options become available for us.

Vadim
#10
Mon, 07/16/2007 - 13:48
Michael S

Moderator



Join Date: 2003-11-20
Forum Posts: 94
Hello Juliana,

Yes it's perfectly fine for it to be a room in your house. That is the most affordable option of course. If someone was to rent another place and did well with creating such a room, they'd be well on there way to becoming a teacher and turning it into an official Center.

None of this is easy though, so be prepared to fight, suffer and learn...which is really what this work is all about.

Good luck!
Michael