You come to this sacred place to listen, to receive and to build the connection. You do not come to get things. This is very hard for people in the beginning because their whole orientation to life is getting things—getting money, getting recognition, winning favor with others, looking good, getting rewards, moving up the social ladder. And for many extremely poor people, it is just about finding the food and the water, the simple things that they need.
But here you come to give yourself, not to get more things. You come to yield, to listen, to become silent. You do not need to have a conversation with Knowledge. It does not happen like that. You come to pray, in a sense, because you are asking to be connected.
You do not come to ask for things for your friends and family. At this level, that is not appropriate. You can do that, and it can be valuable, but you are here to re-experience a fundamental relationship of your life, the most fundamental relationship of your life, the greatest relationship of all, the relationship that gives meaning and perspective and value to all your other relationships—to who you are, to who you are with, to who you are married to, to your place, to your country, to activities, to your work, to everything.
You do not have to be in your sanctuary all of the time. But you must spend time there every day. The New Message says, well, 30 minutes twice a day is very good. Or if you can only come once, you come for a little longer. And you listen.
Here you learn how to still the mind to get underneath the surface. It is not easy at first, and at times of turbulence in your life, it is not easy. But you come and you give it your effort. Occasionally, you experience profound depth within yourself. Other times, it seems like a struggle. So the New Message gives you some phrases to say, some words to say, some things to think about to help your mind become oriented to Knowledge within yourself.
