Learn how to discontinue yourself.

"The secret for a heavenly existence is to learn how to discontinue

yourself from moment to moment. This means that you are mentally

vigilant at all times so that you can see with your spiritual eye

every thought as it enters your mind and then be very careful that

that thought does not form an I, a self, a me, a mine.

This in turn means that when the thought comes up, any thought what-

ever out of the tens of thousands that go through your mind a day,

that every thought is going to be recognized as it appears and then

you're to let the thought do what it’s naturally intended to do,

which is to appear before your inner vision and then pass away

from your mind and disappear."

   from a talk given 6/13/1987

 Vernon Howard's Higher World - MP3 CD Volume 12, talk 289, track 7

Retrace to the original source.

"...retrace your steps to the original source. There is no need to gain anything. We must simply give up false ideas and useless accumulations."

Trace your source.

"You are now advised to give up all these false ideas, and to trace your source and remain as the Self. In that state there are no differences and no questions will arise."

Ego Preservation Strategies

"If one million people study a spiritual teaching and only one of those people ends ego illusion, why did the other nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine miss the opportunity?  The reason the other nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine people missed the opportunity is because of the ego's fear of ending.

Due to the ego's fear of ending, the ego creates strategies to preserve its imaginary self. 

Distorting spiritual teachings is one of the many strategies the ego uses to preserve its imaginary self. 

People project their own thoughts, ideas, concepts, opinions, beliefs and interpretations unto the spiritual teachings they are studying. When those interpretations, etc.,  are added to the Teaching, the Teaching is no longer the Teaching. Be aware of when you are adding your own thoughts and interpretations. Say to yourself, "Those are my thoughts." Now without my ideas, opinions, beliefs, conclusions, and interpretations, what does the Teaching actually state?"

Right from the beginning the ego's preservation strategies have to be dealt with. The ego will block out or distort what is revealed in the spiritual teaching you are studying. Most attempts at awakening fail because of failure to put an end to the ego's preservation strategies."

One of the ego's preservation strategies is the thought "This does not apply to me."

Let go. Let God.

"When you no longer know how to live your own life you can learn

to let Truth live through you and for you. You can trust Truth

because it is the only thing on earth that is not in trouble with

itself. Spirit is heavenly, mind is earthly. There is heaven on

earth when the spirit guides the mind. You can switch to higher

choices for yourself any time you want. Want higher choices more

than you want anything else."

                    Your Power of Natural Knowing, p. 60

Save Yourself

"Your first duty is to save yourself, after which you 

will know what to do and what not to do toward helping others."

                            Inspire Yourself, p. 184

Wisdom

"Extraordinary wisdom exists above the ordinary mind."

                          Cosmic Command, # 678

I am that I am.

"How do you demonstrate wisdom? How do you demonstrate wisdom, understanding, spirituality? Same way. You keep your mind on it only and say, "I am that I am." And hold it. And just be what you are!"

Everyone is Self-abiding

Q: Where did ignorance arise from?

M: There is nothing like ignorance. It never arises. Everyone is jnana svarupi (Self-abiding). The dispelling of ignorance is jnana, which always exists. It is like the necklace, supposedly lost, which remains around the owner's neck, or the ten fools each counting all nine others, but failing to count themselves. To whom is knowledge or ignorance? 

I AM alone is.

M: Existence is knowledge, awareness. That implies absence of ignorance. And yet people suffer why? Because they think they are this or that. That is wrong. I AM alone is, and not "I am so and so." When existence is seen as absolute that is correct, when it is particularized, it is wrong. That is the whole truth. 

Human beings water the weeds

"When it comes to agriculture, humans are wise. 
Over the centuries, they cultivated the fruits of the field, 
while removing the weeds. Consequently, we have finer fruits.

Psychologically, it is another story. 
Human beings water the weeds, neglect

the fruits, and wonder at their poverty!"

                  The Power of your Supermind, Chap. 11, p. 145

(this entry revised to be gender neutral)

Give up all thoughts

Q: "What should I do to get into that state of Self?"

M: "No effort is required to be in that state. What is required is to give up all thoughts. Whenever thought comes, trace out to whom it occurs. When a new thought comes, trace it out by analysis. In the course of time all thoughts are destroyed." (this quotation was slightly modified for clarity)