“And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” ~ Exodus 3:4-5.
Recording 302B, titled “Meditations,” is from the 1960 Los Angeles Closed Class. It is the basis for Chapter 3, “Meditation, the Door to Fulfillment,” in I Stand on Holy Ground. This recording was posted through January 22, 2022. It is no longer available on this site. If you subscribe to the Joel Goldsmith Streaming Service, you can listen to it there. To purchase the recording or transcript from The Infinite Way Office, click/tap here.
To view or download the Optional Study and Practice Suggestions, click/tap here.
In this chapter and class, Joel focuses on using contemplative meditations to attain the state of quiet receptivity required for being in the silence and listening. He leads the class in contemplations on several subjects and recommends that we practice contemplation. Contemplation could be a focus for practice over the two weeks that we spend on this chapter.
Practice with Contemplations from the Class
Sometimes it can be helpful to revisit the contemplations in this class and “contemplate with Joel.” Should you wish to do that, shown below are the subjects of the contemplations and the time marker on the recording for that contemplation. To listen to the contemplation online, make a note of the time marker, access the recording, and then just move the player bar to the time mark shown.
Practice with “Original” Contemplations
While it can be inspiring to contemplate with Joel, he emphasizes that we should not rely on these contemplations or on any others that we might have heard or memorized. Rather should we learn to turn within and ask for the subject of our contemplation. If a subject does not present itself, we can take a subject of your own choosing. “You are not to depend on your memory. You are to depend on God … Therefore, your meditations must be spontaneous; they must be original.”
Often when we are willing to turn within and listen for a subject for contemplation, what comes up will be exactly what we need at that time. “You will find that as you read the books, as you hear tapes, enough truth will be planting itself in your consciousness so that when there is a need for truth, something of a spontaneous nature will come forth just to meet that need.”
But if you sit down to contemplate and find that no subject comes to you, or that your mind is racing, you can always simply begin with the word “God,” as Joel often recommends. Or you can take a Bible quotation that speaks to you. If you are grappling with some problem in life, you can simply ask, ”Father, what is this? What is the solution to this problem?”
Another possibility is to use one of the contemplations in this chapter as a “starter.” You can begin reading or listening to a contemplation to calm the mind and “prime the pump.” After hearing or reading a few sentences, you can stop and see if you can then continue the contemplation on your own. If not, return to reading or listening a few more sentences and stop again.
As always, Joel reminds us that a contemplation is a preparation for meditation, by which he means the state of silence, receptivity, and listening. At some point, a contemplation will slow down or stop, and we are calm and quiet enough to turn within in the attitude, “Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth,” or “I’ve had my say, Father. Now You have yours.” Then we simply listen and wait serenely for something to come from within.
A Refresher Class
Recording 281B, “Practicing the Presence, Meditation, and Treatment,” from the 1959 England Open Class, is an excellent refresher on practicing the Presence as a preparation for contemplation, and on contemplation as a preparation for meditation. If you feel you could benefit from a refresher on this subject, this class will serve you well. This recording was posted through January 22, 2022. It is no longer available on this site. If you subscribe to the Joel Goldsmith Streaming Service, you can listen to it there. To purchase the recording or transcript from The Infinite Way Office, click/tap here.