I read and hear of a painfully apparent vacuum in our young people's existence today. College students face agonizing indecision, confusion and vacillation in meeting life's tough decisions. I believe a new educational paradigm, wherein every university in America will offer classes such as the one I am proposing will fill that void. We are entering a new age, an age of enlightenment, therefore enlightenment ought to be available to all, rather than to a limited few as has been the guiding rule to date. And what better setting than a university campus? America's future is shaped by its students of today and its present student body can be inspired and ennobled toward greatness beyond all here-to-fore witnessed possibilities. We will end sickness, suffering, lack and injustice when we know we deserve better. We will witness peace, love and joy for all people everywhere when we unite in the recognition that all are equally worthy.

I do not favor any specific theology or spiritual path to the exclusion of any others so do not expect to raise any controversy. Though my particular path has taken me to certain specific experiences and teachers, I trust my conclusions apply to all valid paths to truth and point to the exposing and relinquishment of the ego thought system and that is universal.

In this course, you will find questions for use in the Socratic spirit of asking the right questions to evoke your own inner knowing. This syllabus can be adapted for use by the existing staff in any university or other setting. I am available to offer workshops for teachers and professors. My anwers are included, not to show that there is one right answer, but to provide a springboard into deep inner exploration.

Information, Questions, Protocol

This course is offered based on the premise that all knowledge is to be found within and that asking the right questions will elicit that inner knowing. It is also based on the premise that we are all essentially so much more alike than different and that truth is the same for all of us and its discovery will benefit not only us, but the whole of humanity, as we are all one and truth is magnitudes more powerful than untruth. Each topic will consist of a reading assignment, questions to be answered via e-mail (optional) at groups.yahoo.com/group/joiningintruth and my answers.

You are encouraged to submit your answers only for the purpose of sharing with others, and not for correction. Be your own teacher. You already know everything. No one outside of me taught me what I have come to know as truth. I had teachers who pointed me in the right direction. We are all responsible for our own salvation and no one can do it for us. However, if you find an authentic teacher, one who has completed the journey, that is very good news for you, as they can point the way if you can trust them enough to allow them to do that for you. Such a one could save you much time and help you cut to the chase.

Perhaps you can meet with a friend to discuss your answers. See if you are on the same page and if not, are willing to get there, whatever it may take. This is not an assignment in reaching consensus but rather in uncovering truth within your own heart – look deep within and listen alertly to what your partner is offering. When you have found truth, you will be on the same page as all who have found it, and you will know it because you really do already know everything. We were created knowing the truth, and we could not lose that knowing, so we do not have to learn what is true. We need merely unlearn what we have mistakenly taught ourselves to be true and remove all interference which we've placed in our own way. When willing to be wrong about everything we've taught ourselves, truth will dawn of itself.

I'm available to look at your answers. My purpose for looking at your answers will be toward joining in truth. Perhaps I can pose further questions to help you explore even more deeply within. If we have differing ideas or beliefs, we can look at them together. We might argue our respective positions, but hopefully only for the sake of arriving at truth, not to be right. We all have our contributions to make to truth. Your contribution is invaluable. Joining with you in truth is my only joy, as I believe that's how we save the world. For that true joining no conflict or controversy need arise, as long as we are willing to hear each other out, in love, trust and patience, willing to stand together calmly, as long as necessary to truly meet. My answers to all questions are elaborated on in the assigned reading in ‘Not Guilty.' You are free to agree with my answers or not. I will not set myself up as one to tell you whether your answers are right or not. Please feel free to ask any questions of me as well either in the context of this class or privately. Please also feel free to come up with your own ‘right questions' and their answers as you feel so directed from within.

Introductory Questions:

1. What do you hope to get out of this class?
2. What is your spiritual/religious background?
3. Do you believe in God? Why or why not?
4. Who is God? Where is God?
5. Do you think you were created by God? Why or why not?
6. Do you think truth to be the same for everyone? Why or why not?
7. Who are you? What is your purpose?
8. What is enlightenment? Do you want to be enlightened? How many people attain enlightenment? Is it a common occurrence or a rare phenomenon on the planet?
9. How do you recognize a true teacher? How a false one? Who is a true student?

Rules of engagement:

1. Please read the assigned reading and answer the assigned questions before participating in any on line discussions.
2. Please listen deeply within your own heart as to what your truth is and share from that place.
3. Honor everyone.
4. It's ok to differ and to argue our opposing points of view, as long as it's with the objective of meeting in truth, rather than being right at someone else's expense.
5. Please listen brightly to all comments. You are not required to agree, but you are asked to listen with an open mind, allowing for other possibilities besides your own idea of what is true.
6. Our purpose is to join in truth. If you believe one thing and I believe something else, there is separation and this is a false association. It is not enough to agree to disagree. In participating in this class, you are being asked to put all your beliefs on the table, willing to be wrong, willing to do whatever it takes to truly meet, for the sake of truth.
7. Let us find ways to overcome any differences amicably, without needing to be right. At the same time let us be true to ourselves, daring to take a stand, even though our truth may not be popular.

May the teacher within guide you to use these questions and answers

in the Spirit in which they are being offered,

Toward the relinquishment of ego and the uplift of all humanity.

May our joining in truth heal the suffering on our planet.

May all beings in all the worlds be happy.

May peace prevail on earth.

IB. Answers to Introductory Questions

1. Who is God? God is my source, the creator of all that is real and good. God is Love. God is an idea in my mind. Where is God? Everywhere – Where is God not?
2. Do you think you were created by God? Yes. Why or why not? If God created everything, He must have created me. If God is everything, He must have created everything.
3. Do you think truth to be the same for everyone? Yes. Why or why not? Because we were all created by God - perfectly equal, perfectly innocent, whole and complete.
4. Who are you? I am a child of God, equal with God, perfect, holy, innocent, no different from God. I am a creation of light. I am mind and spirit. What is your purpose? God created me to create, to love and to know, however until the world is restored to the purpose God gave it, my purpose is to do all I can toward its healing, through joining with my brothers and sisters in truth - where separation is healed and we are restored to our true function of creating the good, the beautiful and the holy.
5. What is enlightenment? The state where we awaken from our self-imposed sleep. The realization that we are all the same, all equal. The one who is not awake sees difference, inequality, distinction based on religion, nationality, skin color, degrees, popularity, worldly success… The enlightened one is no longer deceived by ego and sees no difference, no inequality. How many people attain enlightenment? It is very rare at this time – Sai Baba says that in the last century only 5 attained. In my particular case the universe confirmed my enlightenment (detailed in Ch. 18 of Not Guilty) - thus assuring me that I'm not deluding myself. “There is none so hopelessly bound as one who falsely thinks himself awake.” I offer a class on enlightenment only because I am awake.
6. There are many today who claim to be enlightened. How does one recognize a true teacher? True teachers will never think they have something that their students do not have, will always try to bridge the gap between teacher and student, will direct you to the teacher within, trusts the students to know everything, wants to give you everything and expects nothing from you, wants to help you cut to the chase and save time, wants you to do greater works than he has done. How a false one? A false teacher will act like he knows something you don't, is ego oriented and tries to maintain a teacher/student distinction in the students' minds, is out to dominate his students. Who is a true student? True students are willing to be wrong about everything they have taught themselves thus far. A true student attracts a true teacher. Today there are few real teachers. No one wants to have a teacher because the teacher/student relationship has been polluted and students have concluded that they are better off on their own. I have a true teacher, and I am so deeply grateful.