GIST - November 2000 Issue
School of the Master
92 Days of Treasures

       Attending the School of the Master were Monks: Ellen Jermini, Gregor M�ller, Katarina Suter and Stefan Str�ssle; Novitiates: Sylvia Enz, Anita Lopp, Irene Merkle, Christina Nuss- baum and Ingeborg Puchert; Ministers at Large: Renate Monica Egli, Herbert Marty, Heinz Oertli and Gertrud Suter. Each arrived on campus wearing their white togs and graduated summa cum laude, brown as bears.
       As a student said:
       The constant theme cropping up during the School was selfdiscipline. The need to discipline my thought, my action and my body was constantly brought home to me a student, called Sharee, every moment of the 2,208 hours of the program. It was called a "90" day program, but actually July and August have 31 days so it was 92 days. For 24 hours every day intensive programing was conducted by the Sharer, director of the school, Dr Herbert L Beierle, Dean.
       Going to bed at 9, opening each day began either at 1, 1:30, 2 or 2:30 was short on sleep. A strenuous exercise regime lasting almost an hour perked my body as I greeted the predawn morning. Then I would run up to the shower, rinse off, dive into the swimming pool in the high desert and make a few laps before flying down a staircase, designed to make me feel as though I were floating, to the large sanctuary where I slept naked with 12 others on the floor without any covering on the soft carpet using my wedge pillow averaging 4.5 to 5 hours deep sleep each night. Even so, sometimes I was awakened in the middle of the night and taken for a walk or treated to a surprise lecture. I loved every minute of it.
       Floating down the staircase from the pool to the Absolute Monastery sanctuary I sat on a specially designed folding stool on the floor created to enhance sitting for a long time in a seminar or meditation. There began my three-hour meditation every morning during the School. The first hour I thought I LIKE ME and I AM MASTER. The second hour I thought WHY DO I LIKE ME, WHY AM I A MASTER. The third hour I sat quietly listening to the voice in me confirming my reality. I called the voice God, my divine self, my inner self, my purity and many more concepts.
       Speaking to myself and thinking these marvelous thoughts about myself were not so difficult, the most difficult thing was keeping awake. After my Tae-Bo advanced exercise for 55 minutes and my refreshing rinse and swim to dash down to the sanctuary for the meditation, I was so beautifully relaxed that sleep sought to overtake me at every moment. I persisted in my diligence to remain awake and speak to myself and to listen to the voice within me. It was a very demanding experience. Often I fell asleep only to have my Sharer awaken me or to awaken myself.

       As the days joined one upon the other I felt embraced in a timelessness and a joy beyond imagination.
       There were days when my three-hour meditation was exciting and rewarding. However, more meditations were tedious in my trying to remain awake. Many times I was rewarded by amazing insights in my listening within. I felt illumined time and again. These illuminations encouraged me to persist in my training.
       The meals were sumptuous. Breakfast delighted my palate with yogurt, bran, oats, grape nuts, bread, rolls, toast, milk, juice, water, peanut butter, jams and cheeses.
       Lunch was a glorious salad or two with bread, nuts, cheese and water. Dinner was usually a hot vegetarian dish both filling and satisfying. I was always filled and never felt hungry after any meal.
       For a week now and then we had the lemonade diet with one cup of pure lemon juice, one cup of pure maple syrup and a tip of the spoon of cayenne pepper in a gallon of water drunk throughout the day in eight ounce glasses. After and during each diet I felt so pure in my body and so filled with power and light, I was reluctant to stop the diet.
       One of the most exciting events, which took place at mealtime, was when we were told there were no utensils. I ate my cereal with my fingers cupped as a spoon. I ate my lasagna serving myself from the hot bowl onto my plate all with my fingers. I soon felt that this was the most fun thing I could have ever imagined. When I was told I could eat with utensils once again, I opted to use my fingers most of the time.
       I learned I could rinse my bottom when going to the toilet and not use any toilet paper and found it a most pleasant and purifying experience. When I was told I could use TP again I opted mostly for the fingers and washing.

       Throughout all of the 92 days my body went through many changes. Aches and pains which made themselves known disappeared as I continued my vigorous program of speaking my word that My body is the temple of the living spirit, every organ action and function of my body is perfect now and enjoying the exercise program. All of the bodily discomfort turned into a beautifully tanned efficiently operating physical body. I eagerly greeted each day with enthusiasm. I never felt tired. When bedtime came I was still so filled with energy I could have stayed up all night and loved every second of it.
       One of the tests given was to "remain on my feet until I was told otherwise." Therefore, I was on my feet for several days. I stood through the night and was actively standing during the day. Standing at the dining table. No sitting at any time. Even as I drove the tractor I stood at the controls. Working on my assigned path project I stood. I would never have believed I could stand for days and nights and feel so good about it. However, when I was allowed to lie down in the recreation room on the tile floor surrounded by the Jacuzzi and SwimEx, I laid down in paradise and instantly fell sound asleep to awaken refreshed and ready for more. Some were unable to stand through the night and curled up like teddy bears on the floor and were gone only to arise refreshed themselves.

       I worked on my assigned meditation path. I carved it out of the high desert. I plunged through chaparral, sage, manzanita and buckwheat to create my lovely path. I lovingly laid stones along the edge of the path. At first I thought this path project was a lot of foolishness. Soon, I realized that I was falling in love with my path. It took on my personality. With stones small and large I made symbols and designs along the way that only I knew their significance, however I explained it to the group too. I worked under the hot sun with plenty of sun lotion and no clothing. I tanned wonderfully.
       Each path was from half to a full mile in length. Each path proved to be never long enough to fully express my imagination. I used rakes, hoes, shovels, pick axes, prying bars, chain saws, hand saws, clippers, wheel barrows, my golf cart and the tractor. Things I had never done before, here I was doing such heavy manual work and loving every second of it. I could hardly wait for my project time to come to work out in the sun on the mountainside creating my "masterpiece" of a path.
       One of the greatest things I learned was respect for myself. I learned to take charge of every thought and attitude I held in my consciousness. My Sharer made sure I was aware of it when my thought crept out of line. I was brought back in line thinking only my finest thought.

       Daily I had an assigned private time using the Jacuzzi for fifteen minutes. Then I went into the SwimEx, an 8x15� swimming pool using a large paddle wheel to create current from 1 to 10 miles-an-hour. I usually swam against 3 to 4 miles-an-hour current for 15 minutes or used some of the time to float dreamily relaxing in the pool. Then I got on the Exercycle for 15 minutes, pumping the pedals according to an exercise program of my choice and design. Finally, I lulled my relaxed self in a shower preparing to go on with my projects. I treasured my recreational training time.
       Everyday I had an hour during which I sang Joy Songs with the group. I learned how music affects my thinking, my body and my mind as well as my spiritual awareness. The Sharer often spoke at length training me in recognizing how music can be a blessing or a curse in my life and I was to choose wisely. I sang, I played musical instruments; I had a wonderful learning experience.
       Another daily event was dancing. At first it seemed silly. I was given a scarf that I danced with. I got the rhythm of the music in my heart and pretty soon I did not see another person dancing even though we were weaving around one another as in the most intricate ballet. I thrilled to each dance and looked forward to its release of pent up emotions and inhibitions I never knew I entertained in me.
       Through every experience, though each of us were without clothing by our choice, I felt as though I was in paradise, free and unlimited, untouched by the world about me, soaring into my wholeness and purity by every thought, word and action.
       Now about that WORD. Most of the time I was in silence, speaking only when the Sharer spoke to me or as I was allowed to speak at mealtimes. It seemed irrational at times. It seemed unreasonable so often. It seemed illogical and unfair, but the more I practiced it the more I realized that I learned selfdiscipline most sincerely and quickly through all of these illogical programs. I soon stopped judging the process and began enjoying obvious results.
       Apparently spontaneous lectures or talks would blossom out of nowhere. I would be in deep meditation and the Sharer would begin talking the words he said were exactly what I was meditating upon how did he know. A mealtime was an especially pregnant sharing time with every topic under the sun bursting forth, but exceedingly germane to what we were learning poured forth in a well developed easy to understand format.

       A surprise, a delightful surprise, was the hour-devoted everyday to learning to play the guitar. I was given a fabulous guitar as my own. I had a book of instructions and everyday I practiced for a week on one lesson and moved onto the next lesson. After 92 days of diligent playing I fell in love with my guitar. I personally could hardly wait to share it with my family when I got home.
       Some of the comments made concluding the School were: I have never spent a more meaningful time in my entire life. This experience is the most exciting time of my entire life. I want to continue with the three-hour-meditation because I love it so and feel so much good coming out of it. I have learned a master consciousness. I am now master of my life and affairs. I have gotten far more than I dreamed from the School of the Master. I love it.
       I graduated, with my fellow Sharees, with the degree of MASTER summa cum laude, from the University of Healing and the Absolute Monastery. I was also invested as a MONK-AT- LARGE eternally in the Absolute Monastery. In a touching ceremony in the sanctuary of the Monastery I received my certificates and the blessings of all present. I reciprocated with the others as they were so honored.
       I concluded the School of the Master with my body now a finely tuned machine healthy beyond words. My mind encompassing and radiating my purity and goodness leaving no room for anything, which was contrary to that reality. I was spiritually tuned into my divine reality. I know now more surely than at anytime in my life I am the allness. That which is eternally present in all is present in its allness in me now and forevermore. Hence, I live, breathe and have my being in my god reality, my god presence, my godself. I like it very much.

       T he happiest day of my life took place when I found my divine self and I began to live from that center of my beingness alone.

-Dr Herbert L Beierle

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