The Holy Quest Ebook

The Holy Quest
The Holy Quest
Compiled MKI by
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

- Helen Keller
www.thebrightpath.com
Introduction
There are only two ways to live your life. You can live life endlessly avoiding personal responsibility for your peace. In this choice of life, you believe that you are a victim to the world. Your self-worth and strength comes from others. Your peace or lack of peace is related to your environment and circumstances. The tendency of this life choice is to be a slave to your mind. Your spiritual efforts are directed towards a better understanding and gathering of knowledge from others experience of God. There is a general distrust of inner guidance, a disregard of intuition and inner motivation. This life choice accumulates beliefs and concepts. It is an ongoing accumulation of information and a need for right understanding. This path prays to a God separate from us and hopes to be worthy of heaven in some other time or place and ends in death. The other way is a life of growth, wonder and evolving consciousness. It is a path that emphasizes direct experience, beauty, creativity and aliveness. It is a path dedicated to the inner quest, to the God within. It is a path for those that want to experience the Kingdom of Heaven now. This booklet is dedicated to you. It is a compilation of experiences from those like you that have a burning desire to experience the awe and wonder of life. Their path is The Path of Heroes; it is The Bright Path of the Ishayas. MKI
I am a Catholic Bishop from the Benedictine Order. My whole life has been dedicated to acquiring knowledge of my faith to carry out my Ministry in the best possible way. Ive looked everywhere for the knowledge that would get me closer to the Love of God. In the process of my search, Ive achieved this by practicing many techniques. Ive compiled an immense bibliography of esoteric teachings in an attempt to still my mind. Up to now, one of the easiest techniques to access this silence is without a doubt the Ishayas Ascension. I have received six Ascension Attitudes. They are natural, simple, easy techniques for anyone with the intention to penetrate the path of the Silence. They are simple but profoundly powerful with constant practice. It doesnt matter if you believe in them or not. They dont need your belief or your faith. They work on their own to make the changes that you have been waiting for and are always in harmony with Universal Law. I have been ascending since November 2008 and because of the positive results achieved in such a short time, I will continue doing it for the rest of my life. With infinite gratitude to the Ishayas. Carlos H. Alvarez Dominguez Superior General Bishop of the Benedictine Order of Divine Mercy Mexico
From the moment I can consciously remember being able to think, I had a very real sense that this life was meant to be lived for a purpose. I always knew that living this life to simply gather things and then die was not going to cut it! I always knew that this universe was here to support me on a questand I knew the quest was divine in nature, but I had no idea what it was. 3 www.thebrightpath.com
When I would see images of Christ, and later of Buddha and Krishna and other saints and sages, what I saw was an invitation, an invitation to become as they were. I never managed to equate that immense inner knowingness with what I was told about them. I never really made the connection between these magnificent beings and the religions which purported to teach their message, it just didnt add up. These beings sang to a place deep within me that I couldnt quite understand, but I also knew full well. The same thing was true of the ancient myths of the holy quest. The Arthurian legends, the Greek myths, and when I came in contact with them, the Eastern stories. The characters were different but the symbols were the same. These wonderful epics sang, to the very cells of my body, the invitation to realize the purpose of life. I would pretend as a child that I was on the quest for the grail with Arthur, or walking by the Sea of Galilee with Christ. I would dream of mythic battles and friends from other realms. Then as with nearly all of us, the world called me in, and the dream all but died. With the belief of walking in the footsteps of the sages gone, I struggled against the seeming reality of the mundane. Then, in my twenties, like an alarm clock going off, I suddenly remembered that dream. I changed my life radically in pursuit of it. I went to spiritual workshop after workshop, read book after book, learned meditation, all of it good, none of it satisfying the growing desire in my heart to wake up. Then I found Ascension. At the moment I was ready, this simple and powerful Teaching came to me and I knew I had found a vehicle to realize the dream. Since that moment, life has unfolded in more magic and wonder than I can express. I live each moment in awe at the way the universe moves to support my journey, with a constant and ever increasing awareness of the silent all-ness that I am. I dont know how much consciousness I can experience in a lifetime, but I do know that I wont die without finding out. To get to the end of a life without truly knowing what it means to live is a tragedy. Andrew Richards Myrtleford, Australia
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I FOUND THE GRAIL!!

Since adolescence a great desire filled my heart: To wake up, to be free. This desire motivated me with strength and absolute dedication to explore and practice many different paths like Zen, Taoism, Buddhism, Shamanism, as well as a variety of healing techniques and other therapies. In the beginning it was fun, until the years passed and the tiredness and hopelessness of not waking up appeared, everything suggested that it should be really difficult and in any case was something reserved for very special lineages. So one day at a beach in the Mexican Caribbean, I screamed to the infinite, I give up, I cant take it anymore and even if it scares me, Thy will be done, not my will! One week later, in a space of complete abandonment at a lake in Guatemala, God caught me when the absolute silence of the Divine Presence of Now flooded me for a week. After that I became sick, and during the next 3 years I experienced what mystics call the dark night of the soul. The only thing clear to me was that timeless silence was my absolute commitment in this life. I recognized with perfect clarity that that was the door. I tried to return and stay in that state by myself but was unsuccessful. I looked for teachings that could take me directly to that space but I didnt find any. Three years later I was at a place where my heart had desired to go for a long time and in the midst of friends I found the Ishayas, BINGO! They said exactly what my heart claimedthat it cant be hard if our true nature is silence, it cant be for just a few if were all the same, suffering cant be necessary if the infinite is pure love and joy. Suffering and effort are not required in this path, actually they are highly contradictory. The good news is that no more lonely, dark nights of the soul are necessary and you can wake up into the joy, love, compassion and the only moment that existsTHE NOW. 5 www.thebrightpath.com
The Ishaya Path takes you directly to the great door, the one that all the great teachers have walked through. The adventure isnt finding it, but exploring the Infinite that is behind when you open it. I make a call from my heart to all the explorers of consciousness and I return the echo of the infinite from that starry night: IT IS POSSIBLE. Sonia Vazquez Otero Barcelona, Spain
I was the classic goal setter; so much so that by the age of 28 I had published 4 books, had fully-booked clinics, workshops and retreats throughout Europe and my work as a therapist had been shown on 3 television series aired in over 30 countries around the world. I was living with the woman of my dreams, in the house of my dreams, driving the car of my dreams, with more money than I needed. Yet despite the perceived success, I was not at peace, nor was I that happy either. I spent most of my time scared of losing my successand was constantly working to try to make things better whilst maintaining everything the way I thought it needed to be so I could, one day, be happy. It was around that time that I decided enough was enough. All the stuff I had accumulated and achieved had not given me the peace and happiness that I knew, in my soul, was possible. I was open for an alternative way of being and living and within a few days a friend introduced me to Ascension. The positive benefits from practicing it were immediate. I noticed how, quite magically, things that used to upset or worry me, didnt. If things didnt happen as I had anticipated, whether it be at work or socially, I found myself being more relaxed, open-minded and going with the flow. Things started working out better than I could have possibly imagined. I enjoyed more fun and loving relationships as I became more present when interacting with 6 www.thebrightpath.com
people. Over time, and with very little effort, the aspects of my life that were not aligned with my highest good fell away and I was left with a more simple, authentic and enjoyable life. The most amazing gift that I have received from practicing Ascension is that I can now choose to be at peace any time I want and in any situation. Sometimes I temporarily forget, yet more and more quickly I remember to prioritize my peace by returning to the inner peace that I have discovered is constantly present. I invite you to melt into the magnificent moment, too, and open yourself up to the amazing gifts this universe has to offer by learning how to Ascend. Sandy C. Newbigging, Edinburgh, Scotland
I experience a truly magical life, so full of wonder, flow and synchronicity. How incredible and beautiful that such mystery, magic and aliveness manifests from the ordinary, everyday, and yet each moment is extraordinary, exquisite. How could I have ever conceived, imagined, dreamt, how a life of such beauty, love, power and magic could have existed. But it does. That is my experience. Before I discovered Ascension I had a great life; great family, friends, work and partner. Yet still I often experienced a lacking, a tightness, stress. Often there was a feeling that something was wrong. Maybe my day wasnt going as I had planned or my to do list was not getting done or my partner was not doing what I expected of him. Numerous things stopped me being fully happy and content, right now. For me, this simple, pure and powerful teaching opened doors that I could never have dreamt possible. To experience the aliveness of every moment is such a precious gift, whatever that moment brings. Any trying to get somewhere, other than right here, has simply dissolved, as I now allow the flow, synchronicity, 7 www.thebrightpath.com
richness and pure magic of each moment to unfold. Life is no longer experienced as sometimes happy, sometimes sad or sometimes stressed. Instead I experience aliveness, realness, rightness. I experience freedom from the limits of my mind and am transcended to the limitless, the mystery and the magic that life holds. This teaching doesnt work only for me, it works simply and effortlessly for anyone that wishes it. Mystery, magic, peace and contentment, right now. What are you waiting for? Faye Phillips Brighton, England
I remember that since I was a child, Ive always felt a very special admiration for the mystery of life and its magnificence. I loved to climb to the top of the trees because I knew that when I reached the top, I could be closer to heaven and within my heart there was always a complete certainty that one day I would touch it. Back then I was 10 years old and I lived in a picturesque and tropical town in the south of Mexico, where the colors and fragrances of the jungle permeated and embraced the life of everyone. I had a happy, simple and very free childhood...I always knew I had chosen the perfect family and parents. Even when they decided to separate and divorce, not understanding any of what was happeningI never lacked the presence of the two in my life. However, things started changing and many questions began to arise because of this: Why are adults not happy? Why arent they playing? Why are they fighting? Why dont parents stay together forever? I was a 10 year old girl full of wonder and excitement for life, and suddenly all this questioning that didnt exist before, began having a life of its own. For a long time, as a teenager and then an adult, that continued to be there.
Most of my life I studied in a Catholic school, surrounded by people who reminded me of that huge desire I had when I used to climb trees to reach and touch heaven. I saw the nuns and priests praying with such devotion and dedication, something in my heart told me they were the closest people to heaven, and they could have conversations in private with God. I wanted to have that, the possibility of experiencing heaven and being close to God. I had no idea how it would be or how it would look for me...but it was what I wanted more than anything else. Now that Im sharing all of this with you, with whomever is reading this testimonial now, I can clearly remember having conversations with my father about God, and the contradictions and incongruity that I felt existed in life, and very lovingly he always told me: God is not outside of you...God lives in your heart, and has always been there. They were wise and clear words that took me, since I was child, to start a constant search for the Love of God. Without knowing how, a way to do it or where to head to, but the desire was always latent within me and I never gave it up for anything or anyone. So after some years of having a huge range of different experiences, and always having my Dad as a reference point, two smiling, wonderful Monks, arrived in my life, bringing with them the Teaching I had been waiting for. The possibility to be in touch with my heart was completely tangible, allowing the chest that had been holding the treasure for so long to open, and to finally experience God in the maximum expression: The Silence. From that moment the adventure, magic, and exploration havent ceased. On the contrary, it continues to be forever more exciting and enriching to live in a constant free-fall...discovering in this way, that the only moment that exists to touch and taste the fullness of Heaven on Earth is forever Now. And I promise you that it is much simpler than climbing to the top of the trees trying to reach it...because it resides here, within you. Zhenia Cabrera Cabrales Villahermosa, Mexico 9 www.thebrightpath.com
I remember one of the lowest points in my life. I was about 16 or 17 and acutely depressedmore so than your average teenager. Sure, there were the usual dilemmas common to teen angst: Am I cool enough? Do girls find me attractive? What am I going to do when I finish high school? Am I loveable? But those questions, while all-consuming for the typical teen, were just the tip of the iceberg for me, like the scum floating on a far deeper, infinitely more abysmal ponda pond whose bottomless depths screamed a more disturbing question: WHY?! Why am I here? Why do I feel alone? Why do I exist? Why does anything exist? Just what the hell is existence anyway? And who or what is responsible for it? It confounded me that people lived their lives either oblivious or in denial of this basic question. They settled for striving for futures built on sand, built with hands made of sand. I desperately needed answers and I wasnt getting anyat least none that made any sense. My Catholic school couldnt tell me. My New Age books couldnt tell me. I sure as hell couldnt figure it out myself. I remember sitting in anguish in my mothers arms, crying (sometimes giggling like someone who had lost their mind) just asking, Why? Knowing that nothing she could say would fill this emptiness. I remember another scene: I was sitting on the floor in my living room: In a last ditch effort, mustering up whatever anger had not been sucked into my growing black hole of despair, I demanded an answer from God (the so-called Creator of this lunatic game who supposedly loved me). Searching for answers in my environment had left me empty-handed, so I was bringing my petition to the Head Honcho Himself and I wasnt settling for anything less than a direct audience. I had never been so firmly resolute in my life. So in my silent moment of hope and despair, eyes squeezed shut, I boomed out the question with every fiber of my being. Deep down, every adult human is familiar with this plea. It cannot be adequately expressed in mere words, but it is something akin to: Please speak to me! Im afraid! Im confused! Im out of control! Im lost! SOS! I need to know you are really there! Help! 10 www.thebrightpath.com
And then I waitednot waited as in I waited for the bus. I mean, I waited in the same way I cried out: with every fiber of my being. I was so ready for a reply that I froze in anticipation, barely breathing lest I miss the voice of God. And the reply: Silence. So I waited some more, my attention honed razor sharp. Thoughts melted away. Movement melted away; they were only distractions and the moment was far too important to miss Gods reply.... More silence. There was something different about this silence. When I say more silence, I dont mean a continuation of the same silence as before. I mean that the silence somehow became more. It seemed to me that everything in existence had actually joined me in listening, as if it too had been waiting for this moment to hear from God. Furthermore, it seemed that the more one-pointedly I absorbed myself in that still, silent moment (like a cat frozen in acute anticipation in front of a mouse hole), the louder the silence became. What happened next can either be described as funny or horribly disappointing. It depends on which version of me is telling the story. The stubborn teenage me at the time failed to fully appreciate the value of this self-deepening experience of silence. As it was, my concept of God as a disembodied voice that communicated to me in words was still firmly in place and I somehow managed to misinterpret the silence as proof of His absence. Interestingly enough, I fully recovered from my depression soon afterward and never came remotely close to taking life THAT seriously ever again. Although I wasnt conscious of it at the time, I was changed. I chuckle now when I recall the event, because it is only in hindsight that I fully appreciate that experience. I have since had the wonderful good grace to
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have found a means to consistently dive into and explore this mystical zone that had so captivated me on that fateful night. I now see that when that silence grew louder in direct proportion to my becoming more present, it was as if God was saying, Im right here, silly!!! This Silence dissolves the anxiety of believing that God is a distant, separate entity and replaces it with the peace of experiencing the presence of God right here and nownot as some personality with an agenda, but as WHAT YOU ACTUALLY ARE. Its far more enjoyable than worrying and doubting and yearning in the same way that playing with a brand new toy is more enjoyable than trying to fix the one that has been broken for decades. Recognizing this new dimension to life and allowing it to effortlessly grow and deepen has been the single most important and life-altering discovery Ive ever made. The presence of God had never been apart from me. It was when I was at my lowest and most in need that Reality revealed itself and I suspect, changed the course of my life. It seems my cry had not fallen on deaf ears after all. What is the moral of my story? GOD IS ALWAYS SHOUTING BACK!!! Sean Gill New York City, USA
Ten years ago, my boyfriend at the time asked me what I really wanted out of life. I remember my answer: That I wanted to be completely confident and content with being me, not needing anything from the outside to be happy. I wanted another state of being that I had no words for, and I had absolutely no idea how to get there. 12 www.thebrightpath.com
Chance, luck, or magic had it that a couple of years later I was introduced to the incredible teaching of the Ishayas. I recognized there and then that this could be the tool that would take me there. Little did I know at the time how much more it was going to give me! The first thing that happened after I started practicing Ascension was that my fear of things going wrong disappeared. For some reason I started trusting that everything is OK and that whatever happens is for the best. That led to some pretty big changes in my lifechanges I had been postponing out of fear for the unknown. Within a short amount of time, I found myself in a new country, leaving my old job and shaky relationship behind to do something I had wanted to do for a long, long time. It was as if the Universe started pouring opportunities my way, and all I had to do was say yes. That flow of opportunities has continued, to a degree where I no longer need to struggle or fight for anything, because what I need will always show up, somehow. The only reason for this is that I have stopped being in the way by not controlling, worrying and doubting things. Instead, I play with being present and enjoying what is. It is very simple, and very cool. I have discovered that the simple awareness of now, in reality, is a sea of deep peace, bubbling joy, and love for everything. Everything is funny when you are in that flow. If your car breaks down, you laugh. If you have lost your ticket, you laugh. While you are laughing, someone turns up with your ticket. Or you get offered a seat in first class instead. It is indescribably good to be home, home in my own magical kingdom where anything can happen and it is all good. I have got what I wanted, confidence and contentment, and I have also got excitement for life, adventures to come and forever more expansion into that one big field of infinity that is me. Ellen Tromborg Oslo, Norway
My life was one big struggle. I didnt know who I was or what I wanted. I always tried to do what was expected of me and attempted to find peace and happiness by thinking about life which was an impossible task. The more I tried to figure life out, the more complicated it became. The more I tried to understand and control myself, the more I lost myself. Whatever I tried added to my pain of not knowing what to do and who I am. But one day something amazing happened. I discovered something inside myself, which is independent from my mind, untouched by the world of thoughts and feelings; innocent and timeless, always there in perfect peace and silencemy true Self. First it seemed surprising, too nice and easy to be true. But by putting more and more of my attention there, this experience of my Self started to grow. It became more and more real until one day it was more real than my old little self, which was nothing more than a collection of thoughts and feelings I identified with. Now I am anchored in this permanent experience of indescribable inner peace. From there, life is a natural expression of happiness. I am happy because I am alive. I need no other reason. Every day is a new invitation to explore the infinite Silence within and see the infinite games of the mind. Every experience is a step to a deeper understanding of what is real. Every moment I can choose what to be aware of, the infinite Presence of God or some movement in my mind. I always want to choose the first option. If I dont, a wonderful being in my universe will show me, because every single molecule in this universe is part of this infinite dance of discovery. Everything serves only one single purposeto remind me who I am. Roman Hayn Munich, Germany
From Ashes
ALLOW. As soon as I closed my eyes, the letters burned like fire across the front of my mind. Then the voice whispered in my head, Dont. I had heard this voice my whole life, listened to its guidance, but I had to make a choice. And so I did. As soon as I introduced the Technique everything turned off. My mind stilled, the voice went silent. Space nothing but vast, clear space, except there was one other thing.........peace. There is no university course or development program that teaches one what to do when you fall into darkness. Like How to stop a descent into hell 101. You take it as it comes, and try to survive, which is not living at all. It was not always this way. It seemed like yesterday I was playing football at UNLV, living the college life and within a few years I was living a nightmare. The drugs were the trigger, and I was off like a shot. I stayed up for days, weeks at a time, running the streets of Las Vegas. I was lost. Every shadow seemed to have the ability to reach out to me, the whispers in my head were laughing, taunting. There was only this wicked darkness. I tried to stop, but there was no relief, there was no sanctuary from this haunting. I knew I didnt have much time left. Then one night alone in the desert I asked for help, I pleaded with the night sky for mercy. And it came. Through grace, through love, through my mother, I went to a meditation course; The Ishayas Ascension. I introduced the 1st technique, and Allowed. From that moment of allowing I began to experience peace. From the peace I discovered humility, that I do not control everything. From being humble, I experienced surrender. This I had not seen, to lay down the sword and give up the fight, to surrender to a greater Force than me, a greater essence within. I am grateful for the experiences I had, it was a quickening. A trial by fire, to realize that heaven is within. Beyond the boundaries of my mind there
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lies an ocean of space, pure, forever silent, still. When I became intimate with this space, an absolutely new experience emerged. I only had to let go of who I thought I was, and that which remains is Free. Mark Lomprey Las Vegas, USA
Prior to learning to Ascend, my life was very comfortable. I had a good job, nice house, good friends. Yet, I was still searching. I didnt know for what exactly, but I was sure when I found it I would know. I wondered, Doesnt there have to be more to life? but a bit afraid that the answer might just bethis is as good as it gets. And still, I took another class, read another book, hoping that more knowledge would give me more peace or that elusive experience I longed for. Then I found Ascension, with the promise that anyone, even me, could experience a life of unending peace and joy. Not only did I hear that that was my birthright but also it was the easiest thing to do. Be still in every moment and experience a life so rich and full the mind could not comprehend it. Well, I could not comprehend it and I was excited for the people on the planet that were lucky enough to be able to have that but I was still sure I could never be that still. The promises being made by the teacher seemed so unattainable, so out of this world, that I couldnt even see myself that way. I wanted it to be true, I really did, but I just thought it was impossible. Yet, no matter what the mind said, the heart knew and kept going back for more, not really believing it was possible, but continually being drawn back to Ascension, to the promise of heaven on earth. I am so grateful that the heart knew there was more. Today my experience is of unending peace, joy and love. The experience of the silence just keeps getting deeper and more attractive every day. My internal experience is so differ16 www.thebrightpath.com
ent from how it used to be. Ive gone from a glass half empty to a glass half full view of the world around me. There is contentment in my experience right now that I never thought possible. The peace is profound, the love is deep and unconditional and the journey is actually more fun than I ever imagined. Mary Oswald St Paul, USA
When I first encountered the Ishayas Ascension and took the course in 1997, I recognized a peace beyond all wordsa kind of relaxing and sliding down into a warm effervescent ocean of love and peace and magic. Finding grace is what I will call it. My early experiences with the practice were magical and exalted. My world opened into a fabric of fresh softness and vibrancy, like viewing things through a newborns eyes. Through time, this experience has ripened and deepened, like life unfolding in the creation of itselfunfolding so magically that I could not have come even close to creating such experiences that have served me so well. Life becomes like unfolding GraceI extend my desires to the Universe ~ some spoken, some barely whispered and some barely formed, and then I let them go free; they magically come back to me in unexpected forms and timings resources, people, places and things that I need to create my business and build my dreams open right before me. Life is no longer a big struggle, but a looking and a listening for what wants to happen next. And who am I becoming? Nowone who is outrageously funny, quirky and downright outrageous. One who laughs wholeheartedly, even at myself, bringing joy, and the spaciousness that holds the magic, the spark of possibility for all others ~ I have become mySelf! Janet Lasser San Diego, USA 17 www.thebrightpath.com
Even Death is a Gateway to Magic and Freedom

It was 6:30 in the morning when I was getting ready to go to school, there were some friends, my dad and me in the car. I remember some people came into the garage and put a gun to my grandfathers head, then feeling waves of nervousness, fear, helplessness. I was terrified of something totally unknown and new, I had so much adrenaline pumping through my body. Everything was collapsing; the beautiful bubble that I used to live in started to vanish, there are things in life that I dont know about. There was a big wave of energya strong sense that everything was about to collapse, that everything had been destroyed. I knew I had to run and I ran knowing that something strong and powerful was happening. I ran to my room and the only thing I felt was my body shaking and nervous. From the window I see my dad and the gardener fighting and wrestling with some people. I hear gun shots; I see one of the guys pointing a gun at my dad and shooting. The moment disappears and the only thing I hear is a trucks squealing tires pulling away. The only thing that comes to my mind is to come back to see what happened. I see the gardener dead on one side, soulless, empty. Then I see my grandpa lying on the wall, petrified, in shock, without words. And finally my dad who was next to a wall lying down on the stairs, he was still alive. I embrace him, holding his head while I watch him try to talk to me but he couldnt talk because the bullets had pierced his lungs and little by little the air was going away. I so clearly remember his face, I could never forget this moment. It marked my life forever. In his eyes I could see an immense power, an indescribable lovea look of protection and wisdom which transcended everything that I have ever experienced in my short life. An I love you with all my soul and Im so happy that you are safe, everything was worth it for you to be alive. All of this has a reason for existing, something much greater, beyond my comprehension.
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It was like Divine Will was present in all of this, in every action and every moment, a great, powerful presence. Then he died in my arms, his soul left. I was 15 years old when all of this happened. I then realized the men had tried to kidnap me. My world was overfear, uncertainty, questioning, rebellion, anger; all of this and more started to grow in me. My life before this event was pure magic and discovery with no worries, full of love from my dad and my grandpa and the rest of my family. I never had a mother, she had abandoned me when I was a baby. My family told me she had died. Because of my fathers death, my family was torn apart and I stayed with my grandpa. I nearly committed suicide because of the guilt of knowing that people wanted to kidnap me when the person I loved the most was taken away for a few coins and I was the reason for that. In the next years I lived alone with my grandpa. Of course my life became chaos. I was into drugs, alcohol, parties, depending on friends and girlfriends because of the need for love. In this world fear was always intenseseparation, judgment, power, arrogance were on fire. My life was like this for a long time, but just remembering that moment, the look from my father that told me everything was ok, not to worry and keep walking, would remove everything from my mind. I wanted to find out why this had happened to me. I felt so left behind and alone. I took refuge in my friends, girlfriends and people I knew. I started to be dependent and attach to everything because I couldnt find support or a guide for life. I decided to dedicate my time to discovering what life is really about and why all of this happened to me. In myself there was the feeling of exploration, to know the unknown. For a long time I tried to find answers to the questions, but one of the main ones was, What is the real meaning of life? What is all of this? Where do I come in? We all search in one way or another; everyone has their own path, with unique experiences. My search took many years, in pain, without answers, totally
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alone, until one day when I found the Ishayas. It was the best day of my life, I was looking for answers, and God everywhere. Just one weekend changed my entire life, the search was over, a feeling of AWE and protection, of Being, of existence, of happiness, of silence, of wellness, was so clear that a total knowingness that everything I have lived and the adventure of life was to discover the awakening. Without truly knowing the depth of the teaching, I kept walking and started to discover thousands of things that were really important for me, for you and for everyone else. I have found that life is guiding me to my greatest potential. Because of all the experiences, I know that we are here to discover the true meaning of life, what life really is. For some of us it presents itself in different forms to touch different hearts, I know that my life is to help others to find magic in every moment of their lives. Since that instant, life has been a constant exploration of inner peace, unconditional love, consciousness and the eternal now. Living each moment in pure magic and abundance, discovering every eternal moment, where only divinity and the divine play exist. That is why Im sharing these words, for inspiration, love, and what is more important, the invitation. Because I know that you want to know more about life, the whys and where to go. In my experience I know that everything that has happened to me and continues to happen is for me to know Thy Self more, explore more, to find out who I really am, truly, without masks, totally open and pure in essence. A life without limits, without an I cantwhat is going to happen? Im afraid, because none of that exists in the eternal now. I live a life where only playing exists, stress free, without attachments, living innocence like a child with tenderness, openness, gentleness and love. It is worth giving it your all to find and discover it. Everything is worth it so we can play the game of life. This teaching has given me this and more, every instant is an eternal exploration of the Self. My life is pure joy and unconditional love for everyone, 20 www.thebrightpath.com
regardless of the situation and what was donepure unconditional love. I have found that everything starts with oneself, love yourself to love others, help yourself to help others so people can open their eyes to the beauty of the world, of the Self and the divine gifts. I invite you to join us in living a Magic life, simplicity, contentment, fullness, joy, freedom, love, peace, harmony and expansion. It helped me and I know it will help you. The greatest adventure of all is the INFINITE. Eugenio Ramirez Cuernavaca, Mexico
Some people consider 2008 to have been one of the most terrible years in recent history, in economic and financial terms (probably the worst, many say, depending on how you measure it)...Truly, for many people this has been a very difficult year and it is right to feel compassion for all those who are suffering because of lost jobs, lost wealth, lost dreams or lost dear ones. But at this moment, just a few minutes before midnight, I want to take a very different hindsight and tell you that this year has been the best year of my life in many senses. Not only did I start it a few weeks after my First Sphere course (early December 2007) thus I was already enjoying the marvelous experience of silence and Self recognition, but then I had a chance to visit the hacienda during Semana Santa. That wonderful and peaceful place, the contact with the teachers, sharing the experience with everybody present, the love and the peace that could be felt .All that put together created such a magical time, I find it hard to describe with written words only. I feel the need to say it aloud and to show it in my smile and through the window of my eyes, and even that would probably not give a fair description. It certainly was one of the most beautiful periods I can remember. Since my childhood I had the intuition that I was different, special in a sense, that
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something would happen in my life and make me very, very happy. While I have been blessed with a wonderful family and a rather satisfactory personal life, at the hacienda I realized that there was more happiness to experience, that there is a road to absolute joy. Ascension has made a great difference in my life. No more anguish or fear is strong enough to make me forget that my existence is eternal. Since I started to Ascend I have escaped the material world and now live in a much more plentiful universe, filled with love and light, intense and infinite. I try to Ascend every morning and every night, before going to sleep, but there is always also a special moment in my day when I stop, look inside myself, find the silence and feel very grateful. I dont know when or where that special moment may happen, but I know my inner Self cannot, will not, resist calling me every day to go inside, expand and enjoy every second that special moment lasts. While at first I had a propensity to severely question myself because it didnt feel right to have found the path of light I always wanted but wasnt capable of leaving everything aside for The Mastery of the Self course. But as the year has passed, and mostly after Semana Santa, I have realized that the path does not consist only in being at a physical location, but in searching every day, every minute, new ways to give my divinity a chance to express itself. That may be in my professional practice, as a university professor, as a father fighting against my own prejudices and rigidities, as a husband, loving every word, every kiss from my wifethere are so many ways to grow in consciousness! Thank you so much. I know the walk is my responsibility, but I wouldnt know where to start if it was not for the Ascension of the Ishayas. Roberto Santillan Mexico
Since I started to Ascend more than 10 years ago, my life has changed in many, many ways, although I have often only been able to see the transformation in hindsight. During the first couple of years practicing Ascension, I experienced life as getting brighter, fuller and emotionally more stable. I was less absorbed in the dramas of life and learned to see whatever turned up from a more detached place. After we moved to another town, I gradually began to Ascend less and after a couple of years I hardly Ascended anymore. Life was simultaneously becoming flatter, although I didnt recognize it at the time, it was so subtle. The wake-up call came during a job mission to Africa. I was experiencing staying completely in the present and doing everything from there. Things were going magically well and I was cruising on a smooth wave in spite of difficult working conditions in a war-torn country. The crash landing came very abruptly in the shape of a colleague arriving, entering as the snake in my paradise. I completely lost balance and whatever had been a smooth flow, now became a hard struggle. Most of all I was shocked at myself for falling off track so strongly and realized the importance of having a regular practice of going within. I took up Ascension again and since then I have never quit. In fact, I am now teaching Ascension to others. What have been my most important discoveries along this road? First of all, that Life is eternal, abundantly giving of itself all the time. Life can never not be, but we may not experience its fullness. Life and Love is the same for me. When one begins to explore the inner Universe, its like starting to walk in darkness, not knowing where you are going or what is there. As you walk along, a small light appears, getting stronger and stronger as you continue exploring, revealing all the time more of the endless space within, seemingly empty at first, 23 www.thebrightpath.com
but becoming more and more filled with vibrant Life as the exploration continues. Then you realize that the Light is not only all around you, but that you yourself are that Light, as well as everything else. The more you explore, the more things grow and expand, the less you explore, the less the expansion and the experience. The only way to have the light on your bicycle turn on is by starting to use the pedals. Be prepared that bubbles of joy may come up from the endless bottom of yourself for seemingly no reason, or that just looking at a tree can fill you with indescribable love. The one you thought was your worst enemy may turn out to be quite all right; the surprises along the way are many. The only way to find out is by starting to explore your inner Universe and one day you may wonder where the inner Universe ends and where the outer begins. Thats ok too. I would also like to mention the foundation for the Ascension Attitudes that are taught in the First Sphere course: Praise, Gratitude, Love and Compassion. In themselves they are great guidelines for life and just by having a conscious relationship with them and using them consistently; life will change dramatically for the better. Kristine Haldorsen Fredrikstad, Norway
I was always so proud of myself for being one of those people who took the hard road. It seemed sweet to have overcome so many difficulties in my life. Alcoholism, drug addiction, compulsive gambler, divorced, misunderstood and scorned by my father, fired from lots of jobs, there was always something or somebody robbing me of serenity and peace. However, it was always easy to drop back into one of these behaviors just so I could be proud of coming back again. Pretty sick cycle huh? At least the cycles were stretching out longer and soon I knew I would be able to break free. Someday! 24 www.thebrightpath.com
Then I got serious. The 12 Steps are about finding a higher power to save you from yourself. When I figured that out, I started my quest. Re-birthing, Neural Linguistic Programming, Kinesiology, plumb bobbing (pendulums), spiritual courses and workshops, Unity Church and relationships. Nothing worked. Finally, I found a book that said I could make praise, gratitude and love mechanical and repeatable and I thought, That sounds cool. If it works, great and if it doesnt, I can put it on my spiritual resume. I dont remember what my experience was that first night but I know I had found what I was looking for. An experiential teaching that led me back to myselfthe opposite direction I had always moved toward. I was told that it was easy and that when enough stress had been released from my nervous system, that I would be able to explore a universe so big, so still, so joyful, that it would pass all understanding. I said, Sign me up and I found out that they were telling the truth. The joy, the peace and the hugeness that I experience today is beyond understanding. It fills every moment so much that it has become eternal. It has no beginning and no end, the definition of infinite, I believe, so I can dive deeper forever. I have never been so content and motivated and I experience both at once. There are four things that Jesus said that always intrigued me. I thought they were beyond a neer-do-well such as myself (I was wrong) and they are; 1 Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all shall be given unto you. 2 The Kingdom of Heaven is within. 3 It is alive in this moment (only). 4 EVERYONE has accesseven you and I. He, of course was right, so this is an offer to find the true meaning of life. Dont waste any more time or energy. Its killing you. Bruce Retynski Seattle, USA
Quite simply, since learning Ascension meditation, I stopped being something that I had been for the previous 30 years. I stopped being a seeker. I had been a seeker since the age of 14. I sought in many places; churches, meditation centers, human potential organizations, alternative spiritual groups, eastern religions. At one time I took a long break from seeking because I wasnt seeing anyone who had actually found what I was looking for. I figured maybe a few, very rare, very special people ever found it, but not the average person like me. So what was it I was seeking? I didnt really know. I just felt that something was missing from my life, and the urge to find it never left me alone. Along the way I found words and concepts to describe what it was, words such as Enlightenment, Self-Realization, God, the Truth, the Buddha Nature, Christ Consciousness. So now I had some interesting ideas of what it was I was seeking, but I was no closer to finding it. Perhaps I was farther. I had already been meditating regularly for two years when I learned to Ascend, and right away I noticed how (a) easy and effortless Ascension was compared to what I had been doing and (b) how effective it was in bringing me to an experience of inner peace and fulfillment. I happily continued to Ascend and eventually began to sponsor First Sphere courses. Then I attended retreats with the Ishayas. Being at their home and observing the Ishayas really opened my eyes. Here were all kinds of peopleteenagers to seniors, every shape, size, color, many nationalities, physically attractive and not so much, very smart and not so much, and what they all had in common was this ~ the Ishayas were ordinary people, all obviously experiencing that which I had always been seeking. Clearly they had a deep joya serenity, a kind of knowing that I also wanted. It occurred to me that if they could do it, I could too. And I did.
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So I am no longer a seeker, for I know what it is I was looking for, and where to look for it, and how to look for it, and how to know that I am experiencing it. I have found what I was looking for all my life. And yet that is only the beginning. Only the beginning because I still have this life, and though I dont have all the answers, I find I dont need them. Exactly what I need magically appears for me in every moment; even if I have no idea what it is I need. The journey grows more exciting, more mysterious, more free every day. There is always more. Mara Black Santa Rosa, USA
The teaching of the Ishayas Ascension has without doubt been the greatest gift of my life. Any attempt to use words to describe this new world of wonder, magic, joy and ongoing contentment will inevitably fall far short of the direct experience these simple techniques have given me. For many years I had read every spiritual book I could lay my hands on, hungrily devouring the words and teachings of the great Masters and Saints. My search took me to India several times. I knew in my heart that the experiences they spoke of were absolutely real but at the same time I felt they were totally beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. These beings were supermen. That all changed one day in 2004 during a six month meditation retreat with the Ishayas. As I stepped into the forest that day, everything had changed. I was walking through Narnia...a completely new world full of magic, full of wonder, full of light, full of indescribable beauty. Every molecule of my being was filled with intense bliss....the peace that passeth all understanding. I experienced absolute contentment as I bathed in the exquisite beauty that was both inside and outside. All barriers dissolved, all problems disappeared...an aliveness beyond words.
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For the first time I got the words of the Masters; not as dry, mental concepts but as a direct living experience. All is One, I AM That, God is Closer than Your Next Breath, Bliss is Your True Nature. It couldnt be anything else. I felt an immense sense of gratitude for the Grace that flowed in that holy and eternal moment. It is impossible to be granted such an experience and your life to ever be the same again. I wrote these words at the time. Love so real filling me, Diving deep inside, Im falling into you. Silent space without an end Theres nothing there But I am touching everything. Several years on, this continues to be my daily experience.....a simple aliveness that varies from moment to moment in intensity and flavor.....sometimes thick and full on, pinning me back in my chair and at other times subtle and less tangible. It is incredible to think that for the best part of my life I didnt see what we call The Ascendant in our teaching. Once experienced, it is so obvious that you have no idea how you could have missed it. I think it was the poet Kabir who said I laughed when the fish asked where the ocean is. In huge contrast to my years of anxiety and worry, my days are now filled with a sense of wonder and appreciation of the miracle of existence. I like to share the story of a fellow Ishaya teacher and friend who was eating dinner and said to his wife Wow! This is the best food I have ever tasted. She replied That is the fifth time this week you have said that. Every tree, every person, every song, every meal becomes the most beautiful ever....a life lived in awe and wonder. 28 www.thebrightpath.com
Thanks to this profound teaching, no matter what is going on around me, the choice is there in every moment to drop into the eternal and unchanging space which is the only constant....the ground from which everything arises and the source of all joy, all peace, all magic. One of the greatest gifts for me is to be free of waiting....waiting for some special day in the future when everything will be OK and I will be complete. Everything is right here, right now. As I write, the ten year-old daughter of a friend is decorating the Christmas tree. She is so joyful and content. Her eyes are filled with wonder as she contemplates which ornament to hang next. I could never have imagined in the past that it could be possible to re-experience the magic and wonder of seeing the world through the eyes of a child. I now know that this is not only possible but not nearly as difficult as you may think. Richard Paterson Edinburgh, Scotland
From Catholic Nun to Ishaya Monk

Have you ever felt a strong call to change your life? One of mine came during an eight day retreat for Catholic sisters in 1992(I was a Roman Catholic nun from 1981-1995). I had a vision of myself as a hen in a yard scratching for food. I looked up and saw a huge, majestic eagle land on the fence near me. He gazed at me and asked, Do you want to continue to live as a hen scratching at the ground or do you want to fly with the eagles? I remember being riveted to the spot, and in awe that it really did not matter one iota to the eagle which course I chose. My life was in my hands. I swal29 www.thebrightpath.com
lowed and thought about my life as it was, and wondered where life would take meknowing it would certainly move me beyond many of my comfort zones. It felt as if all creation was waiting for the reply...and I hesitantly declared Yes, I want to fly! The eagle flew off, and that very week I met a wise woman who unconditionally loved and guided me to a whole new level of spiritual experience. By 1995, I chose to leave religious life, and in 1997 I met the Ishayas. I still vividly recall coming out from our very first Ascension experience on Friday night of the First Sphere Ascension Course and being so ecstatic that finally I had found a Teaching that brought me to the Stillness. In my seven years with centering prayer, I was lucky to have seven seconds of space between thoughts. With my first Ascension I had 5 minutes with no thoughts! It did not matter to me that my next Ascensions were filled with thoughts; I knew if it took me there once, it most assuredly would take me there again. The teachers radiated a peace that I wanted, and by the end of the weekend I was already beginning to sense that I was called to dedicate my life to this Teaching. Five months later, I walked away from my life as I knew it, (a massage therapist, Reiki master, Tai chi instructor) to attend the Ishayas 6 month teacher training course. Try as I might, there is no way to begin to describe the leap in evolution that happens for those who complete that course! So many limiting beliefs and patterns fell away I hardly recognized myself. Still more incredible was the inner experience of a still, vast, Eternal Space that filled me and all of Creation. I remember one exalted experience where I was so huge within that universes were inside my being, and Earth was a tiny speck in my big toe. I have been enraptured by the amazing cosmic symphony that comes through during some Ascensions. I have experienced silence so profound that it was deafening and everything dissolved into That.
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The inner experience has filled me with so much gratitude and love that my hearts desire ever since has been to share this wondrous Teaching with whoever was ready to receive it. It requires one thing: an open heart. This is a Teaching of Experience, and no attempt to understand it with your mind will ever work. I recall as a student sitting at my first Ascension course so many years ago, my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. I knew that this was the Holy Spirit knocking hard to signal that Yes this was the answer to my prayer and search. I had come Home. To you, courageous cosmic explorer who is reading these words right now, to you who are still longing to find Home, the Peace that Passes all understanding, Union, Enlightenment...whatever term you give it, know that the welcome awaits you within. Find a Teaching that directs your mind inward, and a Teacher who embodies the Teaching, and can offer you the guidance you need. Know that the entire universe exists to support you in that Homecoming, and the time is NOW, not tomorrow or next year! Come, fly with the eagles! Patricia Perdue Granite City, USA
Before I started Ascending, I experienced life as quite exhausting. My mind appeared to be a never ending river of thoughts, feelingssmaller or bigger worriesrunning from morning to evening, day in and day out. The outer circumstances were successful enough and not to blame. Going outside of the realm of the mind with other means than suicide or drugs was my need and desire. From my first Ascending moment, I felt, This is it. Even though I was not blissed out from the very first moment, the peace and rest was real, and the infinite potential for exciting experiences and exploration was tangible. I never get bored of Ascendingthere are always some new dimensions to itnew levels of consciousness to explore and rest in. 31 www.thebrightpath.com
You can never be innocent or open enoughstraining is just an obstaclethats my experience. During Ascension, I clearly feel that the ultimate experience of inner peace and invincibility is in the most total state of openness and innocence. Ascension is a journey towards this statea journey to what life ultimately has to offer. The longer you go on the journey, the more contrasting, troublesome and less attractive the surface state of the mind seems to be. In my childhood I participated in some Christian organisations and activities. But singing Jesus songs, listening to talks about Jesus and praying in Jesus groups never gave any big revelation or happinessdeath was still a fearful thing. In my later youth, I became fascinated by yogis and eastern theories about subtler realms, energy bodies, chakras and so on, and read many books about these subjects. In Ascending, these phenomena are gradually revealing themselves in a very safe and natural waybut not less exciting. It is not based on words or beliefsonly what is experienced here and now. That, for me is a revelation of what Jesus said: drop your cross if your load is heavy, drop your mind is my way of expressing it! Lars Raanes Oslo, Norway
A Life of Grace
Grace. What is that exactly? As a 13 year old preparing for confirmation I wanted to know, to really know. But the answers I got from teachers and clergy did not reveal the mystery of grace to me. In my heart I knew there was more, but I was still ignorant. Years passed, life went on and occasionally the passion to know more, to experience more of life, would ignite. At first I looked to external things: education, career, travel, acquiring stuff. Setting, moving toward and achieving goals would be temporarily satisfying but ultimately they never filled the empty space in my heart. At times Church services would enliven something in my heart, but mostly they were an exercise in rote ritual. Each time I heard the song Amazing Grace the question from my childhood would surface: What is grace? 32 www.thebrightpath.com
In my mid-thirties I attended a weekend workshop and learned The Ishayas Ascension. Little did I realize that what I saw as stress-reduction techniques would actually lead me to answering the question I had posed more than 20 years previously and would fill the empty space in my heart. Incorporating the Ishayas Ascension into my daily routine was easy and simple for me. Life became simpler, smoother and problems became mere challenges to deal with. One day during a retreat, the profound nature and truth of grace became clear, not as information, but as a living experience. Life became richer, more alive, a wonderment. I now experienced a sense of aliveness and presence in people and objects that went beyond the usual senses, putting a WOW in my everyday life. Even washing the dishes became a fun, alive experience. It was now clear that grace had always been active in my life and everyone elses, the difference being that now I had the eyes to see and know it. The movement of grace in my life continues to awe me. It is truly a gift to be able to experience grace in this journey called life. Angela Montin Guelph, Canada
Why am I here? Why am I not happy? Why dont I feel loved? And why does my life suck? These are the questions I asked myself over and over and over throughout my life. I just could not figure out how to get my so called life right. I remember one night being so frustrated about the never ending problems and misery of my life that I walked out to the street and cried out to God, I give up, I cant figure it out! Everything I try to fix only gets worse! I was exhausted and spent and probably for the first time in my life truly humble with God. From there I asked God for help in whatever form she would offer.
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The next morning I remembered a book that I had, called Ascension, I opened it up and began to read. It was written like the author was speaking to me. He raised the same questions I had all my life but he had answers, answers that made sense. He spoke from his own experience and clearly explained how he had escaped the misery of life and began to live in joy. He spoke of a shining moment in which he began to experience everything in life fresh, alive, and full of joy, an experience that had stayed with him ever since. All it took was a simple little technique and clear guidance. Thats it! I said to myself and for the first time in my entire life I was truly inspired, I was excited and I wanted that which he had. I called the Ishayas immediately and found out I could take a course the next day. I drove 7 hours straight and learned the techniques that would change my life forever. From the first moment I began to use it, my entire being was shaken. A peace came over me that I could not even begin to understand. I was so excited and I wanted more. So I used it and used it and loved it, and before I knew it, I was experiencing so much joy that I forgot about my pain. I now had a choice that I never had before, peace or pain. I have continued to use these techniques solid for 7 years now and they have brought me nothing but joy, love, security, clarity and unending peace. Ive received clear guidance in the practice and discovered even greater levels of bliss and joy. There really seems to be no end to the blessings that I experience now. These techniques helped me rediscover my true nature and experience absolute divinity in every moment. I no longer question anything in life for I am too busy enjoying all the amazing wonders that life has to offer. Stephen Raybourn Pensacola, USA
By the time I was fifteen, I had tried out every Christian Church in my home town, I had read the entire Bible several times, and I had had countless discussions with my minister, all in an effort to find answers to the mysteries of life that plagued me: Who are we really? What are we meant to be doing here? Where did we come from? Where are we going? I was desperately seeking something that would bring a sense of peace and fulfillment to my life, something that would provide meaning. Religion, I decided early on, was not the path that would ever lead me to that sense of absolute peace born of Truth. So, I turned to psychology, all the way through a Ph.D. and a University teaching position, and came to know a lot about how the mind usually works and what happens when its functioning is not healthy. But, I also realized I was no closer to meaningful answers to those mysteries than I had been two decades earlier. It was at this time that I was introduced to A Course in Miracles and for the first time, I felt I was getting some glimmers of Truth. And it also felt like workhard work. The image I had was one of a steep mountainside, and I was scaling it, using a pickax and a rope. At this same time, I was also meditating sporadically, using whichever approach I had most recently been introduced to. And, occasionally, I would drop into a timeless space, without thought, without mental activity; a place of absolute peace. But, those moments were rare and fleeting, seemingly coming without conscious bidding. I never knew how they happened; I never knew how to experience them again. The randomness made them seem as if they were entirely at the whim of the Universe, like the experience of seeing a shooting star. When it happens, it is magical, but it has nothing to do with anything we are, or are not doing. And then, the magic began for real! One of my graduate students gave me a copy of First Thunder on a Monday evening in July of 1996. She invited me to attend a First Sphere Course with her the following weekend that was being held in Casper, Wyoming, an eight hour drive from where we lived. The next morning, I called her and accepted her invitation, ignoring all the skepticism and the logical arguments of my mind. Still today, when I think of that, I am overcome with a huge sense of gratitude for the Grace of God that led me, in spite of my mind, to this Teaching.
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On that Friday evening of the First Sphere Course, when we closed our eyes to Ascend for the first time, I had an immediate experience of dropping into an infinitely deep and comforting pool of peace and simultaneously stepping onto an escalator that was effortlessly taking me to the peak of that steep mountainside. In the more than twelve years I have been using the Ascension Attitudes, that initial experience has become boundless, timeless, continually more expansive, always revealing more Truth, always giving greater peace and joy and love. There have been countless times that a student has shared his or her experience of That with me, astounded at the amazing simplicity and effortlessness of these techniques we teach, and I have said, Yes, they are magical, arent they? And, indeed, they are. I could not even begin to estimate how many times I have quietly introduced one of the Ascension Attitudes myself, yet never do they become old; never do I feel bored by them. In fact, just the opposite has happened. Each repetition in my mind has enlivened them further, bringing about amazing changes in both my and mind and body. They are precious keys that have unlocked the mysteries of the Universe and have truly infused my life with endless magic! Linda Carter Wright Los Angeles, USA
Finally! A simple, true, rapid path to God Consciousness. After more than thirty years of spiritual studies and mystical practices, Ive at last found what is for me, the one true and reliable path. And its so simple! Easy and accessible to all. In only two years of Ascending, life changesinternal and external, that Ive strived for over decades have just happened; without any effort or even intention on my part. Just Ascending. Thanks to this sacred, Mystical practice, I am experiencing the pure, pristine presence of God; Now (only Now, not then, before or later) in every moment, when I simply remember to choose. 36 www.thebrightpath.com
Thanks to the Ishayas Ascension, I am no longer trapped by my thoughts, beliefs, opinions or other delusions. I used to experience life as a painful burden, filled with anxiety, negativity, depression and despair, something to be resolved rather than experienced. With Ascension, life has become wondrous and full of joy and delight. I am finally free! Ken Bichel New York City, USA
Its amazing for me that a Teaching is so alive, so profound in bringing me gently back to the Truth, to our Source, without me doing anything except being committed to be free of all illusions and live a full life. The techniques are like waves of the ocean and me riding them, just relaxing and surrendering to them. I can innocently play in the garden of life, going with the flow while being focused in the Silence and then: magic appears. It is hard to describe in words what the magic is. It feels like being a child; no fear, no worry, with such a tingling feeling of unending joy and at the same time experiencing such a loving energy inside me, which gives me the feeling of protection, unbounded love and the courage to follow my hearts desire. I always knew that life is as you see it, but now I really experience this. Life is different now. Seeing the beauty of everything in life is like being in love every day anew. And in that, you see more and more magic. Certain situations appear in my life and I experience them totally new, because the Ascension techniques have taken away my patterns, which were holding me back from seeing things as they are. The patterns kept me looking at things from the past; there was no magic in that, I was re-living something over and over again, wasting energy. Seeing things fresh and alive gives me unbounded joy, for I know and experience that the discovery is endless.
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There is no need to take life seriously anymore as I used to, before I learned Ascension. The more I let go and trust, the more smoothly life unfolds for me. If, in any time, I experience life less smoothly, I know I need to Ascend more. It keeps on surprising me that 20 minutes of Ascending takes away tiredness, stress, worry or an unhappy moods. Just that quick (now, thats what I call magic!). Ive worked as an air-hostess for years and often I have to cope with major jet-lag and skipping night-rests; but since learning Ascension, I dont have many problems with being tired anymore. While my colleagues still take a little nap before working the whole night, I Ascend, and am more awake and energized to start the flight back home than they are. Im so glad I discovered Ascension. Looking back at my old life, which I experienced rather hard from time to time, always trying to be something or go somewhere with the frustration of not knowing if I was doing it rightI often ended up in similar situations. I feel a big relief now, being out of the rat-race and experiencing such a beauty I never knew was possible. For me, life exists now in unbounded love, endless joy and is full of gratitude and compassion. There is no other way I wish to live my life anymore, there is contentment and peace. There is no more searching for something, there is nothing missing anymore. Everything is complete and perfect as it is now. Katja Wognum Amsterdam, Holland
I always had a calling as far back as I can remember, something deep within me. This search took me along many twists and turns of life. I thought the answer lay somewhere on the outside; in some book, belief system or relationship with something or somebody else. Thankfully that searching brought me to Ascension 4 years ago and with it, an instant, Ahhh inside of me that my search was over.
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I could never have imagined that such a simple technique could hold such power to transform the self and dissolve a lifetime of beliefs and concepts about myself and my world. I always considered myself a sensitive soul and that this left me vulnerable to this harsh world, that I was a victim to the events that took place around me and had no power to choose beyond the chaos of my emotions, thoughts and events in my life. So I lived with a constant underlying sense of fear and lack of love for myself. Through regular use of these beautiful techniques, very quickly they have revealed to me that I do have a choice, in every moment; a choice for such an immovable solid experience of peace whatever is going on within my life or in the world. And that it is all within me, there is nothing I have to change. My life and I are perfect just as they are! I just have to remember to simply choose for the inner experience, and by gently resting in that pure clear silent space of awareness, my life flourishes and radiates out to reveal itself in true perfection and beauty and in an unexplainable sense of joy, contentment and a fullness that could never be fully put in words. I cannot imagine my life without Ascension and I cannot express my gratitude enough for this Teaching and how it has brought me back to wholeness and who I truly am. Suzanne Roberts West Yorkshire, England
Magic is one of the many great aspects I love about my experience of life these days. From the time I first learnt the Ishayas meditation techniques; I became increasingly aware of the magic that unfolds. The techniques are magic themselves; when I think them as I go about my day, I disengage the mind from thinking and instantaneously experience oneness with everything that exists. 39 www.thebrightpath.com
The reality is that we are all a manifestation of magic and as I have become increasingly present in every moment I am in awe of the unbelievable things that unfold for me. Chances are you have had the experience of magic such as thinking of someone and then miraculously the phone rings and that person is on the end of the line. Experiences like this are just the tip of the iceberg. My whole life is full of coincidences such as this; small occurrences and big outcomes. The reality is that the magic has always been there, we have always been immersed in it. We miss most of it because we have been walking around in our body while our head has been off chattering away somewhere else so we havent noticed the magic that continually presents itself. By transcending the chatter of the mind, life is like flowing down a river of magic at the same velocity as the current. Everything I need is around me and I can choose with clarity what I need. If I want to force things to happen by planning, worrying or second-guessing, it is like swimming to the side of the river and grabbing hold of a branch from a tree on the side of the rapids. As I tell my mates, I have found the secret to life; the keys that magically release the locks that separate us from the infinite beings we all are. The techniques we teach are woven into our DNA. Every time I use them my true infinite Self is revealed. Christ said the Kingdom of Heaven is within and it is now and seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all else will be added. I rest in union with the infinite present moment and experience the Kingdom of Heaven as I go about my daily activities and let whatever I need be effortlessly delivered to me. My daily experience is contentment and happiness, the magic that flows frequently infuses me with joy and bliss. Humanity has been searching for this Teaching forever. Now is the time to experience the Kingdom of Heaven and it is available to all. Greg Hopkinson Greymouth, New Zealand
When I nearly died in an automobile accident 40 years ago, I realised that if I didnt find out who I was, I could accidentally kill myself. This realization led me to explore many different paths to expand consciousness and find inner peace. It wasnt until December 2006 when I began my exploration of the Ishayas Ascension teaching that I found exactly what I was looking forthe simplest, most direct, playful and rapid route to a fully conscious experience of life as it is in the moment. By the end of the First Sphere Course, I easily let go of many limiting beliefs and prejudices that simply paled dismally in the light of a transcendent experience of profound joy and peace. When I started the Mastery of Self Course 6 months later, I thought I was very self-aware and knew a lot, but I soon discovered that much of my knowledge was still rooted in ego identification, past experience and future fearsall habits of mind that could have continued a more subtle way of unconsciously killing myself. I am exceedingly grateful to the Ishaya teaching for giving me a choice between letting go of what I learned and remembering who I truly am. My experience of unbounded peace, joy and love is constant and impersonal, regardless of what may cross my path. Inner peace, joy and love are unshakeable. I am also grateful for the inspiring, wise and unconditionally loving Ishaya Ascension teachers, who consciously support the growth of every practitioner. The Ishaya community is graced with awesome teachers and students who embody the teaching and pack our mystical path of adventure with playful innocence, unconditional love and a commitment to all of us realizing our highest aspirations in the shortest possible time. H. Lee Gurshuny Edinburgh, Scotland
THE MAGIC OF WHO I REALLY AM

If you are reading this, it is because you have a strong desire to experience the magic of who you really are, just like me. The desire to know who I am has been so huge that I have been able to create experiences, people, places, books, talks, a Teacher and a Teaching to guide me directly into the magic of life. It is no accident, it does not just happen, your desire to rediscover who you are brought you to read this and this is magic being manifested. Since I was a little girl I was always in contact with magic, seeing what others could not see or feel; experiencing that life was full of surprises, full of life and mystery that kept my heart wanting more, knowing that there was more. But at a point in my life when the magic went away, something happened. Eight years ago I discovered The Ishayas Ascension, a practice that gave me back the contact with the magic of life, which filled me up so fast with so much that my heart started beating again with excitement and joy. A Teaching which lead me to rediscover that the Universe is inside me and is an adventure so big, so tremendously amazing, that words could not describe it. The first time I was able to consciously recognize this infinite space, this experience of pure life inside of me, where the mystery of life is answered, was the most surprising experience I have ever had. Nothing could compare living it inside of me to what I had read of the possibilities. I started experiencing total inspiration and admiration for everything around me. And yet, after 8 years of Ascending, if I thought the Universe was amazing and full of life right nowit is more in each moment I choose to maintain my attention beyond the limited mind that says this is not possible. The attention in the PRESENT moment keeps affirming to me that, YES, IT IS REAL, IT IS FULL, IT IS LOVE. AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO LIVE EACH MOMENT OF MY LIFE FROM WHO I REALLY AM. God, peace, perfection, life, magic, mystery, love, passion, and adventure are some of the words I can use to describe WHO I AM, and it is manifested every single moment of my life, in everything I do and every single person I am in contact with. 42
If I was able to recognize it it is possible for you too. Take a leap into the unknown where you can recognize what you have known all your life; that is why you have been looking for it. Yolanda Principe Puerto Rico, USA
Sean was 18 when he fell off the back of a pickup, landed on his head, and died. I will never forget the light in the hospital hallway or what it felt like when I placed my hand on his breast and felt his heart stop beating. When he died, I really wanted to stop too, to quit being alive and surrender to that huge, vacant loss. John and I closed the front door and sat in the living room. Just sat, providing the comfort of our presence for each other. Sat and experienced. Day after day. There was no one to blame and nothing to understand. It was simply what was. This was the first time I really GOT that. There was a startling moment when I realized that experiencing the loss of my child was giving me the opportunity to, maybe for the first time ever know full joy. All the effort I had put into trying to keep me and my family safe had been liberated. All the time I had devoted to worry, to positioning, to bargaining, to create safety and predictability didnt work. I saw that it was wasted energy and resulted ONLY in bringing fear and anxiety into every moment I put my attention there. When I just let go of all that pushing down, shoving away, holding out, I found Joy. I know that Sean was on his own journey and that his death was never about ME. But now I know that nothing that happens IS about me. What happens just happens. What matters is what I attach to its happening. I Ascended before Sean died, but my practice didnt really kick in until after. Maybe I wasnt ready to face knowing that it turns out to be harder for me to give up the beliefs I hold about safety than to confront the loss of my son. Maybe I had to lose my son before I could know that. It turns out that, for me, Why am I
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here? is not the right question to ask. I simply AM here and, for whatever reason, THIS is my awareness. The only discovery that truly attracts me is the fullest possible experience of what THIS is. I have absolutely no doubt that Seans death was an invitation to become an Ishaya.There is nothing I want more than to engage in the endless exploration of BEING THIS. Karen Higgins Boulder, USA
MY EXPERIENCE OF GOD
Ever since my youth I felt attracted to spirituality, specifically with what they taught me in the catharsis that was God. Regardless of having a wonderful family and a very good social life, there was a hole within me that couldnt be filled with people or things. This was one of the main reasons why I entered the religious order of the Franciscans at the age of 19. I was very clear from the beginning that I didnt become religious to be a member of the organization, nor to attend schools or parishes or administer sacraments. I devoted myself to God with the sole purpose of experiencing God in my life and with the certainty in my heart that only such an experience could fill up that sense of lack and emptiness inside. This same desire took me through other spiritual paths and, gradually I became familiar with oriental spirituality (Buddhism, Zen, Hinduism), and while it felt these spiritual paths came closer to satisfying the greatest desire of my heart, certain methodologies and disciplinary requirements (positions, breathing, food, etc.) didnt fit with my sense that the pathway to God should be more simple and joyful. 44 www.thebrightpath.com
When desire is one-pointed and persistent, everything lines up for it to become true. That is exactly how The Ishayas Ascension arrived in my life. When I went to an introductory talk, my heart said this is it as I realized what the teacher was sharing was her experience. I had started my way back home, the path to remember who I am, something I had always known... My experience of the practice of Ascension brought magic to my life. It gave me an inner contentment that I had never experienced beforea lot of peace and serenity, constantly experiencing Gods caress all the time and in any circumstance. There are no more special requirements or certain conditions to deserve the love of God because God loves Himself constantly within me, every time I take my attention to that sacred place that is in the center of my own being. There lies EVERYTHING. And to live my life from that place is to experience the divine dance that is life itself. And, to my big surprise, when I thought that was all, no, theres always more. There are no boundaries to the unconditional love of God, I always experience new things and the magic continues. Many things outside havent changed and today Im not even interested in that. My relationship with everything on the outside, the events in my life and in the world, did change substantially. Unwanted situations cant take my peace away, they have no power, I can now laugh at everything. The greatest gift of this teaching is NOT TAKING ANYTHING SERIOUSLY. Absolutely nothing... Finally I understood a phrase I read in one of the many books of spiritual literature that I read... It said: A belief in God can be very consoling, but only the experience of God is truly liberating. God is my experience and it is who we are. Ricardo Mestre El Chaco, Argentina
The Boy who killed God

I always wanted knowledge. I was a 6 year old boy hiding under the sheets of my bed, thinking about death, Why do we have to die? I wondered, It isnt fair. I believe that question has been with me my whole life. The answers they gave me in church didnt convince me much, so one day I decided to kill God and understand the structures that govern the Universe. I filled myself up with concepts and reasoning, but, far from reaching a conclusion, every time there was more data to reflect on, I felt separate from everything. An existential anguish pursued me and was the motivation to keep on searching. It was exhausting! What I desired the most in those moments was to recover the Peace I had forgotten from childhood. All the attempts to be more relaxed failed. Criticizing and frustration were getting stronger all the time. I couldnt stand myself! It was the first time I openly asked for help. Then, magically, this incredible Teaching came into my life. Since that moment it has been the compass that guides me, the biggest gift I could ever imagine finding. God never died, she was always in the deepest part of my soul, waiting. I was simply looking the wrong way. It is an experience that tastes like rest, depth, silence, love, happiness...My God! How to define in words so many blessings?! Its the force that moves me to proclaim to the world our divine nature. Theres nothing to search for, nothing needs to be changed. Life is a collage of emotions and thoughts, a constant flow of changing experiences that give support to the magic. In the deepest part there is a Nothing that in reality is Everything. We are the children of an infinite lineage of Silence which is the melody that reconnects us with the Source. Every note of this symphony is an invitation back home. All adventure begins and ends in this instant, always, forever, forever Now. Roberto Acebes Quel Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country
My name is Alex. I am sixty years of age and have lived most of those years with a strong desire for spiritual fulfillment. What the attainment of that reality meant for me, I was never quite sure, but I spent a great deal of time contemplating it. At the age of thirty-three, in 1981, I left a lucrative career in construction, sold two condominiums and moved to an undeveloped island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. I felt a strong urge to see what it was like to clear a wooded lot, design and build a house with my own hands and test my mettle. I did just that. I had learned TM (Transcendental Meditation) about 5 years earlier and I meditated every day. This experience taught me what I was capable of, if I applied myself to a plan of action with clear intention. I look back fondly on this time often as a kick-start to my spiritual growth. In 2003, while surfing the internet for spiritual topics, I came across a site, which described a type of meditation with which I was unfamiliar Ascension. For some reason unknown to me, I felt an immediate reaction a knowing inside that this was a meditation that I must learn. I immediately called the Vancouver area contact number and arranged to attend a First Sphere weekend course. It was held in a house in North Vancouver, in an Ascenders residence. I was struck by the warm welcome I received and enjoyed the hugs. Ascension had an immediate positive effect on me. As I listened to the two Ishaya monks explaining the teaching, I felt more and more drawn to this meditation as the weekend went on. In the simplicity of its application, based in the common emotions to all religions of Praise, Gratitude, Love and Compassion, it was pure and magnetic for me. The background teaching behind the actual use of the new meditation tools was both complex and logical, yet simple to understand. I had many eureka moments as the teaching unfolded and I learned about this practice. After the course was over on Sunday evening and I had said my goodbyes to what surely were new friends with a common interest, I relaxed in my home and thought about the weekend I had just experienced. Suddenly, in a blind47 www.thebrightpath.com
ing flash of light, I saw a compressed movie in my awareness of events that both preceded and followed a suicide attempt at age 18. A time period of approximately two years was being shown to me in a matter of seconds. Then words entered my consciousness and I heard in my head, Now is the time to forgive yourself. You have hurt no one but yourself. I immediately felt a huge weight lift off my heart and I burst into tears of relief. I had carried feelings of self-hatred for literally decades and was finally able to begin to love myself. This teaching of Ascension is surely powerful and magical to be able to heal such strong, long-standing, negative impediments to personal joy. I have suffered from depression most of my life and was on an antidepressant drug, a serotonin uptake inhibitor, Zoloft, for many years. Shortly after learning Ascension, I was able to wean myself off this drug, and have lived without it since. I still have occasional moments, which could be classified as depressive, but I am able to cut them off by doing this meditation open-eyed. It only takes a few minutes of repeating the Ascension Attitudes to dissolve those negative feelings. I have been practicing Ascension for 5 years and have progressed in spiritual growth in my personal and business life. At work, I am able to fully bring my awareness to the present moment and focus on tasks at hand without other thoughts impinging on my productivity. Both my business and personal relationships have improved as I become more aware and observant of what is happening in communication and connect with people without being distracted by extraneous thought patterns. In my meditations, my experience of the Stillness has expanded tremendously. I attended a 10-day Ascension retreat this past summer and was delighted to experience this growth with 95 other Ascenders. I am continually amazed as positive synchronicities seem to happen with increasing occurrence and I am being propelled towards more peace and joy in my life. Those people that know me have commented on the positive changes in my attitude, including a patient calmness and acceptance of others foibles. I would recommend this meditation practice to everyone and eagerly explain it to whoever seems interested. Alex Molnar Vancouver, Canada
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The Magical Choice

There are two ways to live lifeto live or to truly live. If you want to live in magic and wonder, excitement and intrigue, then maybe I am talking to you. We can live our days as an existence that doesnt make sense, a mundane life that takes us through day after day. or we can see the magic, live the passion, ride the adventures and discover the mystery. I know which one I want to choose if I knew I had a choice. And you dowe all do. We all have that choice. Thank goodness! I believe we are all excited about the quest in life, the magic of discovery, the seeker in the movies who overcomes great hurdles to arrive at the goal of his life, walking away a much more enlightened person. Everyone is drawn to the nobody who becomes a hero. And why not?! Dont we all want to claim the hero inside us, our Godliness, our greatness? Arent we all looking and searching for meaning and reason? Dont we all dream about adventures and being the greatest. I look back on my life and see the quest to live life to the fullest was always there, in every action I took. Some were destructive and some were creative, but all were made because adventure and passion fuelled my heart. Without knowing this desire to know the ultimate mystery of life, or to rest in the Divine my passion moved outward into relationships and travel. My life was that of an unsatisfied gypsy. I could always see the beauty in the world, but I couldnt find the resting place in my soul. Discontentment, the search to know who I was and why I was here fuelled every action. That adventure and freedom in travel lead me to the highest mountains in the world. If I wanted to see mountainsI would go to the most grand. Yet what happened shattered my shallow and materialistic way of living into unlimited shards as I strove to understand the awakening that was going on within me. One of the greatest awakenings to knowing that choice exists for all of us, occurred 49 www.thebrightpath.com
when all that was comfortable was stripped from me and there was only beauty and the experience of God. It was incredible in its ease and its profoundness, but also shattering in its contrast. When these experiences happen, who doesnt ask why? And who doesnt start to look for the answers to the mystery of life? Years later as I chose to forget that awakening, the gift came again in a form that was closer to my heart. When my relationship broke up, it felt like my life as I knew it had ended. The only way to take the next step was to dive into myself, be brave, trust the Divine picture, to love, smile and forgive. It was the hugest step forward in discovering the greatest mystery me. Who am I and what was I supposed to be doing with my life? Whywhy? I would ask. When I learnt the Ishayas Ascension techniques I instantly connected to the hugeness I experienced in Nepal and the supporting trust and love from the relationship breaking up in ways I couldnt describe. It was so superior to a word it was a choice, an active choice on my behalf, that automatically gave me reason and purpose. It automatically showed me the greatest reason to be alive, the greatest job I could be doing. Amazingly as I continued to use these techniques, ease came from everywherepeace walked with me in the months after the breakup. When friends thought I should have been sad and scared, I had become peaceful and empowered. Yes! It was the gentle empowerment that surprised me the most. I never knew I could feel so sure, so okay, that everything was great and going to be great. It was as if I had an inner secretof peace and love. The world started to sparkle and drama was just drama. It made me laugh. Another great thing...was at the time when I should have been so scaredI was excited. One door had closed and it felt like a million other doors had opened. I could step in any direction I wanted and it would be just fine! The knowingness that I discovered in those months of how important my choice was, how important these techniques were, is something that has continued with me for the next eight years of practicing the Ishayas Ascension. I can totally and honestly say that I have a love for life that is incredible, a passion to live new adventures, a desire to know people and to love them. I have 50
a love inside of me that is ripe, like a big smile. I experience magic and divine play in the simplest of things that I do throughout the day. I treat everyone and everything as my Teachers who keep showing me how I can experience more love and more happiness. I could never have imagined a life like this. Its so rich and full and it keeps becoming more so. There is no end to the discoveries of the magic of life. I am surrounded by amazing people all focused on living and playing in life this way. And it is just a choice. Once you know there is truly another way to live you would be pretty silly to miss the opportunity to have this for yourself. This adventure called life is the greatest adventure of constantly discovering the love, greatness and divinity that is ours to Live! There are two ways to live your life to live or to Truly Live!!!! Helen Billinghurst Katikati, New Zealand
Be the Prayer
My life has always been one of a quest. It has been a life filled with introspection, observance and a seeking which was always intense. I had been blessed with various spiritual experiences all through my life, these acted as a source of inspiration to find complete fulfillment to experience absolute union with the Divine. I was filled with doubts and fear which lead to depression. I loved the Divine but seemed to have had some residual beliefs and fears about the experience of it which created frustration and confusion inside. I was always blessed with the insight to keep walking forward, placing one foot in front of the other. I discovered that the great wonder of the human heart is more powerful than we could possibly comprehend with ones mind. 51 www.thebrightpath.com
To the degree one truly desires with clarity corresponds directly to how the universe responds. Nature seems to mould to the will of sincere desire. It gave me exactly what I desired. I found the teachings of the Ishayas and was immediately inspired. It was a direct experiential teaching, which needed no belief. It spoke to my soul and promised full communion with the true beloved inside one Self. It was all I ever wanted. This was a gift, for at that time I felt so desperate. The meditation techniques aligned me completely with the upward currents of evolution. They were techniques based on Praise, Gratitude and Love. They were effortless in gliding my attention back into the pure beingness of silent joy. What I read in books became enlivened. My life became sacred and as a result, had direction, which brought me intense peace beyond comprehension. What inspired me most was how ones highest and truest desire burns brighter than all the suns in the cosmos. Grace forever transcends painful beliefs. I have found a love so unfathomable yet so real, that my being is forever humbled by the Truth of what I am. This teaching took me from the midst of a mind created hell and lead to me to a direct experience of Divinity. It took the profane and transformed it into the Reality of the profound. This teaching introduced me to the unchanging eternal nature of my being. A natural experience of a simple recognition of awe and wonder and fulfillment. It is said to be born human is a rarity. The potential to explore ones Consciousness lies here in this life. To recognize this inner desire, to cultivate ones pure being is a blessing that is beyond words. To reveal and transform ones life from the inside out is the ultimate purpose, the ultimate blessing. This is why I am eternally grateful to the Ishaya teaching. This is a pathway of power, grace and inspiration and has the potential to transform life forever. Steve Novak
London, England
Magical Mystery Tour

I had an unhappy childhood with an alcoholic mother and an angry dad. I grew into a depressed and angry adult. After a divorce and an aborted attempt at suicide at age 35, I found help from an excellent therapist with whom I stayed for 10 years. Although my life had greatly improved, there was still a big hole in my life. I couldnt maintain a relationship. I was married two more times by age 51. Then I listened to an Ascension tape. A few days later, my life changed profoundly. On the Friday night of the workshop, I felt immense peace and joythe magic continued throughout the whole weekend. When I visited my sister on my way home from the course she looked at me and exclaimed, I want what youve got! I felt much calmer and more energized in my grade five classroom and the students were so noticeably peaceful that two teachers joked that I must have drugged them. Other surprises, like getting money just when I needed it, or simply noticing how more vibrant colors were and how much better food tasted, began to happen often. Finally, I took the 6 month course to learn how to teach Ascension. It was then that I began to discover the mystery of the inner journey. I experienced such deep joy and peace and I discovered that I could enjoy these moments any time I wanted simply by putting my full attention on the Source. I had a constant awareness of where my attention was and I had the Ascension Attitudes to redirect my inward journey whenever I noticed that I was being pulled out. When I realized that I was trying to be what I thought an enlightened person was supposed to be, I began to explore the simplicity of conscious awareness until, lo and behold, I discovered that there is nothing to do and nowhere to go. What I used to make work is now play. Everything is Pure Consciousness aware of itself. I am an observer being guided by Life Itself. More and more, every moment is experienced as being exquisitely new and precious. There is no guilt or shame or regret because there is only Now. There is no worry or fear because there is only Now. Life is full. Life is literally a constant Magical Mystery Tour. Richard Henderson Ontario, Canada 53 www.thebrightpath.com
I want to tell you about a Norwegian boy called Kyrrehe was a premature boy, the smallest and earliest baby born in Norway and weighed only 730 grams when he was born in 1973. As a kid I was very active, and I had lots of energy, and lots of people around me felt I was hyperactive and all over the place! I was a pretty happy boy. I was good at sports, school, and had lots of friends but I was always searching for approval and recognition in everything I did. I always wanted to win, and hated to lose, even if I lost in Monopoly! I lived my life as an achiever, like everything in life was about doing great; achieving good grades at school, having a well paid job, the hottest girlfriend, being something or someone and being successful, especially in other peoples eyes. All this exhausted methinking, planning and organizing how I could achieve everything I wanted and a lot more. I was analyzing all my mistakes and failures, wondering why I didnt do this or that instead. I had lots of sleepless nights were I regretted things I did, or planned how I could achieve better results next time. I was very self violent. So when I was 24, I had everything I wanted so far; a nice apartment, a great job, a beautiful fiance, a nice car, a cottage near the sea and I felt pretty successful. But I was never happy and I never felt free, it did not help at all, when I suddenly woke up and started to feel anxiety! Suddenly from nowhere I started to be afraid of being a victim of violence on the street at nights. I had actually never experienced that in Norway at all, it is pretty safe there, but I read about violence in the newspaper, and I started to create stories in my mind that I could be the next victim! This was terrible, I went to 3 different psychologists, with not much help, and in 5-6 years I kept looking for something that could help me. I had a sense that my anxiety was not real and that my thoughts and feelings were not me. I knew it was just my mind that played a painful game with me, although the experience felt pretty real. I knew there had to be techniques that could help me out.
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I still felt like I had lots of energy but the hard thing was that I often felt that my mind and energy were sabotaging my life and I couldnt use them constructively like I wanted to. I started to search for an answer spiritually. After a couple of years searching I had a visionI was dressed in white with my head shaved, sitting under a tree meditating, experiencing total peace. It was an older, Gandhi-like me. After 5-6 years of searching many different meditation techniques, aura change, healing, EFT, yoga paths, and even a laughing course, I finally met the Ishayas. A friend of mind told me that the Ishayas taught people how to meditate without any effort or straining, and that it also worked with eyes open. I was sold! I learnt to Ascend within 3 weeks, and I experienced more peace within one week of practicing Ascension than years of practicing any other techniques. It really worked! I loved Ascension and was so drawn to experience more peace and joy that within a year, I did my 6 month Self Mastery course and my life totally changed. I slept like a baby again, I stopped taking my life so seriously, I stopped controlling my life all the time, and my anxiety fell away more and more. Ive also stopped being self-violent and really started to love and accept myself as I am instead of always punishing myself for not being good enough. I also experience that this is an ongoing choice, a choice that is the most important choice in my life. And that choice is to be present here and now. This choice is so sweet and importantthe only time I can choose is now, now and now! Not in the future, not in the past, but right here and now! Its like being a free fish in the ocean, watching all the thousands of hooks (thoughts) around me, without biting on them. Its like being a magnet, where the Universe gives you all good all the time! :) Kyrre Odegaard Oslo, Norway
My life has changed so much since I learnt to Ascend. When you finish reading this, I wish that your heart will be full of hope, wanting to experience a thousand percent of life. Thanks to all the experiences I have had in the past, I started feeling there was a different way to live, without pain or suffering, a life of pure magic... Up until that moment I was always searching for approval and love on the outside and that search is never satisfying because youre always trying and trying, ending up tired and hurt. I had been my own worst critic, satisfaction having no place in anything I did. How has Ascension changed my life? It has given me an endless inner search, where I am discovering every day the wonder of being alive. It has shown me that the search for love on the outside is only a simple behavior pattern. It has also revealed what love is and that I am not in judgment towards myself. My experience is always full, always alive, deep, existing in everything and everyone, always Loving, Joyful and Peaceful, its always been that way, there hasnt been a single moment in which this experience stopped being what it is... The best news of all is that this experience IS WHAT WE REALLY ARE, you are all of this in this very moment, but you dont recognize it. The Ascension techniques directly take you to live this experience, good news hey! The only thing needed is for you to clearly know WHAT YOUR GREATEST DESIRE IS IN THIS LIFE and to simply let your heart take you to IT... NEVER FORGET THE GREATEST DESIRE OF YOUR HEART. Dario Miller Cordoba, Argentina
The Magnetism of the Magnificent

My early life was very low-impact and relatively abundant. There always seemed to be enough of everything. Money, relationships, friends, education and jobs all seemed to come easily while things such as drugs, violence, abuse and lack were all a foreign concept. Even with all the things that were supposed to make me happy, there was a constant feeling that there was something missing. I only wanted to be content within myself, but instead I sunk into a dark depression. Through it all I was left with a deep longing to discover the real meaning and purpose of life. During my frantic search I bought all the spiritual/self-help/new age books I could get my hands on. But in the end it was teachings of the great Christian mystics and Vedic sages that inspired me the most. They all spoke of the same transcendental and experiential Truth that would free any soul. The desire to experience that for myself became so intense that I could think of nothing else. If those books would have sufficed by themselves I would have been walking on water years ago. But with no clear and confident way to apply such teachings in my own life, I was left even more confused. I felt like I was starving to death with the menu in my hands. When I learned to Ascend, the techniques were so simple that it almost seemed too good to be true. What appeared to be elusive and complicated within all those books became instantly simple and practical. In short, my life became alive again with the regular practice of Ascension. If I felt lost in the jungle before, this teaching was like finding a GPS. To put it all in perspective there was a time I couldnt imagine what it would be like to live in perfect peace and contentment. Now I cant imagine what it was like not to. The invitation of the sages and mystics is just as valid for anyone now as ever. Whether life is an exciting adventure in discovery or a fearful struggle to survive is really all up to us in every moment. Chad Millemon Omaha, USA
If the testimonials in this book inspire you to discover your own experience of peace and joy, dont waste any time. Find courses in your country at the websites below-
www.thebrightpath.com www.caminobrillante.com
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What are the two ways one can live their life according to the text?

What is emphasized on the path that is a life of growth, wonder and evolving consciousness?

The Holy Quest

The Holy Quest

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

I FOUND THE GRAIL!!

Even Death is a Gateway to Magic and Freedom

From Catholic Nun to Ishaya Monk

THE MAGIC OF WHO I REALLY AM

The Boy who killed God

The Magical Choice

Magical Mystery Tour

The Magnetism of the Magnificent

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