From a transcript of David Karchere’s words on May 25, 2014, at the conclusion of The Art of Living Course at Sunrise Ranch
This is a momentous occasion, in part because of the completion of this cycle—not yet quite complete, I understand, but almost complete—but not only because of that. It’s a momentous occasion because we are present to carry forward a true teaching.
The teaching was named, for this course, “The Art of Living.” It is a teaching that has come down to us through the ages. It is a teaching of universal love. It is a teaching of true alignment with universal love. It is a teaching of total surrender to that reality in life, a teaching of becoming the living expression of that reality oneself, so that this whole world could be blessed, guided, and encompassed by the conscious expression of that reality, so that humanity could have an experience of oneness, not only oneness amongst itself but oneness with the All That Is, with all that is in the heaven of Being, with all of creation.
Necessarily so, when we are exposed to this true teaching, it seems to us that it’s being presented for our ingestion, for our learning, for our change. But really it isn’t—at least it’s not primarily for that. It’s only that the primary purpose for the teaching, as it relates to us, could not be achieved any other way. The primary purpose for us in exposure to the one true teaching is that we ourselves would become a living embodiment of that teaching and a teacher of the teaching—so that we ourselves would be bringing that to other people and opening up doors for them, knowing that for them the same is true as is true for us, which is the purpose is not for them to absorb that teaching for their own transformation, change and blessing, although the ultimate purpose includes that. The teaching is so that all of us might stand up spiritually and assume our full stature as human beings; not only our full physical stature but our full stature in every way, our full power, empowered by the love that’s within us, our full wisdom and our full knowing, our full authority as a conscious, living embodiment of the truth of love. That is indeed what we are created to be. It is our spiritual DNA to be that. It’s within us to be that.
When I talk about “we,” I’m not speaking about those who happen to be in the room today, those who live at Sunrise Ranch, those who might be connected with us through live-streaming video or in any other way. I’m speaking about “we” as humanity. This is our destiny as humanity. That destiny can only be fulfilled as individuals take the attitude that Cliffe Connor expressed in three little words: “This is mine.” The responsibility, the destiny, to be the living embodiment of the truth of love, to know it for myself, to share it, to share the vibration of it in my life—this is mine. And then to be a conscious light for that knowing—a conscious light for that knowing.
This takes courage. It takes putting yourself on the spot. I do think, as I compare the two, the courage to embody it and the courage to teach it, in some ways the courage to teach it is higher, because it’s easy to say, oh yes, I’m doing it in my living—in my own way, as I wash the dishes or do the small things that I do in my life. Well, you can’t teach it if you aren’t embodying it in the small things, in the everyday moments of your life. But I believe it’s very easy to be overly humble, to make oneself smaller than the compulsion that’s beating in your own heart is telling you that you are, and to settle for something that is shy and retiring rather than to bring this teaching to the world.
So I ask of my friends who have received this teaching, how is it for you? If you are to teach it, what’s demanded is clarity. There’s only one way to teach this teaching, and it’s right from the very core of your own being, the very core of your own soul, and only with the transparency to share that core with the people that you’re with, as truthfully, as clearly, as straightforwardly as you know how to do it. And if you receive this gift, that’s the only way to give it. As Cliffe was saying, the “Cliffe said” or the “Maureen said” or the “David said” or the “Jesus said” approach only takes you so far. And as Jesus himself said, “Ye have heard that it was said… But I say unto you….”
The core of who I am is speaking, and who I am at my core is not merely a human being with a humble and shy and modest human life. I’m speaking for the teaching, but beyond that I’m speaking for the reality from which the teaching comes.
That reality is the light of Being itself, which shines deep within all people and often comes out in only a very filtered way. If you are totally opaque, I guess you are dead. And most people settle for a life with various levels of translucence. There is some light there, and some of it’s getting through. The commitment that “this is mine” is a commitment to transparency.
That seems like a weighty thing. I know it does to most people I know. To be unconditionally loving sounds impossible. How would I do it? That’s a tall order. To be truly transparent, to let the truest reality within you shine through you, be expressed through you clearly and shared with the people around you? Whoa, that’s a high calling. That would take a lot of work, take a lot of effort. I’d have to practice. I’d have to go to more courses, read more, meditate more, pray more.
In fact, exactly the opposite is true. Being unconditionally loving is the easiest thing in the world, and you do not have to try to do it. You have to stop trying not to do it. You have to get conscious about the fact that you have been stopping yourself from loving—and then stop stopping yourself, and love. Everything in you wants to do it. Everything in you wants to share the truth of who you are—not some kind of veiled reality, not some kind of filtered reality made prettier or less imposing or better, spiffed up or toned down. It’s the easiest thing in the world to be yourself, to be true to the truth of who you are, and to shine that light in the world, the truth of that. You have to try to cover it over, and that’s a lot of work.
Bringing this teaching is not hard. It requires that you get conscious of how you have stopped yourself from being true to the reality of your own being. That reality is individual and personal to each one of us. It dwells within us individually. But by the very nature of the reality of who we are, it is not only individual and it is not only within us. It’s within all people, it’s within all creation; it has been here for all time. That’s why I can call it “the teaching.” It’s not my teaching or Cliffe’s or Maureen’s or Jane’s or Martin’s or Uranda’s or Jesus’ teaching. It is the one teaching, the one true teaching of the one reality that’s behind all things. It’s a teaching that is embodied on earth—thank God—in whatever ways it is around the world, including in this seven-day course. In that sense, it is an earthly teaching—it is a teaching on earth, and it has been on earth before.
But it is not only an earthly teaching. This is a teaching that springs out of the heaven of Being—the heaven of your being, the heaven of my being, the heaven of all Being. And when any one of us teaches this teaching, we are teaching for ourselves; but in teaching for ourselves and of ourselves and of what we know, we are also teaching for all Being. We are at the same time teaching in the authority of the being that’s within us, and we are teaching in service to the higher reality of Being. We are at the same time strong and bold and clear, empowered as an individual; and there’s some part of us that is kneeling and bowing and praying and serving a higher reality. Because there is always a higher reality, and it is that higher reality that is guiding and empowering the teaching as it comes through any individual. And I suggest that for the course, this week, that that is what you felt through these four members of the faculty.
And yet it has power on earth because there is someone who says, “This is mine.” Not only mine to receive, as if it was for me. It’s mine to give. Knowing the true nature of the teaching, how could an honest man or an honest woman come to any other conclusion? I don’t know.
It is ours to receive so that it can be given. It’s mine to receive so that I may give it. It is yours to receive so that you may give it. So may we truly and fully receive by letting it come through us. And ultimately the only way to fully receive is to fully give. So may it be for each of us, and for all who hear these words in whatever way, and for many more who are part of the spiritual awakening that is occurring on this planet at this time.