The High Steward of Awareness

The High Steward of Awareness

When I first came across the theory that higher states of consciousness exist, I had not even realized that something was moving me in that direction. There was a yearning inside of me which was unsatisfied with life and was looking for something beyond my everyday existence. The feeling that I had was that there had to be something more to life than eating, working, playing, sleeping, and then only to awaken the next day to do it all over again. Even though the spiritual tradition that I was immersed in and that had occupied my childhood gave me some guidance, it did not have all the answers to satisfy whatever it was that was longing in me.

I now understand that this longing is what the Fourth Way refers to as “magnetic center.” The word “magnetic’ is a particularly useful term to think about this. It is a part of us that surveys the world, interacts and responds to it, and is drawn toward our higher possibilities. There is a resonance that is unmistakable and the attraction is irresistible, just like a magnet.

Once my magnetic center brought me to the idea of self-remembering, I began to observe sleep, habits, mechanical tendencies, and I was able to see myself as an interesting stranger. I gained a distance from and an awareness of certain behaviors, and used other predictable patterns to remind me to wake up and be in the present moment. My work was to gradually remove what was false and weed away what was choking essence that had cropped up to shield it from the harshness of life. With the help of the Teacher and other friends in the School, I then replaced that false protection with a true personality based on the Work so that essence could re-emerge. I could also see that in order to be receptive to higher states and influences, that I had to clean out the habits that kept me asleep – wash the windows of my soul.

From initial observations, the observer strengthens into a Steward, which can assemble a clearer picture of my disordered household – the four lower centers. The duty of the Steward is not only to observe my random mechanical habits piled up over many years, but it must make the Work ‘I’s take action to put my “house” in order. The Steward is the servant of awareness, and it intentionally chooses Work ‘I’s over the many mechanical ‘I’s, and together with the King of Hearts, stands at the doorway between the lower self and Higher Centers.

Lower mental—the steward—has words yet higher mental—World 6—is wordless. The steward cannot master the lower self unless he in turn is mastered by presence. – The Teacher

I envision the Steward as my psychological manager, who can prioritize balancing the lower centers in such a way that they become more receptive to higher influences. My possible evolution relies upon this conscious manager to make wise choices to turn and face me toward the light.

Divine Light is constant in itself, but man’s receptivity varies. —The Teacher

The light is always there, but I am not. Where am I? Lost in imagination, overcome by anxiety and identifications, enraged with negative emotions, settled in self-righteous judgment of others, etc. In the midst of this chaos, I can sometimes hear my inner, quiet voice giving gentle, short commands: Be – in the moment; Hold – and prolong presence; Drop – the judgement; push Back – on the lower self and reassert the effort to Drop judgements in order to Be. This sequence of Work ‘I’s lets me know that my Steward is hard at Work reordering and controlling the lower centers.

The magic of the Work is that on day one, I experienced higher states together with other students. Higher states remain the pinnacle of efforts and self-remembering is available to new and old students regardless of years in the School. I do not have to wait for the development of true personality or the Steward or some sort of graduation to experience higher consciousness. Now is always available if we are receptive to it.

It is the steward’s task to make something ordinary extraordinary. — The Teacher

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Thomas Howard, Lord High Steward, Painting by Hans Holbein the Younger