Reviewing Keys

2003-10-11 04:48:00

I received some questions from a reader about they Keys. Since others may also desire clarification I will post my answers to the list.

Reader:
I have some major questions about the Keys. I have recently been re-reading Book 3 with a friend and trying to teach her as we go along. She asked me a few questions that I'm afraid I had no answer for.

My understanding is that one key would be revealed in each book. We now have 3 books, but only 2 keys.

JJ:
Each Key will take whatever time it takes to cover. The first Key took the first two books and the second key took one book - Book III. In the future we may see a key cover a whole book or we may have several keys covered in one book. There is no hard and fast rule here.

Reader:
I think we talk around key words SO much that when the actual key is revealed, we don't see it. As we ponder and finally guess the key word, we do gain a good understanding, but then we lose the bottom line or the actual Key. My understanding is this: The first Key is: We are becoming what we choose to become through decision and attention which equals consciousness.

JJ:
The first Key word is Decision, but the real Key is that which lies behind Decision. It is "that power within that gives us power to decide, which is the actual life force." We are that force, in other words, we are that power which makes Decisions. Remember the first key is the answer to the question: "Who or what am I?" Your essence is that which has power of decision.

Decision, Attention and Consciousness are branches or aspects of the first Key.

Reader:
The second Key is: To live the Middle way through right judgment. This second Key is revealed in Book 3, not book 2. And then the other confusion is what does the word we sought after, attrition, have to do with the second key?

JJ:
It has to do with the story line, not the second Key. Attrition is a Key, but not a Key of Knowledge. Attrition as an essential key to overcome the Dweller and after this was done the story went back to dealing with the Key of Knowledge.

Reader:
I guess the problem is that we try hard to guess the key word, and when we get it, we think the word is the KEY. But the word is only a word that reveals the true key, right?

JJ:
This is the case with the first Key. But in the case of the second Key the Keyword and the Key are the same.

I would be interested in knowing if others were confused by any of this. If so I may have to do some rewriting. It's too late for the first printing of Book III for it has been sent to the printer. It won't be long now.

Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen. Steven Wright