How is one able to ascertain if a School is authentic and that the teacher is conscious?

There are no ready-made formulas to determine immediately if one has found an authentic School, or if the teacher is awake. This is a matter of trial and error over a period of time.

Upon joining a teaching, if the student observes that his knowledge and being have grown since joining the Teaching, then that student would be wise to remain where he is.

If, on the other hand, a student feels he has not been receiving very much, it would be correct for that student to depart from the teaching, and continue his search.

Additionally, as Mr. Ouspensky once taught, a great deal of luck is involved, as well.

All Wisdom Schools share similar knowledge and common goals towards their initiates. From the beginning of schoolwork, a student is taught of the existence of the two selves: the Higher Self and the lower self.

He is told what can be achieved through working on himself, and is instructed on how to observe and work against many of the denying forces, such as his own personal mechanics, that prevent him from attaining spiritual growth.

At the onset of beginning of his inner work, the student learns new definitions for familiar words such as, sleep, attachment, presence, and awareness. These are accompanied with new terms, such as the lower self and the Higher Self (or the Beloved.)

It must be understood, however, that although he may learn new meanings to these words, their hidden or esoteric meaning will elude him until he directly experiences certain states during his spiritual practice. Thus, while his knowledge will be enhanced by learning these definitions, his understanding or being will remain the same until his efforts make them his own.

Upon joining a School, each student is taught the ‘paramount exercise’ that serves to educate and strengthen his ability to evoke the presence of the Beloved at will.

This particular exercise remains constant and unwavering. The only thing that changes in this paramount exercise is its recurring frequency and spiritual depths of the exercise.

The teaching of how to practice this exercise is determined by the form or methodology of each School. For example, one School’s form or methodology might be yoga, another meditation, while a third School might teach its initiates how to look at impressions while using this paramount exercise.

It is most beneficial to practice this exercise on one’s own, or in the presence of other members of the School. Our inner work is better off when it remains invisible to other people. Otherwise, there is a strong possibility of our vanity getting in the way by trying to show off how spiritual we are, whereby producing negligible results.

In addition to the teaching of a paramount exercise, there are additional exercises that are given that serve as reminders to practice the paramount exercise. These exercises, as well, are much better if they are invisible to others.

An example of an invisible exercise might be to walk with a penny in your shoe, or to open doors, or brush one’s teeth with the opposite hand. Thus, each time this out of patterns exercise is performed, it

This way, each time we become aware of the penny, or that we are opening a door to our office, apartment, or car differently, it will serve as a shock to remember our spiritual work and to take the next step, which is evoking the presence of the Beloved.

Almost every invisible and harmless out-of-patterns exercise can be successful in ‘waking us up’ to the now, the present.

Normally, when a person first joins a School, he works with advanced students who are well versed and experienced in helping newer members overcome the difficulties they are encountering in their spiritual work. These men and women serve to guide the new student in working against their difficulties, and to nourish him with spiritual food.