January 2006
The Byron Katie Newsletter

Dearest Family,

Have you broken your New Year's Resolution(s)!

If so, then you must really love that every moment begins a New Year.

I invite you to begin your new life right here right now in this very moment which is the only time that you can. And Of course you know the change you want and need always happens and happens on time.

We have all the time in the world, we think. Look around you. How do you truly see what is real? And do you love it yet?

A famous artist used to say that the best way to see things as they really are is to bend down, look back between your legs, and observe the world upside down. Because your mind doesn't recognize this "reality," it doesn't interpret or judge what you're looking at. Now you are free to see the world as it really is. Unfortunately, this kind of "ambush" on the mind doesn't last very long. Your mind catches up to you and brings back all the stories that you still believe in.

For me, reality is very simple. I begin and end with "Is it true?" And The Work follows.

We just wrapped up the New Year's Mental Cleanse, and I wanted to share these audio clips with you:

- "My mother doesn't accept my African side..."

- "I don't want to be rejected by a woman again..."

- "I need my computer to always work perfectly..."

Notice how our stories stop us from embracing reality.

For those interested, the complete, unedited audio from the 2006-2007 Cleanse event is available as a set of approximately 30 CDs. Tina says that orders will be accepted through Feb 1st, after which, as is our custom, the product will no longer be sold.

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful letters and emails. Please keep them coming. I love how we share The Work all over the world.

Loving you,

kt

P.S. - If you've pre-ordered the new book at Amazon, we want you to have this special gift. Thank you all for helping this 21st century Tao spread and be known in the world even before its publishing date. Every time you move this book, peace has another chance to live. As it is about to launch, I invite and I look forward to all the feedback that you can possibly pass on to me. I hope that your lives will never be the same after reading it. And please let me know your experiences. Also, I hope that you enjoy spending hours on just one paragraph. xoxoxo kt

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From the Blog

A few selections from the blog:

- Letter: Saying Goodbye to Cigarettes
- Video: Inquiry-Jealousy
- Letter: Doing The Work with Children

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From The Parlor

The following excerpt is from the January Parlor:

Dear, dear Katie,

Many miracles have happened since you responded to my suffering-laden letter about the animals in India.

The fact that you would choose to respond to my letter was the first miracle - after all, my entire life I have held on to the story that the suffering of animals in India was too big a problem to ever be resolved, there was no answer to this terrible situation, etc. etc. I didn't really believe that even you would have an answer to this problem. So your deep and caring response really shattered that belief-system.

Less than a week after receiving your response, I found myself unexpectedly on a plane to India - after nearly two years of avoiding travelling home, for fear of being faced with the plight of animals. All the arrangements somehow fell into place and I just had time to grab my passport and go.

Back home, for the first few days, I just couldn't find any sick or diseased or starving dogs, no matter how hard I looked. All the dogs I saw looked comfortably fed and pretty happy. For the first time, I realised that the dogs on the streets actually had more interesting lives than my pampered and cosseted pets at home - the street-dwellers were independent, they had their own social lives, they were free and autonomous, living in the dignity of being supported by God.

As always, I had been carrying around a big bag of bread and biscuits and I ended up giving the bread to birds and ants, as I could find no starving dogs to feed.

Three days after I arrived in India, my stepmother had a heart-attack. It was all perfect - I won't go into details, but let me just say that every moment was filled with Grace. There was tremendous support at every level, my stepmother was not in any pain, she recovered easily and was back home within a week, her room at the hospital was filled with family, friends and good food, it was like a non-stop party, to be honest. She is recovering very well. Thanks to The Work, every anxious thought in my mind was immediately met with an amused and curious "Is that true?" And there was no doubt in my mind that whatever was unfolding was the kindest thing that could happen for every single member of our family.

Sitting outside the intensive care unit on the second day, waiting for the cardiologist, I realised I was hungry, as I hadn't had breakfast. I didn't want to go to the canteen and miss talking to him. After a few minutes of wondering what I could do, I realised that I had a bag full of assorted biscuits that I had been carrying around for dogs. And I ended up being the hungry animal that the food was meant for. How God provides for us each moment!

Throughout my whole trip (I have just returned to the UK), I saw only two dogs who were unwell. One seemed blind in one eye and very frail. He was grateful for the food I gave him. After I got over my usual reaction - shock, blaming God, blaming humans, etc. etc. - I connected with him as you suggested, to see what his experience was. The thought I received back was "I am just resting". His body was unwell, but he wasn't suffering; he seemed tired but at ease in his mind. The same with the other dog, who had a bad skin condition. He was cheerful, despite the condition of his skin. It seemed clear in both cases that my job was to give them some food, and that was it.

I am still troubled by the plight of the oxen who pull carts. I'm still not in a comfortable place around this. As I continue to Work with my thoughts around these "beasts of burden", what comes to mind are the times when I've been ill in the past - the body might have various experiences of fever, vomiting, pain, etc., but my mind is still occupied with its own joy, interests and love.

So I'm wondering if suffering really is an experience of the mind and not the body? Do I understand you correctly that the consciousness of animals is not ours, that they don't suffer mentally the way we do with our stories?

Another question I am left with is this: such a huge block in my heart and mind has shifted so dramatically - and I can only think that this miracle has happened because of the contact with your enlightened consciousness, because I was open to receiving from you, because of the great love, trust and gratitude I feel for you. Your thoughts, your love and your wisdom seemed to be with me all the time in India, even though I was too busy to even read your little books which came everywhere with me, along with the bread and biscuits for the doggies. Does a transmission - of higher consciousness, wisdom, love, awareness - happen when we connect with you and ask for your help, regardless of whether we fully understand your words or not? I think this is what has happened for me.

I don't have words to fully express my love and gratitude. I feel so richly blessed to receive your teachings, your presence.

With heartfelt appreciation,
Sharadha

Dearest Sharadha,
What a wonderful trip! What a wonderful world you are discovering! Those animals that you used to pity and suffer over exist as teachers, and how wonderful that you have become their student.

Suffering is an experience of the mind: of course. Here’s a thought from the new book, A Thousand Names for Joy:

All suffering is mental. It has nothing to do with the body or with a person’s circumstances. You can be in great pain without any suffering at all. How do you know you’re supposed to be in pain? Because that’s what’s happening. To live without a stressful story, to be a lover of what is, even in pain—that’s heaven. To be in pain and believe that you shouldn’t be in pain—that’s hell. Pain is actually a friend. It’s nothing I want to get rid of, if I can’t. It’s a sweet visitor; it can stay as long as it wants to. (And that doesn’t mean I won’t take a Tylenol.)

Even pain is projected: it’s always on its way out. Can your body hurt when you’re not conscious? When you’re in pain and the phone rings and it’s the call you’ve been waiting for, you mentally focus on the phone call, and there’s no pain. If your thinking changes, the pain changes.

As for a transmission of “higher” consciousness, of course that happens, as I speak from your own wisdom. You love and trust the person you project me to be,and I am you again. Mind, angel, not people, can be transmitted, because it cannot leave its original source.

Loving you,

Gratefully,
kt

Learn more about The Parlor here>>

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Book Tour

A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are

If you have pre-ordered the book, or if you do so before February 1st, you may download a special gift here >>

The Dutch version of the book is called Katie's Tao.

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(c) 2006, Byron Katie, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Thank you for sharing this email with your friends - kt

Audio-CD Set

Limited Time Offer: Complete, unedited audio from the 2006-2007 Cleanse [set of approximately 30 CDs].

Orders accepted through Feb 1, 2007.

Order now >>

Events

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Feb. 16 - 18
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Los Angeles , CA

Kripalu: Living in Joy
Feb. 23 - 25
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The School for The Work
April 13 - 22
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Book Bonus

A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are

If you preorder the book before February 1st, download bonus here >>

The Book Tour begins in February. Here's the list of venues >>