The first class of the "fall semester"!!!

Last night the first of my teacher trainees taught a class. My dear friend Katherine Miller, who has been a trusted colleague and comrade on the path of Evolutionary Enlightenment for fourteen years, taught her first class in Lenox. After watching her teach I felt utterly inspired by the potential of what I now see as a much bigger potential for the classes that are about to be taught all over the world.

Katherine was great last night. She expressed the profundity of the discovery of the source of awareness and posed the question of what it could mean for that part of us to evolve in a way that was both illuminating and provocative. But what I was most moved by in watching her teach was the poise and grace that came from her authentic self-assurance in the path of Evolutionary Enlightenment. There were times during the class (as there always are) when she would lose her train of thought and fumble to regain her footing, but underneath it all she never moved from a calm confidant stance that is as much a teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment as anything she could have said. It made me clearer than ever why it was that Andrew had told me that the most important factor that would make these classes work would be the authenticity of the person teaching it.

The whole event made me realize that what can happen around this course goes far beyond the “teaching” of Evolutionary Enlightenment that I had been thinking was the ultimate point. What I saw last night was that Katherine would evolve as a teacher and that her class would benefit not just from what she was giving them as an authority on the teaching, but also by being able to watch her evolve. There was a possibility for transparency in the process of evolving - to be together with others in a developmental context - that is very rare. It made me realize that the students and Katherine will be part of one process in which everyone will develop and learn and benefit even more by doing it together and being aware of the fact that growth is occurring for everyone at once.

I also see that this can be a truly word-wide event. We have 26 classes running this fall in 26 different cities, in 13 countries covering five continents and we can connect all of the students that are taking the course with all of the other students who are taking it through the internet and conference calls. The teachers of the course are already speaking on a conference call every week and stay in close touch by email and discussion forums online. I want to encourage all of the students to do the same – with the teachers. This seems to have much more power than the power of teaching the classes alone would ever have.

These are my thoughts right now. Actually these are a few of the thoughts that I was able to pull down from the creative storm of ideas that has been cascading through my mind since I saw Katherine teach last night.

By the way, to Katherine herself…congratulations on your first class!!!!!!!!!!