Ka’at Ib: Discipline

As a new student enrolled at the Earth Center, one of the most important and useful qualities that we practice is discipline. Before coming to the Earth Center my discipline and work ethic was very poor, and though I am slowly getting better I still have a lot of progress to make. As I learn more and more each week I see the importance of discipline and how much it is needed.

In order to have a strong community of people we need to have discipline, it is what can make or break us. There is a significant difference between a person with discipline and a person without. A person with discipline can accomplish anything they set their mind to. A person without it will often have trouble getting things done.

At the Earth Center, we are surrounded by positive role models who constantly push us to be quality human beings. We are always motivated to stay on top of our business. Discipline is a must when dealing with the Earth Center. It has been a major factor in students not being able to complete the initiation process. Usually, classes will start out with a fair amount of students and slowly over the weeks people begin to leave based on various reasons. In some cases, students have nearly completed the first level (Per Ankh) and before graduating they drop out or are asked to leave. The Earth Center is not like an ordinary school where you pay your money show up to class and do what you want. It requires a lot more from you. It really forces you to change in many ways because there is a lot of pressure on the individual to grow as much as possible. If you are not doing the right thing, people will be there to let you know. And that is what we all need at times to help us to grow and keep us focused.

As for myself, the Earth Center has been the most difficult challenge that I have faced thus far. The education as well as the teachers put a mirror up to your face that exposes you to all your weaknesses. Discipline is a weakness that a lot of people have here in the United States based on how we have all had similar conditioning. Our system raises us to be weak, corruptible people who are constantly in search of the easy routes in life. Searching for the easiest routes will always lead us downhill headed towards corruption. There is no resistance when you travel downhill. At the Earth Center, we learn about the spiritual journey and how there is no easy route to take. The spiritual journey is a constant uphill path that requires hard work and discipline. On this path, there is much struggle and frustration. We constantly come face to face with challenges. The Earth Center provides us with the tools to overcome these challenges. If we become lazy and cannot complete a task, another task will come. And instead of completing the first task and moving on to the next, we now have two tasks to deal with. As the tasks continue to pile up, they can begin to slow us down and make our lives more difficult. A disciplined mind will be able to avoid any distractions and focus on the goals that need to be achieved. This is what we should all be striving for. Survival is the key to life and discipline is one of the most important ways to achieve it.