Our human minds work in fascinating ways. On one level we have conscious thought, and think about the things of the world. At another level we have sub-conscious thought, where reside our beliefs that are not subject to conscious thought.

We believe that we are learning throughout our lives, and that is true, but also untrue, for what we call learning really isn't, it is merely modification of the belief system that lies at our sub-conscious level. We start with our core beliefs, formed shortly after we are born. The very first is the belief "I am a body". From that moment on, each new event, each new experience, each new feeling, is related to that first belief.

When we view a new experience, we begin the conscious process of "understanding" that experience. "Understanding" is merely the linking of the "new" thing to what we already "know", what we already believe to be true. When we successfully link the new to what we already know, we say we understand, and then no longer need to consciously "think" about it, we say we "know".

Over time, we build our "belief system", our understanding of the world and who we are.

What if, in our "understanding", we incorrectly make the link to our existing beliefs? What if we make a "mistake", and don't judge something accurately with our conscious mind, and therefore allow a mistaken belief into our thought system?

We have now placed a "clinker in our thinker", a belief that we now accept as true, even though it isn't. Because we have "understood" this new thing, it is true for us.

This one false belief shouldn't have much effect in our lives, should it? What is one little error going to hurt? Everything!!! It is not our nature to consciously challenge our belief system each time we are confronted with something new, but merely try to "understand" by forcing it to fit what we already "know". Thus, if we have one false belief, every new thing we try to understand will be "colored" by that false belief.

Further, as our belief system is a series of interlocking, linked "beliefs", that false belief starts to "color" every other belief it is already linked to, and thus starts to affect our entire lives.

The solution is to consciously examine our belief system when confronted with any new thought, circumstance or event, to suspend judgment. While judgment is suspended, we can accept each new thing (or person) exactly AS IS, and consciously modify our belief system by the addition of the new.

From this practice comes the "peace that passeth understanding", and the growth of our consciousness beyond believing, to the KNOWING of Love.