We get a number of questions quite regularly about the Silent Eye, its methods of teaching and our workshops. While we have tried to address as many as we could think of across our website, some are seldom voiced for fear of giving offence, saying the wrong thing and a number of other reasons. We thought we would answer some of those too.
Here the questions are answered by Sue Vincent.
If YOU have any questions for us, please leave a comment and we will answer!
1. Are you a religious organisation?
No. While we see all life as flowing from a Divine Source, there are no requirements for belief in any particular religious system within the Silent Eye. Faith is a personal relationship with the Divine and must come from the heart of each of us.
2. Are you an occult group?
Occult comes from the Latin word for ‘hidden’. Esoteric from ‘pertaining to the innermost’. Much of the road towards the Inner is hidden in plain sight. We seek to shed light on that journey, not occlude it with shadows.
3. What exactly is a Mystery School?
In ancient times the Mystery Schools were dedicated to equipping their Initiates with the tools to attain gnosis – ‘direct spiritual insight’. Today the Silent Eye uses a more modern approach, one that fits within a busy lifestyle to help our Companions reach that state of Knowing for themselves.
4. How is the Silent Eye any different from all the other groups?
Like spokes on a wheel, leading to a single centre, there are many spiritual paths to choose from, all equally valid; covering the same distance in ways that will appeal to different Seekers. Our goal is to bring the spiritual journey out of the shadows of the hidden temple and into the lived life.
5. What is the Enneagram… just a corporate personality test, right?
The symbol and its associated psychological insights are often used as such, but in reality it is a gateway to the stars… a map that can allow us to understand the levels of our own inner realms and find our way to the Light of Being.
6. Why is it that some people don’t people like Gurdjieff?
Gurdjieff is but one of many influences on the teachings of the School. His methods were seen as controversial and he challenged established thought. He was a trickster, a master of those surprises that, like a shock of cold water, wake us from sleep.
7. Where is your School?
The Silent Eye is an internet based organisation, offering a personally supervised correspondence course. We also run a number of events each year, at various locations, where people can meet in person.
8. What kind of people are in your School?
We have students from four continents, from every walk of life, all age groups and diverse spiritual backgrounds. All share a desire to explore life to its full potential and to learn to truly Know themselves in joy and awareness.
9. What will the course do for me?
The course help you awaken to Being. It will equip you with the tools, the map and the Companionship to make the greatest journey any of us can take; one that we all walk over the course of an evolution, but which we can choose to embrace in full consciousness.
10. Why should I join a School anyway?
The journey to Being is one which must be made as an individual, but it does not need to be a lonely and isolated Path. A School provides structure, personal discipline and a guided progression… as well as the Companionship and shared laughter of like minds.
11. Do I have to have a background of study in any area before I join?
No. The course requires no prior knowledge, just the commitment of the student to explore the materials provided. The course unfolds as a personal journey for each student. The core teaching is centred on the experience of the individual, though the theory behind it is also explored in plain language.
12. The lessons are £15 a month… so what are the hidden costs?
Each lesson covers a four week period. There are no subscription fees and no further financial commitment. Students are asked to make a simple meditation cloth and a few books are recommended reading. We keep costs to our students as low and as accessible as possible.
13. What sort of events are there?
We hold a number of talks and informal workshops throughout the year to which all are welcome, student or not. Our annual residential weekend workshop in April uses ritual drama to provide an exciting and moving experience for all who attend.
14. So, you are just playacting?
Ritual drama is used as a key to the emotional and spiritual understanding. By engaging with the unfolding story, the participant lives the teachings in a controlled setting and seeds are sown which can bear their fruit in the everyday world beyond the temple space.
15. Do I have to come to workshops if I join the School?
Workshops and events are always optional. Nor do you have to be a student to attend. They are, however, great fun and a place to meet others of a similar mind.
16. If I come to one of your workshops, do I have to be a member of the School …and will you try and get me to join?
Events welcome all who wish to attend. There can never be any pressure to join the school or walk a particular path… each of us must make our own choices in freedom and find the path that sings to the heart.
17. Do you wear robes and if so, why?
Simple robes are preferred, but optional, for attendees at ritual workshops. These are a physical symbol that distinguish our movement into the world of sacred intent. They can be seen as a psychological device, a ‘window-dressing of the soul’, that by lifting us out of the mundane world, reinforce our experience of the sacred.
18. Are there any local groups?
We have a monthly meeting in Greater Manchester for Companions of the School. Students who wish to do so are encouraged to form local groups, with our support, within their own area.
19. How long does the course last?
The main course is designed to be studied over three years, with each year progressing through a new level. Each lesson will be worked with over the course of a month, but we understand that some will need longer.
20. Do I have to commit to the full course?
There is no requirement from the School to commit to the full course. Each lesson is only released on completion of the previous month. The real commitment is to yourself… to your own spiritual development.
21. What happens next?
Well, that is up to you! The School offers a three month foundation course, to see if we are the right place for you to be. Or you could come to one of our workshops and see for yourself.
After the three year course, should you choose to join us, there will be other, optional study… or you might choose to help other students as they progress… or you can simply do what the course is designed to allow… take your inner Light out into the world and shine.
Join us for a magical weekend in the Derbyshire Dales. A full brochure, including details of the event, prices and booking form are available on The Silent Eye website.
A printable version of the brochure can be downloaded here:
Brochure, price list and Booking Form for River of the Sun 2015