Some questions

["David Yeh" <ldreamr@...>]

I have reached a point where I'm thinking about moving to Step Two. 
I have some random questions though:

- The second Step One mental exercise, on maintaining mental focus 
in everyday tasks: It seems to me that that is a lifetime task, and 
that sometimes I do that well but other times, like when there's 
something agitating that has just happened, not so well. What's the 
Step One goal of that exercise? Is it a greater mastery, or just to 
have made a habit of the exercise, with the knowledge that it will be 
continuously improved upon?

- Vacancy of mind: Am I correct in thinking that it is the *process* 
of thinking that should be stopped at this stage, but not necessarily 
the *objects*? So that if the cloud of the thinking process were 
removed, the objects could be perceived for what they are (what I 
think might be what you all are referring to as essential meaning)? 
Until a little while ago, I thought emptiness of mind referred to a 
lack of *object* -- ie an entirely blank mind, absolutely no 
perception of anything at all -- but now I'm beginning to think that 
it's more proper and reasonable at this stage to stop the *process* 
and perceive what exists beyond the thinking. Stop "thinking," 
not "thoughts" (ie objects). Is this correct?

- I know it's not crucial at this stage to correctly place soul 
mirror traits in their proper elements, but I'm confused nonetheless: 
Bardon lists some very similar traits under different elements, for 
instance "diligence" under Air and "perseverance" under Earth. I 
guess I see diligence and perseverance as both belonging to Earth. 
Is this an issue that will probably be made clearer to me as I work 
more with the elements, or should I take some more time at this stage?

- What is the specific reason for not allowing anyone else to eat 
your food when you are doing the magic of food? Does this also mean 
that it's not correct to leave a bit of food in my bowl (if, for 
instance, I feel like I've eaten too much) and, say, come back and 
eat it a few hours later, if I make sure no one else eats it?

- Is there a point at which the food/water/breathing exercises have 
reached a certain goal that is the goal of Step One, or can they be 
assumed to mesh with the Step Two exercises? In other words, do I, 
for instance, *have* to have successfully achieved one wish before 
moving on?

- A question about the visualization exercise in Step Two: I know 
right off the bat that I'm pretty good at visualization. But the 
image I visualize tends to move around a little bit, or rather my 
eyes do; I can, for instance, imagine the image of a pen sitting in 
one place on my desk, but my physical eyes don't want to keep staring 
motionless at it all the time. Should the image I visualize be 
absolutely stationary? I don't find any mention in IIH of this.


Thanks,
David