- Discussion on Perception and Love Leila Fung shared a revelation from a previous text about realizing that they and Jared were viewing situations through a lens of annoyance or upset, though Leila Fung had "no anger" toward Jevon Perra’s family. Jevon Perra noted the many layers of perception where individuals make things as they think they are, leading to stress and anger. Leila Fung stated they were hoping to be authentically loving, with everything that comes out of them being love.
- Jevon Perra's Business Transition and Marketing Challenges Jevon Perra discussed their slow transition in a new business venture due to not being able to use mass marketing for bridge loans because of new website and email. They explained that mass marketing with a new email address can lead to being flagged as spam, necessitating manual texting, calling, and one-by-one emailing. Jevon Perra also mentioned being careful about communication to manage industry gossip that might get back to "Bob" to maintain a good working relationship.
- Focus on Shared Interests and Reducing Suffering Leila Fung shared that their focus while reading and learning would be repairing their relationship with their sister-in-law by viewing everything through a "mutual shared interest" lens. Soo Kim related to this, noting that at month-end, they perceive anyone taking them away from their production list as an "enemy" (00:06:12). Jevon Perra discussed that the function of teachers of God is to save time, and this time saving comes from letting go of attachments and allowing a non-dual perception of forgiveness which saves "thousands of years of suffering" (00:08:39).
- The Role of the Teacher of God The group began reading Chapter 1 of the Manual for Teachers, titled "Who are God's teachers?". Soo Kim read that a teacher of God is anyone who chooses to be one and whose only qualification is that they have chosen to not see their interests as apart from someone else's (00:02:36). Jevon Perra clarified that the language used in the text is masculine due to the original template, but the concepts are general, emphasizing that seeing interests as the same is a characteristic of the teacher (00:03:41).
- The Universal Course and Salvation Soo Kim continued reading, noting that teachers of God come from all over the world and religions and that their function is to save time, with each one saving "a thousand years of time" (00:07:33). They read that the central theme of the universal course is that "God's son is guiltless and in his innocence in is his salvation" (00:11:26). Jevon Perra reiterated that seeing others as guiltless makes the perceiver feel free because their perception of the other is their experience of life, which is supported by the example of people being overly friendly to them when they walk around with a puppy (00:12:46).
- Shift in Perspective with Brokers Jevon Perra shared a personal story about changing their negative perception and resistance toward constant phone calls from brokers after realizing the brokers were calling because they had the wrong, old email address (00:16:19). Jevon Perra explained that answering the calls led to enjoyable conversations and resulted in making deals that wouldn't have happened otherwise because the inexperienced brokers would not have known how to email the correct information (00:17:13). Jevon Perra connected this to the concept of guiltlessness and common interest, stating, "We both want to close loans" (00:18:05).
- Interrupting Attachments and Control Soo Kim expressed difficulty applying Jevon Perra's experience to their own situation, where interruptions from loan officers felt like an attack, particularly because interruptions lead to missed details in their job. Jevon Perra highlighted that the suffering comes from the attachment to getting things done, not the task itself, and that one can decline calls without resistance and judgment (00:19:58). Soo Kim admitted that their attitude of preventing interruptions might be an "illusion of control" (00:22:22).
- Leila Fung's Relational Striving and Projection Leila Fung brought up Jared, their partner, taking responsibility for family issues, allowing them to let go of control, and considered whether this meeting could help him (00:23:33). Leila Fung then discussed their struggle with striving for a relationship with their sister-in-law, who exhibits lack of communication and effort, particularly regarding a Christmas breakfast (00:27:13). Leila Fung stated they feel hurt and unprioritized due to their sister-in-law's actions, contrasting it with the effort Leila Fung feels they put in (00:30:52).
- Discussion on Meaning and Resistance Jevon Perra responded to Leila Fung by explaining that the suffering comes from the meaning they are putting on the situation, not the situation itself, which is neutral (00:29:36) (00:35:14). Leila Fung identified their core meaning as, "I understand. She's not prioritizing me is the story that I'm telling myself and that's not fair" (00:36:14). Jevon Perra shared their own experience of feeling better by letting go of resistance and communicating with their mother, even when they had previously chosen to ignore their calls (00:37:08).
- Choosing Peace Over Suffering Jevon Perra used the example of the show Pluribus to illustrate that one can choose peace even in challenging situations, asserting that there is "no situation that I can't choose peace" (00:39:10) (00:41:31). Jevon Perra concluded that their experience comes from their perception, not the actions of others, and that they must constantly let go of attachments to how things "have to be" for them to be happy (00:42:39).
Focusing on Interest vs. Outcome Leila Fung stated that their focus is always on the outcome, using the example of deciding on breakfast food for their family's visit (00:43:48). Jevon Perra emphasized that while outcomes are neutral, individuals constantly try to force specific outcomes for a particular meaning (00:45:45). The meeting concluded after finishing the current chapter of the Manual for Teachers (00:46:49).
