This session addressed fundamental questions about judgment, conscience and moral action through the metaphor of spiritual development as a pyramid of consciousness. Bartholomew explained that by the time people reach the middle to upper levels of this pyramid, they have moved beyond external rules to internal knowing, where loving action arises naturally from their being rather than from obligatory commandments. He distinguished between rule-based morality ("thou must") and heart-based compassion ("I want to"), emphasizing that mature consciousness naturally expresses goodness as a fragrance of awakening rather than forced adherence to external standards.

The teaching clarified that highly aware people don't discuss right and wrong in relation to others, but only in terms of following their own deepest knowing. When they participate in movements to alleviate suffering or help the homeless, they do so with a different heart - one without judgmental condemnation but with compassionate understanding that harmful actions arise from ignorance and pain. Bartholomew used the example of peace movements in the 1970s that often ended in fights, demonstrating how trying to create peace through judgment and hatred only perpetuated the very problems they sought to solve.

A central theme involved the natural development of consciousness through lifetimes of awakening, comparing it to a flower that releases its fragrance automatically, without deciding to do so. This fragrance of goodness was described as a byproduct of spiritual unfolding rather than something to be achieved through effort. Bartholomew explained that people have been developing for many lifetimes and wouldn't be drawn to such teachings if this were their first incarnation focused on awakening, as they are now approaching the top of the consciousness pyramid where direct experience replaces external seeking.

The session addressed the apparent contradiction between stating that suffering is unnecessary for God-realization while also saying it is necessary for developing compassion. Bartholomew explained this by describing stages of development - early seekers might be self-centered in their spiritual pursuit, but as consciousness matures, service arises naturally from expanded being rather than from rules about helping others. He cited Mother Teresa's four hours of nightly prayer as more important than her daytime activities, emphasizing that silent adherence to divine union is often more helpful than visible action.

Practical guidance focused on the revolutionary simplicity of just being present without seeking, thinking, or trying to achieve anything. Bartholomew described how after years of complex teachings, the instruction had finally simplified to "shut up, sit down and stop thinking" - just relax into the present moment without agenda. This presence begins with "a sense of relaxed peace" in the midst of life's difficulties, which is identified as one of the greatest signs of awakening rather than dramatic mystical experiences that might arise from ego projection.

The teaching emphasized that what people are seeking is already ever-present, comparing it to a fragrance that can be detected by simply looking and listening without judgment or mental analysis. Everything seen or heard was described as the essence of God-self, with the mind's translations being irrelevant to the underlying reality. This requires learning to see without knowing what one is looking for, and to hear without seeking something specific, allowing the natural radiance and beauty present in all forms to reveal itself.

Bartholomew concluded by addressing the surrender required to see real beauty and goodness rather than ego-defined versions, particularly challenging the tendency to require certain behaviors from those closest to us before being willing to see their inherent radiance. He warned that it is easier to love strangers than intimate partners because people have decided that specific treatment from loved ones would bring happiness. The ultimate invitation is simply the willingness to see what is real - the absolute presence of love, beauty, and light equally present at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances, which is blocked only by the mind's collection of ideas about how things should be different.