Presence of Praise Within

Neville's Inner Vision

I read this scene as an inner ceremony where the scattered energies of mind are gathered into one temple. The 'ark of the LORD' symbolizes the I AM, the present awareness in which all life is known. I appoint inner Levites—my disciplines of attention, gratitude, memory, and praise—to minister before that ark. 'To record' becomes the choice to fix a blessing in memory, to dwell on what is good rather than what is lacking. 'To thank and praise' becomes the ongoing tone of consciousness, a sound that harmonizes thought and feeling. Asaph stands as the chief consciousness of harmony; the other names represent the manifold faculties that contribute to a single worship: song, instrument, tempo, and trumpet-like proclamation. When these inner ministers operate before the ark of awareness, separation recedes and Presence is felt as my natural state. The temple I live in is not a building but a field of awareness where gratitude and praise continually play; in this atmosphere, divine Presence—my true self—becomes the organizing principle of every moment.