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Tomas Vol II - Pocatello, Idaho - Jun 09, 1995   thru Aug 25, 1995 - Part 5 of 6

 

 

POCATELLO, IDAHO

VOLUME II, Part 5 of 6

June 9, 1995 - August 25, 1995

 

C O N T E N T S

 

Date

Topic

Page

 

June 9, 1995

Letting go, Meditation

1

June 16, 1995

Sincerity

10

June 23, 1995

Synergy

17

June 30, 1995

Recycling the Earth

25

 

July 7, 1995

Recycling Old Lessons

33

July 14, 1995

Trust Willingly

41

July 21, 1995

Potential for Growth

50

July 28, 1995

Worry

58

 

August 4, 1995

Variation

68

August 11, 1995

Social Fragrance

77

August 25, 1995

Religionists

93

 

 

[End of Vol. II, Part 5 of 6]

101

This Volume covers Tomas' two-year Internship with Daniel and dates from the time he was invited to come to Southeast Idaho to co-teach with Daniel until he was assigned by Rayson to his own teacher base; that sojourn will be presented in Volume III.

 

Rutha is TR#1, Gerdean is TR#2, Isaac is TR#3 and PamElla is TR#4 except when otherwise indicated.  Every session opens and closes with a prayer, not included. 

 

 


 

POCATELLO, IDAHO

VOLUME II, Part 5 of 6

 

*****

 

DATE:                        June 9, 1995

TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Letting go; Meditation

 

DANIEL (TR#4 for the whole meeting):          Greetings, I am Daniel, your teacher, guide, and friend. My friends, tonight we again desire an experiment. We ask that you determine the topic for discussion this evening. Who among you will come forward with either: 1) Your concerns or; 2) Your topic of puzzlement, of meditation, this week or in the recent past? Can we, then, build this communitively into a lesson?

 

Kent:                Greetings. It's different. We haven't done this for a while. The thought that I have been having, and you hit the nail on the head, is on meditation and/or silence: going into the silence; understanding the silence; how to clear your mind and fighting dragons, so to speak; to listen to your teacher; or to listen to your Thought Adjuster. Anybody else have any suggestions? I guess that's it for the moment. I am sure we can come up with some questions later.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Kent, your topic is appreciated, and your fellows, friends, colleagues, and associates' hearts responded to this topic as well. Thank you for bringing it forward.

The question of meditation, of how to be silent, how to listen within and recognize the urging of the God Fragment or to sit in stillness and hear the voice of a teacher is, indeed, a pertinent question, not only to you and the others gathered but also to both of tonight's T/Rs. For indeed does such communication requires both willingness and discipline, which all of you have, but also needed is the ability to let go. Very often it is this ability to let go that interferes with being able to hear teachers and to recognize the discernment of the voice of your Source.

 

Letting go. Let us make this the topic of our lesson tonight for letting go is paramount to being able to communicate not only with teachers and the God Fragment but also with one another; and it is paramount to living a rich, full, and complete life. To let go, of course, entails trust, faith and patience.

 

But it is somehow more than these three. To let go is to be at peace with who you are as a beloved child of the First Source and Center, and to be at peace and in assurance of the great overcare and love of this First Source and Center; to truly believe that God knows you, loves you, and desires only good for you. With this, then, comes the ability to freefall. I use the word `freefall' because letting go reminds this TR of an experience in a ropes course climbing to the top of a tall tree that had a disc shaped platform nailed with a single nail into the top of the tree. From that platform people were asked to let go, to step off and to free-fall. They were harnessed and caught before hitting the ground. This T/R's experience was that she could not free-fall, could not let go. She did jump off the top and was caught. But never did she allow herself the luxury of the thrill of the fall, of feeling the safety of God's love around her. She had no doubt that the harness would catch her. So her refusal to free-fall mystified her for sometime until she recognized this experience as an ultimate symbol of her need to be in control, and in falling through the air there is no control. So letting go, free-falling means completely to give over control to your Thought Adjuster, that Indwelling Spirit, to help you make your decisions. Your only decision is to be in alignment with the will of our Father, our Mother. How, then, does this relate to meditation?

 

Often a blockage in reaching the awaiting communicating teacher or other friend of various orders or in discerning the voice of that Indwelling Spirit is the need to control the process. Rather than trying to reach that teacher, to reach that Fragment, one might attempt to give over completely instead and passively allow the teacher to reach you. It is a matter of passive receptivity without expectation, a matter of centering one's focus in one's center. My TR is very concerned that this answer is not helpful; however, I ask you, Kent, and others to comment please.

 

Kent:               You summarized the lessons of the last three and a half years that we have had, briefly. We have dealt with this subject before. Being in control is a strong issue with me, with others; letting go, your analogy of free-fall was good. It did help. Again, you put more food on my plate for me to consume. It gives me better insight, more to think about. I did learn from that.

 

Rutha:             Indeed, Daniel, the words of passive resistance I think applies amply to my life and probably everybody here. We do like to be in control and it is really hard when you go into meditation not to seek that control. But when we do just turn over it does work; and I thank you for your words.

 

DANIEL:         I thank both of you.

 

Rutha:             I also have another area that maybe either you or Tomas, if Tomas would like to speak to us tonight as well, I would like you to address; the fact that beliefs are not reality but in order for us to change our reality we have to change our beliefs. If you would care to comment on that, either one of you or both of you. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:    Greetings loyal students and friends. Initially I, too, wish to respond to Daniel's sincere request for feedback for the benefit of this transmitter/receiver. The issue of control is a deciding factor in the success or lack of success in letting go, to allow one's faith to soar into the spiritual realms. Your words were acutely descriptive to this T/R certainly.

 

Would that I could now respond to this matter of revelation of reality in the experience of the believer. This is one of my more dear subjects as I have witnessed again and again the mortal condition of evolutionary growth and too many times have I seen the forward movement of a soul stagger under the confused weight of psychic changes which are a natural part of growth. The reference in your text that there is no real growth without agitation in your mind need not be a stumbling block to pursuing faith, the emergent reality from the growth experience. Many times we teachers have analogized the child in school who learns in early grades only to learn further, deeper, more relevant truth towards graduation. And this is the same with spiritual truth that what is appropriate for a young mind and soul will be transformed through time and experience into new realities.

 

The analogy of the snake molting its skin each season can be likened to the spiritual growth of one who is engaged in this expansion process, for the old skin no longer contains the morontial realities which are developing in the soul of the mortal. It is not so terrifying once a season or two has passed and the skin has molted successfully on those occasions. It becomes easier to accept that a change is coming about during the interim time while the old is falling away and the new is coming to be. There is some confusion, some delicacy, but assuredly the growth will come to pass if you are earnest about your desire to do His will, if you are earnest in desiring to follow the leading of Spirit, to respond to the urgings of intelligences and spirits and realities which are gently and consistently urging you into the next realm of understanding.

 

It is not, incidentally, uncommon for the growth to become so significant on occasion as to entirely replace a familiar pattern of belief of the Godhead Itself. The experience of spiritual rebirth is much like the experience of the snake molting its skin for new life emerges. These unveilings, these peelings of the onion are ongoing throughout your career. The perfecting process requires that old scaffolding be torn down as the new structure is built on the old foundation. This, as I say, is a favorite theme of mine therefore I will not elaborate ad infinitum. But I wanted to respond to the prompt and ask you, dear inquirer, if this has touched upon your concern.

 

Rutha:             Yes, Tomas, thank you very much. The one thing I would like to ask further is, if you are having changes mentally and physically does it not fit, then, that we will also start having spiritual changes as well? What I am saying is do all three of these kind of fall in line? If one area changes do the others fall in line to also change?

 

TOMAS:        This needs to be qualified by the assumption that these are forward growth changes. And, yes, it is a delicate balance, hopefully a successful, well rounded, unified personality is emerging from the growth on mindal, spiritual, and physical levels. We have also discussed in the past the dangers of unbalanced growth and we have discussed certainly that the aspiration to grow in spirit capacity will result in changes and growth in facets of your physical, mental, and emotional life. These growths are, again, sometimes frightening and sometimes the mortal gives up the struggle for confusion can be unnerving. Yet the resultant appreciation for renewed reality is well worth the faith effort to grow. I utilized your remark there, daughter, to speak to a particular inquiry by another. I hope I did not get too far off base from where you directed me.

 

Rutha:             No, Tomas, I think that spoke to me amply, all the way through as well. I appreciate your comments and I'll give this mike to someone else.

 

TOMAS:        Perhaps, Daniel, we should begin to ask questions of our students in order to evoke conversation similar to teacher Welmek.

 

DANIEL:        Indeed, Tomas, do I approve of such an idea. I suggest that you go first.

 

TOMAS:        Let me, then, ask you individually to ponder the word, sincerity, and address your peers and observing teachers as to your understanding of sincerity. How shall we proceed? To break the ice in this congenial group without breaking the continuity of our plateau and yet allowing for free expression I am picking up quite a beacon from Esther who has evidently engaged in similar discourse with her charge. May we begin with your understanding of sincerity, Francyl?

 

Francyl:          I couldn't. I have no thoughts left.

DANIEL:        My dear friend, Francyl, of course you have thoughts. 

Francyl:          I don't!

 

DANIEL:        This is not meant to put anyone on a hot seat, if I can continue the joke that was shared in the letter, to turn anyone into a cosmic hot seat rather than a cosmic hot plate. However Tomas and I are hoping that this week and in some of the weeks to come we can engage some of you in this group who otherwise prefer to remain quiet and let your more boisterous associates carry the ball. The time has come for others of you to pick up the ball, and so we are attempting in this format to do just that. It is not a hot seat. No one is grading your response. We are simply asking for greater interaction so that greater growth may take place. Dear Francyl, you of all people have great wisdom to share. It is not required that you share, for there is free will. But if you would be so good as to let your sisters and brothers know what it means to you to be sincere or to know what the word `sincerity' means or any convolution, combination, or jump away to another topic would be fine. We simply would like to hear from you this evening. However, it is, of course, up to you. [No reply]

 

Beth:               This is rather interesting and certainly a beginning for me, I guess. My thought on sincerity is what I think a person is all about. I think that is how I try to approach life. Just be sincere and honest. I guess that is all I have to say for now.

 

TOMAS:        Might you describe to me, then, how sincerity feels to you as you experience it in yourself?

 

Beth:               Well I think it is certainly comfortable. If I am not sincere then I am not at peace, I'm not comfortable.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you dear friend, Beth, for your sincere response and for your willingness to engage us tonight. We know this is a large growth step for you and we applaud you.

 

Beth:               I guess I should say, "Thank you!" It is a big step for me.

DANIEL:        Yes, indeed.

TOMAS:        Cora's beacon is lit.

DANIEL:        Indeed, I was about to call on Emalissa.

 

Emalissa:        I guess Beth and I seem to be quite alike. A lot of our answers come out the same because I was thinking the same thing as she was talking. Sincerity is for me an overall thing. It includes honesty, caring, just the way I try to deal with people. As to what it does when you are not sincere, it just doesn't feel right. I am mad at myself and try to reprimand myself, and with that it makes it a real down day. I can go along and seem to accomplish a lot more in life if I can be sincere with people. A lot of that is being honest with people. A lot of time I am still having trouble saying things that people want to hear, not necessarily what I think is right at that point in time.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Emalissa. You are making great strides in this area of being true to yourself and of responding with what is closer to your heart than your desire to seek approval by saying what you think they want to hear. We applaud you dear friend.

 

TOMAS:        Be advised, students, that sincerity is a quality of your spiritual aspects. It is genuine character that allows for sincerity. It is a world of illusion when one is not comfortable being sincere about themselves and therefore their expressions to the world and the individual encountered. The sincerity in your voices is a signal of your enraptment in your belief and therefore in your spiritual life. Many are extremely irritated by sincerity and find it distracting and tedious. Yet the development of sincerity is a quality which will engender your prayers and meditations more soluble and your genuine experiences with your fellows richer and more real. Have we another taker for the experience of touching upon sincerity?  (Long pause)

 

DANIEL:        I feel inclined to call upon Steve, if he is so willing.

 

Steve:             Not so much on that one but I do have a question I have been holding over here. I just am curious as to how it is going to fly. At what point is free will being what it is, is free will no longer free will?

 

DANIEL:        Steve, I think perhaps I need some further clarification into the nature of your question.

 

Steve:             It comes from the many lesson that I have heard where free will comes up a number of times in the lesson, what individuals do. I am just wondering again -- I brought this up once about a friend of mine who passed away. For some reason it came into my head and just rolled around and won't come out. So I thought I would put it out and see what kind of reply I got. You look at the situations going on in the world in the United States, in the cities, different things going on, things I run into at work. Just to the point, when does free will no longer become free will?

 

DANIEL:        Are you referring to the infringement of individual's free will by others free will decision? For instance are you saying that when an individual chooses a course of action that violates another individual they have violated the free will of that individual?

 

Steve:             Well there is two areas I look at on that. There is the violating the other individual's rights and also an individual destroying their own life and not touching anybody else's life, just their own.

 

DANIEL:        Are you referring to addiction?

 

Steve:             Addiction to any stimulants, drugs, alcohol, like that. Or just a person mentally without any stimulants doing it to themselves.

 

DANIEL:        So, in other words, when people choose destructive pathways you are asking when does it cease to be their free will and rather becomes the snowballing effect of a situation. Is that perhaps what you are saying?

 

Steve:             That would cover one of them, yes.

 

DANIEL:        My friend I must reply that always is free will, free will. Always, despite appearances, always do individuals have free will choices, and free will choices in their responses to every situation.

 

Let us first take the situation of a victim, a victim of someone else's free will choice to violate them, to violate their free will. This individual still has free will choice in how they will respond to this perpetrator of violations. They have many responses. They can choose to be victims and allow this situation to destroy their entire lives, in fact bring on more of the same. They can choose to sit in resentment against this perpetrator and be angry, hurt individuals for the rest of their mortal life. They can choose to come into understanding of why a perpetrator behaved in the way they did and forgive, etc., etc. There are many responses to this that are free will choices and affect the joy and the quality of their lives.

 

Those individuals that become engaged in substances and chemicals that are addictive have free will choice and are practicing their free will. This does not say that there aren't mitigating circumstances, that there isn't greater understanding, that the mercy and compassion and the love of the First Source and Center does not understand why they have chosen as they have chosen, but all individuals have the gift of free will. All mentally capable individuals practice free will. At no time do circumstances of any sort take over to the point that free will does not reign supreme. Is this discourse of help to you, Steve? Does it address at all your concerns?

 

Steve:              Yes, it did. But it brought up two more questions. See, you shouldn't have got me started.

 

DANIEL:        Indeed we should.

 

Steve:              Now, in my own understanding we wouldn't be violating free will if we tried to help them to a point. But can that point go too far to where we are violating free will?

 

DANIEL:        Yes, it is a violation of free will to impose upon another what they do not want to hear, are not ready for. Often in one's zeal to be of service and to be helpful individuals do violate other's free will. And so I would direct you to the life of the Master. The Master did not offer opinions, advice, or try to 'help' another who had not the desire for it. Christ Michael only answered the questions that were asked, only offered advice to those who were open and desirous and only was of service in order to bring others into higher understandings that they might help themselves. It is not of service to do for others what they can do for themselves and it takes away from them their growth experience to have a zealous, loving helper, overdo. Steve, have you more? Please respond so that I know if we are communicating.

 

Steve:              Well, we have. And I can see if we get involved with this we are walking a tightrope without a net -- well, we do have a net under us. We are walking a tightrope. And I understand what you said and I thank you for your reply.

 

DANIEL:        You are welcome. Tomas do you have further comments for Steve?

 

TOMAS:        Thank you, Daniel. Steve, for your probing inquiries, I have in the mind's eye of this T/R the relatedness of the Thought Adjuster which, when his mortal host reaches the age of discretion, is referred to as a Thought Controller. At this juncture one might add that if one's thoughts are being now controlled by Spirit forces, has the individual given over his free will? And this is somewhat related back to Rutha's question about evolving realities, about evolutionary understandings of Deity.  For as the mortal race evolves, as the individual factions thereof ascend the ladder of Light and Life, the question of free will more and more willingly comes to be that which is in line with the will of the Father, to include Godlike qualities and the full spectrum of well being for the entire unified personality.

 

The spiritual path entails more spiritual perception.  That perception then is readily available to enable the individual to make those choices and decisions which will promote well being rather than allow the individual to be drawn into experientially destructive situations or, shall we say, less than psychologically ideal circumstances. The free will of the individual whose mind is healthy and in a healthy range of functioning is, indeed, blessed with the gift of free will which, given the opportunity, can make or break life itself, be it theirs or the contribution to the Supreme.

 

Those were my thoughts in reference to your most welcome and provocative inquiry. I urge you to thus engage us and our peers in further thought provoking questioning of life that we may address your concerns through hopefully helpful spiritual eyes for your edification and for our education also.

 

Steve:             Well, I will try not to do this too often. My receding hairline can't handle it. Thank you.

 

DANIEL:        But my dear friend, Steve, you have such thoughts often. So, indeed, can your receding hairline handle it because it is through sharing and openness that the burden of life and the burdens of deep thought are lifted? They are not made heavier by this process, I do not believe, and I think in retrospect you will agree with me. Despite your hairline we very much appreciate your communication with us. We hope to have you do this often rather than not so often. Please think up good provocative questions for next week or whenever you can join us again. We will be waiting. We would even encourage you to take a notebook and write them down as they occur to you so that we may have the benefit of your thoughtful mind. Thank you dear friend, Steve.

 

Rutha: I would like to address what has just been said, what was said earlier and getting back to the question of sincerity. It seems to me that some of the things we have spoken about tonight about reality is essentially what sincerity boils down to.

 

One can not be sincere, or at least I cannot be sincere if I am not in the moment, if my reality is not focused on the now. If I am living in the past of what could have been or what should have been, then I am not sincere because I am living in the past. And if I am dreaming about what I would like or hope for the future, then, again I am not being real sincere, because being sincere has to come from being who you really are at that moment.

 

And this ties into the thing on will and choice in that all of us want to be sincere. But sometimes it is not always our will to be sincere and we have to draw that line between there, or emotions causes us to forego what we would want or what we would will and we may not be sincere. Anyway that's what my thoughts were on that subject.

 

TOMAS:        And, indeed, your thoughts are ample. Your discourse on sincerity is effective for those who allow themselves the relative reality of sincerity. However there are levels of beings who are so removed from divinity that their cleverness, glibness and craftiness have impact on your world, but little do they feed the spiritual growth of Urantia. It is possible for beings to sincerely love evil, who sincerely get pleasure from watching people fall. It is most unfortunate.     

 

This sincerity, however, is easily recognizable as you in your own sincerity see the effects of other's sincerity. It is evocative of patience, tolerance, prayer, service, humor, and thanksgiving that you may observe the relative sincerity which surrounds you. Indeed, there are as many forms of relative sincerity as there are individuals who express it, but the need is great for sincerity to come from the heart, the soul, and the mind, not just from the pocketbook or the carnal realms or the negative.

 

Therefore, as is my habit, I lay this burden of awareness on you again that your own sincerity is a powerful tool against darkness, that as you open your souls to express your thoughts, your heartfelt considerations, you are putting into the main stream that which is more appealing to the true needs of your fellows, that which will endear hungry Urantians to you and to respond to you. The adage of love being more contagious than hate also comes to play in terms of sincerity, for your sincerity with a spiritual base is more effective and carries more weight than the sincerity of the nonbeliever or one who shouts without substance. Where were we? Daniel?

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Tomas, I also had a few thoughts in reply to Rutha's sincere and thoughtful words; and those words are in response to your comments, Rutha, on the past, future, and the moment in regard to sincerity.

 

I would like to remind you, dear friend/daughter that one can be remembering the past and dreaming for the future and be sincere. For instance much forgiveness that takes place is forgiveness of events that occurred in the past. It is rare that an experience happens in the moment and is forgiven in the moment at this level of being. So one can be considering the past and sincerely desire to forgive. There is sincerity; there is heartfelt reality with reference to the past. One can be envisioning a future of sublime brotherhood/sisterhood and have sincerity in this desire to see such a world attained.

 

So, yes, your comments about being real only in the present moment are, indeed, accurate but I wanted to make the distinction that one can think about the past or the future and still remain centered in the present and remain sincere. Are you in understanding?

 

Rutha: Of course, Daniel, thank you. I appreciate that further clarifying. When I spoke those words I did muddle two issues there. My actual thought, which I know you are aware of, is the fact that when you are dealing in a situation with an individual in a relationship in real life one needs to be in the moment to be your most sincere self, in order that you can meet the situation, conversation, action, whatever it takes with love and sincerity and be real about it without false pretenses. Of course, that is what I was thinking.

 

I did have one further question and then I will turn this over to Kent so he can give his thoughts on sincerity. My question is to Tomas. When you spoke at the beginning of your discourse to my reply on sincerity you said there is a whole host of spiritual beings that can be evil and bring about evil consequences. Would you stipulate for me if you meant spiritual beings meaning humans or are you referring to spiritual beings of the universe?

 

TOMAS:        I rather regret that this impression was left. I would rather like to read the transcript to see what was conveyed, but I assuredly did not intend to indicate that there were evil spirits luring you forward. I frankly find that very far removed from what I was meaning to convey.

 

Rutha: Thank you, Tomas, that's what I thought. But for the sake of our transcript and anybody not familiar with what the Urantia Book teaches I wanted that clarified. Thank you.

 

Kent:               Indeed, the plate does get full! Thank you for your lessons and this format. You did raise the cosmic temperature this evening. I know what I will be thinking about this week. You have said or identified a lot about sincerity. The thoughts that come to mind are the lessons of the past; trust, faith. Being sincere in your belief goes into the material, the mental, and the spiritual aspects. Knowing that you are sincere and you do have that trust in the Father, it does bring comfort to me as I try, as we try. I don't know if I have a question. One moment, (tape replacement)

 

DANIEL:        Kent, thank you for your comments on sincerity. And the night does, indeed, prolong. The tape has been turned twice. However we have one member here tonight who still has not taken up the microphone. It is not my intention, Alice, to plug you into the hot seat but rather, my friend, invite you to respond if you so desire.

 

Alice:              I haven't anything to add.

 

DANIEL:        That is just fine. I did not want you to feel that you had been overlooked. We value you and your responses as much as we value your other brothers and sisters and their responses. And so, dear Alice, know that you are well loved whether you think you have responses that could add to this group or not. However, I can assure you that you do for you are a unique daughter of the First Source and Center. In one's uniqueness and diversity are there additions to the total. So, yes, you could add still another insight but not if you are not aware and, of course, fear can block that. I would ask you this week in your own time away from the pressure of the group to learn what is your unique understanding which is a gift from our great God.

 

And now, friends, it is with pleasure that Tomas and I draw this meeting to a close. The pleasure is not from the ending but rather from the substance of the meeting and from our interactions with all of you. We are pleased with our experiment, are we not, Tomas?

 

TOMAS:        Sincerely.

 

DANIEL:        Dear students go forth this week contemplating the many aspects of the dinner that has been served. If you so desire, prepare questions for the future. We look forward to our feast, our banquet of next week. Our love is ever with you. Farewell.

 

*****

 

DATE:                        June 16, 1995

TEACHERS:              DANIEL, HAM

TOPIC:                       Sincerity

 

DANIEL:         Greetings friends, I am Daniel, your guide, teacher, and companion. As always we are assembled in great joy of our community and we thank you for your continued efforts in perceiving and perpetuating those truths which we delve into on our way toward enlightenment for Urantia. It is a joy for me personally to have the continuity which has been provided by the loyalty and diligence of your participation, the stronghold which exists because of your willingness to believe, participate and act as a fulcrum for many energies not only in your immediate area but throughout your world and into worlds beyond.

 

You see, truth is radiant and living. It is not stagnant. It has effects and your effects cause life to be stimulated and forwarded. When you behold life in these myriad and difficult circumstances remember our focus of truth, beauty and goodness. Remember, pupils and friends, that you are not alone. It is difficult to keep that continuum in your mind's eye. This is understood for you are mortal beings who must act on faith. And yet your growth becoming your own evidence of truth in spite of your doubts and misgivings. In time you will see more clearly and these experiences of today will be dynamic memories as stepping stones in your very real development in your lives and in the lives of your peers most specifically.

 

We have assembled a large order of being this evening who hover in your arena. Many visiting students and teachers are here to take note of the format and most particularly the soul responses of the individuals here this evening, for it is that which registers your reality levels. My friend Tomas is also here and he and I have consulted. It would seem that this TR is sufficiently adapted to my character that she is more at ease with me these days and I will therefore proceed this evening with Tomas' blessing. We have consulted and wish to further discourse regarding the words spoken last week for we do not plant seeds without furthering the growth thereof in cultivating the soil. So in cultivating sincerity I will add a few additional remarks.

 

The keys to the Kingdom of Heaven are sincerity, more sincerity, and more sincerity. All mortals have this capability. Your Master, our Teacher Christ Michael, has advised and promised that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you. The Kingdom within you is certainly your resident Thought Adjuster in harmony with your own evolving mortal identity, your morontial person, our soul. These elements of reality constitute the Kingdom as you perceive it. The genuineness with which you approach your God Fragment within is the degree to which you further your association with divinity, therefore the importance of sincerity.

 

Your teachers confess to a degree of manipulation ourselves in our lesson plans and our presence with you for we are motivated to greater ends yet we are not deceitful about our intentions. We plan to grow with you as you grow in your maturity as aspiring spirit beings in your developing maturity as human beings on a planet such as this, which has untold challenges and opportunities for carrying out these experiential lessons. We are sincere in our devotion to you, to your furtherance, to the furtherance of illumination of humankind.

 

Genuineness, honesty, truism, these qualities are inherent in Godlikeness. They reside in your interior, in your kingdom within. By befriending your own slice of divinity, in seeking guidance, in needing association with spirit reality you focus more clearly on that which is real, on that which has value, that which is value. Only through sincerity are you free to engage fearlessly in acceptance of yourself. For when one runs from peace and harmony the association with Spirit and the responsibilities which will also be inherent in this relationship one skirts the issue, and in the process of shirking this connection the Kingdom is unavailable as a result of that mortal decision to refrain from seeking divinity.

 

The keys to the Kingdom call for decisions, more decisions and yet even more decisions. For in order for the fledgling morontia being to fine tune the relationship with the Mystery Monitor the decision must be made again and again to set aside self interest, to set aside deceit, to set aside relative reality for the hope of attaining true reality. Those of you who practice the stillness, who have engaged in the silence in meditative repose, in receptive acceptance of your heritage as a living son or daughter of the great eternal Source have the joy, the comfort and the assurance of that Kingdom which so many seek outside themselves.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is within you. When you have attained the confidence and assurance of your own sonship/daughtership you, then, carry the Kingdom into your arena, your environment. This is one reason why we come from afar to sit among you, to hover around you as you seek to attain this relationship with the great Source and Center and His helpers, your spiritual family, with the Universal Mother Spirit in Her healing hands. The responsibility which you see is the responsibility which we see, and how we do enjoy, as do you, seeing the literal unfolding of His Kingdom present itself in your environment.

 

`Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven'. This manifesting of your pure truth constitutes the gospel. We delight to behold it unfolding. We love you and are actively pursuing ways to help you and all mortals in their spiritual search and in their ascension. It is my great pleasure and privilege to be with you again to comprehend your soul's desires.

 

In keeping with the day I will now remind you of the beauty of your arena. Look to the hills. Look to the heavens. Behold Mother Nature. Hear the sounds of the Creator manifesting even now in harmony and joy. Tomas and I are willing and interested to converse with you regarding those things which might press upon your mind or bubble forth from your heart should you so choose to share. The floor is open for your involvement.

 

Francyl:          Daniel, we have a guest this evening. My daughter, Sharyl, is here visiting me for a couple of weeks. I would like to introduce her to you now.

 

DANIEL:        How gracious you are in bringing your daughter to your friends. Your daughter, Sharyl, is our daughter as well and our sister. Good evening, Sharyl. It is truly wonderful for you to be with us here this evening. We welcome your presence and feel the radiance of your being. Be at peace and be welcome in your heart for we are your family in the spirit, as your mother is your family in the spirit and in the flesh. Welcome, my dear.

 

Kent:               Greetings our friends. Thank you for that lesson, for the extension of last week's discussion on sincerity. I would like to welcome all my brothers and sisters here who are visiting us. Of course we can't see them. Someday we will. Thank you.

 

Luke:              Hello, Tomas and Daniel. Welcome.

DANIEL:        Greetings.

 

Luke:              I do have a question. Jane doesn't feel so well. I wondered if you could comment on that?

 

DANIEL:        First I will say, Luke that I am glad that you are here. It is a pleasure to behold your presence. I will ask for personality check with the proper figures regarding Jane's illness and respond before the evening is over. Is that satisfactory?

 

Luke:   In one way it is and in another way it isn't because I don't know what you mean by `before the evening is over'.

 

DANIEL:        Before our session closes. I just need someone to check for me. I cannot be everywhere at once.

 

Luke:              I understand, of course. Thank you so much. You can come on anytime without me further asking. Is that alright?

 

DANIEL:        That's great.

 

Leetah:           Good evening, Daniel and Tomas. I thank you so much for the lesson last week on sincerity that I read and the expansion today. It brings up a lot of thoughts in my mind. I can remember a sermon I heard as child, a teenager where if I am sincerely on the wrong train I will not get there. So I think in terms of sincerity as being so important. And you reiterated tonight that the ascension to the Father is to be sincere and sincere and sincere. I guess my question is, `how does our sincerity bring us to greater truth?' Would you comment on that, please.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Leetah, I can reiterate further how sincerity leads one to truth, for you, yourself, know the experience of sitting in stillness with God. If you fear God, if you have a distorted view of God you will not want to sit in intimate association with God. Therefore you need to get to the truth of your own need for God. This, then, sets in motion your process of becoming. As your awareness of your association to divinity develops then your capacities are enlarged for greater truth.

 

You know we have had previous lessons regarding perceptions and that on occasion an individual will develop a perception of reality, of truth, which will serve them well for a time and then the perception needs to be set aside for an enlarged perception to come into play for the next evolutionary, the next revelatory comprehension. This path is a path to further truth. The relative truth of your perception today is serving you well. In that context your sincerity is well anchored. In time as you expand your perceptions and your capacities your sincerity will also adapt, alter, expand, enlarge accordingly.

 

In this process discernment of truth is an active part of the process. In your ascertaining that which is in accordance with your comprehension of your Father's will for you, you will determine those things which do not further your course. And these you will have learned to discern through previous use of sincerity.

 

In stillness, then, you discover yourself in your most sincere capacity. For it is in the heart of the child who comes to the Parent in trust that your most sincere soul needs are met, your most genuine self is acknowledged. When you come to the Parent in humble stillness as a little child you come with a pure heart. Have I addressed your need?

 

Leetah:           Yes, thank you, Daniel. That did bring up a thought though from the transcript that I read from last week's lesson on one of the questions relating to free will. And, I guess my question is -- I can see an adult needing less guidance as far as free will and free choice is concerned, and yet I felt like the answers last week really did not deal with children. And, so, how far do we as adults -- and you did use the word manipulate tonight which I appreciated frankly, because I feel like in an adult/child relationship sometimes we manipulate them to make good choices, and I hope that is what you are doing to me. My question is -- when children, or anyone, has free choice, where do we guide, and how do we hold them responsible for the choices made?

 

DANIEL:        You must understand that in order for me to respond to your question here, I need to respond in the context of your current mores and cultural modus operandi. In the long run the child has free will, but certain behaviors can be induced through training. This, of course begins from conception and most especially during the early formative years. By the time your children arrive in your classroom, they are already to some extent established, and your molding from there depends a great deal upon the previous conditioning of the children.

 

There was no reference to children last week, perhaps, because the degree of maturity, shall we say, maturity, if you will, which we were addressing realized the adult spiritual candidate.  Those children both in the material sense and in spiritual sense who are first setting out are much tendered by various corps of helpers in the advancement of spiritual maturity (and I acknowledge your relative maturity here). There are certain decisions, certain lessons which are for the thinking being who has its own status in eternity firmly established. Many youngsters both in the spirit and in the flesh, have not reached, attained, the level which gives it the personal guidance and attention which is a natural consequence of assuming those responsibilities attendant upon spiritual devotion. Are you seeing?

 

Leetah:           Yes. Thank you, Daniel.

 

HAM:             Greetings my brothers and sisters. I am Ham. Often am I present at your meetings, but tonight I requested a moment to speak as this is a special occasion, and I desired to convey my blessings and love to my sister, Alice, who is leaving this local to come closer to my home base [of Nashville].

 

And, Alice, my daughter, I support your desire to proceed with the coming together of spiritual truth seekers. Be open to your inner guidance in this respect. But I will say, as one who is entrusted with the supervision of the many groups throughout the world who have received teachers, that I am open to the idea of another doorway to the shining of glorious truth in company with your willingness to encourage such a group. I am not, please understand, assigning you this task. I am merely saying at this point that you have my approval to attempt such an effort.

 

And to the rest of you my brothers and sisters. Know that I have a great and deep affection for you all, for I still regard myself as having a special relationship to the Pocatello/Woods Cross combined group. I have not forgotten about you as you know and is testified to by my frequent presence in your TR sessions.  My TR would like to say some things, but I am going to curtail him. He can voice his wisdom after we finish our formal session.

 

Thank you for your continued perseverance and faithful efforts to internalize and bring forth truth. Your lives, believe me, are progressing forward. Your soul growth is clearly evident to those of us who have been observing you. Yes, you stumble and fall at times, but you are learning how quickly you can resume your journey in close company with your infallible pilot, your Indwelling Spirit.

 

And with these words I thank Daniel and Tomas for allowing me to greet you and I return the platform to them. Good Evening.

 

DANIEL:        We are always happy to hear from our colleague in the Mission, Teacher Ham. It is a pleasure to have his energies conjoined with the energies prevalent...  [Editors Note: Next followed an exchange between Daniel and Luke concerning Jane's health. This discussion is not being made public.]

 

Isaac:              Hello, Daniel, Tomas, Ham. I wanted to make the comment to Leetah's question about teaching in religions ... Well, I guess in Christianity but probably in others …that the statement is often made -- as Leetah said -- that you can be sincere but sincerely wrong and going to hell in a hand basket because you don't believe in the right religion. And one of the things that appeals to me about the teaching of the Urantia Book -- and so forth -- is that it doesn't support that kind of thing: that there is only one path of truth; that there is only one religion that has it all together and the rest are all in error; but rather it sees truth in all of them. And so that is why I think that sincerity -- if it's more and more sincerity, not just a little sincerity -- is the key to the Kingdom of Heaven as the Book states. I think it is one of the techniques of the religions of fear to scare their membership by saying that they must not consider alternate points of view and other paths of truth. So, that's my opinion. I wanted to see, you know, if you agree with that.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Isaac.

Isaac:              [Laughing] Or what you think of it.

 

DANIEL:        I appreciate your bringing it up, indeed, so that I can give further commentary. Do not misunderstand. The Kingdom of Heaven is within all beings regardless of their religious programming and regardless of dogma or religious structure including the Urantia Book. The individuals have within their being the keys to the Kingdom. The vision, image, of that cubicle where Moslems pray comes to this mind; the Buddhists in the meditative techniques of the oriental countries; the Native Americans. The various races of people, old and young, rich and poor, far and near have within them the capacity to develop a relationship between themselves and their God. This option is not exclusive to religions or revelations. The gospel is about the personal relationship between the Creator and the created. Right?

 

Isaac:              You are the teacher. I'm the student -- but I certainly agree. Yes. And I think that I wanted to put that into the transcript as my opinion, and, you know, I was pretty sure that you would agree with it.

 

The other thing that I wanted to comment on was from last week's lesson where Steve was asking several questions relative to where does free will end, and so forth. And Daniel -- and I don't remember if Tomas addressed it, but I know Daniel did -- in terms of other people imposing their free will and therefore infringing on one's free will, and I guess [what] I wanted to also say was that the idea of free will has its limits, of course. It isn't an unlimited free will. We don't have the free will to change the color of our eyes, or the height of our body, or the intelligence of our mind. Obviously these things are givens, and so that free will in its -- my understanding from the Urantia Book at least is that where we have actual free will is to choose our destiny, whether or not we are going to go along with the ascension career or not. So I just wanted to make that statement. And, you know, you can respond to it if you wish or...

 

DANIEL:        I will respond to you, my son. I am mindful of self will and free will. The crux of free will which is given to all beings is largely utilized as self will. In self will there are varying degrees of benefit to humankind and to the individual who uses self will which all beings do.

 

As Norm was saying earlier, this individual who went to great lengths to serve in a certain capacity and reap the benefits thereof was observed to be exemplary to an individual who opted not to invest such efforts to attain the results. Yet, self will can be the scaffolding which promotes these great works, these services to self and humanity. Free will, that agent of divine growth is focused on the will which chooses to do the divine will, [the] self will that chooses that the individual's will and the divine will be synonymous, that being who says it is my will that Your will be done. This is the path of ascension, and it is a very personal decision, or shall I say, these are very personal ongoing decisions. For each turn in the road, the option is there to do your will for it is your will. This too is your birthright as was also said earlier. The difficulty of following the Divine will as compared to 'I want to do it my way' is largely,.the conflict is largely dissolved when they are in cooperation, and to a God knowing being, that is generally the case. They are most often synonymous, for the mortal has learned that the easier softer way is through doing God's will. Have I worn that out?

 

Isaac:              Well, thank you for your commentary in response to what I was saying. I guess I have no further questions or comments, so I will turn off this mike. 

 

DANIEL:        The waters are still. The lake is placid. The water is deep and refreshing. Children, go play in this mountain lake which is cool, clean and vibrant. Soften your sincerity efforts by bathing in the living water of your own understanding of your relationship with divinity. Behold your brothers and sisters individually and recognize that within that being also is resident an aspect of our eternal Parent, the living God. Bathe in the knowledge that you are not alone, and that we teachers, that we celestial guides, helpers and companions are with you as you journey forth into Urantia. You are faithfully cared for. Until we speak again, do not forget that we will be here, loyally, as you return and as you go forth. Tomas and I and our visitors wish you well. Go in peace. Good night.

 

*****

 

DATE:                        June 23, 1995

TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Synergy

 

DANIEL:        Greetings, friends. I am Daniel, your teacher, friend and guide. As is always the case, I beam my joy upon this gathering. Small though you may think you are, the synergy of which Paula spoke in her prayer is indeed there. You are a mighty group. Let that love which you are open up and pour forth and merge with the love of your siblings around the world. This is in fact a request to do this at this time. It is much easier to feel the love flows and send them forth when sitting with a group such as this. Indeed is there synergy. So, throughout this night's meeting, please remain alert, and remain in service in this way. It will be practice for you. This state which I ask you to attain is similar to TR receptivity except that your eyes are open and you are fully aware of what transpires within the room. You should feel calm, and at peace, and alert.

 

Tonight's lesson concerns synergy. [This is a 'yes' to a question that is in this TR's mind. She wonders if Paula was guided to use the term synergy in her prayer this evening, or if we off-the-cuff chose to make this the topic after the prayer, or if she is not in receptivity but is in fact making this whole thing up and synergy seemed easiest to take off on.] Paula was indeed guided. Thank you for your beautiful prayer, Paula.

 

You my friends have been actively participating in the living web of circuitry that is beginning to circle this globe in shimmering light. As you pray for your brothers and sisters, as you smile upon one another, as you extend your service to your neighbor or a person you meet while shopping or walking down the street, or as you are a gracious driver, etc, a link is established. It is a living link. It takes two to establish this link, but in many ways it takes only one. If you put forth the desire to establish the link and the individual has no unconscious or conscious block against such a link being established, then it is. Most people are completely unaware of this process and completely indifferent to it, and although many are not themselves initiating links, they are not in opposition to such links being established.

 

Therefore, as you go through your lives loving, spreading joy, acting with humor, acting out of gratitude, practicing tolerance, practicing patience and sincerity, you establish links to many. There is a synergy that is created when there are several doing this, for not only are you linked to your immediate Urantia-group family through this network, but as you link with individuals and your comrade’s link with these same individuals, the links increase in intensity. This increase is much more than additive, it is even more than exponential, and so there is a synergy that is created by what you do.

 

The practice that I have asked you to undertake this evening -- sitting in receptive silence, remaining alert, allowing yourself to feel the power of the First Source and Center in your beings, along with the calmness and the peace that comes -- creates many linkages of which you are not aware, and this is a great service. And so my friends we ask you to undertake the quiet not only for the immense, incomparable effect that it has on your own lives, but because it also has an immense, incomparable effect on the lives of your siblings.

 

Think, my friends, what would happen (to return to an old lesson) if you were to walk through an entire day in God-consciousness. For this is what we are asking you to practice at this point in time: God-consciousness. If you were to remain in that God-consciousness throughout the day, immeasurable good would be the result. Many, many linkages would occur. And if one hundred people across the globe were to maintain God-consciousness for a day, there would be enormous synergy in such an activity. This web would grow so rapidly, so dynamically, that light and life could happen almost overnight!

 

Yes, a day in God-consciousness is a big undertaking, and, yet, my friends, you are preparing for such a day. You have been doing the leg work. You have been building your foundations. You have been searching the nature of your beings. You have been first and foremost and most fundamentally, developing that relationship with God.

 

My friends I am here to announce to you today that indeed is synergy underway and indeed are we about to merge into a new time for your planet of greatly up-stepped consciousness, greatly up-stepped awareness. Christ Michael spoke most eloquently Monday to the practice group and told them that the new day was dawning, that the rays of the sun were tickling the underbellies of the clouds, that the sun was about to emerge over the horizon. Indeed am I here to tell you that this is so, that this was not meant figuratively as a pie-in-the-sky type of a metaphor, but it was indeed an announcement.

 

Prepare yourselves, my friends, for changes in your sisters and your brothers. Sometimes it can be almost difficult to deal with change when people do grow, for you are used to them the old way, and you mortals have preconceived ideas of one another that are based on an accumulation of past beliefs and past events, but often those preconceptions do not allow you, the individual, to recognize the change when it occurs. So in addition to the announcement of the new era upon us, I ask you to open your eyes to be able to see each situation and each individual with new eyes. Allow for change and growth in your siblings. Be awed by this process. Allow your hearts to fill with gratitude. Allow yourself to believe that this can be true and that you are experiencing it. Allow it into the core of your being.

Tomas, do you have words to add to my commentary before we open up the floor?

 

TOMAS:        Gracious Teacher, indeed I have words, however brief, for I do not wish to detract from the clarity of your missive this evening. I do however which to address briefly what synergy is not, lest in your beholding you negate the power and potential of this very keen circuit of energy.

 

The recovery movement which is making great inroads into helping individuals become socially acquainted with a personal God, has dealt largely with mortal matters. The spirituality which is emerging will be evidenced through synergy as it evolves and is realized. Yet it could be easily construed at this point to be an emotional connectedness or inter-dependence or co-dependence, which phrases are popular and useful in communication terms. These communication terms, however valuable and useful, are not the equivalent of synergy which is a transcendence of emotional circuitry and social circuitry.

 

It is difficult to add to the repleteness of Daniel's clear portrayal of synergy, but I felt that the clarification might be helpful; at least I intended that the clarification be helpful. It is also a way of establishing rapport with many readers, for in many ways. My name is Tomas; I am a recovering mortal,  and this is an aspect of Correcting Time which all Urantians face and which we teachers have spent many devoted lessons to reveal, that we are indeed siblings in this surge forward no matter whence our vagaries and peculiarities of origin.

 

Invitations are being distributed to the synergy dance, to the cosmic ball. The lightness of being has yet to break upon your personal reality but as you ponder the (how your language detracts!). I therefore commend Daniel his words this evening and return these energies to a more synergistic display and flow throughout the consciousness of these beings present, mortal and morontial. Thank you, Daniel.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you, Tomas, for your additions and clarifications. And now, friends, we would very much like to hear from you.

 

Tonya:            I'm afraid I'm still a little confused. Is it sending through your mind and through your quietness? Is it in sending love to another person? Is it a link that is easier made in intimacy or with someone that you know well initially before one is capable to send it to someone that they do not know well? I feel I'm very lost, perhaps.

 

DANIEL:        Tomas, may I…?

TOMAS:         Yes.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Tonya, I would be very happy to clarify, and I thank you for your question. This circuitry is real. It is beyond your vision, but it is a living -- let's say organic for lack of better terminology -- a living organic structure. This living organic structure is beginning to link all of the individuals throughout the world. This is what it means to have this planet re-hooked into spiritual circuitry. At the time of the rebellion, this spiritual circuitry was cut, and it was not allowed to grow between individuals because of the spread of the rebellion. By removing this web that joins one to another, the rebellion was isolated and confined to a limited quarter.

 

Now that the adjudication of the rebellion and the cessation of existence of Lucifer, Satan and Caligastia and all of those personalities who chose such personality cessation rather than to accept the mercy and the love of Christ Michael and our Great Parent, First Source and Center has occurred, now that they are gone and the rebellion is adjudicated, the circuits are/have been reestablished. Spiritual circuits have been reestablished to this planet. However, the web that connects individuals to each other and connects individuals into the spiritual circuitry coming from the heavens is yet to be established. That is a living web that is grown by spiritually minded individuals. It connects all individuals in planets of light and life unless and until individuals choose personality cessation while on the planet [of light and life]. But that is a very rare event, nearly impossible -- I am not sure if that has ever been the case on a planet of light and life.

 

So what needs to be done on this planet is that this living web needs to be grown, and it is established through love, through mental expressions of love. Thought is prior to matter, and so the thought of love, whether it be to someone close to you or to someone you do not know, works the same way. It grows this glimmering fiber, and this glimmering fiber allows spiritual insight to be shared. This is separate from and in addition to the collective consciousness, but it works similarly to the little we have discussed of the collective consciousness. It is spiritual in nature although semi-material in structure. Does this assist you in your inquiry, Tonya?

 

Tonya:             Actually, it has helped a great deal. One further question is, how do we know when that link is established? How do we feel it?

 

DANIEL:        This you do not need to worry about. Trust. When you pass the person on the corner holding the sign that says, ‘Will work for food,’ rather than turning away in guilt and feeling helpless to do anything about such humongous social situations that lead to such a pitiful situation (and I use the term pitiful in terms of common mortal perception) -- instead of that turning away, recognize that individual as a brother or sister and send them love, and trust that the link is established. It has been.

 

This holds true for any individual in any situation. One may watch the news for instance and see disaster and violence, etc. Rather than responding with despair and discouragement and withdrawing into oneself, let that love flow forth. Allow that link to be established. You do far more good in this manner than you realize and far more good than you possibly could imagine. There are some individuals who could take actions that would help change such situations, but for most people, they feel very helpless, and for many people there is not much that is immediately obvious that can be done. But love is always an answer, no matter the question -- to quote a passage from the Course in Miracles. Does that further clarify?

 

Tonya:             Yes, thank you.

DANIEL:        You're welcome.

Kent:               Greetings, my friends.

TOMAS:        Greetings.

DANIEL:        Hello, Kent.

 

Kent:               The lesson this evening and the words spoken were very beautiful, very strong. I don't know where to begin to express, let's say, my joy at hearing that. It's something that has been on my mind and everybody else's mind here -- the activities that are taking place through this Teaching Mission and outside of the Teaching Mission. We all have asked you many times what is going on. You are telling us now; you are guiding us; you are teaching us. Absolutely tremendous -- I am just overjoyed to be a part of this, to see what is happening, and I thank you for this. And my love to you.

 

DANIEL:        Our love and our gratitude overflows to you, Kent. Thank you for your participation, for your loyalty, for your dedication, for your striving, for it is this that allows the web to be grown, allows for re-entry into spiritual community and allows for the stage to be set for the beginnings of Light and Life. Thank you.

 

Paula: This is Paula. I guess I really like the words, I am here to announce the new age has come.  My terminology, or I guess the language with which I am most familiar is, you know, the Kingdom of God is at hand as announced by Christ Michael, Jesus, in the tradition I am most familiar with. And I'm just thinking that it is the same message, is it not? And do I hear you saying that perhaps the world is more ready to hear it then seems to have been evident in the 2,000 years since Jesus announced the Kingdom of God being at hand? I'd just like to hear some comments about that.

 

TOMAS:        May I?

DANIEL:        Please.

 

TOMAS:        When will we/you begin to accept that this is today? No longer is it recommended that you put off until tomorrow what can be realized today. Michael has manifested His grace literally and figuratively on Urantia, has been witnessed, and has been felt. His radiant love is here now. We are attempting to help you all realize that, after all, His second coming is not in some far distant future. It is not something to wait for, but to expect in your instant case. The Kingdom of Heaven is within you. This synergy is reality also within you. It transcends emotion, and yet its residue is triumphant emotional praise, glory, infinite soul satisfaction and loving service.

 

The many generations since Michael's incarnation on Urantia have rightfully anticipated His return, His presence among them. He has returned! Yet, your capacity to see Him is greatly diminished by your non-belief and by your fear that He will not return, by your distrust of religious references and your long-standing propensity to forestall your own realization. This, beloved friends, is not meant to be a criticism but a recitation of what you have endured as a result of the effects of your isolation as Daniel has described earlier and as you know from your study of your text, the Fifth Epochal Revelation to Mankind.

 

Now the time is here for your acceptance. And as you rise above, through healing the many sores, ills, dysfunction, and woes of Lucifer's reign, your synergy is inevitable. As it is experienced by you and as you see it evidenced in your cosmic energetic awareness of your connectedness, your greater connectedness to your siblings, as you see it manifesting in your life and in the lives of your peers, you now will begin to glean the present-dayness of what we are addressing.

 

You did provide me, daughter, with a delightful platform there to rather preach about the Kingdom which is at hand and IS. I thank you. I also beg to know if you have further questions or commentary in that regard.

 

Paula: My only comment is that I don't know if you misunderstood, but I have been preaching the Kingdom at hand also, so it's nice to hear a sermon that I have preached before. And I'm wondering if you misunderstood and think that I happen to see this as a future kind of thing. I was primarily asking if, yes, indeed, this is the same message that we have always heard from Christ Michael in terms of the Kingdom of God being at hand and within, and that this is not tomorrow. It is about today, to be lived fully and to indeed see the Christ in me, the Christ in you, and that there is no waiting. I mean, Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again and is here already. So I don't know if your sermon was directed to me because you understood my own particular place on that or if that was to reinforce the sermons that I have preached myself. But I did want to clarify with you that I am completely in synch with embracing the notion that the Kingdom of God is at hand and the fact that [because] people have been afraid, reluctant, whatever, they have missed out on so much wonderful connectedness, network, circuitry -- whatever the word we want to use -- that synergy, by virtue of putting themselves in a time framework. I don't know why anybody would want to wait.

 

TOMAS:        I have only one further remark, that I can see, and that is that yes, indeed, we preach the same gospel, and this too is part of the new aspects, the new, yes, synergy. For Michael has asked that his followers: unite together in worship of our joint Creator, in the process of eventuating the gradual dissolution of the barriers which separate humankind, and in the steps necessary to assure the visible brotherhood/sisterhood of spiritual yet mortal sons and daughters. You see that we share the reality of comprehension through synergistic levels that go beyond our differences to rise into the living energy which surpasses all barriers. We have only preached together. I am done.

 

Paula: I am reminded of Jesus' prayer,  that we may all be one  as He was, so fervently wishing that we could be one in the spirit, and I also appreciated your comments concerning interdependence, co-dependence. And I [have] said: that one and one is greater than two is God's arithmetic, and without God it is not synergy. It is inter-dependence and it is network, but the thing that makes it synergy is that extra circuitry or the extra energy or the embracing of love and light that empowers us to move beyond ourselves and beyond two, to be greater than two. So, thank you for my platform also.

 

TOMAS:        Indeed.

DANIEL:        And now I would like a turn at the platform, if I may.

Paula: Yes, of course!

 

DANIEL:        Paula, I believe your initial question was: is the dawn of a new age the same thing as the Kingdom of God is at hand? And Tomas very accurately and beautifully stated that indeed the Kingdom of God is at hand, it is immediate in allowing oneself to know Christ Michael who walks beside us all. However, my meaning in my announcement is somewhat different, for I am announcing that this living web has been growing at a mighty rate amongst God's children on this planet. And because of this now existent network/web, this living structure, the spiritual consciousness of all hooked up individuals is about to take a mighty up-step. This is why it is crucial that you continue to make sure that all of your brothers and sisters are hooked into this web by sending them love, by connecting with them on the streets, as you drive, in the stores, at work, and so forth.

 

And you see this is a slightly different message from the message that Christ Michael preached when He walked upon this planet, for at that time the spiritual circuits to this planet were cut, and this planet rested in isolation. Christ Michael was addressing the fact, the actuality, of the Indwelling Spirit, that what one needed to do was to turn inward to the Indwelling Spirit and then, after that, to the Spirit of Truth, and indeed the Kingdom of God was at hand in one's personal life. And this point you and Tomas agree upon fully, and I agree with both of you fully. But my meaning was to announce something different that went beyond an individual's relationship with their Creator and therefore the immediate quality of their lives.

 

I am announcing to you a heightened spiritual consciousness that affects all, and I am therefore asking you to prepare yourselves to recognize and respond to these changes as you perceive them. Sometimes it is very difficult to break old habits, because one expects particular behavior and cannot see that the behavior has changed because of perceptions. Paula, are we in understanding of one another? Am I in understanding of your question? If so, did you understand my answer?

 

Paula: Yes, I did. You did understand my question and I do understand your answer, and I also embrace that and really do believe… When you were talking about the network growing and the web growing, I kind of also flashed onto a crystal, the way crystals grow. You know a piece gets another piece, gets another piece, and they continue to grow and become a stronger structure as well, and particularly with crystal being a light also. I mean it's just a really powerful image for me. As you were speaking that came, and, so, [my answer is] yes. And I too think that it's important that we move from just a self personal spirituality to one that embraces all of creation, and I guess the words that when you pray for people, they become a part of that connectedness is a way that I hear what you're saying about the synergy, and I appreciate that as well.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Paula. Thank you for that beautiful image of the crystal. That is another excellent way of trying to describe in the English language and in mortal terminology that which is outside of your experience. Yes, the light glimmers beautifully from the crystal, and, in fact, this might be a better analogy than the use of the word web that somehow has the association of spiders and icky things. So, yes, as you send love, as you pray for individuals, that crystal structure is formed. Thank you, Paula.

 

Paula:              Thank you, Daniel.

 

DANIEL:        Have we further comments, questions, observations, responses, emoting? Any or all of the above?

 

TOMAS:        I, Teacher, and class, have an observation that perhaps our co- teacher Olfana has an understanding of synergy which is apparent from her fluidity in addressing her existence is a manifestation of that faith in action which transcends all constraints, except those constraints which allow her to operate perfectly within her natural boundaries. Thus, the demonstration of her association with kinetic spiritual force, juice, is apparent. And although some find her demonstrative, this is in some ways part of the aspect of dropping your expectations of how one's demeanor and comportment should then reflect upon whom they are or who they feel they are. Do you understand my words here class? Or Daniel?

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Tomas, I believe I do, as did my TR who, with your drawing to her attention Olfana and Olfana's TR, has allowed herself to experience further the synergistic kinetic spiritual energy of which you speak. For those of you who are not familiar with the teacher, Olfana, or her TR, S. K., let me tell you that Olfana is a brilliant teacher in our midst, and she does much work with energy and uses energetic metaphors. Her TR has allowed her full expression so that Olfana's transmissions through her TR are like dances. Is it this to which you referred, Tomas?

 

TOMAS:        Indeed.

 

DANIEL:        Yes. This TR is sorry that this is as far as she is willing to allow the synergistic spiritual energies to flow. She still has much concern about looking silly. Perhaps one day you will all experience that spiritual synergistic energy [with a teacher] which Olfana shares with her TR.

 

My friend, Alice, I desire to send you on your way with a blessing. Go forth in peace, dear friend. You are guided; you are protected; you are loved; you are in overcare of your Father Christ Michael, your Mother, Nebadonia, and the great Parent of us all. You have angels, you have teachers, you have midwayers, you have a mighty band to accompany you. You will find the trip will go just fine, very smoothly. You are loved. There are no bad omens; those have been removed long ago. Answers to your questions will be found. I will visit you, not only on your trip but as you settle in and from then on. I will always consider you a part of my group, one of my students. You will find other like minds; you will be at home. Go in peace, my friend.

 

And to all of you I offer my love. Farewell.

 

*****

 

DATE:                        June 30, 1995

TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Recycling the Earth

 

DANIEL:        Good evening friends. I am Daniel, your guide, teacher and friend. How pleased I am to be with all of you this evening. I have missed being in your physical presence, although I was connected to each of you through the circuitry and through the auspices of your personal teachers. I traveled with the Roberts family to Southern California and so was not physically present.

 

This evening, friends, I would like to discuss this concept of recycling the earth. Thank you, Kent, for your earlier commentary. You were pounded upon to catch that phrase; no wonder it rang so true inside of you. And you see, my friend, you also hear your teachers and guides.

 

Recycling the earth one individual at a time. Indeed is this what we are about. We began with those of you devout souls who were willing to pledge themselves to this adventure not knowing where it would go or what it would entail, knowing only that it was new and having the faith that it would lead to an illustrious future. And so we began building the foundation, block by block. And as time progressed, we have asked you to examine more and more deeply buried aspects of your beings, of yourselves, and to some extent we did slip up on you in this manner. For were we to have asked you to examine such aspects up front, immediately, you would not have had the internal resources to undergo such an examination. But, my friends, you have been strengthened through the time you spend in the quiet with our great Parent, our Father/Mother, First Source and Center. That time has been invaluable to you whether you recognize its effects or not. And then you have been strengthened by practicing the exercises, by allowing the fruits of the spirit to be manifest in your lives, by keeping the goal of God-consciousness ever in front of you. And you are becoming a recycled product.

 

My friends, I hope you see the humor in this imagery. It is not meant to be degrading or to be offensive in any way. The concept here is that God created good stuff, however, the realities of living on a planet of rebellion meant that the initial stuff was deformed from its original purpose, shape, size and beauty. The realities of this planet have tended to twist and mangle -- to some extent -- the original blueprint of which you are. And so the purpose of this phase of the Teaching Mission has been to assist in reshaping the original beauty of which you are, of allowing your true energies to fill out into the shape which is what God originally intended.

 

And, my friends, we are so pleased with your wholehearted embracing of this recycling project! Indeed, are your blossoms blooming! Another image of our recycling project is that of a bud that has tried to bloom but the weather has remained cold and the bud is pinched and beaten with hail. But finally the warm weather comes, the sun is out, the rains become gentle, and the bud blossoms. And you, my friends, are the blossoms in this recycling project.

 

And now the next step is to expand this recycling project that the entire earth may be reached individual by individual. And this you are doing, my friends, whether you are consciously intending it or not. And of course I know that you do intend to assist in the upliftment of this planet, but what I am saying is that often you do this when you are not aware of it. It is your humor; it is your joy in living; it is your soft response to someone hot around the collar, etc. It is your shining example. Believe it or not people are taking note of you. They do see the difference. They do desire to know the peace they recognize while in your presence.

 

Do not be distressed when you are not perfectly peaceful at all times, when life is not rosy, when your emotions rage. You are mortal children. You are human beings. Perfection is not possible, expected, or even desired from you. And to try to be perfect and put yourself under such pressures and in such a box actually stunts growth; it doesn't allow for your reality. One grows by being real, by recognizing and experiencing and learning from and responding to one's raging emotions, one's imperfections, one's hormonal swings, etc. So, do not condemn yourselves when you are in the midst of such a process, and please do not hide this from others, for people grow from and respond to reality, to real struggles. Pious, phony okayness helps no one. It helps not you, and it helps not others.

 

And I realize that many of you, or some of you, feel that you have to be okay all the time in order to uphold the correctness and goodness of your spiritual path, but this is not the case. Allowing yourselves to be who you are, warts and all, is part of the spiritual path. Being willing to share this with your brothers and sisters is how we all grow, those of us on the morontial side as well as those of you on the material plane. So please, friends, assist in our recycling project by allowing your warts to show.

 

May I please make a distinction at this point. I am not saying rationalize disrespectful behavior toward other people. I am not saying it is okay to feel such and such a way and therefore act out. I am saying, rather, do not hide that you feel such and such a way. Share in your most rational, real and expressive way your feelings, the whole range of your feelings: your joys, your loves, your peace, your anger, your resentment, your jealousy, your distrust, your suspicion, your possessiveness, your envy, your greed, your acceptance, your tolerance. Be who you are. This will recycle the earth -- one individual at a time.

 

My friends, you are doing a marvelous job recycling. We are pleased; we thank you, and we love you dearly. We are here to provide assistance in any way we can. Tomas?

 

TOMAS:        Greetings, my friends. I am going to take you in a moment to a spiritual yard sale, however, in the meantime I call to your mind the young tree in need of pruning, that in order for new growth to effectively come onto the tree certain willful branches need pruning that the tree will then grow in fullness and produce ample fruit. In your conditioning -- in general as mortals and as consumers, and at this time in the development of your world -- you have brought with you much refuge which can be disposed of. Much of your accumulated stuff is no longer necessary, is cumbersome, keeps you fettered. Certain belief systems, certain associations, certain habits, certain reactions, certain perceptions, certain procedures; these can be pruned at a spiritual yard sale.

 

In order to have an effective yard sale, you need to have the proper attitude that you don't need these any more. They no longer serve the purpose for which they were intended. Their value to you has long since vanished. The truth is, they may never serve anyone, yet they have to be gotten rid of. In your ascent, dear friends, children, if you will, as you outgrow your old perceptions, you pass them down or burn them. All perceptions, modus operandi, procedures, habits, etc, are not bad, but in order for you to begin your constancy in your own recycling, you need to have a lively attitude as to whether or not this serves you. If it no longer serves you, be done with it or pass it along to someone who can make use of it.

 

This is good commerce and commerce makes for open avenues of communication; therefore, do not sell a bill of goods. If your concept has holes, be certain that when you pass it on, you admonish your recipient that there is a flaw here, but that they are welcome to use it if they find value, for your needs have been met by it, you have appreciated it, and it is no longer needful in your repertoire.

 

When you hang onto so much stuff that has been necessary for your survival, that has been loaded onto you by tradition or family admonitions, you carry much baggage which only holds you back. Putting it in a box, then, for safekeeping only then makes you have to provide a storage place, and it, as Daniel says, grows dank with disuse. How profitable for you then to engage in a hefty spiritual yard sale. Your remuneration will benefit you in terms of new experiences and lighter burdens and the opportunity to share your experiences.

 

Well, I believe I have spent myself, therefore I will take my leave of this subject and return the platform to Daniel and to you all for further engagement.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you, Tomas. Your words have balanced mine. My friends, you now have two images of recycling: one of reshaping old material into new and one of getting rid of old concepts, old thought patterns, old structures, old perceptions and passing them on if they are useful to someone coming up behind you or discarding them completely.

We now invite commentary, questions, discussion, chattiness. The floor is open.

 

Rutha:             Daniel and Tomas, thank you for the lessons tonight. They are thought provoking, and I'm sure we all have a lot of recycling and baggage to drop. I just wanted to introduce to you formally in this meeting -- even though you have met Jane before -- I just wanted to introduce you to Jane and to welcome her to our group.

 

Jane:               You introduced me to Daniel in December!

Rutha::            Well, I can't remember what I've done. Daniel has a certain protocol.

Luke:             Ai yi yi. Not another bureaucrat. (Laughter)

 

DANIEL:        Thank you, Rutha. Yes, I know Jane very, very well and am deeply pleased that she, you, are here this evening, Jane. And we look forward to spending more Fridays with you in addition to our Monday time. We hope that this can be arranged, and, Rutha, thank you for protocol.

 

Luke, I am not a bureaucrat. However, I do like to have the opportunity to say some words to individuals when they join, and yes I did humorously chide Isaac in the past for not making an introduction. This was in part in jest and in humor and in part to allow me opportunity. And of course you ask, well you could take it at anytime.  And this is true, but very often to have a person introduced by one of you smoothes the tension and is not as startling as if I addressed them out of the blue. And so that is my reason.

 

Luke:              Hello Daniel, Tomas. This is Luke. A quick word about perfection. I myself like to be perfect. And if I be miserable, I like to be perfectly miserable in all respects. Although, I'd rather not. I'd rather be perfectly good, perfectly correct. So perfection has its good sides as far as I'm concerned. So I try to be as perfect as possible, especially in the business I am in.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Luke, thank you for your words. I know you do desire to be perfect, my son, and that you do desire that everything be sunshine and roses; however that is not reality. Despite the best of intentions, despite the most disciplined of practice, you are human, and there are days when you do not come up to your high standards. And so what I was suggesting was to deal with yourself at the level at which you are actually functioning and not at the level at which you wish you were functioning. Because to get to where you desire to function, one has to take the intermediate steps. There is no magic wand, there is no wiggling nose. One does not go boom to perfection out of sheer will power.

 

Luke:              Why not?

 

DANIEL:        For two reasons. First, you are a human being. I realize you do not particularly like this, but as a human being, a mortal, you are on the bottom rung of the climb to perfection. You are in a material body; material bodies have hormonal swings and instinctual patterning that do not allow for spiritual perfection. Animals are purely material. They do not have the spirit of the divine. They run completely on instinct and feel very free to express their emotions.

 

Let us take the example of dogs, since this image is most closely associated at this time in this T/R's mind. The dog feels fear; it snarls; the hair on the back of its neck goes up; if it is pursued it will run or attack. Dogs feel jealousy; they will squeeze between the person of their adoration and another. They are possessive; they will protect their belongings, even belongings that are not theirs to protect, and so forth. And this is part of being animal. And sheer will power does not change reality.

 

However, in addition to being animal, you do have the Divine Fragment and you do have free will to align more and more fully with that Divine Fragment. But it takes time and it takes practice to develop that skill and to be in alignment, in fact it takes eons and eons and eons. Those of us on the morontia level are just a little bit ahead of you. Although it may appear to some of you at times that we are significantly further on, we still have eons and eons and eons to go before we are perfected. So that is the first reason why sheer will power does not make one behave and respond and feel like one might always desire to.

 

Second of all, you are from a planet of rebellion. And this heritage still carries a very heavy toll. And so not one individual has had the parenting they required; not one individual has had their emotional and spiritual needs fully met as children on this once-sorry planet. And, therefore, there are not the emotional resources to fall back on, and this emotional healing must take place in order to be able to align oneself. Sheer will power will never do it. Spending the time with the Father/Mother, taking the intermediate steps and being real will do it. Reporting how you truly are at the time, and not how you want to be will do it.

 

Luke, my guess is these are not words you desire to hear but they are the truth as I know it. And of course truth is relative and continues to be revealed to me more and more in my ascension as well. Is there more, my dear friend, Luke?

 

Luke:              Well, yeah, there is. However, I pretty well understand what you are saying, and I become more and more realizing this is the way it is. However, I am proud to come from a rebellious planet because only through revolution do you make progress, and this brings you up to par, brings you up on your toes to get you moving. Because if everybody just goes blah-blah-blah, there's no challenge to living anymore. That's about all. And I think I'm rather proud to be here.

 

TOMAS:        Your friend Tomas has some support for you, Luke. Early in the text of the Urantia Book there is quite a sterling discussion regarding the admonition to be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. And although our eternal aim is to attain that oneness with divinity that we know absolute perfection, the truth remains that as you are today as an ascending son (or daughter for those of you who are hearing this in general), as you regard yourself as an ascending child of God, you are indeed relatively perfect, for in your realm you are where you are through no fault of your own, and your aspirations are to attain that divinity to which your soul aspires.

 

The difficulty in maintaining a stance of perfection in a world such as this, and indeed in other worlds as well, is that when one feels there is perfection, there is no motivation to aspire further. And this belief of qualified perfection also puts your neighbor at a disadvantage and does not manifest the necessary humility which would engage you in communications which lead to service.

 

So my son, I do concur that you are perfect. The dog that was referenced is certainly a perfect specimen of animal, and even though it snarls and is possessive and manifests attitudes and emotions which might be unsightly in a finaliter, they are admirable and noble for a beast. And as you have the origins of an animal in addition to the Indwelling Spirit of perfection, there is a marvelous range of experience and growth.

 

Your perfection is relative. You may in fact, for your own self respect and esteem, regard yourself as perfect as long as you understand that there are eons to go before ultimate perfection is attained, for it is perhaps better to acknowledge your worth as a dignified budding morontial soul, as a noble human being, than to decry your heritage, to feel inferior, to feel insignificant, and those lesser emotions that only belong in the rubbish heap corner of the spiritual yard sale.

 

DANIEL:        And I, too, have a comment to make in reply. Yes, dear son, feel proud to be from this planet. I apologize if I in any way suggested a put down to you that you were lesser for being from this planet, for certainly you are not! But all of you have missed some of the advantages that may have moved you up the ladder a little bit more easily. Much of the undoing process in which you are all currently involved could have been skipped by coming from other than this planet with its mixed history.

 

And indeed are you advantaged in other ways! However, these ways take longer in their unfolding, and so they are not as obvious at this point in time. It is like a bulb or a seed that is the offspring of plants that have come through drought, and flood, and heat, and freezing temperatures, and have survived. Those offspring, those bulbs, will grow extremely healthy plants through natural selection. And likewise is it so in coming from this planet as well as from the other planets of rebellion. (Remember that there were 50 in all.) You [from these planets of rebellion] are like the seeds of these hardy plants. You are like the seeds from the plants who have undergone much; you will grow into very sturdy, healthy, vigorous stock. Again, I apologize for any offense. None was intended.

 

Luke:              Thank you. Of course it was not intended from you, and I understand that perfectly. But you do have to say something in order to get you back on-line. You are, after all, we're living here on earth and we've got to make do with what we got. Thank you so much, Daniel, Tomas. I could keep on going but I would go too far then, would become a little bit of a jester, and I guess that I'll skip that. Thank you so much.

 

DANIEL:        You are welcome, our dear friend.

 

Rutha:             Daniel and Tomas, I don't know if this is so much a question as it is an observation or a comment, but my comment [is] regarding the lesson and what Luke has brought up -- the fact that we are not perfect. But, yet, because we are becoming more aware and our consciousness is rising, it becomes more maddening for me when I have excess baggage that I need to drop and I can't drop it, or [when] I keep playing old tapes, or [when] I fail to do the recycling that is necessary. And I think that's how I took Luke's statement. Yeah, sure we're not perfect, and we know that, but gosh it gets maddening when we keep failing over and over. And that's just my comment. Thank you.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you, Rutha. Yes, we understand your frustration, and you see that this is an example of exactly what I was asking you to do. When you are feeling frustrated, say so. Do not say it is sunshine and roses when it is frustration.

 

Kent:               Greetings, my friend. Indeed did you pound on my head and I thank you for that. Please pound a little harder. We have covered recycling, spiritual garage sales and perfection. I guess if we were perfect, you would be out of a job. We would not have to be recycled. I take the lesson on recycling [to be] that as we become recycled, we become better. I would like to thank you for the lessons this evening. I had another question and it evaded me. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:        Thank you, brother Kent

 

DANIEL:        Yes, and may I make a comment on your comment. Yes, as you become recycled, you become more in alignment with the original picture, the true essence of who you are.

 

Jane:               Tomas, I have a problem with your garage sale. I don't want to find fault with you, but I just had a very hard, hard time, when you were talking, understanding in what way ideas, or habits, or thought patterns, or whatever, that I had that were not serving me, that would in fact keep me from spiritual growth, in understanding why I would want to pawn these off on my brothers and sisters. This evaded me and it really bothered me, and maybe I'm not understanding completely what you meant. Could you please help me with that? I thought everything ought to go into the trash if you want to know the truth.

 

TOMAS:        How delighted I am with your question, my friend, for your earnestness is the stuff which teachers thrive upon. You are what makes a classroom an enjoyable experience. Allow me, then, to respond to your taking umbrage to my words, and I will select them carefully. I will suggest an instance.

 

It does not behoove you, as a learning, evolving being in contact with another learning evolving being to pull out from under him or her/their belief system. And yet it is not gracious, either, to pummel him or her with loads of philosophy or wisdom. A compromise response may be the wisest response for that instance, you see.

 

For example, suppose someone (oh, dear) believes in astrological signs, and you know that astrological signs have no bearing on spiritual content and yet you are engaged in a rousing dialogue with this individual which could in fact lead to spiritual dialogue between you, yet you find this astrological sign subject far removed from where you'd like to go. You may engage in discourse regarding the various personalities, various personality traits, and certain human characteristics which are generally ascribed to persons born in the spring or in the winter. Therefore (if I am making myself clear) you might see that whereas you know of a certainty the truth of a spiritual facet and that someone has a long way to go before accepting that, like Apostle Paul, a compromise might be in order. And thus I would say, if you have been holding onto your astrological horoscope books for a long time, you could sell them short but not burn them, for someone may still have need for a frame of reference.

 

And I may have, like Daniel, put my foot in it, but I am trying to convey the relativity of truth. Remember that a pint cannot hold a quart, that you cannot expect a fledgling soul to grasp gigantic concepts. Sometimes the student must be fed piecemeal, spoon by spoon, bit by bit, which is not to say they cannot digest a larger concept, but for now the smaller one will whet their appetite. And in this way I was attempting to picturize the merits of allowing some things to be dropped from your shoulders that you might then allow new light to come into your world. Do you see what I was attempting to do? Have I in fact answered your question?

 

Jane:               I do understand your example. I was thinking more in terms of perhaps bad habits, and what I understand you to say is that although I may no longer need a concept, I can still use that concept, which I now understand and have moved beyond, as a tool in dealing with others who are still walking that same path.

 

TOMAS:        Precisely.

Jane:               Thank you.

TOMAS:        A+.

 

Luke:              Hello, Daniel and Tomas. A last quick remark. That is what you're saying here that life is not always roses, caviar and champagne, and sometimes we do have to have dandelions and beer. However, I'll take the first one: roses, caviar and champagne. It's more suiting to me than beer and dandelions. So therefore we're striving for perfection in any form of a way. And I've been enjoying myself to be on our troubled planet, the things you said about it. Thank you very much.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you for your commentary, Luke. You are a most beloved son.

Beverly:          I'm having a garage sale tomorrow. (Laughter)

 

DANIEL:        Beverly, do you perhaps have more you would like to share with us concerning this garage sale?

 

Beverly:          Quite truthfully I wish I could do it all myself, but I've put myself in a position this year where I'm living with my daughter, and we make wonderful discoveries about who is carrying the most baggage. It's been a very fruitful week in finding things for the garage sale. As Michelle changes, things change between us. As I change, then our relationship changes. And we've both done a lot of growing this year, and the house is getting pretty empty -- I hope.

 

DANIEL:        Well stated, my friend. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:        Indeed it may be easier in concept at least to do it alone, for you have, as they say, one less egg to fry. However, as you can see, the commerce which takes place between yourself and your daughter regarding your stuff as it relates to your growth, you have commerce between you, you have true communication, or at least you have a viable bridge to cross over, and you are not alone. Indeed we teachers have found great pleasure in the commerce we engage in, in crossing the bridge from here to there in our relationships with you mortals. It is not best to do it alone. It is troublesome to deal with others, but is more fruitful. You see how we have grown in our dealings here. Each of us has become a more rarified breed, a finer-tuned instrument, a more perfect specimen of reality, none of which could be done if we individually were left isolated in our own sphere, as you can plainly see the damage of prolonged isolation. Daniel?

 

DANIEL:        Are there further questions or comments, dear friends?

Luke:              Next week.

TOMAS:        Yes?

 

Luke:              I think we can wrap it up and say next week I will make another comment. It's getting late and the tape is running out.

 

DANIEL:        Indeed, that will be fine. Friends, this week we would ask you to continue your recycling efforts. Continue to learn what being real is in the here and now. Continue to analyze concepts and perceptions that have served you in the past and decide whether they are serving you now and if they are truly needed. Continue to examine reactions to situations and if they are not useful, if they are old baggage, discard them.

Go in peace to love and serve. Farewell.

 

*****

 

DATE:                        July 7, 1995

TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Recycling Old Lessons

 

DANIEL:         Greetings, friends. I am Daniel. I am most pleased to welcome you all back together again into this time of community, this time of sharing, this time of recommitting oneself, one's will to a path of spiritual growth, to coming into higher understandings of the nature of God and the workings of the universe. We recognize that summer is a time of transition, a time of breaking of routines which can leave some individuals feeling somewhat unsettled, at the same time that there is additional energy imbued from this very same shift in routine. And so this is another paradox, the breaking of routine allows for greater energy, greater opportunity but at the same time can cause unsettling and disharmony. Learning to balance these offsetting effects is the point of our lesson tonight.

 

Tonight's lesson is another lesson on balance. Tonight we are recycling again, but we are recycling old lessons rather than individuals; however, in the recycling of the lessons, indeed, are individuals recycled. Balance, my friends, is crucial in all things as you know, and the way one comes into that balance is always first and foremost by taking that time to sit in stillness, to sit in quiet with the First Source and Center. But as was shared earlier this evening, the quality of that time is most important. It is necessary that you bring all of your selves, all of your thoughts, all of your concerns, all of your joys to this communion with God, the Father/Mother, the Comforter, and the Best Friend.

 

I remind you, my dear friends, my associates, that your Indwelling Spirit, God, is the best friend that you could ever have, ever hope for. This Divine Fragment of the First Source who is at the Center of All is outside the limits of time and space and has perfect knowledge of the consequences and outworkings of every decision, every action. Who better to bring your concerns to? Who better to share yourself with? Who better to spend your time with?

 

However, one cannot approach this same God if one is not in understanding of the loving nature, the bounteous outpouring, the essential goodness, of this God. If one approaches God with concepts of a being who plays tricks, who is devious, who only pretends to care about the individual who is praying, then no real connection is easily available for one's own fear and suspicion blocks the essential goodness, the parental outpouring and the Divine affection of this beloved Parent.

 

And so, my dear friends, when you approach your quiet, come into this time with full understanding of the goodness of God and the need to be totally real in God's presence, for this allows for tremendous growth and allows for that balance.

 

Tomas, my TR is somewhat blocked this evening. Would you, dear friend, be willing to take over this lesson?

 

TOMAS:        I am Tomas. I am most honored to assist you, Daniel, and you, my beloved fellows. The message has been conveyed. The thrust of the relationship between the mortal and the Infinite Creator has been established, at least in-so-far as our expression is concerned. This relationship, this conjoining of your will with the will of your First Source and Center is the adventure of the ages, is your challenge and chief delight once the practice has been established, once the fears of fraternity have been overcome and once the mortal allows the soul's hunger to be satisfied by the breadth and depth of that nourishment which comes from communion with the personal God.

 

I have listened well to Daniel's words, as have you, and in the recesses of my consciousness I have also been playing with the aspect of paradox, for the paradox of knowing your relationship with your Indwelling God Fragment, your own Nurturing Reality, is the greatest joy that can be known. There is a reference in various tomes having to do with your being sought as you have wisdom to impart, that indeed as you gain in depth and breadth through your interrelationship with Reality, you are sought for your wisdom in words, of your attitudes and responses, and that the measure of your quality relationship with this God-fragment is in effect directly proportional to those you serve, that if you need go looking for those to teach and foster, then to that measure you have failed to impart the power of prayer and meditation.

 

Let me touch lightly upon false humility, for much has been said about false pride. This condition of being in total compatibility with the Source of All is that which you know to be true, to have value that is value. That which you value is that which you seek to impart to others.  Those of you who are blessed with parenting experiences know how zealously you aspire to pass your wisdom and experience, your culture and your traditions, your educational standards and values, onto your progeny. Also, those of you who are mechanical whizzes are confident in fixing your gears and machinery to the satisfaction of those who are ignorant yet earnest in seeking your knowledge. This font of experience which you have in your innermost self is to a great extent of who you are and this is what you share with others. This gives you great satisfaction and a sense of worth in and among your peers.

 

By the same token then, class, dear students of truth, that knowingness of the reality of indwelling life, love and divinity, and that confidence of your connectedness, your alignment with that reality, your assurance of your place in those loving arms, in that eternal embrace, is the chief delight which you then are pleased to share. There is no purpose in denying that which you know. Those instances of complete surrender to God and the subsequent refreshment of your souls is sufficient to assure you that what you perceive is real, is true. There is no false humility or false pride involved.

 

I tell you this, dear ones, because we ask you to ponder throughout the upcoming season that in you which you would share which is of the Father, of the Mother, of the Creator and in harmony with yourself. These ponderings will formulate into lessons this fall when summer's diversion has come and gone and when you, in company with millions of students’ worldwide, return to your more focused and substantial determination to capture your spiritual career.

 

Might I conclude my words this evening with a greeting to you all in the flesh and in the celestial realms? How heart-warmed we feel when we experience these comings together, the focus of your soul. The receptivity of your most deep and eternal needs is that which we aspire to embrace in assistance and in conjunction with the plan of Christ Michael. Daniel?

 

DANIEL:        Thank you, Tomas. The floor is now open for comments and/or questions and/or discussion among yourselves as well as with us.

 

Jane:               Tomas and Daniel, I would like you to meet my friend, D.R. and I'm very happy to have her here this evening.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Jane. Thank you for introducing D.R. to us. We are familiar with you, D.R., and we extend to you a very warm welcome to our community. We hope and pray that your soul growth may be nurtured in this forum, that we may assist with your material life as well as with your spiritual life as we do with our other students through their increasing strength in the knowledge of who they are as precious beloved children of a most loving, most beneficent, most just God/Parent. We pray and hope that with us you will come to know the tender love of this most merciful Parent. We say to you welcome, dear D.R. We know you very well as we know your teacher. Tomas?

 

TOMAS:        How pleased I am at this bevy of daughters! And how honored we are to conjoin with you, D.R. Your presence is fragrant and we look forward to developing an on-going friendship as we all grow together. Welcome, my dear.

 

Luke:              Thank you very much, Daniel and Tomas, for the nice welcome you give D.R., and indeed we live in a world of paradox and that keeps everybody on their toes, on this side as well as on your side. And whoever would have thought that Melchizedek would have taken over the reins from everybody else? And that brings me to my real question. This morning I had a conversation with Rondolyn as well as with Gretta and I just wonder if it was for real or if it was just part of my imagination. Now, if you don't have the answer quite ready, I'd be happy to wait for the answer later on. So, good evening and good-bye.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you for your words, Luke. This is one I can answer quickly for you, for indeed are your teachers here and they would be able to fill me in quickly if I did not know the answer already; however, not only were Gretta and Rondolyn present at the time of your discussion, but I was as well as Tomas, and so we both can concur that indeed did this conversation take place.

 

My son, I would ask you to allow the knowledge of your own abilities into your heart. You do know that you know, however we are willing to validate you for a time. The day will come when we will push you from the nest and validations will be less frequent.

 

Luke:              Okay. I accept it quite well and I believe I made the statement that that would be the last question for validation, so from now on it's -- go and solve it as fast as you can. Thank you very much.

 

DANIEL:        You are welcome.

 

Beverly:          Good evening, Daniel and Tomas. This is Beverly. I had a question because I had two places to go tonight. On the 7th of every month there is a meditation group that meets and I enjoy it quite a bit, so I was torn. But I was just wondering, are they doing as much good as I think? Are you aware of the group that meets at Hartland?

 

TOMAS:        I, Tomas, am not aware of a Hartland group. However, my inclination is to be at least initially supportive, for the process of meditation is one of those practices which will contribute to the evolution of spiritual reality on Urantia and more specifically to the fragrance of Pocatello. Your involvement, dear one, with these contemporary configurations is adventurous. I would suggest, if you were to ask, that you take with you your own understanding of your personal meditation techniques and contribute your energy to the augmentation of those energies in force and in this grouping.

 

There are some groups who are so elementary in their process of introducing meditation techniques I find them rather worthless, however, even rudimentary lessons in terms of training the body to sit still, to quiet the mind, to learn to focus on the light, these are commendable. To the extent that you find satisfaction and to the extent that you can serve, be generous with your spirit. By the same token, my daughter, we would miss you.

 

The seventh of the month seems to have rather mystical connotations. Perhaps you should have gone.  (Laughter)

 

Beverly:          They are also studying the book by Deepak Chopra, Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. That's why they chose the 7th also.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, Beverly, and there is much good in this book. I, Daniel, am familiar with it. What I will ask you to hold in mind is the personal nature of a personally loving God. It seems to me that it is this concept as a concept that is missing in this particular group. Indeed do many of the participants know a loving God and do they worship this God; however, this concept of a Parent that cares enormously for Her/His children is not there and this is indeed the distinction between meditation that is life-transforming and meditation that is calming only.

 

To meditate with the purpose of coming into greater understanding of God and of oneself and of the relationship between God and self will change ones life. To meditate with the purpose of finding inner peace is calming, is soothing, but it is not life-transforming. Do you see?

 

Beverly:          Yes, thank you. That helps me a lot.

DANIEL:        You are most welcome.

 

Jane:               All right, guys. Let's get specific. If I am going to increase the quality of my meditation, if I am in fact going to do what you suggested, how do I go about it? What do I do differently than I do now? What are the steps?

 

DANIEL:        My dear friend Jane. There is nothing that you need to do differently because indeed do you follow the steps, indeed do you stand before God revealed, willing to share with God your anger, your torment, your upset, your gratitude, your love. It is by being real with yourself and by being real with God that life transformations take place. My dear, I in no way meant to suggest that you personally were not taking these steps. My words are both general and specific. And yes, you cannot know the loving nature of God until you have tested that, until you have found that it is safe to be angry with God, that it is safe to tell God exactly what you think about the state of the world and what you think about the state of your life and the state of the lives of those people who are dearest and closest to you and you find in response time after time that you are met with nurturance, love and acceptance.

 

Jane, I know you are in the midst of a very trying transition. You are in the midst of an enormous growth step. This is very difficult. But, my dear, you are sincere. You are sincerely seeking to know God. You have sought for years and years to be about God's will. You are firmly aligned. You are taking the steps. You are praying for the willingness to forgive. You are praying for greater understanding into situations. You are praying for greater understanding into the nature of God, and this is all that you can do at this time. There, unfortunately, must be the elapsement of time for things to fall into place, for prayer to be answered, for greater understandings to be reached.

 

I am very sorry, my dear, for the difficulties through which you are passing now. However, I do know that you will reach your goal for your heart is there. Your sincerity is there. Your will is aligned. It is simply a matter of time and I am sorry if I cannot be of greater help to you right now other than to let you know that you are in process. The process is well under way and you will come out the other side. I wish I could speed it up for you.

 

Jane:               Daniel, I didn't really take it personally what you said about meditation. I simply thought that maybe you had a technique that was better than the one I was using and I wanted the steps if you had one. Thank you for your remarks.

 

DANIEL:        Yes. Your statement understood. I was referring to the quality of quiet time, and as I had access to this TR's mind and to this TR's sharing, I was drawing upon her earlier sharing of perfunctory quiet time and heart-and-guts quiet time. And what I was desiring to communicate is that it is heart-and-guts quiet time that makes the difference; however she was unwilling to put it out that way because she was afraid that that was part of her own mind or that it would be assessed in that way and so we were blocked in the full range of what I desired to share. Thank you for giving me the platform to get her moving and get my message out.

 

TOMAS:        I would like to add a couple remarks if I might. The first being that this particular TR, by comparison, had some aversion to guts today; I think it had something to do with the yard sale. [Ed. note: Response to earlier sharing.] But, as to meditation techniques, it has proven successful to establish a time and adhere to it religiously. A regimen, if you will, a date with divinity, if you prefer, established at a time when the external world is not invading. Establish for yourself half an hour uninterrupted. Allow yourself twenty minutes of stillness and prayer and then allow yourself ten minutes to receive.

 

This date needs to occur more often than on Friday nights. It is a practice which indeed will establish a hunger and eagerness to endure the trifles necessary in experiencing those life-altering adjustments which will bring fruit to your hungering soul. The date with divinity needs to be approached as eagerly as you would approach a mortal assignation, for this is a most intimate encounter. Bedeck yourself if you choose. Cleanse yourself. Sanctify your environment. Soothe your environment and set up your lighting to be romantic, for this all contributes to your poise, your coming together with the object of your adoration.

 

The only thing is that you have not discovered that yet. The anticipation of this relationship can be augmented by your own creative imagination.

 

Meditation, you see, is not a technique, ideally, for remembering items on your grocery list or other such mental disciplines. This is the love affair that will carry you to Paradise! You will find in the loving embrace of your First Source and Center in meditation that you would rather be there than anywhere. In fact, your loving Parent will nurture and comfort you to the extent that you now need to learn how to go play, to avail yourself of the wonders of life, and to receive the gifts of life. This meditation time is the roadmap for your future relationship with your Eternal Guide. If any of my remarks have been helpful in augmenting your technique, I am grateful.

 

Rutha:             Tomas, this is Rutha,. I have a curiosity question. At what position are you around Gerdean?

 

TOMAS:         Are you speaking metaphorically or physically?

Rutha:             Physically.

TOMAS:         I am, shall we say, focused to the northwest of her Thought Adjuster.

Rutha:             That doesn't help me.

 

TOMAS:        Actually, it does. I am perceived by Gerdean as being to her left front, and this is the angle that we have established as my entry point into her circuit. 

 

Rutha:             Thank you. As the song goes these days, 'I've seen the sign'.

 

TOMAS:        You are welcome. I have a curiosity question now for you. The sign. Does it say, 'Slow?' 'Stop?' 'Railroad Crossing?' 'Peaches for Sale?' (Laughter) Why do you ask?

 

Rutha:             I asked because I have been -- while Gerdean has been talking -- I have been seeing what I thought might have been you and then when she was not talking there was nothing there, and I have been in such a lull that I asked that I could have another candle, so to speak. Verification of that. So I thank you.

 

TOMAS:        I am somewhat troubled but I also understand your mortal condition as I, too, have needed and need assurances that I am real, that my perceptions are real, that how I am perceived by others is real. This, too, is our discussion for this evening. We are beginning to see with a different set of eyes, you see.

 

Rutha: I have a kind of another question and I'm not really sure how to formulate it to you but when I was talking to my dear friend Frosty earlier this week she said, 'sometimes it just feels good getting back into being animalistic, being human and not being spiritual at all'. Is that being real?

 

DANIEL:        Tomas, do you mind if I address that question?

TOMAS:        I shall be entertained.  (Laughter)

 

DANIEL:        That, my dear, is being very real, for being animal is one half of your nature and to deny or ignore or pretend away or desire to not be animal is not real. You do indeed have instinctual functioning; you do indeed have emotional responses that are primarily grounded in material reality; and although the material passes on and only the morontial soul continues, the morontial soul has within it the material experiences. Material life is considered very necessary to the ascendant career or this would not be the beginning. And so to try to not be animal is indeed to not be real at this time. Do you see?

 

Rutha: Yes, I see, and I concur with Frosty that sometimes it just feels good to just be animal and forget about everything for a time.

 

DANIEL:        Yes, indeed, and this is part of balance. Everyone needs a vacation. 

 

Francyl:          I have a curiosity question. I've been going through some old books lately and found a bunch of books by Seth and could you tell me anything about him?

 

DANIEL:        I am sorry, my dear friend Francyl. That belongs in the realm of topics we are not free to discuss. If you find truth there, then indeed follow it and pursue it. Take everything to your Indwelling Spirit for validation and let your Indwelling Spirit and the Spirit of Truth be your guides in discerning what is true and what is not.

 

Francyl:          Thank you.

DANIEL:        You are welcome.

 

TOMAS:        I would comment. You realize that you have not been alone on Urantia all this time that the United Midwayers have been active. Without the activities of the midwayers, we would not have come as far as we have come, although I realize that to you we have not come far enough. Even so, in perspective, the midwayers have not been idle. They have through the course of time made certain contacts and there have been manifestations of their activities.

 

I am not validating nor denying the personality of Seth, nor the activities behind his words; however, en route to a plateau of evolution there are efforts made. Even we are making efforts today. Abide by your own understanding through the Spirit of Truth and I will henceforth cease my chatter.

 

Francyl:          Thank you.

 

DANIEL:        Have we no further comments or questions or discussion for one another this evening? Then, my friends, I suggest we draw this time together to a close. Make seven dates with divinity this week. Keep them. Bring your love and adoration; bring your emotions; bring your questions. Allow this budding relationship to flower.

 

Tomas and I wish you a week of greater insight, of heightened awareness, a week of greater balance. Go in peace. Farewell.

 

*****

 

DATE:                        July 14, 1995

TEACHER:                DANIEL

TOPIC:                       Trust Willingly

 

DANIEL:        Good evening, my friends. I am Daniel, your loyal teacher, here to address you once again regarding those matters which will instill in you increased belief of your identity as dignified sons and daughters of the Most Highs.

 

There is a great augmentation of power and energy in your arena this evening. This is a natural development as a result of your belief, of your understanding that new levels of awareness and comprehension and reality can and will take place through your faith. Faith in yourselves as well as faith in your teachers and, yes, in your comprehension of your religious life, your personal spiritual identification with Divinity.

 

This augmentation of power and energy is a lure. It lures you into believing you can attain greater enlightenment, and this forward lure does indeed bring you into new comprehensions, yet these same lures can be frightful/frightening to the fledgling soul. How does one trust energies and powers which one cannot control or comprehend?

 

This evening I would like to spend a few moments developing your trust. I have help in this lesson, for you are bestowed with the Spirit of Truth which is trustworthy, which always suggests the direction toward which you need to lean.

 

Trusting that you will (physically) grow is not difficult, for you have grown in obvious ways and the testimony is apparent. Growing in intellectual ways also is fairly evident, for your associations modify/adapt to your thinking processes. But weighing the growth of your soul and its involvements requires your trust that you will see positive results.

 

As a fledgling spirit you are urged to trust, yet your experience as a mortal on this trouble-strewn planet has not given you cause to engage in trust willingly. 'Prove yourself' is a frequent denouncement to those who say, 'Trust me.' The proof of your reality is in your acceptance of yourself. How do you feel about yourself?

 

In your social time (this evening), we were heartened to see and hear you give evidence of the growth results of your trust in the face of your fears, in the face of pain, in the face of confusion, doubt, anger, frustration, lamentation; even so, growth is transpiring, some more quickly than others, but all of you require trust to grow. Otherwise, you would only exist mechanically, instinctually. Your emotional realms would be devoid of fulfillment and your spiritual lives would remain inert.

 

It is a tremendous feat for animal-origin beings to trust that which is not visible and yet you are beginning to perceive and believe and act upon that truth that the greater reality is more substantial than the reality to which you have heretofore been accustomed. Some of you are more eager, more ambitious, and so your growth steps tumble you more quickly into experiences which would naturally unfold if you were to trust more in the process, in the natural synergy, but we enjoy the fireball children as well as those who wait quietly for clarity.

 

In the trust that you are developing, there lies the foundation for the trust which is placed upon you; thus you are entrusted. You are given work, assignments. Do you feel sometimes that you have more work than you can handle? Then increase your trust in yourself and in Divine Overcare. As you assimilate your own actuality in terms of your morontial identity, you gain trust in your own preconceptions, for now the preconceptions are from your Thought Adjuster rather than from your corporeal frame of reference.

 

Do not be frightened by the power and energy which results, which will impact you, which will lure you into unknown realms. The universe is orderly, beautiful, infinite, organized, symphonic. You are becoming part of a grander scheme of things. Allow yourself to accept those surges of energy and power which will augment your ability to keep up with your own ambition to grow.

 

Be gentle with yourself. Trust yourself. No longer are your motives circumspect. No longer are you completely egocentric and circumscribed. Give yourself credence as being able to make those decisions, those judgements, and those steps which are required for your ascension. Distrust is an item to be considered as a discard item. Caution, intelligence, wisdom, probing minds, inquiring minds you all have. You have also the intimate knowledge of the presence and guidance of the Original I AM, our Grandparent, and the merciful ministrations of Michael and the Divine Minister. These are your intimate associates, closer to you than your spouse, your children, your neighbor, or yourself.

 

That is my lesson this evening. It is a review. It is a recap of an earlier lesson on trust. Many teachers have spoken of trust, for it is essential that you engage in trust. My and your associate Tomas is unavailable at this time and later I will also be focusing energies on another matter, but I am here now, Tomas is available through circuitry, and we are mindful of your growth needs, therefore, dear children and close companions, what shall we address this evening in our open forum?

 

Jane:               Daniel, I'm sure you listened to the sharing before the meeting so I think you already know what I want. I want this stuff off! I trusted and I don't think I'm very happy with the results; and now I will trust that some proper adjustments will be made.

 

DANIEL:        Daughter, yes, I understand. Bear with me as I find a way to convey to you in words which will fall gently upon your ears, that which will enable you to bear this burden without distress.

 

In your experience in your work, (indeed, in work which is impressive and invaluable), you have most acute knowledge that there is often pain which comes from resistance. Your distress at receiving that which you are in line for and needful of and willingly accepting is only awkward to you for it is, as you say, in your conscious awareness.

 

Shall we give the poor example of a child who has clubfoot, who must wear a device on his leg in order for the bone to grow straight. Your circuitry, your energy augmentation is feeling to you like the restraints on your clubfoot. As your bones fall into their natural place, you will walk and run. In the meantime, this appendage, this encumbrance is really more of a nuisance than a pain. You admit your consciousness of it is most distressing.

 

How unfortunate that this analogy leads to another analogy of and involving discomfort, for now consider if you were born without a left forearm and you were given a prosthesis. At first you would find the device cumbersome, heavy, ugly and difficult. Yet, as you become accustomed to this device, it becomes a useful tool with which you can accomplish more than you had thought possible.

 

If you could in faith compare the recent opening of your circuitry as one of these or any related type of example, it might be helpful. I will not be so unfeeling as to suggest that there is 'no pain, no gain', but I perceive that your true distress is your awareness and the burden which this awareness reveals to your understanding of being in what some would consider an enviable position, what some would consider a responsible position, what some would consider a ludicrous position, of being able to communicate with personalities beyond your optical vision, for indeed this is what is transpiring.

 

Your personal circuitry is opening, and like a ventilator which has been closed since the manufacture of the product, the vent is opening, the air and light are flooding in and causing you to be aware of an aspect of yourself which is not customary and therefore is accentuated in your mind as being dreadful and painful. This is not to say that some discomfort has not been recorded.

 

Am I given now to understand, fellow worker that you would rather not avail yourself of these additional powers and energies which will greatly enhance your personal life and those you would serve?

 

Jane:               I may be in an enviable position but I don't feel like that at all. I feel miserable. I feel constantly distracted. And the interesting thing to me is that I was able to hear these entities quite clearly before this augmentation, and as far as I know, I've heard nothing since it came on. Now maybe that's my own stuff getting in the way; that's fine. The way I feel right now is that I want it off! Now! Thank you.

 

DANIEL:        I cannot interfere with your own evolution. Let me ask you: How do you think the fish felt when it began to develop legs, crawl up on land, and breathe with lungs?

 

Jane:               If the fish felt like I did, he has all my sympathy. I'm just extremely uncomfortable, Daniel. Is that...? I mean, what is it? Like, tough s---? Is that the deal? It sounds like it.

 

DANIEL:        I am at least as distressed as you are for under no circumstances does anyone wish to instill pain or discomfort. I am only in a position to suggest that perhaps the Life Carriers will make those necessary adaptations which will allow for your acceptance of your connectedness to cosmic consciousness less obtrusive.

 

I hear your lament and I am quick to acknowledge your long-term establishment as being a being who is conscious of your spiritual nature and your relationship to your universe and the friendly aspects of it. I also am aware that you utilize these same realities in your application of your healing ministrations most effectively.

 

Let us discourse a moment, if you will permit me, regarding your discomfort at sledging through several weeks of refining process following your recent trip. This discomfort is more acceptable to you, apparently, in the realms of your understanding of growth development than what has occurred with your ear?

 

Jane:               One, I was told before we went to Palm Beach; this was a distinct possibility so I was warned ahead of time. Two, at least to my knowledge, it did not involve anything electronic or unnatural. I was not asked nor told that I would have all this added electronic equipment on my head and no one, I mean, it's like they said, 'Okay, you've agreed to be in the circuits, so from now on we don't have to ask or let you know when we're doing this,' and I resent that. You know, I'm being honest. I would have very much appreciated -- I don't like people assuming that they have permission -- and when the discomfort got worse instead of better, I was really angered and I'm still not happy. I feel there's a big difference because I trusted that I would heal, that it wasn't going to be fun, but that I would heal. I feel that healing is a natural process. I don't feel that this is natural.

 

DANIEL:        For the benefit of those not present, those not present in the flesh, I perceive no equipment appendaged to this mortal's being. These perceptions of equipment are greatly enlarged. There is no mechanical device prying open any apertures. There is no requirement that you sustain this discomfort at all. If this distress is over-reaction, a misplaced understanding, in alignment with your perfect Healer Parent, seek resolution, dissolution of this distress. There is no pain in spiritual growth, no physical pain is attendant. No growth is required if it is not your will. No demands are put on you, except those which are willingly assumed by right of passage into awareness of responsibility in line of service and this is the natural, spontaneous result, desire, effect of a spiritual experience. What you have been experiencing is not a spiritual experience. Cease and desist your distress.

 

There are, as I said earlier, augmented power and energy evident this evening. It is not within my purview to identify those energies except to say that they are natural and loving. I would suggest that perhaps your volume is turned up too loud and that if you were to relax your volume, it might help your condition.

 

My child, I am at a loss as to how to console you or minister to you. My advice, which you have not asked for, is to seek healing from the Infinite Spirit. Seek comfort and rest. Allow yourself time to wade through life's vicissitudes at a pace which is compatible to your own system. Do not allow others expectations of you or anticipations of you or demands of you to stress you. Indeed, do not allow your own expectations, anticipations and demands to stress you.

 

Rest in the knowledge that you are safe in the loving arms of your personal Creator. Accept that nurturance. Allow your entire being to be washed with those warm, womb-like waters which heal and soothe and nourish. Set aside your equipment. It does not become you.  (Pause)  How do you feel?

 

Jane:               I feel just like a little kid who got chewed out by their parent; and other than that I'm not too sure how I feel. I do have one other question. Is all this new power available to every human being on the planet or just to certain groups and individuals?

 

DANIEL:        I will address that, yes. This power, energy, is available to all and any who are open to it. There are many who have no use for such energy. There are many who have long sought this understanding of energy. The electricity of the universe has been turned on; the circuits are open. Your world, which has sat in darkness, has had floodlights turned upon it. Those who would be blinded by the light, still walk with their head down. Those who have gazed into the sun seeking the brightness, are elated.

 

The expansion of circuitry is a natural result of being re-connected with cosmic energy. Any being may access this energy. Resistance to this energy will not stop the energy but it is not required that any mortal being grasp it. This spiritual flood-light rains on the just and the unjust, the rich and the poor, and the this and the that.

 

There are beings, mortal beings, who have sought spiritual reality, who have indeed found spiritual realities along the way, who seek even now for greater spiritual realities for this is their acknowledged path. For them, greater doors will open, greater lights will shine, greater energies will be available. In contrast, those who chose to ignore the spiritual renaissance can remain in their mode and are as well loved and tended to in their sphere of reality as are the Bright & Shining Morning Stars.

 

So yes, this spiritual power and energy is available to everyone. There are no 'chosen people' in this classroom.  Has that satisfied you, TiEl? (no response)  Before the baton is passed, I want to convey to you how dear you are to me and to many others, how we respect your integrity and enjoy your spunk. Your tender-hearted core is a true flowering example of love personified, and I appreciate being permitted to engage in conversation with you. Do challenge me/us again. Do consider me to be your devoted friend.

 

Rutha:             Daniel, while I was sitting here listening to the dialog between you and Jane, I could not help but feel a lot of energy, of Jane's energy, and I would just like to offer-- This is what I saw happening here, because I feel like maybe there's been -- I'm hoping that maybe the insight that I was given during this time might help Jane in interpreting what you said, because I know Daniel so much closer, so correct me, please, but I see that you said to Jane that, -- Well, let me just preface this, because -- I can say this because I have experienced to some degree what has happened here.

 

We all go through dark nights of the soul. Sometimes they're not just nights, they're months. Sometimes they're a year and it just seems like its forever and you just can't ever get to the bottom layer. You just keep peeling and peeling. And during that whole time that you're peeling this stuff off, it seems sometimes, there's a place where this stuff just kind of collects. This has happened to me. And I see that what maybe has happened to Jane is that the opening of the circuitry and her purging of so many things and trying to come to grips with 'Who I am'' as a human, and 'Who I am as a child of God'; and so there has been this purging and it's all kind of collected. I'm maybe guessing that it's collected by her ear and it's, you know, it's like with a baby, you have to burp the baby! She's ready to be burped. It's all collected right here. I know it's a kind of a gross picture but to me maybe this is what has happened.

 

And at the same time, the circuitry is opened up and she's beginning to develop that higher range of consciousness, but it's very frightening, and you do -- you want to scream, you want to holler, because it's -- you want it so bad but at the same time it's very frightening, it's very scary and you don't want it, and it does seem painful, but that's the human aspect of it. The spiritual aspect is not painful, as Daniel very beautifully stated, that that isn't what's bothering us; it's our humanness.

 

And so I see that what Jane is experiencing might be a physical thing which she is interpreting as being circuitry and perhaps it's just the purging of other stuff that's collecting where the circuitry is supposed to be connecting. That's just what I feel might be happening.

 

Anyway, I took it from Daniel, too, that in no way was the discourse made to be belittling or to put you in a lower position as a child and Daniel as a higher guide. I took it as being straight-forward, talking across to you, not down, and so -- and that was my gut feeling that what was happening here is that you were shrinking and at the same time I could feel Daniel thinking he wanted you to expand and realize that when he said to drop this mechanical devise, he was saying to drop it in the spiritual sense and let the spiritual rise, and realize that it was more of a physical reality.  Anyway, Daniel, you can correct me or whatever.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you, Rutha, I am not going to correct you for there was nothing remiss in what you stated. Your exposition was fine mortal camaraderie and upholding of your understandings. I am not inclined to correct anything which does not need correcting.

 

Jane:               Rutha and Daniel, the reason I felt like a child was because Daniel stated although — no he was not condescending, nor did I feel that he was any time — but he stated something to the effect, you know, 'we decide what is appropriate'. That is how you treat a child. If you're dealing with an equal, you approach the individual and say, 'It's felt that you've reached such and such position', you know, 'We felt it would be appropriate to do this', but at least you approach the person, you do not — a parent decides for a child what is appropriate. When the child is an adult you no longer decide what is appropriate and do it. You ask them first. And because of that, I still felt as if I was treated like a child. And when I said I didn't like it — although Daniel was very nice about it — it's like 'We've decided this is what's appropriate and this is the way it's going to be'.

 

DANIEL:        I am trying to find the proper analogy, the proper picturization to respond to where I perceive you are in your understanding, and I ask you to picture a flower which is in bud, in tight, robust bud, and it is apparent that this bud must bloom now. What alternative is there except to acknowledge the development of this bloom? When one ascends, one attains and there are subsequent results. This is cause and effect. This is a law.

 

The difficulty is that you have evolved into your own morontia soul, your own awareness of your potential, on perhaps a slightly different pivot than you have been accustomed. It is still in keeping with who you are and what you have attained and what you have done to get where you are today that these new developments take place. Like the flower which was once a seed or a bulb, it has grown as you have grown, and the flower needs to open to the sun. Is it the fault of anyone that perfection is being attained and revealed? It is your willingness to grow along spiritual lines, your willingness to seek reality, to serve your own understanding of divinity, your healing gifts and your human compassion which has brought you to the point of flowering.

 

That coincides with the opening of the circuits on Urantia and your experience is the same as is and will be the experience of many countless others, even these present here today. There are certainly unique variations on the theme, yet all mortals are at this same threshold. Those who will be affected will be affected poignantly; those who opt not to be affected will be affected anyway, but not in a contributory manner as will those who, like you, accept this willing. Or relatively willingly, for regardless of the evolutionary status, you are still all animal origin beings and the animal mind balks at being weaned from its habit patterns and comfortable nests of belief and habit.

 

Now we perhaps see eye to eye a little better, daughter? And perhaps my referencing you 'daughter' and 'child' has given you an extra mode sludge to deal with. What say you, pal?

 

Jane:               I'm sure that I'm not any different than every other person this room. Last week when I asked a question about meditation, I wasn't asking so much for myself, but because I feel that every person in this room has been on the same path I have, that there's not one person that there's not one person that hasn't spent years and years seeking and asking and looking for answers and I certainly don't want my experience to keep anyone else back, give them doubts. I just have to fight it out by myself, and I know that all the rest of the group in their own way each one of them will go through this too.  So all I can say is I hope for each of them that most flowers bloom painlessly and joyfully and don't fight opening every petal and I wish for everyone who's going through this that it could be a much more joyful process.  Thank you.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you, my friend.  

 

Rutha:             Daniel, I have a -- I just want to make a comment of gratitude to you and all the teachers.  It was a quite a realization to me this week when I attended a funeral (and I won't give the name of the church but the church was beautiful).  I went in there and I sat down with the big stained glass window and the alter (I shouldn't say altar I don't know what they call it.  Where they do the preaching. In Catholic church it would be an altar), but anyway, it made me feel very sad, in a way, because I really longed to be in a big, grand congregation like this church would hold.  And then the funeral began and the preaching — the music was beautiful, it was good.   It was something we could sing here!  It was very good, (which, you know, that sometimes can be a problem) but I was so -- almost moved to tears when at this funeral, which should be a time of really, as we would say, a glad time.  Sad in human terms but it should be a glad time in terms of spiritual growth. 

 

And it seems all that was put down was how awful we are, what sinners, and I don't know how many times they brought up about the blood atonement, Jesus coming and dying for or sins and they -- I mean, it wasn't just sins, they actually named a litany of things, and I tell you, by the time I walked out I was, you know, I was no bigger than an ant, you know, with the burden of being so awful, and it was — it's such a reprieve to have you sit there and tell us that we are doing well despite the imperfections that we have.  And I just think that at the moment when they started all this horrible thing, all my longing to be in that church faded rapidly. 

 

That was just a human longing and I'm just so thankful for the groups, the Teaching Mission groups, the Urantia groups across the country and the Unity groups, all groups that preach that we are imperfect beings but also that we are not just sinners, that we do make gains and we are loved and that, you know, we don't have to be on a guilt trip. You know, it wasn't because of our sins that Jesus came here, but He came here to reveal the Father and to obtain Him through experience. So, I just wanted to thank you. It's made a difference in my life.

 

DANIEL:        I am not the one to thank for that, my friend. We all are responsive to Michael here, for he saw through your prayers and supplications that the darkness under which you had burdened had reached its saturation point, that the mercy lag was ended, that your needs and prayers be answered and fulfilled. The cries of you who believe without seeing, who know your Father would not think ill of you, you have helped raise the curtain on this new age. You have pulled back the shroud by your determination that God reveal himself to his children, and you have done this in faith.

 

The cathedrals and houses of worship which you referenced are your cultural heritage. They well up within you the desire to worship the Lord God, and this right and privilege and devotion is your natural inheritance as ascending sons and daughters. Pray for those who feel responsible for the death of truth, beauty and goodness as you pray for more workers in the field. Your love is stronger than their fear and self-loathing. Turn your worries into loving arrows to fall deep in the hearts of those who sleep, those who embrace illness, those who despair and distrust.

 

Great, truly great things are transpiring on Urantia today. Your active support of your own spiritual faith, your support of one another in their faith is making a difference. These spiritual channels which are opening, these spiritual connections which are being made are impacting your world in significant and noticeable ways. It is in your nature to be short-sighted. In time you will look back and it will suddenly be clear to you how dramatically you have changed. Welcome to change and indeed it has been so.

 

We in the Teaching Corps, we in the spiritual and morontial realms who minister to you and grow with you are equally grateful for the grand adventure, the opportunity to serve this unique planet, the origin of Joshua Ben Joseph, Creator of this local universe. Truly wondrous is our experience, yours and mine.

 

And lest we forget, there are contingencies going to Hawaii today. Perhaps that might account for some of the variations in energies. At any rate, it is an exciting atmosphere, and your own devoted presence here this evening has been as gratifying as any congregation large or small, here or there.

 

Rutha: Thank you, Daniel. Indeed, if we were in a large congregation we certainly couldn't get the intimate sharing and growth that we have received from our sharing time and from the questions that we can ask the teachers in the lessons; and to that and I would like to thank our loving parent Christ Michael and the teachers and you, Daniel, and Tomas

 

DANIEL:        Dear friends, you might appreciate that this T/R is exhausted. If you have an additional question, however, I am open to it since the forum has been somewhat focused this evening. Has anyone a question which they would like addressed?

 

Then, my dear loyal students of truth and my close friends and companions, I will call this meeting to a close. We are trusting that four growth is in keeping with your capacities, that your eagerness is compatible with your capacities, that your reluctances are in harmony with your reposes. Be tender with yourselves and each other. Be kind to your soul, which is young. The strength you feel is only beginning to develop. Your true strength lies in your and our Eternal Parent, therefore, ask for His strength to sustain you in your growing experiences. Trust as a child that our Father/Mother is leading you in accordance with His wishes and in your own appropriate time and space.

 

Until we speak again next week or during the interim, I am truly your devoted companion, friend, guide, teacher, Daniel. Good night.

*****

 

DATE:                        July 21, 1995

TEACHERS: TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Growth Potential

 

TOMAS:         Good evening, my friends, I am Tomas, your teacher, guide and companion. I am on-line this evening in lieu of Daniel. His ministrations are here; his comfort is available, but I am given the pleasant task of addressing your group this evening. The thrust of your conversations prior to this transmission has stimulated even those of us on this side, for we are seeing your intellectual concepts expand. And in-as-much as I have been a firebrand previously, I am challenged by the discourse and would spend some time discussing this development with the full approval and comprehension of Daniel.

 

What I reference is the many mushrooming methods of potential growth among those who have learned from this Mission and who have developed their own verbal communication skills with Teachers. Those of you who are not active in the role of transmitter/receiver see the variations according to the voice and often the mortal is regarded as the one responsible for the coloration of the concept being presented, but be advised that these are in accordance with the expanding awareness the importance of your work. The potential, the future of Urantia is in store for great changes. New thoughts, methods and approaches are required to bring about forward-moving effects in your society in terms of education, finances, etc., as we have discussed, as was discussed at the first formal gathering. How then do these come about without your involvement?

 

The variations of personality and aptitude are well spread out throughout humanity. As humanity begins to mature, as it begins to seek guidance from wiser sources, as the individuals in faith look to their own future destiny plans and ask that His will be done in their life, then to that extent will these mushrooming outpourings take place.

 

You regard your Teacher as steadfast, stable, reliable, forthright, conservative yet daring in his proclamations of good tidings, in stillness methods, in all his wondrous words. Also your regard for Teacher Ham is unsullied, for these Teachers focus from a vantage point which is not fear-inducing and realize that your trust in Daniel and Ham has been developed over a long period of time. Your growth has been carefully nurtured and your own potential has developed and come to some fruition as a result. You now are beholding other Teachers, other groups, develop methodologies and philosophies which are not immediately aligned with what you are familiar, and some of these may seem abstract or too colorful for your preference. That is as it should be, my friends, for your group meets certain needs which to other groups would appear unfamiliar or uncomfortable to their way of life.

 

Like the flower garden, the daisies, cacti, wisteria, moss, all may grow together. Also, in those early days of this Revelation, when the light of truth was first brought to Urantia, certain activities were set into motion. Some effects are more apparent than others. There were and have been activations on-going, even prior to this phase of Revelation -- the teachers coming to interact with you in your life journey. Those mortals who are eager to serve, who have gifts to give, who are willing to be impressed, will in fact be lured toward acting upon those impulses which at first seem extreme, which sometimes appear like science fiction or Orwellian [Ed. note: this is in reference to George Orwell, author of "1984"]. There are innumerable gifts that have already been given to Urantia by those individuals who have listened to guidance prior to Teachers coming. With the Teaching Corp now in sway, the processes of responding to the work which will be necessary is amplified. Do not allow these different musical instruments to disturb your trust and faith in the symphony itself. Listen to the instruments with an open mind and know that this age is only beginning.

 

As you were also discussing this evening in your social time there are great and direct gulfs between the peace which passes all understanding and the chaos which reigns in the collective consciousness of Urantians today. This vast gulf needs to be bridged, for what has existed, that which your world is founded upon, your cultures, your systems that are undergoing great change, have had and do have worth. The gleaning of the tares from the wheat produces chaos, but the wheat stands in harmony with the peace that passes all understanding. The plans and ideations of those human beings who are eager to contribute and who are open to spirit guidance will make their methods and ideologies known to you, for this is the drawing board of a new era, a new age. Far removed from today is the end result, but there will be much shaking up in all these realms which need correcting. One cannot correct the structures of Urantia by remaining in stillness but must take the strength of the faith and courage which is garnered from that position of sonship into Urantia in company, ideally with others of like minds, for in this way movements begin, blocks of believers are solidified, the community at large works together hither and yon across the globe for our mutual purposes.

 

(I will state parenthetically that this transmitter/receiver has been experienced/exposed to decades of counsel and guidance from a secondary midwayer and celestial artisan, as well as others, from which there is a product which promotes forward-thinking ideologies. In her respect for the Teachers and fear of self-aggrandizement, she and I have agreed that I, Tomas, will not delve into those matters too deeply which she feels strongly about; her belief is that this is a human effort and not a Teacher project, therefore she opts not to color her transmissions in these formal teaching settings by referencing that product.*)

 

I am aware that when you all met for your Teaching Mission Gathering last summer, many of you were amazed at the array of personalities in attendance, and that many of you, if not all of you, had reservations based upon your preconceived notions of what your brother or sister looked like. Such a simple truth. And by the conclusion of that conference your hearts had opened a hundred fold and your capacities to embrace humanity as siblings in this spiritual family and in this mortal endeavor was greatly enhanced. Your plates were full. Your hearts overflowed with the abundance made apparent. In this same context then, you will hear of many attempts, ideas, concepts, interests, ambitions, strategies, programs and endeavors which in truth are part of the solution and not part of the problem, for Michael's children are banding together to bring Urantia forward. These different ideas, different factors, different nations, different races, different sects, are not different at all. They and you and we are all interdependent upon one another!

 

Love one another. Love that within yourself which is becoming, that which is childlike and inexperienced, for it is what can be taught, can be led, guided, lured into the next plane of contribution to Urantia.

 

Truly this is a very exciting age. In spite of your difficult moments, your weary hours, your discouraged instances, in light of truth, the flowering of Urantia is well under way. You indeed will hear reports of activities outside your community. Next week you will hear of the Mission Gathering in Hawaii. So many activities on-going can only indicate that growth is running rampant. For you, beloved students, are pinnacles of eagerness to merge with your Indwelling Spirit. You are believers and followers of our Creator Son, Christ Michael. You are fore-runners, and as you see your growth you may be assured that the whirling eddy of growth around you and around others who are dedicated to this same cause are changing the face of the world. Be of good cheer. Be refreshed in the knowledge that your isolation has ended and that you are being supported and encouraged by celestial hosts of time and space.

 

Thank you, dear students, for your ears this evening. Perhaps there are matters on your mind which were not covered by my lesson. I would love to respond to your concerns in that context or any other. I also remind you that Daniel is available; should you ask, he would respond.

 

Tonya:            Good evening, this is Tonya. I -- let's see if I can get my question out right. It kind of popped into my head midway through the week -- concerning the mansion worlds. And first of all, how do we graduate from one world to the other? Is it like here when we die and we ascend or is it in some other fashion that we make our ascension. And then also as we ascend, as we attain perfection, how do we know when we have attained the perfection? I mean, how do we know when we have reached that level? And when we have, then, in a sense, as I was thinking of it earlier this week, in attaining for perfection I was wondering if in attaining perfection, in a lot of ways we possibly lose a lot of that which is very specific to our own identity. If we almost don't become very much alike when attaining perfection. Or is there a perfection that is different for each person?

 

TOMAS:         Thank you, Tonya, for your power packed question. I will of necessity divide that into two parts, two questions, and first discuss your ascension through the mansion worlds. You will be pleased to know that your transitions from one world to the next are very apparent for we are big on celebrations and there is always a party. You also will have been given to you, although not as literal as you are familiar, a certificate of completion. The acknowledgement that you have attained what was necessary to have been attained will be made clear to you and you will know this in your being that you know.

 

There are actual physical realms on the mansion worlds and it is necessary to touch upon all of these worlds, even if you are not required to stay, you must touch base with each of the mansion worlds as there is order in the universe. When and as your ascendant soul is made ready for the next level of growth, so will you then move into a new realm. There are instances even now which could be given as a vague example of what I mean, for your work has begun on Urantia in the flesh that is also necessary to be dealt with on the Mansion Worlds, yet you have not yet physically gone from here to there. Yet your guardians have upstepped, your energies have upstepped, your realm is in many ways different than it was before you made those decisions which have placed you in the realm where you are today. Although you may look across and see former realms of your existence you no longer live there, and in like manner you will see the differentiation in the mansion worlds.

 

In addressing question number two, part of you is correct, for your ego as you know it must alter and diminish as you ascend. Your identity, however, is made more pure and unique. So whereas on one hand you become more homogenized with other finaliters in function, in harmony, in purpose and so forth, your personality aspects which are incompatible with others have been gradually eradicated so that your individuality is pure and totally satisfying yet compatible. Does that answer?

 

Tonya:            I'm trying to decide. I think I'm still a bit confused concerning perfection, but I'm trying to figure out where. So, in a sense, just to try to repeat: it's a two-fold thing. In one sense we're diminishing and in another way we're increasing.

 

TOMAS:        Question mark?

Tonya:            Yeah.

 

TOMAS:        Yes, but let me preface my remarks here by comforting you in your dilemma that you are having a hard time comprehending perfection, for the vantage point of perfection that you are seeking in your question is far removed from where we are today. The issue of your perfection today is actually more appropriate as a subject for discourse, for there is something you can do today which will take you into the perfection of eternity; but I understand your eager mind wants to project and discover for itself whether all this work is worth it, whether you will still be there to know that you have attained perfection when it has been ultimately attained, and yes, you will know perfection when you have attained it. God Himself will tell you so.

 

Would you like to pursue anything at this point, Tonya?

 

Tonya:            I think that pretty much has helped me. One thing I'm trying to decide is, when I think of perfection I try to put in my mind what I see around me might be perfect and as I have done that I have found that everything that I look at and look towards for perfection is inherently imperfect. Perhaps I was wondering: is perfection a right word to use or is there another word that would be more appropriate?

 

TOMAS:  I am inclined to agree that there is hardly anything more appropriate than perfection, for we seek it constantly. The thing that caught my attention in your words was that you 'looked for perfection' and I would suggest here that you, rather than look for perfection, begin to perceive perfection as you encounter it, which makes it more personal and more reliable. There can be unending criticism with the material universe due to personal tastes and so forth, but the feeling of alignment with Divinity is something which will remain with you long after you have abandoned your mortal tabernacle. It would therefore behoove you to focus on the perfection of the Indwelling God Fragment of your fellow human beings and yourself. In recognizing how your God feels inside you and observing how your peers feel with their God in them, is yet another connection. Begin to sense and perceive that God Fragment in other individuals. You will recognize that quality in them. Of course the perfection of your friends is shrouded by mortal imperfection, but the reality of that individual lies within and the potential of that individual also lies within. Therefore, do not mistake appearances for perfection, for these external realities are constantly undergoing change and growth. Take the obvious with a grain of salt but rather seek for that within which is permanent and unchanging. Recognize that element of God within your peers and trust that feeling. That is a fragment of perfection. Seek it. Nurture it. Foster it. In yourself and in others.

 

By the same token, do not be misled or dismayed by outward appearances and behaviors and voicings which you hear, for these are the composite of that individual which has been born and bred on a planet fraught with difficulty. Therefore have patience with the imperfections of others and yourself.

 

Yes, you do well to be interested in perfection, but remember the relativity of your circumstances, your growth at this point. Respect that about you which is perfect and become comfortable with that element. It will raise you up to pure perfection.  Enough said.

 

Tonya:            Thank you.

TOMAS:        Thank you.

 

Rutha:             Tomas, this is Rutha. Not to belabor this issue of perfection but while sitting here listening to this, it appears to me that we as humans really are so tied to our ego that we cannot truly comprehend what perfection is because we're going from a material existence. And is not perfection something that is so divinely attuned with spirit that until we become pure spirit the ego will still be attached in some way -- well maybe not ego as we leave this planet but some other aspect will be somewhat still reserved in understanding perfection until we become pure spirit?

 

TOMAS:        Yes, however, do not disdain the relativity of your perfection, of your own emerging identity. It is error to assume that personality manifestation is singularly egoistic. The being who allows the influence of God in his or her life is a reflection of those attributes of Deity which embrace those altruistic qualities which are shared by the higher orders of beings. Being of animal origin does not discount the sterling qualities of the human being.

 

Rutha:             Thank you, Tomas. That cleared up a lot in my mind. Thank you for your words tonight.

 

Kent:  Greetings, Tomas. You addressed one of my concerns that we had talked about earlier and you added a lot of beautiful color to it and I thank you. The other question I have is on 'soul trust', putting the 'soul in trust'. Can you elaborate or clarify or help my thoughts along that line?

 

TOMAS:        (One moment) 

 

Kent:               I guess my question is, how does one's soul be put into trust? Especially during the rebellion?

 

TOMAS:        Your question is a challenge and it is a challenge largely because of your language, but based upon your understanding of the word soul I will address your seeming need to understand a phrase of keeping your soul in trust. Let me ask you to go within now and recognize your soul and ask if it is even now being held in trust. Can you perceive that you yourself are holding your soul in trust of the Father? Can you also perceive that the Father is holding your soul in trust of your decisions to become one with your God Fragment?

 

In the many long ages prior to dawning of civilization the soul had not developed. In subsequent ages, souls made appearances but many remained unconscious of their own existence. Those souls, however, which assumed sufficient potential to warrant survival are held in trust that the mortal will make those efforts which are necessary to evolve the soul.

 

There is some concern and confusion regarding this matter of soul survival and there are many theologies surrounding such an issue. I am limited in my scope of teaching about what warrants your survival; my capacity is to trust that your soul growth is compatible with your needs which we attempt to address and foster and encourage toward certain success. Only powers greater than you or I can ascertain whether a soul is sufficient to continue. You may look at the example of a garden where many radishes are planted and many radishes come to fruition while many are thinned and discarded, for they have not sufficient strength to overpower the soil, to gain a foothold to withstand the living waters and they perish. Most assuredly your indwelling Adjuster and the Indwelling Adjusters of all who have been indwelt since Pentecost have had great opportunities and great growth. Bear in mind that Michael is merciful and the plan of ascension is overwhelmingly in favor of the ascendant being, so any effort, any flicker warrants survival and fertilization of the soul.

 

That there is now an abundance of souls ripening into the fruition of knowing itself, of consciously making the choice to allow those experiences and growth steps necessary to refine the soul, to -- as I said earlier -- eradicate the negative ego and replace it with the morontial personality is an awakening which has been long overdue on Urantia. We anticipate that these bursts of soul acceptance, of destiny acceptance, will be greatly accelerated; and so in that light it could be said that your soul has been held in trust, in trust that you as a race of people would attain this level of evolution which would allow for the outpouring which is now coming into being.

 

Has my circumference been sufficiently broad to convey to you that understanding of soul trust, as 'soul held in trust', Kent?

 

Kent:               Yes, it has. Thank you for the colors that you presented. When you asked me to go within, I had the answer. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:        Certainly.

Kent:               Thank those that put the thought there. Thank you.

TOMAS:        I, too, thank those in charge.

 

Francyl:          Tomas, I recently read in a transcript that a new dispensation had -- we had entered into a new dispensation. Would you comment on that please?

 

TOMAS:        Daughter, yes, I will comment, for the new dispensation is under way. Your recognition of the import of that word is certainly appreciated and understood, for these Teachers get rather liberal with their pronouncements at times and yet the dispensation is under way. Our catch all qualifier here, if you will, is that whereas to a creature of time and space an event such as a dispensation surely occurs on a specific date and time. In the less material realms and therefore frame of reference, time is not as specific, not as set. Indeed, the opening of channels takes time, the fruition of any unfoldment takes time. So, yes, there is a new dispensation under way, but I would not be so foolish as to give it a date for your calendar. Does it disturb you that there is a new dispensation under way? 

 

Francyl:          No. No. Thank you.

TOMAS:        Thank you for your question.

 

Rutha: Tomas, this is Rutha again. I have a question and I'm wondering if when we ascend to the morontia worlds if we have as difficult a time as we do on this planet, in the material body, in the fact that as we live here we're of dual nature and a material being and a spiritual being. It's real hard in this capacity to sometimes be real. One of our lessons a few weeks ago was to be real, and it just seems like some of the things you spoke of earlier tonight on blossoming into a morontial awareness and yet at the same time we're human and we're trying to be real and we're trying to live a full human experience, it just seems like -- it's just real hard to be real; I don't know what real is -- my question though concerns, is, when we do ascend, do we have that dichotomy, two things pulling at us?

 

TOMAS:        Yes, child, you do, but not to the extent that you do here. Also you are benefited greatly by the release from the fetters of your mortal body. Your senses are greatly increased, your perceptions are more easily developed, your contact with your personal teachers and guides and guardian seraphim is apparent and other tremendous benefits ensue upon awakening in the Resurrection Hall. The assurance of survival, yea, the gladness of knowing that what you had faith in has indeed transpired is sufficient to make it all worth while, at least until such time as you have adjusted to your new realm of operation, have visited with your friends and family, have been assigned your work and then, as you do here, you will naturally fall to complaining that it is difficult. This is a typical characteristic of ascending beings.

 

Rutha: I don't know if that is a relief or not but I guess truly being in the moment, taking what's dished out to us in the moment is where we need to be. And maybe I shouldn't say what we're dished out but -- just living where we are at the moment. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:        I would like also to speak briefly about your comment about being real and that you still are not certain what that means, to be real. The most acute example of reality, morontial while in the flesh, would be that of Jesus upon his baptism and thereafter. No more radiant a mortal ever walked. The fact that he had not ascended into his morontial form did not preclude the fact that he acted in harmony with a morontial nature as you, dear people, and dear friends, can also do in your life, become more understanding of your Indwelling Spirit's needs and desires for you in this life. Your life is not in abeyance until you wake up on the other side of the translation, no. Your life here is real and is made even more real by the ability you develop, to integrate those elements of yourself which enable you to put forth your best effort in terms of maintaining your spiritual connection while intermingling with your brothers and sisters. This includes the full range of association which Daniel and I have spent innumerable hours discussing; it includes the realm of feelings and emotions, it includes the God-like qualities and the animalistic aspects of your humanness, it includes the cultural heritage and the dysfunction of Urantia and your being affected by it. All of these are included in our assessment of your ability to be real. Being real on Urantia today is not being an aesthetic, not being in isolation, not being in a mystic trance or without challenges, without creative expression, without growth opportunities, without grief, without difficulty. All these elements constitute reality.

 

Consider how many individuals there must be who, without being intimate with their God Fragment, have not been able to develop an understanding of their personality sufficient to even allow themselves to understand where their feelings emanate from. Your reality is truly substantial. You are very real individuals and your rich lives are a testimony to your reality, for one of the things I hear you lament is not being able to relate harmoniously with other God-knowing beings, people, not being able to feel at peace in the environment of certain individuals and situations. The fact of your understanding of your connection to reality and divinity gives you the canvas upon which to paint your personality, your beliefs in such a way as to present real pictures to other beings for their comprehension. Reality, like perfection, is a relative condition and you all here are relatively real and relatively perfect in eternity, but delightfully real and delightfully perfect here this evening.

 

Rutha:             Thank you, Tomas. I'm sure all of us here this evening take comfort in the life of Christ Michael, especially the life He led from the time of his baptism to the crucifixion. Knowing what He knew and yet staying on this planet took a lot of courage and endurance and I take up your challenge in the rest of your statement. Thank you. Your remarks make me feel humble. 

 

TOMAS:        Thank you, my daughter, and I also want to commend your endurance and stamina and your attitude for you are a priceless worker in the field. How stimulating this student is. She throws words at me which light up my circuit board of lesson plans. For humility now strikes a chord and I would spend one moment on humility.

 

These conversations we had earlier regarding the many parachutes of proposals coming to your attention are all offered in humility, for not one individual who aspires to improve the status of the whole speaks from selfish ambition but from a desire to serve. The problem, indeed, with Urantia's systems today is that humility is not regarded as an asset, a character asset, but rather as a weakness. And perhaps in your own personal comings and goings, in your own relative perfection and your own relative reality you would find greater effectiveness in your dealings with your chaotic moments and your chaos-loving peers if you were to have and manifest consciously more humility. It is not for us to do all the work. Others are assigned work as well, and in humility, then, we can call upon those higher beings who will distribute the work accordingly and thus establish those avenues which will usher in the new age of Light and Life.

 

Your time slips by me. I am not sufficiently cognizant of your clocks. As they say in the vernacular, I am rather inclined toward 'Indian time', but it is apparent to me that I have talked all evening and that there is reason to not talk further, for there is need now for prayer and healing, yet I will allow you to relieve me of further discourse by addressing me as to whether your plate is full, whether your questions are answered, whether your heart is light, so that we may draw this meeting to a close. (no response)

 

So be it. Dear friends, loyal companions, my parting remarks this evening are in praise of you and your steadfastness, your consistent strength even in the face of your weakness, your consistent faith even in the face of your unbelief, your dogged determination to pursue truth even to realms which confuse you and cause you to wonder about your own reality. Truly, my sons and daughters, my sisters and brothers, loyal students, you are deeply loved.

 

In anticipation of next week's joyous reunion with many of our absent members and in further anticipation of a week of warm weather and much activity, go in peace, in harmony within your self and within your fellows. Good night.

 

*****

 

DATE:                        July 28, 1995

TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Worry

 

DANIEL:         Greetings, I am Daniel. Hello and welcome to all who are here tonight at this regular Friday session. I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak through this personality whom I have gotten to know well yet have not had close personal contact with recently. The message I would bring forward tonight has to do with the future which we all look forward to.

 

Human beings tend to worry about the future as you know. I caution you all to avoid worry about the future for as you know in your saner moments, there is little you can do about it anyway. And you know that all the help you need lies within each of you. So at those times when you feel yourself slipping back into that morass of humanness called worry, pause for a moment, seek guidance from your Indwelling Adjuster, take a moment to pray and if time allows for quietness add that and you will find your worry goes away, the frustration is managed and the stress is gone.

 

I recall well my mortal existence although it was many years ago. I am often reminded of my own difficulties in my assignment here as your teacher, guide and friend, for I see myself in many of you as the problems humankind deals with are well nigh universal; and I see myself in many of you in the occurrences that you are dealing with in your individual lives. Allow me and the others who are here to assist you for we bring a wealth of experience which is just a prayer away. We are able to assist at beck and call but we may not interfere; you must request us. So 'don't forget to write'.

 

That concludes my introductory remarks at this point although I am sure I will return later. Tomas now has a few words which he would like to provide to those here gathered.

 

TOMAS:        My dear students and friends this is your teacher, Tomas. As always it is my privilege to be co-teacher with my friend and colleague Daniel in this wonderful classroom of applied spiritual experience. I, too, am reminded often of my mortal life when I am with you in your intimate personal settings at home, on the job, on vacation and in these meetings. As a teacher sent back from the morontial experience that awaits you all I am, by virtue of my years, as well as Daniel and others, more conversant with this experience of anticipating the future, experiencing the present and then remembering the past.

 

It is, of course, a limitation of your mortal career that so much has been shrouded in mystery and confusion on this formerly saddened and darkened planet leading to the propensity to worry. But that is all changing now as you have heard in my commentary last week and from other teachers. This planet is truly in transformation. I realize that if you were to look at the news media in their judgement you would find my words to be bordering on the incredulous. But we have a rather superior vantage point compared to that of your information gatherers. (By 'we' I refer to those of us from the broader perspective on this side of the curtain.) The future holds for this planet all that you have been told. Your fondest dreams, your highest aspirations, your deepest longings; this is the future of this planet. And you, my friends, my students are that vanguard.

 

I realize that you have heard this before but I am pleased to use Isaac as a medium to make these statements again because of his past propensity to doubt and fear the future (which is waning). So it gives me pleasure to contradict what has been a past mindset for him.  Instead of worry I recommend trust that lets go and relaxes into the safekeeping arms of your Indwelling Spirit, that beloved Entity that is the real 'you' to be, Who knows you better than you know yourself. Your future, my friends, is absolutely secure for you have all made that supreme decision to continue to stride with vigor and enthusiasm on the path to Paradise.

 

Now we teachers are not permitted to predict nor are we fully cognizant of the future. We do not have a crystal ball to gaze into although our equations and prediction machinery have some added sophistication as compared to your statistical models. But the desire to know the future is a misguided one for it implies that you are not in the safe keeping of your true destiny, that somehow from without will come some thing, some event that will overwhelm you; and you need to be ready and prepare. No, what we have said about the future of this planet applies to each of you. You have been told repeatedly that you are already living individually in Light and Life. I would simply conclude my part of this lesson with the result of my experience which is that letting go and trusting the First Source and Center to guide and direct takes away all fear and all worry. Familiar words, yes, but they are true. Daniel?

 

DANIEL:        That concludes our opening comments. We are open for questions.

 

PamElla:         Good evening Tomas and Daniel. Tomas I have no question. I just wanted to make a remark and thank you for that absolutely beautiful pulling together of truths that I have been discovering over probably the past four years, including the year prior to entering the Teaching Mission This began with my realizing that my use of astrology was exactly what you are talking about. It was looking outside of myself to try and be prepared. I realized in the year of meditating that I was doing prior to coming upon the Teaching Mission that I needed to be turning inside. It was very difficult for me, even despite that, to give up my astrology books as a tool to understanding myself. But with the idea of ascension the theoretical basis of numerology and astrology was destroyed. So what came next was trying to put together the idea of surrendering, `letting go and letting God', learning what that meant and putting it into practice. I thank you, Daniel, and you, Tomas very much for the real transformation which has occurred in my life and for the trust that I do have in the First Source and Center most of the time; that God is, in fact, in charge, and the fruits I see in my life when I let go and let God be in charge instead of letting my fears be in charge. I guess that is all. I have a real heartfelt gratitude.

 

It is amazing to me to realize how dramatically some of my belief structures have changed in such a really short time! Three years is not very long. And how traumatic it was at the time, but how simple in retrospect. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:        My dear your eloquence is appreciated. Your journey has been noted by Daniel and I, mostly, of course by Daniel. But I have conferred with him in regards to each of you when I first came to be part of this group. You are living testimony of the dramatic and fairly rapid change that is possible when someone puts their shoulder to the plow, as you say, when they make the effort, when they struggle to break out of the confines of their previous thinking. I, Tomas, with Daniel's agreement commend you!

 

Gerdean:        Hello teachers. It's wonderful to be able to greet you in this fashion. I normally am sitting in a different chair. This is Gerdean and I am going to be going in a few minutes to my meeting and address my group and tell them how it was, what happened, and what it is like now. And your lesson spoke to all of those things in the jargon that I am familiar with through the Teaching Mission. I just need to be able to transfer that same intensity and integrity into words that my peers in recovery can understand. Of course Tomas and I have had long chats of the parallel between recovery of the individual and recovery of the planet.

 

Do I dare speak in terms of my personal teachers and the Teaching Mission to this motley bunch? Or should I just continue to talk about 'let go and let God'? And by the way I really appreciated your lesson this evening on worry. I was a major worrier and I still get into worry and feel I need to take it back and fix it because somebody has to! So I am still learning the proper use of the will. If you would give me a pointer on how to speak to my group this evening I will be on my way. I love you both very much and I appreciate my association with you and with this wonderful group of people. Thanks.

 

DANIEL:        Gerdean, my dear, how I do enjoy working with you! But you know well what I am about to say. You know better than I the people to whom you will be speaking tonight. I dare not advise you for in your heart you know well how best to approach those people. So with our love and affection go forward. We will be with you. There will be an army of us there assisting you! But it will be mostly moral support for you know in your heart what it takes to talk to your brethren. So lead on. We will be there supporting you.

 

TOMAS:        And my precious daughter I rejoice with you this evening in your accomplishment! You are, indeed, a beacon of light to your fellow AA'ers; and as Daniel has said, we cannot advise you as to that specific request. But there is One who dwells in you Who can. My recommendation is that just before you start to speak you ask for guidance and let it flow. Is this helpful?

 

Gerdean:        Certainly. Talking with you guys is always helpful. Thank you.

TOMAS:        Enjoy your evening.

 

Beverly:          Daniel and Tomas, this is Beverly. I wanted to especially thank Daniel for the private session I had and the guidance on tuning into my own teacher, becoming this seed for a new group in Page, Arizona. I just wanted to thank you for all your help and I'll stop in and visit when I am back in the area.

 

DANIEL:        We regret your leaving yet we look forward to the opportunity it provides. Know that you will not be alone for I will be checking with you and I am sure my colleague Tomas will be on occasion and there will be a myriad of others with you. You will not be alone. At those moments when you feel you are alone we encourage you to pause for a moment, open yourself to the sensitivity that will be provided and you will feel our presence, some one of us who will be with you. Know that you will not be alone.

It has been our pleasure to have been able to meet with you and work with you for these past few weeks. We look forward with optimism to the opportunity that your leaving presents. We encourage you to be open to the guidance you will be given. Find time daily, if you can, for prayer and quietness for that is the baseline for the life which we are encouraging all to follow. We ask you now to go forward with optimism for the opportunities that lie just over the horizon are numerous and we see you as a pioneer going out across the wilderness to open a new land. Go with Godspeed!

 

Beverly:          Thank you very much. I feel more like I am going home than pioneering. And I am not taking a television so I am planning on time for quiet every day. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:  And Beverly I would add my blessing to your returning home in that you are returning home a different person than you were when you were there before, for you have grown and learned and your spiritual grasp is greater. The universe operates on the principle of the student becoming the teacher and then becoming the student in a back and forth relationship. And now as you will officially be the 'teacher' continue to be that student. Your classroom, I suspect, will overflow beyond the limits of your official class to include others who wait to hear words of truth and see the light of love shine forth from you.

 

And for all of you, this is how it works. You don't need to cajole, to stand on a soapbox, to knock on your neighbor's door and hand out pamphlets. You need to be ready to hear that Inner Voice direct you and those who seek truth will cross your path. Those who need your love will come into your presence. I know that you have been discovering this and this is the wonderful way that the universe operates.

 

Beverly:          Thank you.

 

Rutha:             I have a question I would like to address to you this evening regarding relationships.  It seems very difficult in this lifetime, at least for me to be knowledgeable about how things should go and about how to go between people. And then all of a sudden when there is the togetherness and confrontation. It doesn't turn out that way. It's seems like there can be a lot of hurt and anger. And in your heart you know that isn't how you want it to be but that's what happens. So my question is, 'what is the reality of that? What is really real? Are we gaining some benefit by having those confrontations? Are these the kinds of things we are going to have to work on for the next million years!!?

 

TOMAS:        You would be on Paradise right now, would you not, if you had your way? I will answer your last question first.

 

Yes, these are the things that we work on in our ascension career. As you will see in your text the process of communicating, understanding, accepting and asserting your own needs and wants, all these things which begin in planetary life are expanded as you move to the system headquarters with its educational worlds where you encounter ascending mortals from all over the system from different kinds of planets, mortals who are now morontial creatures. Then it moves to the next level, the constellation. You become familiar with other orders of beings, the native beings that you dwell with. As you move from there to the universe headquarters there are others you become acquainted with who are even more diverse. All the way through the central universe you experience this, constantly meeting new situations, new types of beings and individuals. The effort to communicate, to love, to accept, etc. continues to go on.

 

But it is somewhat different than the experience of the mortal career, of course. This is the only time in which you live in a sex relationship family, your own or adopted children, and the sense of responsibility here can be intense. I feel the need to say this because I don't want my words to be misunderstood. The same kind of intense motherly, fatherly care for another individual is not present beyond the mortal life.

 

As to your first question, which you asked me last week in effect, I hear a note of weariness, I believe, a fear that perhaps you are going through motions of repetitive processes that seem not to progress. I am asking you if I hear you correctly before I proceed further.

 

Rutha:             Yes, you are.

 

TOMAS:        Alright, then part of the problem has to do with the nature of the intense feelings which are characteristic of families and of parents for their children. This intensity sometimes crosses the line of responsibility and also is sometimes misperceived by the children as a desire to command and control without regard for their free will. It is a delicate area. It is fraught with confrontations at times and can be at times discouraging.

 

Remember that your job as a parent is to rid yourself of a job. It is to help your child to assume full responsibility for their own lives to the point where they need not be under your surveillance, your supervision, your overcare. But this is a back and forth process, for even as you know from your own experience, children can appear to be more mature than they are at one moment only to fall back to previous childlike behavior. This occurs often when stress is present in a child's life.

 

Remember that Jesus struggled with this issue with his own brother Jude. The rest of the family were in favor of casting him out but Jesus said that they could not do that; they had to be patient. So He understands this kind of frustration. Again do not expect Daniel or myself to be able to advise you on a moment to moment basis as to the thing to do in these kinds of frustrating experiences but you do have guidance from within that I know you rely on. One moment.

 

Try to distinguish between the urge to 'fix' another person and the responsibility to teach that other person. Especially this can be true of children. The need to fix another person is really the flip side of the coin of control because you really can't fix another person. You only can decide for yourself.

 

I know it may seem to you that I have gone around the bush in my answer and if this is the case I apologize. However, be assured that your life is very real and what you do in all the things you do in all the relationships you have are the most important things in the universe. These are the things that have survival value. Has this been of any help to you?

 

Rutha:             Yes, thank you Tomas. You know fully well that I am very understanding of the behavioral psychology of all this. But the real thrust of my question has to do with, 'what is the value of having these confrontations? Does it serve some value? Are we learning from them?

 

TOMAS:        If the confrontations seem to be the same old thing, as you say, and there is no progress then it is time to re-examine the situation and to see or attempt to see from a different perspective. I am not saying that all conflict is a positive growth producing experience because that is not true, that is error. Some conflict, and especially inner conflict is not growth producing. But if from the conflict there comes a new understanding to parties involved this may be the result of doing something different to alter the interactions. If you see this conflict as repetitive and not progressing my advice is to look at it from a different perspective. This may require outside assistance at times.

 

Rutha:             So you are saying there is then some value, even survival value in these confrontations even though we may not feel that way at the time because we are emotionally involved in it. But at some point because of something that was said there might be a changing point for somebody else. So it can't always be as bad as one might think it is?

 

TOMAS:        And in the process of trying to be the one who alleviates a conflict or manages it one of the values obtained is a personal progress on the pathway of tolerance and understanding. The more tolerance and understanding a person has the more spiritual maturity they have. So there is that always as a possibility that can arise from conflict. But as I said a moment ago try to analyze or understand the situation from a new perspective when you have come into a dead end.

 

Rutha:             Thank you Tomas. I don't want to hog all of this but I do have one thing I need to make clear here and that is, most of us are very loving people. We don't want to hurt anybody. I wouldn't want to hurt a fly. None of us would want to hurt anybody. And it is in these confrontations when we realize that we have hurt somebody, that we have approached it wrong, something has not gone the way it should have gone. I mean, you know, how are we being judged when we really didn't want to hurt anybody?

 

TOMAS:        Often in relationships which you are alluding to there is unintended hurt. Because, as you say, the hurt was not intended, experiencing the other person's anger and whatever causes hurt in return. It is at such times that one needs to use words of straight forward statement to the effect that, 'it was not my intention to hurt you by saying or doing this'. And if the other person does not believe what you say when you stated it, you are powerless to convince them otherwise at that point.

 

One of the problems with confrontation is it generally occurs when there is the physiological arousal of the body by adrenaline which causes you by virtue of your animal nature to go into a fight or flight pattern. You know this. And many things can be said which are analogous to throwing spears at each other with words than true conversation. There is much wisdom in not discussing issues when people are confronting each other in anger. If we are talking about a child/parent interaction you as the parent are the one who has the seniority of experience and therefore are responsible to refuse to discuss or perpetuate this conflict when the two of you may be in this physiologically aroused state. At a later time when emotions are calm and the time is right the issue can perhaps be brought up in a way that is more effective. The bottom line is, and this is a hard one to understand, we as moral beings, mortal, morontial, or spiritual beings cannot force another person to do something against their will; and we should not try. There is that dividing line, that boundary. Has this been helpful?

 

Rutha:             Thank you Tomas. I know this has been a real struggle and I am sure especially for the TR not being used to Tomas' ways and everything. I appreciate that.

 

I guess my one concluding remark would be that as imperfect beings, then, this is part of our growth pattern, that we will experience these types of situations and depending on our outlook, our motive, and what is really going on inside, that's how we will be judged and not just by what it looks like, appearances from the outside. As we continue to interact with people, and I guess especially in a child/parent relationship, there is bound to be some growth over time. I appreciate all your remarks. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:  You are most welcome.

 

Leetah:           Tomas, following up on this discussion, I am reminded of relationships and not necessarily parent/child but between individuals, teacher/student or between spouses. Many times the anger is not welcome and the one or the other is very aware that certain words or certain actions can produce guilt in the other person. I'm wondering here if this isn't an issue that we simply have to be led by our Indwelling Spirit and not feel guilty for that which we know is right for that individual, not controlling them but giving them consequences and not letting them push our buttons. As a teacher I have often said, 'You are trying to make me feel guilty, and I am not going to feel guilty. This is what you must do.' And I just think of those of us who just hate conflict and hate encounters (and all those things that degrade me personally) can really make me feel guilty. I have to get out of it emotionally and look at it intellectually and let my Spirit guide my mouth because I do feel guilty when I shouldn't.

 

TOMAS:        Yes, your words are very wise, Leetah. And I would add that it isn't just children that try to make other people feel guilty, it's an adult trait as well. When you look at it you can see that it is an attempt at control, to get the other person to do what you want them to. You didn't seem to be asking a question but making a statement so I will say thank you for your statement.

 

Leetah:           If I preceded that with a question I guess I was asking for confirmation for my own feelings.

 

TOMAS:        I believe that I have confirmed you.

Leetah:           Thanks.

TOMAS:        Daniel do you have any words that you want to speak here?

 

DANIEL:        Of course. Recall the words of the text saying God does not judge. Guilt is a human phenomenon which must be dealt with intellectually as Leetah has pointed out. That is why I feel we as mortals have a brain to help us when emotions get the best of us. This is one time when clearly one can see the opportunities there. I had something else I was going to say and I have forgotten it now. It may come back.

 

Rutha: Daniel, I have a problem with that! Sure, we have a brain. But why were we given feelings also? I mean, you know, if it were the flip side of it, you said about love you can feel the thing of love, you don't always have to intellectualize love. Why is it when you are feeling this horrible feeling about yourself because of the confrontation that you have to intellectualize it then??

 

DANIEL:  That, my dear, is one of the paradoxes of life, isn't it? There are paradoxes in both those areas. Emotions can be the best of times and the worst of times. Your logic can be marvelous and lead you to faulty conclusions. So one must do the best one can recognizing that particularly at this stage you are not expected to be perfect. But try to let the love shine through. That is the one constant of the universe. And if we can show love, even at the most difficult moments, it will carry the day.

 

Rutha: Well, thank you, but now that leaves us with another question. How do we know when to be logical and when to be emotional, when to be human, when to be spiritual? It's just a big dichotomy and it's hard to know what is real, I guess.

 

TOMAS:        May I take a shot at this, Daniel?

DANIEL:        Of course, my brother.

 

TOMAS:        Urantian culture is, of course, not of a single weave. There are many parts to it. In some cultures it is considered virtuous to rage and rant and express things very emotionally. In other cultures expressions of feeling, even of tender feeling is discouraged. Some of you come from upbringings that tend in the direction of assigning a very negative value to conflict and anger, and seeing any expression of the same as immaturity.

 

Now I realize that the Urantia Book expresses universe reality and takes the side of those who caution against anger. But you must be realistic because anger comes from your physical/biological nature as flesh and blood mortals, as animals of the realm. It is its control that is virtuous. It cannot be eliminated. It is automatic. It is built into your nervous systems. It is not really a choice between being spiritual and being animalistic that you have as mortals. You are both; and it is a matter of balance and control.

 

Please understand that I am not advocating the unbridled expression of anger.  I am not sanctifying the use of hurtful terms, name calling, falsification.  I am not advocating these things.  But even our Master at times expressed anger to the surprise of his apostles.  Once he turned on one of his apostles who had asked a question concerning the Golden Rule in the manner of some philosophers.  This apostle [Nathaniel] pointed out that certain people wanted certain immoral things done to them so should they therefore treat their neighbors in like manner.  Jesus became incensed.  You can read this in the text.  Now if our Creator Son in the flesh experienced anger to the point where His eyes blazed and He was very severe in His words, can we say that this is a bad thing, that this is a sinful thing?  No, I don't think so.  Now He did not do this frequently.  But when it was done it was so rare an occurrence that it stood out in the minds of His disciples.

 

They were also taken back by His final approach to Jerusalem where He took upon Himself the task of giving a final warning and offer of mercy.  So my comments are in response to what I perceive as somewhat of an inaccurate dichotomy between the spiritual and the animal in your nature.  That is all.

 

Rutha:             Thank you both, Daniel and Tomas.  Of course I was playing the devil's advocate here tonight.  As you know I really am not as screwed up as I am sounding, but I am just feeling some frustration this week.  Thank you.

 

PamElla:         And Tomas I appreciate that clarification.  I would just like to validate that I understood you correctly.  What I heard you say is that anger is a physiological state that we will always have as physical beings, and that it is unrealistic and, in fact, can be detrimental to us to believe that we can somehow eradicate ourselves of anger.  What matters is not whether we experience that physiological state but how we behave when we are in that state.  Is that correct?

 

TOMAS:        I give you an A+.

PamElla:         Thank you.  I need those.

 

TOMAS:        Yes, that is exactly correct and well stated in much more concise form than my long winded dissertation.

 

DANIEL:        It would appear we are finished.  No more questions.

 

I will take this opportunity to close tonight's meeting thanking you for your presence, your persistence, and your diligence.  It is with heartfelt thanks that Tomas and I meet with you on these evenings.  You have come so far.  We are so happy to be considered your friends and teachers and to be part of the spiritual growth we see happening everywhere. As you go forward this week we pray that you will follow our admonition to, as you are dealing with the future, deal with it one day at a time.  As those complexities of physical existence arise as they are prone to do, pause, consider, allow the truth that is within you to burst forth with new insights.  Look back at the person you were yesterday, a week ago, a year ago and you see how far you have come.  It is time for celebration.  Tomas and I celebrate with you tonight. 

 

We will be with you, as we are always, throughout the forthcoming week and we pray you will allow us and the others that are here to fill your life with the spiritual quality that can come only from opening your lives to the Spirit which is within you.  Have a good week.  Good night.

 

*****

DATE:                        August 4, 1995

TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Variation

 

DANIEL:         Good evening friends, I am Daniel, your faithful guide and companion in our work of moving forward Michael's mission on Urantia. Welcome all here, seen and unseen, steadfast believers. It is good to perceive your presences again. Jeremiah and Nolas, always are you an integral part of our family here and we rejoice in your presence. Augmented energies come about when many gather to contribute their uplifting spirits to the overall cause which we share in tremendous diversity and variation. Variation is a theme I would like to touch upon again this week. I remember Tomas' words recently regarding diversity of character of individuals and groups. This evening, however, I would like to focus on diversity in terms of your family of brothers and sisters and the subtle variation within, that part of each of you which is inherently unique yet in communion and comprehension with one another.

 

Let us take the example of this child who attends, the example of the child who visited last Monday's session, and indeed the child who attended the meeting a year or so ago named Destiny. How much alike you have in common with these children of God but you do not allow yourself to recognize your affinity for your conditioning and restraints lock out your communication in the Spirit. There are other variations besides age which separate you from affinity, background being a bar to free flowing communications.

 

The religious backgrounds of each of you are all varied and colored through your exposure to various theologies and philosophies, various dogmas, rituals, and traditions. But these, rather than causing you to react in defense or judgement, would go far in sharing the variation of the theme of religious experience in that the use of candles is rather universal as is the use of water and/or wine. The symbolism of light is well nigh complete in understanding other tenets.

 

These are all opportunities for you to recognize that the differences that exist between one and the other are all opportunities to share the diversity. For even when individuals are in harmony of spirit there are differences which could stand in the way of free flowing synergy if allowed. The phrase comes to mind of `viva la difference' in terms of male and female for that is a basic variation in humans, one which has kept the genders segregated from one another. And this is a limitation on the variations of experiences that could be had were you to cut through the recognition of the difference and rather experience the oneness.

 

Your ideals, your goals, your worship techniques are common ground to share. The tapestry of human character is filled with colorful threads to bind up the wounds of separation. The spiritual oneness which is the common bond of all believers can become even more keenly felt and appreciated by recognizing the more subtle variations and appreciating where they fit, where they can be more compatibly incorporated into your consciousness. Many are the ways in which the many differences among you and between you can be eliminated. By opening that conduit of loving energy between you and the Thought Adjuster Who stands next to you, Who sits beside you, Who leans upon you, Who forges ahead of you more of your energies can coalesce into a greater bonding and greater impetus toward action.

 

In your reflections, in your meditations, ponder how your barriers, your survival techniques and your human cultural conditioning have injected into you certain limitations which stand in the way of your understanding of your Father and your brothers and sisters. That, whereas these impressions provide the variety, the spice of life, the variation which allows for this tapestry of humanity, the weaving of your threads with the threads of others is what makes the blanket upon which you may rest and find comfort.

 

TOMAS (TR #2):      I am Tomas. I am glad to be with you also on this evening to experience your community and to again be involved in the outworking of your calling, your decision to come forward into the realms of consciousness of spiritual community. This has been a long time coming and we have far to go. But the reality of the level of communication which we have attained today in this room, in you individuals, in this country and on Urantia has been a supreme effort by many. We are humbled at the apparent results. It is always a privilege for me to be here and remind you with love and with encouragement of your realities, of the realities of this movement, of this spiritual vanguard.

 

I am not going to add any words to Daniel' words regarding variety but I will say that the variety of minds which are availed to us is as multicolored as any modern closet. It is an ongoing adventure to participate in this process. I will return this now to Daniel. Good evening.

 

DANIEL:        And I, Daniel, will turn this now over to you, group, for your participation as you are the mortal players in this saga of putting into action the truths and values as set forth in the revelation, as was well rendered by Duane in the address you read prior to our formal segment of our meeting this evening. [Ed. note: Duane Faw's address to Spiritfest 95 was read during the sharing time.] The floor is open. Carry on.

 

Isaac:              Greetings our friends and teachers, Daniel and Tomas. As you were speaking of variety I was reminded of my experience lately in terms of seeing the gorgeous variety of fish in the ocean from the perspective of snorkeling above the waters of Hawaii. And I have noticed as I have been walking in the presence of spiritual reality in this Teaching Mission that the whole world is becoming much more apparent to me in its beauty and variety. One of the things that I experienced was the thrill of looking into another person's eyes when doing the Sufi dancing in Hawaii, even children, and seeing them as incredibly unique, precious brothers and sisters. I don't have a question as such but I would share that experience with the group and with you teachers. Thank you.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you for your picturization of the lesson in terms of the many, many facets of variety available. In the physical universe certainly there are the individual leaves on the trees, the snowflakes, the fishes, the myriad subtle variations to remind us of the uniqueness of each creation. The appreciation of this variation is what constitutes a fresh view each time you look, as in the eyes of a child when you behold a cloud which is not the same as all the other clouds. Although it is similar, it has its own uniqueness. Perhaps it resembles a polar bear or a lollypop.

 

The fresh view is what will allow you to retain your own youthful approach to life for when life begins to look the same day after day, when individuals begin to seem alike and when there is no difference between the high and low, the dark and light, then life is becoming dead. The importance of appreciation of variation is certainly made manifest by what you perceive in your exterior world, but it is in large part a reflection on what is transpiring in your inner life as well. If you approach each new day as an adventure with the opportunity of meeting new creatures and brother creations then your mind is attuned to those surprises and delights as well as shocks which will come your way. But being open to the variation is critical to a rich life externally and internally; and it is the beginning of wishing to then perceive how life is seen by your siblings in this experience. For you can share the view you behold with them. They can then return to you their view and your worlds are expanded. This can only come about if you are in appreciation and respect of the variation of individual perceptions and realities.

 

Isaac:              And I thank you for the extended commentary because I did have a question coming to mind which you have already answered in your discussion here of the relation of this ability to perceive the beauty of variety as a result of the inner workings of the spiritual life. That, of course, was my assumption because that would explain my own experience as well. And then you talk about sharing this with other people, I have also been doing that. It is interesting how people react to that. Sometimes I get the feeling that people are thinking that I am off in outer space noticing all this stuff whereas they are locked into the usual, the sameness, the sort of pessimistic thing. Sometimes people seem to appreciate having things pointed out to them that are positive as well. Anyway, thank you for that conversation. I assume that was Daniel, that last part?

 

DANIEL:        Yes, I am Daniel and we are, yes, having an ongoing conversation actually for one stimulates the other and it is as it might be in your own arena. Of course there are many levels of converse; whereas it may appear obvious on one level there are other levels which are also conversing and sharing information.

 

In your sharing with us, Isaac, of your sharing of experiences with others there is the possibility that some will harbor resentment that you have had these experiences and would just as soon that you not share your joy because it reminds them of their paucity. There is certainly that level of reality in your world. There are others who look to your story and regard it as an adventure that they have yet to see and are quite stimulated and inspired to, yes, do it too. And etc. Thus even your own expression creates variation in individuals depending upon where they are in their own appreciation of truth, beauty and goodness.

 

It is gracious to be in a sincere sharing mode when you seek communication for travelogues are sometimes interesting, sometimes not interesting. Also, scientific explanations may be interesting, may not be interesting. Review of dialogue between one another in an intimate conversation may be interesting or may not be interesting. This variation is another which is circumspect, for what are your motives in sharing information and what lesson are you giving in your expression? These subtleties of communication may whet the appetite or may fall on defiant ears. Many times the way your words are perceived is directly related to the degree of intimacy in your sharing. There is a challenge for you.

 

Isaac:              I agree, it is a challenge. I have experienced some of those things you are describing and as you are talking I am thinking about what perhaps has been my motives. I will give that more thought. Mostly I think they have been unconsciously joyous but I am not entirely sure. I also am aware that there has to be an awareness on the speakers part as to whether they want to hear the story, as you say, the travelogue or the conversation or whatever it is you are talking about. That is a real difficult one to deal with. What I am wanting to share with you all is my joy of seeing the supreme beauty of this planet, not just the physical beauty of this environment but the beauty of people, even children, as all variations on the mortal theme of brother and sister. I have said enough. It is time for others to have a chance at this mike. Thank you very much, both of you.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you my friend for your sharing. I have found great comfort and stimulation in your words and in your telling of your appreciation for your experience. It is also true that your heartfelt appreciation and enthusiasm has a positive effect whether you are heard or not for these positive vibrations which radiate from you are a form of prayer and worship; and these alone sufficiently impact your environment to cause others to review their own state of mind. For if, in fact, an individual fears prayer and laudatory remarks about his fellow human beings and planet of origin and does not feel stirrings of truth or does not find joy, then there is an issue for reflection. Thus your words have by their own expression affected life for the better. Your motives and intentions are as honorable as any son of man today on Urantia. Your path is clear. Do not doubt yourself. Carry on in your way which is a unique variation on the theme of personality. And so it goes. Thank you.

 

Isaac:              Thank you Daniel, very much.

Rutha:             What do you think about the theme of stillness for our conference?

 

DANIEL:        Daughter, I am always inclined to review, practice, instill and encourage the art of stillness for this place of soul rest and direction is utterly necessary to a stabilized soul refreshed by the living waters. I am also intrigued by the credentials of the individual who is scheduled to address the attendants including us teachers. We will certainly have more to say, do, and act upon when you have been duly impressed by the guest speaker. In fact the `act is yours, the consequences, God's'. We will operate with that stimuli and we are assured there will be a stimulus. So I think stillness is always an appropriate subject and fresh characterization and impetus is always exciting.

 

It is important for me to state additionally, however, that whereas the stillness is a condition which realigns you with your Indwelling God Fragment and generates tremendous energies in a group setting it is the community of attendance which is the experience. A group effort, a communal project, a togetherness kind of format provides the flow, the variations of character and personality which provides external stimuli; and I would not discourage a balance between stillness as a rather introverted activity and the inherent social or group or external activity as well. 

 

Rutha: Thank you Daniel. We will consider what you said and take it as a confirmation. Thank you.

 

DANIEL:        I believe we have a guest.

 

Nolus:             Yes, I would like to introduce Allison who is nine years old. This is the first time that she has attended a group. So it was very interesting to hear you refer often to the children. As you spoke I have had an opportunity to watch her and to see the beauty of the child and recognize that this is a part of all our earthly existence. It has really enhanced the opportunity. I am very happy that we were able to bring her today, that we are able to receive your counsel regarding our children.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you daughter, Nolus, and welcome, Allison. We are so pleased to know you, to feel you with us, to understand that you also are aware of our presence, our reality and our love for you. The value of chronologically young people is that you and others such as Sarah and Destiny who have attended this group are refreshingly unsoiled by clumsy life experiences and your relationship to your pure Spirit realm is more intact. If we could, we teachers would have a classroom of eight, nine and ten year olds to lead these grownups in classes on teaching them how to lighten up and have more fun! So we in the spirit realm just outside your physical vision do appreciate your being here today. I hope that your angels and your own Spirit guides are active in your life and that you welcome them into your thoughts and feelings, for we are good friends and we like to work together with you mortals that have it tough enough without help from God and your earthly friends as well. Welcome Allison.

 

Nolus:             Thank you very much, Daniel, for your recognition.

DANIEL:        Would you like to ask a question, Allison? [Shakes head, no]

 

Jeremiah:       Hi, teacher Daniel. It is good to hear you once again. Could you describe an angel for Allison's benefit, please?

 

DANIEL:        Jeremiah, how good to hear your voice! Yes, I am delighted to discuss angels for your benefit and Allison's as well. (Laughter)

 

Jeremiah:       He read my mind. (More laughter)

 

DANIEL:        It is rather hard to describe angels, you rather have to kind of feel angels in order to make more sense of them for angels do not bridge upon your intellect so much as on your soul. They are, of course, exceedingly beautiful. They are beautiful in their presence, their movements and in their work.

 

There are many kinds of angels. There are many jobs that angels do. They do their work with expediency, grace, efficiency and patience. We all use the ministrations of angels. Sometimes if you need something accomplished and you pray to God through Jesus, God will direct your prayer to an angel, who will then call on the midwayers to help. Now a midwayer is very much like you, Jeremiah and Allison, for they are emotional and adventurous. They have real feelings, get into trouble, and have high adventures. They are the ones who might be able to most closely affect your immediate environment. So the midwayers are working for the angels and there are many midwayers. Again, the angels can get a lot done. But you would see a midwayer quicker than you would see an angel.

 

I used a lot of words there, Jeremiah. Have I met with Allison's needs? Or perhaps I should better ask Allison. `Did you understand what I was saying, Allison'? Most assuredly you have lots of spiritual helpers. We use big words. We call them heavenly helpers, celestial hosts and any number of grand words, but they are simply your close friends in the Spirit. Do take advantage of your helpers, child, for they will respond to the needs of even the little ones like yourself. Thank you for your rapt attention and your continued interest in your own soul development.

 

Francyl:          Speaking of variety, Daniel, I had an experience this week where I went to church with my son to a Bible study class.  And I came out feeling like I was the bottom of the totem pole.  For one thing they figured that people who were Urantians weren't Christians to begin with.  And then they talked a lot about the atonement.  I think my best bet on this is, since I will be going, is just to be quiet about the whole thing.

 

DANIEL:        Thank you for sharing those sentiments and experiences with your teacher.  I would not discourage your attendance or your involvement.  You may be merely backing up for a fresh start.  The bottom of the totem pole is where all ascendant life starts.  As far as the Christian community is concerned, technically speaking you are probably not Christian in the Christian terminology.  You are Jesusonian.  The fact is all of you here have learned to love Jesus.  You all want to know more about Him.  You are all studying various resource material to gain that greater understanding and closeness with this man Jesus who lived and according to some dogma died for your sins.  The fact that you have entered into this arena to study their resource material puts you in a position of having to speak their language, as they, if they read the Urantia Book, would have to do to incorporate the language of the Urantia Book for a closer understanding of what that theology is. 

 

It is not so bad to be at the bottom of the totem pole of life's experience.  There must be an origin if there is a beginning, middle, ending, and etc.  But you're offended by their alienating your belief system from their `superior' belief system; and this, indeed, is not in accordance with the teachings of Jesus who said to always respect the beliefs of mankind, humankind, that the individual's belief is that which he has.  Honor that and add to that. 

 

They seem to be trying to take away from you your self respect in your faith system, your belief system.  This is error.  Do not allow them to win the battle by remaining silent but stand firm in your conviction of your sonship/daughtership and the right to be a thread in this tapestry of believers.  Indeed, even those who do not know Jesus, who do not study Him, have that quality of divinity within them which puts them in your family of fellow believers.  The challenge here is to soften those barriers, those biases, those prejudices, those rigid belief systems which block the flow of Spirit love between you.  This is effort and your work is cut out for you!  However, your love for your grandchildren and your love for your God will prevail; and like Isaac, as you present your truths with enthusiasm and faith the song of your psalm will radiate into your environment and will affect others.  So, to you, too, Daughter, I say, carry on.

 

 Francyl:         Thank you.

 

Jeremiah:       Teacher Daniel and Tomas, I enjoyed your lesson on variety.  My understanding of art is to find unity in variety or in contrast.  In science you always try to find unity in varieties of phenomena.  Is it generally true that in all fields we would be looking for unity in the variety?  In other words the Gods or Master Spirits have created the diversity in the variety in existence and then we seek out the unity?

 

DANIEL:        I would not want to limit you in your perceptions, my son, for sometimes the contrast is more interesting than the monotony of unity, if you understand my meaning.  The way in which you behold the wonders of creation will be compatible with your capacity for the understanding thereof.  There may be times when your alignment, your own balance requires the homogeny of unity, and that will be your focus and rightfully so.  There may be times when you are making a large growth step and it is necessary for you to perceive the various differences so that you can garner the courage to make a large giant step into left field for your own creative expression, for your own search, for your own next degree of conviction and thus reality.  Then the contrasts will be more important to your comprehension. 

 

The universe at large is that same way.  There are many ways which it can be observed from our point of view, which you understand is not from Paradise but from outside Paradise.  When we do attain finality no doubt our view will be altered.  But for now there are times when the tweed is more fitting than the plaid and there are days when polka dots and stripes are just right.  Has that addressed your question?

 

Jeremiah:       Yes, it has.  Thank you for the discussion.

 

DANIEL:        I, myself, found it rather interesting.  Are we content?  It is our purpose, you know, to provide words that will stimulate your reflectivity, your need for spirit communion to, then, put your thoughts into work.  If we are up to date on all these for another week I will prepare to close.

 

Rutha:             Daniel, I do have a question that was spurred from what Francyl said.  Numerous times I have been in a situation where the subject of atonement has come up.  It is very difficult to   -- how would one go about to present, without totally offending these other people, an alternative viewpoint to them?  How could we present the fact that a loving God would never send His son to be killed and not offend them?

 

DANIEL:  Thank you for your question, my child.  It is one of the greater challenges of this Correcting Time Mission to correct that conception.  There are many fields afoot to do just that.  As I said earlier the belief system that is in existence in the hearts and minds of literally millions of sincere believers is in error of the greater truth. 

 

In respecting the beliefs of others it is the first tactic to add to rather than take away from.  It is one of those things which, unfortunately, will take years to die out, generations, indeed.  The same was true in Machiventa's time when he encountered the element of sacrifice which, of course, is barbaric to a twentieth century mind.  In time the concept of atonement, that Michael intended to serve Himself up as a sacrifice for your salvation, will also be regarded as barbaric.  But for now the favored approach is to either assault the story with truth or to dance around the issue with augmented revelation so as to stimulate the Spirit of Truth in the individual believer.  Your concern is our concern as well and it is gratifying that you are interested in a resolution as we, too, are working in the Correcting Time arena.  So, good question.

 

Rutha:             But Daniel I realize that you can't say this is the formula and this is what you do because each situation is different.  But I do appreciate the fact that in our lifetime we don't have to convert them all or whatever.  I have always found that when I have been in this situation that I find myself saying, `The God that I believe in is a God of love and a God of love looks above our errors'.  And since our errors are not to Him in the same way that we see them -- I talk in more depth than I am now, but any rate I start out with my God is a God of love and because He is a God of love that blood atonement is not possible.  I know this might not be understood by the people at the time.  They might think that I am some kook and I know they are feverishly praying for my soul that I might come around.  But I do think that maybe by doing these kinds of things and getting that language out there that this is the beginning of breaking down those barriers and the beginning of a crack in the soil for the seed to be planted and that type of thing?

 

DANIEL:        Certainly.  This is what I meant by spiritual assault.  If you can plant these seeds, and profound and large seeds these are, then you have, indeed, created a wedge against the darkness.  The fact that lawbreakers were crucified and that is the order of the day, even now, is a method of teaching.  That Michael as a Creator Son could have altered His path by one way or another is other discourse available. 

 

But in speaking of our Father appeal directly to their God Fragment.  At the risk of running into even more prejudice with words when you say, `My God is a loving God' that is your personal understanding.  When you say, `Our Father', you have included that individual in your understanding that `Our Father is a loving Father and He would not crucify His own Son.  But we mortals might!  And so your discourse could go along those lines.  Yes, any effort is effort on behalf of enlightenment.  Of course, you are not asked to alienate anyone but sometimes those things happen.

 

Rutha:             Thank you Daniel.  And the words `Our Father' does seem more appropriate in bringing about a greater unity.  I have often thought in my nights of being awake at times, what would happen had Jesus not decided to stay on this plane, after the baptism, to just go on.  I often wonder if maybe His teachings wouldn't have been as effective.  And it is because of the crucifixion, of going through that with Him knowing that this would still perpetuate the Jewish tradition of atonement that in the longer run, maybe in a couple of thousand years that would have to be rectified, but that was still the course to take rather than not to have gotten the seeds of the one God and of the Father planted.  Do you see what I am saying?

 

DANIEL:        I believe I understand. Yes, it is intriguing to speculate on what might have happened if....  This is something that we do even now.  In fact it is something we experiment with on a regular basis for all things are variable.  There is nothing cast in stone in this creation.  The options that Michael had were outlined before He embarked on his seventh and final bestowal.  The outcome of this experience was aware to Him.  He was aware of what would come after this experience.  He was certainly aware of the circumstances in which He arrived here and grew to know the world perhaps better than He wanted to.  But His love was great.  His own destiny calling was great.  His own relationship with His own Father, our Father, was so sublime that in His discourses, in solitude His love for the Father then was such that He was able to withstand the cruel things which fate, evolution, humankind had to put before Him.  It is remarkable what individuals can do when they are motivated.  Michael was certainly no exception. 

 

The crucifixions which are experienced by each of you in your day to day affairs, in your crises, in the births and deaths and illnesses and uprisings of your lives, all these are questions to which you might say, `Is it worth it!  Why not just cut it short and be done with it!'  But the following through with an experience, once the dramatic chords are set in motion with correct perspective, does, indeed, become yet another magnificent symphony in the unfolding of life on a planet such as Urantia.  So you and we love the drama, the adventure, the saga, the entertainment, the spectacle of history presenting itself.  And our flash, your spectacle will be no less than the greatest that you can muster.  So drama is an integral part of human life.  Poignancy of feelings and depth of devotion, these are character building qualities.

 

Rutha:             Thank you Daniel.  That was beautiful.  I can't help but visualize you guys sitting over there with books like we have here where you can read to a certain page and then go to another page and create your own story by whatever page you turn to, the ending and different things.  I can just see you up there kind of changing endings for us.  Thank you for your discourse tonight.  I appreciated it.

 

DANIEL:        And how we appreciate the novel lives you live.  The experience of the teachers that we are here and involved in your lives in the unfolding of the New Era on Urantia, your grappling with cosmic problem solving coupled with your own human travail is more entertaining than you, yourselves, can imagine!   Obviously some are more entertaining than others.  But that is our own personal variation for some of us prefer Westerns and some prefer the more sophisticated gangster movies.  You, none of you, have disappointed us. (Laughter)

 

Now that we have seen the entire cinema shall we close the theater for this evening?   It has been my and our supreme privilege and joy to partake once again of this feast of communication and soul satisfaction which has been given to us by our wondrous Creator and His able assistance.  In anticipation of the variation of the upcoming week, I am your friend, Daniel.  Good night.

 

Group:            Thank you Daniel.  Good night.

 

*****

 

DATE:                        August 11, 1995

TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Social Fragrance

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Greetings, I am Daniel, your teacher, guide and friend. It is my supreme pleasure to address this group of individuals whose foundations are indeed solid, who have learned their lessons well. You make me proud as a teacher. You show me off well and I thank you. It is my pleasure to open this meeting tonight. Tomas will address you first and provide you with a lesson, and, then, my friends, you will be given the platform to express your concerns. We will address this issue that is foremost in your minds following our lesson time. Thank you dear students, loving friends, for your generosity of heart. Now, Tomas, please proceed.

 

TOMAS:         Thank you, Daniel, co-teacher, and good evening friends and loyal students. We have evolved to a point where it is desirous that we address a new facet of our Teaching Mission community. The growth of this family of believers has been on a steady course. The initial discourses focused on our existence in your realm and an ensuing process of assuring you of your value and in encouraging your understanding of love with subsequent related lessons of a spiritual nature.

 

Once you became comfortable with your spiritual authenticity we began to delve into mindal matters and subsequent emotional dealings where we have spent considerable time undergoing great healing individually and as a group. Of course, the lessons you embark upon and socialize become part of the exterior arena of Urantia. Thus it is natural now and oddly timely prior to a birthday party and another conference that we should bring to you the topic of social fragrance. We thus now flip into the more physical aspect of those mighty messages of spiritual truth and psychic harmony which have been the thrust of our efforts so far. You are now taking what you have learned into your greater community, the Teaching Mission of your immediate neighbors and thus this community of believers is being fruitfully expanded.

 

What is the meaning of social fragrance? Of course the earlier lessons on spiritual aspects and psychological aspects are part and parcel of your social composition. Your mastery of social fragrance is yet to come, but your courage is adequate to begin bringing to your superconsciousness the impact of your inter-relatedness with others -- not that you will be in a position, particularly, to set an example, no, but that as a neighborhood you can intermingle more fluidly with your extended neighborhood. Thus those lessons of growth which you have worked on and which you are assimilating in your deep mind are going to be projected outward into your brothers' and sisters' presence.

 

I am visualizing a dance, a synchronicity, a choreography of souls united in fellowship. The dance which you invite others to partner with you is a movement which is both conjoining and uplifting. It is a method of bringing out the best in each other, in luring forth your more refined and sensitive selves for the refreshment of your coworkers. We will spend more time, much time throughout our work together, on the more physical aspects of your ministry. But it is important to go slowly that what you have gleaned from the earlier lessons are integrated into your path. In time we will discuss how to become such a mortal being that your well-unified personalities, your social fragrance, indeed, will draw to you those who would seek to discover what you have. In your presentation there will be many enjoyable facets to dwell upon, in our lessons and in your own personal recesses.

 

In view of the program for this evening I will not extend my lesson further but will plant this seed of social fragrance in your mind. The essence, of course, is a love saturated soul in a working arena, a harmonious loving environment with others. It is a critical facet of teamwork, and that, as you know, will be the lesson you will work on for many aeons. The isolation age is over, and it is time to bring forth that which you are becoming into context with your peers. I look forward to variations of discourse on this subject, but for now, dear students, I eagerly look forward to all things and return you now to the ministrations of our friend, Daniel.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Yes, friends. I apologize for the delay. PamElla became aware that Rutha is perfectly capable of receptivity, at this time is, in fact, in tune. And with that awareness and lack of need for her services she began to weaken and worry about usurping Rutha's position and began to doubt her abilities as a TR. She tends to function best when she has the belief that there is no one else and that it is up to her. However, I have her agreement and cooperation to proceed as we began with my dear friend PamElla serving as my mouthpiece this evening. She may consider Rutha a backup if, indeed, for any reason she herself is incapable of continuing. [Ed. comment: PamElla was not feeling well that evening.]

 

Van El:            I am Van El. The purpose of Rutha's attentiveness at this time is to bring her back on line in the coming weeks. It is more or less a practice session. However, this vehicle has consented to remain in receptivity in order to fine tune abilities of the past and as assistance. That is all at this point.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Thank you Van El for your gracious words. This information has indeed benefited all of those gathered and may have further benefit as well. And now my friends I know you have concerns on your mind. I ask that you again read me the letter although I am, of course, familiar with it. However, there are those that may perceive me as not being in your presence unless I am in TR contact, so I request that you read this letter now and that its contents be placed into the transcript in this manner.  [Ed. comment: The letter was read, is printed as written, and regards the group meeting held 7-14-95.]

 

AN OPEN LETTER TO DANIEL

 

5 August, 1995

 

"Two weeks ago you and I had a discussion. I had come to the Urantia meeting feeling very upset and unhappy. The new circuitry which had been installed on Monday that same week was causing me distress, both physically and mentally. The left side of my head was hot to the touch and painful. It felt unbalanced. My dreams were all about laboratory animals with sections of their skull removed and electrodes in their brains. At the meeting, I shared most of this with the group. I was certain that all I needed was to bring this to your attention. I trusted that you would do whatever was necessary to rectify the situation.

 

"After our talk, I was certainly no longer under this delusion. You have often referred to us as creatures.  Perhaps so, but all the transcripts I have read indicate that even we lowly creatures are children of the same Parent, and deserve to be treated as such. You compared me to a person born with a clubfoot -- perhaps to infer a spiritual handicap. You also compared the circuitry to a prosthetic device. Any medical professional will adjust a device to avoid discomfort for their patient, because they know that pain is a deterrent to healing. You refused to discuss removing or even adjusting the circuitry, except to recommend Life Carrier healing. Why would I need such healings if the circuitry was causing me no harm? What did you fear?

 

"Then Daniel, you avoided the issue when I complained that this additional circuitry was installed without asking or informing me. I go to the dentist for a checkup, and he tells me that I have a cavity which needs to be filled, that does not give him permission to do a root canal and put a crown in once my mouth is deadened. Even though I cannot feel exactly what he is doing because of the anesthetic, he still has an obligation to inform me of any changes he may wish to make once he has begun. On our world, this is professional ethics. Should we expect any less of you who call yourselves Teachers? My free will is being violated when you assume permission.

 

"After that, you slyly asked whether anyone in the room could see any of the circuitry. Of course, there was no answer. You told me that I was over-reacting. I refused to reply, for that was when I knew for sure that you were only toying with me. For three years you have encouraged this group, praising every small evidence of their faith in you and your cohorts, though none of them is able to see you. Daniel, it cannot be both ways. I, too, believed in your existence and trusted your words. Yet because we were unable to see the circuitry, you inferred that it could not be in my awareness, nor cause me pain. At that moment all the fine and caring words I had read in the transcripts became a mockery. My hopes for spiritual guidance and growth turned to dust. First I felt hurt, and then, anger. I can be patted on the head and told that I am over-reacting by any garden variety oaf on the planet. From you, Daniel, it is most disturbing, for it implies a total lack of respect for a being placed in your care.

 

"I felt that you were treating me like a child, and said so. You called me 'pal'. Finally, you told me that the new circuitry was really a reward because I had just made a big leap in spiritual growth. This made no sense to me at all, for spiritual growth should lead to less need for aids or devices, not more. Down through the centuries there have been a few shining souls who could see and hear what the majority could not. Many were persecuted. At best, they were misunderstood. But their reports have given hope to those who have followed after. None of them, to my knowledge, needed circuitry to enable their vision. If our planet is indeed on the brink on Light and Life will we not see for ourselves soon enough? The Christ I believe in does not need electronic devices to communicate with anyone!

 

"In my fifty-three years, there have been many groups who came on the national or international scene wanting to change the world. Most often, whatever was emphasized in their propaganda was exactly what they wanted to take from their followers. Groups who promote peace find themselves in the thick of the battle. If you sign on the bottom line for hope, be prepared for despair. Churches preach God's love and then manipulate their congregations through guilt and sin. Though the Urantia Book repelled me, the transcripts spoke of Love, of Trust, of having Free Will. All those nice nominalizations. I should have known better. The hook was the opportunity for spiritual growth. That made it very hard for a seeker to walk away. All the signs were there. I didn't want to read them. When a group which talks about Free Will teaches you that you have a Thought Adjuster who will, if you're good enough, become a Thought Controller, you are in trouble! When they tell you to Trust - plan on losing your initiative. If Daniel's tender mercies are any example, Love is about doing what you're told and not questioning his authority. Have you noticed that not one of them can do a thing without asking permission? I have a sense that their real Mission would have us all like little robots in their circuitry, marching in lock step through eternity. Believe me, Daniel, when I tell you that I will not be so deceived again. Since you are already in Hell, I'll see you when it freezes over.

 

J. M."

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Thank you Isaac for reading this letter as requested. My first words are again to you, this group, as I stated earlier. I am most pleased with the love and concern you have expressed for your sister, for a member of your more intimate community and a member of the family of Urantia. This love is most necessary. Continue to build your foundations by coming into understanding of what unconditional love truly is. Thank you loyal, faithful, hardworking students.

 

Jane, my dearest friend, thank you for bringing your anger, upset, beliefs, and understanding directly to me that I may address these. Dear friend I am extremely saddened by my failure to communicate to you my love, my compassion, and my understanding of the distress which you feel and are currently undergoing, and by my failure to respond to the technical aspects of your question, your request of that evening. You asked me to take off, remove, the circuitry. And, my dear, I did not address that directly, which was my failing. My dear, there is no new electronic circuitry installed in your head, and therefore there is nothing for me to remove. Let me try to explain for you in more detail the nature of the circuitry of which we speak.

 

Circuitry is the natural inheritance of planets who have a normal evolution. Circuitry is, perhaps, a misnomer in this situation. It is a word that we borrowed from your language but it is by no means meant to represent electrical wiring. In fact, the nature of this linkup is love. The circuits are made of love. As we are all a part of the creation of the First Source and Center, we are His love manifest and thusly is the circuitry flowing out from Paradise Isle a connecting link to Infinite Love. Circuitry cannot cause pain, for it has no power. It is only the pathway through which beings (all of God's creations) are able to enrich spiritual development and reach further potential.

 

These circuits have not existed for over 250,000 years. These circuits were not here at the time of your birth. They are, in fact, new and are part of the Correcting Time that is designed to bring this planet back to its natural state had there not been the rebellion in heaven. At that time, although love remained the fact of the essence of individuals, the spiritual circuits were severed, for not only could they be used for good but they would have been used by the celestial rebels to continue to spread the falsehoods to other inhabited worlds.

 

Jane, I recommend that you read in the Urantia Book about the Lucifer Rebellion. I invite you, suggest that you, indeed, read Lucifer's proclamation, for I believe you will read much that stirs your soul, that you will say, yes, perhaps Lucifer was right after all! And yet another part of you will say -- no -- there is greater truth than even that. And I see you now as being torn between the truth that you feel inside and the residue of the Lucifer Rebellion. If you read the Lucifer Manifesto this may bring this issue to a head for you at which point you may more clearly decide.

 

My dearest friend, circuitry whose essence is love is incapable of causing pain in and of itself, but it is possible for the opening of circuitry to cause pain when the increased flow of love coming across the circuitry is resisted or when one has conflicting ideas that must be dealt with. An example of such a conflict is knowing and believing that one should be tolerant but being unable to be so in daily living.

 

Think, if you will, of a stream with a large boulder in the middle. When the runoff is low, the water parts harmlessly around the boulder with little agitation. As the water's flow increases with the melting of large ice fields above, the friction created by the existence of the boulder in the stream increases, and water now crashes into the boulder creating turbulence and -- if you will --pain.

 

Additionally, the mortal being is not capable of experiencing the full love of the First Source and Center, the full love Christ Michael/Jesus, or the full love of the Mother Spirit. The mortal being would, indeed, be blinded by the full force of such love. Others of your fellow sisters and brothers can share experiences with you of opening to love and finding it almost painful in its intensity and needing to have that love volume turned down. And, so, the opening of the circuitry increases the flow of truth, of love to the individual. The individual's response to that increased flow determines their experience of it. In this sense, the opening of circuitry can hurt.

 

My friend, I am not in charge of your linkages. You, yourself, through your free will have chosen that link to the First Source and Center, have chosen to be linked with brothers and sisters, have chosen the path of love. You, yourself, have put the circuitry into place. But you see, to ask to have those linkages, those loving circuits severed is the same as asking for personality isolation. [Ed. Comment: Consequential error made, corrected, and deleted. The nature of the error is discussed in the questions and answers. Transmission continues through TR #1.]

 

Growing into spiritual awareness and God-consciousness brings you forth in a higher plane of enlightenment. Your desiring to remove this channel would set you back in your evolutionary process. It is never easy to grow. It is never easy to face changes. It is very difficult to have trust and hope when you are in the process of change and growth. It is often easier for individuals to desire that which is comfortable, that which is status quo, that which is known. The support that you have around you, my dear Jane, will uphold you. Know that the layers that you have peeled back can remain peeled through your continuing forward. If, however, you are unable to continue, then these layers will again fold back in on themselves.

 

All spiritual growth is not painful for spiritual growth produces inner joy, peace and serenity that is felt when one is in the understanding of love. However, human growth does go through various stages, and the undoing of the past is, indeed, painful. And these shards that have been exposed for you now will in time be worn down like the grains on a rock such as sandstone if you can continue to put forth the erosion necessary to break them down.

 

It is necessary for one who has already exposed themselves to the shards that they continue to break down those layers. For, you see, the shard is like the nerve of a tooth. If the tooth is healthy, then the nerve will be as well. If the enamel of the tooth breaks down and the tooth begins to decay and the nerve is exposed, pain ensues. It is an unfortunate and a dismal part of human life on this planet that far too many of you reached adulthood damaged, abused, confused and fearful. You, like the tooth, have had your enamel worn away and broken down. Some are able through work to move on. And, while there is growth pain, they maintain. That is, they fill the cavity, and, with proper care, the nerve is not exposed. Others are not so fortunate; the cavity enlarges, and the root is exposed. In this case it will require more time and work to fix the problem. Simply filling in the cavity will not do; extraction of the root is necessary to cease the pain. What this means in human terms and not in dental talk is indeed hard work, painful remembrances, and learning to love, forgive, trust, and risk beyond what one feels they are able to do.

 

You, my dear, have been very courageous in the past. You have struggled through many emotions, many ideas, many intellectual debates concerning the purpose of life and all of what seems to be the unfairness of life. My understanding of your character gives me hope that even though this too is a challenging time, you will persist, for it has been part of your underlying pathway to seek and know the Father, to seek and know God.

 

Therefore look into your heart. Know that for sure there is no need for the true seeker to need any outside source for spiritual growth. Spiritual knowledge and understanding of the purpose of life is from within. All growth must come from within. There can be no blaming or putting to fault anything that has come from within. That is to say, humans cannot blame or find fault in outside appearances if they come from within.

 

The mind is essential in bringing the voyager of time into the reality of the journey of ascension. It is what you seek and strive to do that is most important, my dear. The fact that you desire to know the Father and His Will is the very fact that opens you up to growing day by day in His overcare. The circuitry that flows into this planet now is one that has opened up this planet to receive all of the knowledgeable and give-able aspects of the First Source and Center. The purpose of isolation so many years ago was to protect those who were held in the isolation. While this appears almost contradictory, why isolate an already torn planet? Why not support it with the spiritual circuitry, spiritual energies? The contradiction is in appearance only. Spiritual support remained, and isolation of this planet and the others involved in the rebellion allowed time for free agency to play itself out.

 

Free agency is that which has been given as a great gift to humans and many other types of beings. Had God created all planets in perfection, then there would have been no need for free agency. For all, then, would in a sense be robotic. All would just naturally follow and be a part of. Free agency allows each individual to determine and choose. Free agency gives you the choice between many options. There is good, and there is evil.

 

Had there not been default, evil would not have had as great a chance of perpetuating itself to the degree it has on this planet. But just because there has been a perpetuation of evil does not mean that there has not been a perpetuation of good! For within each human being there is an Inner Guide. That Inner Guide is not One that should be taken lightly. It is the actual Fragment of the First Source and Center. It is your connection to God! God is love manifested. In each and every one of you is that gift of love. God also gave you that mind that you could choose to reject or to open to that love. My dear, you know what that love is, for you have given it many times over to the people who come to you, the broken bodies, and the hurting bodies. You know that love, and you know how often you, yourself, wish you could help those that are lying there hurting and crying out for the understanding of that Inner Guide to be made known to them. In your essence, in your being, you have known all along that there is more than just one planet, that this was not just an accident. Yet you have seen many whose understanding and whose hope was on the wane, and you have given them a different sense of purpose by your loving ministry.

 

And so that aspect which is called a Thought Adjuster is known to you. When you open up to love and to service and to wanting to see the bigger picture, when you turn yourself over to that First Source and Center how else can you spiritually grow unless that First Source and Center grows with you? Thought Controller only because you want more. You are hungry for more. You are hungry to be more.

 

My dear, all of the teachers in this Teaching Mission have been given for one purpose and that is to help each individual on their own pathway to see with brighter vision, to feel the love of the First Source and Center, to be able to project that aspect by their own lives. It is by their fruits that they will be known. Our mission has been geared to helping you realize your fruits, to realize that each and every one of you are a son and daughter of the First Source and Center, and in being that son or daughter you are never alone, you are part of the One, you are part of the Whole.

 

Spiritual circuitry enables you to freely move around in that whole, in that one. Growing through the steps of humanness, of the human condition is the aspect that causes pain. And pain can be manifested in many areas. It is always a matter of regret that this must happen. Please know, my dear that if you have any other issues you would like addressed, the teachers are here. It may take time for questions to be answered because of language and because of TR resistance and because of TR fear, but that is part of growing. To know the answer to a math problem does not mean that you know what that answer means. It is the process of working through that answer that validates and gives meaning to that answer.

 

From Michael, from all the teachers, from myself, I give you my love and my peace. I ask you to come back. Do not be concerned. What has been written represents only a certain stage, represents an aspect of growth. In the aeons of time, from the dawn of this planet on through to its completion, the one thing that has been constant has been Truth. It shall continue. And now if there are further questions from this group the floor is open.

 

PamElla:         Daniel, I do. I am concerned about the earlier part of the transmission and how much of my own `stuff' was mixed into it. And I realize that this can or may not be put in the transcript. I just want to make sure it's as clean as necessary. So I guess I would like you to make any other corrections at this time that need to be made.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):  Thank you, PamElla, for not only being a willing transmitter/receiver tonight but for asking this question.

 

Please strike this portion also from the transcript. [Ed. Comment: The decision was made with Daniel's permission to leave this portion of the transcript as is, because it answers a question posed in the last T/R News Network (pg. 6-7, Vol. 3, No. 4, July 1995.) It is hoped this answer will be helpful to others.]

 

Know, PamElla, that your TR abilities are strong. The aspect that needs correction is the point that was stated regarding that once one is encircuited and then rejects that this is like one extinguishing themselves from not only this planet but for all of Paradise. And the aspect of personality extinction is not one that can be so easily placed in this context. This planet is not one of Light and Life. This planet is in turmoil. And there can be in one's life many times when one feels and opens up to the love of the First Source and Center only to shut it down at another point and open it up again later. So you see to state that once knowledgeable and once closed down equals extinction is incorrect at this juncture.

 

PamElla, do not become distraught. Hold your trust and faith. Understand that emotions play a big part. Your love connection with Jane was interfering greatly, and yet you pulled through; you hung in there. And so know that all gross errors are corrected; non-essential things are not necessarily corrected.  We value your presence, your service and your work. To all of you is love given. For you indeed have formed a tight community that is strong. You have individually grown through many things. Your willingness to ask questions, your willingness to send transcripts wherever and whenever called upon has vicariously aided many as you have been told. The enormity will be witnessed when you reach morontial worlds. Are there further questions?

 

PamElla:         Thank you Daniel. I don't mean... yes I do mean to hog the mike. There are a few more things I need answers to, perhaps not now, but I prefer them now. I have some concerns about other of my transmissions. There has been a request for the Judas transcript. I want to know if that was, indeed, Judas. Also can you straighten out the question, the whole flub-up with Corella? I know I have complete inconsistency in transmissions concerning Corella, and I know I have one, two, or three inconsistencies, and they seem to me to be major inconsistencies and errors concerning Paula's teacher and the teacher Corella. Could you give me an answer for that one and also about Judas, please?

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      First your question regarding Judas. Let me question you a bit. This is in regards to a transmission you received regarding Judas' status? Is this correct?

 

PamElla:          More than that. During Easter I thought I transmitted Judas at our TR practice session and Ham also confirmed it. So both Isaac and I, I suppose, are -- right now I am having severe doubts about anything I have ever transmitted so -- therefore I am concerned about important ones like Judas and whether that was, indeed Judas that I transmitted, and if that was, indeed, Ham that verified it.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      It is part of the human phenomena to desire to know, whether it be from curiosity, or out of sincere intellectual wanting to know, or from the aspect of concern which could be linked to that aspect of growing love, that one questions what has happened to certain individuals. And it is truly not important for your own spiritual growth to know these answers in 99% of the cases. But because of the variety of human thought processes, pathways, and experiences, some knowledge or understanding regarding these personages of the past gives the human of the present a basis for further choosing, another nuance of knowledge from which to filter and to make choices in their lives. And while it has been the policy in the past to not give information regarding these types of things, this is lessening.

 

Judas was a struggling human as you all are. Judas loved the Master. However, he was often confused regarding which master to serve. In the Jewish tradition that `Thou shalt not have graven images before me' Judas often held the god of greed and self importance above that which he knew to be truth. Ask yourself how many times have you erred in light of the truth you have known. When Judas committed his final act, he was acting out of real guilt, a sense of real loss, and a sense of not being able to undo what had been done. He lost touch with his true God-consciousness. He lost his touch with that aspect of love. From that vantage point he chose extinction on this planet.

 

Through many years and much work Judas has regained his understanding, has reconnected his essence to love. Your transmission was not directly from Judas but rather from a carrier speaking for Judas on this occasion. Ham validated this message, not the messenger.

 

PamElla:         Thank you Daniel. What do you mean by a carrier?

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      In this instance it was a midwayer who spoke the words, the message from Judas. It is not yet part of Judas' career to be a teacher, but rather does Judas still carry a love for his planet, does he still wish to give back to the people of Urantia from his grief for his action. Do you understand?

 

PamElla:         Yes, Daniel, thank you. I am still a little bit self absorbed here. What I am understanding in addition to the very significant message is that the error I made was in thinking it was from Judas when it was, in fact, a midwayer bringing a message from Judas.

 

Isaac:               Ham implied that (referring to Judas' limited participation in the transmission moment).

 

PamElla:         Well Isaac, I didn't get that. It felt like Judas to me, and the emotion felt like that.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Indeed, midwayers are able to affect much for humans. They are your link to the morontial and the spirit world.

 

PamElla:         Thank you Daniel. Could you now clarify whether Corella is Paula's personal teacher. Should I set up a personal meeting with you to go into some of the details of the errors that I am concerned about in my transmissions?

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      This would be a good idea, yes, for there are other questions here this evening and this TR is just regaining connection and understanding. Another time, my dear.

 

PamElla:         Thank you.

 

Isaac:              Hello Daniel, this is Isaac. I really appreciate all the questions that PamElla asked because I had the same anxieties. This whole question of transmission error has been discussed on the internet and etc., and you know this because you know our minds pretty well. The problem is that we think if we make one small mistake or something that we are totally incompetent and that we have done nothing but make total errors. I know that this is an extreme position. I would like this next section to also be off the record for I do not regard this as serious error. But I wonder if it is error because you stated that if God made perfect worlds that people would be robots. I am concerned how people who read that might react, if they would think along these lines: `Well God did make perfect worlds, the Central Universe, and the beings there are not robotic. Daniel must be making an error.' Would you address that statement you made and tell me what to do in terms of this incredible transcript. Perhaps if you could be personally present when I am working on it that would be helpful.  (Laughter)

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Indeed, you know I will be there.

Isaac:              I figured.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      The term robot was used as a phrase taken from Jane's own letter stating that the teachers are robots, having to ask permission to give information. And so my phraseology certainly could be misconstrued. You know, you as humans understand your language better [than we do]. I ask you now to dialogue with me. How could we best express this aspect that there are -- express the concept that in a perfect world people or beings would be so in awe of the love of the First Source and Center that to react any other way except that way which reflects this love would be impossible?

 

Isaac:              Well, Daniel, I think the problem in our language is really there, because when I read the stuff about the Central Universe I get those same kind of questions like -- they say there is freedom of choice but in a perfect world there has never been rebellion, never been anybody make an error. And I just don't think any of us have the language or the thoughts to imagine such a situation. You see, I am not seriously concerned about your statement exactly. But someone who is critical of the Teaching Mission might look at that and say that obviously Daniel doesn't know his Urantia Book very well. And that is the only reason I brought it up. I honestly don't know the answer to your question.

 

Leetah:           Is it possible, I am sitting here thinking at what time, what periods in my life I have thought in terms of doing someone else's bidding with total awe. And I think it must be at times of limerance when you are in that first phase of love and you see no imperfection. I am not sure this carries over, but there is that part of humanity where you look at another person and are so willing to do what that person wants because of a love, I guess. I don't know if that is a good illustration or not.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Yes, Leetah, it is. Perhaps we should phrase this aspect in this way. If there were a perfect world then the people on it would appear to be acting like robots, because when an individual or being is so imbued with the love and the graciousness of the First Source and Center, they choose to only pursue that which reflects this love. Would that help?

 

Isaac:              I think so!

 

Tonya:            This question is for anybody. I was wondering concerning unconditional love that was mentioned earlier. My own teachers have been trying to help me accept the love that is there (if I am understanding it right), not to search for more than is present. In myself I am having a hard time with that, because I am the one to always look for the love that is present and not worry about that which is negative. So I am having a hard time just accepting what is there instead of asking myself to give more and asking to see more and perhaps being disappointed when it is not there. Could you somehow help me with that?

 

TOMAS (TR #2):  I am going to interject. I understand your devotion to Daniel and your eagerness to hear his words, yet his vessel is not strong, and I am going to respond to your question in order that the TR may absorb the energy and gain strength while I put some out.

 

The situation regarding understanding of unconditional love is founded in understanding the ideal love of the Father as it permeates you. In your growth, you always may return to your Inner Bastian of Spiritual Strength and see that the loving ministry, the understanding, the Parental concern always overshadows the failings of the child. In your attempt, then, to accept your peers with unconditional love, it is necessary to sustain an ideation of them from that same standpoint which the Father Fragment has for you. And this is no easy order, for what is evident is not always true. What people present is not always the reality. What your expectations are is not necessarily what they are willing to put forth. The many lessons on diversity and variation of personality indicate that the Source of unconditional love is above and beyond those considerations of gender, culture, age, and etc., which makes for the difference in individuals.

 

Unconditional love is a spiritual ideal and can only be sustained in the ideal. Your working relationships with your fellow human beings are the arena wherein you may reflect unconditional love relatively, for always will the truth seeker see himself in his fellows, will walk in his moccasins, and will recognize the human frailty which flesh is heir to. The love of Spirit is the love which enables you to accept yourself and your fellows with all their foibles unconditionally.

 

Keep up your struggles, your striving to understand unconditional love, to develop the ability to maintain your ideal perspective and to not allow the variations, diversities, and emotions of time and space to detract from the vantage point of our Parent which we aspire to have as our own perfect viewpoint: that we are all loved, that we are all indwelt, we are all growing toward that ultimate goal of ultimate perfection. Has this answered?

 

Tonya:            Yeah. I am still a little mixed up. I am mixed up, I think, on receiving love. I am not certain when or how one receives when they are searching for more. I am not sure that makes sense.

 

TOMAS (TR #2):      It makes great sense, for always is there more love to be received depending upon how real the individual is. As you become more real you, yourself, are able to give and receive more love. Therein is your relative reality, the impetus for further growth, that as you crave greater, deeper love from your peers, from your fellows, more tender loving kindness, you are reaching for yet more perfection. In your reception of love, it is wise to acknowledge that you and all mankind are in the process of learning what love is, that only in knowing the Father/Mother is true love perceived, that all other loves are variations. In order to receive love you would do well to recognize the type of love that is being directed toward you and accept the gift of love as it is presented, until such time as greater spiritual depth of love can be reached and manifested. There will always be that yearning for more. Do not be disappointed in your fellows, that their love is not that which you seek to satisfy your big thirst, for this is the goal of us all, to attain that place. Be grateful for the love which is able to be manifested and given, and pray that your capacities and theirs for receiving greater love will be met.

 

Tonya:            Thank you very much.

 

TOMAS (TR #2):      I want to add one more remark to the group, to the community in general, and that has to do with, oddly enough, social fragrance. If anyone feels that we teachers do not practice what we preach, this evening's discourse of how your human fragrance and our morontial fragrance has worked together to create a step forward into socializing our communal beliefs to the betterment of a larger community is evident. It is, indeed, an honor to be a part of this Teaching Mission and to have the challenges and rewards that are presented. The inroads that are being made are measurable. I am sure that we have gone well beyond the socially appropriate time for tea, and yet we have worked shoulder to shoulder on some good heartfelt issues. I feel satisfied that we have worked in the field this evening. Thank you for your cooperation and contribution in terms of your committed energies to your teachers, to your fellows, and to truth.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Thank you Tomas. Before this session is ended this evening, I ask each of you to pause now for a moment and in your own mind think of any aspect of the letter received this evening that you feel may need further address.

 

PamElla:         Daniel, I guess I'm still concerned about that earlier part of the transcript. I am concerned about all of it. Was that aspect of the circuitry explained well enough and also the aspect of sometimes opening to the circuitry in itself being painful? Was that correct? Or was that my stuff getting mixed in because I was remembering the time I first felt Nebadonia's love at the time that I was speaking those words. Did I mix some of my stuff in there that you would like to take out?

 

DANIEL (TR #1):  The circuitry is in a sense love, for the First Source and Center reigns on Paradise, and all that comes forth from Paradise is created out of love. Of course circuitry has also been defined by teachers as being like energy or like microwaves or radio waves in which broadcasts can come from Paradise and the other universes, and, essentially, that is what it is. It is the information that can come from all these other areas. But this information is all an aspect of love. And so in this regard you were correctly hearing my words and then putting them through your consciousness. What has been said is not incorrect.

 

The aspect that you all must realize is this. All of the quarantined planets were not cut off from the love of the First Source and Center nor were they cut off completely from the broadcasts. For, you see, there have always been visitors to this planet, and these visitors brought to this planet the updates and the on-goings of the universes. What was not here was the spiritual pressure that can be applied when a planet is not in quarantine. So these messages did not get through. When a planet is in normal circuitry it is not just a few such as the midwayers or the angels or the others, Planetary Prince, etc., that are getting the messages. Rather it becomes a more open arena for any who choose to allow God's messages to come in. So you are now witnessing more and more people understanding and hearing and being a part of the information from afar. Do you see?

 

PamElla:         Yes, Daniel, I do. I am just wondering if you would want to retransmit the first part through Rutha at another time, or if the transcript can go out as it is? There are a number of sections I am concerned about.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      This question you pose is most difficult, for as a teacher one always wants to be very clear and precise. As a teacher one always has in their forethought the feelings, emotions and the knowledge of what the information that is given can do to a student. I am in such a bind. I am feeling that you are and have grown strong, PamElla, that you do know that your transmissions are for all practicalities on line. It is with that in mind that I would say this. It might behoove Jane to have some aspects cleared up and restated a different way, but this does not undermine what you have said. Your condition this week is physically down. You were emotionally attached, and in this aspect, then, the direct wording was not amplified enough for you to grasp the dialogue as I would have stated. However, I will not make this call. I ask you, or with the help of your colleagues here, to ascertain an answer. The words held truth which cannot be refuted. The way of presentation could be more elaborated or brought into a greater understanding, perhaps. Perhaps not. 

 

PamElla:         Daniel, I agree, and that's why I posed the question. I have felt the hookup much more strongly in the past than tonight. I know I am feeling weak, and as soon as I could tell PamElla was on line, I felt I should cave in and give it to her. But I felt like it was caving in, so I felt like I would go ahead and try. And so I would prefer you redo it, because it is of such great importance.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      My daughter, your courage this evening cannot be doubted. Your willingness to serve is applauded. It is an awkward time for this group, for you have been dealt here this evening with a letter and with the dealings of working with transmitter/receivers! Please, all of you, hold together and realize that transmitting/receiving is an awesome responsibility. Anyone who would refute that can sit in the throne next week!! (Much laughter).

 

Isaac:             No contention!

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      You must not, must not judge one transmitter/receiver from another. Rutha has made errors as well. Gerdean has made errors as well. Isaac has made errors as well. B.S. has made errors as well. And in your own private dealings with your teachers there have been errors. Only when real truth is violated by what is stated is there immediate [corrective] response. PamElla, you need to know that you are able and capable and do receive. You must know also the agony and the war that went on within Rutha when I poked her with a hot iron to speak. It was not a nudge. This is a new business on this plane. Have patience with one another. Support and love one another. Hear the truth, not just words. PamElla, do not be discouraged. You spoke truth tonight. Know that.

 

PamElla:         Daniel, thank you, I do. I am not that discouraged, I am mostly humiliated. It is a different thing. It won't stop me in the future.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Those who have grown in the Spirit, those who have become God aware realize that human weaknesses, human frailties, are part of the human existence and that it is okay. For truly God-conscious people act quickly to rectify, do not hold themselves in low esteem but rather are self aware to the point that they know that in God's care, in God's hands, all is well. 

 

The night is late. Go in peace. Our love to you. Good evening. [Ed. Comment: Nancy and Rutha worked with Daniel in elaborating sections of Daniel's response to Jane's letter. In so doing, several questions that had not been asked or addressed during the meeting occurred to them. These questions and Daniel's responses follow.]

 

PamElla:         Daniel I think an elucidation of the term 'creature' would be helpful, not only for Jane but for me as well. In the past I have felt offended by its use. It seemed derisive, a put-down. Although I am no longer bothered by this term, I remember how I used to feel, and I am curious about the decision to use it. If you will address this, I think it will be helpful.

 

DANIEL (TR #4):      Yes, PamElla, I am pleased to respond to this for you and for Jane, and I appreciate you bringing this oversight to my attention. The term 'creature' is definitional only. It is used to refer to those beings who are created, who have a beginning, and is used in no other sense. It is unfortunate that your slang has used the term to refer to that which is less than human which is perhaps even evil or nasty such as the creature from the deep.  In no way is this meaning associated with either my use of the term or the Urantia text's use of the term.

 

In the Urantia Book there are two types of being/s: Creators and the created. All created beings are referred to as creatures. We ascendant beings are creatures. Melchizedeks are creatures. Angels are creatures. Midwayers are creatures. You human beings are creatures. The term is used only definitional; it has no ulterior meaning.

Does this help?

 

PamElla:         Yes, Daniel, that is very clarifying for me. Thank you.

 

Rutha::            Daniel, would you address Jane's remark about Life Carrier healing and what did you have to fear?

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      We have nothing to hide or to fear. Healing was offered to her as a means to help her physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This healing is a gift from the First Source and Center, and Jane knows full well that she has been a channel of this healing energy for her clients. No human is ever so advanced as to not derive some benefit from these healings. There was no hidden agenda in offering the healing ministries of the Life-Carriers and, might I add, the Infinite Spirit.

 

Rutha:             Thank you Daniel. I have another concern as well. Would you please address Jane's statement about her will being violated.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      All spiritual growth is developmental and progresses as the human mind grows in its desire and understanding of the First Source and Center. You are not fully aware of the spiritual growth, for it involves the growth of the soul -- the uniting of the human desire to do the Will of God and the joint effort of the Indwelling Spirit, the Mystery Monitor, the Thought Adjuster.

 

This union opens one up to spiritual enlightenment. When you say, Thy Will and not mine be done, you are giving permission for spirit to lead more fully. Remember that the Thought Adjuster never forces one to do something that they have not freely chosen, nor does He guide you to be conscious of Himself but of Michael. Hence, as you grow in your understanding of Michael and his examples and as you live by these ideals, you are allowing yourself to be lead. Your will falls in line with the Will of God. This gives permission; this is the joint effort of God and the human.

 

Jane's comments, however, refer to additional circuitry that was installed that she had not asked to have put there, hence free agency was violated. It is hoped that Jane will come to realize that no circuitry was installed, no devices placed in her head. We are teachers and guides whose mission is to support all of you in love and to present ideas that invite you to strive for truth, understanding, and proper action. We encourage you to pray and seek God in your stillness that you will know and become wise. We delight in your joys; we sorrow in your discomfort. We are on a spiritual quest just as you, and our aim is spiritual, not anything magical or supernatural. We are grounded in the love of the Father, and I am hopeful that Jane will find some comfort in the love your group gives her and that she can accept the fact that I, Daniel, and all the teachers love her.

 

Rutha: Thank you, Daniel.

 

*****

 

DATE:                        August 25, 1995

TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS

TOPIC:                       Religionists

 

TOMAS: (TR #2):     Good evening, you who constitute this young assemblage of students of truth, beauty and goodness. I am Tomas. I greet you this evening coupled with Daniel who stands steadfastly beside us. Welcome again to this format of assimilating higher concepts that you may then disperse your wisdom into your environment affecting your planetary arena with good energy and fellowship. An example of the harmony and diversity of personality is the week you have enjoyed since partaking of the energies inherent in a congregation of believers such as was witnessed and felt by all last weekend in Woods Cross, as well as throughout your land on subsequent occasions in celebrations of the natal anniversary of our Creator, Christ Michael.

 

Some of the goodness which you have enjoyed this week is a direct result of the increased adoration and the acclaim sent up from your earnest and eager souls. As more and more human beings begin to tap into the reality which you are beginning to develop and believe in more and more, will these elations take hold and become the norm. This is evolution in action; and your endeavors and steadfast interest in our work together enables you to hold firm in your faith sufficiently that you are not toppled at the vagaries of your existence but rather find strength and sustenance in your fellow believers.

 

As you all are aware, religionists need one another to foster that recognition of the divine in the reflection of one to the other. The acknowledgement of the Indwelling Host is that which gives your reality its fervor and it seeks to express itself. Thus social situations come into being and as I indicated in our lesson recently we would begin now to delve into those social aspects of personality expression which constitute the gifts of one who has acknowledged their sonship and daughterdom and who have found intellectual satisfaction and emotional peace. Yes, I present this description to you in faith that you have contained within your various consciousnesses that which can be called up to deliver your unified personality as a socially fragrant child of the living God.

 

As we pursue the outreaching efforts it is perhaps wise for me to address what to guard against; and uppermost is a sense of spiritual superiority stemming from your status as students of the Teaching Mission and of the Urantia Book. Although these phases of the Fifth Epochal Revelation to mankind/womankind/humankind are revelatory in your awareness there are other truths, other poignancies, other religious experiences which are valid in the lives of all believers. These words that I convey in caution are but a brief paragraph and yet the lesson behind my words is important and may take some time for some of you to understand fully. The attitude of religious ego is common in all people of faith.

 

Always in believers is there a shard of prejudice and preference for that individual's comprehension of truth, beauty and goodness. When you blessed new apostles seek to spew forth those words and attitudes which bespeak a being who is becoming perfect, and through the auspices of such a grave, onerous and awesome tome as the Urantia Book, is there cause for deep reflection. Even so in your journey into your arena, which is the work of your realm, you will be confronted with those Mystery Monitors of our Father which will enlighten you as you pass by in your efforts to enlighten others. Thus social fragrance is spread and made more. In this way the love of our Creator is able to infiltrate those social situations which give rise to the food which you are all fattened upon today as a result of your inner actions with your comrades in faith, in, certainly, your theology. But this journey into the fields relieves you of your potentially hazardous egoistic approach and puts you shoulder to shoulder with other believers of other doctrines and dimensions.

 

Having now made note of that caution, let us array ourselves in fresh raiment and venture forth into the arena in anticipation of the exchanges which will result from our acknowledged need for contact with other human beings who also believe. For not only is your work among the nonbeliever but the acknowledged and professed religionist as well. It is suggested that as you issue forth that internal radiance which you house, as you give off those patterns which instill a reaction, which prompt contact others will be drawn to you. When you are also drawn to bring out the best in your fellows you may brush with their reality so gently and fragrantly you are then not considered a threat or a challenge but an individual with whom they can feel relative peace and lack of judgement. Now you have opened the door for further discourse, further expression of love and deeper manifestation of truth, beauty and goodness.

 

The social arena as you have seen it on Urantia has been a necessary facet of the valid pleasure seeking aspects of mortal existence. It has yet to see its full fruition and torch bearers are, again, needed to set the tone, to establish the lighting, to harmonize the props, figuratively speaking, that will create a spiritual ambiance that will invite the participants to a spiritual dance. Many sensitive mortals have sought to forgo the social arena because of the 'plastic' aspects of modern day socialization. But we encourage you rather to take your strength of character and your grace into any environment which you feel led by the Spirit to embrace or investigate.

 

You are indeed new apostles. You are workers in the field. You are the ambassadors of Michael's Kingdom. It is my hope that in future sessions we shall have opportunity to visit again with the Morontia Companions who are specifically gifted in their experience of socializing their beliefs in a way that transcends written words and sets it in a level of perception in which any seeker would feel at home. My comrade is on line and it is good for this configuration to work again with his configuration of Rutha's words and energies, which is a stepway of faith. I have missed you, Rutha, and am glad you are regained in strength. And now I seek the words also of teacher Daniel.

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      Greetings. It is always our happiness to be with you on these evenings as you join not only in your desire to become knowledgeable, your desire to be so encouraged and your desire to know the Father, but also in your camaraderie together, your human support system in this time of uncertainty. My dear friends Tomas' words are filled with many aspects that can and will produce not only character growth but in bringing forth character growth one is able to raise their total understanding another notch in regard to who and what they are.

 

It is within your mindset now and your intellectual understanding of your humanship with the First Source and Center. It is a process that takes time and continual encouragement to bring forth that which is intellectually understood into the framework of producing, into the framework of truly being or living. In this regard you are all knowledgeable that the First Source and Center is the uniting force for all that you truly are a part of a grand family, a family that will increase manyfold as the time progresses into the future.

 

Comprehension of such an idea is most difficult for time/space beings for it is even hard for you to imagine the population map of your own country, let alone that of this planet, let alone that of all the universes. It is a concept that magnification tends to confuse, tends to bring you into a mindset of, 'yes, I understand but cannot completely comprehend'. It is, therefore, exceedingly important that you begin with your own self in your own understanding of this connection, your sonship, your daughtership with the First Source and Center and brotherhood/sisterhood to one another. As you grow into the aspect of pure intellect to the integration of eternal knowingness your actions will become more in line in your treatment of one another, in your treatment of yourself. And so while you have taken that intellectual step and while you are now in the process of complete internalization there will be times when the automatic reflex of your being will speak to that nature of oneness, of unity. Happy and joyous will you be. Glad of heart will you feel. For it is, indeed, that feeling exactly when you have reached beyond the fetters of the material into a morontial concept.

 

And while your life goes on you will be on the roller-coaster of dipping in and out, riding up and down in this concept. It cannot be always on one plane for it is rare that material natures are able to completely turn over to spirit at all times. Planets that are in evolution grow step by step, process by process. It is our great joy as we witness your abilities to reach those higher plateaus, those times when without thought, without contemplative thinking you react and you walk in the spirit, knowledge, understanding and wisdom of this aspect of knowing what it is to be a son or daughter of the First Source and Center.

 

As your desire to maintain and further reach and stretch for morontial understanding so, too, will your lives reflect this aspect. It can be no other way. Good begets good. Those who daily work to understand and know the Father's will for them slowly begin to understand. You are all doing that, my friends. Tomas and I delight as you move into these higher avenues of thought and action. We will now accept or entertain any questions or discourse with you.

 

Paula:              Tomas this is Paula. Thank you for your words of caution for all of we who are hopefully ascending and working at it. It is very easy to have a religious ego unless one keeps closer and remembers we are ascending because that puts us in the proper perspective. The word 'religionist' is one that I am somewhat disturbed by, primarily because 'ist' rather than inherent seems to me to be those that, I can't really figure out why 'religionist' or 'womanist' or what all that means. I guess maybe because it sometimes sets up a separate sense of identity which is separating, like a separatist. I wondering if we can have some conversation about that and maybe help me figure out about that word, like another word that might be used, what that might be?

 

TOMAS:        I am happy to discourse with you on any matter. This word 'religionist' is a good one. The word itself I lifted from the Urantia Book and have also pondered its meaning in terms of mortal understanding. The negative connotations of 'ist' and 'isms' is unfortunate for words convey information and words also can bring forth prejudices. For they are often used as a blanket to cover a multitude of iniquities and ignorance.

 

But in reference to 'religionists' I would propose that it references those individuals, who, for one reason or another, make a study of religion. And the religionist as is conveyed in the ideal is that individual who studies his own reactions to life in terms of his relationship with God and his spiritual family, thus his mortal family as well. So it is a handy word and the same essence could be conveyed in, for instance, 'fellow believers' need one another. But the problem with 'fellow believers' is that separation or 'ism' is even more likely for the true seeker of truth will find value in the religion or belief of anyone rather than limiting it to a specific coloration. Also, many are nonbelievers who are, in fact, religionists.

 

Paula:              I think that helps me put the notion of why religionist seems to --.and I know that if that is from the Urantia Book that certainly there are some persons that are religionists who are nonbelievers. I guess I make a differentiation between those who are immersed in a study or religion and those who are really cultivating spirituality but wouldn't want to be called a 'spiritualist' either and more than what is necessarily called a 'religionist'. Believers are more than just students. Those of us who practice religion or practice spirituality in a given path toward a particular religion -- I'm just happier calling us 'beings' who are seekers. Maybe 'seekers is for me is the word that would take away the negative part of 'religionist'. I will continue to struggle with that. Thank you.

 

TOMAS:        I am reluctant to allow you to continue to struggle. Therefore I will continue in this discourse a bit further.

 

Paula:              That would be fine.

 

TOMAS:        Think now in terms of believers, which for you connotes lambs of God in faith. Yet there are believers in rather backward concepts. How much do you need those who succumb to backward concepts? Do you see the differentiation there?

 

Paula:              Well I do. But as you are speaking what I hear is really a reflection back on those very words of religious ego or knowing that those who may appear to be backward, or not only appear but are backward, once we make that call puts in that separating rather than enjoying attitude, and therefore tends to set up a hierarchy which is what your primary point about religious ego and succumbing to any particular WAY as being best. So that's the tension.

 

TOMAS:        I will make bold to reach into my own mortal experience and seek an example of what I mean to say. You understand that although I was educated, cultured and civilized I delved into the social and religious practices of rather backward people, people which I came to love and respect and honor. The peculiarities, however, of their practices were not helpful to me and they did not feed me in a spiritual way as in the phrase, 'religionists need each other'. I also learned from these peoples; I also taught these people and had great compassion for their simplicity and primitive but joyous ways. It was not a stand of superiority which I took with me nor which enabled me to mingle and study and grow with these tribes and personages. But it was only truly upon my return to my own peers that we could discourse on the relative merits and demerits of the lifestyle of those we studied. They did not believe as I did but spiritually they were not the less. Am I getting into a quagmire of a conundrum here?

 

Paula:              Maybe we are both there together! (Laughter) Because I might ask do you consider yourself a religionist? I don't consider myself a religionist in the terms that I hear religionist being used. I guess my concern is that 'religionist' is too broad a spectrum for 'religion'. When we speak of a physicist we are talking about one who specifically works in physics and that is a narrowly defined discipline. And we talk about 'chemist' and that again is relatively defined/focused discipline. But religionist tends to clump those who are and those who aren't in, and I guess as humans we are all religionists in some form or other because religion, whether we name it or not, and the study of that is our beginning point of seeking or describing a path.

 

TOMAS:        If I may?

Paula:              Surely.

 

TOMAS:        Your example of the physicist points out that if you will scratch a physicist you will find much of his or her mind dedicated to the concept of physics, that their dreams include concepts relating to physics, their musing and daydreams focus on that which they love. The religionist muses and daydreams and has creative imaginings, reviews conversations in light of, as would any avid student of that which is important.

 

Paula:              So then are Urantians religionists?

 

TOMAS:        I smile when you ask that question for, in the first place, any being on the face of Urantia is an Urantian. It is not limited, you see, to those who are familiar with the Urantia Book.

 

Paula:              Um-hmm. Exactly. My experience with physicists is that they are ones that make that tie between religion and physics, their language and expression. But they are very deeply religious people.

 

TOMAS:        This is a physicist who is a religionist.

Paula:              Okay.

 

TOMAS:        The other subtle differentiation which comes to mind is... (the difficulty in saying what comes to mind throws my TR for a loop because her mind goes completely blank, so I will try not to use that personalized phrase) ….

 

DANIEL (TR #1):      My dears, if I may at this point add to this discourse.

Paula:              Thank you, Daniel.

 

DANIEL:        The vehicle through which I speak this evening had today an experience which brought immense disharmony and dis-equilibrium to her being and thoughts. While attending a funeral, the ceremony referred often to 'the church'. And in this vehicle's understanding it was truly separating. It was truly binding and imprisoning and belittling, that which all humans are, that which I have spoken about tonight. Language, as you see, can very easily limit.

 

But if you will reach beyond language to what is real, and the reality is that all are created by the First Source and Center. All are part of the One. All are united. And to define by saying 'church' or 'believers' tends to limit. What is freeing is to open up to the fact that no matter what religion, what church, what belief, in the end the First Source and Center has maintained a tie to that individual through the Thought Adjuster. Again, through that aspect of your being, that gift from the Father you are on that pathway. You are the seeker searching for the homing light. Has this helped?

 

Paula:              I think it helps articulate kind of why 'religionist' comes to me as it seems -- perhaps 'religionist' would imply that it is all done. That there is not a journey and so I guess I am not going to use the word 'religionist'. And I really don't like it and I don't think it merits describing, because as you say it does tend to belittle the good news as you have just described, that all are created by the First Source and Center. But then when I read that in the Urantia Book, 'religionist', is that meant to be a statement about one who perceives that it is all over and done with, as some of us use the term 'Pharisee'?

 

DANIEL:        It is not implied as such. You see the First Source and Center is not over and done with. The Supreme is still evolving and once you have reached your state of Spirit then there is the next step of looking into the absonite. And so you see it can never be truly complete. 'Religionist' as defined by the Urantia Book should mean all those who have a set of understandings that demonstrate that the First Source and Center is the living God of all that the First Source and Center is continually creating through each and every one. It is only through one's experiences and understandings that the words become set. As the concept of the First Source and Center becomes greatly amplified, understood by the peoples of Urantia and as each person is able to have their own belief, yet in a unifying concept of the First Source and Center and the brotherhood and sisterhood, then will the term, 'religionist' not signify this set of people believing this way with certain ceremonies and certain books and certain guidelines and this set, etc. But it will encompass all. It is to this end and to this broader meaning that the term 'religionist' is infused in the Urantia Book. Is that more rounded for you?

 

Paula:              It is very helpful. For when I have read or heard the term it was somewhat pejorative. I don't need to say why because I have already said why, why it distressed me.

 

DANIEL:        Yes.

 

Paula:              And you and I have had a discussion before of why I think language is so formative. I now know that I never really will use it because it does nothing to enhance what we truly want that wholeness to be!

 

DANIEL:        At this state of your evolution the word 'religionist' does connote a limitation. But you see in terms of the Urantia Book and its prospect for future evolution, the word 'religionist' maintains an openness and unity for all seekers and those on that pathway to understanding the First Source and Center as the creator of all and the understanding that you are all brothers and sisters; and the understanding of love and forgiveness; and the understanding of ascension. It is a book that is not meant to be the only aspect and it is not meant to be like some would use the Bible to be spoken of literally. But rather it is to be used as that guideline to help you as you grow personally and as your planet grows collectively in evolutionary processes.

 

And so your decision to not use that term is quite alright. It is not a necessary term to use. What is hoped is that by this conversation you have gleaned an understanding that this word is in the process of evolving as well.

 

Paula:              That is definitely true. And that's what I was thinking as you were talking. Which does even further affirm the vitality and aliveness and the living word of our being as process. Not only we as a people and our ideas but also our words are giving that same kind of life. Thank you Daniel.

 

TOMAS:        I would add one more word...

Paula:              Okay.

 

TOMAS:         ..to acknowledge that I, myself, am a religionist inasmuch as I reflect upon my religious life and how it seemingly reflects on the lives of others. It is not in competition with my faith. But it is reflective, you see.

 

Paula:              Uh huh, I do. And in that context I can use the word 'religionist' and I can hear it as it is meant to be, and I guess I can pray that everybody else who uses it will use it as it is meant to be.

 

TOMAS:        Indeed!

 

Paula:              Thank you, both of you, and the rest of the group for letting me work this through.

 

DANIEL:        At the expense of not wanting to appear grateful and thankful my vehicle has asked me to convey to you, Tomas, her thanks and gratitude. And I would likewise like to say that while I and Tomas also enjoy the experience of working through others who are in receptivity it is always much easier and more comforting to transmit through those whom we are most familiar. For the dilemma on our side is in understanding the mindset of those who are our voice. For here again this problem of language, this problem of understanding all the little subtleties and innuendoes associated with words are that which we wish to convey. It is often difficult when we work through many personages to ascertain those words. When we are heard through those with whom we are most familiar we find our job is easier; you would say less stressful. And so, Tomas, PamElla sends you her love and accepts yours.

 

Paula:              This is Paula again. Daniel your conversation triggered a thought in me. I don't know if we want to talk about it or not but when I read the Bible and when I peruse those scriptures I am fully aware that they are inspired by our God but they are indeed written by persons who are vehicles as well. As you were speaking I noted a parallel as you are our teacher yet your words are conveyed. I also wondered if that is a parallel with the words of the Ursntia Book as they were revealed as well?

 

DANIEL:        The Bible has come down from a long tradition and much of what you read today was that which was passed on by word of mouth from one generation teaching another and eventually these traditions and these understandings were transcribed. In some regards, some sense, yes, there is always that slant from whom the original author was and their understanding, their experience.

 

As for the Urantia Book the various papers are written and presented by various personalities ranging from Mighty Messengers to Seraphim to Melchizadeks, etc., as you see when you read through these papers. The papers often have a flare from the personality of the presenter. This is the information I can tell you.

 

Paula:              Thank you. That is helpful and is somewhat what I had anticipated.

DANIEL:        It is nice, Paula, to have you back and to entertain your questions.

Paula:              Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate that.

 

TOMAS:        In view of the extensive outpouring of words and concepts which have been laid upon our plates this evening it would perhaps be beneficial to us all if we were to end our formal portion of this evening's agenda. I and Daniel have been observing and contributing to the various conversations having to do with where you and we are in our lesson plan at this point and are also in abeyance of the appropriate adaptations in full confidence of our association.

 

DANIEL:        Well, Tomas, we almost made it on one tape. We are windbags, are we not? And so with that let us ask you this week to fill your plate with those things that will help to imprint and internalize for you the understanding, the knowledge, and the wholeness of your membership in this great family that spreads through aeons of time, aeons of space and yet resides in complete wholeness and unity. You are, indeed, connected to one another. You are brothers and sisters. You are sons and daughter of He Who has created the heavens and earth.

 

Go this week and contemplate in those still moments what does it truly mean to have this honor of being so created by our loving Father? What does this honor ask me to be? How is it that I must react to my fellow voyagers? How is it that I am to view those who I see, those who I know not of? These are but a fraction of the questions that you can delve into. Each time you are able to answer one question the reality of that truth of your sonship and daughtership becomes more and more manifested in your life and in your workings. Go now in peace knowing and loving one another. Tomas and I give you our love. Good evening.

 

*****

 

[End of Vol. II, Part 5 of 6]