Daniel111795OnReflection

Group: Pocatello, Idaho

Teacher: Daniel

Topic: About Reflection

November 17, 1995

Prayer

Daniel: "Greetings my dear students, I am Daniel, your guide, teacher, and friend. I am pleased to be here with you this week to converse with you and hear your sharing. It is, indeed, a grand time to be on planet Urantia. While the struggles of the mortal life continue,the awakenings of spiritual life increase and are becoming a force that this planet of inhabitants will embrace, that will bring forth change and joy.

This evening I will speak to you about reflection. I ask that this word be a part of your thoughts this week, that you reflect upon the many and varied aspects of your lives and the lives of your loved ones. The aspects that I would ask you to consider are these things: reflect upon love; reflect upon unity; reflect upon goodness; reflect upon understanding; reflect upon those attributes that you find to be of the greatest esteem for yourself and your loved ones. These reflections should bring you to a higher and greater perspective and comfort in the overall care of the First Source and Center.

There are times in life which call for action, call for doing, call for active participation and thought. There are also times in life which call for the opposite attribute, that of contemplating and taking time to re-evaluate, to look at, to comprehend, to analyze, and to just 'be with'. During this week and the following I ask that you take that time and realize the many gifts that your family and brothers and sisters have,and the many gifts that you, yourself, have. There will be many lessons in the future that will call for a more active stance. Now I ask that this time you enjoy the passivity of realizing the greatness of the human potential. As you contemplate and reflect you will undoubtedly find that your thoughts turn toward an appreciation for that Father Fragment within and for the many gifts bestowed from the First Source and Center. You will come to appreciate the values, the strengths,and the example that Christ Michael gave to those in His local universe. You will come to a point of thankfulness for the opportunities that you have despite the daily trauma that these opportunities might create.

Those who continue to desire the Father's will in their life understand and know the necessity for reflection. This exercise is given to you as a precursor to other lessons that are being prepared. And so enjoy this time but do not underestimate the importance of gathering all those wondrous strengths that you and yours have. Realize these strengths are part of the overall plan that will enable a paradigm shift in consciousness for this planet. My words are complete for this evening in this regard. Are there any questions? (long silence) Reflecting already, are we?"

Carla: "Daniel, what I'm hearing you say is that reflection is such an important part of preparation for living life to the fullest, for addressing whatever befalls us, as well as to provide the sustenance and strength for what I hear coming as some hard work. Is that right?"

Daniel: "All of life is work. Indeed is reflection that gift, if you will, given to mortals that they can evaluate, recall and utilize all their sensory capacities to comprehend the meaning of their life. Indeed, reflection helps aid and support the human growth potential. Through this time-space now of reflection you will benefit down the road, yes."

Carla: "The other thing that I was thinking about when you were using the word reflection was that as I was putting together a document last week I was listing some things that were important to me. I had on that list relationships and recreation. And there was another word that I wanted to have starting with re and couldn't come up with it. But reflection is the word that I would like to add. Certainly that process of reflecting is thinking and experiencing, re-experiencing or putting into some kind of meaning. But I also like the notion of reflecting that I, myself am reflecting truth, beauty, goodness, love, all those kind of things. In order to do that you have to reflect. I think it is an interesting circular kind of model, that by reflecting you then reflect yourself."

Daniel: "Exactly! You are a very intuitive student and I am very much aware of the added dimension you have brought to this lesson. Indeed it is very important for any aspect of your life that in order for you to be, you must be able to see the mirror image within your inner life as well."

Carla: "Thank you, Daniel."

Virginia: "Daniel, thank you for those words. We surely do want to be a part of the paradigm shift as we move into Light and Life. I keep trying to understand all the different avenues being explored and used on this planet to bring that shift about. I guess, if you don't mind, could you speak about that a little bit to encourage the significance of one person living up to doing the Father's will or trying to."

Daniel: "My dear students, the life that you live day to day when you go out into the world, when you interact with others, when you hear news and you see things happen, often the things that cause you to feel the most are those things which go against that which you know is correct. So often the negative aspect of the human condition is emphasized, and this is a great tragedy for this planet. For while these aspects need to be recognized and dealt with they must not be dwelt upon and beleaguered. For in belaboring them there is more and more affirmation to perpetuate negative thought and action. So the aspect of the Teaching Mission that is very important for all of you to understand is that one must realize that there is negative aspects, but it is the positive aspect that will work and bring about the good necessary for correction.

How, then, can this good be perpetuated and brought out? It must come from the individual. The more that you can do to bring forth love, tolerance, understanding and forgiveness the more you are a part of a great whole. A great whole cannot be credited fully until you take it apart and see each individual aspect of that whole. You are an individual part of that whole that is so necessary in order for the greatness and unity of all truth, beauty, and goodness to be lifted up. Does this help?"

Virginia: "Yes, Daniel. I am sure that the collective consciousness that happens, or maybe what I am trying to say here is that in becoming part of the whole for good each little strand adds to the collective consciousness of good and is turning in that direction. Accepting everyone in unity has to come as a beginning to understand that other person and look for the good, the optimistic stance in every situation."

Daniel: "Indeed, but not think totally in terms of the collective consciousness. Think in terms of the intimate one to one contact you have with an individual. Each person can have a wondrous positive effect on each other. One word of encouragement at a time most needed can be the turning point for an individual at some point in his or her life. Each action of goodness broadens the human interaction, the one to one contact, and strengthens it. Thoughts definitely have impact and power, but direct positive action will be the key to bringing the change into reality. Good works, loving service, the ability to rise above the petty, the ability to see another side are all a part of that necessary vehicle for bringing change about. So, while it is important to think positively it is important to act positively as well."

Virginia: "Thank you, Daniel. Your comments reminded me of something I heard on television last Sunday, and I will go ahead and quote it. It says, 'I am the incarnation of my thoughts'. On the computer I was trying to get that to print out on a background of butterflies in soft pastel color but it wasn't working. So Bill was checking the program and printed a very vicious looking dragon with those same words above it and I realized that those two are both expressions of thoughts. I am the incarnation of my thoughts. I can be a loving, service giving person or I can be that roaring, angry dragon. Thank you very much. It does encourage all to act in a loving way."

Daniel: "Thank you for sharing."

Bill: "Daniel, this is Bill. One of the big problems we may all have with this business of reflection is the focus of that reflection. You mentioned guidelines of love and all good things. As you were saying the news media or whatever source of communication we seem to be hearing from, has a real dearth of assistance in focusing on the positive. You almost have to go somewhere else to find the positive stuff. I am assuming you are referring to reflection in our quiet time where we bring these things into the presence of God and gain a new perspective. Correct?"

Daniel: "Indeed, for in the presence of God and the desire to know and understand you will discover many attributes that are part of your being and part of your family's being that are undiscovered jewels in the pathway of living. Often these jewels are still encrusted with the outer layer of rock. They have not yet been cut or polished, but they are there. A potential for a great attribute is there. If by your reflection you notice an aspect, a hint of a great jewel. In the presence of God you can ask and be given direction to help polish and cut this jewel so that it can radiate the brilliance. In yourself this would be easier to do, for you know yourself more intimately than others do. However in sitting in reflection with the First Source and Center you can be nurtured and given perspective in ways of becoming the great jeweler for your brothers and sisters in helping them to uncloak their brightness, helping them to dissolve their outer shell, and helping them to cut, mold, and polish their great attributes."

Bill: "The problem that some of us have is in telling which rock in that pile of rocks is a potential diamond and which one is nothing but a worthless rock. How do you tell, how do you get the hint that this is the one that can become a radiant jewel?"

Daniel: "If you sit in contemplation/reflection with the First Source and Center you grow in intuition and a greater understanding of humanity. And through your own works, your own interaction with one another you can encourage these aspects. All aspects are subject to the will of the individual. So while you can drop hints, encourage, love, and support, it must be the individual who ultimately does the work. However, as you become more in tune you will be able to find words that plant the seed for growth. Prayer, contemplation, openness, and a willingness to serve will be your tools. Wondering, doubting, worrying will be the barriers for seeing the truth."

Bill: "Thank you very much."

Carla: "And Daniel, isn't it also part of the great possibility and hope that even those rocks that are clods may be transformed by those attributes? And not only by our work but by the grace that is a part of the overwhelming love and care of God and all of those beings that are of God?"

Daniel: "Most definitely. Even the most common bedrock, if tumbled and polished, will show a beautiful side. It is not necessary to have diamonds, opals, and rubies. What is important is that each individual does have within his or her makeup the potential for wonderful attributes. Some attributes within each individual might shine, might be considered greater. But all rocks, no matter what, are part of God's kingdom."

Carla: "An image that came to my mind and connected with our sharing time, which included not a few tears, is that common rock with water on it(we spit on it to have the color come out)are like the barriers to what would be the joyous life for us, when washed by our tears, therefor shine. I think that offers a great deal of value for me as tears do come, I see lots of tears, and there are reasons for lots of tears. To think that there is something in the healing water of those tears to make those rocks take on a reflection of an inner beauty."

Daniel: "Indeed, this is so. Indeed, this is exactly why I asked you to reflect upon yourself and your immediate family. For it is in that context that you shed the greatest, the hottest, and the most passionate tears."

Carla: "Some time ago when I was in Fendhorn in Scotland I picked up a book that has a whole section on rocks. Something that really resonates with me has to do with the idea that rocks really are living, that they do have a life. They not only are symbols but they also have life and vitality. Can you speak about that?"

Daniel: "Certainly, I can speak to that. Rocks, materials in nature, whatever form they take as solid, liquid, or gas are all a part of a ecosystem, a cosmology which is constantly in cyclical motion of building and wearing down and rebuilding. And so, in this aspect, there is the metamorphosis of change and the thought context of, perhaps, 'life'. But life that is part of a [living] system that changes, this changing is part of the energy pattern set by the First Source and Center. It is, however, the actual electrical, chemical, plasmic attributes of living and dying that is the true understanding of life. The ecological system of the planet does not have those same qualities. Are you understanding?"

Carla: "I think so. I really like what you are saying. It will give me more to reflect on. Thank you."

Virginia: "Daniel, once again I am picking up on something that I need some clarification on. When you say reflect with your family on these issues of love, unity, understanding are you referring to the immediate family that we live with, the root family, or the larger family of God? I think all three could be your meaning. I felt like you were specific. Were you specific as to our role this week?"

Daniel: "Narrow it down to yourself and your immediate family."

Virginia: "Thank you very much. I am sure it is going to be hard to do it. I will think about understanding unity, love, and beauty within in our family. Thank you."

Daniel: "At this time I will close this meeting. I have been asked by Tomas to give you his love and his peace. While he is not here this evening he is thinking of you and sending his love. Minarisa also sends his love and will be on line within four to five weeks.

Until next we meet in this forum may you all enjoy your time of reflection. May you all gather those gems of wonderment that are in your surroundings. May you see those attributes that are already polished. May you come to understand those ones that you can help bring to greater brilliance in yourself and in your family members.

The First Source and Center recognizes each of you by your many and brilliant attributes. Each human has potential. As the mortal passes through the days of life this potential is greatly enhanced, becomes manifested more and more. Especially is it manifested in those who work to know the First Source and Center, those who work to understand the purpose of life, those who work to bring forth a greater world, those who are able to rise above the trials of life to see a greater whole, those who forgo the immediate gratification of the moment for the growth and upliftment of all, those who work toward peace, those who work toward healing, those who work toward teaching, those who work toward serving in many areas. All are recognized by the First Source and Center. The attributes are all those that are positive, forward moving, and right. The negative aspects are not recognized.

It is not the importance of what you can incur materially, academically, monetarily on this planet that is important. What is important is the fruits of life that you give to one another. This is the aspect that the Teaching Mission puts forth. It calls upon you to be active in bringing forth the joy and the greatness of each individual you meet. As you seek to discover the goodness, as you seek to discover that which is unifying, then you will be adding to the Supreme which is in the overcare of the First Source and Center. May your reflections aid in your understanding of another aspect of the Father. My love and peace. Good evening."

END