1993-09-12-You Are A Part of Nature

Session

Opening

Iruka: Opening Prayer.

The change of season on this planet is truly delightful. You can sense in the cool air, the coming of winter, but for now nature is preparing. It is preparing with the change of colors, the storing up of its vital juices for winter, for its dormant season. In many ways you are like the plants, you have times of growth and then times of regrouping and storing up the energy for a new growth session. In these times is when you learn, you are made aware of what is possible. The possibilities to love, to give, to grow, and then after you have learned, and then you become, it actually happens.

Lesson

Cycles, Nature

You are a part of this planet, just as the grass, the trees, the animals. You have your own cycles. Be aware of those cycles, know that you will not grow all the time. There are times for rest and for learning, and then back into the growth cycle, and then back into the rest and learning. In these past several months, you have speeded up this growing through reading the Urantia book and listening to my lessons. You have speeded up your growth and your learning process. Sometimes this has been frustrating and sometimes this has been joyous, but all in all, you have grown closer to the Father. Each one of you has your own pace, some grow fast and then stay dormant, while others stay dormant for a long time with sudden bursts of growth. You are all unique, you have your own life cycle. Never compare yourself with anyone else, all are different, all are unique, and all are right according to the Father. This is a short lesson to give you more understanding about yourself. Last week the lesson was to encourage you because there was so much frustration and feelings of failure. But this week was a much easier week for most of you and I wish you to be aware of how it goes. The cycles, the growth, the rest, the learning, the growth, continuing on and on. Learn your own cycle, become comfortable with it and know that you are growing closer and closer to the Father with each step. Now, I will accept questions.

Dialogue

D1: We live on a decimal planet right now, right?

Iruka: Hello, and yes that is correct.

D1: The Morontia world is that a decimal planet too?

Iruka: Would you repeat that and slow down just a little bit?

D1: Is Morontia a decimal planet too.

Iruka: No, the Morontia worlds are not. The Morontia world is to learn and to grow incorporating both the physical and the spiritual side and learning to be more spiritual.

Fear

D1: OK. Last night I was watching television and then this show came on and before it had this warning, and the next show I knew would be a sightings show and it had to do with UFO's. I sort of like freak out whenever I am reminded of one of the shows that I saw having to do with UFO's. I know that they are not trying to attack us like some of our friends say, like I have a friend that he is sort of . .. something wrong with him. He believes that the UFO's will someday attack us, although I know that is not true. How can I stop from being scared of the UFO's that are going around our planet or whatever?

Iruka: The best way to handle your fear is know that you are a child of God, know that you are very well protected, know that whatever happens, you belong to Father and He will watch out for you. Fear was given thousands of years ago to protect the individual, the flight or fight...to protect you from the wild animals and the things that could happen...falling into the water, or falling off a cliff, to be careful, to sense that danger was near and take actions to protect yourself. Much of the fear today is not that kind of fear, is not necessary for survival. This culture experiences fear and has stress and deals with it that way, more than being attacked by a lion or a tiger. Sometimes a small prayer to Father asking for protection will center your attention that you know who you are, that you are being protected, will help. Looking at the situation with different eyes, with different perception that this is a curious thing, not something to fear. It is natural to fear the unknown and I realize that since I cannot talk about UFO's, that I cannot reassure you or give you specific answers. But know that wherever you are in life and whatever is happening, that you are a child of Father. Does this help you in any way? [yes]

Teacher Contact

S2: Iruka, what is next with regard to communicating with my teacher. What should I be striving for, what would be my goals. What...Ceranta I think is the name...[close, very good] what is the objective?

Iruka: At this point you are still getting to know each other and he will be conscious of things that you may not be in your life. For instance how you might react to something, or something that makes you tense, something that you are doing to yourself that is hurting you. And so after there will be chit- chat, he may point out something that is going on, something that you are doing that would make your life a little easier.

Teaching you to be more conscious and of course pointing you towards the Father. These can be very short, five or ten minutes, or it might stretch out to twenty or thirty minutes depending on the lesson. Some days there won't be anything, it will just be a checking in. You might have a question to ask him. It is not intense, every day type of thing, but you can bring problems or questions. This being will spend most of his time with you, at least while you are awake. He will have a totally different perception about what is happening to you than you will. And sometimes just by pointing out what he sees, will change how you see things. Does this answer?

S2: Yeah, that is good. That is what I was hoping for. When I am spending time with the Father it is much harder to quiet my thoughts down and then when I ask for the teacher to come, it is much easier to go into a quiet time. Is there a reason for this, or is it just me.

Iruka: No, it is not you. It is the way it seems to be. I can offer one possible reason and there may be others. When you spend time with the Father, there is usually silence. It is more of a feeling, a feeling of the love, a feeling of peace, of joy. There are usually very few words or none at all. When you listen to your teacher, there are words so you focus on the words. This keeps your thoughts away, because you are focused on the words. If you are sitting with Father and you are focused on the feelings, then it is easier for the mind to drift. Does this help?

Children

S2: Yes, tremendously. Another line of questioning, the Internet which is an electronic communication medium, right now is wonderful. There is marvelous discussions on child rearing and family, on the Internet, and they seem to predominate. Looking through the history of the discussions, you see the UFO's, and the stuff that we have talked about here in our group, that is all past and now they are focusing on the family and children, and child rearing. I just finished teaching fourth grade Sunday school class and it just hits me the first fall class, how intelligent these fourth graders are, yet how unwilling or untrained they are. My question is...what are they capable of. Are they capable of having discussions like we are having. They are capable of punning, and telling jokes, and a lot of other intellectual activity that is just phenomenal. Getting them to settle down and be serious is very difficult. I am wondering on a world of light and life, would children that are about nine or ten years old, would they be behaving more differently or are these just false expectations on my part.

Iruka: There are a few questions within your one main question. First, absolutely they are capable of what you are capable of. Their backgrounds, their experiences are limited, however, with the TV their perception has grown because they have watched TV so long. That what they may have not experienced personally, they have seen. So there is incredible potential and you are aware that in many classrooms, a student will fill the expectation of the teacher. So if you have great, high expectations they will come very, very close even though they are very young. Their understanding will not have the depth that adults have, but it has a great deal. So expect much, expect a lot and they will have incredible room to grow. The other part of the question was of course settling them down, and they are young, they have incredible energy, and it needs to be spent. If there is opportunity to let them talk, play a game that is somewhat physical but can be within the confines of the room you are in, give them opportunity to be noisy and boisterous. To get rid of the energy and then settle down so they can concentrate and think, focus on your topic. Does this help? [thanks]

D1: I am wondering...I haven't tried to establish contact with a teacher, but I am wondering when should I start. Because I am just a kid and I don't know when I should start.

Iruka: You start when you feel you are ready. The choice is entirely yours and if you feel you are ready, in your quiet time, you ask the Father for a teacher and one will be assigned to you. Sometimes a few weeks, sometimes several weeks, but when you feel you are ready go ahead and ask. They would be delighted with your request. [OK, thanks]

Rest

S1: Hello Iruka, I have an interesting question. It seems that I go to sleep almost every time I come here, not here but every time we have a teaching session. Is there any reason for that? I don't normally do that even during the most boring of lectures and meetings I have to sit through. Of course it probably wouldn't be a good idea to go to sleep in a meeting where I work, but...is there any reason why this seems to happen here. It is not like I am not interested in what is going on, I don't think that is the case, it just seems like I get drowsy way beyond anything I experienced, like being hit by a hypodermic and I just go...

Iruka: First check out and make sure you are getting enough rest at night. You may be sleep deprived. When you come here, there is a lot of love in the room, a lot of peace and joy, and it may be that you feel so comfortable and so safe that you relax to the point that you fall asleep. That is not a bad thing, but it is disappointing when you don't hear the lesson. It may be that the general atmosphere of the room that you are feeling very relaxed in. Does this help?

S1: Yes that helps, it explains some things. Thank you very much. [you are welcome] No disrespect implied by my going to sleep. I really do try to stay awake through the lesson.

Iruka: It does not displease me at all. I know you can read the lesson later. That is fine, do not feel guilty. [OK]

Ideal, Growth

G2: Hello Iruka, two questions, you will probably turn it into three. Last week you told me that emotionally and I guess spiritually where I am at it would probably take 20 years to correct some of the problems that I had.

Iruka: It may not take a long time, but I did not want you to get impatient and think that in two months from now you would have everything the way you wanted it to be. I wanted to let you know it would take a long time, and twenty years was a number that I just pulled out so to speak and not implying it would take you twenty years exactly, but that this would not happen overnight. With not just with you but with anyone who wishes to change, it takes time and I did not mean to discourage you, but I didn't want you to think it would come quickly. Does that help?

G2: I have a problem with that, what is the ultimate state of mind that you would like...that would be obtainable or that I should obtain. I was joking with G that she is trying to make me from a knife wielding murderer to a Ghandi, and it is funny, but I have been thinking about this all week and when we came home last night Ghandi was on TV. I sat and I watched him and thought this man is really something else, just from the movie. I haven't ready any of his book. I am wondering, would that be the proper analogy on how I should try to strive to be on this earth.

Iruka: Ghandi is a very high ideal of course. You will strive your entire existence until you reach the Father. I am still working on this. It will take eons, but for the goal for you on earth the best I can probably give you is to learn, to be conscious, to be aware of things going on around you, to be able at any time to tap into the Father for love, for a word of guidance. That in itself is very difficult, it is easy to understand, it is easy to say, but you can work on that your entire life. Know that this journey you take a step at a time. Be joyful for the small things, for the small growth that you can see. It is easier to look at small steps than a whole journey, and not become disappointed or discouraged. To realize that today you have gone very far from where you were two months ago, six months ago, eight months ago. To just keep growing closer to the Father and learning how to give your love away. Does this help?

G2: Yes it does.

Iruka: This would be your whole life. You could take your whole life to learn this and perfect it in small ways. Learning to be conscious and to pick up things that are going on with other people and being conscious enough to be in tune with the Father. This is a big order, a big order, but it is a achievable with small steps.

Parenting

G2: OK, the next question. G and I will be having a son in about two months and I was wondering what are some of the things that I can do for my son that maybe my father didn't have the time to do, or didn't know. That would prevent him from being in the same situation that I am in right now.

Iruka: Every parent makes mistakes. There is no getting around that, and while you may work hard not to make the same mistakes your parents made, you will make new ones. Do not be discouraged about that, every parent does the best they can, almost every parent does. They may make terrible mistakes, but it was because they didn't know and they didn't have the perfect love to turn around and give it to the children. The best thing I can say is to be conscious, to be aware and you will learn. This is a learning experience, a new child, and nobody has trained you how to be a parent. You will learn it in steps, and you will make mistakes. The best thing is to learn from those mistakes and do it better the next time. Children are frustrating and it is hard to know what is right. What is right for one child may not be the right thing for another child. So there are no rules, there are no guides, there are no....nothing is in cement. As you become conscious, you will intuitively know what to do, or what not to do. Of course there are people you can call, you have a support system around you, a family that when you are not sure you can call on them and get other opinions. In the final analysis it is your decision and the answers will be there, they will be inside of you. Does this help?

Change

G2: Yes it does. One more question. I am not quite sure how to phrase it but...one of my co-workers and I had a heated argument last night about the pro's and con's of the educational system. Basically inner-city versus the suburbs, and his philosophy basically...more money won't help the situation as far as what is going on in the inner-city, they need more help with the family structure and my thinking is that a whole generation has been lost and that all the money that has been usurped (?) off and removed to the defense industry needs to be channeled back into the educational system to help the kids, seeing how they do lack that structure of family. Is it appropriate or is this something that you can't comment on, how the government should step in and help the kids or is this a vague question that I am asking.

Iruka: This is a very serious social problem that you are obviously very aware of. I will not comment, but just being aware that it is a bad problem and needs to be addressed, is in your consciousness, that is good. Of course, all involved need to work on it and solve it. The best thing you can do is to show love, when individuals do not know they are loved by the Father, they do not grow right. They do not develop into loving people, they do not develop a conscience. The acting out of the youth is because they have never felt love, and you are aware that all the money in the world will not replace love. It is a very complex issue, but know that if everyone felt loved by the Father and knew they were important to Him, this world would elevate into light and life, and the behaviors would change. You have a big job before you, and when I say you I say all of you. It is huge, but it is not impossible, and that is my remark. [thank you]

Teacher Contact

G3: Hello Iruka, I guess a while back I had asked for a teacher, but I don't know if then I was really ready for one. But now I feel I might be ready for a teacher and observing G's experience with his teacher and how they relate and everything has brought me to the point where I feel like this would really be great. To have someone to talk to who could understand you and help you out spiritually and also I feel like it would be really a boost. Now I am beginning to calm down and have a lot more time to be by myself and be with the Father, whereas before everything was going on. My life was so complicated until I just couldn't find the time even though I knew I should take the time, it just seemed like I had too many things going on to really calm my mind so somebody could speak to me. Anyway I was just wondering, I know everybody is individually is different in how they come in contact with their teacher, but do you see any specific way that I can go about getting in contact with my teacher, or if I have a teacher, or getting a teacher? That is my question.

Iruka: Understood. First of all you do have a teacher. You have been busy and involved so much that you have not taken time to listen, is this correct, or calmed your mind. [yes, that is correct] Your teacher would love to be able to communicate with you, of course you need to take time to do this. Now are you asking me how to do this? Was this part of the question of....

G3: Yes because it seems....I know G has tried different means of communicating with his teacher, all of them are pretty successful for him. I know maybe for various people, different methods work faster, but I feel like if I got really quiet and listened maybe I would hear my teacher. Other than that I was wondering if you knew of any other way that I should communicate, or can communicate with my teacher. Such as writing things down when I hear them or recording them on the tape recorder like G does, or if that is a long way down the road, probably. I guess I really need to get started. Do you have any suggestions other than really being quiet and listening, other than that, any other suggestions which I can do?

Iruka: Decide which is most comfortable for you. If you want to start out writing it, or if you want to sit down at a computer, or if you want to take out a recorder, however you feel most comfortable. First listen to the words, if you start to write they will come slower so that you can write them. If you are typing and can type very fast, they will come faster as you type them. It is really up to you, so you decide how comfortable you feel doing whichever method is best for you. You know that it would not be during the time that you are spending with Father, it would be another time, or afterwards, however you set that up yourself. You already know that, I am just making sure that you understand that. Does this help?

G3: Yes, thanks. I feel maybe like you were saying that my teacher has probably been trying to contact me for a while and I have been just too distracted or not...even to the point where I may have been a little skeptical about, or nervous about the fact that a teacher would try to contact me. I guess after experiencing G's working with his teacher, and him talking to G and G playing either the recorded message or letting me read some of his transcripts..it has really given me a sense of peace about the whole situation. By any chance would you happen to know the name of my teacher. I know that might be a difficult question but I was just curious if you knew the name of my teacher.

Iruka: You have two questions. The first question is..your concern about the fear and how this will happen..and that is quite normal. It seems that almost everyone goes through a time of fear, that when it comes right down to hearing words..the fear takes over temporarily. It does not last long, so if you experienced that, know that that seems to be normal and that it passes. The second question, yes I do know the name of your teacher. I will give it to the T/R later this week since she doesn't do names very well yet. She can give you the name next week or when she sees you next. Is that satisfactory? [yes] The other thing was, when you were quite busy, your teacher did not try to contact you, but when you quieted down there were some attempts. This is normal, there will be attempts for a long time until you can understand the communication. This is perfectly normal, don't worry about it. OK? [OK]

G2: Hello Iruka, one last...its not like a question. I remember when you came to me those two times. There was a lot of fear in me and I know I told the T/R to tell you, but I would like to tell you personally, it sort of came as a shock to me when you starting talking to me personally, while I was T/R-ing with my teacher and feel free to...when you are visiting and you happen to be in the area and I am T/R-ing with my teacher, I have no problems with you speaking to me, if that is your...if you have some way of getting some information into my head that my teacher is not aware of.

Iruka: Thank you G and fear is normal and I certainly do not wish to cause you any more fear or pain. But thank you very much.

Inner Life, Change

S2: Iruka, this is back to G's question about education and these problems that we have in our society. Every time somebody talks about political solutions, my gut reaction is to start focusing inward rather than outward. A lot of the conversations about solutions to political problems are outwardly focused and our inner lives are so mucked up that any political solutions seem like they would be fruitless. I am just wondering when are we capable of attempting some of these more political, outward solutions. How far in the inward journey, relationships with our teachers and our thought adjusters, do we have to be before we can start some of these more political outward journeys.

Iruka: That is entirely your decision. Of course the more in touch you are with the Father inwardly, the more balanced the outer world becomes. The more love you feel from the Father, the more capable you are of making decisions in the outside world, so you have to maintain your own balance. Several people can have totally different opinions and all be balanced and spend time with the Father. The conclusions won't necessarily be the same, so it may not improve the political area. You may not get a consensus because every one has their own personality and arrives at their own decisions in their own way. But with the Father being the center of your life, it should be easier to reach agreements, to balance the needs of many, to cooperate easier. So there may be just as much conflict in the outer world, but as more and more people seek to have God as their source, and as their goal, the cooperation improves. Does this help?

S2: No, it is not the answer I was looking for. Well it is, it is, I mean, but growing inside of me is this faith that the teachers and the Father, have a plan for our planet. They can't reveal it without violating our free will, but growing in me is this faith that I don't need to visualize that plan myself. I don't feel burdened by having to try to solve the world's problems. I just need to journey inward and journey outward as the opportunities present themselves, and not feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, because I can see so clearly the problems. I am asking for confirmation if that faith is appropriate. Do the teachers have a game plan that is constantly being revised as we make our free will decisions? Is there a possibility that if we all adopt this faith that the plan will be implemented.

Iruka: That is exactly how we feel. That our job is to teach you to look to the Father, get your love and support from Him, and then you can in turn spread it into the outer world through the contacts that you have, through the people you see every day, through your neighbors, the people at work. That is exactly... you have been given this peace from the Father to know that you can only do your job, that is all you can do is what you have been given. You cannot quote 'save the world' unquote. But you can start with yourself and reach out to your family, your friends, and neighbors and co-workers. And that is all you are asked to do is touch those people around you. Yes, you are correct.

S2: The Bible says that wherever two are gathered there will the Father be. That Ghandi teaches that one person can change this planet, most of the radical left wing organizations teach this fire burning inside of you and that yes indeed you do have to shoulder the world's problems, and every day you have to visit them and that this knife will drive you forward into being like Ghandi. I remember the vividly...at a Catholic worker soup kitchen in LA this IRA terrorist driving this into my head. It seems like a relief, it seems like a burden has been relieved from me, this whole concept.

Iruka: The word I have picked up from you is drive. It is the difference between Christ Michael leading His children or driving them. You may think of this as sheep. You can lead a flock of sheep or you can drive the flock of sheep. Christ Michael has chosen to lead, not drive. So I think you have answered your own question. [yes, thanks]

Light and Life

G3: Iruka, could you explain to me the term that is in our Urantia book...exactly what light and life as it relates to the meaning in the Urantia book, exactly what that means to us?

Iruka: I will try, of course my definition will not be complete, it will be partial, and you can complete it as you grow. Light in that the Father's light, Christ Michael's light shines in your life, is centered in your life. Life as in living abundantly, being conscious, being in tune with everything around you, all the life forms around you, not only human, but plants, animals, the life that surrounds you. And then living according to the light and responding to the life. Does this help?

G3: Yes, thank you.

Closing

Iruka: I always enjoy being with you and answering your questions and am very aware of how much you are growing. This week think about your growth and your learning as a cycle that you have times of rest, times of growth, and times of learning. This continues, like the beautiful seasons that we enjoy. Good afternoon.

Group: Good afternoon.