1993-12-19-Q & A Session
Heading
Topic: Q & A Session
Group: Pocatello TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Iruka, Ceranta
TR: Rutha
Session
Opening
Christmas
Iruka: . ...of God protects you, wherever you are He is. Hello and good afternoon, I am Iruka, I am your friend and teacher. It has been a very beautiful week, cold and clear, and I have enjoyed seeing you make preparations for Christmas. There is much expectation and excitement in the air. You are perceiving differently, the same holiday that you have all your life and yet it seems to be different. Your perception of Christ Michael has changed, your perception of who the Father/Mother spirit is, has changed, and you have changed. So you celebrate the same holiday with a new attitude, a new perception, less material, less food, with more emphasis on the joy, more emphasis on the people and relatives around you. This is what knowing the Father has done for you, changed your ideas, changed your focus, and had an old holiday become new, become different. It has been transformed. You are approaching it on a higher plane. Your material expectations have diminished, and your spiritual expectations have increased. Certainly your joy, the peace in your life, the love in your life have all increased and become a major part of your being. You are becoming more and more like the Father, the First Source and Center. Enjoy this holiday season, understand with new eyes, meanings and values, and incorporate them into your being. I shall miss you for the next two weeks, and look forward to our meeting again in three weeks. I am aware that Ceranta would like to say a few words through S, and I welcome this opportunity, and will turn the meeting over to them.
Lesson
Teacher Contact
Ceranta: I am Ceranta, thanks for the opportunity to speak. I am S's personal teacher. We have enjoyed conversations for over a month now. We are growing together nicely. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about myself. I am very old, I am a male, but not really. In my mortal life I was a dependent person, I did not live very long or have a career or family. I have been waiting patiently for the opportunity...S has a marvelous family and together we are working on his personal growth. I must say that I relish the time S and I spend together and I do hope that the times become more frequent. In the morning before we start, S often spends time trying to feel the Father, the Father's love, and he asks questions. Much more often than not the Father replies and S is over loaded. He starts asking me questions, and sometimes we talk about those issues, but mostly we talk about the feelings that S has. So this is a little bit about the workings of a personal teacher and a mortal. Thanks for the opportunity to talk. Good bye.
Iruka: Hello, I am back. Thank you to both S and Certanta for the short talk. I am always happy to give opportunities to anyone who wishes to practice T/Ring their teacher, for it promotes growth on both sides. Of course, that is why we are here. I did want to say a few things about last week's meeting. We started a new topic that we will continue on with in January. I had spoken about being conscious of your body, to sense how certain situations, mostly stressful situations, and how they caused your body to react. This is the beginning of teaching you how to sense and discover the relationship between the physical and the emotional and that the relationship is much stronger than you may realize. By sending relaxing signals instead of fear or tensed signals through your muscles, that you can help your body to stay centered, balanced to keep it in better health. This only one of many areas that affects your body. I did want to remind you to increase your consciousness so that you realize what is happening to your body when things are going on around you. Now, I would be happy to accept questions.
Dialogue
Symbols
E1: Good afternoon Iruka, I would like to ask...getting back to the Christmas introduction, is there any spiritual meaning behind the gold, frankincense, and myrrh?
Iruka: These three things were very highly valued in the culture of that time. It was to show respect and honor, and mainly a symbol of this respect and honor. Does this answer?
E1: Yes. Also, I was listening to Frederick Price this morning and he indicated that the wise men may not have been necessarily three. Would you have any idea how many wise men did show up?
Iruka: There were in fact more than three, but in recording this story many things were written down that were symbolic.[1] Three of course, reflects the First Source and Center, the Second Source and Center, and the Third Source and Center. So to the authors, to the story keepers who may not have had the whole picture themselves, three blended in well in keeping with a Holy, with a God given, God inspired theme. This is reflected in much of the writing in the Bible. Symbolic topics, numbers, are used and in reality it may not have been that, but you see the story is told with love and wonderment and respect, and that is the idea. The actual number is not important, but the feeling of love given is important and that is what is transmitted. Does this help?
E1: Yes, and thank you. I have another question, in reference to the 'People's Day' is there anything new that you would like to add to last week's......
Iruka: No, and I will now take direction from you or the group. When you have decided on a topic, I will slant my teaching to cover that subject, incorporate that topic into the lesson.
E1: OK, so with the topics you gave, we will just chose from that and come back to you later and you will proceed to approach the other teachers, is that how it will work?
Iruka: Yes, and certainly if you come up with something different, do not feel that you have to stay with the subjects that I mentioned. You asked for ideas and certainly if you have thought of something else, certainly use that. It will not hurt my feelings or make me unhappy if you choose something else. So don't feel limited by those topics.
E1: I didn't feel limited at all, but I appreciate the topics as a matter of fact. It stimulated my thinking about changing, just slightly, one of the topics, but I do appreciate it very much, to emphasize that.
Iruka: Certainly, and I wished to help you expand the topics and give you ideas.
Archives
J1: Hi Iruka, a quick question from a question last week. An individual asked if you were able to 'know him'. I understand the issue of someone strolling in the door cold and asking how much background information you have, but are there ways you can inquire of the individual's angels or whoever is keeping an eye on that person to get some background information over a longer period of time. How easy is it to do that?
Iruka: You are correct that there are certain archives that I can access. Many times that only sets up a framework, because how the individual has reacted, how they have grown, how they have dealt with the major happenings in their life can be very current, and of course is different for each individual. So when I try to come to know someone, I am dealing with them today. What are their concerns, what are their joys today. So if a major issue has been hurting them, tormenting them for years, or months, then yes I will research that information. But people, individuals, change, sometimes they even change their memory of what has happened, and so it doesn't always give me a clear picture of how they are reacting, or hurting, or adjusting to the situation. So I start with today and sometimes work back, and sometimes not. Does this give more understanding?
J1: Yeah it does. Can you talk to the angels if that particular individual has an angel around?
Iruka: Yes, I have been here on Urantia long enough that I am getting pretty good, pretty comfortable in my communication with them. You may be surprised that it is not instant, it was something I learned. I get better and better all the time. [thank you]
Guidance
S1: Hello Iruka, I have been doing some soul searching and have come to the conclusion that although I believe you to be a real entity, not that means a whole lot to you since you already know that, but...and I believe that Curtis is a real entity, but I believe that my growth, my forward motion in growing toward God might better be served along more traditional lines. I think the torment that I go through trying to be a part of this operation, and a part of traditional Christianity is a real brain burner. So what I am saying is that I have had to make some decisions and I have come to the conclusion that really I need to face some more challenges in the traditional Christian world, now that I think that I understand how God works, excuse me, how my relationship with God works, and how real it is.
What I am saying is that I probably won't be very active in these meetings although I will probably show up from time to time. I think that, if you know, are able to access my emotions and my thoughts you can pretty much tell why I have made some of these decisions, and I think they are Godly decisions. They are based on the highest principles that I can think of, and the best course for my life within long term history and recent history. So this is not completely a farewell because I will be around if you will have me back. I certainly want to maintain my relationship with Curtis and continue working on that, but I am afraid that if I had to choose a direction I would probably pursue some traditional Christian lines. There was a point in my life where I said I would never go back to mainstream Christianity, but now my perceptions have changed, and find that there are a lot of folks out there that I have things in common with and I want to have things in common with. So I would say that in the future you probably won't be meeting at my place, or until such time as there is another vacancy we can meet at my place, I would say that in the future I probably won't have as much activity in the teaching mission, at least this sort of activity. I will probably try and continue with Curtis as best I can and contact you on a periodic basis to check in and see how things are going.
Iruka: Thank you for being so open and honest. I realize the pain, the decision process, that you have had to go through to get to this point. We are all on different paths and they all lead to the Father. I would like to express my appreciation for what you have done in the last year. You played a very important part in uniting the individuals of this group together. It may have happened anyway, but you added much speed to the process. You acted as a cohesive force that enabled the group to grow and for that I am very thankful, and very appreciative of this action. I also thank you for the use of your home and for your enthusiasm, and your involvement. I wish that you find what you are seeking. I hope that you find the love and acceptance, and that you are fed. You are welcome back at any time, we will indeed miss you, but recognize that at any time anyone in the group may find their path, that it goes a different direction. Thank you for sharing that and we love you.
Teacher Contact, Christianity
S1: Thank you Iruka, and I know that is true. I really do appreciate all of you, both human and celestial. I didn't expect to have much condemnation for choosing an alternate path to God. I feel Curtis's presence and I feel it consistently. When I talk about this to people I say it is the Holy Spirit because that is the only thing that people whom I trust, in Christian circles to even hear this sort of concept, that I get sensations from the Holy Spirit. What I would like to ask is, will this continue and are the sensations I get actually from the Thought Adjuster. Is there any time that it is not Curtis, that it could be the thought adjuster letting me know of His presence.
Iruka: Your thought adjuster will respond when you are directly communicating with Him. There are always moments of guidance that it is hard to pin down from where they are coming from. Is that so important? They are certainly from the First Source and Center and whether they are from your angel, or your teacher, or others that are around you, take them as God-given. You can call them anything you like to make you or your new friends comfortable. We have never been worried about labels. Accept this guidance and move forward. Does this answer?
S1: Yes it does. It is very reassuring to me just to have that sensation, the presence of the spirit, or the presence of a celestial teacher. It has changed my perception, or my faith in ways that I could have never comprehended. It is an interesting tribute to the teaching mission that prior to the teaching mission I felt so out of place in Christianity that the Urantia Book was such a different path to be on that there was no way I could relate the two. However, my involvement in the teaching mission has led me back to solving a lot of problems and pursuing my faith in a way that I had not even thought about. If that makes any sense.
Iruka: Of course it makes sense and when you consider all of God's children, having individuals in the main line Christian churches as seeds, as plants, you are able to influence and teach in ways that you couldn't if you were not a member of those churches. So that has an advantage and it may be that you will be used, that you can teach ever more subtly perhaps, and influence a greater whole that has very strong dogma, but very little spirituality. So look at this as an opportunity, you are being led back.
S1: I guess that does make sense, that does sound like an unusual job, like a deep cover, double agent....but not really.
Iruka: If that appeals to you then go for it.
S1: Very good then, I think I shall. This marks a dramatic transition for me. I knew that all along that I couldn't figure out where I was, or who I was. Whether I was a Urantia reader or a church goer, but I think I am at the point now where I have set the direction for the rest of my life. I hope I can follow through with it.
Iruka: You must remain true to yourself and what feels right. That is how you will know where you are supposed to be. Go with God and we will miss you.
S1: OK, I shall and I will miss you all too. I will probably be back sooner than you think.
Iruka: That will be fine.
S1: That will be fine by me too, bye-bye.
S2: Iruka, I am having so much fun with Ceranta I really don't have any questions.
Iruka: That is wonderful to hear.
S2: I am just wondering why I am here.
Iruka: Why you are here on this planet, or why you are here in this group.
S2: What is next?
Iruka: That is really up to you. You are in charge of your destiny. You are in control of the unfolding of the Father's plan. You can go as slow or as fast as you feel comfortable with. You may enjoy the whole group, you may come for the fellowship...is this the question why you are here? The joy and the love.....[yes, thanks]
E1: Iruka, based on S's exit and S's question, once everybody gets teachers would there be any point in convening again since all these questions are coming about...what do they do next, where do they go, what happens if everyone wants to get a teacher?
Iruka: Well certainly there are plans to have teachers available for anyone and everyone on this planet. The individual teachers help with the individual growth, a group teacher gives general lessons, answers general questions. There is always the love and fellowship and strengthening in getting together in a group. Humans, as do all of God's children, feed on each other's love and compassion, and joy, and from each other. It is true that being alone can be, is not as growth promoting, as being in a group and sharing the joys.
E1: That is even with a teacher? It is not good to be isolated?
Iruka: It is not, not good, it is better. If you move to a remote, desolate place with no other humans, of course that is where you are. But to isolate yourself in the midst of many others is not healthy, is not the best choice. Let me put it that way. Do you see this?
E1: Yes. It just occurred to me, it won't be a point of isolation if everyone ends up with teachers. I guess what they could do is have groups within their own family. I guess that is what could start.
Iruka: Absolutely. Just being together for the joy of being together with friends. This can be very dynamic, it can be very changing. Right now we are just at the beginning, just the very, very first heartbeat of changes that will encompass the whole planet. For now, the numbers are quite small when you consider all the humans in the universe, on this planet, without the guidance of a teacher, without the knowledge of how much the Father loves them. We have a ways to grow, a ways to go. Did I answer your question? [yes, thank you]
Closing
Sometimes when I plan the most simple lessons, is when we have the most interesting questions and comments, and have the most growth. I feel today that is what has happened. We had a simple lesson and yet we are enjoying each other's company and experiencing growth. I look forward to seeing you again in three weeks. Have a wonderful holiday, be conscious of things around you, and your body, and I will see you then. Good bye.
Group: Good bye.