1995-06-09-Meditation

Session

Opening

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?

Dialogue

Meditation, Control

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, Ken, 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 require 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 freefall. They were harnessed and caught before hitting the ground. This TR's experience was that she could not freefall, 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 freefall 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, freefalling 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, Ken, 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 freefall 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."

Reality, Growth

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(TR #2 for the whole session): "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 TR 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 therefor I will not elaborate ad infinitum. But I wanted to respond to the prompt and ask you, dear enquirer, 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."

Sincerity

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."

Francell: "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 thoughts 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 Pat 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 therefor their expressions to the world and the individual encountered. The sincerity in your voices is a signal of your enraptment in your belief and therefor 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 Steven, if he is so willing."

Free Will

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: "Steven, 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 TR 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.

Sincerity

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 sincerities. 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.

Closing

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. [[Category: Free will]