1996-07-18-Embarking Into Character

Session

Opening

TOMAS: Good evening, my friends. I am Tomas, your delighted supernal host this evening in joyous appreciation of your sharing and your fellowship. Your vibrational levels are indicative of one who has been well met and I am proud to be your friend.

It is wonderful this evening to have the added energy and association of our co-worker and your fellow apostle (Bob Devine) here, as well as Bob's entourage. As many of you realize, you are not islands of identity but rather an assemblage of co-ordinate and harmonious energies and personalities as we all accompany one another in the ascent, in the sojourn. I have been personally enjoying the association today of Rantarason, and perhaps we can prevail upon him to join in on our sharing this evening.

I am somewhat concerned on your behalf regarding your time frame. I am not in a worried frame of mind because your time has been well spent thus far. And many times, when your evenings are so ripe with the fruits of the spirit, I am disinclined to carry on any further, for you see how well you can uphold and sustain and stimulate each other in your efforts without me. But I am assigned here and I am part of your group and so it behooves me to also share myself and my personality for we are all in this together, as you know.

I will not carry on at great length, but I did want to conform somewhat to our earlier discussions, our discussions of last week, which have led up to our discussion for this evening which, indeed, will begin to embark upon the realm of character, although the subject of human character is broad and can occupy us for literally years, I do not feel we can accomplish that purpose in one topical evening; Mrs. M., but we can indeed begin to perceive what we are meaning when we discuss character.

Lesson

Character

1 would like for you this week to ponder in your hearts your understanding of character. It is an emotional response to your environment, to the personalities in your environment. In order to have a well-balanced personality, the balance then is involving your divine understandings as well as your mortal understandings.

In mastering the ego to the extent that your character manifests morals and ethics, it is necessary to understand that the balance is in the clear mind. In a mind that has not developed, it is difficult to find the human framework necessary to exhibit appropriate human character. And so as we begin a study of character, we are considering the divine aspects and the human aspects.

And whereas the divine aspects would constitute such things as the beatitudes or "turning the other cheek" or those more readily understood spiritual character traits, the human being is not always so readily amenable to high character, and the imbalance then results in weak character, in immature personality.

In understanding the human being it is possible to understand the human character. In understanding the human character, that is to say, your own reactions to your environment, to other personalities, to situations in your life, you may look at your reaction and compare it to a reaction of the spirit, a spiritual reaction, and find a harmonious understanding and balance within yourself that will thus represent you and that you will then represent in your comings and goings as part of your character.

The undertaking then, you see, of character is an organic part of life, part of your spiritual evolution. Character, as you understand, is not built as an external discipline, but is grown, born of your desire to carry the spirit and the flesh in a unified personality.

As time goes by and as you are willing, we will broach facets of character and I look forward to the vignettes and anecdotes and affectionate personality responses that will provide you with a glimpse and an understanding of your character and the character of your peers. Ponder your understanding, then, of character for this next period of time, (so) that we might embark upon another facet of understanding character when next we meet.

I am finished with my remarks this evening. I know there was a lesson there; it was not all an assignment, but I am eager to share my platform with Rantarason, if he will say hello to us.

RANTARASON: Hello. Dearest friends, it is my pleasure to be a part of this fabulous and exciting group of enthusiastic fellows. I am Rantarason, Melchizedek Aide and friend.

Your efforts to understand character are well synthesized in the life of your Master Son. Your understanding of his nature will guarantee increased insight into what constitutes well-balanced character: however, your Book delineates attributes quite well, so I will not be redundant, just emphasizing.

Listening

One area I would like to share with you is in the arena of relationship, and the character trait I would point out which enhances all relationship is the quality of listening and comprehending and desiring to understand one's fellows.

It is common in communication to cross over in thought while communicating with another. It is difficult in the initial stages of discipline to truly listen without judgment or without developing response, yet if you look to those in your life that you most appreciate and find most timely and supportive, you might recognize that these individuals are those who listen well to your words and desires.

There is an atmosphere of friendliness that was developed by the desire in another to know you and to care about you specifically. If people can carry this out further to themselves and understand the appreciation of these connections, it can also create a desire in the individual recipient of kindly affection to develop the skill, the character trait which is in its truest basic form a desire to know and care in interest in the lives of one's fellows.

I enjoyed this opportunity to share on one aspect of character. I hope you will grow as the time unfolds to understand much, very much, of true character and its relationship to the entirety of the self and to the relationship to others. Is there anything else? I have enjoyed this evening.

Group: Thank you, Rantarason. Thank you for coming.

TOMAS: Thank you, brother and Teacher, for your presence and your words to us all this evening. God grant that we have listened to these words with ears to hear, with hungry hearts, with thirst, for truth, for this opens the door indeed for understanding and for closer relationship also to one's and others' God.

It is a privilege to be embarked upon this journey with you, dear fellows. As I hear with my perceptions, I hear also that when we yearn to be heard, when we yearn to express ourselves and be acknowledged, we do this not only from a position of authority, but also from a position of supplication and prayer, indeed, the friendship, the communication with God in each other that fosters the reality of true character and personality expression.

It is late. It is also unthinkable that I should not allow your questions or commentary, but we will not go into tomorrow. The floor is yours.

Dialogue

Service

Ruth: Tomas, I'm not sure you heard what I'm going to be doing this weekend [Ed: Student is a massage therapist, assigned to minister" to the KISS musical group this coming weekend] and I would welcome any help that you could give me when I deal with these people -- on any level -- because they are vastly out of my experience and I am sure it would be very beneficial to me. Do you think that would be possible?

TOMAS: My child, I will share with you my observation that you who would serve Him, must serve one another without regard for recognition. It is to their benefit that you bring your gift and you will certainly infuse them with divine grace and healing power by your ministrations. It is possible they will not realize what you bring.

I will not discourage the experience, but remember, you are dealing with superstars who will eagerly absorb what you have to offer, that they might then take their energies to give what they have to offer. Delight in the experience, in the exposure, in the exchange of energies. Be creative and adaptable in your approach and hurry back to tell us how much fun you had.

Ruth: Don't you want to come along and sprawl in a chair'?

TOMAS: It is very difficult to sprawl when you are tapping your toe.

Prayer

Student: I would like to ask you if you could possibly send some healing to my cousin who is (indistinguishable).

TOMAS: My friend, I can do that, as can you. Our Father is no respecter of persons and your sincere prayer is as powerful as mine. I am not shirking the request.

Student: I understand.

TOMAS: I am only saying that, do not look to me for that which you are capable of doing yourself. You are as great as you allow yourself to be in faith.

I appreciate that we have prayed together before and we will pray together again. I do not refuse to pray with you ever. Indeed, be aware that the angels pray with you. As your sincere prayer is sent out, the angelic hosts hear your song and respond thereto. When we pray as a group, many of us will kneel to be in the prayerful attitude with you, for it contributes to the aspect of prayer. When you pray as a group, I bow in honor of your prayers.

No one prays alone, and so we indeed pray together for your friend and relation who hurts, who feels pain and feels fear. As anyone who prays knows, it is an intimate act, for if we didn't care, we wouldn't bother to pray, and so a sincere prayer touches upon the distress, the confusion, the anger, the resentment, the despair, the fear of that person who is prayed for. It is through a sincere desire to serve that the sincere prayer is offered, and you, daughter, in your ministry, are a humble, eager servant, desirous of pleasing your Lord and your peers. Fear not, for you are smiled upon and your prayers are responded to.

Student: Thank you.

Mrs. M: Well, Tomas, I was going to ask you if you might zoom down to St. Steven's on the 27th and hang out for at least the sacred music, and if don't want to stay for the rest, that's fine. And I was also going to ask you, do you think you'll be at IC '96? Because you did say, I believe this summer, that you were going to go. Was I right about that?

TOMAS: I believe my comment was that my itinerary was well planned for me. And, I will be there. I will also attend the wedding ceremony, in part. I wouldn't miss it. I enjoy these jubilees. I do not think I will stick around for the dancing, however, unless it is required of me. Thank you for your gracious invitation.

Mrs. M: You often talk about dancing as a kind of an analogy for other kinds of participation, which I have enjoyed tremendously over the last few months.

TOMAS: I have learned it from you mortals. There is a phrase to the effect that if you dance you must pay the fiddler. (Group laughter)

Mrs. M: And we were talking about Eric Johnson, and having written "Lord of the Dance" which we have all enjoyed in this study group.

TOMAS: Are you on a comma? (Group laughter)

Mrs. M: Period. That was a period.

TOMAS: We have also enjoyed your harmonious recitation of the song. Indeed, the Lord of the Dance has many pas de deux and so forth outlined. It is a dance. It is a symphony. You recall our session, Rantarason, [Ed. at the Boise conference] when we met in the garden with our wide-eyed mortal associates and waltzed around the ballroom of life selecting various partners and kicking up our heels in joyous spiritual revelry together. It is an analogy that delights the entire cosmic scheme of things, yes.

Path

Bob: Hi, Tomas. This is Bob. I'm glad to be able to ask you a question. I've heard you before but I haven't had the time to interact with you. I guess my only question -- it has to do with this trip -- is asking for any insight in things that I can look forward to or participate in or be a part of as I'm out on the road this summer. I feel that I'm just following the leading of my Father in where I may end up, and also give me any insights or any gems of knowledge that the teachers can offer. Is there something out there that I should touch on this summer?

TOMAS: My co-worker in the kingdom, you have espoused to me what you have already been about. You have sought to do His will and follow His leading. You have sought to interact with fellow believers and to plant seeds. You have sought to be pleasing in the eye of the Master. You have succeeded thus far; your journey has only begun. As you venture out, even now, you merely follow the path that you have been on. As has been said by Michael, by Jesus, "Follow me," and as you hold out your hand in company with the Great Friend, you are following His lead and you will not be led astray.

The adventures of life unfold naturally and normally to one who lives in the framework of an understanding of his or her intimate relationship with a personal God. Any seeker, any sojourner who has walked with the Master for even a step or two knows how it feels, and will return to that divine grace for more practice, for more exposure, for more faith growth, for the path is not so narrow. The path widens, ever broadens, as you twirl down the highway of life. You have not disappointed nor will you be disappointed as you follow your destiny path, as you well know, my son.

Bob: Thank you, Tomas.

Student: Tomas, when you gave that answer, is that not something that you could say about any of us here as we venture forth?

TOMAS: Of course.

I believe, my friend, that you yourself have made testimony to that precise truth, that as I speak to you, it is in your willingness to hear the message, the words, the concept, that is being conveyed that allows the truth to resonate. If we were getting into really specific matters, very personal issues, I would edit for publication, but as I am "trained" to teach the multitudes, I am mindful that my words must reach across many divergences. It is simple and yet it is a challenge for each of you has an individual personality and each of you is addressed personally, even though truth is impersonal and is spread broadly.

Closing

My beloved friends, I am reluctant to leave you. You well know how I enjoy our brief time together. I anticipate the next few weeks will bring some turbulence. Not necessarily negative turbulence, but a bumpy ride here and there, for there are many miles to go before we will all convene again together. I look forward to the diversity of your various and sundry adventures for I will be with you and I look forward to our return to our fundamental base here when our autumn session begins.

Beloved friends and honored guest, good evening.