2002-12-12-Stillness, Hearing the Great Spirit

Session

Opening

• Music: "What Child is This?"
• Pianist: Elena

TOMAS: Good afternoon. I am Tomas, your host, humble students and teachers, all, for I have with me today many associates, possible guests. Anatolia is flanking me as associate teacher, and our hearts greet you and go out to also greet all of those in this extended family, those who are attendees in person and those who attend ever and only in our spirit of communion as we gather together in appreciation of our mutual Sonship.

I greet you in the wake of the Master's meaningful moment with you last week, which we have discussed in our ranks, as we Teachers are also Students. We also gather round the campfire of experiential living to hear from the Master, his perspective, for in this we gain the advantage of his knowledge of you insofar as he is also familiar with your world.

You who heard him discuss the Darkness and the Light as ALL under his control, overcontrol, were privy to the perspective of the Creator Son. That is a perspective that we in the Teacher Corps do not have and which we also benefit from. Thus, in the wake of his words, we reunite in enthusiasm to forge ahead in our curriculum of learning,

"What Child is This?" This child is Onamonalonton. Perhaps you will enjoy associating with him for a moment. I will let him tell you about himself. He is one of our guests. One moment, please.

ONAMONALONTON: Greetings. I will step down from my place in the Council of 24 to join with you today to provide a perspective which comes from my having been a walker on this world once, as well. I was of the red race. I retain many racial qualities, which I will not relinquish before my time. Why would I want to relinquish that which has such bearing on my character and the quality of my Being?

Lesson

Listening

One of the many gifts I was able to give to my people was the gift of Conscious Listening. What enabled me to cause a race of people to Listen within themselves to Hear the Great Spirit, was a gift to me, as well. For that I have no explanation. However, it seemed to be time for my people to begin the undertaking of the Awareness of the Great Spirit, which then added to our character as a race of people, to give us a perspective of the energy at work in the atmosphere, which is filled with the information that is given to those who will Listen.

The Gift of Listening is not done with the ears. Ears are the proboscis, that which sticks out, the obvious. But the Art of Listening, the Gift of Hearing the Voice of God, that is not in the 'ear' as much as it is in the Essence of existence.

In this room, now, you can hear clocks ticking. They are marking time, in the material sense, and they are as 'music,' inasmuch as they indicate to you that you are a part of the Heartbeat of life. They remind you, as does the beating heart, that you are a part of Creation; that you Live. But they cannot capture the quality of life that goes beyond the dimension of that which you can see and hear and feel with the senses, the Gifts which we know well up from an Invisible Source.

When you learn to Listen, you Listen with the physical as well as with the Invisible. You can see beyond the obvious to the subtle. You begin to trust that which you cannot see and hear, more than that which you can see with your eyes and ears. This perception of the Great Spirit is a part of the relationship which I shared with my people and which you are only beginning to understand, you people of the modern world.

Are there questions of me, inasmuch as I am here?

Dialogue

Leadership

Elena: You speak beautifully. How did you bring your people to listen? Did it take your entire lifetime or were they more open to it at that time?

ONAMONALONTON: I was fortunate, as you are fortunate, to be alive at a time in the development of racial evolution that put me in a position to be able to act upon the circumstances that were there. I was in the right place at the right time, like you and your self-revelations. Shall we call them 'ideas?' Like Jesus, who had insights about a Greater Reality than he saw as he stood looking at the city of Jerusalem, I was given a 'glimpse,' and I acted on the "spirit prompts" as I saw them appear. I acted on Faith. I did not know I was a 'religious leader' any more than you know that you are a 'religious leader.'

The people of my time were ready, for they were indeed barbaric and insensitive in many ways, but there were enough incidences of animalistic behavior that caused my fellows to 'feel' something. As a result of the battles they'd fought together, the camaraderie they had experienced, then to see them die in battle, gave a sense of predestined urgency to 'find another way' to live.

In this rather subconscious state of yearning they were vulnerable to influence. Much of the influence was from the Dark side, the bellicose, that provoked them into further animalistic and destructive behavior, but I persisted in putting forth that which was a part of my 'visions,' my perspectives -- the revelations that were provided to me by Power greater than myself. I talked aloud about these things. I appealed to their heart. I spoke about their friends who had been lost and about the quality of friendship that was Noble and the incidents which I saw as having reflected Character. I exalted these emotions.

I did not show respect for those who refused to follow me, or hear me. And, while it took time, there came to be a following and we became a Conscious Force. We bonded. We banded. We upheld one another much as you are doing today in your new Dispensation, your New Age, this Fifth Epoch.

We learned to Listen and we became more than we were. Our ways changed. And while there were, and remain, those who will not Listen, those who would rather "fight than switch," we endure because of our Value, and we augment our Value by Listening.

I smile and say to you that we have been practicing The Stillness for a long time. We sometimes find the raucousness of your culture to be hostile to the Spirit for it fills up all the atmosphere with Chaos, which disallows the Harmony of the Universe to penetrate into your Soul, into your Heart, into what will be your Family and your Home, if you will Listen.

Paula: What era are you describing? What years were these?

ONAMONALONTON: These were pre-history. Well before Genesis. Certainly before Moses. Back when we were tribal.

Elena: Did Machiventa visit you? Like he did Abraham?

ONAMONALONTON: We were far more primitive than the noble Abraham. We are a very old race of people.

Elena: What's the Council of 24?

ONAMONALONTON: We are holding forth as a Governing body in Jerusem, which is the Capitol of your [[[Satania|System]]. When you go through all the Mansion Worlds you will 'graduate' from the System at its Capitol, which is Jerusem. I share this honor (serving on the Council) with many, and most are from Urantia.

We are naturally focused on what is transpiring on Urantia, your world, because of its situation in the Rebellion, how it was quarantined, set-aside, set-apart, how it was visited by Jesus, the Creator of our Local Universe and now is being re-encircuited into the Constellation Fields as a result of the adjudication of the Lucifer rebellion, which occurred when Jesus was here. While 2000 years may seem a long time to you, in terms of those of us who have been around for thousands upon thousands of years - it is … 2 weeks! But you may be assured that one of the Laws of the Universe is Cause and Effect. This is what Christ Michael spoke of last week: Cause and Effect, basically. You would say 'what goes up must come down.' What is begun must be ended, must be resolved, must come to fruition.

What you begin in Time will be finished in Eternity, and whether it is contributing to the OverAll or, rather, an attempt to deter development, is something which will only be revealed in Time. And once again, I remind you of the Value of Listening for in learning to Listen and … really understanding what The Stillness is, you will be able to discern what time it is in God's Time. You will be able to read the Great Spirit for the circumstances and conditions in which you can, and may, operate in affecting the growth of the Supreme Being by your actions, your will.

You are a significant influence in the Galaxy, even as you find yourselves a mote of Stardust.

Race

Men-o-pah carries with him the blood of our ancestors. In him is a glimpse of our racial memory. Within him resides a composition of cellular structure which is unknown to you of the Blue race. Or of other races. However, the part of you, Men-o-pah, which is of the red race and the red man's composition, is so few as to diffuse the spectrum which was with us when I was one of you.

There are no pure races today in your world. But when I lived here, we were pure races. We were definitely 'different.' You now, who think you are 'different' - yellow, red, black and white - are nothing, in terms of 'difference,' to what we knew when we were born. What you have now is a very cosmopolitan admixture of race, which has still a long way to go before it is completely amalgamated into the quality of Human Race which was intended in the original Master Plan.

But, you see, with all of the exceptions-to-the-rule, which you are here on Urantia, which you represent to the Greater neighborhood of Cosmic Citizens, you and I depict an element of reality which is noteworthy in the development of evolving worlds. And thus we are privileged to have and share this unique experience of being from this most extraordinary world.

Let me return you to Tomas, with whom you are familiar. I will visit again at some time, as this culture is a potential gold mine of students of Greater Realities for which I will work on behalf of your mission, to accomplish.

Farewell.

The Teachers

Paula: Before you leave, two questions. One, when you were with us, what part of today's world did you live in?

ONAMONALONTON: No part. I lived so many thousands of years ago, I have no experience in this modern world at all. I have been busy all this time, in fact, ascending through the Mansion Worlds and serving in Jerusem. And so, much of your development I was not even aware of. Let me try to give you an example, Paula, of what I mean.

Let us take a television program that has been on the television for 20 years. Was there a program in your frame of reference that is on today that was on 20 years ago? Or perhaps a movie star that you admired 20 years ago who is still acting today. Let us say you were quite close to that reality 20 years ago but for some reason you were distracted from watching the program or knowing intimately the career or changes that have gone about, but you turned on the TV yesterday, or this morning, and saw how they had developed , or how they had aged. This would be like my experience with Urantia.

At one time I knew it as a reality and I turned my back for a few years to do something else and when I turned around to look again it was completely changed. It was still Urantia, and there were flavors of it that still existed but it was nothing compared to the way it was. For example, today it is in Technicolor. In my day, it was in black and white.

Does that help you understand?

Paula: Yes. And the other question is, what is it like where you are now?

ONAMONALONTON: Well, very astute question. The fact is, it would be very difficult for me to convey to you what it is like where I am now for you have no frame of reference for it, and even your entertainment depictions are not capable of picking up the environment in which I work and exist at this time.

It would be, for me, a work of fiction to portray to you, so that you could understand, what my living circumstances are like today. I will tell you, though, for relationship sake, I have friends and associates. While I do not have what you would call 'family,' I have the realization that those with whom I work and associate are also my 'family.' We rest but we do not sleep. We take in energy but we do not eat food. We are surrounded by stimuli but it is not sentient. We read but we do not have books.

We learn but with a different mind. While it is not all-pervasive, it is quite extensive. What I'll ask you to do now is look at a system of monitoring, such as you might find in a major hotel, where there is a room in which 20 television screens monitor what is going on in all the hallways and entrances. This is a very crude depiction of what it is like to see from my vision, for I can 'look in on you' through my 'monitor.' And that means, literally, millions of personalities -- though I don't normally occupy myself by peering into your lives.

We could go on for hours about how it is in my world, but I am more interested in your world, for you are the one who lives it and you are the one before me. I've been invited here to talk to you about Listening and that is what I have done. I am glad that you have 'heard' so much of what I have to say.

Discernment

In that light, I will add one more thing before I go, and that has to do with Discernment. For in Listening you can Discern the Harmonics of the reality which is presenting itself. With that ability, you will be able to Discern with the Spirit of Truth. You will know how to avoid deception. You will hear the cacophony of chaos and refuse to budge, until such time as the Way is Clear and the Music of the Spheres fills you with that Clarity which invites you forward. There is Value to what might appear to be stubbornness. But when your very existence is at stake, you will Be Still and Listen. Because your Life depends upon it. With that I take my leave.

Group: Thank you!

Paula: That was so interesting! I wish he could go on some more.

TOMAS: Tomas, resuming the podium. What a variety of personalities the Father provides within his family of Sons and Daughters! What abundance is there for the taking! What have you been up to? Have you been about the Father's business? Have you been growing? Have you had conflicts? Is there something to celebrate? Please, be open with me.

Esmarelda: I've been fortunate for this past week, six days, I guess. Five or six days, taking a delightful little girl to school because her grandmother has been out of town and her mother works….and it has been a joy to be around such a delightful little girl. So that is something that has been different and quite a blessing for me this week.

TOMAS: "What Child is This?" What constitutes childlikeness? What makes a child delightful? What gift do children bring that they remind us of the trusting qualities of Sonship? How do they refresh our perception with their wide-eyed wonder at what is unfolding before them. How precious to see the Innocents who have an eternal frame of reference, who have not stumbled over the realms of birth and death to the extent they have lost their exuberance for what is next.

Children

Let us go around the room, then, and take a look at yourself and your neighbor, how it is that they reflect such a quality of childlikeness? Thoroah, you were thinking these very thoughts earlier today. What about you is childlike?

Thoroah: I…

Paula: I think my faith is childlike because I've always believed, just as I was taught as a small child, that when our time on earth is done -- the body, of course, just goes to nothing but dust, but that part isn't important. -- what I believe, and always will believe, is that your soul goes to the Heaven that Jesus told us about when he said "I go to prepare a place for you. In my Father's house are many mansions." And I believe that although the body dies the soul lives on forever and it must go somewhere, … to heaven - or wherever it is that God is waiting for us. Am I right?

TOMAS: Yes. This is correct.

This is a child, indeed. Have I not said so before? She sits on my lap and insists upon my attention.

Paula: I guess you're right.

TOMAS: She has that quality of self-centeredness that precocious children have, which is entertaining and which diverts the mature mind from its incessant musing. Therefor, Paula has contributed to our discussion that children are distracting. And pleasingly so.

It is the child-ISH-ness which gets them in trouble, as it gets you in trouble, all of you. Childishness is a different quality than child-LIKE-ness. Childishness is petulance that always wants its own way and always wants to be the center of attention. It always wants to go first, be first, and be unmindful of others, as compared to child-LIKE-ness which will portray the Goodness of the child which loves to serve, which will take the plate of cookies around to each person at the party and curtsey in delight to play the role of Giver. Precocious student, is our Paula.

But Thoroah, you were saying?

Thoroah: I still look at the Universe as I did when I was young - I've only added another dimension to the Universe by becoming older, but - I can remember looking out, as a walker on this planet, wondering about the Universe - and that wonderment is still there. There's a lot of 'musing' going along with it but the wonderment is still there. That's probably my most child-LIKE-ness quality. I have a lot of child-ISH qualities, too.

TOMAS: You feel your childlikeness, your sense of Wonder, is endearing. Good. Let us not focus on the branches you will prune in your own good time.

Men-o-pah, how do you feel you are like the child?

Men-o-pah: I was interested to hear our visitor, before the time before Abraham. It reminded me of my roots. I neglected to hear his name.

TOMAS: He is Onamonalonton, the Entity I promised to bring to speak to you about his Gifts.

Men-o-pah: Thank you. I was interested to hear him talking about his music that we will hear. That music of discernment.

TOMAS: I had a hunch you would enjoy him.

Men-o-pah: I do that, too, and I was interested to hear he had to say, that we may hear the music of the Spirit of Truth. We will know the Way, then.

TOMAS: You will see, then, your childlike faith that the Path will be revealed. The Music will lead you, like the Pied Piper led the children from the village. The quality of discernment, yes, will enable you to 'hear' the 'music.'

Men-o-pah: Thank you. I'm looking forward to that.

TOMAS: You may be assured you will not be disappointed.

Men-o-pah: Thank you.

Childhood

TOMAS: You see this child that you travel with, Esmarelda, and she delights you, for you say you have had your life 'lit up' now for 6 days because of her association. What does she reveal to you of yourself that you have forgotten?

Esmarelda: She has a different life than I. She is a very loved little girl and she knows that she is. She's confident. She's curious. She's eager to learn. I think a lot of those things, or some of those things were present in my childhood, however I was not as confident. I didn't feel as loved as a child. But the eagerness - wanting to learn and to be close to people One thing, too, she's very concerned about a pet of hers that had been ill and I think the love of God's creatures - that was something I really enjoyed. I think all children love pets and animals. So maybe that was the part of my childlike past that I identify with.

TOMAS: Children are 'little animals'.. (laughter)…and the qualities of Wisdom and Worship are fostered through further experience.

The reflection on your childhood this child gives, causes me to remind you that your mortal life may have had denser origin but your Spiritual Childhood is replete with Knowing you are Loved and in this you may feel Confident. And thus you will be able to develop the quality that Thoroah enjoys, that adventurousness and sense of wonder that you see in the little girl that you transport. The world is changed from the time you were a child and there is more Light in the ethers today than there was in your childhood. Thus, your observation is correct.

The truth of the matter is, you are never too old to be a child. And it's never too late to have a happy childhood.

The relationship you enjoy with the Eternal parents will give you the assurance that will also provide for you the ability to discern the Music of the Spheres as you avoid the chaos. It will entitle you to the precociousness that we enjoy with Paula.

The recognition that we are here to help you learn to become spiritual adults in no way precludes the necessity of you remaining a child. For Eternity is a long time. And like you were told, perhaps when you were adolescent, appreciate your being a child for as long as you can for when you are grown up the responsibilities of maturity will press upon you. And it behooves you to remember how to be a Child, even as you learn to walk the Path of Adulthood.

But Elena, how have we enjoyed your childlikeness?

Elena: Was that a comment or a question? (some laughter)

TOMAS: In this case it is a question but if I had inserted an exclamation point it would have been an assertion of our receipt of your gifts, yes.

Elena: Thank you. Well, the talk about childlikeness was interesting and sweet. But how do I maintain my childlikeness…I think in the things that I do is that I can still get the same joy about most things that I'm excited about as it was right before getting up Christmas morning….there's that little glee that just builds up in my throat. And it's not hard for me to get there - nor is it hard to get away from it either…but I think is the best way for me to answer the question of how I am childlike.

TOMAS: You appreciate the gift of Joy within you as a quality of Child-of-God that you enjoy. Yes. You are precise there. You are a joyous child, indeed, and your Joy is contagious. And this is a part of your Power and the Power of children, their easy laughter and their delight with the ludicrous, the ability to make monkey-shines of the burdens of existence and to alleviate the burdens of others by turning them topsy-turvy. This is the Gift you give to your friends.

All of you give Gifts of Yourself when you express your childlike qualities, your Child-of-Godness.

Gerdean, what do you regard as your blatant childlike quality?

Gerdean: I don't think my childlike quality's all that special, Tomas. I think I'm jealous, I want the center of attention. I think I'm more child-ISH than I am child-LIKE, to tell you the truth. But I'm not fishing for compliments here!! (laughter) I think that my ability to Jabber is my favorite childlike quality. (more giggles in group)

TOMAS: It works for me. It is a key to the overtures of our efforts to reveal the Word of God as it will emit from your warbles. When there is a tight grip on your lip you censor yourself, sometimes suffocating yourself, to disallow the Lightness of Being. The Bird does not put a clamp on its bill, except when and as, it is 'stilled' by that which alarms it into silence. As you jabber you reflect your Warbling Happiness, much as Elena expresses her Joy in encountering the Essence of others.

In this Season of Giving, remember the Gifts you give - the Gifts of Joy, of Adventure, of Discernment, of Inquiry, of Reflection, of Wonder. All these Gifts from the Divine are Gifts you give -- as a Child of the Divine. As a reflection of your Eternal Parents in their Gift of Life to you.

What child is this? Show me your Gifts, that I may give glory and homage to the Father, Gift-Giver to us all.

Closing

Be on your way, then, children, and relish your moment in time as Onamonalonton relished his and IMPACT humanity by your Personality Presence.

Farewell.