2008-08-02-Nature of Cooperation

Session

Opening

EREGON: We are with you. This is Eregon, your regular instructor, and also comrade, companion, co-worker, coach and friend. It is our mission in these many contacts, to inspire in your hearts and your minds ways to interact in the lives that you already have that will increase the amount of love being spread abroad, across your entire planet. You are not expected to move to a planetary scale of operation, but we have such groups we hope to inspire everywhere, children. Some we work with are quite aware of us; others are simply aware of an energy that helps to carry them forward in a group purpose, harmony, or action. This is also our work, even when such groups cannot or do not directly commune with us, as does this one.

Lesson

Have you ever considered within this group to take on a project, or commit the group to a purpose, other than meeting and listening like this? To agree to some type of forward idealistic action as a group, and begin it, would solidify your group and empower each of you as individuals. We are long past the time when listening and taking this in, or reading and taking it in, is all that can be done. Each of you has individual growth that is vital, important, and will continue, but we are asking in these times, for a type of group participation, which involves your gathering and acting together, in addition to time that you meet here as students. We will not take the prerogative of telling you what it is that should be done, but we can make some loose suggestions that are more in the way of ideas, taking off points, inspiration to brain-storming sessions—simply they are not to be taken as a list of things to be done, but more as suggestions to inspire.

We can see so many needs in every community that are probably, for the most part, unseen by the people operating within your cultural structure, for you operate from a place of “what is,” and you know that things work to a certain degree, as they should. It therefore becomes more and more difficult to imagine what might be perfect or more ideal, because your perspective is limited to the system within which you operate, day-by-day in your homes, your schools, your businesses, your governments, your global economy even. We are asking for group actions of a very local dimension to begin with. This could be a project like taking a meal to a poor family, or making a commitment over a long term to help an abused woman with children, get back on her feet. It could be a matter of sharing your gardening skills, seeds and plants, with someone who would benefit from such a garden, but has no experience.

You could agree as a group to help someone elderly, who is no longer able to drive and take on one person as a group responsibility in this one area of their lives. We do not mean to tell you what needs to be done. We are beginning here, a phase of our work that requires a more interactive dimension between you and us, between you as a group and your environment. You could look around and decide to keep a neighborhood park picked up. The action is not so important in choice, as it is in cooperative venture. As you become functional, working groups, you become empowered individually and as a group. You will find assurance that there is meaning in that which you choose to do, partly because of the cooperative nature, partly because of the higher purpose, partly because of the continuing nature of the task we set before you.

If you are unwilling or for some reason unable to find a purpose, no matter how small you might act on as a group, even something as simple as having a yard sale for the benefit of someone less fortunate, we can understand this. Not every group will naturally function well, simply because people wish to meet like this, but then we would ask you again, if you could work singly or in twos or threes from your group, to find a purpose you can dedicate yourselves to together. Some groups might find research, or creating a web site a meaningful thing to do. These are simply gentle nudges of ideas, and again, if you choose not to, or your group is unable, there is no guilt to be laid upon you, no punishment. We simply ask; the response within you should come from the spirits within all of you. We trust that if you do this as a group, you will find many reasons to appreciate having done so.

Our lesson for today is on the “Nature of Cooperation.” We have set a task before you—or a request, rather—at the outset, because it is our intention that having that in mind, or in your awareness as you receive this lesson, will be of benefit. Cooperation, also known as teamwork, is one of the more vital lessons to be learned in mortal existence. Family cooperation is something you have all experienced, you were all raised in families—some have functioned extremely well, others rather poorly—to launch you into functional adulthood. Having to cooperate and act as a team with people in your work environment, is to function within a team that is not your choice of individuals, but is necessary and good to experience, because you will grow if you are open to growth, through such channels.

Creating a team of cooperative partners, from a group of spiritual idealists, we see is a very easy task. From your hunger for cooperation with spirit, many ideas will flow, and of course we hardly need note [that] the democratic process, is the best by which to arrive at any goal for a group function. Because you have this type of spiritual hunger in common, the types of things that you can do together, may become obvious to you very quickly. Perhaps your group would choose to take on some noble task, such as a community interfaith organization, or some group action taken on behalf of some non-profit organization. We believe when you begin to discuss these things, you may find many ideas that intrigue you, and indeed, taking your time to reach agreement is a part of the process. That is both beautiful and beneficial.

Cooperation, children: How do you achieve it among diverse beings, whose only commonality may be their spiritual desires? This is a great foundation, but of course it does not guarantee agreement, and herein we find the lessons that are to be learned. Cooperative ventures are easy among some groups, more difficult among others. The common purpose builds unity in a group, no matter how diverse the participants may be. Teamwork is one of the treasures of life on earth, not only to achieve, but also to work toward achievement together, to set a goal together.

We dare say, you have all experienced genuinely and beautifully, cooperative teamwork at some point in your lives, and as you remember these experiences, many of you feel the joy welling up in your hearts that came from producing such an experience by effort with other humans. This is one of the treasures of life experiences, which we encourage you now to indulge in more frequently. Creating ways for diversely thinking and perceiving human beings to cooperate is a blessing. If you were to simply agree to take turns, going to each other’s homes, to help with some maintenance project, this would be a beginning. We would like you to move beyond your circle with a goal, if you can conceive of this, it would be good. If you can only begin within your group, that is also good. We can fill your hearts and your souls and your spirits with the love of the Father, and the angels who watch over you individually, and in larger segments, and when this begins to overflow onto others, you are truly acting out the love of the Father, by “going about, doing good.” We have asked you in the past to be aware of this, in your daily lives. We have not asked you to report on this, but we would encourage you, at the end of this session, discussion among you, if you have experimented with deliberately being loving, and how you experienced such an event in your lives.

And now, because we desire you to grow and make progress, we are bringing this to a group level. Is there a guarantee that if you choose something as a group, it will be better than something an individual would choose? Not necessarily, but the energy that goes into it from many human beings, bringing their individual talents and perceptions and skills, is something that you can cherish, and in addition, it will benefit someone beyond your circle. And as we have told you many times before, in the universe scheme of things, by giving, you are creating a greater capacity for reception, so as you give in service, you increase your capacity to perceive and receive spiritual service, from your spiritual brothers and sisters. You open the door wider, for us to come in. This is one of the reasons we ask you for this group service, action commitment—or whatever you would choose to call it, or how you would choose to express it—and there is in addition to this, the fact that these kinds of actions, given with love, are so much needed on your planet in these times.

As things become difficult, many people lose their light-heartedness, their trust, their confidence. We give you our love and guidance to restore these things in each of you, but to send it abroad like a ripple on a surface is the larger goal of these kinds of projects. This is as it should be. We console, comfort, inspire love and encourage you, so you can do this for others, even if you choose to go into a state institution or a shelter, and simply visit with people who very seldom have visitors. We continue to pepper this lesson with ideas, and it is for a purpose that we do that. Teamwork with those, more and more unlike yourselves, is part of your progression through space and time. Genuine cooperation involves a perception and appreciation, of each individual’s different talents and skills. You are “differently-abled”—each of you—and your uniqueness has something vital to contribute to any team in which you may participate.

If you have resistance within yourself or within your group, perhaps you could find it within yourselves to choose one small thing, and not an ongoing project, just as an experiment, to see how it works, to see how it feels. Trusting us that there is something of value, a something that is —even from us— ineffable, we cannot describe it in detail, but by experience, you will know it. It is doing good for yourselves and doing good for others at the same time, which is very often the goal in actions that are inspired by your higher, less-physical friends in the universe. Of course we wish you to play “win-win,” in everything you do, but by participating in a way that seems “give and take,” and experiencing the win-win, is what we wish you to perceive, to experience and to grow from.

You need not worry that any task is too small, and you can probably accumulate anything that you need to get in the way of material things, from what you already have at hand. This need not cost in the way of money—that is not a requirement. We have told you many times that giving and receiving is the same thing, and we know that you have experienced this, at least occasionally in your lives, and we would now like you to experience it with a group. One of the beautiful lessons of teamwork is that you truly begin to lovingly appreciate the talent, the skills, the personalities and the spirits of those with whom you work on a project. We ask you, as you choose something and begin to work in it, that you are aware of this growing appreciation, the genuinely, brotherly and sisterly affection, that begins to grow among you.

We count ourselves fortunate to have learned this as one of the more basic lessons that continue to enrich us, through all of our universe experiences. And we would find it beneficial for you to begin to notice how teamwork and cooperation increases your appreciation for the individuals you know—at least have acquaintance with, for you begin to know each other better by doing something together, and everyone benefits by more appreciation in the general environment. Again, giving and receiving is one. It has been noted before that the thing that you criticize most frequently in others, is something you feel uncomfortable about within your own domain of action or behavior. It has also been noted as a companion to that, that what you appreciate, what you love, what you admire in others, is a part of you that is growing. It is one of the things you are developing in yourself, if you can love it in another. Therefore, your appreciation, your appreciative perception of your neighbor, is pointing out something in you that is developing—perhaps one of the fruits of the spirit. You might even make a list of these for your group and each choose one that appeals to you in the moment, and then deliberately seek to apply that, either in your project, or among your group members.

Today’s lesson is kind of a festival of ideas and we hope that you will play with these and be joyful in responding to our request. Everything that is done with joy in the spirit of love and fellowship enriches yourselves and your community. If it would only be out of a sense of duty in responding to us, that you would participate, and you feel that this would bring you no joy, then we encourage you to evaluate within yourself, what would bring you joy. We ask only that, which we believe and plan to be an enriching activity for you.

Are there questions?

Dialogue

Student: Yes, I have a question that I work on. It sounds good for cooperation and this type of stuff to me, and having a task to work on, but also it seems very important to advance the idea of truth and move from an evolutionary to more of a spiritual way of living, that is automatic, revelational-type knowledge of philosophy, based upon that, and I guess my question is: I need security in getting there and I guess I need clarity as to know the difference between morality and how that relates to truth, beauty and goodness, and basically, how we get there?

EREGON: You ask how morality relates to truth, beauty and goodness? Is that correct? (Yes.) Truth, beauty and goodness are aspects of the universe. Faith, hope and charity are the traditional ways these values have been translated into virtues in the Christian tradition. Truth, Beauty and goodness can be abstract; (tape turned) faith, hope and love are attitudes through which you operate in the universe, to express truth, beauty and goodness as you go about your lives. There is this triune corollary throughout all creation: body, mind and spirit; truth, beauty, goodness; faith, hope, love; science, philosophy, religion. So you see they are simply differently operational expressions of the triune nature of Divinity. That is an answer designed to expand your capacity for thinking and feeling, and in addition, we can say this: Any action taken with great love, and asking for the guidance of the spirit within and the Holy Spirit, is bound to be moral, as well as beautiful, true and good. Does this satisfy your question on this? (Student: Yes, I think it does.)

If you ask your own angels and teacher, to give you examples of this in your life that will enlighten you more in the way of experience, than in the way of a wordy answer, you are likely to have some very beautiful experiences in response. Are there other questions? (Long pause.)

Closing

Well, if there are no more questions, we would like to remind you of the sacred space you have created here, in the presence of your “unseen” friends, who are here with you, all working together for a higher good. We would request at this time that if any others here are receiving communications that they are aware of, that they be willing to share, in whatever way feels appropriate for them. (Long pause.) Then we thank you again, today, for coming together in this group and for listening, for this in itself is a vital function that we appreciate, holding this group space, is a beautiful thing to do, and it does enrich your surroundings, individually and for the place that you live and operate within. We thank you for taking your time to come together, to communicate with us, your unseen friends. We wish you great success, that is great joy and great growth, in your continued endeavors, both individually and hopefully with what you will find to do as a group. Good day, dear friends, we love you.