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Created page with 'Image:lighterstill.jpg ==Heading== ===Topic: ''Shrinking Earth''=== ===Group: Marin TeaM=== ==Facilitators== ===Teacher: Nebadonia=== ===TR: JL=== ==Session== ===...'
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==Heading==
===Topic: ''Shrinking Earth''===
===Group: [[Marin TeaM]]===
==Facilitators==
===Teacher: [[Nebadonia]]===
===TR: [[JL]]===
==Session==
===Opening===
Dear [[Mother Spirit]] and [[Michael]], Tonight I want to thank you for all the [[help]] your lessons have given me in changing and expanding my [[relationships]] with people. I’ve always been [[blessed]] with a few close [[friends]] and a larger [[group]] of acquaintances at [[work]] or in the [[neighborhood]], but I pretty much ignored everyone else in my day to day casual [[contacts]]. Looking back I think I just ignored folks by using an [[automatic]] dismissal. I saw people in [[stereotypes]] by their [[physical]] shapes, the clothes they were wearing, whether they were [[attractive]] or not to me, and other summary [[things]].
But with your help and with these [[wonderful]] lessons I’ve been able to see [[individuals]] and really delight in the [[variety]] that you, and [[Michael]], and [[our Father]] have [[created]]. It’s a treasure now just to walk along a [[city]] street and be able to see so much [[character]] and [[soul]] in each [[individual]] face. This is a [[blessing]] indeed and I can only [[imagine]] that in the next [[phases]] of [[eternal]] life to come it’s even more so. I think this is what you mean by our [[consciousness]] being expanded, and our [[spiritual]] sense of [[value]] continuing to [[grow]] on and on forever. Then to [[think]] of meeting other [[personal]] [[beings]] besides [[humans]]; it’s quite a thrill. So I thank you for your many lessons on the [[essential]] [[nature]] of [[personal]] [[relationships]] between [[unique]] [[beings]]. [[Amen]].
NEBADONIA: Good evening, my [[loyal]] [[children]], this is [[Nebadonia]], your spirit mother. I am also your [[Holy Spirit]], your Great Spirit, the bringer of life. I receive the [[thanks]] and the [[appreciation]] from all the [[worshipful]] folks on [[earth]], whether they know my exact [[identity]] or not. I am [[literally]] part of their [[mentality]], part of their [[spirit]] [[power]], their [[creative]] and [[recognition]] [[power]], [[understanding]] and [[courage]]. And this is my greatest [[delight]], being part of so many [[children]] of so many [[different]] [[orders]] and kinds and [[species]] on so many worlds, even including all the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_15#15:7._THE_ARCHITECTURAL_SPHERES architectural spheres]. This is part of that greater [[glory]] that you too will [[grow]] into as you come to meet my various [[orders]] of [[children]], and even the visitors from outside our [[Local Universe]], some of them hailing all the way from [[Paradise]].
===Lesson===
===='''''[[Interdependence]]'''''====
*The shrinking earth
While your [[growth]] is [[gradual]], [[purposely]] so, so as not to overwhelm you, you are already getting a start towards this [[glory]] with an inner [[orientation]] and [[stillness]] which gives you so much [[consciousness]] of [[soul]] [[wealth]] in this your first, [[human]] life. It’s this [[inner life]], leading to an [[appreciation]] of each other--of each others’ backgrounds, that is so desperately needed on [[Urantia]] right now. You are being shoved [[together]] with your mass [[media]] truly shrinking the [[earth]] from what it has ever been. It’s like going from being a country boy or girl to suddenly being rushed into the [[center]] of a large cosmopolitan city with so many [[races]] and [[cultures]] and ethnic backgrounds. This is [[essentially]] what all parts of the world are going through. Couple this with a kind of [[polarization]] stemming from an increasing [[clarity]] of [[different]] [[points of view]] that, on first [[contact]] anyway, bring them into stark [[contrast]] with each other. More and more you can see the critical [[necessity]] for everyone being able to [[recognize]] their underlying [[humanity]] through all these [[cultural]] [[differences]].
This is why [[consciousness]] itself has to expand, everyone’s consciousness. Else you get into some very fearful [[fundamentalism]] as people try desperately to retain all the particular [[essence]] and [[unique]] [[qualities]] of their separate [[culture]], fearful their treasured, [[holy]] [[traditions]] will be lost in some kind of Disney-esque theme park of an all-too-[[modern]] plastic world. The only way out of this double-bind situation is for everybody to [[grow]], grow both their [[appreciation]] for everyone’s [[cultural]] and [[ethnic]] [[differences]], and, at the exact same time, also [[grow]] ever larger their [[perception]] and [[appreciation]] of the [[universal]] [[humanity]] that you all [[share]].
One solution is what you are exploring, my [[children]], being able to see through ingrained [[prejudices]] and [[stereotyping]] to [[individuals]]. It may seem like a [[paradox]] or a contradiction you stumble over, over and over again, but your very [[individual]] uniqueness is what you all have in common. Yet this seeming [[paradox]] can turn into a deeper [[appreciation]] of both your [[differences]] and shared [[humanity]] [[reflecting]] each other. This is how everyone gets to keep their most precious cultural [[identity]]. They [[appreciate]] their ties with the long [[history]] of their [[group]], yet [[welcome]] a growing [[ability]] to [[embrace]] so many other [[different]] folks as [[God]]’s [[universal]] [[children]].
So we’ve had our lessons on the enormous [[differences]] that exist on [[Urantia]]. This lack of a unifying worldwide [[culture]] yet is partly due to the failures of your [[Planetary Prince]] and [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_66#66:2._THE_PRINCE.27S_STAFF his staff], and then later your [[Material Son and Daughter]], [[Adam and Eve]]. There are near [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic stone-age] [[tribes]] still in the jungles and backwaters of your world, all the while you have folks living in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_space outer space]. Right there is the re-capitulation of the [[technological]] [[evolution]] of the [[human]] [[race]], and, as [[Michael]] said in his last lesson, there’s a real [[limit]] to which folks can walk in someone else’s shoes and truly [[appreciate]] what they go through in their day to day life. Just the specialization in the more [[technologically]] advanced [[cultures]] can mean that [[neighbors]] living side by side sometimes can barely [[understand]] how each other lives their days. One can be involved in hands-on [[physical]] [[work]], [[compared]] to which his [[neighbor]] deals in realms of pure [[financial]] [[abstraction]]. Both can be equally productive and [[necessary]].
===='''''[[Relationship]]''''', '''''[[Attitude]]'''''====
So [[think]] about all that’s wrapped up in that one little [[word]]--[[relationship]]. Your [[Urantia book]] introduces the [concept] that life is not only what takes place within you--your [[Heart|heartbeat]], your [[breathing]], turning your [[food]] into [[energy]], all that your [[mind]] is capable of [[thinking]] and [[remembering]], all your [[spirit]] is capable of valuing and creating. [[Human]] life is not only all this inner [[reality]], it’s equally what happens between the [[organism]] and its [[environment]]. For most people not living as [[hermits]] off in the woods somewhere, the really great part of their [[environment]] is the other people in it, as well as their [[homes]], their cars-- all their [[possessions]]. These are your [[family]], your [[friends]], your near acquaintances, and [[work]]-mates, all those others, as you say, you come into casual [[contact]] with just walking down a [[city]] street.
So [[wonder]] about these [[relationships]] from time to time. [[Meditate]] on this. [[Feel]] for how much of a tough equanimity and [[balance]] you have within yourself, my [[children]], in terms of welcoming in another [[person]], whether an old [[friend]] or a complete stranger. Once you have a rich [[inner life]], how much can you let go this [[wonderful]] inner [[reality]] we’ve [[encouraged]] you to get a [[feeling]] for, forget yourself, and take in another [[person]], unafraid? How much can you really [[listen]], letting go your own [[thoughts]] and your own points to make? Can you really [[listen]] and [[trust]] that your own [[response]] will pop up again?--only now, having listened carefully, you will be more [[responsive]] to the [[dynamic]] here and now, this here and now, this other living [[person]].
Your [[Urantia book]] defines your [[attitude]] as both your willingness and your [[ability]] to [[relate]] to [[reality]] and the people in it. What is your will? What is your [[intention]]? What are your [[desires]] in this aspect of your life, these [[relationships]]? What you want? What do you [[hope]] to accomplish? Given all these, what is your [[ability]] to relate to others, or, at times, your lack of ability? When have you had enough? When is it time to be [[alone]], to think and get some [[rest]] and [[understanding]] from all the [[confrontation]] and [[connection]]?
The [[ability]] part we’ve covered so often, breaking down the [[word]]--[[responsibility]]--into your ability to adequately [[respond]] to a situation irrespective of how much you can directly [[control]] it. In fact, how much can you relinquish your control of a situation and still feel [[comfortable]]? How much are you in [[touch]] with your own basic [[humanity]] and that tough equanimity I mentioned, so you can give other folks the benefit of the [[doubt]] and extend to them an as yet unproven [[trust]]--[[faith]] in your fellow men. Can you be a little thick-skinned and not take offence when none is intended? How [[forgiving]] can you be of other folks’ lack of [[manners]], or rudeness, when they are unintentional? Can you meet all those faces you encounter with this kind of a tough [[balance]] inside, ready to return a smile or disregard a slight? All this comes under the heading: being there for others; being the cheerful, stalwart [[soul]] you yourself so enjoy meeting.
So, my [[children]], if you think about it, a [[good]] way to behave, yourself, is right there in your [[ideal]] of the kind of [[person]] you’d enjoy meeting. In my very first lesson with this group I [[challenged]] you to think of a better world, a world filled with more [[spiritually]] [[appreciative]] people. Another way is to [[imagine]] what the [[Morontia worlds]] must be like where everyone’s [[character]] and soul are so much more apparent and willing to be [[shared]]. Then [[think]] of how much of this you could accomplish day by day if only you could have that [[strong]], delightful and [[playful]] [[orientation]]. Let yourselves go. Forget yourselves. Relinquish yourselves with this enormous [[strength]] of [[spiritual]] [[assurance]] and [[determination]]--your most [[sincere]] [[attitude]]--your willingness and ability to relate.
If there is a [[critique]] we could make in a most general way about some of your more [[modern]] folks, it’s what you’ve begun to [[recognize]] as “[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocooning cocooning]”--living in a [[self]]-[[chosen]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupa#Cocoon cocoon]. The very specialization you all enjoy in a highly advanced [[technological]] [[society]] enables folks to live so much more alone by themselves with only the TV and the [[internet]] for company. These are [[marvelous]] [[inventions]], [[wonderful]] [[sources]] of [[information]] on, now, worldwide [[activities]], [[cultures]], and [[history]], available at your fingertips. But it’s not the same as [[being]] out there meeting other folks and doing all kinds of things [[together]], [[work]] and [[play]].
In his last lesson [[Michael]] teased you with the notion of rediscovering the great art of [[conversation]], being able to [[entertain]] yourself and each other with your own [[creativity]], resisting the [[temptation]] to be merely passive consumers of [[entertainment]]. So spend some time and [[meditate]] on your [[relationships]], my [[children]]. See if you can feel what we mean by a higher [[consciousness]] that can expand and [[grow]] to [[encompass]] more and more [[differences]]. [[Welcoming]] this [[challenge]] is the best way to [[exercise]] your [[spirit]]. Keep this [[spiritual]] [[orientation]] deep inside: all-inclusiveness. Be unafraid to look upon any other [[human condition]] whatsoever, and bring all of the folks of the world you can be [[aware]] of, bring them all inside you. Be willing to stretch your own limited notions of what [[humanity]] means, and what it means to be [[human]]. Be willing to see everyone, every [[man]], [[woman]], and [[child]] as your [[Siblings|brother and sister]], for only then can you truly [[appreciate]] [[God]]’s [[infinite]] [[power]] in creating so many [[unique]] [[personalities]], even on one little [[planet]] among billions.
This day to day [[practice]] of [[enjoying]] other folks can be a most [[sincere]] [[form]] of [[worship]], of [[thankfulness]], of [[realization]], of all that is behind the [[word]]--[[God]]. You are all little walking [[infinities]]--as we like to call you--so infinity is not only out there among the [[galaxies]], it’s right inside you as well; and inside everyone else. In this you are most like [[our Father]], my [[children]], in that He has [[endowed]] you, if not the [[ability]] to create [[infinity]], at least the ability to [[appreciate]] it in each other. That’s the truly fundamental [[relationship]]: between you and all the [[unique]] [[personalities]] [[your Father]] has created. So: enjoy. Enjoy each other as we most definitely enjoy you.
Thank You again, dear Father, for these my [[children]] and the [[joy]] we share. Now if you have any questions or comments, we enjoy these too.
===Dialogue===
Student: Hello, Mother. Thank you for all your lessons. I have one question about praying: what is [[prayer]]? What is the best way to pray for someone else?--and myself also?
===='''''[[Prayer]]'''''====
NEBADONIA: Yes, my son, your very asking is a kind of [[prayer]]. Let me suggest two [[things]], and they are: [[devotion]] and [[time]]. Prayer is [[essentially]] devoting your time to acknowledge greater [[spirit]], and asking of this greater spirit for help. There is no hard and fast line between prayer--which is a kind of asking for help, and [[worship]]--which is [[essentially]] a [[gesture]] of [[thankfulness]]; they are so closely allied. The asking for help in [[prayer]] is a [[worshipful]] acknowledgement of [[spirit]]--of your [[Thought Adjuster|Father’s spirit]], of [[Spirit of Truth|Michael’s spirit]], and my [[Holy Spirit]].
Your [[Urantia book]] says that the most [[devout]] [[prayer]] comes after you have [[exhausted]] all of your own [[abilities]] and are [[sincerely]] asking for that which lies beyond your own [[power]]. So [[prayer]] is this opening your [[heart]] to [[feel]], and opening your [[mind]] to [[receive]]. The [[presence]] of [[God]] within you, my son, is capable--with your [[attention]] and [[devotion]], and your [[acceptance]]--of actually giving you discrete [[ideas]] and [[guidance]].
Your prayers for another are, again, acknowledging this [[connection]], this [[spiritual]] connection that exists between you and the [[person]] of your [[prayer]]. Your Father, Michael and I--we are the conduit, the [[medium]] that carries your [[intention]] to another. There exists [[God]]’s great [[personality]] [[circuit]] throughout the [[universe]] that concretely, right here on [[earth]], [[connects]] you and someone else. It is your [[devotion]] to be spending your time, and sending part of your life-[[force]] to another: this is the [[essence]] of [[prayer]] and [[love]] for another. In a sense you are asking of your own [[spirit]], through the whole [[spiritual]] [[community]], to give this other [[person]] some help in their life.
So there is a sense of [[Worship|worshipfulness]], of [[thankfulness]] in [[sincere]] [[prayer]], my son, that helps open your [[heart]] and helps you form your [[determination]] to [[care]]. This [[devotion]] and determination are their own inner reward for you. They help make you [[strong]] and loving. The [[glow]] you feel is the hallmark of your [[appreciation]] of [[our Father]]’s [[existence]], and His connecting everyone to everyone else. Now does all of this accord with your own [[feelings]] of what [[prayer]] is, and can be?
Student: I feel one step closer in [[understanding]], because I wasn’t quite sure in my own [[heart]] I was doing it right. Now maybe I understand there’s no wrong way to do it.
NEBADONIA, laughing: Exactly!--just [[thinking]] of someone else, and sending them your [[love]] and [[strength]]--wishing and hoping for the best for them.
Student: I think I know the answer, but I’m not positive: do the [[words]] make any [[difference]]? Or is it that God, and you, and Michael can know the [[intention]] of my [[heart]].
NEBADONIA: Again: exactly! You recall in your [[Urantia book]]’s version of [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Urantia_Text_-_Contents#Part_IV._The_Life_and_Teachings_of_Jesus Michael’s life among you] what [[difficulties]] [[Jesus]] had [[persuading]] even the members of his own [[group]] they needn’t [[engage]] in some [[formal]], predetermined, [[priest]]/rabbi-certified form of [[prayer]], but that the most [[sincere]] form of [[prayer]] is an inner [[conversation]] with [[God]]. It’s with your [[devotion]] and [[trust]]--your [[faith]]--that you can feel and acknowledge His [[presence]], that His spirit is capable of carrying your [[intentions]] and [[strength]] to someone else in need of them; that [[prayer]] can be a real, [[effective]] gift and not just some kind of wishful thinking or [[self]]-[[deception]]. This is the [[strength]] of [[faith]].
So yes, my son, we are capable of seeing not only your [[personality]] and its [[desires]], but your very [[soul]]. We definitely [[feel]] the [[love]] you send through us to your dear friend in need.
Student: Thank you, Mother.
NEBADONIA: You are very [[welcome]]. Keep [[praying]]. Keep [[worshiping]]. I think you can [[feel]] how this is helping you [[grow]] inside and grow in all your [[wonderful]] [[relationships]] we talked about tonight. [[Prayer]] and [[worship]] are very much a part of your willingness and your [[ability]] to [[experience]] the great [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Foreword#VI._ENERGY_AND_PATTERN personality circuit] of [[God]]’s. Be in my [[love]].
Student: Yes, Mother, you’ve [[touched]] upon so many [[things]] I’ve been [[thinking]] about, mainly, what it is to be truly [[human]] and appreciating each [[person]]’s [[uniqueness]]--that adds so much flavor to our lives? For myself, it’s when I relinquish a need for [[control]] that I feel I‘m coming from a [[space]] of [[integrity]] and [[love]], rather than from how I think [[things]] should be. I’m allowing myself to [[experience]] and [[explore]] that [[infinitude]] of [[being]] you [[expressed]] tonight.
There’s a spaciousness to ourselves we need to tap into. There’s a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_field_theory unified field] of [[consciousness]] and [[intelligence]] we’re also becoming [[aware]] of through our [[science]] and its [[ideas]] of [[singularity]]. Yet it’s always been there. It’s only our [[developing]] our innate sense of this that is [[changing]]. We get so bogged down with [[points of view]], and [[negativity]], and [[hatred]], and [[scarcity]]--[[ideologies]] and [[prejudices]]; we are missing the [[total]] picture. We fight for [[things]] senselessly, that have no true [[meaning]] in the grand [[scheme]] of the [[cosmos]].
So I really [[appreciate]] what you said tonight. I try to truly appreciate each [[relationship]] I’m a part of--or not a part of. We’re all [[brothers and sisters]]. I feel so blessed to be able to know that [[God]] is in each one of them, no matter how much or how little they have in life [[compared]] to me. [[God]] doesn’t [[love]] someone because they’re [[Wealth|rich]], or because they’re homeless and [[poor]]. At times I get disheartened because I feel I’m not [[accepting]] the fullness of my [[potential]]. So how do I [[access]] this [[potential]] we all have?--to, like, instantaneously access all that we need?--or, in the blink of an eye, [[transport]] ourselves from here to there?
I realize a baby crawls before it can walk, but the [[capacity]] to walk is there; it just takes time to get there. And about [[prayer]]: it says in the [[Urantia book]] the only [[prayer]] is to pray to be in the extension of the kingdom of [[heaven]], here and now. So thank you for tonight’s lesson.
===='''''[[Meaning]]'''''====
*When things seem meaningless
NEBADONIA: You are very welcome, my son. I enjoy how you ask and then answer yourself, because it does help you keep your [[orientation]] toward that open, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_field_theory universal field] that is, ultimately and singularly, God’s will. If you’re looking for a [[challenge]] to tap into your [[potential]], let me offer the [[viewpoint]] of [[Michael]]’s and mine that nothing is, as you suggested, meaningless. So perhaps when you [[reflect]] on those [[things]] you feel are meaningless--we know what you mean by that--but see if you can [[perceive]] that nothing that happens--whether [[peaceful]] or [[warlike]] between people--is without its sufficient [[causes]] and [[effects]] when you include all their [[understandings]] and [[intentions]]. This sense of meaninglessness of yours is only your own [[evaluation]] of an [[event]]; perhaps one you [[share]] with, or derived from, others of a like [[mind]]. As we’ve taught before: [[everything]] that exists has a [[physical]], [[mental]], or [[spiritual]]/[[creative]] [[cause]]--in [[human]] [[events]], a combination of all of these. So the [[meaning]] of any [[human]] [[event]] can be extremely [[complex]] and, in so many instances, deliberately hidden for a [[purpose]]. And even [[Michael]] and I would hesitate to say what is of [[absolute]] or [[ultimate]] [[value]] in the grand [[scheme]] of the [[cosmos]].
The [[challenge]] is to [[recognize]] that this [[perception]] of meaninglessness--so seemingly obvious at times, so out there and [[objective]]--as I spoke of in my lesson--is your own [[value]]-[[projection]], originating within you. This [[truth]] is really [[difficult]] to [[realize]] because the [[perception]] is [[automatic]] and instantaneous. To get through a [[projection]] to the underlying, more truly [[objective]] [[reality]] and [[meaning]] of an [[event]] has to start with fully [[comprehending]] and [[accepting]] this principle: nothing that happens is meaningless from a [[spiritually]]/inclusive [[point of view]]. You have to reject the seemingly obvious [[perception]] and go deeper. You’re rejecting [[simple]]-mindedness and [[superficiality]] for [[complexity]], breadth, and depth.
True enough, people can act like [[automatons]], subservient to someone else’s will, and without [[meaning]] to do the [[harm]] they do; but this is in itself very meaningful: it’s [[tragic]]. So much of the [[horrific]] [[violence]] done in the continuance of the [[ideologies]] you mentioned is of this [[nature]]. Try to see both the [[continuity]] of a [[tradition]], or [[culture]], or [[belief]], as well as the specific [[causes]] and [[effects]] of a particular [[event]]--both of these factors. Only then can you get a fuller [[meaning]] of any [[event]] in time. A hallmark of where to look is in what appears meaningless! That’s where you need to [[investigate]] a little bit more. Perhaps investigate too what [[philosophy]] or [[understanding]] has led you to [[perceive]] something as having no [[meaning]].
Student: Yes, I [[understand]] that. It’s partly impatience because I sense that life can be lived a [[different]] way, a better, clearer-minded way, that has always been there. That better way has always been there!
===='''''[[Potential]]'''''====
*Potential and actual
NEBADONIA: Let me stop you right here, my son, because this is where you’re lacking a distinction between [[potential]] and [[actual]]. Nothing is “there” until it is there. True enough, [[potential]] has an [[existence]] as pure possibility, but [[consider]] how much [[potential]] is never actualized, and then the [[moment]] is gone and the possibilities [[change]]. [[Everything]] is in a living [[flux]]. A thousand and one [[possibilities]] swarm around every single [[actuality]]--it’s the excitement in your sports--but that one [[thing]] is all that is happening. You can lose what is happening, and what actually has happened in [[history]], in your impatient [[focus]] on what could be, but never seems to come about; or what could have been, but never was. Meanwhile the real [[escapes]] your [[respect]] for the [[difference]] between it and what only--might be. This is partly why the real--what is actually happening!--seems to lose [[meaning]] when you [[focus]] so much on what is not happening. Don’t you have an olden saying, something like: The saddest [[words]] of tongue or pen are those that go: it might have been. So keep your spirits up. Keep both your sense of a better way, my son, and what actually is; but also keep a clear distinction of the [[difference]]. This way you see the full [[meaning]] and [[value]] in [[everything]].
So carry on. This is your way of [[clarifying]] your [[thinking]], and it’s [[necessary]]--something I [[enjoy]] doing with you.
Student: Yes, because it seems we keep on repeating [[history]], and we keep on trying to fix something using the same [[thought]] processes--which is a definition of [[insanity]]. We’re on a hamster-wheel going round and round but we’re afraid to stop and be still for a [[moment]]. I’m saying, Hey!--there’s got to be a different way--to see all this.
NEBADONIA: You have to see, and [[appreciate]], the [[fear]] folks have of a [[different]] way, because not all those different ways are any better; maybe much worse. That’s also [[human]] [[experience]].
Student: I think it starts with how we see ourselves and each other. You’ve talked about that, how there’s not a world-wide [[uniform]] [[culture]] that everyone more or less agrees to, that enhances what it means to be [[human]]. What if we [[grew]] up knowing there’s nothing wrong with us, that we’re OK? We’re not really sinful; there’s no [[Karmic]] retribution.
NEBADONIA: But [[realize]], my son, that OK-ness only comes with [[maturity]]. As you grow up you’re immediately [[confronted]] with [[pain]], sadness, loss; with bigger, more powerful others; perhaps with selfish, [[self]]-[[centered]] and cruel [[parents]]: all the [[experiences]] that are not OK. Irrespective of what [[philosophy]] you’re raised with, these are realities you have to contend with. It takes [[maturity]] and [[understanding]]--at whatever age, but the younger the better--to [[achieve]] an [[acceptance]] and [[good]] [[feeling]] about all that you’ve encountered.
But yes, the [[process]] is complicated by those folks who derive their [[power]] from getting you to feel you are not OK, and that they have the key to your better life. All through [[history]] there’ve been those who professed to be [[spiritual]] [[teachers]] and [[leaders]] who were merely [[politicians]], and crooked ones at that, interested only in increasing their own [[power]] and [[possessions]] rather than gaining, and [[sharing]], [[spiritual]] [[insights]].
Student: The reason I have these questions is, we don’t seem to [[examine]] [[reality]]. Why am I acting the way I am? Why am I re-acting the way I am? We never stop ourselves. Sometimes when I say something is meaningless, I mean there’s so much more that [[language]] can’t say--there’s no [[words]]. I mean I know that whatever happens to someone, it’s meaningful to them. I’m just opening up and [[sharing]] with people they don’t have to follow every compulsion or sensation. There’s a deeper, [[unified]] substance to all of this, and to all of us. And we have [[access]] to that infinitude of [[feeling]] and [[love]] if we’ll just [[accept]] it. Thank you.
NEBADONIA: That is a good definition of what we term God’s will, which is [[essentially]] loving and nurturing/[[supportive]]--[[creative]]. That dimension does indeed exist. I think Michael in his last lesson pointed out the living here-and-now is definitely not an “it.” It’s [[literally]] [[God]]’s [[will]]--in [[total]] I mean. You all have your own wills and [[freedom]] too. So keep [[exploring]]. This [[orientation]] is the [[essence]] of [[Michael]]’s [[Spirit of Truth]].
Student: I think you’re driving all the [[Urantia]] people crazy.
===='''''[[Discovery]]'''''====
*God’s will as an ongoing discovery
NEBADONIA: Not at all. This is something that the [[Urantia book]] itself reminds you, that even though we live in [[God]] and move and have our [[being]] in Him and in His will, it is [[moment]]-by-moment in [[space]] and [[time]] we discover what that will is. We don’t just [[automatically]] know it beforehand: it’s an [[adventure]]. As [[Jesus]] said, you approach [[ultimate]] [[reality]] with the [[faith]] of a [[child]]. That kind of [[purity]] towards real and genuine [[simplicity]]--that spiritual [[singularity]] you mentioned that even [[physicists]] are pursuing--that is where His will is a [[discovery]] and no living person has a final handle on it, especially for someone else. An [[adventure]] is where you don’t know, and can’t know, [[everything]] that is going to happen. You have to live it, and [[grow]] a [[soul]].
So thank you for the interesting [[conversations]]. It’s good to see you [[embracing]] the [[adventure]], because there is a [[growth]] required to go in both directions of embracing all of [[humanity]], and more and more of the [[individuals]] right at hand. The full [[spectrum]] of people, from the most [[primitive]] to the most [[enlightened]], is [[humbling]] indeed. You are even to yourself a little walking [[infinity]]; so much was--and still is--moment-by-[[moment]]--just given to you of yourself of [[body]], [[mind]], and [[spirit]]. That there are billions of you does stretch the [[meaning]] of [[human]] [[nature]].
But there is no meaninglessness in that every [[person]] is moment-by-[[moment]] complete in [[God]]’s eyes, however much or little of this they can [[realize]]. What is there for them--the [[actuality]]--from the inside out--can be so meaningless as to overwhelm them in insanity. And that [[experience]] is also fully real. [[Human]] life is all very provisional, moment-to-moment: what you can [[know]]; what you can [[realize]]; what you can do; what you can [[share]]; how you can [[love]]. It’s the [[orientation]] toward [[spirit]], toward inclusive [[truth]], that is definitely the way to go.
===Closing===
So carry on, my beloved [[children]]. This is your [[mother]], [[Nebadonia]], signing off. Be in my [[love]]. Good evening.
[[Category: The Teaching Mission: Dialogues]]
[[Category: Marin TeaM]]
[[Category: Nebadonia]]
[[Category: JL]]
[[Category: Interdependence]]
[[Category: Consciousness]]
[[Category: Inner Life]]
[[Category: Relationship]]
[[Category: Attitude]]
[[Category: Prayer]]
[[Category: Meaning]]
[[Category: Potential]]
[[Category: Discovery]]
[[Category: 2010]]
[[Category: July]]
==Heading==
===Topic: ''Shrinking Earth''===
===Group: [[Marin TeaM]]===
==Facilitators==
===Teacher: [[Nebadonia]]===
===TR: [[JL]]===
==Session==
===Opening===
Dear [[Mother Spirit]] and [[Michael]], Tonight I want to thank you for all the [[help]] your lessons have given me in changing and expanding my [[relationships]] with people. I’ve always been [[blessed]] with a few close [[friends]] and a larger [[group]] of acquaintances at [[work]] or in the [[neighborhood]], but I pretty much ignored everyone else in my day to day casual [[contacts]]. Looking back I think I just ignored folks by using an [[automatic]] dismissal. I saw people in [[stereotypes]] by their [[physical]] shapes, the clothes they were wearing, whether they were [[attractive]] or not to me, and other summary [[things]].
But with your help and with these [[wonderful]] lessons I’ve been able to see [[individuals]] and really delight in the [[variety]] that you, and [[Michael]], and [[our Father]] have [[created]]. It’s a treasure now just to walk along a [[city]] street and be able to see so much [[character]] and [[soul]] in each [[individual]] face. This is a [[blessing]] indeed and I can only [[imagine]] that in the next [[phases]] of [[eternal]] life to come it’s even more so. I think this is what you mean by our [[consciousness]] being expanded, and our [[spiritual]] sense of [[value]] continuing to [[grow]] on and on forever. Then to [[think]] of meeting other [[personal]] [[beings]] besides [[humans]]; it’s quite a thrill. So I thank you for your many lessons on the [[essential]] [[nature]] of [[personal]] [[relationships]] between [[unique]] [[beings]]. [[Amen]].
NEBADONIA: Good evening, my [[loyal]] [[children]], this is [[Nebadonia]], your spirit mother. I am also your [[Holy Spirit]], your Great Spirit, the bringer of life. I receive the [[thanks]] and the [[appreciation]] from all the [[worshipful]] folks on [[earth]], whether they know my exact [[identity]] or not. I am [[literally]] part of their [[mentality]], part of their [[spirit]] [[power]], their [[creative]] and [[recognition]] [[power]], [[understanding]] and [[courage]]. And this is my greatest [[delight]], being part of so many [[children]] of so many [[different]] [[orders]] and kinds and [[species]] on so many worlds, even including all the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_15#15:7._THE_ARCHITECTURAL_SPHERES architectural spheres]. This is part of that greater [[glory]] that you too will [[grow]] into as you come to meet my various [[orders]] of [[children]], and even the visitors from outside our [[Local Universe]], some of them hailing all the way from [[Paradise]].
===Lesson===
===='''''[[Interdependence]]'''''====
*The shrinking earth
While your [[growth]] is [[gradual]], [[purposely]] so, so as not to overwhelm you, you are already getting a start towards this [[glory]] with an inner [[orientation]] and [[stillness]] which gives you so much [[consciousness]] of [[soul]] [[wealth]] in this your first, [[human]] life. It’s this [[inner life]], leading to an [[appreciation]] of each other--of each others’ backgrounds, that is so desperately needed on [[Urantia]] right now. You are being shoved [[together]] with your mass [[media]] truly shrinking the [[earth]] from what it has ever been. It’s like going from being a country boy or girl to suddenly being rushed into the [[center]] of a large cosmopolitan city with so many [[races]] and [[cultures]] and ethnic backgrounds. This is [[essentially]] what all parts of the world are going through. Couple this with a kind of [[polarization]] stemming from an increasing [[clarity]] of [[different]] [[points of view]] that, on first [[contact]] anyway, bring them into stark [[contrast]] with each other. More and more you can see the critical [[necessity]] for everyone being able to [[recognize]] their underlying [[humanity]] through all these [[cultural]] [[differences]].
This is why [[consciousness]] itself has to expand, everyone’s consciousness. Else you get into some very fearful [[fundamentalism]] as people try desperately to retain all the particular [[essence]] and [[unique]] [[qualities]] of their separate [[culture]], fearful their treasured, [[holy]] [[traditions]] will be lost in some kind of Disney-esque theme park of an all-too-[[modern]] plastic world. The only way out of this double-bind situation is for everybody to [[grow]], grow both their [[appreciation]] for everyone’s [[cultural]] and [[ethnic]] [[differences]], and, at the exact same time, also [[grow]] ever larger their [[perception]] and [[appreciation]] of the [[universal]] [[humanity]] that you all [[share]].
One solution is what you are exploring, my [[children]], being able to see through ingrained [[prejudices]] and [[stereotyping]] to [[individuals]]. It may seem like a [[paradox]] or a contradiction you stumble over, over and over again, but your very [[individual]] uniqueness is what you all have in common. Yet this seeming [[paradox]] can turn into a deeper [[appreciation]] of both your [[differences]] and shared [[humanity]] [[reflecting]] each other. This is how everyone gets to keep their most precious cultural [[identity]]. They [[appreciate]] their ties with the long [[history]] of their [[group]], yet [[welcome]] a growing [[ability]] to [[embrace]] so many other [[different]] folks as [[God]]’s [[universal]] [[children]].
So we’ve had our lessons on the enormous [[differences]] that exist on [[Urantia]]. This lack of a unifying worldwide [[culture]] yet is partly due to the failures of your [[Planetary Prince]] and [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_66#66:2._THE_PRINCE.27S_STAFF his staff], and then later your [[Material Son and Daughter]], [[Adam and Eve]]. There are near [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic stone-age] [[tribes]] still in the jungles and backwaters of your world, all the while you have folks living in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_space outer space]. Right there is the re-capitulation of the [[technological]] [[evolution]] of the [[human]] [[race]], and, as [[Michael]] said in his last lesson, there’s a real [[limit]] to which folks can walk in someone else’s shoes and truly [[appreciate]] what they go through in their day to day life. Just the specialization in the more [[technologically]] advanced [[cultures]] can mean that [[neighbors]] living side by side sometimes can barely [[understand]] how each other lives their days. One can be involved in hands-on [[physical]] [[work]], [[compared]] to which his [[neighbor]] deals in realms of pure [[financial]] [[abstraction]]. Both can be equally productive and [[necessary]].
===='''''[[Relationship]]''''', '''''[[Attitude]]'''''====
So [[think]] about all that’s wrapped up in that one little [[word]]--[[relationship]]. Your [[Urantia book]] introduces the [concept] that life is not only what takes place within you--your [[Heart|heartbeat]], your [[breathing]], turning your [[food]] into [[energy]], all that your [[mind]] is capable of [[thinking]] and [[remembering]], all your [[spirit]] is capable of valuing and creating. [[Human]] life is not only all this inner [[reality]], it’s equally what happens between the [[organism]] and its [[environment]]. For most people not living as [[hermits]] off in the woods somewhere, the really great part of their [[environment]] is the other people in it, as well as their [[homes]], their cars-- all their [[possessions]]. These are your [[family]], your [[friends]], your near acquaintances, and [[work]]-mates, all those others, as you say, you come into casual [[contact]] with just walking down a [[city]] street.
So [[wonder]] about these [[relationships]] from time to time. [[Meditate]] on this. [[Feel]] for how much of a tough equanimity and [[balance]] you have within yourself, my [[children]], in terms of welcoming in another [[person]], whether an old [[friend]] or a complete stranger. Once you have a rich [[inner life]], how much can you let go this [[wonderful]] inner [[reality]] we’ve [[encouraged]] you to get a [[feeling]] for, forget yourself, and take in another [[person]], unafraid? How much can you really [[listen]], letting go your own [[thoughts]] and your own points to make? Can you really [[listen]] and [[trust]] that your own [[response]] will pop up again?--only now, having listened carefully, you will be more [[responsive]] to the [[dynamic]] here and now, this here and now, this other living [[person]].
Your [[Urantia book]] defines your [[attitude]] as both your willingness and your [[ability]] to [[relate]] to [[reality]] and the people in it. What is your will? What is your [[intention]]? What are your [[desires]] in this aspect of your life, these [[relationships]]? What you want? What do you [[hope]] to accomplish? Given all these, what is your [[ability]] to relate to others, or, at times, your lack of ability? When have you had enough? When is it time to be [[alone]], to think and get some [[rest]] and [[understanding]] from all the [[confrontation]] and [[connection]]?
The [[ability]] part we’ve covered so often, breaking down the [[word]]--[[responsibility]]--into your ability to adequately [[respond]] to a situation irrespective of how much you can directly [[control]] it. In fact, how much can you relinquish your control of a situation and still feel [[comfortable]]? How much are you in [[touch]] with your own basic [[humanity]] and that tough equanimity I mentioned, so you can give other folks the benefit of the [[doubt]] and extend to them an as yet unproven [[trust]]--[[faith]] in your fellow men. Can you be a little thick-skinned and not take offence when none is intended? How [[forgiving]] can you be of other folks’ lack of [[manners]], or rudeness, when they are unintentional? Can you meet all those faces you encounter with this kind of a tough [[balance]] inside, ready to return a smile or disregard a slight? All this comes under the heading: being there for others; being the cheerful, stalwart [[soul]] you yourself so enjoy meeting.
So, my [[children]], if you think about it, a [[good]] way to behave, yourself, is right there in your [[ideal]] of the kind of [[person]] you’d enjoy meeting. In my very first lesson with this group I [[challenged]] you to think of a better world, a world filled with more [[spiritually]] [[appreciative]] people. Another way is to [[imagine]] what the [[Morontia worlds]] must be like where everyone’s [[character]] and soul are so much more apparent and willing to be [[shared]]. Then [[think]] of how much of this you could accomplish day by day if only you could have that [[strong]], delightful and [[playful]] [[orientation]]. Let yourselves go. Forget yourselves. Relinquish yourselves with this enormous [[strength]] of [[spiritual]] [[assurance]] and [[determination]]--your most [[sincere]] [[attitude]]--your willingness and ability to relate.
If there is a [[critique]] we could make in a most general way about some of your more [[modern]] folks, it’s what you’ve begun to [[recognize]] as “[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocooning cocooning]”--living in a [[self]]-[[chosen]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupa#Cocoon cocoon]. The very specialization you all enjoy in a highly advanced [[technological]] [[society]] enables folks to live so much more alone by themselves with only the TV and the [[internet]] for company. These are [[marvelous]] [[inventions]], [[wonderful]] [[sources]] of [[information]] on, now, worldwide [[activities]], [[cultures]], and [[history]], available at your fingertips. But it’s not the same as [[being]] out there meeting other folks and doing all kinds of things [[together]], [[work]] and [[play]].
In his last lesson [[Michael]] teased you with the notion of rediscovering the great art of [[conversation]], being able to [[entertain]] yourself and each other with your own [[creativity]], resisting the [[temptation]] to be merely passive consumers of [[entertainment]]. So spend some time and [[meditate]] on your [[relationships]], my [[children]]. See if you can feel what we mean by a higher [[consciousness]] that can expand and [[grow]] to [[encompass]] more and more [[differences]]. [[Welcoming]] this [[challenge]] is the best way to [[exercise]] your [[spirit]]. Keep this [[spiritual]] [[orientation]] deep inside: all-inclusiveness. Be unafraid to look upon any other [[human condition]] whatsoever, and bring all of the folks of the world you can be [[aware]] of, bring them all inside you. Be willing to stretch your own limited notions of what [[humanity]] means, and what it means to be [[human]]. Be willing to see everyone, every [[man]], [[woman]], and [[child]] as your [[Siblings|brother and sister]], for only then can you truly [[appreciate]] [[God]]’s [[infinite]] [[power]] in creating so many [[unique]] [[personalities]], even on one little [[planet]] among billions.
This day to day [[practice]] of [[enjoying]] other folks can be a most [[sincere]] [[form]] of [[worship]], of [[thankfulness]], of [[realization]], of all that is behind the [[word]]--[[God]]. You are all little walking [[infinities]]--as we like to call you--so infinity is not only out there among the [[galaxies]], it’s right inside you as well; and inside everyone else. In this you are most like [[our Father]], my [[children]], in that He has [[endowed]] you, if not the [[ability]] to create [[infinity]], at least the ability to [[appreciate]] it in each other. That’s the truly fundamental [[relationship]]: between you and all the [[unique]] [[personalities]] [[your Father]] has created. So: enjoy. Enjoy each other as we most definitely enjoy you.
Thank You again, dear Father, for these my [[children]] and the [[joy]] we share. Now if you have any questions or comments, we enjoy these too.
===Dialogue===
Student: Hello, Mother. Thank you for all your lessons. I have one question about praying: what is [[prayer]]? What is the best way to pray for someone else?--and myself also?
===='''''[[Prayer]]'''''====
NEBADONIA: Yes, my son, your very asking is a kind of [[prayer]]. Let me suggest two [[things]], and they are: [[devotion]] and [[time]]. Prayer is [[essentially]] devoting your time to acknowledge greater [[spirit]], and asking of this greater spirit for help. There is no hard and fast line between prayer--which is a kind of asking for help, and [[worship]]--which is [[essentially]] a [[gesture]] of [[thankfulness]]; they are so closely allied. The asking for help in [[prayer]] is a [[worshipful]] acknowledgement of [[spirit]]--of your [[Thought Adjuster|Father’s spirit]], of [[Spirit of Truth|Michael’s spirit]], and my [[Holy Spirit]].
Your [[Urantia book]] says that the most [[devout]] [[prayer]] comes after you have [[exhausted]] all of your own [[abilities]] and are [[sincerely]] asking for that which lies beyond your own [[power]]. So [[prayer]] is this opening your [[heart]] to [[feel]], and opening your [[mind]] to [[receive]]. The [[presence]] of [[God]] within you, my son, is capable--with your [[attention]] and [[devotion]], and your [[acceptance]]--of actually giving you discrete [[ideas]] and [[guidance]].
Your prayers for another are, again, acknowledging this [[connection]], this [[spiritual]] connection that exists between you and the [[person]] of your [[prayer]]. Your Father, Michael and I--we are the conduit, the [[medium]] that carries your [[intention]] to another. There exists [[God]]’s great [[personality]] [[circuit]] throughout the [[universe]] that concretely, right here on [[earth]], [[connects]] you and someone else. It is your [[devotion]] to be spending your time, and sending part of your life-[[force]] to another: this is the [[essence]] of [[prayer]] and [[love]] for another. In a sense you are asking of your own [[spirit]], through the whole [[spiritual]] [[community]], to give this other [[person]] some help in their life.
So there is a sense of [[Worship|worshipfulness]], of [[thankfulness]] in [[sincere]] [[prayer]], my son, that helps open your [[heart]] and helps you form your [[determination]] to [[care]]. This [[devotion]] and determination are their own inner reward for you. They help make you [[strong]] and loving. The [[glow]] you feel is the hallmark of your [[appreciation]] of [[our Father]]’s [[existence]], and His connecting everyone to everyone else. Now does all of this accord with your own [[feelings]] of what [[prayer]] is, and can be?
Student: I feel one step closer in [[understanding]], because I wasn’t quite sure in my own [[heart]] I was doing it right. Now maybe I understand there’s no wrong way to do it.
NEBADONIA, laughing: Exactly!--just [[thinking]] of someone else, and sending them your [[love]] and [[strength]]--wishing and hoping for the best for them.
Student: I think I know the answer, but I’m not positive: do the [[words]] make any [[difference]]? Or is it that God, and you, and Michael can know the [[intention]] of my [[heart]].
NEBADONIA: Again: exactly! You recall in your [[Urantia book]]’s version of [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Urantia_Text_-_Contents#Part_IV._The_Life_and_Teachings_of_Jesus Michael’s life among you] what [[difficulties]] [[Jesus]] had [[persuading]] even the members of his own [[group]] they needn’t [[engage]] in some [[formal]], predetermined, [[priest]]/rabbi-certified form of [[prayer]], but that the most [[sincere]] form of [[prayer]] is an inner [[conversation]] with [[God]]. It’s with your [[devotion]] and [[trust]]--your [[faith]]--that you can feel and acknowledge His [[presence]], that His spirit is capable of carrying your [[intentions]] and [[strength]] to someone else in need of them; that [[prayer]] can be a real, [[effective]] gift and not just some kind of wishful thinking or [[self]]-[[deception]]. This is the [[strength]] of [[faith]].
So yes, my son, we are capable of seeing not only your [[personality]] and its [[desires]], but your very [[soul]]. We definitely [[feel]] the [[love]] you send through us to your dear friend in need.
Student: Thank you, Mother.
NEBADONIA: You are very [[welcome]]. Keep [[praying]]. Keep [[worshiping]]. I think you can [[feel]] how this is helping you [[grow]] inside and grow in all your [[wonderful]] [[relationships]] we talked about tonight. [[Prayer]] and [[worship]] are very much a part of your willingness and your [[ability]] to [[experience]] the great [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Foreword#VI._ENERGY_AND_PATTERN personality circuit] of [[God]]’s. Be in my [[love]].
Student: Yes, Mother, you’ve [[touched]] upon so many [[things]] I’ve been [[thinking]] about, mainly, what it is to be truly [[human]] and appreciating each [[person]]’s [[uniqueness]]--that adds so much flavor to our lives? For myself, it’s when I relinquish a need for [[control]] that I feel I‘m coming from a [[space]] of [[integrity]] and [[love]], rather than from how I think [[things]] should be. I’m allowing myself to [[experience]] and [[explore]] that [[infinitude]] of [[being]] you [[expressed]] tonight.
There’s a spaciousness to ourselves we need to tap into. There’s a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_field_theory unified field] of [[consciousness]] and [[intelligence]] we’re also becoming [[aware]] of through our [[science]] and its [[ideas]] of [[singularity]]. Yet it’s always been there. It’s only our [[developing]] our innate sense of this that is [[changing]]. We get so bogged down with [[points of view]], and [[negativity]], and [[hatred]], and [[scarcity]]--[[ideologies]] and [[prejudices]]; we are missing the [[total]] picture. We fight for [[things]] senselessly, that have no true [[meaning]] in the grand [[scheme]] of the [[cosmos]].
So I really [[appreciate]] what you said tonight. I try to truly appreciate each [[relationship]] I’m a part of--or not a part of. We’re all [[brothers and sisters]]. I feel so blessed to be able to know that [[God]] is in each one of them, no matter how much or how little they have in life [[compared]] to me. [[God]] doesn’t [[love]] someone because they’re [[Wealth|rich]], or because they’re homeless and [[poor]]. At times I get disheartened because I feel I’m not [[accepting]] the fullness of my [[potential]]. So how do I [[access]] this [[potential]] we all have?--to, like, instantaneously access all that we need?--or, in the blink of an eye, [[transport]] ourselves from here to there?
I realize a baby crawls before it can walk, but the [[capacity]] to walk is there; it just takes time to get there. And about [[prayer]]: it says in the [[Urantia book]] the only [[prayer]] is to pray to be in the extension of the kingdom of [[heaven]], here and now. So thank you for tonight’s lesson.
===='''''[[Meaning]]'''''====
*When things seem meaningless
NEBADONIA: You are very welcome, my son. I enjoy how you ask and then answer yourself, because it does help you keep your [[orientation]] toward that open, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_field_theory universal field] that is, ultimately and singularly, God’s will. If you’re looking for a [[challenge]] to tap into your [[potential]], let me offer the [[viewpoint]] of [[Michael]]’s and mine that nothing is, as you suggested, meaningless. So perhaps when you [[reflect]] on those [[things]] you feel are meaningless--we know what you mean by that--but see if you can [[perceive]] that nothing that happens--whether [[peaceful]] or [[warlike]] between people--is without its sufficient [[causes]] and [[effects]] when you include all their [[understandings]] and [[intentions]]. This sense of meaninglessness of yours is only your own [[evaluation]] of an [[event]]; perhaps one you [[share]] with, or derived from, others of a like [[mind]]. As we’ve taught before: [[everything]] that exists has a [[physical]], [[mental]], or [[spiritual]]/[[creative]] [[cause]]--in [[human]] [[events]], a combination of all of these. So the [[meaning]] of any [[human]] [[event]] can be extremely [[complex]] and, in so many instances, deliberately hidden for a [[purpose]]. And even [[Michael]] and I would hesitate to say what is of [[absolute]] or [[ultimate]] [[value]] in the grand [[scheme]] of the [[cosmos]].
The [[challenge]] is to [[recognize]] that this [[perception]] of meaninglessness--so seemingly obvious at times, so out there and [[objective]]--as I spoke of in my lesson--is your own [[value]]-[[projection]], originating within you. This [[truth]] is really [[difficult]] to [[realize]] because the [[perception]] is [[automatic]] and instantaneous. To get through a [[projection]] to the underlying, more truly [[objective]] [[reality]] and [[meaning]] of an [[event]] has to start with fully [[comprehending]] and [[accepting]] this principle: nothing that happens is meaningless from a [[spiritually]]/inclusive [[point of view]]. You have to reject the seemingly obvious [[perception]] and go deeper. You’re rejecting [[simple]]-mindedness and [[superficiality]] for [[complexity]], breadth, and depth.
True enough, people can act like [[automatons]], subservient to someone else’s will, and without [[meaning]] to do the [[harm]] they do; but this is in itself very meaningful: it’s [[tragic]]. So much of the [[horrific]] [[violence]] done in the continuance of the [[ideologies]] you mentioned is of this [[nature]]. Try to see both the [[continuity]] of a [[tradition]], or [[culture]], or [[belief]], as well as the specific [[causes]] and [[effects]] of a particular [[event]]--both of these factors. Only then can you get a fuller [[meaning]] of any [[event]] in time. A hallmark of where to look is in what appears meaningless! That’s where you need to [[investigate]] a little bit more. Perhaps investigate too what [[philosophy]] or [[understanding]] has led you to [[perceive]] something as having no [[meaning]].
Student: Yes, I [[understand]] that. It’s partly impatience because I sense that life can be lived a [[different]] way, a better, clearer-minded way, that has always been there. That better way has always been there!
===='''''[[Potential]]'''''====
*Potential and actual
NEBADONIA: Let me stop you right here, my son, because this is where you’re lacking a distinction between [[potential]] and [[actual]]. Nothing is “there” until it is there. True enough, [[potential]] has an [[existence]] as pure possibility, but [[consider]] how much [[potential]] is never actualized, and then the [[moment]] is gone and the possibilities [[change]]. [[Everything]] is in a living [[flux]]. A thousand and one [[possibilities]] swarm around every single [[actuality]]--it’s the excitement in your sports--but that one [[thing]] is all that is happening. You can lose what is happening, and what actually has happened in [[history]], in your impatient [[focus]] on what could be, but never seems to come about; or what could have been, but never was. Meanwhile the real [[escapes]] your [[respect]] for the [[difference]] between it and what only--might be. This is partly why the real--what is actually happening!--seems to lose [[meaning]] when you [[focus]] so much on what is not happening. Don’t you have an olden saying, something like: The saddest [[words]] of tongue or pen are those that go: it might have been. So keep your spirits up. Keep both your sense of a better way, my son, and what actually is; but also keep a clear distinction of the [[difference]]. This way you see the full [[meaning]] and [[value]] in [[everything]].
So carry on. This is your way of [[clarifying]] your [[thinking]], and it’s [[necessary]]--something I [[enjoy]] doing with you.
Student: Yes, because it seems we keep on repeating [[history]], and we keep on trying to fix something using the same [[thought]] processes--which is a definition of [[insanity]]. We’re on a hamster-wheel going round and round but we’re afraid to stop and be still for a [[moment]]. I’m saying, Hey!--there’s got to be a different way--to see all this.
NEBADONIA: You have to see, and [[appreciate]], the [[fear]] folks have of a [[different]] way, because not all those different ways are any better; maybe much worse. That’s also [[human]] [[experience]].
Student: I think it starts with how we see ourselves and each other. You’ve talked about that, how there’s not a world-wide [[uniform]] [[culture]] that everyone more or less agrees to, that enhances what it means to be [[human]]. What if we [[grew]] up knowing there’s nothing wrong with us, that we’re OK? We’re not really sinful; there’s no [[Karmic]] retribution.
NEBADONIA: But [[realize]], my son, that OK-ness only comes with [[maturity]]. As you grow up you’re immediately [[confronted]] with [[pain]], sadness, loss; with bigger, more powerful others; perhaps with selfish, [[self]]-[[centered]] and cruel [[parents]]: all the [[experiences]] that are not OK. Irrespective of what [[philosophy]] you’re raised with, these are realities you have to contend with. It takes [[maturity]] and [[understanding]]--at whatever age, but the younger the better--to [[achieve]] an [[acceptance]] and [[good]] [[feeling]] about all that you’ve encountered.
But yes, the [[process]] is complicated by those folks who derive their [[power]] from getting you to feel you are not OK, and that they have the key to your better life. All through [[history]] there’ve been those who professed to be [[spiritual]] [[teachers]] and [[leaders]] who were merely [[politicians]], and crooked ones at that, interested only in increasing their own [[power]] and [[possessions]] rather than gaining, and [[sharing]], [[spiritual]] [[insights]].
Student: The reason I have these questions is, we don’t seem to [[examine]] [[reality]]. Why am I acting the way I am? Why am I re-acting the way I am? We never stop ourselves. Sometimes when I say something is meaningless, I mean there’s so much more that [[language]] can’t say--there’s no [[words]]. I mean I know that whatever happens to someone, it’s meaningful to them. I’m just opening up and [[sharing]] with people they don’t have to follow every compulsion or sensation. There’s a deeper, [[unified]] substance to all of this, and to all of us. And we have [[access]] to that infinitude of [[feeling]] and [[love]] if we’ll just [[accept]] it. Thank you.
NEBADONIA: That is a good definition of what we term God’s will, which is [[essentially]] loving and nurturing/[[supportive]]--[[creative]]. That dimension does indeed exist. I think Michael in his last lesson pointed out the living here-and-now is definitely not an “it.” It’s [[literally]] [[God]]’s [[will]]--in [[total]] I mean. You all have your own wills and [[freedom]] too. So keep [[exploring]]. This [[orientation]] is the [[essence]] of [[Michael]]’s [[Spirit of Truth]].
Student: I think you’re driving all the [[Urantia]] people crazy.
===='''''[[Discovery]]'''''====
*God’s will as an ongoing discovery
NEBADONIA: Not at all. This is something that the [[Urantia book]] itself reminds you, that even though we live in [[God]] and move and have our [[being]] in Him and in His will, it is [[moment]]-by-moment in [[space]] and [[time]] we discover what that will is. We don’t just [[automatically]] know it beforehand: it’s an [[adventure]]. As [[Jesus]] said, you approach [[ultimate]] [[reality]] with the [[faith]] of a [[child]]. That kind of [[purity]] towards real and genuine [[simplicity]]--that spiritual [[singularity]] you mentioned that even [[physicists]] are pursuing--that is where His will is a [[discovery]] and no living person has a final handle on it, especially for someone else. An [[adventure]] is where you don’t know, and can’t know, [[everything]] that is going to happen. You have to live it, and [[grow]] a [[soul]].
So thank you for the interesting [[conversations]]. It’s good to see you [[embracing]] the [[adventure]], because there is a [[growth]] required to go in both directions of embracing all of [[humanity]], and more and more of the [[individuals]] right at hand. The full [[spectrum]] of people, from the most [[primitive]] to the most [[enlightened]], is [[humbling]] indeed. You are even to yourself a little walking [[infinity]]; so much was--and still is--moment-by-[[moment]]--just given to you of yourself of [[body]], [[mind]], and [[spirit]]. That there are billions of you does stretch the [[meaning]] of [[human]] [[nature]].
But there is no meaninglessness in that every [[person]] is moment-by-[[moment]] complete in [[God]]’s eyes, however much or little of this they can [[realize]]. What is there for them--the [[actuality]]--from the inside out--can be so meaningless as to overwhelm them in insanity. And that [[experience]] is also fully real. [[Human]] life is all very provisional, moment-to-moment: what you can [[know]]; what you can [[realize]]; what you can do; what you can [[share]]; how you can [[love]]. It’s the [[orientation]] toward [[spirit]], toward inclusive [[truth]], that is definitely the way to go.
===Closing===
So carry on, my beloved [[children]]. This is your [[mother]], [[Nebadonia]], signing off. Be in my [[love]]. Good evening.
[[Category: The Teaching Mission: Dialogues]]
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