Changes

A: As the [[circuits]] have opened and the energy has been upstepped, the eyes of many are opening as if after a long [[sleep]]. [[Awakening]] is not always a pleasant [[experience]], but it is far better than slumbering on indefinitely, is it not? (Yes.) It was [[Lucifer]]'s intent to promote the long sleep of indifference and [[self]]-concern. This is finally falling away, and slowly but surely [[altruism]] is emerging. (12/12/93)

A: As the [[circuits]] have opened and the energy has been upstepped, the eyes of many are opening as if after a long [[sleep]]. [[Awakening]] is not always a pleasant [[experience]], but it is far better than slumbering on indefinitely, is it not? (Yes.) It was [[Lucifer]]'s intent to promote the long sleep of indifference and [[self]]-concern. This is finally falling away, and slowly but surely [[altruism]] is emerging. (12/12/93)

===GOODNESS===

===='''''[[Goodness]]'''''====

It is time, my friends, to again discuss the matter of goodness. You may be thinking have we not had many, many lessons on this topic? Why do we need yet another? Goodness is a very basic, very critical concept that has great depth, ranging from the most superficial aspects which are easily grasped by mortal beings all the way to mota and far beyond mota. You will go on learning about goodness all through your ascension career, so it is not redundant to have a lesson about goodness at this time. Goodness is a manifestation of our Father. When we behave in good ways we are imitating Father. We are showing Him to our fellows, and we are sending a message to Paradise in that unique way that all of our actions are transmitted. The message is a good one, and is greeted with pleasure by the Most Highs. And it makes this planet shine a bit more brightly in the cosmos. Goodness is a building block. Your good act will stand for a long, long time as - I do not know the words to describe it, so I will use the word "spiritual" – as a spiritual entity on Urantia. And the good acts of you and your fellows through the history of Urantia go to build a solid edifice of worship to Father, like bricks or building stones, if you will. Those who have spiritual vision are able to see the good that has been done on Urantia just as if they were viewing building blocks, which is quite wonderful indeed. We have discussed in previous lessons this matter of the vision of the one who is in material form as opposed to the vision or perception of the one who is in the spiritual form. What is seen by the material person is barely or not seen at all by the spiritual and vice versa. It is rather sensed by the spiritual. Spiritual beings perceive spiritual things such as goodness just as firmly as you would perceive a table or a chair or a car or a stone. And the car and stone that you perceive and consider to be your real world are only sensed by the spirit. Therefore your perception, as a material being, of goodness and other spiritual things will be more of a sense, a sensing, a feeling, if you will, although that is not a good word. If you can grasp this concept and use it in your future observations as you go about your activities on Urantia, it will help you greatly to understand the dealings of the spirit, and it will also enable you to perceive more clearly the promptings of your Thought Adjuster - which are, among other things, urgings for you to do good. This perception of spiritual things has been described as being of gossamer quality, like the faintest of breezes blowing across one's face, in some of the Urantia religious tracts. This is a good way of describing it. Again, I want to remind you that when you work on your spiritual perception, the more you work on it, the stronger it will become. When you work on your goodness and its expression in your acts, the more you strive, the more good you will manifest. There is an unfortunate fact of semantics in this language that equates goodness with value, but that is not the meaning of the spiritual concept of goodness as far as the material aspect of value. For you know that Father loves us all with no favorites. You will not become a teacher's pet by striving to do good. You are not in a competition with all others for Father's favor by striving to be good. That is not how the universes operate. I know that it is difficult for mortal beings to let these ideas pass, and that is why I am reminding you. It is not good, better, best. One strives to be like Father because it is right. One strives to be good, to be honest, to be loyal, to be merciful because it is right - not because it is to be superior. As you, my friends, become more spiritually attuned and develop your spiritual muscles through your actions, you will become more humble. And as you become more humble, more truly humble, the notion of superiority as it falls off your shoulders will seem increasingly to have been an unnecessary burden and hindrance. And your life will become easier for having discarded that notion, and that, too, is good. Now, it has been said by some of your thinkers in the past that one should never let go an opportunity to do good. This is a most interesting utterance. Does this mean that as one comes at you with knife bared intending to harm you, you offer a bouquet of flowers? A fistful of money? A kiss? No. Jesus faced with that situation would surely have protected Himself, but He would not have necessarily drawn His own knife. And in not drawing his knife, His act would have been good. Do you understand? (Yes). In doing good do you feel it is appropriate to offer things to people without any effort on their part? For example, giving food to the indolent, clothes to those who are capable but will not work, housing to those who will not maintain it, and so on. Is that good? Think upon this, my friends. Would Jesus do that? Did He? But then, of course, we have another matter, the matter of healing. Disease is a complex matter which involves the interplay of physical factors with spiritual factors. Every disease known on Urantia contains both elements, and you will remember that Jesus did indeed heal those who came to Him without question. You may say, but is this not the same as giving a house to the man who will not work or clean his home? No, because a house is a material thing and disease is not a wholly material thing. A full understanding of the contrast between these two situations is a mota exercise which may be beyond the scope of this mission, but it does no harm to work on this, my friends. And attempt to resolve what may very well seem to be paradoxical. As you all strive to be good, you will in a sense be healers. Be careful now, though, to differentiate between healing illness and catering to greed. Do not deprive your fellow Urantians of the personal adversity that is so necessary to their own spiritual growth. Certainly you may help, but it is important to understand where the line is to be drawn. And it is very much an art to learn this method of discernment. The life of Jesus is a study in goodness, and as I have often asked in previous lessons, I again ask that you turn to the account of His life as an example for you. Is there perfect goodness? Yes, in Paradise. Is there perfect goodness on Urantia? No, not at present, but there is the potential for movement toward light and life which is in the direction of perfection in spiritual terms. Is there goodness in animals? No, goodness is an advanced spiritual concept. Is there goodness in humans who are savages? That depends on the level of development, but if the savagery is deep enough it is possible to find savage humans who are bereft of goodness. Can a good person become ungood? Yes, by turning from God and plunging into iniquity. Can the reverse happen? Yes, by all means, with great effort and faith. When does the human begin to grasp the notion of goodness? Shortly before the Thought Adjuster arrives there is in most human mortals a beginning of understanding of goodness. Certainly the pre-Adjuster mortal responds positively to goodness in other humans. But the capacity to behave in good ways is not truly present until the Adjuster arrives. That is not to say that infants cannot mimic goodness quite well. We will stop at this point in our discussion and take questions, if you wish.

[[Goodness]] is a [[manifestation]] of [[our Father]]. When we behave in good ways we are [[imitating]] Father. We are showing Him to our [[fellows]], and we are sending a [[message]] to [[Paradise]] in that [[unique]] way that all of our [[actions]] are [[transmitted]]. The message is a good one, and is greeted with [[pleasure]] by the [[Most Highs]]. And it makes [[this planet]] shine a bit more brightly in the [[cosmos]].  

Q: Thank you for a very, very deep lesson on goodness. You said some things that I certainly haven't thought about. Up until now I've had a rather simplistic definition of goodness as being roughly that which is in accordance with the will of God and evil as being that which is not in accordance with the will of God. Could you address that aspect of goodness?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Thank you for a very, very deep lesson on [[goodness]]. You said some things that I certainly haven't [[thought]] about. Up until now I've had a rather [[simplistic]] definition of goodness as being roughly that which is in [[accordance]] with the will of [[God]] and [[evil]] as being that which is not in accordance with the will of God. Could you address that aspect of [[goodness]]?

R: Can you be more specific, please?

R: Can you be more specific, please?

Q: Yes, I think that I tested almost everything by whether or not I thought it was in accordance with the will of God. If it was, I thought it was good. And if not, I thought it was evil. This is a rather simplistic view, but it's the test that I used.

Q: Yes, I think that I tested almost everything by whether or not I thought it was in [[accordance]] with the will of [[God]]. If it was, I thought it was [[good]]. And if not, I thought it was [[evil]]. This is a rather [[simplistic]] view, but it's the test that I used.

A: Of course it is the will of God that goodness be done, that goodness characterize the actions of freewill beings and, of course, the actions of perfectly created beings. However one can act not perfectly in accord with the will of God and yet still be doing good. There can be flawed good at the material level. It is not such a binary concept. If I understand you correctly, that is, it seems that you are presenting the idea of good as either good, in accordance with the will of God, or not good, not in accordance with the will of God.

A: Of course it is the will of God that [[goodness]] be done, that goodness characterize the [[actions]] of [[freewill]] [[beings]] and, of course, the [[actions]] of perfectly created beings. However one can [[act]] not perfectly in [[accord]] with the will of God and yet still be doing [[good]]. There can be flawed good at the [[material]] level. It is not such a [[binary]] [[concept]]. If I understand you correctly, that is, it seems that you are presenting the [[idea]] of good as either good, in accordance with the will of God, or not good, not in accordance with the will of God.

S: That is correct.

S: That is correct.

R: The aspects of the spirit are not so black and white. It is more a matter of what you call quanta. There is the first step toward goodness which is perceived by one and all in Paradise as a positive move, and the second step and the tenth step and the hundredth step and the millionth step. All are in the realm of good even if they are not wholly and completely a part of a life which is dedicated to the will of God. Material beings are understood to be flawed, to sometimes do the right thing with the wrong motive. The wrong motive is not the will of God, but the right thing is. Do you understand?

R: The aspects of the [[spirit]] are not so black and white. It is more a matter of what you call [[quanta]]. There is the first step toward [[goodness]] which is [[perceived]] by one and all in [[Paradise]] as a [[positive]] move, and the second step and the tenth step and the hundredth step and the millionth step. All are in the realm of [[good]] even if they are not wholly and completely a part of a life which is [[dedicated]] to the will of God. [[Material]] beings are understood to be [[flawed]], to sometimes do the right thing with the wrong [[motive]]. The wrong [[motive]] is not the will of God, but the right thing is. Do you [[understand]]?

S: Yes, I certainly do. Thank you. (You are welcome.)

S: Yes, I certainly do. Thank you. (You are welcome.)

Q: Rayson, would you say then that all goodness which mortals do in attempting to do the will of God, is within God's will even though it may not be His perfect will?

Q: Rayson, would you say then that all [[goodness]] which [[mortals]] do in attempting to [[do the will of God]], is within God's will even though it may not be His perfect will?

A: That is correct. That is closer to the concept. Yes. (Thank you.)

A: That is correct. That is closer to the [[concept]]. Yes. (Thank you.)

Q: During your lesson on goodness you spoke of spirit sensing. Do we have spirit sensors that sense some phase of spiritual reality as we do physical sensors to sense some phase of physical reality?

Q: During your lesson on [[goodness]] you spoke of spirit [[sensing]]. Do we have spirit sensors that sense some [[phase]] of spiritual [[reality]] as we do [[physical]] sensors to sense some phase of physical reality?

A: Yes. Yes, you do. The lifelong promptings of your Thought Adjuster have laid up a store of information in your deep mind that enables you, if you will it to be, to sense along these lines. Think to yourself of your observations of random strangers and the senses you have had about them. Have you not had these feelings?

A: Yes. Yes, you do. The lifelong promptings of your [[Thought Adjuster]] have laid up a store of [[information]] in your deep [[mind]] that enables you, if you will it to be, to sense along these lines. Think to yourself of your [[observations]] of [[random]] [[strangers]] and the senses you have had about them. Have you not had these [[feelings]]?

S: Yes. I deal with that in several chapters in my book.

S: Yes. I deal with that in several chapters in my [[book]].

R: So you see that spirit sensing does truly exist. (Yes.) Have you found in your personal experience that you are able to work with this ability and cause it to be enhanced?

R: So you see that spirit sensing does truly exist. (Yes.) Have you found in your [[personal]] [[experience]] that you are able to [[work]] with this ability and cause it to be enhanced?

S: Yes, I certainly think so. Human beings saw many, many centuries before they ever understood sight. And they realized that it came through the eyes before they understood the mechanics of its coming through the eyes. We probably have spirit sensors which are spiritual in nature that we utilize all the time but don't really understand. Is that correct?

S: Yes, I certainly think so. [[Human being]]s saw many, many centuries before they ever [[understood]] [[sight]]. And they [[realized]] that it came through the eyes before they understood the [[mechanics]] of its coming through the eyes. We probably have spirit sensors which are spiritual in [[nature]] that we utilize all the time but don't really [[understand]]. Is that correct?

A: Yes. This is a small digression, but I think it is useful at this point. The sensation of pleasure that you all possess has been present, of course, since the earliest days of emergence from animal status and, of course, pleasure has been sought in many ways. But as man on Urantia continues to evolve toward light and life, the sensation of pleasure will increasingly be sought through spirit growth and attempts to carry out the will of Father rather than through animal strivings. (Thank you.) Just as sight was present for many eons before it was understood, so too was pleasure. And the pleasure that the ill person experiences when spiritual healing occurs is something that can be used to advantage by the one who wishes to do good. Do you see? (Yes.)

A: Yes. This is a small digression, but I think it is useful at this point. The [[sensation]] of [[pleasure]] that you all possess has been present, of course, since the earliest days of [[emergence]] from [[animal]] [[status]] and, of course, pleasure has been sought in many ways. But as man on [[Urantia]] continues to evolve toward [[light and life]], the sensation of [[pleasure]] will increasingly be sought through [[spirit growth]] and attempts to carry out the will of Father rather than through [[animal]] strivings. (Thank you.) Just as [[sight]] was present for many [[eons]] before it was [[understood]], so too was [[pleasure]]. And the [[pleasure]] that the ill person [[experiences]] when spiritual [[healing]] occurs is something that can be used to [[advantage]] by the one who wishes to do [[good]]. Do you see? (Yes.)

Q: You were talking about us having senses of goodness and that we're able to increase our ability to sense goodness. Can you help with how to do that? Sometimes you sense goodness in somebody you don't know. Sometimes you don't sense goodness in somebody you don't know and you find out later that you're wrong - one way or the other. What happens when we sense something, maybe incorrectly, and how can we learn to sense it, do better at it? It probably has something to do with the fact of goodness not being all good or all bad, but I was wondering if you might say something more on that?

Q: You were talking about us having [[senses]] of [[goodness]] and that we're able to increase our [[ability]] to sense goodness. Can you help with how to do that? Sometimes you sense [[goodness]] in somebody you don't know. Sometimes you don't sense goodness in somebody you don't know and you find out later that you're wrong - one way or the other. What happens when we sense something, maybe incorrectly, and how can we learn to sense it, do better at it? It probably has something to do with the [[fact]] of [[goodness]] not being all good or all bad, but I was [[wondering]] if you might say something more on that?

A: Yes, that is a very good question. You are right that it is not all good or all bad. It is important when you put out your feelers - so to speak - for goodness that you look beyond the physical demeanor of the one you are viewing. It is easy to form a snap judgment without having enough information about the spirit of the one you are watching. This is particularly common at the beginning of your ventures along this line. As you work more and more to look for this in people, it will be useful for you to confirm your observations by gathering more information about those you observe. For example, by talking with them, by watching their behavior over a longer period and comparing what you amass in terms of concrete information to your initial impression. You will know that you are advancing along the line of spiritual perception when your instant assessment becomes more and more congruent with your assessment after long association. Does that help?

A: Yes, that is a very good [[question]]. You are right that it is not all good or all bad. It is important when you put out your feelers - so to speak - for [[goodness]] that you look beyond the [[physical]] demeanor of the one you are viewing. It is easy to form a snap [[judgment]] without having enough [[information]] about the [[spirit]] of the one you are watching. This is particularly common at the beginning of your ventures along this line. As you work more and more to look for this in people, it will be useful for you to [[confirm]] your [[observations]] by gathering more [[information]] about those you [[observe]]. For example, by talking with them, by watching their [[behavior]] over a longer period and [[comparing]] what you amass in terms of concrete [[information]] to your initial [[impression]]. You will know that you are advancing along the line of spiritual [[perception]] when your instant [[assessment]] becomes more and more congruent with your assessment after long [[association]]. Does that help?

Q: Is this what the Master meant when He said judge not lest you be judged?

Q: Is this what [[the Master]] meant when He said [[judge]] not lest you be judged?

A: Yes, among other things. He meant much beyond that when He said that, too. That particular saying had very far-reaching ramifications in terms of the administrative structure of the cosmos. Do you understand? (Yes I understand.) I am sorry if I seem vague in giving you instructions on spirit perception, but I am still working on this myself.

A: Yes, among other things. He meant much beyond that when He said that, too. That particular saying had very far-reaching ramifications in terms of the [[administrative]] [[structure]] of the [[cosmos]]. Do you [[understand]]? (Yes I understand.) I am sorry if I seem [[vague]] in giving you instructions on spirit [[perception]], but I am still working on this myself.

Q: Rayson, is goodness a state of being having to do with spirituality as well as a form of doing?

Q: Rayson, is [[goodness]] a state of [[being]] having to do with [[spirituality]] as well as a form of [[doing]]?

A: Yes, and many, many other things as well. It is a basic spiritual concept that has many, many layers, many dimensions, many outworkings, and learning all of these will take you a very, very long time.

A: Yes, and many, many other things as well. It is a basic spiritual [[concept]] that has many, many layers, many [[dimensions]], many outworkings, and [[learning]] all of these will take you a very, very long time.

S: I think my Thought Adjuster's been working on me along those lines, trying to understand this.

S: I think my [[Thought Adjuster]]'s been working on me along those lines, trying to [[understand]] this.

R: But make no mistake, others can and do perceive this in you, even those of very limited vision, and you will sense this, too. You already have, many of you. Is that not true? (Yes.) It is magnetic. So be ready to deal with those who are drawn to you in a gracious and God-serving fashion. Did not our Master always have time for His supplicants? (Yes.) (10/09/93)

R: But make no mistake, others can and do [[perceive]] this in you, even those of very [[limited]] [[vision]], and you will sense this, too. You already have, many of you. Is that not true? (Yes.) It is [[magnetic]]. So be ready to deal with those who are drawn to you in a [[gracious]] and God-serving fashion. Did not [[our Master]] always have [[time]] for His supplicants? (Yes.) (10/09/93)

===More On Goodness===

===More On Goodness===