1997-10-05-Review of the Teaching Mission

Session

Opening

Teaching Mission

Elyon (Jonathan TR): Greetings to you today, friends. I am Elyon. I will open the discussion.

Let me first express to you my observations of the processes we have been undertaking over these several years. First and early in the mission you may liken us to waiters and the Melchizedeks as chefs. We would bring you the food to nourish you, and early in the process we even provided rubber coated spoons. You recall our disapproval of curiosity questions, for these questions would necessitate metal spoons for you to be able to accept with safety the answers.

Over time we have set the table and arranged the dishes and the food upon the dishes. Now we ask you to bring the potluck. You have grown to the point where you can feed yourselves. We ask you to let us sit at the table with you. There will always be a main course provided from the Melchizedek recipe book.

I hope this helps to illustrate our lessons. I now turn the meeting over to the bus boys.

Discussion

====Discernment Tom: If I could ask you, Elyon, for just one more glass of water, could you give us another fence post, triangle, a little visual that can enhance our creativity as we go about our day.

Elyon: I do not intend to put ice in your water, but let me offer this during the course of our conversation so that I may select an appropriate visual when the context is ready for such a delivery.

Darid: I am Darid. I will speak. Perhaps your tape recorder functions today. [Last time we heard from him it didn't.]

Discernment is a valuable tool for increasing your grasp of things real and erroneous. The judicious mind endowment is the arena in which discernment functions. It is of great value when sorting through life's situations to be able to rank and order your values and events. What I would give to your today as a caution is to learn to rein in this function when you are at odds with yourself. By this I mean that you will often debilitate enthusiasm through scornful evaluation. I do not intend to ask you to give up careful examination of oneself, only that when you are down, to be careful, to wait for a happier moment.

I request feedback.

Evelyn: I'm not clear exactly what you are cautioning us against doing when we are down. I understand how a scornful attitude can definitely undermine enthusiasm.

Darid: Before I respond I would ask others to comment.

Mary: I thought you meant the power of discernment when turned toward yourself is useful, but it can denigrate to a level of scornful observation when you are down. When you are happier you might have a more productive outcome.

Darid: You have expressed my intent, for discernment is good, but when in a down emotional state it can easily become judgement in the negative sense, even to the point of thrashing yourself. It is the inverse of ordering values according to high purposes. It tends to order your worth based on your most negative features and listing them to the more minor negative features. So, to examine yourself, do so when you are in a better state of mind. This does not mean to avoid the tough issues, only that your mental atmosphere ought to be clear.

Mood

Mary: I discern that one of the things that contributes to being up or down is physiology. Do you have any advice on how to have more control over the ups and downs? With vast efforts of mind over matter I can make myself not be so snippy, but I feel what causes me to feel that way may be that I need more water or carbohydrates or to stay off the caffeine.

Darid: You have expressed an awareness of nourishment, physical aids like appropriate sleep. These do affect mood. However, even these are overridden by social environment, for one can go hungry and still be joyful when in good company. The greater factor for helping break the funk is to cultivate the ability to step aside oneself, to even make fun of the situation. There is a compounding factor in both a good and a bad mood such that, even though perhaps you have been without sufficient sleep, the downward turn can deepen in spite of a nap, for the mind itself begins to spin many ramifications and comparisons based on the mental state triggered by the physiological cause. Does this help?

Mary: Once the physiology leads you down, you have to pay attention to your mind which may habituate to that mode. Taking a nap may be easier than forcing your mind to turn around. You may need to do both, to take a nap and to use the appropriate tool on your mind.

Darid: Correct. I will give you two visual aids: one is a ball, the other a balloon. When the wind blows both can move. With a balloon, when the wind ceases, it stops. But a ball can continue rolling for it is in different conditions than the balloon. You may correct the physiological factor, which is like your wind, and the ball may continue to roll. This would require the mental efforts to change. Other times it is much like a balloon; the physical correction brings an end to your complication.

Mary: Sometimes you need a nap, sometimes you need to work a little harder.

Darid: And this is an exercise in discernment.

Mary: Which is practiced by stepping outside yourself to look at what is going on.

Darid: Indeed. And mirth is often helpful.

Evanson: This is Evanson, and I am here today, too, and am pleased to be with you. I work on this very subject matter with Jonathan, for he suffers often from such states of mind. I offer the balancing comment that we humans do grow complacent when not troubled. So difficulties do spur us toward solving problems. I suggest that you not develop the abilities of avoidance, but develop the immediate responses upon the occurrence of your poor moods. Then you will have made good out of something you find to be bad.

Manner

Mary: Finding myself in a bad mood today, I was thinking this is an opportunity to exercise mind control and get through it. There's that crossing over from the idea to the action, following through on your stroke.

Evanson: We who are blessed with the current position of morontia being have wonderful aids who come to our service when we struggle who are able to, in a sense, play the jester and allow us to break the fix upon us, to take a fresh look. Since we trust these beings we seek them out at these times, for often a serious lesson, though full of remedy, does not swallow well like a good poke lightheartedly. On your world lack of familial and community teaching has led to the development of such behavior as belittlement. Lighthearted corrective advice is hard to receive when your culture often uses such techniques to further injure. You who are here becoming closer as brothers and sisters can learn to develop ways to provide feedback without necessitating a stern rebuke, but give it in a loving and lighthearted way. Is this understandable?

Evelyn: Very much to me. Many times I have wished that, if I am doing something amiss, another person would consider me friend enough to point it out, sure, preferably in a lighthearted manner. So often we witness that it is turned into gossip and ridicule behind your back, which is way more destructive. Trust is undermined rather than built. But people basically refuse to say anything directly. I'm glad to hear it from you.

I also feel reluctant to point things out when not invited to. In this culture you don't offer such things because it's taken as a rebuke. It's limited to parents with small children or the occasional bold grandparent.

Mary: Maybe we shouldn't assume the other person knows but speak out in study group or in our relations at home that we want that sort of interaction together.

Skill

Jessona: I now make my comments to you. I am Jessona. I would offer for you, Philip, a picture. View in your mind a bowling ball and take note of the three holes. These three holes can have many names given to them like truth, beauty, and goodness; or Father, Son, and Spirit. You can place your fingers in these holes, the three fingers of mind, body, and soul. Through your will you can make this ball roll. Life is the rolling of this ball. At times it ends in the gutter; at other times you strike. Much in life is of a threefold nature. Consider in any episode what the three factors will be that will make rolling the ball efficient, for, as you know, it is difficult to roll a bowling ball with two or one finger. Do you have insights to share?

Tom: I will think about that. Thank you.

Mary: If you don't have one of your fingers well placed, that's when you are likely to hit a gutter. You need the balance of all three to get a strike. The trick to me is which triangle are you working with at any given time? What were the qualities I was grappling with when I hit that gutter?

Jessona: To continue the analogy, the skill you develop in exercising yourself as you now speak in discernment is that, while you look toward the pins and that is your goal, you must likewise be aware of the process of movement. The harmonious function of the three fingers in the spin of the hand can effect the outcome. However, as I am sure you are aware, overmuch attention upon your hand takes your focus from the pins. As you have stated, it is balance and harmony that fulfill the functions.

Mary: Paying attention to the goal you may get more information on the tools you are using to achieve that goal. If you lose track of the goal, no matter how much attention you pay to the tools, what good are they?

Jessona: Correct. Evelyn has expressed that she feels often oriented materially, not so reverentially. This would be one of the holes. If she discerns this as the case and feels like she rolls gutter balls, tipping the balance, providing a spin, can correct the action and send the ball on the course you desire.

And I say to all of you, the Father and His host of ministers are skilled at resetting the pins that you can try many times to attain your goal.

Dan: [who had just walked in] You need three fingers to apply English. Your approach to the line is important. You have to have your eyes on the pins and also be aware of the integrated function of each aspect in order to be successful.

Jessona: Wonderful comments, my friend. You have illustrated two more factors in this analogy. One is that the best strike is between pins, and often one must see more than a single goal to accomplish a task. Two, the line, discerning when you are approaching the extent of your human skills, your human abilities, and when you will step beyond what you can handle. It is important, once the ball is released, faith and trust will carry it the rest of the way.

And greetings to you.

Tom: Also the attitude you have, whether you are up or down, determines the trajectory. Like Darid spoke of earlier, your mental state could detract from the trajectory of the ball.

Jessona: Quite correct. You can visualize a bowler where he tosses the ball in the air, what a racket that makes. Or complete confused disorientation where you lose the ball on the backswing.

Dan: Each bowler has a unique style; holding, releasing, the spin. No one is better than any other. Practicing your own style is what really makes you better.

Jessona: Let us expand the imagery to the entire bowling alley. As you have pointed out, every distinct and individual style can attain the same goal. This is the bowling alley of the Supreme.

Mary: In the approach to the line, I envision the connection between your stillness time and the time spent in preparation and understanding. (tape flipped)

Jessona: Thank you. I will toss one more idea in and that is the principle of giving and receiving, for every time you roll the ball, it does come back to you.

Dan: On the lane there are little arrows and dots that you attempt to get the ball over or use in placing your feet to make the best of your style. If you aim for those you will be more consistent. They are guides to use to develop your style.

Jessona: Would you not consider, as I am sure you will, that these dots at your feet just slightly ahead and your pins at the end of the alley all are your time references for the accomplishment of your goal?

This is enjoyable discussing these pictures with you all; to receive your input into ideas that can be incorporated into such pictures enlarges the view for all of us. As there are other TRs here and more personal teachers, I would allow the time.

Socialization

Dan: Since this is personal teacher day, I would ask Solonia if there are areas that I should focus on. Is there something I'm not spending enough time with?

Solonia: Greetings, my loving associate. I am Solonia.

You have been in the phases of development and initiation of the conjoined goals of yourself and the will of the Father. I advise you to give more emphasis to the dimension of integrated cooperation, to the conjoining of the energies of others with you, for you have given much personal energy to your work and will greatly be energized by the input and help of your associates. Though at times it can be disheartening to be raring to forge ahead and be without the supportive enlistment of others. You have developed the ability to pursue without discouragement; such independent abilities can interfere with conjoined involvement. So it is, as has been the discussion today, a lesson in discernment for when either approach is the optimum move. Does this provide you with the information you seek?

Dan: Some now, more later when I read it. Thanks.

Growth

Tom: Jessona, I notice a change in lifestyle and vocation of late. Does this fall in line with my availability with the work that you are doing? If so, can you give me a bigger picture of what is going on?

Jessona: As you ascend in spiritual status, you will and have discovered change points in your life where you put down the tools on the workbench for the prior phase of your experience and begin the new work ahead. Although you are perhaps the least inclined to grant yourself the award of mastery of many human things, you have done so.

Life on Urantia would more clearly show marked chapters in human development if it were a normal sphere. You will increasingly spend more time in the outworking of your enlightenment. This does often bring a change in career, though on this world most of you will struggle with the temporal things to the very end such that you, yourself, will have gradations, interweavings, of these dimensions of yourself. The maturity of the soul brings a shift in the focus of personal gratification. This gratification will redefine not only your leisure activities but your career activities. Recognize that your recognition of this change in your life is a present moment indicator of your growth at this time. Though there be uncertainty as to direction, the very transition proves to you that you are growing. I hope that this has been helpful.

Tom: Thanks.

Ellena (Mary): There is a place for you to go to seek guidance. It is behind the eyes, within the heart, in the stillness. There you will find personalities that can be of assistance. Michael of course is there. The Father is there. Your personal teachers are available at times like these study groups as well as other times. Just a reminder that there is a place you can always go at any time for guidance. Name it the stillness, place it behind the eyes, feel it in your heart with trust and faith. You will find that through diligent application of your energies to your daily task in life that the pins have been set in the bowling alley. Your mundane, everyday tasks will cause you to confront the issues of higher meanings and values. Search for these lessons in your finite tasks of going about your business. They are there. If you seek them you will find them. Hopefully you will enjoy the game.

Jonathan: Thank you for bringing that analogy back up. Sometimes I may desire those pins at the back and have to be strong to plow through the front ones to reach those.

Ellena: Yes, life has a way of setting up the game in the proper order. If you are shooting at the goal of the back pins, life will teach you that you must go through the front pins to get to the back pins.

Tom: The higher your score, the more people will watch. You can be a model, a demonstration.

Jonathan: Then when you are tired there is the whisper of the Father's voice like the little air valve for drying your hands.

Ellena: Refresh yourself with the Father's fresh air, if you will.