1993-10-10-Greed
Woods Cross #41.5
Contents
• 1 Heading
o 1.1 Topic: Greed
o 1.2 Group: Woods Cross TeaM
• 2 Facilitators
o 2.1 Teacher: Ham
o 2.2 TR: Unknown
• 3 Session
o 3.1 Opening
o 3.2 Lesson
3.2.1 Greed
3.2.2 Balance, Ascension
o 3.3 Dialogue
Topic: Greed
Group: Woods Cross TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Ham
TR: Unknown
Session
Opening
Ian. Our discussion today is about greed. Ham has touched on this subject before, but there remain many layers of this human tendency that haven’t been discussed. Greed has many sub-surfaces that take years of self-examination to recognize. Greed essentially is the tendency toward self perpetuation that takes care of one’s self-esteem. Greed excites the self-esteem and so can possibly lead falsely into traps of various types which to sacrifice would mean sacrificing self-esteem which is tied to a deeper awareness of self, even basic self consciousness.
Therefore, greed itself serves to help perpetuate the self and is a function of strong inner tendencies, even animalistic tendencies. Greed is like hunger; without this drive to eat, one would rapidly die; without the drive toward self-preservation, one would never truly unite oneself with God. Greed is essentially transferred from matter to higher spiritual values, eventually into infinite values.
Our Master used the word hunger, implying basic need, and greed is a similar function. Usually one progresses from greed for possessions such as wealth and fame, into greed for knowledge and understanding, into greed for spiritual power, which is a strong intoxicant while one resides in the mortal flesh. Be aware that this function of greed can not be completely eschewed (avoided) because of it’s connection to will.
All strong desire contains a component of greed. Desiring God’s will does also. This will is the gift of God, through God, through all levels of being down to mortals and because of man’s basic animal nature, this will is bonded with self preservation instinct, which is greed. It is good that you understand this so that you can allow God’s will to function in your life by doing His will, which itself is will strengthening, without fearing the constant self judgment about greed. The judgment is mistaken. Is strength required? Yes. Is a strong, unified, active personality sought? Yes. Are wisdom and Grace attending? Yes. Therefore, fear not the exercise of will. You shall learn to temper it with grace.
Lesson
Greed
HAM: Greetings. I am Ham. I thank you three that your dedication and strength of certitude has again created our group. Our lesson is about greed and avarice. An action fueled at it’s core through covetousness and acted without remorse or the higher awareness of individual responsibility to higher reality actually is avarice. Likened to a tree without water or sunshine, the human filled with avarice slowly dies, inside first. Greed isn’t always an entirely negative motivation, as Ian recently taught. Greed for the extension of self into the morontial realms gives eternal life. Greed for knowledge culminates in wisdom, greed for truth eventuates in the reality-izing of this truth inside the human heart.
Greed for beauty eventually creates beauty through art, and the greed for goodness eventuates growth in grace and charm. Within finite reality levels there is the necessity of there being a force which maintains individual separation from the “whole”. Greed and it’s various manifestation is a mindal result of this necessary force. For “I” to be maintained, it must have needs and desires that are unique and promoting of this individuality. However, when the self promoting aspects of mind take on an obsessive nature, there is danger that the disease called avarice will appear and eventually, through excessive absorption, shall this human separate himself increasingly from greater reality, so that he who “saves his life shall lose it.
Balance, Ascension
Our Master maintained superb and exquisitely masterful balance between the forces of self-reliance and the forces of Deity embrace. In every human life, there are contradictory forces pushing and pulling at the personality. This human personality has to maintain self-respect while disclaiming all credit for achievement. He must maintain self-composure while experiencing the fullness of emotional transports. He needs a certain degree of self-maintenance and yet must his needs against the need of his family, his community, his state, and the world situation as a whole. No man can adequately determine his correct balance within these conflicting interests.
He can only judge the merits of his character in comparison with that of Jesus and His commandments. Shun, therefore, human effort at judging each other or even yourselves; rather, strive only to correctly maintain balance as you ascend heavenward. All else is in Father’s hands. Regard your life as though all depended on BALANCE not MOTION and as you strive to maintain balance that all sincere effort avails and that God holds the sincere heart as though it were gold, precious in His sight. Sincerely seek balance and He will give you the wisdom to understand its achievement or its lack of achievement also.
God raises men, not the other way around. When one is sincerely poised and seeking God, then does He send all necessary aid and ascends the man Himself. Humankind too greedily seek ascension through means of their own and it avails nothing. Mankind has a million ways to artificially ascend, individuals, groups, even nations and they all fall again. Individual human beings ascend one at a time and by their sincere conviction of truth are they known to the Father.
They may seek to be wise without experientially experiencing wisdom; they may seek to teach truth without residing within it’s gentle bosom; they may aspire to goodness without experiencing the spiritual and they will fall back to their true level of maturity when the winds of adversity blow down their houses of cards. Wisdom isn’t contained in cleverness anymore than knowledge is contained in facts. Thank you for coming this evening. I have enjoyed delivering this lesson, somewhat rambling though it may have been.
Dialogue
Question: What can I do in my daily life to live more for the Master?
HAM: My son, you are (quickly) learning that the road to great riches lies at your feet. Ponder what values are and how are they real. You see, wealth is a spiritual endowment that our Father delights to give His sons daily. Find that which is truly of value and you will find that you are indeed wealthy.
