1992-01-01. Part II – The Lesson Aids – Topics E-F
EUTHENASIA
Q: In western culture now we have the capacity to keep many people alive into advanced age. This means that we see a fairly high percentage, compared to past ages, of persons who develop dementing diseases, particularly Altzheimers disease and (multi?? infarct dementia?). In these disorders there’s generally disease of the frontal and prefrontal areas, and one sees clinically disintegration of the personality as well as loss of capacity for self maintenance. Now there’s a very great moral dilemma developing in western medicine presently about – is it right to keep such people alive? Because the expense of keeping them alive is very very high. There is much grief in the family as these people become further and further detached from family and friends and reality. And these people seem to have much fear, much pain, and much illness in general. I wonder if you could comment on this, and – if you are allowed – if you could comment on how this would be handled on another world such as the one that you come from?
RAYSON: In the cases where the deterioration is in the prefrontal lobe it is my opinion that the Adjuster has left. What is alive is a physical body. As for the ethics of maintaining life, it is irrelevant spiritually one way or another.
In terms of my world we had in place a spiritualized and accepted ritual for graduation when the physical was an impediment to the spiritual soul growth, which is, of course, the only eternal reality. When the mechanism housing the soul-Adjuster no longer functioned, it was not of any consequence to terminate life. In fact, it was a cause of celebration, being The FATHER’s will that the soul move on to the next growth level.
You down here have much more irrational and emotional reactions to this practice since – as a world – you do not truly understand what life is, and define it solely in terms of the physical. Now, some day on your planet things will even out. Your life capacity, ideally, is approximately five hundred earth years. This will not be attained until the early stages of Light and Life.
As you grow as a world spiritually, you will learn to temper life extension with actual life growth of the soul. And many diseases will be eliminated which interfere with the mind-soul connection. Until that time this topic will be reacted to irrationally and I can only pray for your enlightenment as a world culture since many mortals suffer needlessly, and suffer delays in their universe career because of the mere sentiment, which is attached to the material body.
Q: I read about a man in this country who is on trial for murder, a physician, who attempted to help such a demented person to graduate, and it hurts me every time I read it, but it seems to be at present an insoluble problem in our culture.
RAYSON: Also, one must abide by the legal system one lives under, no mater however primitive. (01/26/92)
EVANGELISM
Q: RAYSON, In your lesson you spoke of being active and not passive. And I’ve been trying to do that recently when I find opportunities to speak of my faith in conversation with friends and without, well, proselytizing – or whatever – without being overly preachy, I’ve tried to open doors when I can.
And something happened recently with a friend. I felt a lot of resistance, and a feeling from her that she wanted to intellectually argue. I felt the need to protect my own faith – not that she could convince me otherwise – but just that it was disheartening to come up against that skepticism. And rather than continue the conversation, I feel that maybe I shouldn’t even discuss faith with her any more. Am I being a coward? Am I being passive? Or is it sometimes a good idea to back off from a person whose skepticism seems stronger than their inclination toward faith?
RAYSON: Our master did not allow himself, when he resided here as JESUS, to be drawn into useless debate and argument. Words are wonderful tools for communication among humans. However your life is much more effective – a much more effective argument for the role of faith. When words fail, your living experience as a faith filled daughter will not. Others are drawn to you because of who you are, based on the bedrock of your faith.
Do not descend into arguing the point. Only negative things will come from that: divisiveness, differences, polarization. Rather stress the commonality. Love, it is hard to resist love. And shine through this (easily?) and in many ways you are unaware of your love. Others are not, and wish to be close to you.
So, you are not a coward. It is wise to drop talk, which divides friends. Ask questions and leave your lower associate to (??) the feel of social growth, like your questions, that will not threaten the intellectual defense. Does that Answer?
Q: Pretty much, but just – ask questions? In other words, ask questions that I still have?
RAYSON: No. Ask questions to teach this being. Ask questions about..
Q: What they believe?
RAYSON: No. What they need to get them through disappointment. Or sadness. Or, when they feel joyful, what does that feel to them? How does that affect their lives? Those kinds of questions where you are the student – but really you are the teacher. (02/09/92)
FAITH
[The session opened with:] I am RAYSON. You are all gathered this afternoon in faith for the progress of your belief systems. I congratulate you on this decision.
[Later:] RAYSON: Machiventa Melchizedek is here and he would like a word. One moment.
MACHIVENTA: This is MACHIVENTA MELCHIZEDEK. You are all in the realms of the spirit. You are impinging upon spiritness. Remember and have faith upon your own knowledge and on your own faiths. Continue to believe. The things that you believe and the things that you act upon are of the greatest importance. This is not a mere figment of your imagination. There are things happening on this sphere that you have no conception of, and you will not know what is going on here until much later in your universe ascension career. But know this, that your faith – faith for your brothers and sisters, faith of MICHAEL, of the Universal Father, the whole concept of universe ascension, is of the utmost importance.
Do not look back upon your animal ancestry, upon your negativeness. Focus on your positive side. Proceed with decisiveness. You have our support and confidence. We love you children. We love you all. You are being watched and taken care of. You are being loved with tenderness. Till next time, children, have faith. (10/11/92)
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Q: Are the ministrations of either …. or ….required in order for (student) to be recipient of the Life Carriers’ ministrations?
RAYSON: If she believes so. She will not take the leap of faith without them if she believes so. But it is her leap to take. And (she) is not easily persuaded once she has an idea.
Student: That can be very good. It can lead to much faith.
RAYSON: The leap of faith requires free-will decision. It is not to be undertaken lightly. (S) knows this and has some fear, but it is her own work, not the work of you, (S), nor the work of (S) or (S) or any other personality, but this is the work of (S). Your love helps, but it cannot take her leap for her.
Humans want easy answers because they function on a plane where the easy answer is readily rewarded, the simple solution is often times the most feasible. The one way is what is chosen. And yet the universe is not a one-answer situation. The creations of the Thought Adjusters and the Life Carriers – the life carriers and the Physical Controllers design living beings such that there is no one way. (T/R) says that fail-safe is a good term to use, so I will use it. There are fail-safes upon fail-safes. Not even a single celled organism could live if its organization were all single step.
There are many many layers of complexities in the functioning of life. Passways and passways – this passway and that – they go around and under and through and over so that life can be, so that if the sun does not shine for a night or a week or a month, life can go on because there are other ways. There are other ways of getting energy and using energy.
This is not to say that you could have life in a vacuum. This was not the intent. The intent was to design life so that it could continue with what is at hand. To make it more understandable, you can live without water for a certain period – not an indefinite period, but a certain period – because you have other ways of conserving your bodily fluids: reduce your excretion, reduce your sweating, and cause your bodv to save the water that it has. Well, the same thing applies to health and disease. Health is maintained not by one-at-a-time pass of doing right things as opposed to wrong things. Its a complex, complex organization, and when the health fails, there are many fail-safes, many alternate paths, fallbacks to sustain the life of the organism, albeit at a less than optional functioning strength. In order to overcome deterioration of health, since health does not decline for simple reasons, health is not restored by simple means.
But despair not. Our loving FATHER has not put us upon a desert island without supplying us with all that is required to solve all problems that may arise, including health problems. We are asked to provide answers and yet we are constrained from providing other knowledge. The love of The FATHER is so large that it is all here. How easy, how very easy, to make things perfect! Much easier than to make them imperfect, actually. Yet if there were perfect beings with perfect health and never any problems, how much less of truth would there be available for the experience of The FATHER? And so we provide clues and encouragement in as much as we are allowed to give, but we cannot, must not, work miracles.
What loving FATHER would fight his child’s battles for them? Every loving father knows that it is only by grappling with the problems of life that his offspring develop their fullest potential and become the best that they can be.
There is so much more here now, so much at hand in the way of help and guidance, than there has been for manv aeons on Urantia. You are not blindly stumbling through a void. Every step is guided. But you must move your leg and take the step. If you do not move your leg we cannot guide your forward motion.
Q: I’m very anxious to move my legs but I need a little guidance as to which way they should go.
RAYSON: That’s where the leap of faith comes. That is your choice. If it is the right direction, never fear, you will receive the affirmation which you require.
Q: I was pondering as I was listening to your lesson today, the message is about a leap of faith, but now sounds as though we take this one step at a time. Is that correct? It’s not like jumping off a cliff into open space, its more like taking that step into an unknown area, knowing that it will be right or we will be shown the right thing.
RAYSON: That is exactly correct. But remember, that one man’s step is another man’s leap. Do you understand?
Student: Yes. I’m afraid I’m going to have to take it one step at a time at the present but my goal is to take that ultimate leap where I know absolutely that I’m going in the right direction.
RAYSON: You are doing very well, (S) (11/09/92)
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Q: Is faith the spiritual antidote for doubt?
RAYSON: Not exactly. Faith is the spiritual antidote to uncertainty and fear, but doubt occurs and may live side by side with faith. For example one can have unshakable faith in God. Say you have already passed through the portals of physical death and are on the mansion worlds, you may have total faith in your potential for divinity, for the existence of God, for the teachings now manifest through your own experience of spirit and soul, but you can still have self-doubt. Doubt is not solely dependent on faith, doubt is a different – doubt will not disappear until you are admitted to the corps of finaliters, really.
(Thank you) (11/29/92)
FATHERHOOD OF GOD
Lesson I: Reality of the Fatherhood of God:
I have chosen a seemingly simple discourse on the reality of the Fatherhood of God which many, being used to this idea, realization, have grown accustomed, and therefore are taking this great truth a little for granted. I feel extraordinarily privileged and overwhelmed, still, at this momentous truth: that we who are so insignificant, and yet – as small children needing a wise parent – that this parent is the Great Creator, stupendous and magnificent Lord of all creation, past present and future. There is none beside Him, so powerful and almighty is He. And to ponder the truth that He is also our loving FATHER and ever-present guidance and friend, never ceases to overwhelm my limited mind.
What we see of His glory is so tiny and small! There are no word expressions to enable our minds to comprehend more than a grain of sand in the sea of what He is. His vast material creation should cause you to ponder and humble yourselves at His vastness and incomprehensible reality. He is the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega, of all reality comprehended now or ever to be comprehended by mind.
He has deigned to give you use of all the mind energy you can use. You are limited, and this is well understood. But by mind you may reach for the unlimited. You are endowed with a part of the Infinite Mind which knows no boundary or finite mental limitations. You need to know your minds are free to expand in comprehension, and to grow and be seasoned with wisdom by, in, and through your souls.
Though you be dust, you have within you the spark of the Infinite FATHER of all who bestows His greatness, infiniteness, goodness, mercy, and Fatherly love upon each person to the greatest extent possible. He wishes for all His children to find Him, to come forth from the darkness into His loving space, light, mercy, understanding. He wishes all of His children to grow in their own space, light, mercy, love and understanding. He desires for all of His children that they love each other to the fullest extent of their understanding – as they love Him. He desires that – as His children grow toward Him and become more of Him, realize Himself in they – that they, in turn, bestow this Fatherly love and brotherly understanding and mercy upon their fellows to the greatest extent they are capable.
This may require a letting go, a letting go of old prejudices, a letting go of inner anguish and stress, a letting go of inner turmoil and emotion, a letting go of the worries of life, and many of the little cares which can weigh so heavily when multiplied. Allowing this, abandoning the old and embracing the new is not an intellectual exercise, it is your lives. It is not a moment’s thought, it is the robust and vigorous exercise of true faith.
Courage is required to abandon the old and embrace the new. The old is secure, the new is unknown. But I say unto you, abandon the old and do it gladly. Embrace the greater realities of the kingdom and do it courageously.
Live your lives as if in His presence, always, and I say “as if” for a reason. Before the full realization is upon you, by faith reach out for it first. His presence is always with us. In Him we live, move, and have our being. He is our ever-present guide and companion. Where is the insecurity in that? By faith you grasp this reality, and by faith you are transformed by it.
The true Fatherhood of God, His loving presence ever with us, an open ear ever ready to hear His children, to know their hearts and minds, and to understand, and guide, and teach: these are the ways of The FATHER. You must take His hand willingly. (07/15/91)
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Lesson II: Experiencing the Fatherhood of God:
There have been many questions on the Universal FATHER, some vocally and some in your mind. There have been questions about how we can feel the love of The FATHER more. Some find it easier to feel the presence of the Infinite Spirit and the Creator Son, but find it difficult to feel directly the love of The FATHER. This is understandable because of the mortal status in which you exist.
The Infinite Spirit is the God of Action, and so when you do things, when you act according to the will of God, you feel His power, His presence, and His out-workings of the actions of your daily life.
The Creator Son is spirit. When you relate with others, other beings including celestial, you feel the presence of His spirit. Through your relations you manifest love, mercy and good will which are the foundations, of your connection with others. And so when you do this you feel the Creator Son.
When it comes to feeling The FATHER, the Universal FATHER is personality. He is more than personality, but for your comprehension He is personality incarnate.
How can you feel His personality? You will not be able to when you act or when you express yourself. Expression is in the realm of personal relationship, so that would be with the Creator Son. So when you act or you express, you will not necessarily feel the presence of the Universal FATHER.
You must remember that the Universal FATHER is the I AM. He is. He does not necessarily talk or do. He is. So for you to understand The FATHER, you must understand what it is just to BE, without expression, without doing or acting. This IS the stillness.
This stillness may come to you not only when you are worshipping but in your daily activities between expression, between acts, you may just feel the awe, much as you do when you take in the breathtaking sights of a natural wonder such as a forest or the ocean or a sunset. You sense the beauty and it is. When you do this you ARE the beauty. You do not express it you do not act it but you are. The Universal FATHER is in that way self existent and self manifest in you when you become still.
Stillness means to quiet your senses, the input and mind, the thoughts which are generated by the senses through the brain, memories, all these must he put on hold and your consciousness must be on The Universal FATHER. When you do this you become – for a short length of time – the I AM. And that is the presence and the love of The FATHER. Soon as you reflect on this you will have lost the essence.
There must be no reflection, no comments on this, it just must be. You can also experience this when you perceive a truth, a beauty or a goodness and you do not comment on it, you just accept it and it becomes you and you become it. Then also you are experiencing the love, presence, power, the I AM of The FATHER. (11/22/92)
FEAR
Q: RAYSON, I have a question. This concerns fear – human beings on Urantia experience this. There are a number of places in The Urantia Book where we are admonished not to be fearful. And there is also a place where savages on this earth were discussed, and they were said to be quite fearful. Now, even in the condition we’re in right now, which has advanced somewhat beyond the savage human point, there still is a great deal of fear. How does the condition of fear in man interrelate with connectedness to the Thought Adjuster and I guess, general faith?
RAYSON: Fear is the biggest emotional barrier to Thought Adjuster communications: animal fear and anxiety. How to conquer this is a lifetime challenge and active job for the human. One, is by remembering what true reality is. True reality is spiritual reality. If you would examine the source of your fears you would find that they are rooted in the physical, material realms. For example: will I have a job? Will I get ill? Will this action hurt me. Will I lose this person’s love? Will I look good to others?
There is a difference between instinctual survival fears which are built into a species and easily surpassed as the race becomes more intellectually developed and fears that arises out of the unreality of ego and the material, physical plain. The absence of fear equals love. The two cannot coexist in the human psyche. The more one loves the less one fears. It is not an easy task to accomplish, and indeed many mortals never accomplish this to any significant degree in this lifetime. Some extraordinary human beings do manage to, for the most part, to live without fear, but these are generally humans with self-acting Adjusters and lives dedicated to the spiritual realities.
Q: I have a follow-up question regarding the question about fear, RAYSON. Fear feelings, and fear of feelings, could you address that for a moment? Someone is in the jungle and a tiger appears, perhaps fear might be healthy at that point, or maybe not maybe the adjutant mind spirits might be wise to get in touch with at that point. But is there a difference between fear of feelings and experiential fears?
RAYSON: There are instinctual fears built into the physical being of the human which insure survival. The example you cited is one of them. If a human were to be attacked by an animal his fear would be wholly appropriate and probably life saving/preserving.
The fear we discussed as an impediment to spiritual growth is more rooted in the psyche than in the instinctual reflex pattern which has been designed into you. These fears are not helpful, but may be categorized as fear anxiety, and if examined closely, are more self involved, self serving, than outer directed – either at one’s fellows or God. That is a broad base measuring stick.
Fear of feelings is also not healthy. You have feelings as does every human and this is in the realm of material minded humanity. One should not be afraid to explore one’s feelings, but should remember balance as given an example to you by the Divinely integrated life and personality of JESUS of Nazareth. Undue obsession with what you are feeling is not good. Neither is a repression – denial of what you feel. Examine your feelings for a period and then stop. Do not become mired in an abyss of self-analysis.
Q: Sometimes parents and grandparents develop apprehensions about what is going on in their children’s and grandchildren’s lives, and mentally we know that we should leave that to the celestial beings, and trust in faith. But this is the kind of fear that you are talking about that interferes?
RAYSON: No. Sometimes being loving can be misunderstood as being fearful. If you, as a loving parent-grandparent, are concerned then it is almost your responsibility to act as a vehicle for The
FATHER’s love and concern. If approached from an unselfish, concerned, loving, other-directed point of view, the person you are talking to cannot help but to respond with a whole mind. How else are we to do service and reflect the actual love of God and Light into the world than through our own transforming actions. If however, your feelings are truly fearful, and not a measure of caution or concern, then you must pray to exorcise your fear and replace it with Divine love. (01/26/92)
Q: Ever since I was a little girl I have had nightmares and sleep visitors, a lot of old lady-looking people have appeared to me and scare me at night. It continues to this day. Is that real or is it a product of my creative imagination? Is it ever a universe visitor actually coming and trying to minister to me and I get scared and so they – I wake up and freak out. Recently I had three ladies visit me and I asked them who they were and they said that they were right hand of God. And I don’t know, I just don’t know how to react to that.
RAYSON: Fear is real, is a real emotion, and also is a physical manifestation. On two levels it exists. Fear on a spiritual (level) is totally unreal. You, in your situation, I would suspect that the archetypes you are dreaming, nightmaring about are deep-rooted from early childhood. There is the archetype of the old witch in the collective unconscious of your species. I do not think that Divine Ministry would frighten you, (S). Perhaps the reply was partial Thought Adjuster, the spiritual reply. But the images are created out of your own personal history and the collective unconscious of your species.
Let us keep in mind that love is the absence of fear. Divine Ministry is love. And I will pray for you that love will overtake fear in your unconscious sleep state more and more, my daughter. (05/09/92)
Q: I’ve been leery for a long time, acutely aware of this process. The question I have is for me personally, and I’ve seen it in others, so I know that I’m in that tunnel. Sometimes there’s light and sometimes there’s not. The question I have is even though there’s intellectual knowledge of and participation in this mission, and there’s all these things, and all this prayer, there’s still a great deal of fear.
RAYSON: Do not be unhappy (S). You are much loved and cherished. Yes, your fear is a symbol of your spiritual growth. For you, (S) and I must take liberty and ask your pardon if I become too personal with you today in front of your peers – your response to love is anger. You have grown into fear. You suppress your fear and vulnerability with your anger. You have been upset. Do not be afraid. Be of good cheer, my daughter. Eternity and the riches of the spiritual kingdom await your struggle. They are lying there at the end of your road. Keep your eyes open, for greatness lies ahead for you, (S), although you do not believe it.
Allow yourself to be open to your terror, to your uncertainties, to your anxieties, for only by acknowledging this will you overcome it. When exposed to the light of God your fears will melt away. But if you hide them always behind your anger they will seem even larger to you.
My child, read “The Boy Who Was Afraid.” Allow yourself to be lonely. Allow yourself to ask for help, not just celestially, but of other humans. My daughter, you cannot control your inner environment nor can you control your outer. Your pain is greater because you try not to be hurt. You will not be severely crippled or damaged from the world, for you are spiritually intact, and what you are. But if you close up, you close off the knowledge accrued all along, celestially and humanly, you do not let this in to nourish your heart.
Have the courage – it is time as you know – and I will guide you, and our prayers will be with you. Much rejoicing, ……for your fear, for that will bring you closer to your light.
Q: Is there any value in utilizing psychologists to unearth our hidden fears and angers?
RAYSON: They are not that hidden, (S). (laughter) To be more honoring of your question, it is a personal decision. It is not necessarily spiritual, but can, of come be. It is up to each of you. (08/02/92)
FORGIVENESS
Lesson on Forgiveness:
Today, brothers and sisters, I will speak on forgiveness. This topic has been chosen by the teaching staff for you today because it is a special quality of our Creator Son, and to ready ourselves to appreciate His Divinity, goodness, beingness, light truth, beauty, and the miracle of His bestowal on Urantia. We will speak and discuss forgiveness, for truly MICHAEL of Nebadon is the mercy-God of this universe.
We will also speak on forgiveness because this is a trait, a practical trait, which you each may broaden in your life by actual doing. And – as you know – we have decided to tailor your lessons to more practical lessons instead of loftier spiritual concepts, for you have not learned as quickly. You perhaps have been more stimulated, but it is better for you to try more baby steps.
So, forgiveness. Next week you will read the sermon on Divine Forgiveness in the fourth section of The Urantia Book.
MICHAEL of Nebadon is the God of mercy and forgiveness. God The FATHER, one of his inherent attributes is forgiveness. I cannot even say instant forgiveness for God is infinite and not time bound, but to you humans it would be instant, it would exist before you even requested it.
Forgiveness is not repentance, or justice, even. It is part of justice, but it is love in action. Forgiveness has not to do with the wrong that was done but to do with your individual capacity to love others. It matters not the injury to your selfhood. It matters not the level of wrongdoing – even if real on the part of your fellows. Even, yea, unto sin it matters not, for forgiveness has to with your own spiritual ability to love as The FATHER loves.
Forgiveness is a fruit of the Spirit and a Divine gift. It is true that The FATHER forgives you in fact, but your experience of this forgiveness, children, cannot be had by you until you forgive others. This is an important distinction, children: forgiveness exists, but you cannot know it until you forgive others.
Thus, forgiveness may be thought of an actual muscle and as you exercise it, it grows stronger and you, then, take in more forgiveness for yourself.
MICHAEL and The FATHER and the Mother Spirit, our Divine parents, have more mercy and forgiveness for each of us than we can ever imagine; but there are limits to forgiveness, and these limits are set by the person, being, in error and not by the Divine.
When a human sins – and by sin I do not mean error, I mean a conscious rejection of the will of God, a rejection of Godliness, truth, beauty and goodness, a conscious decision to do one’s own will, to hurt, etc., others – the four human problems of ego, deceit, and greed-anger, and fear, when one consciously decides to engage in these selfhood acts, and consciously rejects the will of God, that is a sin. Intentionally planning.
When one becomes sinful it becomes a habit like eating chocolates, and the habit of sin is reinforced. There are material, often, rewards for this behavior, and one can go further and further away from higher values. Therefore, habitual sinners sometimes, sadly, become iniquitous. For these beings engaged in iniquity there is no forgiveness because they will not ask or receive it. Do you understand?
An iniquitous being cannot, will not, ask The FATHER for forgiveness, nor will that being receive it. Truly it is: “ask and it shall be granted.” That statement was made by JESUS specifically about forgiveness. If these beings would ask they would be forgiven, but they cannot because they are unable to forgive. Life, the Universe, whatever their list of wrongs are, they cannot forgive, therefore can they not receive Divine forgiveness.
And Divine forgiveness, children, encompasses the concept of rehabilitation, not repentance – there is a difference – but rehabilitation, spiritual rehabilitation: the willingness on the part of the being to exercise higher values, to live more fully at the spiritual level, to change unevolved behaviors, to forgive and love others. That is spiritual rehabilitation. At the time of this rebellion, when the dastardly Caligastia and Daligastia entered into Satan and Lucifer’s personal liberty iniquitous rebellion, many many beings followed. They were in error, not even in sin or evil. These beings were offered forgiveness by MICHAEL of Nebadon. And many accepted. They were sent to work until the adjudication of the rebellion. They were rehabilitated spiritually.
Repentance was not asked for. Repentance is a human and primitive concept which means self-sacrifice, animal sacrifice, money, good deeds, working off original sin, etcetera. Repentance is a not real or highly evolved spiritual concept. What is real is rehabilitation, is recognizing error and changing it. That is rehabilitation, growing more Godward.
So, MICHAEL, Himself, knew that the evil ones would never accept forgiveness, but his mercy extended, and they were given much time to ponder their situation. As you know, they are no longer. That is the result of evil: non existence. The result of forgiveness is spiritual growth, extended love, and a more Godlike behavior toward one’s fellows.
God is your FATHER and He loves us the way a father, a good father, loves a child. So much of what you think needs forgiveness, in actuality brothers and sisters, does not for you are just children and like all children, make mistakes, The FATHER does not need to forgive you for your honest mistakes. He just gently guides the twig to grow in a healthy direction.
Truly evolved ascendant beings do not need to forgive others for they never take offense. Do you understand? Offense is an ego function. When JESUS said “resist not evil” this is what He meant: forgiveness. Not to condone evil or sin, no, never! But it is not up to us to judge. Our goodness and love should be so powerful, our Godliness should be so all-encompassing that neither sin nor evil can hurt us! For is not God more powerful than the force of darkness? Is not the Divine more powerful than the imperfect? Is not the light brighter than the darkness? Fill yourself with God’s love and your forgiveness shall flow, for nothing can hurt or offend you.
This will not probably ever be accomplished consistently in any of your lives. But it should be consciously worked towards. Forgiveness is one of the highest qualities the human can attain here on this planet. It is attainable but one must fight one’s human ego. This is a battle with self. I pray that you each work on this area. In each of your lives there are little thorns which need to be picked off. Select one thorn this week and actively work on forgiving the offense as you see an offense Spiritual beings do not hold grudges. They do not engage in the act of anger and prolonged anger which is such a spirit poison. We do not look towards revenge. We do not judge. We try only to love our fellows – even when they are unlovable to us.
Children, I want each of you – I request – to work on forgiving either a present hurt or past. Just one. And when you truly forgive you will feel The FATHER’s forgiveness for your transgressions and mistakes flow into you and fill you with love, which leads to, children, inner peace! You are all so troubled in so many ways. And you look for peace.
There is no Divine or mystical way to achieve peace. It comes through forgiveness, to love, to peace: the peace which surpasses all human understanding. And so my children I humbly ask that you work on this this week. And so ends our lesson for today, and I invite questions from you, my friends.
Student: Thank you RAYSON for a very inspiring lesson. It confirmed my study of the Bible which indicates that the only quality which JESUS said was qualified was the quality of forgiveness, because it was always reported as “forgive as you forgive others.”
RAYSON: Thank you.
Q: One of the questions last week bears on today’s lesson about forgiveness. I asked about protecting ourselves from those who want to hurt us, and the second part of you answer hit on what I had in mind. It was about the one who looks at you and says “Oh you’re too good, you’re too nice, you’re too honest I’m going to show that you’re not really that good and therefore there is no God.” The hardest forgiveness job to me is to forgive those sorts. And some of them attain positions of high power and can do much to harm us, can even strip us of our ability to practice our professions, and its very very hard to let loose of –
RAYSON: What happens when “all things earthly crash?” I know this is not a consolation, but it is the truth, spiritually, that the important things are yours and can never be taken away.
Q: I’ve found that the most difficult person to forgive is myself I wonder if you might address self-forgiveness.
RAYSON: Self forgiveness is difficult for you humans for you do not put yourself in the place of The FATHER. You, …, are a father and if your child nude a mistake would you not simply correct him and continue to love him and move on? You do not do this – humans – with yourselves. You continue to hurt yourselves for what you perceive as your mistakes or transgressions or errors. And this is not spiritually correct behavior because you must also forgive yourself. And you are also now capable of judging the severity or gravity of your actions. So you tend to overemphasize small growth problems which every ascendant being passes through, and hurt yourself about them.
These must be let go. A good father does not continue to re-remind the child of what that child did when they were one or two or three or four years old. A good father loves the child as they are now and encourages them to grow strong and healthy. This you must do – we must all do – with ourselves. We must not concentrate on what went before. That is for the Supreme. That is part of the Supreme: good, bad, indifferent.
We must use our spiritual, mindal, emotional, and physical energies in tandem now to become more evolved beings. We must use all of our energies now to live higher values. This use of energy in past events is retarding growth. You may pray – all of you – to experience self-forgiveness, and that might be your choice to work on this week if that is your stumbling block. And I tend to think that all of you here do have that characteristic in common.
Q: I do have one other aspect of forgiveness, and that is when we ask someone else to forgive us sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. I wonder how you might comment on that phenomenon.
RAYSON: We cannot ask for – we may ask but we cannot control another’s forgiveness. All you can do when you perceive that you have hurt another is to not engage – to change your behavior. Part of that is for your own growth. Whether a person forgives you or not is between that person and God. You may humbly ask for forgiveness. You may apologize and correct your behavior to a more loving style.
Q: Could you comment on the relevancy of any of the confessional styles of dealing with remorse and guilt. Some of us have been through 12-step programs which instruct us to examine ourselves and admit the exact nature of our sins to God, ourselves, and another human being and humbly ask for forgiveness. That’s also the style of the psychotherapeutic technique that’s currently used. I have to admit it seemed at the time I went through it that it was very helpful to me, although maybe primitive compared to other …..
RAYSON: It is a useful emotional and psychological technique to be self-reflective and aware of one’s life-actions in a spiritual light. It often helps one to recognize patterns of negativity and areas that need
improvement. It is also emotionally a release from the past – guilt cleansing – to discuss this with another human who is non-judgmental and unconditionally accepting – loving of the present self.
Confession is a more psychological tool than spiritual. Confession is not part of prayer. No, prayer – pure prayer – does not involve a request for the self, nor even a request for one’s fellows. Pure prayer as you border on to worship involves consciousness of the Divine which becomes worship. So, confession is not a spiritually pure tool, but it does lead to more spiritual growth. It is not harmful, it is helpful for the human psyche and often leads to great periods of spiritual growth, but it is not a purely spiritual tool in and of itself
Q: I’m a very forgiving person, but when driving I find sometimes I get irritated. I have taken a real look, I really think that my irritation is the other driver’s irritation that my sensitivity is picking up. I may be wrong on that, but many times that’s really the only forgiveness that I work on. I attempt to be a mirror and return love to them instead of the regular highway hate (laughter) that the crowded conditions seem to promote. Could you comment on that? What is the best way to return something like that?
RAYSON: First, I do not agree with your assessment that you are merely reflecting other’s irritation for you are not a pond, you are a free-will creature, (S), and you are reflecting your own irritation, not that of others. Perhaps other’s irritation sets off your own, but you are responsible for your own responses, for you have free will, brother, and should not so easily throw your negative emotions to others. You must realize that they are part of your personality, albeit a part which you would like to erase or move beyond. If you had no negatives, emotions or imperfections, just humorously you would fuse, so there would be no need for forgiveness. (laughter)
(Turned over tape. Long pause)
Actually (T/R) interfered, which she has been pretty disciplined about, her own emotions, but could not control them, so it was better for me to depart for a moment.
Student: It was better for us, too, because we got to repair the recording machine that we wouldn’t have repaired otherwise. (laughter)
RAYSON: The material world is dimly still in my memory and it is often frustrating. Now to continue.
Your imperfections are part of your gift of creation. This universe, Grand Universe, of evolution is designed that through creature experience and ascension you will become perfect. So your imperfections are a part of your gift from The FATHER. To pretend that they are not “you” is a disservice to your creator and to your own growth. Better, for yourself and for your spiritual growth to say “Yes, something in this situation annoys me, irritates me, makes me short-tempered or edgy. What can I do with these emotions? How may I constructively use self-mastery?” Read the lecture on self mastery in the JESUS section of The Urantia Book, for this is what your true soul question consists of.
I think that there is pain in you and the pain remains because forgiveness has not been fully achieved. So you should – perhaps, although it is not pleasant examine some of your inner pain because a sore that still hurts is open and to close this sore one needs the Divine waters of forgiveness. You are not seeing clearly events in your own life which continue to hurt you because you have not fully understood them and forgiven yourself or another. Does that suffice? (Affirmative response.)
Q: I was meditating earlier today on forgiveness, and it’s interesting that you should choose that as a topic. I was going to ask for a spiritual exercise for our forgiveness muscle and it has come to me that the prayer that JESUS, Christ MICHAEL, taught us to pray is that exercise. Can you confirm that?
RAYSON: That is absolutely correct, (S) That IS the prayer of forgiveness: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive the trespasses of others.” That is forgiveness in one sentence, the fact, and then the experience – as we forgive others.
Q: And that in praying that prayer, we experience it. (Yes.) And feel like working out physically (Yes, that is correct.) in praying that prayer (that is correct) will help, because sometimes we just need something and that ….
RAYSON: – to focus our being on the act of forgiveness. It involves the two steps: asking for The FATHER to forgive us, and our simultaneous forgiveness of others. To join the kingdom, to enter the kingdom, takes only one decision. But to make continued progress takes much much continuous action. An important part of this is forgiveness.
Q: I am beginning to see that with forgiveness is the beginning of freedom. I’ve been beginning to experience that in some small ways, probably, universal realities that speak to me and I can begin to see that and hold on to that.
RAYSON: Yes, sometimes small illuminations are fleeting. And we have a hard time holding on the truth of the Divine, and this must be constantly striven for. But yes, forgiveness is freedom, it is spiritual freedom.
Q: Along the line of forgiveness, there are times when people have done some very mean and cruel things, for instance, to a child over a long sustained period of time. Such a person doesn’t really have any desire to change, has more or less you might say “gotten by with the crime.” What would be your advice to an individual who has been victimized by such a cruel and inhuman person?
RAYSON: This is my advice. Forgiveness does not entail continued interaction with an unchanging, sinful, mean, evil human. You may forgive but may choose not to interact with this human at all. Forgiveness also does not impinge on the societal right of justice. As JESUS was on the cross and two convicted criminals hung at His side, He said “My son, indeed you have committed the action for which our society has put you to death. or will put you to death, or is in the process of taking your physical life from you. But my son, I see in your heart that you did not intend to do this crime, but indeed you have committed it and the rules of your fellows must be enforced. This does not mean that The FATHER has not already forgiven you.” So, societal justice – even to physical death – is allowable, concurrent with Divine and human forgiveness. Does that answer?
Student: Yes, it does.
RAYSON: Then I will pray for you.
Student: I was not asking the question for myself, because -.
RAYSON: I understand, but it is someone, I think, who you feel for.
Student: Yes, that’s true.
Q: Yes. In the light of what you were just discussing, does that mean that – having forgiven our brother who continues to do distressing things – we can still go ahead and love this being without having to be in continual contact. We don’t have to go and try to force our love upon them in an effort to change them. Is that –
RAYSON: That is correct. For only The FATHER, the Indwelling Adjuster, the Angels, the Spirit of Truth, and other celestial ministers can sometimes reach a human in error. All you can do is inspire through your own life and make your choice. Some people are capable of continuing to love and not be hurt by another less-evolved human. Some are not. Each situation is different. But it is spiritually acceptable and correct to discontinue relations with a human who is hurtful and still forgive them and love them and know that someday – perhaps not on Urantia but perhaps far along, certainly by the (?robe) of personality – these hurts will no longer exist between personalities.
Q: Then does that mean that if one can receive from that person rejection and not feel hurt that its okay then to continue to reach out to that person?
RAYSON: That decision-action should be based upon personal prayer, guidance, and your free-will choice.
Q: I have a question about a process or progression toward forgiveness. I think I know who that thorn is going to be for me. There is still a lot of anger in the way, so that – is it correct to say that its important to go through the psychological process of getting that out before jumping to forgiveness? It just seems like I would get ahead of myself and not be real – if I don’t get out the human selfish stuff first.
RAYSON: That is correct, (S). Anger is a spirit poison and you have much on this issue. Perhaps you can work on forgiveness with a (?smaller ?reach ?date?) or other human while you go through the psychological-emotional purging which will take you quite some time on this other issue.
Q: Back in the middle ages the Popes used to sell indulgences. After they did, it was alright for a person who bought an indulgence to sin. (laughter) I just wondered
RAYSON: This is quite humorous. (more laughter.)
Student: Maybe God is giving them away. (more laughter.)
RAYSON: This is not spiritually evolved, (S), (more laughter.)
Student: I didn’t think so. (more laughter.)
RAYSON: – and they will have quite a surprise when they are resurrected. (more laughter.) (08/09/92)
FRIENDSHIP
Lesson on Friendship:
Today we will have a short lesson on friendship for, children, your assignment will be to become better friends with one person in your life, either one you are already friends with or know, or a new person.
What is friendship? Friendship is perhaps the highest human relationship that can exist on Urantia. It is the desire to serve one’s fellow human and that human’s desire to serve you. Service is not duty: it is loving kindness. It involves no obligation. It involves no “should’s.” It involves no “have to’s.” It comes from love, the love of one human for another, to put their good first. It has no price tag, true friendship. It is freely given and gratefully received as the great gift of time.
It comes from understanding. When you feel annoyance, irritation, hurt, conflict you must spiritually stop and reflect and pray to understand that person, for when you understand, tolerance begins.
Tolerance is a fruit of the spirit. Now, once tolerance, real tolerance, not false tolerance, exists in the human, then love grows. It is the door to love.
Now, some personalities are easily understood, intuitively. Others require more work. Theoretically every personality has the capacity to love every other, but in actuality that remains not so or potential into far into your ascendent career. But we may begin consciously practicing friendship right now.
Do not underestimate this word, children. It is what kept the Apostles together; not faith, not teachings, not association with the Creator Son in human form, it was simple and glorious friendship! Friendship, the cement of loyalty, being sure of love, the bind which cannot be broken.
Friendship can exist not only amongst your species, but you may also be friends with your angels, with myself and the other teachers, and with God. Think of God as a friendship, children, and do not neglect your service to Him.
Many may say we are respectful toward others because they contain a piece of The FATHER. That is true, but it has not deep roots in the human heart. You do not yet believe you contain this piece in yourself; how then could you believe it in another – truly believe it and act on it? Thus, we must approach spiritual living from a different standpoint the standpoint of tolerance, friendship, love. Every partnership throughout your ascension career will be based upon these qualities.
Indeed, when you reach Mansonia, your companions will be – of course – your guardian seraphim, but when you are not with them, your closest companions will be the transition seraphim, who are visiting or unassigned seraphim of friendship. They will teach you much. They want to be your friends. This word is overused by you, and thus undervalued.
You will read Rodan and practice being a better friend with one person. You may choose to share this amongst yourselves or keep it private. That is up to each of you. But this will be your assignment. We shall practice, and I know – my brothers and sisters – next week you will come with even more radiant hearts and souls and smiles to this meeting. (07/26/92)
* * *
[Next session] I am quite pleased to see you again this date. You have all accomplished some forward steps in friendships. Although this being insignificant to you, it is spiritually quite important. It is the basis for your entire ascension career, the outreach to serve one’s fellows, the understanding followers, the honoring of their Divinity and evolving souls, and the eventual love that will grow. Partnership with other ascendant beings and all other universe beings is the essential nature of service.
To know ones fellows, to rise above personality conflict, to love those who are still different, eventually, is intense spiritual growth. We start simply because a quart cannot exceed a pint and you are little pints right now. I am proud of you for your actions, as we will continue this non-intellectual approach to God for a while. (08/02/92)
