MEETING WITH ABRAHAM

FIRST LESSON ON SELF MASTERY

JULY 29, 1997 WOODS CROSS GROUP

I am ABRAHAM. My greetings to you. It is wonderful to meet with you. I am quite excited about our upcoming series of lessons on Self Mastery.

It is quite a challenge to learn to master the animal self while in the midst of the brotherhood. Always can our fellows challenge our divine understanding. Within this brotherhood can you be witness to the worst in yourself. This is where we find ourselves remaining teachable and humble to overcoming our small selves and embracing our larger divine realities.

It is understood that you each have experienced in excess the difficulties of maintaining a human and divine balance within the brotherhood. To relate with one another is where you will probably learn the most. It is well that you are understanding of your shortcomings to be humble enough to empty that spiritual cup and be teachable. Our rest period has proven to create a new thirst for truth. Our stumbling has helped us to be still and listen.

In the world there is confusion over being still and being idle. To some stillness or rest means to be unproductive. In our rest we have found our reason why we continue to strive Paradiseward. I would say that a period of rest or recreation can prove to be quite rejuvenating of mind and spirit. To step out of the ordinary is to create a ripple in the waters of truth that are in danger of becoming stagnant. Yes, we will continue on this path of rejuvenation through rest, recreation, and humor.

In the ordinary day to day living there is a myriad of mindal fears that can cloud the contents of your spiritual cup. A regular regime of rest and recreation can aid you in emptying the clouded cup to make room for fresh living spiritual realities. My question is, during your times of rest is there some guilt about your duties or obligations? Is there ever a genuine clearing of the mind? Is there ever a moment of just being within the presence of Father?

In teaching self mastery our first lesson is to emphasize the importance of the stillness. It need not be an elaborate meditation, no. A quiet moment with the presence of your Father is significant enough to create change where you would desire. It is sometimes necessary for some to have several moments with Father throughout the day, a continual reconnecting, if you will. If your desire is self control and genuine spiritual freedom, then our first lesson is always to maintain an open connection with Father.

Our second recommendation to success in self mastery is to learn who you really are. What has brought you to this moment? What has caused you fear and pain, or joy and freedom? What has occurred throughout your life that would cause you to react in a less divine manner? What has occurred throughout your life that has enabled you to withstand where others would perhaps fall short? Who are you today, and without worry of judgment, would you find your definition of yourself to be honest?

It has been said for you to be within each moment, but I can also say that a honest vision of the past can bring answers concerning self mastery for the future. Father is knowing completely every aspect of His children, and for His children to attain levels of self mastery it is important to have some knowledge of your true self. (I said that wrong.) Certain human reactions are due to painful wounds of the past. In your search of answers there is much turmoil. In the understanding of the answers there is peace. It is important to view yourselves as you would view a learning child. It is not helpful to become impatient or anxiety ridden when attempting to gain understanding of self mastery. This is the beginning to a long career towards self understanding. In this there is also understanding of one another.

Jesus had lived His life in the flesh to gain understanding of His mortal children. In the discovery of His human side was there understanding of His mortal fellows. I am in excited anticipation to be witness to your discoveries. It is my great pleasure to be a part of your spiritual learning. Have you questions?

NORWOOD: Abraham, I really appreciate your discussion item tonight. Ellen and I this morning were discussing this very same issue out on a street corner. Plus this past few weeks this very same discussion item has been with me, and I have been thinking about it constantly. My question is a little weird. Do we get previews of what are lessons are going to be in advance? Because this is not the first time we have had many discussion, Ellen and I have had many discussion in the past, and they have come to pass during a lesson within a short period of time. I am quite impressed by this. It has brought home something to me that I had forgotten, hadn't been witness to for a period of time. So I just wanted to let you know that. I am impressed tonight. Could you answer that question? Do we get previews of upcoming lessons that we are given to work on prior to the lessons?

ABRAHAM: For weeks, months there is a great deal of preparation whereby our students experience certain situations which are proven helpful in the upcoming lesson. Your Indwelling Father Fragment is well aware in advance of the path you are to travel. He is always trying to communicate these lessons, and create a spiritual cushion for those hard hitting lessons. Your Father always works to release bits of information so understanding will be everlasting through His loving character, and not all at once to shock you into understanding and change. Although I must say that it becomes necessary at times to use this shock value to gain your attention, but I do confirm your feelings that there is a vast network of divine hosts that create those spiritual realities you need to know. Does this answer? (Yes. Thank you very much.) Another question?

MIRIAM: Abraham, I was wondering if you could give me some input? While Don and I was camping, and we kept coming up against the rain issue, and the interaction that it brought with Don and me, I felt like that was a spiritual lesson going on. I kept trying to deal with it in the same way I always do, and I kept turning it over to the Father asking guidance to try and understand. Finally we came to a break through and I was just wondering if that was... I felt like there was something in that that was supposed to be. I was hoping that for Don's sake that there was something there. I was wondering if you could help me with that?

ABRAHAM: If I am understanding you correctly, I would have to say that on this world there is a great chasm between various personalities, but no where is this chasm more wide and deep between male and female. There is so much that the genders must overcome to reach understanding for one another, and there is inherent character qualities that would forever create difficulties in mortal living. There are moments when natural inherent character traits show themselves to be unappealing, and it would appear that one partner always lets the other know just how unappealing they are. I would not say your position is to be blamed on gender, and yet, I would ask that you attempt to understand each ones, yours and Don's, natural tendencies to react to various situations. In your quest (TR: Meaning all of us.) you struggle for spiritual truth, and struggle even more to live that truth, there can be some confusion about why others might not also see this obvious truth. Is this at all answering.

MIRIAM: Yes it is. It is helping me to understand like the broad scope. I was wondering about the break through Don and I had in our communication regarding his temper, and my reacting to it. I am hearing that I should just let it all be, and just be a participant, try to understand the gender thing. It felt like to me that all of that angst was for a purpose. It felt like a break through of understanding. I guess that was what I was asking.

ABRAHAM: In the beginning of our meeting this evening I had confirmed everyone's difficulty within the brotherhood which would lead towards self mastery. There is no better way towards learning self mastery than through having experience with your fellows. This is significant in your spiritual growth where it has opened your mind to receiving answers. I do not however recommend that you not react passively towards anothers anger, no. I would however ask that you be aware of your reactions and the origin from which it came. This is the beginning to understanding who you really are to create who you really want to be. Is this helping? (Yes. Focus on how I am reacting.) This all is integrated with my lesson this evening. It will become more clear. One more question.

RACHEL: Well Father Abraham, it seems to me like just the statement "self mastery" is a very broad statement. Are you speaking of self mastery as far as spirituality is concerned, self mastery if you are employed and you are out on your job, or self mastery with your own family, or is it a combination of everything?

ABRAHAM: Yes, a combination, but I would say that our lessons will focus mostly on self mastery over those spirit poisons that tend to keep you from knowing true spiritual freedom. It is well to read about the Master and His steps taken towards self mastery. I am slipping, and I would ask you to ponder upon who you are body, mind, and soul, to gain understanding of where you are in your spiritual work, and where you are headed. Until next week, shalom