Michael120505MarinTM_UrantiasQuarantine-CosmosOfPersonalBeings

Michael—December 5, 2005

Marin TM Group—Mill Valley, California—U.S.A.

MICHAEL—T/R-JL

1. (Urantia’s Quarantine)
2. (The Cosmos of Personal Beings)
3. (Michael’s and Mother Spirit’s Confidence in Us)
4. (In-here and Out-there)
5. (Taking Responsibility for Ones World View)
6. (Directness)
7. (Encountering Another’s Projections)
8. (Ones Free Will—inside)
9. (Accepting Responsibility)

MICHAEL: My beloved children, this is your father, Michael, Creator Son of Nebadon, parent, with Mother Nebadonia, of so many children now in our Local Universe. I think one of the greatest gifts of the Urantia book is the understanding it gives you of what a vast family you belong to, an understanding lost to your world for millennia.

(Urantia’s quarantine)

The Lucifer Rebellion occurred several hundred thousand years ago. Beings greater than Lucifer had the power to squash it, squash the rebellion instantaneously if They would have chosen to do so. But They too were following our Father’s example by mercifully providing time for all the rebel spirits to realize Their mistakes and rejoin the spiritual family They had cast Themselves apart from. So the Constellation level of authority chose to isolate the System, which had Lucifer as its head, and sever the lines of communication between the System’s Headquarters Worlds and those planets whose Leaders chose to follow Lucifer into rebellion.

This was a kind of spiritual quarantine to limit the rebellion. But all the rebel spirits were allowed sway, were allowed to present Their arguments without hindrance within this isolated System, until every single individual—ascendant human or Celestial on all the architectural and evolutionary worlds involved, were able to decide for themselves which side They were on. Only then did the leaders of the Constellation step in and exercise the power They had always had, and end the gross manifestations of the rebellion; but not of course all the after-effects. The individual planets which had joined the rebellion, of which Urantia is one, continued on in quarantine and ever greater darkness and chaos--in the case of your own planet, almost thoroughly erasing the three hundred thousand years of steady civilization that had preceded the rebellion. Humanity has been severely afflicted ever since. This was one of My great purposes, one mission I was instructed by My brother, Immanuel, to attempt during My life on your planet: to do My best to turn around the effects of the Lucifer Rebellion, starting My Correcting Time with the help of all My human companions. It has been enormously successful these last two thousand years. More change has come about than in the many thousands of years preceding this in terms of individual human rights being recognized by the enlarging social groups. All this is a bit of a digression to explain Urantia’s spiritual quarantine.

(The Cosmos of personal beings)

It awaited the advancement of your conceptual scientific and cosmic understandings, for you to be presented with the Urantia book’s broad outlines of how Urantia is just one of millions of inhabited evolutionary planets within Nebadon. We are very much aware of your current stage of scientific discoveries. We know how you thrill to feel you have discovered empirically even another single planet out there amidst the stars. And here We are telling you, you are just one of millions of inhabited planets within just one Local Universe, of which there are about seven hundred thousand in existence. And so We give you the concept and the feeling, the spiritual feeling of humility, not to make you feel small, but rather to introduce you to the glory of the Creation, tease you with some inklings of just how enormous it is. This is why We say humility is a spiritual blessing. It’s the feeling you get in the presence of something enormous. And so the wise person, the inwardly strong person identifies with this greater creation, and thanks the viewpoint being presented to help him or her get a greater comprehension of the nature of God.

In addition to this introduction to the other worlds with their comparable human kind of life, the textbook introduces you to a vast hierarchy of extra-human, extra-planetary Celestial beings and lets you know that They also are part of your family. For you too are a spiritual being. They are very much your elder brothers and sisters, who are also joyously anticipating the time when the citizens of your world will be able to realize--each and every one--what an enormous family they are part of. This is especially true for all the Celestial beings who have labored for thousands and thousands of years now to help overcome the most horrendous effects of the Lucifer Rebellion on Urantia. They especially are thrilled with these times now of the Fifth Epical Revelation, the adjudication of Lucifer and those of His cohorts who chose not to rehabilitate themselves, and now, with the ending of the spiritual quarantine, the Teaching Mission—thousands of Celestial beings volunteering for duty, for contact with the human races on Urantia. This is a stupendous undertaking now well under way, and We have devoted quite a few lessons to reassuring you that though the times to come may be somewhat tumultuous, the net effect is absolutely positive, and not at all in doubt.

This assurance We have, and We communicate to you, is largely due to what Mother Nebadonia mentioned last week, the fact that We do not see a human being only as an instantaneously changing living being in the present moment, but We are cognizant of each person’s entire past from before they were born. Mother Spirit herself experienced your mind contacting Hers one Adjutant at a time as your mind expanded so greatly in your childhood. Even the lowest angels can tell the exact moment a fragment of God comes to indwell your mind. We see all the dimensions that influence you, and We see how you react to so many of these dimensions which are still too subtle for you to perceive, yet which still have their effect upon you. This is why We have no doubt whatsoever of the outcome of the Correcting Time and the Teaching Mission. We see not only the potential that each of you has as a child of God with a potentially immortal soul, but we also see the day by day glory of your efforts, of your striving toward your ideals. We see how so much of your suffering is caused more by misdirection and immaturity than by any kind of fully known, mature self-reflection on your motives. As We have said before, We are following out God’s will in helping Him continuously create endless billions of brand new immature beings, just starting out in the universe, and having to learn everything right from the beginning.

And so We see how seemingly fragile is this thing called civilization, this thing called progress, and yet We know from Our experience on these millions of worlds of ours how tenacious and all unstoppable is the general trend of God’s whole universe; how supreme is the evolution and the growth of the Supreme Being, the soul of it all. This is Our faith in you, based on Our perception of your struggles.

(Michael’s and Mother spirit’s confidence in us)

So let Us repeat again, My children, nothing that happens to you is superfluous. Everything that happens is the result of both antecedent causality, more or less what you are presented with each moment, then how this is understood by you, and affected by your freewill decisions. This is what constitutes you a spiritual being—that you can create something new and thereby have a choice. And so as you come to rejoin the vast family you are being introduced to, know that even on those worlds which were not cursed with such a system rebellion, even on the worlds far, far advanced culturally and technologically to where Urantia will be someday, still the human situation is created by God to give meaning to the choices they too have to make; and that all trials are to strengthen you for eternity. This is why We say, be of good heart--Mother Spirit and I, and all Our Celestial children. We are right beside you, pulling with you. You no longer need to feel alone, either as an individual human being, or as one of the inhabitants of this very special planet. We bid you welcome to our vast Celestial family, and promise you the glorious surprise you will enjoy one day when you come to meet Us all face to face.

If you have any questions this evening--or comments, I am always gladdened we have these living conversations.

Student: Father Michael, one of my daughters seems to be having a unusual happening in her house. Do You think there is an energy presence there? She and the two children have actually seen something. I’ve assured her there is no such thing as evil spirits around any more, or ghosts, or that kind of thing. But it is still very unusual and no body seems to know what is going on. Would You care to comment on anything like that?

(In-here and out-there)

MICHAEL: Yes C, you are quite correct that, in the classical meaning of the word ghost as the spiritual part of a human who once lived in the world still hanging around after death, they do not exist. You are also correct that the rebel Midwayers have long since been gone from Urantia, along with their leader, the planetary prince Caligastia. I call to your mind that some of your social religions and philosophies have long made the observation, and then taught, that there is no hard line, no demarcation between the inside and outside of human experience. We’ve looked at this before in the phenomena of projection wherein you are literally encountering your own values, meanings, and interpretations as if they were outside of you. And so anyone who has a inner belief system--and everybody does--you all have your own way of interpreting reality--if this belief system includes ghosts or any other of a number of psychic phenomena, it is possible for them to actually experience these as exterior actualities. This is not to be ridiculed for, as I say, you are all doing this to some degree. No one can claim objectivity, at least not for a few million years of experience. And you are just starting out. (laughter)

But this is why the Urantia book has stated as it does rather categorically, that from the time a person dies to the time they are resurrected on the Mansion Worlds, the personality resides totally in the bosom of God, and has no existence that can cause any kind of phenomena, even the most spiritual and subtle, let alone cause, shall we say, floorboards to creak as they walk around. But someone who has a belief system that includes ghosts, can literally experience these things. They will be just as real to them as they are unreal to someone who does not share this belief. At heart do your best to reassure your daughter there is no danger, there is certainly nothing here to fear. See if you can tease her into being truly scientific in exploring these happenings, and being open to following the truth--wherever it leads her. Do you think this would help?

Student: Yes, I think it would help greatly. She does realize now there is no danger, or anything to fear, although it is a bit scary. At times it is so unusual, whatever’s going on, I think… I don’t know quite how to approach the subject of projection because… You’ve said it before and I’m beginning to realize just how much I project my stuff on others, and look at it as being real. I guess the question now is, how can I tell the difference between what is really out there, and I’m saying is out there--as it applies to just about anything, not just this particular instance with my daughter?

MICHAEL: There is no absolute way of knowing this, My son. Indeed this is a realm wherein relativity reigns supreme. What We call open-mindedness is being willing to entertain a number of proposed causes for any phenomena, and then meditating a bit. After looking at a lot of different descriptions or explanations of any phenomena, you can decide which fits in best with your whole life’s experience. Projection obviously refers not to the gross physical aspect of the objects in your field of view—the trees, a wall, a building, another person—these are definitely there and have an objective reality apart from you. But in the realm of mind, what do they mean to you? For without his meaning you would feel yourself to be insane. Yet this meaning is very personal and unique to you. It is the ability of great art to express this to another person, which is what your writers and musicians and painters, and so forth, this is what they do. They are able to express their own inner meaning to others.

On the spiritual level you have the spiritual realization of these three realms: beauty in the physical realm; truth in the realm of mental meanings, and goodness in the realm of spirit. When you see a beautiful object, or a beautiful person, you already have the saying that this is in the eye of the beholder. When you recognize the truth in what someone tells you, because it relates in so many ways to so much else you know to be true, you generally perceive this as if the statement is true in itself. And so too this happens when your heart warms to the goodness you perceive in another person. This is all projection. This is all part of what you are perceiving. And it is real. It’s absolutely real to you. But it’s origin, the recognition, is within yourself.

Some of your philosophers have gone so far in this realization of subjectivity to say you never actually experience the thing in itself, but only your reaction to it. This is overstating the case, for there definitely is a world out there, with definite features. This is why We encourage you to aware of this whole process, that you are co-creating your universe for yourself, along with God. Therefore you need to take responsibility for your universe. You can also see how this can lead you to the greatest humility of all. Realizing the enormity of what you yourself are co-creating and responsible for, can give you pause to ever push this upon another. When you come to think of it, this is exactly what is happening in what you call a totalitarian type of society, where a small group of individuals is capable of imposing their view of reality upon their fellows, usually totally devoid of the humility of realizing this is just their own construct--that they are killing others for. This realization is another mark of spiritual generosity--that you accept responsibility for your own world view. Does this help you understand the nature of what we mean by projection?

Student: Yes it does, very clear! Yes, it makes a great deal of sense, especially being responsible for my co-creation with the Heavenly Father of my own universe--how I perceive anyway. Thank You once more, Father.

MICHAEL: You’re very welcome, My son. I congratulate you on the humility with which you realize both the enormity of what you are creating, and the awesome responsibility for it.

(Taking responsibility for ones world view)

This marks the slow growth of maturity within the human race, for so much of the horror that is done, is done by those who do not realize their own subjectivity, and feel justified in doing any number of really terrible things in the name of what they are self-assured is absolute reality. This is the totally irreligious notion of, God On Our Side--as if God took sides this way.

The living realization of this process is a bit scary at first. The impact is almost as if the whole objective world is nothing but a bubble, an illusion. And indeed some entire metaphysics have considered it to be that. The world is a Maya--an illusion from which only an enlightened soul awakes, by this realization. But I assure you, you do at least approach objectivity by being aware of your own subjectivity. And in this you find true peace. For in this you are using My Spirit of Truth to find Me and My Peace. Keep seeking and praying for the truth, My son, and be in My peace. (Thank You, Father.)

Student: Dear Michael, I would just ask for advice in general, for tonight. Thank You. (What was that again, My son?) A word of advice, an appropriate encouragement, or practical insight.

MICHAEL (after a long pause): Well, My son, take encouragement that nothing seems to be standing out--(laughs)--as being terribly out of line. I sense you are growing. You have very strong ideals towards which you are striving.

(Directness)

I’d like to recommend one particular thing. In your relations with others, strive to be more direct, more to the point, more fearless in feeling what you yourself believe and understand; and not be afraid to express this directly as your opinion--rather than usually so round-about by way of something you have read, or some other person you know, to emphasize the point.

This is a bit what I was just explaining to C. It’s owning up to your own subjectivity, and then expressing it as that: this is my opinion. So it has the great advantage of admitting it is only your opinion. But it’s also more honest this way; it’s more direct. It gives others more of a feeling of who you are, rather than who you’ve read, or who said what--when. It demands of you a greater self-knowledge. Who is V? What does he believe?

So I think this will help you in your relationship with your sons, too. If you are more direct with them, you give them more a sense of who you are, and that you yourself are here--now. For you must first be that, in order to be there for them.

Does this help you, My son? Do you know what I mean now by being more direct, and less round-about in your thinking, and your presenting yourself?

Student: Yes. Father Michael, I was beginning to understand that as You talked to C. And I congratulate You on Your ability to, not only give encouragement, but at the same time give advice and insight. It’s a miracle to observe that. Thank You profoundly!

MICHAEL: I think if you put this into effect, you’ll find that you’ll have both more for yourself, and more for others, by this kind of emerging--if you will, coming into focus. Directness is really wonderful if it is coupled with humility. These are not contradictory facets of a person. The more you are aware of your own subjectivity, and take responsibility for it, and present it as such, this is just a greater honesty. It’s what you call, being up-front: being more of who you are right on the surface. If this is coupled with open-mindedness, this is how you can really learn. Put your own personal ideas and ideals out there. Be unafraid this way. Then be open, not only to this self-discovery in expressing who you are, but to a
willingness to be open to the feedback you get from others. So enjoy this new adventure, My son; and be in My peace. (Thanks again, very much!)

Student: Yes, Michael: a number of things. One, in relationship to what’s being talked about tonight, is that there’s nothing more, at least to me, more, for a lack of a better word…annoying than having someone tell me they know me; they know who I am. And whenever anyone says that to me, it’s like, how dare they? Because they don’t know who I am. What they’re expressing to me is their own projection--what You just talked about. And it may give me some insight about what I may do - some pattern which I will take into account. But when someone has read something, or just sees something that is familiar to them, that bothers me, because they don’t know. They’re discounting the many layers and levels of my consciousness, and of my life. And I would never have the audacity to say the same of another. You could say, I know who others are--but only in the context of spirit, that we are all spirit, we are all children of God. And they may have some understanding of my life history, but not know what goes on within, unless they tell me so. So that’s one thing. Do You wish to comment?

(Encountering another’s projections)

MICHAEL: You are giving classical examples of encountering someone else’s projections--especially if they just read a book on psychology and are now seeing you through all these new ideas and concepts.

The other way you encounter this is when you remind someone of someone else they once knew, or the situation is somewhat like one they were in before.

You encounter their projections intensely when they are literally seeing you, and reacting to you, as if you really were someone else.

Student: Yes, I’ve experienced all that, especially when you’re in an intimate relationship, and it seems like there’s a lot of residue from past relationships--usually the negative stuff. And when, in a sense, I may do something totally innocent, totally from the heart, but it brings up a memory, a pattern within themselves, and so instead of getting positive, loving feedback, I get negative feedback, and like how dare I do what I do, or say what I say--that kind of thing. So it takes a lot… Then I’m thinking in myself, I have no concept of what she’s talking about, or he’s talking about. That’s not where I’m coming from, so I don’t have any feeling for that. So it’s quite interesting watching the dynamics of that.

And also, the labeling of people, as You mentioned with psychology: they’re so into labeling. And it’s like in an ideogram--they’re labeling. They go around telling each other, Oh, you’re a four; or, you’re a five. And I’m probably all of that and none of that. It seems like people want to pigeonhole people to understand human beings better. And it may be true for a little bit; but then, it limits; it limit’s the human expression.

MICHAEL: So now you can understand why We have been emphasizing so much lately, seeing individuals as unique creations of God. We consider it a spiritual maturity to go from an adolescent relying upon these categories--whether they be religious, or cultural, or metaphysical--what Sign are you?--things like this where you feel the need to categorize individuals in order to get a grasp on them--to slowly gaining the maturity to realize that individuals are ultimately ungraspable. We’re all parts of the living body of God; He is in us. And so this is the great gift you give your fellows: to suspend, as much as you can, all these subtle judgments and categorizations.

Student: Yes! And I can see, like in the sense of cultural expression, and national expression… Like I know a couple of men who are from Afghanistan, and so there is that layer of understanding and the cultural experience that they have that is foreign to me. But I want to know that because it’s part of who they are. It’s not all of who they are, but it’s a part of who they are. And then you go deeper, and that we’re men. And then you go deeper than that and find that they are families; and go deeper, and then you just go to the source - that we are God. And so it’s just multi-layers of identity. And they’re all interwoven into this personality, but no one alone defines who they are.

MICHAEL: The peace I mentioned to V, in this understanding, is finally achieving the maturity to feel at home with the very un-graspable nature of each other; and to marvel at this, and let it be; just delight in this uniqueness. But this relies upon a trust in others, and a way of being continuously present yourself, so that when you encounter these projections from another, you can more or less recognize and disregard them, and just continuously, over and over again, relate to the living person in front of you. Be a kind of example of how to do this, to encourage them to join this delightful game of relating to folks as they are in all their unfathomable, ungraspable uniqueness.

Student: Yes, and I notice that when I’m able to do that, I look into their eyes, and see the depth of their souls, and see God, and see life.

There is one more thing. You mentioned about the Teaching Mission, and I know from myself over the past three to four years, how valuable and important it has been for me in my own growth--the insights I have gleaned from the words that have been spoken, whether it be You, Mother, Abraham, Welmek, Monjoronson. And…but I know it has been me who has done the work. I mean, one can read, and say, Oh great!--and then that’s it.

The reason why I mention this is because there seems to be a faction of people who tend to denounce the Teaching Mission, and think it’s a fantasy of the imagination of certain individuals. And they can be quite vicious about it. I’ve even had a person bring another person to denounce one of Your transmitters. But all I keep on telling these people is, just read the message. It’s always about love, growth, truth, beauty, spiritual enhancement. It’s never about betrayal, or mistrust, or evil. So it’s just unfathomable to me to question the validity of what is being said, regardless of who is saying it. And then, the Urantia book was channeled too; so, you know, I just want to say my piece! And I know everyone has free will about what they wish to believe. Thank You.

MICHAEL: My son, all these folks just give you such a great opportunity to practice the spiritual blessing of tolerance. It’s especially important to practice tolerance towards intolerant people. (laughter) Do this playfully, and stay light-hearted. Tease them out of it, if you can, because in this way you are showing them--you are literally presenting them with an example--the delight of someone who is a free spirit, who is ultimately trusting their own inner evaluation of the fruit of the vine. You know for yourself, from all your life’s experience, that the Divine--the Source, can be determined. The Divine can be determined by the fruit it bears.

(Ones free will—inside)

These are generally folks who are still so uncertain inside, who are still in a phase where the questioning of reality--that they feel they need for their own inner self-honesty--is so great, they don’t yet realize that it is part of their free will to be able to inwardly cut anything down--to destroy anything. Even the most profound truths can be denied. If this is ones orientation, think of the example of Lucifer, this brilliant Being who came to the point of denying God himself. You can wonder, how could such a Being be so wrong? Your text even informs you that many of His followers at first believed in Him through feeling that such a luminous Being could not possibly be wrong.

This is why tolerance is so essential toward those individuals who are not only questioning everything with a cutting intellect, but who are cynical as
well. If they cannot realize the truth that you know for yourself, let your heart be eased with the knowledge there is no way of proving this. Don’t feel a failure for not being able to do this. You are correct in realizing their free will. You can only state your opinion, as your opinion, and then be the example of someone with genuine humility. It could be they just haven’t encountered this enough.

In this, we never give up on folks. We pray for them, do our best to reach them, and also grant them freedom, freedom to be who they choose, or sometimes are incapable of choosing--who they are. And be in My peace.

Well, My children, I think this evening we touched upon an ideal, a vision of a peaceful world in which everyone accepts the responsibility for their own vision of things; both as a limit to their objectivity, but then too, to the glory of realizing what they are creating--what each of you is creating for yourself, moment by moment along with the objective reality that is God’s.

(Accepting responsibility)

The challenge becomes one of, how can we get folks to relinquish this illusion of objectivity they cling to for the power it gives them, the power to do things to others, and not accept a responsibility that is theirs, and theirs alone? For them, the realization is a weakness. Yet to believe that one has God on ones side, to experience reality as if generalizations of race, or cultural, or sex, are in some way absolutely real, and therefore somehow entitle one to act violently upon them: this is the psychological foundation of intolerance, and terror.

So, first of all, primarily and fundamentally, do your best not to be a fundamentalist yourself. (laughter) Never assume you have the absolute, final word on anything. Stay open. Keep the living touch with life itself. Welcome variety. Perceive individuals. Wonder about that demarcation between in-here and out-there; and watch as it moves about as a function of your consciousness.

What a great and glorious reward there is in humility: the enormity of what you can perceive just keeps getting larger. So be at peace, My children, in this living adventure that has no end: no outer limits: no inner limits either! Good evening.

All: Good evening, Michael.

END