Tomas Vol II - Pocatello, Idaho - Feb 24, 1995  thru  Jun 02, 1995  - Part 4 of 6

POCATELLO, IDAHO

VOLUME II, Part 4 of 6

February 24, 1995 - June 2, 1995

C O N T E N T S

Date	Topic	Page
February 24	Swim Against the Tide	1
March 3, 1995	Morontia Companionship	8
March 10, 1995	Feelings and Emotions	14
March 17, 1995	The Emotional Universe	20
March 24, 1995	Times of Transition	26
March 31, 1995	Limits	31
April, 7, 1995	Alignment	37
April 14, 1995	Key to a New Life	44
April 21, 1995	Surfing the wave	50
April 28, 1995	Influence and Disappointment	58
May 5, 1995	Include the World	65
May 19, 1995	Graciousness and Truth	72
May 26, 1995	Q & A and TR Practice	81
June 2, 1995	Trust	91
	[End of Vol. II, Part 4 of 6]	99

This Volume covers Tomas' two-year Internship with Daniel and dates from the time he was invited to come to Southeast Idaho to co-teach with Daniel until he was assigned by Rayson to his own teacher base; that sojourn will be presented in Volume III.

Rutha is TR#1, Gerdean is TR#2, Isaac is TR#3 and PamElla is TR#4 except when otherwise indicated.  Every session opens and closes with a prayer, not included. 

 POCATELLO, IDAHO
VOLUME II, Part 4 of 6

*****

DATE:  February 24, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Swim Against the Current

DANIEL:   Greetings my friends. I am Daniel, your guide, your teacher. As in the past, Tomas and I will again state our joy in being able to serve in this Teaching Mission and to serve in this capacity for this group. The environment in which you live is one that daily changes not only climatically but also economically, politically, socially and spiritually. It is a part of your plight/job as a mortal to walk the path in faith and trust despite the environment, its good or its bad. And those of you how continually nurture yourselves through the stillness and the desire to understand a greater purpose are those who are able to allow the environmental changes and fluxes to not destroy you but rather only add to the experience of a mortal life.

As teachers we cannot be specific and give pat answers. We cannot say you must do this or that for that is not the decree in a system of free agency. Our mission is to provide for you an understanding that there is far more to the environment than the material finite awareness. Those who understand this dual nature and who incorporate as much as possible the divine aspect into their material life will find that there are serendipitous experiences and that the upholding of the universes is under the guiding hand of the First Source and Center.

This has been borne out for Gerdean this week in her experience of knowing connectedness. Truly as mortals you must become aware that the collective unconscious of your being is like a receiver of broadcasts from others. Likewise you are like a transmitter, transmitting your own thoughts and patterning. How wise of you to remember this. For if all could raise their attitude, their response, their feelings to a higher plane then the unconscious transmitting from their being would provide productive connections to others. Tomas is here this evening and will provide some words. We jointly wish to welcome you here this evening. Tomas?

TOMAS:   Good evening my friends. We are, indeed, gratified by your presence, your congregation. The satisfaction we feel is sincere. I, indeed, do have words for you this evening pertaining to your sojourn through life. In your recent studies of humanity, in your conscious noticing of inhumanities, indiscretions, and intolerances you see how thickly your realm is layered with work needing done, needing to be accomplished. Children, your capacities are not such that you can do all that needs to be done. But I do call your attention to the part in the Urantia   book that speaks about 'Why the heathen rage' for their goal is immediate and many of these situations which you have studied of late you have seen where the offense is caused by your fellows stepping on the toes of others. You are not to ignore work which can be done nor are you to hide perpetually in the sanctuary of stillness. But how then to proceed and prevail when the energies are so great and you are so small?

Little tadpoles, we are teaching you to swim against a current. We are strengthening your muscles. We are gradually bringing you into stride as spiritual adults. You may take charge of your own system of being by acknowledging your dependence upon the power which will make your acts possible. Taking the Kingdom by storm is not myth, is not idle chatter, is not social grace but is made possible by your confidence in your supernal guides, your spirit cousins, your mortal peers, your Creators.

The assertion of truth has been long denied. It is an exercise which also requires toning of the spiritual muscle. Truth, you see, can be brought down to relative levels of functioning. And the truth of the Kingdom, the Fortress, the Paradise of your existence and your potential destiny is so great as to require great personal conviction, stamina and courage to withstand the whirling energy spasms which surround you.

In your doings, in your ponderings, in your submerged desires to affect your world for Him who sends you forth take stock and bravely assay that which you feel guided/led to do or say. Trust your responses. Trust your reflections. Trust yourself that your decision to follow His will has been made by a genuine human being and a unified personality. I conclude my remarks regarding Kingdom building for now. Again, I appreciate this wonderful opportunity to not only serve as a teacher, but to witness the out-workings of these growth lessons and to perceive those effects resonate on high. Daniel.

DANIEL:   Thank you, Tomas, for your strong and wise words. This evening we will again continue our series on forgiveness.  While many can and often do deem this as an easy action, one that can flippantly be put on a back agenda, one that does not hold many facets of understanding, they are in error, for forgiveness is an essential part of the experience of being human. My friends, tonight we will look at the aspect of forgiveness from the standpoint of change. I will not elaborate greatly but I do wish to make a point that I hope you will commit to memory, will commit to your inner being, and that is this.

Many people become stuck on a level where they cannot progress, cannot learn, and cannot experience the many opportunities afforded the material existence because they will not forgive. The act of forgiving frees the individual so that progress, growth, and steady movement forward can take place. How many times in your life have you stayed on a platform because you could not forgive?

This week Tomas and I ask you to consider the importance of being able to change and grow, and the importance of being able to let go and forgive in order that change may occur. I ask you to commit this idea to memory, for history and human psychology has proved time and again that this is a great stumbling block toward growth. The floor is now open for questions.

PamElla:  Daniel, I thank you very much for your statements on forgiveness and change/growth. I felt like they struck home. My question is a practical question, how to do that. I know that this is a stumbling block in my life I know I pray for the willingness to forgive and I pray for the recognition of the situations I need to forgive. It all becomes very overwhelming and I don't feel like I am forgiving or moving or progressing at all! I am wondering if I really don't have the willingness and I am only fooling myself. I don't really know what my question is other than that I do recognize in my being the importance of forgiveness. But I am not really sure what it is and I am not really sure how to do it.

DANIEL:   Question understood. In answering this question there are many approaches I could make. First to you, PamElla, and to all of you: the ability to recognize the need to forgive is a great step in that process. The ability to ask, to be led, to know what needs to be forgiven and how to go about it is also a great step. For in recognition of such you are placed on the level where action can then be taken. The inability or non-recognition of the need to forgive places one down into that area where change cannot occur.

Often in the process of forgiving it is necessary for you to have understanding of the causes, the events, and the situations. Understanding gives you perception of the action and how it originated, what precipitated the action, etc. It helps one to know in order that you can place yourself in a zone of trying to be compassionate, trying to be tolerant, trying to be understanding.

Once you are able to afford some understanding then trying becomes passé and actually doing or being is the next step. When you recognize that much of the hurt or the situation that needs to be forgiven stems from another's inability to love themselves, or love another, from another person's inability to understand themselves as well, from the other's lack or self esteem, then this helps you to depersonalize the nature of the hurt. Depersonalizing the hurt aids you in being able to rise above the infraction and eventually to get on with forgiving.

It is not uncommon; it is natural for you to experience many kinds of emotions: anger, hate, fear, unknowingness, and even revenge. This is part of your animal nature. It is part of being human. This is where the ability to choose how you will react comes in. You will have these feelings, but you can choose these or you can choose the opposite of anger, the opposite of revenge, the opposite of hate. When you have raised your consciousness to this level you undoubtedly are working through inner guidance.

The process of forgiveness can be very quick or it can go on for a long time. Inner guidance is direction, when it is called upon to be, when one sits in that space and asks, listens, and then trusts. It is the experience of truly working through having to forgive a real hurt that gives you much soul growth, builds much character, tempers the spirit in those wonderful attributes or tolerance, compassion and seeing a much broader picture. It helps one to see past the action that was done by realizing that the action that was done, even though it was done by another person, was just that, an action; that the other person, like you, is struggling, is learning, is trying to come from a lower place to a higher place but often gets stuck and does not know which way to go.

Being able to forgive a person or a situation does not necessarily mean that you condone or support that which was done. Even Christ Michael realized that there are certain evils, sin, and iniquity which even He could not find to forgive, however, the person who committed such could be forgiven.

Often in your dealings with forgiveness you do not have the real dramatic or traumatic, but life can be fickle here. These traumatic things can be easier to forgive than the common everyday irritations. Which ever it be, the dramatic or the commonplace, seek the silence first, recognizing there needs to be forgiveness, working through and questioning and through guidance coming into action. Has this helped?

PamElla:   Yes, Daniel, this has helped very much. As you spoke first about needing understanding I realized my reaction sometimes is that I do have understanding about all of the things that you said and my reaction is to be angry about it because it doesn't fit in with how I would like things to be. And then when you talked about the anger and the animal stuff and getting to choose I realized that perhaps I am preferring to remain angry and not really wanting to forgive. The other thing that I noted as it was discussed before is that I find it so much easier to forgive what other people also recognize and will apologize for or make claim to or acknowledge. I find it hardest to forgive and where I want to remain angry is in what is not acknowledged. I guess that is what I need to overcome in myself is that desire to remain angry and justified in the lack of acknowledgment of situations or transgressions or whatever. And certainly you have said very, very much. I went through a series of emotions and then I realized I still have a long way to go in my willingness. I need to work on that. Thank you.

DANIEL:   To add to your comments. Indeed, it is much easier, as you said, to forgive one who is willing to admit error. It is those who do not recognize error or are not able to admit error or concede, etc., that are the most difficult. These are your brothers and sisters that need your prayers and understanding the most. Those of you who have raised children recognize that when a child is at its worst is when it is the hardest for you to hold back conditions and to love unconditionally. Yet at that moment of a child's life is when the love is needed the most. Can you not see that your brothers and sisters in these kinds of situations need your love and support even more? Prayers that they can begin to question, that they can delve into their own aspect of who they are and the purpose of life.

PamElla:   Yes Daniel. I can see that. Thank you very much. It has been very enlightening.

Leetah:   Daniel, I appreciated your phrase that forgiveness is not just one shot. I sit here thinking in terms of what you have said tonight and I surely do realize that forgiveness comes and goes in a relationship. And I know that is dependent sometimes on communication and understanding that is going on. So I just appreciate so much your comment and the fact that I can sit here knowing that my humanity must forgive many times so that...I guess I feel imperfect right now. Because of that I need to be reminded or remind myself that forgiveness does come and go in relationships.

DANIEL:   Indeed, a relationship is an ongoing thing. A relationship changes moment by moment. Therefore your ability to remain in a relationship requires change and moving forward as well which often does require forgiveness. Let me add also to your comment regarding communication.

This is a very difficult topic. Even the teachers in this mission realize how important the chosen word in communicating can be. All of you must realize that in relationships with one another each individual is coming into your life with a different set of experiences, a different set of values, a difference sense of phrasing and communicating. Therefore it becomes very important that when you deal with others and you communicate with others that you are clear about what is being said and what isn't. Reading information into a statement that is not there can trigger many, many instances where forgiveness must play a part. And so be mindful of how you speak, what you speak, and also be mindful of your brothers and sisters when they speak to you. Often what they say lightly and airily can come across to you as being something different because of your perspective. Communication is also an ongoing process that you will find quite exciting as your traverse the universes! The ability to make that connection of what is and what isn't treads a very fine line.

Leetah:   Thank you very much, Daniel. I do have one other thought. And I think I probably misunderstood but I would like it clarified for myself. Did I hear correctly that people were forgiven but even Christ Michael could not forgive? It just kind of was a red flag to me because I can never conceive of Christ Michael as unable to forgive. I don't know if I just misunderstood or that was a communication problem!! Thank you.

DANIEL:   It was TR interference. Christ Michael cannot condone certain actions. Being able to forgive the person who perpetrates such an action is readily forgiven. There are errors and evils within the framework of society that do not belong or cannot be part of the First Source and Center's domain. Therefore, there rests upon the Ancients of Days certain judgement calls to be made and those who cut themselves off from the flow to the First Source and Center are no longer a part of the ascension. Extinction is the bottom line. Those actions that perpetuate [one] being closed off from the Source time and time again into iniquitous reality are therefore in great trouble. While they can surely be forgiven, these sins which they have perpetuated are not able to be a part of the realm of the First Source and Center. Is this communication clear enough for you?

Leetah:   Yes, Daniel. That is what I thought was meant. I just needed some clarification and I thank you very much.

DANIEL:   You are most welcome.

Paula:   Daniel, last week when we were talking about forgiveness and the pain of unforgiving or unforgiveness, and I think I want to talk primarily about the pain of being unforgiving, when we have forgiven then we can remember the incident but we don't remember the pain. I guess I would like to have you talk a little bit more about residual pain, what that might be after the forgiveness. I keep wanting to go back -- well if there is still pain then you haven't forgiven, but that doesn't sound right either. Could you say a little bit more about that please?

DANIEL:   Certainly. For all of you there has been in your lives some kind of physical pain. I use this as an analogy. For women who have borne children, the pain of childbirth is a prime example that while time removes the sensation and the immediate feel of childbirth, when you stop and remember, you can remember the pain even though your don't feel the pain. In forgiveness it is often this way. You have this residual back-flash. And there might be instances where you might even begin to experience the pain, but it would never be the full intensity of what you felt prior to forgiveness.

Part of your being at this point in time is a brain that does have memory. Your body is a living organism. Living organisms always feel. You as a living organism are able to feel and recall. You have memory. The memory is what you are feeling. You are not feeling the actual event; you are only recalling and feeling a memory of that actual event. Therefore you may have completely forgiven and still be able to recall and have that memory.

That is a gift, the gift of memory, for it helps not only to bring back that which was painful but also that which is joyful. Your memory helps you to realize and keep you on track of who you are and your purpose. Does that help?

Paula:   Yes, thank you.

PamElla:   Daniel, that was very helpful. I just want to clarify then between tonight's answer and last week's lesson. Is that prior to forgiveness the pain we are experiencing as if it were still happening to us? And that after forgiveness the pain we might feel is the memory of the pain, and it's different than the actual pain prior to forgiveness, is that correct?

DANIEL:   Your statement is mostly correct. I will caution you here though to remember that time also plays a factor. If you are needing to forgive something that has happened in your past there is often because of time a dulling of the initial pain. However, the pain that you feel is still real, indeed.

PamElla:   Thank you, Daniel. I think I will need to think a little further because now I am confused about when we know we have, in fact, forgiven, if we are talking about forgiving old pain, if old pain prior to forgiveness is dulled by time anyway, and then if after forgiveness we still experience the pain. I guess I had been under the same impression that Paula had that if we still had the pain we hadn't completely forgiven.

DANIEL:   Let me step in here and remind you if you have worked through forgiveness you may, as we stated before, have to forgive in increments, that the forgiveness may not be all in one time frame, but may take a while. That is one forgiveness. If you have forgiven totally or have worked on forgiveness then little by little you lose the sharp edge of the hurt and little by little you are forgiving in increments and part of that which you are feeling can be a memory.

It becomes very confusing, becomes almost a twilight zone in deciding what is real and what isn't. What is real is the moment! If you wish to continue to live in the past then you will feel the recall of the past hurt. If you have already forgiven then you are in the moment. If you have forgiven you will be able to move on, you will be able to leave the past behind you.

Do not confuse that with coming to terms with a forgiveness that you have not dealt with but you are now realizing needs to be done. Do you see?

PamElla:   Yes, Daniel. That was helpful. Thank you.

Paula:   Daniel, it occurs to me that if it is so I am very grateful, that the pain is not the only measure of whether one has worked through forgiveness. I would suspect that the peace that you were talking about last week is also an indicator as well, so that it is nice to have more than one reference point for whether forgiveness has taken place or not.

DANIEL:   Certainly. There are other indicators besides peace or pain to forgiveness. Each path is individual. Each grievance and each ability to forgive is different.

Paula:   I was wondering what those indicators were when you were mentioning others. Can you elaborate on that?

DANIEL:   There can be anger; there can be hostility; there can be desire to seek revenge; there can be intolerance; there can be deliberate misunderstanding or misinterpretation; there can be immediate wall building. And of course I have reported the negative here. The opposite would be a way of knowing whether or not one has forgiven: one who has hated and now finds love. Are you seeing?

Paula:   Yes. My question was about other indicators that it had been worked through. I do see the opposite of that. The other thing that occurred to me is that in your talk I believe you mentioned something about – um... I can't remember exactly what it was but when you were talking about the opposite of revenge and those sorts of things, I kept thinking about the word love. But then I thought that maybe the opposite of revenge is forgiveness. Maybe the opposite of hate is forgiveness. Love would be that vehicle and that all inclusive circle of the First Source and Center that would accompany all that. The fact that forgiveness was the opposite of hate was new to me. So that was interesting for me.

DANIEL:   There are many connections when one tears apart a concept. Whenever concepts or ideas are torn apart not only is there diversity but there is also a great unity.

Paula:   That is certainly evident, isn't it; from all the things we have talked about, the diversity of how it is expressed and then the unity of that love. Thank you, Daniel.

DANIEL:   It is a joy for us teachers when students can recognize and see that which we are presenting in not one puzzle piece but in the whole puzzle; that it is not just in the box but also the paper and the bows that wrap the package. Tomas and I are blessed with students who enjoy the wrappings as much as the box.  (Laughter) Tomas, will you please close this meeting?

TOMAS:   Gracious listeners and comrades in the Spirit both visible and invisible, we have again attained a modicum of mota for mastication. It is with murmurings of affection that we draw to a close. The bit on communication has intrigued me for I wish to say that no matter how eagerly we apply our concepts to you, no matter how diligently we construct our concepts and propose them into sentences which are receivable to your ear it is in how you perceive what we have said that measures our success as communicators. We therefore gratefully acknowledge your attendance and your efforts to understand and adopt as your own these teachings from your loyal supernal teachers. We go with you as you go about your affairs until we gather again. Good night. 

*****

DATE:    March 3, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, MORONTIA COMPANION, TOMAS, KLARIXISKA
TOPIC:  Morontia Companionship

DANIEL:   Greetings my friends, I am Daniel, your guide and teacher. Welcome to this gathering this evening. It is our joy to be with you in sharing your week as we travel amongst you and then to be witness to your sharing before this lesson time. Truly you have a very united and bonded group. Truly you are each unique individuals. It is an analogy to say that as you watch television series shows or as you read a book there is character development. As we watch and listen to your comments do we see your individual characteristics shine forth and we feel also the love and respect you have for one another. You rejoice in each others up times. You are compassionate in others down times. Your ability to feel for one another is growing and connecting in ways you are not always conscious of. Truly you are a cohesive, well matched and strong group.

This evening's lesson will transgress from the heavy lessons of the last few weeks. Tomas is here as well as several others. I will turn this floor over that others may speak at this time.

MORONTIA COMPANION:  Good evening, friends assembled. I am a visitor. I have visited with you before and spoken with you before. I am a Morontia Companion and am not named.

The break from the lesson plan has afforded me the opportunity to be with you a time. The merits of my station are such that we Companions find our greatest opportunity for being when you cease your growth struggles, when you have come to a period of rest, repose, and comfort. Your teachers, indeed much of the organism of ongoing life is occupied with stimulating your growth, with challenging your thinking and decision making processes. You have recently studied how many entities are specifically engaged in making your lives more difficult to bring about your own growth, but we Companions have the decided privilege of simply being with you in your times of rest. We are not the same as Reversion Directors, no, but we are most appreciative of humor and diversion. We are supporters of a type of relaxation and community engagement which is supportive of your well being as a group and as individuals.

Morontia Companions have been known to give lessons as they, we, are companionable, philosophic, and wiser. Therefore we enjoy sharing our knowledge and encouraging your growth. But our primary purpose is to visit, to sense your realities and encourage your morontial reality, your developing selfhood. Unlike your teachers we are not in a situation to invite growth promoting questions. Yet as in any conversation that you might have among yourselves it is always deemed appropriate to inquire of one another as to your thoughts, opinions, or circumstances; and we are no exception in that context. It is perhaps a subtle suggestion that the teachers, Daniel and Tomas, have afforded me the opportunity to meet with you this evening as a respite from your struggles.

In your destiny career you will come to rely more and more upon Morontia Companions as compatible inspirations in learning how to spend more quality gracious time with yourself and each other. There is not a constant and incessant clamor for improvement and soul searching and spirit grasping in the presence of Morontia Companions. Of course I am not suggesting that your teachers are brutal or work you too hard for your own loyalties and hunger to grow provide you all with that ability to carry on in the fashion that you do so well together. We observe from our armchairs and discuss your growth. Indeed, your teachers often enjoy the company of us in their reflections on your growth and potential. (Long pause)

I am not gone. I am still here, although the TR could not find me for an instant. I am, however, resuming my armchair position. I would invite you to learn the ways and means of morontia companionship.

KLARIXISKA:   Many thanks to our unnamed guest this evening. I am Klarixiska. I have been afforded this time slot appropriately this evening to speak with you regarding the ability to be light hearted, to let go and not take yourselves so seriously. During the course of your week all of you find yourselves engaged in activities, in situations, in trying to fit more into seemingly less and less time. It is our hope and our work to convey to you that, yes, life is busy; a commitment made is one that needs to be fulfilled; however, there is a point at which you must look at commitment and at times scale back those things which only contribute to stress building and create within you a sense of 'have to' rather than a sense of 'wanting to' or fulfillingly doing. Time away, a period of rest, a time of laughter helps in bringing the body, mind, and spirit back into an alignment which will benefit not only your schedule and your relationships but also your own ability to further your study of knowing yourself and of finding your way along the path to following God's calling.

I would like to ask each of you this week to look at the lighter side, to allow more humor and laughter within your life. It has great healing potential as well as allowing the body to forget the stresses of an ongoing busy life. Your ability to allow laughter, humor and lightness also is freeing and by means of doing so you actually find a way to free up time slots that had previously seemed booked.

My words this evening are not being conveyed as picturesquely as I would like. However, I know that you are all understanding perfectly well the intent. The joyousness and the laughter of the time before this teaching lesson was a wonderful healing and productive part of this meeting. It is welcomed and should not ever be considered the opposite, for those who are able to laugh and see the humor in situations are understanding and sensing on a higher level. So be joyous and as the song goes, 'be happy'.
TOMAS:   Good evening, I am Tomas. I am pleased to speak with you, as always. This evening reminds me and many of us of our Monday afternoon sessions in that the format is less formal and more open to visiting energies and personalities. This, in itself, is a diversion and a break in the routine. Any break in a routine is a pause to perceive life from an altered vantage point. The more often you in your busy days stop to smell the roses, ponder the presence of spirit personalities such as the Companions, or find some humor as has been suggested by our associate Klarixiska, you have the opportunity to give thanks and step forward anew as if you had spent a moment in the shower in your mind and emerged refreshed.

The rewards and benefits of developing spiritual muscles as we have been doing involves also the realization of fitness, strength, confidence and a rightful sense of well being. These qualities of being are realized effectively through lightheartedness and humor, through laughter, through love. As we have all repeatedly advised, the phrase, 'be of good cheer', an admonition to radiate your joy, is a result of your beingness, not a job that you must feel you must do.

DANIEL:   I am Daniel. Tomas and I are now available for any questions.

Leetah:   Good evening, Tomas and Daniel and Klarixiska and the Morontia Companion. Thank you very much for this diversion and for the reminder that it is good to laugh and to not take ourselves so seriously. I truly appreciate all the comments and especially hearing Klarixiska from another TR is really encouraging to me. Thank you very much.

DANIEL:   Your comments are noted and Klarixiska sends you her love and her admiration.

Leetah:   Thank you.

Isaac:   This is Isaac. Everyone, thank you all (without listing all your names) for being here and the others that are here but didn't speak. It occurred to me and I would like commentary on, if you desire, the relationship, perhaps, of taking ourselves too seriously and being unwilling to forgive. To me it seems like they might have some sort of correlation. Am I on to anything with that? (Pause) Perhaps I should elaborate a little bit. What I am thinking about is a sense of offended honor... 'I have been offended and I am so important and take myself so seriously that I will not forgive!'  I am using this in a hypothetical sense. That's what I was referring to.

DANIEL:   Indeed there is a correlation in what you say. Forgiveness is a many faceted process. Those who feel they are above, those who feel they are unto themselves do, in fact, regard themselves and take themselves too seriously. When one is able to view themselves from the understanding that life is not perfect, that they are not perfect, that their brothers and sisters are not perfect, that situations are not perfect, there is then a sense of incongruity, a sense of irony, a sense that not everything can be viewed therefore from one perspective. And, in a sense, this is the basis for humor, being able to see through the cracks, the crevices, being able to realize that in spite of what is on the surface, that underneath there can be something more. And it is those who are able to grasp this sense, to maybe even see a little humor in what has transpired who will undoubtedly find forgiveness to be an easier process. Of course, each situation is different. Not every situation can be remedied through humor. But there are far more situations in which humor can be a catalyst in helping one to forgive if only so much seriousness could be laid aside. And so in your words, Isaac, there is truth.

TOMAS:   I have been asked by the Morontia Companion to remark further in response to your hypothetical situation of aspiring for forgiveness. He suggests the merits of companionability that in a heartfelt yet lighthearted conversation, one with the other, many grievances may be put to rest, which grievances are resultant from lack of understanding. For in understanding your fellows you begin to love them and many times your alienations from your fellow beings are a result of not understanding clearly how you have affected others or they have affected you.

Many times a conversation can bring about the probing and congealing factors that heal the core of misunderstanding and the light of truth can then be conveyed/portrayed in furtherance of your communication. Unfortunately, the lower natures are not inclined to communicate and the more advanced natures have inexperience and fears of expressing how their integrity has been besmirched by the misunderstanding. The human mind in harmony with the evolving soul is a real and yet sometimes fragile reality. The wise being knows with whom he has come into contact; and whether or not to defend his or her realities against this assault is something to ponder, for many assaults are not worth the effort to attempt a reconciliation. These have been the remarks from one experienced in working through barriers of understanding.

Isaac:   Thank you both for your words. I am going to look forward to reading them in print which will help me ingest fully their meaning.

Leetah:   One of the things that you just said reminded me of the many times when I had felt there had been a break in a certain relationship and I have wanted to try and bridge that break. I found I was talking to people or persons who absolutely did not understand where I was. Part of my problem is that I expect everyone to be thinking as I am thinking or feeling in a situation as I am feeling, and it just isn't true. I would like you to comment on that if you understand what I am saying.

TOMAS:   I understand our desire to communicate, yes. You are not the only one who suffers under this misconception. It is common but it is not fatal. I would respond somewhat by saying that the sensitive and connected are more likely to be on a similar wavelength, as you might say, in terms of understanding. The sensitive and imaginative being has more depth perception and reads more into his or her communications or attempts at communications or responses to communications for and with other human beings. The more dense are those who are not as intrigued by the differing layers of potential and actual in any display of communication, not only in words but in gestures and in energy outpourings. Those of you who are becoming intertwined as a result of your individual and group commitments to serve the Father, to honor the Mother, to work the plan are being upheld and supported in your understandings. These communications, these networks, these circuits make you even more sensitive to the possibilities.

Do not be dismayed when you are misunderstood. This is a condition of your (plural) imperfection, relative perfection at this point in time. It is getting better! The communications are improving daily. Look forward to the time when those with whom you interact merge more completely with an understanding of what goes on between you in your communications. Has that addressed your concern?

Leetah:   Yes, Tomas, thank you. I'm not sure it was a concern but I just realize that many times I put my foot in my mouth because of the lack of understanding from others that I want. Thank you very much.

TOMAS:   You are welcome.

PamElla:   Tomas, you said not to be dismayed when we are misunderstood. I find that very difficult to do! I am very dismayed when I am misunderstood!! And I am frustrated. In depends in what context the misunderstanding is and how big of a misunderstanding. But when the misunderstandings are such that the realities totally differ it just seems completely unbridgeable to me. I am not meaning to say that I should be dismayed but I don't understand how not to be!

TOMAS:  I appreciate your remarks. In saying, 'do not be dismayed', I realize that such is often the case; and that not being dismayed at being misunderstood is something to attain, as well as enjoy. But it is not impossible to experience letting go of misunderstandings.

You have answered your question somewhat by acknowledging that there are varying degrees of importance attached to whether or not you are understood. In some cases it is a matter of reconstructing your communication so that it is better understood by the recipient. In some cases no matter how clearly you communicate what it is you need to convey it will not be received by the recipient of your communication. This is the difficulty, for sometimes it is not that you have not conveyed yourself clearly but it is that they refuse to hear what you are trying to say.

This is something we teachers know intimately for you can conjecture that we say many things that fall upon seemingly deaf ears. However, we have great faith in you and in Supreme reality. For although these words may seem to fall upon deaf ears, they have been heard in some deep corner, in some deep recess. And the same is true in your communication with your fellow beings. For if you have with deep sincerity conveyed your reality to another as clearly and lovingly as possible that message has been heard in some deep recess of that entity. And although the response may not be immediately forthcoming in time you may be immediately assured that the tentacle of communication will reach out and acknowledge that reality. These are the fingers of circuitry which we are working upon in our group efforts and in our mission. Communications.

PamElla:   Thank you, Tomas. I believe that what you say is true. I feel like I am operating under different time constraints as a material being than all of you are as morontial beings. (Laughter)

TOMAS:   All you have told me is that you acknowledge your impatience.

PamElla:   Yes, I was acknowledging that too but... There is impatience but I do think there is a distinction there because there are certain things that if not attained materially will never occur, because we do have, according to the Urantia Book, this one material existence, and then we have morontial existence becoming more and more spirit. So, yes, I am impatient about material things.

TOMAS:   You are not alone. [Long pause]

DANIEL:   At this time this meeting will be called to an end. In concluding, let me say this. As your teachers of the last three years we have spent many a time in this aspect of communicating. And while there have been times when the clarity has not been manifested we of the Teaching Mission are grateful that you are willing to look past the inadequacies of this type of communication to the greater purpose, and that it to find the truth that will set you free within our words. And with that I am being most serious.

In the lighter vein that we have spoken about of seeing humor, joyousness, and lightheartedness in your life, you must all agree that communication in its many forms, its many irregularities affords you many opportunities to chuckle and laugh and feel good. Think back to the instances of how children can only understand from one perspective and how they misunderstand many adult situations because of their limited perspective, and the lightheartedness which that creates.

And so in concluding, allow that even the inconsistencies and the defects of communication, while they should be serious, can also be taken lightheartedly. Go this week and see the lighter side. Rejoice in each day. Think a happy thought, a humorous thought. Override the tendency to bring in the negative. In peace and love we all say good evening.

*****

DATE:   March 10, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Feelings and Emotions

DANIEL:   Greetings my children, I am Daniel, your guide and teacher.  It is this continuous, on-going communication between yourselves and your teachers and me in this fashion, that brings into your lives a continuity and a stabilizing effect, that does carry you through the unfolding of life.  In joy I greet you this evening.  In love I gather you in my spiritual arms and in compassion I understand your joys as well as your struggles.  I am pleased to be here with you today.

Tonight I would like to address this group regarding the aspects of feelings and emotions.  Part of your basis of existence lies in the aspect of your being able to feel and emote.  This is for the most part to you something that is conscious, stemming from your material existence.

The feelings that you have on this plane and the emotions are not in the same category as that of a morontial being or a spiritual being.   Morontial and spirit beings do have more extensive perceptions and feelings that are very much a part of their being as are the feelings and emotions that you experience in your material sense.  You are often able to segregate your feelings in some aspects between the joy of your spirit life and the reality of your human condition.  Those of you on this plane who are able to comprehend and envision greater depth of being and purpose are able to allow feelings and emotions to not completely dominate your being, but in a sense you are able to rise above those negative undesirable aspects of feeling or emotion which tend to imprison your progress.

My words are not to confuse you and imply that you should not pay attention to or should not have feelings and emotions.  What I am purporting to you this evening is that you realize that often those areas in your life which cause the most emotion and feeling are those areas  you may need to work on.  And of course I will backstep a moment here to say that emotions that stigmatize you and paralyze you are the ones that will cause the most difficulty in your progress.  Those emotions and feelings that bring forth the higher good are not those that I am speaking about.  It is my hope that you are seeing the difference between progressive, good emotions and feelings as opposed to those that are stagnant, cause deterioration or cause one to become inappropriately dysfunctional.

Feelings that cause you to be angry, feelings that cause you to be intolerant, to be unhappy, those that bring forth a negative response in your being can be put to beneficial use if used appropriately and with understanding.  If, for instance, you are growing angry time and again at a certain situation, if you will but stop to consider why and work through the various questions that will help you to either correct the situation, to rectify it, or in some manner be able to move beyond the anger into a more beneficial reaction.  Therefor, do not feel guilt or shame at your feelings but rather take note of and use this opportunity to understand another aspect of your being and therefor another aspect of your ongoing path to enlightenment.

Feelings generate many responses.  The bottom line is how you choose to react to these.  Failure to question and to seek answers will in the long run prevent you from moving forward.  You will be like a car in a ditch spinning your wheels, never able to move beyond, only feeling the effects of the emotion emitted.  Life continues to unfold with daily opportunities to question and to grow into greater self-understanding. Self-understanding helps you to relate to the outside world and to one another with a greater confidence and a greater sense of purpose.

Self realization enables you to come into closer contact with spiritual guidance, with your own personal Indwelling Spirit and also with the connectedness to others.  Those who are in a habitual enclosure of not realizing who they are, why they exist or who play the role of being only a victim reduce the chances of breaking through into greater avenues of spiritual understanding.

This week I would ask that you take note of your emotions and feelings and look closely to your reactions, your way of dealing with that which you feel.  Do not do this as a checklist of finding fault but rather as a critique of your person in order that you can grow in greater understanding.  Those who would view this as a checklist and fault finding mission will be back spinning wheels.  Evaluate from a non-judgmental aspect.  Critique with the observant eye of you being your own best friend and helper.  Look at your decisions and question wisely with a desire to know and understand so that the process of change can begin.  Change in increments and gradual steps will then begin.  Emotions/feelings are those things which are a part of your being at a very deep level and will take time to unfold, to understand, and if necessary to bring to a different level in order to change.  With these words, then, I will end this lesson and open this floor for questions.

Isaac:  Good evening, Daniel, this is Isaac.  This is a very pertinent topic to me, not only as an individual but as a psychologist working with other people.  It brings up a point that I wanted to discuss with you in the past, and that is this.  It appears to me that you and all of the teachers in the Teaching Mission are now employing what our recent psychology has discovered which is that feelings are tied to belief systems and interpretations that intervene between an event and a resultant feeling.

For example, two boys could be on a baseball team.  The game is rained out on Saturday.  One boy is depressed because he was the pitcher and planned on winning the game.  The other boy is happy because he is the left fielder and he is a klutz.  He is always afraid to play because of his clumsiness.  The rain ending the game results in two different feelings of these two different individuals because of what they interpret the game ceasing means for them personally.  Your emphasis in the past, and all of you teachers, about reinterpreting the meaning of events to see from a broader perspective, etc., is the same concept as our most up to date psychologists [rational/emotive theory].  Maybe I am wrong in interpreting your 'stuff' this way but I think I am right.  I thought I would bring it to the surface here and see if you wanted to comment on it.

DANIEL:   Indeed is the level of understanding among psychologists stepping into higher realms.  I would ask you to see from this perspective as well. Part of the mission of Christ Michael upon this earth was to bring forth to the peoples of Urantia and the peoples of this local universe the fact of the Father and Mother's love and the fact of the aspect of God as being personal.  It is personally stifling and often not progressive to view God from any other perspective other than personal love and mercy.  God is not a God of creed, culture, or chosen individuals.

In order for the majority of Urantians to comprehend a personal God there needs to be an understanding and consciousness of one's own self.  Self worth is raised to greater heights when one objectively looks at their life, their reactions, and as you have mentioned, their culture and knowledge of the past.  In order to break through, then, the barriers to acceptance of a personal God, a God who truly has meaning and not a God that is outside of the personal life (which I will speak about in a moment) a person must begin by knowing themselves.

The God that I speak about who is outside of the person is often and in too many cases the God that is worshiped throughout much of Urantia.  This is the God who is there and who is worshiped out of fear or worry of the consequences that may take place if one does not pay homage to this God.  You see, there is such a radical difference between that and a personal God.  When many people say they believe in God are they believing or do they actually know?  God is known when God becomes personal and in depth.  Does this help?

Isaac:  Well certainly you have illustrated what I think I was saying, that in the case of God, if your interpretation of God is that He is outside of you, as you said, that will lead to a very different conclusion about yourself and what happens to you in your life than if you believe God is within you as the Thought Adjuster.  I wasn't particularly thinking of belief in a religious sense.  I used that term more as an interpretive explanation of what happens.  But your point about God and how a person understands God makes a tremendous difference is right. 

What I was trying to ask you Daniel was...and I didn't explain what rational/emotive psychology is.  I didn't want to get us off on that.  It is just a little bit different.  The old psychology was that a stimulus caused a response, a mechanistic thing.  The reason that everybody is depressed is because it is raining and the ballgame is ruined.  But the new psychology says that the reason people are depressed is because of the meaning of that rain, how it stops the game and how that is a big disappointment to some people whereas to the boy I described it's a relief because he doesn't have to play the game which he is frightened to do.  So the same event can result in different feelings in different people, or different feelings in the same person at different times depending on what they think that event means.  I am not sure that I communicated that clearly to you. 

It seems to me that is what you teachers are doing.  You are helping us to change our beliefs about first of all ourselves, as you said, and who we are as children of God with an Indwelling Presence of the First Source and Center, and that everyone else does too.  And by changing the way we see ourselves and the way we see other people, the way we see life, so that all of this is broadening our perspective and changes the way we feel from what it was before when we had a different perspective.

DANIEL:   Indeed, Isaac, I understood your question from that aspect very fully.  You wanted to tie me down to saying yes or no regarding a change in psychological thought.  It is not my intention to say that this is the course that the teachers are taking.  To state emphatically yes would discount many other aspects of psychology that are valid.

I will, however, validate that, indeed, perspective is, in fact, very important in one's actions.  This is a given.  Indeed, one's past, one's culture, one's philosophical/theological and scientific thought processes, one's economic status, and the many other elements that go into this area do lend themselves to helping that person perceive any given situation.  Therefor in order for you to know why you have done something it behooves you to understand where you are coming from.  For in that regard you are able to be less judgmental and are able, then, to understand that, indeed, things are not so firmly in place that change cannot come about.  If one views life from a completely mechanistic standpoint it becomes very difficult to change.  In this regard what you have said holds great validity.

Isaac:   I wish to apologize.  I didn't mean to give you the label of rational/emotive...

DANIEL:  No apology necessary!
Isaac:  ... for the record that this is going to be included in. [Laughter]
PamElla: For the way that everybody thinks about you! [More laughter]

Isaac:  Yes.  Well I can understand that to take the label of any particular human thought at this point would be inappropriate for you teachers to do as you are far above us in your experience.  So!....you do validate there is validity in what I said; and that was what I thought you would do.  So I appreciate your . .. What's the word? . .. dialoging with me about that Daniel.

DANIEL: It has been my pleasure!
Isaac:  I will let somebody else talk.
Luke:  Hello, Daniel, this is Luke speaking.
DANIEL:  Hello, Luke.

Luke:  Attitude and emotion is usually a very heavy subject for every one of us because if someone is pressing the button you usually go off.  What I have tried to do, as a suggestion, is that if somebody does press the button to sit back and don't let the blood pressure rise on you.  And if necessary take a script that you really like, read on it, and then pray for the person or for the IRS.  And eventually your blood pressure will come down.  I have had very good success.  I think that is the message you would like to bring across.  Would you comment please?

DANIEL:   Indeed your age long saying on this planet to count to ten has much truth in it!  It is always advisable for one to have a cooling down time if emotions become so dominant that wise and clear thinking are not available to the individual.  It is always good advice to solicit the powers to be, as you would say, in helping to come to terms with a situation or an event, not only in your own person, but for others.  Indeed prayer is healthy from the standpoint that it helps you to become more focused and it helps you to actually clarify parts of what is emitting this emotion.  It helps you to come to terms with what really needs to be done; not that the other person needs to change or that you do not like that policy; but what is it about this policy that is bothering you.  What is it that violates your emotions?  Is it something that you need to change within you; or is it a policy of great social consciousness that needs to be changed through societal means?  This has been an example to extend upon your point, Luke.  Indeed, those who deal in areas of negotiation realize that there is a necessity to have a cooling down time so that the hostilities, anger and bitter feelings can be resolved.  The adrenaline attack can be smoothed out and then there is the ability to think, reason, process and the ability to intuit.  Do not forget this aspect of being is very important in negotiating.  To intuit, to have knowledge that comes from not always logic and that sort of reasoning but from a deeper sense of what is right. Thank you Lothar, for your comments.

Leetah: Good evening, Daniel.  Your comments about 'victim' brought to mind the training we give our children and one another with giving someone else the responsibility and the blame for how we respond emotionally.  I can't help but think of a very heavy discussion that Bill and I had many years ago.   For the first time I realized that no one else can make me angry, no one else can make me mad, but actually I choose to do that.  And so often now I find myself biting my tongue because I will start to say, 'That made me so mad' or 'He made me so mad' or 'They made me mad'.  I find myself having to say, 'I choose to be angry in this situation'.  I think that our culture maybe is waking up but it is a real disservice to our children to have that modeled by us adults.

DANIEL:   Indeed, every parent is guilty of saying, 'You make me so mad when you do this or that', instead of realizing that it is, indeed, where you are coming from that is emoting the feelings of anger, hostility, or whatever.  Certainly what they have done is a triggering mechanism for you; it can trigger that.  But you are not in a box.  You are not imprisoned in your mind.  You have been given free agency and you can choose to get mad or you can choose to say 'what is it about this that causes me anger?' and work from that.  Indeed, this is and will be an ongoing thing for you.  It crops up in many ways, in many instances; sometimes subtly, sometime very glaringly.  And so, indeed, those who are working with children, those who are working within a relationship need to be aware that they cannot force guilt onto someone else for what they are feeling.  Likewise, you should not feel that you are the cause for someone else's feelings.  What is the ideal in these situations is when in a relationship this is understood; that the relationship can be strong enough that the two can talk and work out those things.  'I find myself getting mad when you do this'.  And it is possible that between you and that other individual a working agreement can be made that will allow for there to be some consensus and some agreement so that these things that are triggering this unwanted emotion are lessened.  It is the ideal society that can work in this fashion.  It is what is being worked for, indeed.

Leetah: Thank you, Daniel.  I have often thought that when I say, 'You make me so mad' or 'They make me so mad' or whatever that often I have given them a wrong motive.  But it was interesting to hear you say, if I understood it correctly, that with me saying, 'You make me angry' that I am trying to make them feel guilty; that this is the motive behind a statement like that.  That is something to really think about.  I appreciate very much your words.  Thank you, Daniel.

DANIEL:   You are most welcome.

PamElla: Daniel, I would like to talk about that a little further because I appreciated you saying 'unwanted emotion'.  Mom, sometimes when I hear you make your statement about 'I choose to be angry' or 'I choose to be whatever', that seems so black and white and simplistic; because, no, I don't choose this.  It is pretty uncomfortable.  It is not what is wanted.  So I would like you to . .. and I'm sorry, Daniel, you may have addressed this.  I was tired and fell asleep while you were talking so if I am asking old material to be reiterated I apologize.  In emotion I guess I don't think that we freely choose emotion, we choose our response to the emotion we feel.  We can choose to let our feelings of anger out on whoever is there or we can choose to go and try and understand ourselves better in terms of why we felt that emotion.  But we are still feeling that emotion.  Maybe I have gone far enough.  Do you understand my question?

DANIEL:   Emotion is a part of your being that is tied into your temperament, that is somewhat keyed into heredity to an extent.  Emotion is also that which incurs from the moment of conception onward that is part of your background, part of your environment, your upbringing, your education, all those things of which we have already spoken.  And so these two together can cause the emotion.  It is correct to say that it is reaction to that emotion that is at question.  If you understand that you have a quick temperament, that you are quick to anger then you will be able to recognize this in instances when this occurs.  Because of this if you willing you will be able to redirect this anger in a more productive and better outcome.  It will not be easy.  It will have taken a lot of preparation work in the past to help you redirect.  This is not saying that you need to bottle up anger.  It is saying to redirect it in a way that is productive.  Does this help?

PamElla: Yes, Daniel, that does help.  And then that brings me to the further question that I think I already know the answer to.  A lot of us don't like our emotional reactions to situations.  A lot of us wish that we had different emotional reactions, that we could always respond to situations with love and light.  But that is not our reality.  So I am thinking that we perhaps become more that way as we spend time in the silence.  But basically that's part of perfecting, and we are at the very bottom rung and we have a long way to go.  Is that accurate?

DANIEL:   You are seeing very clearly, yes.

PamElla: Thank you.  It is a disappointment but(much laughter)I am getting better with reality.

DANIEL:   I am going to take this pause in questions to close this meeting due to TR fatigue and breakdown in circuits.  I say with great sincerity to you that the greatest things that you will work on in this life have to do with the knowledge you have about yourself and the desire to become better and better.  It is the human condition that you will tangle with the desire to be divinely inspired at all moments of your life rather than allow your humanness to take over.  However, this can be as dangerous as one who completely ignores the spiritual and runs amuck with the human aspect.

Integration and balance helps to smooth out the tribulations of a material life.  Error, misunderstanding and bad judgment will always play a part.  But it is being able to step back and say, 'All right.  I need to start again!' that will restore balance.  Remember, my friends, there are always fresh beginnings.  There is no end to the human condition, no error that cannot be rectified.  There are only more and better opportunities to move forward.  There is always another door to open.  Remember that in opening the doors you are allowing that the next adventure may bring you another step in progress, that this time the anger or the failure or whatever the negative emotion will be lessened.  Progress, steady onward going, opening doors, opportunities, willingness to look, to see and to understand, these are all key ingredients in your lives.  And underneath all of that is the love, the care, the overcare of the First Source and Center.  Peace be with you this week.

*****

DATE: March 17, 1995
TEACHERS: DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC: The Emotional Universe

DANIEL:   Greetings.  I am Daniel, your guide and teacher.  Tomas and I welcome you all here this evening to be a part of this ongoing experience of faith building and soul growth.

As you work through the weekly lessons and strive to become more God-conscious we, your teachers, are moved and greatly appreciate your efforts.  Evolution on the broad scale of humanity is often slow and painstakingly wearisome.  On the human level it can become faster paced and less painful when there is a higher goal or purpose that is understood by the individual.  Collectively it is more difficult yet we realize that you, the students, are able to spread a higher consciousness through your own evolving and striving to see and put forth a greater willingness to follow the will of the First Source and Center.  Through your own pathway, through your beingness great accomplishment can be made.  Through small group work and concern greater accomplishments can be made.  Tomas and I thank you for your dedication for it is helping your individual and planetary evolution.  Tomas is anxiously awaiting to speak with this evening's lesson.  And so at this point Tomas will proceed.

TOMAS:   Greetings friends and loyal students.  I am Tomas, your companion and guide.  I, indeed, have words to share to encourage and edify you in your path of ascension.  In some regards I feel as though I missed last week's lesson.  But assuredly I was only absent in one sense, for I am in constant contact with all integrated facets of this mission, this teacher base in particular, and you individuals specifically.  In fact, the sojourn I took last week had to do with the lesson at hand.  You will notice how consuming the emotional arena is or can be.

It has been said that emotions are exhausting and this is true in those instances where emotions are allowed free reign and expression.  The human experience is augmented by this range of reality.  Even the spirit beings share many of your emotions and Daniel and I are certainly sympathetic to what you endure and also how you rejoice. 

I see a swamp, an everglade, if your will, of emotion on Urantia; and as you walk your path you sometimes get embroiled in the quicksand of a negative emotion or skip along islands of lily pads and eagerly grace the surface of the earth with your being.  Also in this trek across this everglade you might perceive of beginning with a barren desert, a veritable vacuum of textures, colors, sensation, smells, etc.  In entering the terrain of the emotions it can be frightening and overwhelming and you can conceive that you might easily become lost or misled.  Yet if you become travel wise in the arena of emotion you will, like a veteran traveler, know the ins and outs of the emotional spheres.  Experience will teach you how to sidestep some of the more all consuming negative emotions and also will help you determine to what extent you can swing through the vines of the trees of happiness without hurting yourselves. 

In the journey through this terrain there is at the other end a clearing.  Having learned how to go through this experiential/emotional realm on the other side you find freedom from the constraints and demands of emotion.  When you are free of emotion's downside, if you will, you are now able to set that aside and devote those energies (which are supposedly required to live life) and invest that energy in uplifting prayer and worship, which state of being provides the stamina, nourishment, and power to return to the everglades for assisting your fellow travelers. 

It would be, indeed, an overly simplistic existence without the benefit of emotions and feelings.  But in the ascent from animal origin species to God-knowing human beings the trails are part of the unfolding and part of the self-mastery as well.  In addressing these emotions we hope to help you to dig inside your deep recesses to identify the value of your feelings so that you can use them as a tool for your growth and the growth of those around you. 

In that context, then, be aware this week of how the expressed and unexpressed emotions of your peers radiate into the environment and affect the electro-chemical neural energies in the environment; and be aware of those beings who emit/emote calm, for they will provide a study for you in harmonics. The emotional down-pull allows that freedom of expression of the spirit.  The divine Fragment indwelling each individual yearns for the opportunity to emote our eternal peaceful Parent.  Be aware of love in its many manifestations and yield to the love of your own First Source and Center, your light and guide through the everglades of emotion.

How glad I am to again be with you and feel your wondrous souls.  Your circuitry is so delightfully united.  Your harmony radiations are most evident and most pleasing to those of us who work with you and in your arenas. I return the platform to Daniel.

DANIEL:   Thank you, Tomas, for your wise and colorful words.  Be not condemning of your emotions, but be wise to your reactions.  This meeting is now open for questions.

Isaac:   Good evening, Tomas and Daniel.  Thank you once again for a most thought-provoking picture, Tomas.  I was thinking, as your were talking about this journey through the everglades of emotion, how similarly that could be construed to the concept of psychoanalysis, not with the Freudian structures but with the idea of a journey through one's awareness of themselves, both current awareness and past awareness, which, of course, may be unconscious to some extent.  But I was struck by the fact that you said the partner in the journey is our Thought Adjuster, if I understood you correctly.  I think that some of the reticence that some people have for going to bare their soul to another human being is that they are not sure that they should fully trust themselves, and probably with some good reasons,  to the guidance of another person such as a psychoanalyst would be.  So I was encouraged  (if I made these connections correctly) that we can all take part in this journey without going to the couch and lying there ten years and paying $50,000 to some expert because we have that perfect Inner Guide that can lead us.  So that's what I was thinking about.  If you want to comment, fine.  Thank you.

TOMAS:   Yes, Isaac, I will comment briefly, for this is true, that all beings of normal mind have the capacity to learn to walk through the emotional quagmire of their life's experience without long, structured, and costly involvement.  But sometimes that route is the preferred route.  And who is to say we should not hire a tour guide to sojourn with us through those experiences?

Isaac:   Yes, I agree, Tomas.  I wasn't saying there is no place for therapists but just that, as you just said again, everyone could undertake that journey.  At least it opens up the hopefulness of the whole journey in my mind.  Yes, there are times, I am sure, when human counsel is necessary.  If the tour guide is there and you trust him/her that is a good idea.

TOMAS:  I will be so bold as to say that perhaps when mental/mindal physicians acknowledge the presence of God in the individual's life experience and give it some validation, the growth struggles of any individual would be and will be vastly augmented.  There are still some inherent dangers in messing with spirituality on the couch, but the individual who yearns for oneness, for wholeness, truly yearns for the comforting embrace of its Parent.  The Adjuster cannot fail if the mortal is willing and the guide is gifted.

Leetah: Good evening, Tomas and Daniel.  I think I picked up on two things about emotion last week and this week that maybe you will talk a little more about.  Number one, you have said not to be afraid of our emotions and I believe that the implication is that we should be careful of those negative ones and learn how to control them.  With that am I to say in my own mind not to be afraid of positive feelings and emotions and let's get rid of those feelings of anger, judgement, pain, etc., etc?

DANIEL:   In reply, Leetah, let me add a precautionary note, that emotional stability must also have some balance.  One who is in the reality of continual negativism finds life unbearable.  One who is at the other extreme of being too overly joyous also loses a sense of reality and  needs to consider that there is life unfolding in many directions around themselves.  The words of Tomas and myself are hoping that you will reach that point where you are able to understand your emotions.  Emotions are part of your beingness.  To say that it is error to ever have a negative emotion is error, for that is unrealistic, that is not life.  That is living in a false zone.

What is important is that you recognize your emotions.  Those that cause negative reactions need to be understood.  If you did not feel negative about certain injustices then change would not be brought about.  And so in this regard the emotion, that which you feel, can bring about a positive and evolutionary step in change.  Are you seeing?

Leetah: Yes, Daniel.  It is how we react to negative emotions/feelings that we see that can be productive in our world; and facing things objectively i.e. facing reality as it is on this planet.

DANIEL:   Yes.
Leetah: Thank you.

TOMAS:   Might I borrow a line launched in this TR's mind relating to the experience of journeying through the universe of the body without losing one's way in order to ascertain internal good health; the parallel being able to travel through the universe of your emotions without losing your way.  All available emotions have qualities which adds to the tapestry of your life.  Grief may be experienced.  Anger may be experienced.  Bliss may be experienced.  Give yourself wholly to the experience and pass through it.  Do not become hung up on fearing  these emotions and thereby drawing out the process of your own growth through either resisting the emotion or clutching onto the emotion.  Rather, know it, appreciate it, value it, and go on without destroying yourself or your environment as a result of these very powerful gifts.  That is all.

Leetah: Thank you Tomas.

PamElla: I am wondering -- if feelings are fully felt, emotions are fully felt -- how long they should last?  I am using the word 'should' because I am thinking of a book I read some time ago in which there were people who seemed to be more evolved spiritually.  This man experiences the loss of his restaurant.  It burns to the ground and he has very intense anguish and then seems to be fine within five minutes.  The author of the book had been very surprised by how quickly this man had gone through his emotions and was told that it had not lasted long because he had allowed himself to experience it fully.  Is that always the case?  If feelings are hanging on and hanging on would we therefor realize that we are either resisting or clutching?

TOMAS:   You offer only two options.
PamElla: Okay.  I recognize that, thank you.
TOMAS:   Daniel?

DANIEL:   The question is one that is so veritably complex that one answer cannot fit every individual or their range of emotions.  As electro-chemical beings you are subjected to not only your physical and chemical reactions to a situation but you are also subject to your perception, your understanding and your emotional attachment to any given situation.

It is not generally the case that prolonged emoting means you are prolonging or you are causing this emotion to remain.  If the situation or example that you gave were one in which joyousness and bliss could be felt, would you feel the same if a person got over their joy in five minutes as you would their anger or frustration?  Emotion is part of your total beingness.  You feel.  Our words are not to ask you to quit feeling, rather they have been to ask you to raise your consciousness to a higher level regarding your feelings so that you can remain happier for a longer time, you can understand why you anger, why you grieve, why you are intolerant, why you are compassionate about some given thing, or why you are joyful.  It is recognizing these emotions and reacting more appropriately that we ask you to look at.

It does little good to set time limits on feelings or to set up further roadblocks for guilt or fear that could come about if time restrictions or many other things are applied to feelings.  You are feeling beings.  Do as Tomas has suggested, honor the feeling and move into higher realms with that feeling toward more progressive ends.  It is true, those who are spiritually in tune ride the tide of being able to rejoice in the simplest things, to understand joy even in the darkest moments or trials of the human condition.  It is also the more spiritually in tune  who are able to rise above the human condition and not be sucked by purely negative emotion.  Recognition of emotions, yes, but not to be sucked down into the clutches there to dwell and to become a victim of that emotion.  Is this better understood now?

PamElla: Ah, yes, Daniel.  That was very helpful.  In an answer to the rhetorical question you had about would I be as worried about joy lasting only five minutes, that was actually the flip side of my question; because I was in a training seminary once where one of the people in authority was talking about the incredible joy he had felt at the time when he had gotten married and how he had expected that to last.  And the next day he awakened and everything was sort of normal.  He figured the reason was that he had experienced so fully his joy.  I guess I was, in fact, thinking about both sides of feeling emotions, not just the ones we consider to be negative, but the ones we consider to be positive as well.  Your answer certainly clarified to me how we are being asked to approach our emotions and I appreciate that.

Leetah: Daniel, I am changing the subject.  I have had this thought for quite a while and reading a book last week has reminded me again.  Occasionally I am able to see auras.  At one time I was told by a friend of mine that she could look and tell the moods of people by the auras they had.  And occasionally I can see an aura around an inanimate object.  My question is, Does all on this planet have auras and do our moods and feelings affect the energy and auras of others?

DANIEL:   The basis of all things in the universe is energy.  The basis of auras is that heat energy is emanating from organic life.  The silhouette that you see around inorganic materials and objects is only the optic nerve projecting the shape of the object.  In organic life auras are not in stasis.   They are movement conditioned.  Does this help?

Leetah: I think it answers part of the question that I had.  The other question is whether or not, then, we as organic living beings can affect the aura or the energy of the other person, depending on our feelings or emotions.

DANIEL:   Most certainly.  Not necessarily from visualizing or seeing an aura; it is not the aura, per se, that connects.  Rather it is thought connection through the collective unconscious circuitry that is the greatest cause for one to notice the feelings of another, given, also, the sensory impressions gleaned through sight, sound, and often smell. Is this more helpful?

Leetah: Yes, Daniel.  I will think about this a while and digest it a bit.  I am trying to think also of times when nothing organic or physical is there and light was present.  I also have those thoughts going in my head right now.

DANIEL:   Is this in regard to your question about auras around inorganic objects?

Leetah: No, Daniel, I was thinking of times when I have been conscious of light that appeared to be a being.

DANIEL:   And you doubt it was?

Leetah: I don't believe I doubt it, no.  I was just wondering if this would have been in the same category as auras and of the same energy that auras are.

DANIEL:   There is a great difference in these two energies.
Leetah: Thank you, Daniel.

PamElla: Daniel, I would like a very brief clarification please.  Do we affect one another through the collective consciousness or through the collective unconsciousness or is it both and does it matter?  I guess the reason I ask is because it seems that a lot of the shamanistic types of questions that we ask you about have been associated with the collective unconscious and that stuff you won't talk to us about.  That was why I asked this question.

DANIEL:   It is both.
PamElla: Thank you. [Long pause]

DANIEL:   As you of this arena gather your thoughts from this evening underscore that our intent is to bring into your beingness all of its integral parts, body, mind, spirit, and feelings.  We ask that you strive to strike that balance that will support you during the unfolding of your daily life.  In thanksgiving we teachers are most grateful for the feelings and emotions that you have and share in common with us. Remember always that even in ascension part of that which moves and grows is based on feelings.

Go this week and feel and learn and grow from that which you feel.  Tomas and I and the host of others here send you our love.  Good evening.

Group:  Good evening.

*****

DATE:    March 24, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Times of Transition

DANIEL:  Good evening, my friends.  I am Daniel, your guide and teacher.  Throughout this evening, Tomas and I have rejoiced in the sharing and the-willingness of this group to work toward more enlightened and progressive understandings. Through discussion and silent contemplation, and through your dedication, in the reverse order of my statement, you are growing and beginning to realize that the importance of the vicissitudes of life lies in the opportunities of these vicissitudes to reach and obtain greater understanding of the goal of universal ascension. Your potential is not able to know fruition unless you are willing to do the work.

The lessons of the last two weeks have been given as a conditioning exercise that will benefit you throughout your life. Through the understanding and the clarity gleaned from looking at your emotions you will gain greater insight into your beingness. And it is via this platform that there will be ensuing growth. Change is that which is the end by-product of your work of working through emotions. Indeed the word was suggested tonight that during the time of understanding and garnering insights regarding emotions the word be termed transition, a time of transition. This term helps to broaden and put into a greater perspective a time reference that is necessary for time creatures as you are and as the teachers are.

During transition, then, you will be able to master level by level, step by step all of those emotional upheavals that bring you into enlightenment, that help you to achieve change. The stigma that is often attached to change, the transitional period of change, is that throughout this time/space you often must experience painful emotions, you must deal with aspects of yourselves; and in order for change to be complete during the transitional process you not only must deal intellectually with yourself but also must be able to take what you are beginning to realize or know intellectually and move it to the next higher step of action, of knowing to the point that it becomes reflexive in your actions.

The strange thing about all of this is that it can be almost paradoxical. For while you are desiring to change you are also in the quagmire of not wishing to experience those emotions, those changes in habits that are painful, yet you are seeing and realizing on a spiritual level a great joy and see opportunity as part of the change.

Certainly there are many instances in the material life in which the pivotal point where the change is taking place, as in the breakdown of a relationship, may not be the good or the fun part, but seen from a different time space you can look back and realize that it was through this relationship breakdown you were able to move on and grow. Therefore all change brings forth some good by the fact that there can be growth achieved despite the fact that the object of the change is not good.

There has been a lot to digest and to think about over the last few weeks. This evening's discussion prior to the transmission has in many ways shown that the lessons are triggering your willingness to be open and to share with one another on a personal level. I will restate again the benefit of this personal sharing.

Not only are you allowing yourselves to be vulnerable but you are in that process of opening yourselves up, coming to terms with the underlying you, not a mask. Only through deep personal sharing are you able to gather your thoughts into a more concise package and in this you are able to focus and bring insight into different concepts of your beingness, good and bad, which you are desiring to change. And so deep sharing is beneficial to you. It is also beneficial to others in the group, in their being able to vicariously emphasize or internalize that which you are sharing.

Often seeds are planted for your brothers and sisters in this process. Often your sharing answers a question that they are seeking themselves. Sharing also bonds you as a group and it is through small groups of people that great change can come about. When you can change the way you perceive, when you are able to act on a higher level, then indeed is there a great change upon Urantia for the good of all humanity and the environmental aspect of the earth.

Growth does not happen overnight. You are born as a tiny infant. It takes many years to become the full grown adult, and even then into adulthood does the body still change. So, indeed, there can be great spurts of growth such as in adolescence but, in the average, growth is gradual and can become stagnant if there is not the desire to shed old ideas that are no longer beneficial to your condition at any given time. 

As you continue to seek divine guidance, trust that it shall be forthcoming. A yardstick to gauge this is through your desire to rectify those aspects of your being that bring you to negativism, that cause you to anger, that cause you to err. Those who desire to do the will of the First Source and Center begin to readily recognize those errors and begin the transition of working through unto change. That change will at some point become the next stage from which a transition will be made. You see growth begets further growth.

Tomas has some words for you this evening as well.

TOMAS:  Good evening. I am Tomas. I am warmed to be in your presence and have felt your responsive attitudes to Daniel's words of encouragement in our combined mission. Indeed are you precious in our sight and indeed are we appreciative of the effort you invest in taking our words to heart in order to augment conditions for a transition into light and Life.

As I beheld Daniel's lesson this evening I had the pleasure of knowing that he and I work in complete harmony. I have two addenda to add, one of which relates to the self-acting aspects afforded the being who has learned to appreciate the tapestry of the emotional life, who has learned to appreciate the weave of feelings and has learned to incorporate this colorful human pattern into his or her character development and personality manifestation. Recall the morontia companion who asked that you begin to be morontially companionable and perceive now the words of this evening both prior to and during this; session of sharing those feelings with one another in such a companionable way as to enrich your environment and lives of your fellows with your tapestry of feelings in a productive, harmonious and beneficial manner. In cases where the emotions rule there is the ever-present danger of losing that perspective that gives grace to the art of emoting your feelings. Having thus spoken I conclude my remarks with: the reiteration that you who have been with me and with other personalities of relative divinity and relative wisdom know that you are really real and that our connection and relationship is also real -- real in the highest sense -- real in that which we are becoming. You are greatly loved, every one.

Thank you, Daniel.

DANIEL:  Thank you, Tomas, for your added dimension.  We are open for questions.

PamElla:   Tomas, I was wondering if you might clarify your comments from last week about the everglades for one of our group members, if you please

TOMAS: I trust you are not asking me to give the same lesson?

PamElla:   No, Tomas. I trust you know what I am talking about as you were observing our sharing, so I didn't think I needed to go into greater detail.

TOMAS: Indeed, I appreciate the chuckle, since it was quite heavy-laden with anxiety and concern there for a bit. And your question itself, if I were to transcribe it as you delivered it, in saying the 'everglades', I would of necessity know that the Everglades are a specific as compared to generic everglades. I recall hesitating to use that word in the first place since I intended not to call to your attention a specific focus but the general term called to mind (my impression and the T/R's mind) that type of terrain which would connote a vast, thick, rich, verdant, lush, marshy, ethereal, profound, deep, spacious, green, and otherwise environment such as the range of emotions available to the human creature.

Indeed, when I became aware of the distress of my sister/daughter Alice I felt deeply her longing for that place which she recalls fondly, nay, deeply, and felt pathos and appreciation for her sensitivity in absorbing my lesson. Although you say, Alice, that you objected to the word, you also objected to the emotional depth which that conveyed; and this is understandable since deep, lush, verdant, rich, etc., emotions are sometimes frightening and overwhelming. May I suggest you are somewhat homesick for some emotions which you have long sought and been denied.

I apologize for any distress which my choice of words and even my impression concepts might cause any of you. It is extremely difficult, as you have been made aware, for these words and concepts to be delivered in the ideal that we would like. Yet we are so joyed and privileged to have this mechanism of communication that we will bear with its limitation if you will also bear with us in the limitations as presented. Know our motives and intentions are never to cause alarm or induce pain but to enrich your lives to the furtherance of those feelings of love and joy which you will then radiate into your everglade arena to touch the lives of those with whom you have contact.  Have I amended our rift in communications?

PamElla: Tomas, we have a nod [a yes nod]. I am sure we will all look forward to reading that further and thinking in depth about what you lave had to say. May I ask a question now?

When you are speaking of the everglades, you are comparing it to our emotions in terms of the extreme ranges of -- I am not very good with the English language unless I am feeling inspired, and I am not, so I will resort to words like stuff.  But basically within our emotions there are great ranges from deep despair to overwhelming joy and all sorts of emotions in between. In the everglades there are vast ranges from swamps that can suck us under to the most beautiful ethereal things (I have never been there so I can't even imagine) that just lift the spirit and make it soar. Is that what you were saying when you used the word everglades? Did I understand that properly?

TOMAS: And, too, the realm of emotion is compared to an everglade as being a natural place, unfettered with freeways and other indications of civilization, if you will. The natural terrain is also part of the analogy, for emotions are raw, real, and range, yes, full spectrum. It seemed a better analogy than, well, let me not be specific. I have finished.

PamElla:   Thank you, Tomas.  That was very clarifying.  For me, at least.

Paula:  Tomas, at some point at least, like maybe four weeks ago, you mentioned both feelings and emotions. I am wondering if we shall have a lesson in the future about differentiating between the two or the implications of those. Would you care to speak to that now?

TOMAS: I will speak to that briefly now, yes, since it has been alluded to a number of times recently. I will not, however, go on about it.  The primary difference between feelings and emotions is that a feeling is something you feel internally and an emotion is something which then is emoted. The emotion is feeling with motion, socialized, if you will.  Your feeling is how you feel about a situation, a person, a condition. It is your internalized reaction to your universe, your world, your arena. Your manifestation of your feeling is emotional.

If you feel love or joy, your manifestation generates those energies that have an effect upon your environment. If you feel disgruntlement and distress and frustration to the point of anger, if you feel insecure in your relationship you may manifest emotions of jealousy, anger and the like. Those emittings of your feelings affect your environment. If you maintain a feeling within yourself, in your own microcosm, it will be expressed one way or another. In this internalized place you may mull over your feelings as to why you feel this way, what prompted it, what are the conditions which set it up, the possible effects, outcomes, etc., and acted upon either irrationally or sublimely or many variations in between.

The emotional arena, of which we have spoken at length, is that arena, that Disneyland of activity which has been emitted as a result of feelings, often feelings of people who have not processed why they feel the way they feel. The resultant energies in the environment, then, have a tendency to be unreal, to be fantasy or stressful. The realities of Urantia are largely erratic and unreal. Even so the emotional tapestry of this life of this planet is what we are dealing with. It is by touching you, finding you, identifying you, and assuring you of your true reality that then adjusts your way of looking at yourself, and therefore your feelings, therefore your emoting. Your emotions will take on a more progressive and companionable color. We together will and are changing the environment and changing the world in which you live. This is our mission.

Paula:  Thank you, Tomas. That's helpful. I had the differentiation but I had named them opposite from what you have put. And, of course, [the word] emotion, from what you have described -- I know the word emoting, putting forth. It is helpful to make that clarification. I look forward to hearing more about that. Thank you.

TOMAS: You are welcome.

DANIEL: At this point this meeting will be drawn to a close. The circuitry is fading. The emotional aspects of your being play an important role in all areas of your life. At this point Tomas and I would like to thank the transmitter/receivers for their faithfulness, for this has been a trying week for both of them, yet they have been willing servants and have put their own selves aside in order that they can serve a higher purpose.

To all of you we say thanks for your continued desire to move beyond self and ego, to reach levels of selflessness. Our love and peace. Good evening.

*****

DATE:    March 31, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Limits

DANIEL: (TR#4):  Greetings friends, I am Daniel. I am most joyed to greet you this beautiful day, spring upon Urantia. Just as the natural world has its seasons, has its ebbs and its flows, has its cycles of renewal, and decline and renewal, so do your lives. The good news is that you can be assured that cycles of decline will forever be followed by cycles of newness, of new growth, of new opportunity.

My friends I know your lives have been varied. However I would say that the overall tenor this week has been one of introspection and questioning. When one is in a place of questioning and introspection, it is not always comfortable; but from this, is the promise of much newness, great strides -- love and joy abounding. Always you end up in a higher place than where you were before so that when, again, life moves through its cycle with a new time of questioning and drawing within, of feeling the discomfort of growth occurring, you are not where you were before but have progressed.

My friends, know that you are human, and when I say know I mean that in several ways. Think of it intellectually. What does it mean to be a human being? What does it mean to be a material being? It means that you are subject to material law. You cannot break free of these laws.  You cannot circumvent them. You cannot move outside of them. You are mortal. And I would ask you to know this in another way in the sense of accepting your mortality, accepting your humanness, accepting your limitedness. And this is what Tomas and I desire to discuss with you tonight.  Limits.

You see, some limits are in fact real, some limits have their existence in the material world, in the laws of nature, while many limits are self-imposed limits.  The great -- (the word the T/R and I keep coming up with -- We are searching for the right word and not connecting so we will go forward in PamElla's somewhat slang language) -- the great trick to life then is to learn to distinguish between limits that are self-imposed and limits that are real, for one can err in either direction.

It is error to limit oneself, to say, No, I cannot do that!  No, that would never work for me!  No, the world is against me; that is not possible!  No, I will not even try, as I may be hurt, etc., etc., etc.   Those are self-imposed limits that limit your experience of life, that limit your joy of life, that limit your knowledge of God and limit God in God's desire to give, nurture and love you. God knows you as His/Her most precious children and has every desire for your great happiness, for your material comfort, for your physical, spiritual, mindal well being, but God is limited by your free will because God has so chosen to give you the gift of free will.

You may use this free will to build barriers around yourselves, to isolate yourselves, to stop goodness from flowing in, to stop material wellbeing from flowing in, etc. Or you may use this free will to turn your will over to God's will and allow God to love and give to you, particularly in spiritual and emotional support. For you see, no matter what your material circumstances are if you do not limit God's nurturance, God's support, God's love and all of God's administration, all the support, all the love, all the nurturance that one could ever desire is there. Also does God work through your brothers and sisters and also will you find brothers and sisters available and there for you if you do not impose limits.

To go in the other extreme is also error. To believe that somehow this mortal existence is complete illusion and that you are somehow separate from it, above it, or can transcend it is error! You are mortal beings. You, this group, are toddlers in your spiritual growth, in your existence you are infants, you are newborns; and so it is error to believe that you are somehow the equivalent of God. You are definitely part of the I AM. You are definitely within God, an expression of God, but you are not the Creator. God is the Creator. You are the offspring.

And friends, how wonderful to be the offspring of God, to be God's precious children! It means that you can let go of control! You can quit trying so hard to manage things, to make them work, to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problems that you see and experience. You can allow the lightness of allowing God to be God and you to be the infant. When you were the infant you did not worry about how to fix the world. You did what infants do. You sought nurturance; you sought sustenance. And in that you were fed, you were loved and you were taken care of. And if you can recognize yourselves as infants and turn to the Source of sustenance you will be fed, you will be nourished, will be at peace.

Of course there are the social problems that you will play a role in addressing. But you most successfully address them not by taking over God's job but by recognizing your place in the universe and coming into alignment with God's will and letting God work through you. It is not your job to save the world no matter how you define that world, from the very small to the very large! It is just your job to know God, to look for sustenance, to follow that guidance on a daily basis. How much easier that is! What a relief! You can let the burden slip from your shoulders. You can let the weight slip from you heart.

So this week I, Daniel, ask you to think about your limits. What are your true limits and what are the limits that you impose on yourself and for yourself, self imposed limits? Free yourself of taking on what is not yours. Come into oneness with our Grand Parent, with our First Source and Center, with our Father/Brother Michael, with our Mother/Sister Nebadonia. Tomas?

TOMAS: (TR#2):  Good evening. I am Tomas and I have naught to add to Daniel's intriguing words except to say that what has transpired is that we have an analogy, a parallel of toddlers in a crib. A toddler in a crib is confined, is limited by the bars of the crib, which encloses, enfolds, protects and comforts it, where all its needs are supplied.  How often you erect walls of your own crib through your imaginings. You find yourself imprisoned in the limitations of your perceptions.

Remember also that there is tremendous freedom within a given limitation, that within, for example, the fidelity aspects of marriage the realm of mating is no longer an immediate or social concern providing thus the freedom to be engaged in the unique trappings of the relationship. The security of lifestyles, jobs, careers, addresses, neighborhoods, national roots, these all provide certain comfortable yet constraining restrictions.

How these limitations of perception affect your doings is a matter for your review as Daniel has indicated. How, in your environment are your limitations imposed by culture, by economics, by tradition, by your own choosing? How often are you in a position to lament the limitations which you yourself have established? The release from restriction limitation is to be had in appreciation for your own ascension wherein your cycles of growth, your ongoing upswing of energy is without limitation in terms of eternity where you may bask in as much spirit reality as you are capable of experiencing and handling. In your crib, in your nursery the limitations of your human condition are not to be decried but to be appreciated -- for the pillow.

It is [true] in the long view, limits is a nearly limitless discourse! Many facets abound and yet it is constructive to behold how you limit yourself, how you perceive others limit you and what limits are good and which are evil. My cohort and I open the floor for any questions you might have, barring limitations of shyness. [Long pause] Please do not limit yourself in addressing the teachers. Although there is of course a topic, it is not our intention to constrain you to the topic at hand. Any offering of your searching minds is desirous.

Isaac:   Greetings, Daniel and Tomas.  This is Isaac.  Thank you for the topic tonight. I think my silence has been because I am meditating on how significant this very issue has been in our planetary history. If I understand the Lucifer Rebellion correctly it was Lucifer's misunderstanding of his limits as a Son of God that led to his expansion of pride and the whole disastrous idea of unbridled personal liberty, where his limits and anyone else's limits, as he taught it, were virtually unrestrained. And this has led to a total collision with the limits of other people's freedoms and rights.

And then I think about the fact that Adam and Eve chose a method that was contrary to the instructions that they had from the Melchizedeks. They did not abide by the limits that they were given and the result of that was default. So I say my silence has been just pondering the magnitude of the importance of this issue. I personally don't have a question that you can answer for me -- well, I guess I do have a question. I think I will have to find the answer as we each will, and that is, where is the dividing line between the self-imposed limits and the true limits? And how do we discover that?  I guess that would be my question.  Thank you.

DANIEL: Yes, Isaac, thank you for your comments. Indeed, do the misunderstanding and the purposeful disregard of limits lead to disaster and default in global terms. And, yes, as one looks at their own lives, I think you will discover these same patterns of disaster and default when you or others have disregarded limits or have not respected or even been aware of the limits of others. Yes. And such is also true of the reverse; to impose limits where they do not exist also leads to disaster and default.

In addressing this question of which limits are self imposed and which limits are real, I suggest that you personally spend time in the silence; in addition, realize that this is not an easy answer, for in the realms of science and metaphysics even now are such issues being addressed.  Much that science deemed to be real limits, metaphysics is discovering are not true limits. Take for example the work of Native America shamans and eastern yogis. They perform many feats that are considered by science to be impossible from science's view of limits. What I would suggest to you, however, is that indeed there are limits set by material law. As science and metaphysics come together you will have greater understanding of what those true limits are. But from that side of knowing where true limits exist, I would suggest you begin with the notion that you are mortal beings, that you are infants in the entirety of time; and that you consider what it means to be a mortal being when you look for your limits.

On the other side I would suggest that you examine your belief structures whenever you find yourselves feeling discouraged, negative, despairing, and etc., and see if it is not, in fact, a belief that is limiting you and not a material law. My friends, as you undertake this examination I suspect that you will begin to understand that many limits are self imposed; and by examining the other side you will understand more what it means to be mortal beings, to be material and divine.  Isaac, does help in any way?

Isaac:   Yes. I think you have provoked, in addition to what you actually said, further thought in my mind about this whole issue. Yes, it is most thought provoking and I will be thinking about this the rest of the week. And I guess that is what you want us to do. So, thank you, Daniel. I appreciate that.

DANIEL: You are welcome, Isaac.

TOMAS:   I would ask you all a question. In considering limits, consider whether or not you regard limitation itself as negative or positive. Your discourse earlier indicated a general not being inclined to talk often with your teachers. On the other hand there were remarks about a human mortal doing deeds based on motives and intent. Now let me ask you -- to what extent do you feel that the effects of the Lucifer Rebellion are still influencing your own appreciation of your limitations? If, in fact, the Manifesto spoke of unbridled liberty then with good intentions and well rationalized motives it would seem that liberty can continue indefinitely unless restriction / limitation is placed upon some aspects of your thinking processes and subsequent behaviors.

Rutha: Thank you, Tomas. What the lesson was on tonight was quite, appropriate for me for what I had been thinking about the last couple of days is in regard to the Pope coming out with his encyclical on abortion and euthanasia and all of those kinds of moral issues. This is exactly what you are saying. He is placing limitations. But I guess what I found myself [doing was] going back and feeling very guilty, the Catholic religion being my history. I really feel deeply about certain issues but I really feel that people do need pro-choice in all areas.  And it really upset me that he came out this week so against all of these things with so many tragedies occurring across the globe with children who are not being taken care of and for him to sit there-- Well, I'm not going to get off on that -- but what I am saying is--

At what point do we as people know what is really right and where do we set those limitations; and where does just plain guilt for what somebody else has imposed play a part? I really found myself vacillating back and forth feeling guilty and badly, and then I -- It's all tied in with a lot of things. And then I saw the Life and Times of Jesus on the Learning Channel last night and here again they were talking about maybe he wasn't even the Son of God, and they had all these different viewpoints. And I just found myself being very confused and feeling very limited in my understanding of everything! It seems like, sometimes the more you understand through science and metaphysics the more confusing it can become then! I don't know! I just-- I don't know; what's happening but I just feel very confused and in this confusion I am feeling a lot of limits which I thought had been lifted. And now I seem to be under a real ceiling with a lot of limits! So -- I don't know if that's a question, it's just what is happening with me right now. Anyway I will keep working on, thinking about it.

TOMAS: My dear friend, your question is, as usual, felt deeply, thought provoking for not only yourself but others.  Your selfless inquiries benefit many.  Your quandary here is not necessarily one of limitation but one of loyalty.  For who among us does not seek an authority that will tell us how to feel within the certain limitations which are imposed.  How now to answer the question 'who is imposing a limitation?' and for what purpose.

Your question is social and therefore political. The issue is one in which the evolving races at this time are engaged in heated battle. The points and counterpoints are being reviewed ad infinitum and only when the subject is saturated will truth begin to slowly emerge. [It] will not come from any authority but the authority of those individuals who must make those existential decisions in the deep corners of their own soul. Rest your mind, child, as to these social issues except to continue to scratch the many layers of belief systems, noble loyalties, and inheritance to find that core of truth which speaks to you in your ongoing relationship with your indwelling all wise God Fragment.

It is an evolutionary issue, an exciting issue which will unfold in its due course. It is not a limitation for you, truly. Do not limit your appreciation for what this phase of planetary evolution is representing.  The plight of your world, Urantia, is dependent upon those decisions which will provide the best soil in which to plant the seeds of civilization, and indeed, human beings. The solution is unfolding. Be it peace.

Rutha: Thank you, Tomas. Those last words you said are very reassuring because this is what Daniel had said to me about the solution being unfolding. That is very helpful in a time when one begins to question all aspects of faith. I appreciate that. I appreciate both you and Daniel; you know that, very much. Thank you.

Leetah: I have been in and out tonight, Daniel and Tomas, but I think I have followed the sequence of what has been asked. I think that this very issue is the thing I have been dwelling on this week. An expression from my childhood comes to mind, 'the way to hell is paved with good motives'. I think on both sides of this issue there are people who have the good motive that they would swear to and yet to try to sort out the ends and get there with a good path is a very difficult thing. So I appreciate so much the comments that have been made.

The comment that you made about the solution is unfolding reminds me of something that was said last Saturday in the video we saw, 'A White Hole in Time' -- that human beings are indeed looking inward, and I see unfolding everywhere if we have our eyes open and we are positive. I was reminded of a comment that Jane made in that she said that in the healing process sometimes the patient gets much worse just before healing begins or completes itself. We see such continuation, it seems, of error and sin; and yet we hear the promise that the evolution is happening, that the solution is unfolding. I just thank you for these encouraging words!

DANIEL: Leetah, I will answer that. You are, of course, most welcome. And might I add, my dear, that your musing upon motive will pay off; and yes, you have brought forth a significant point that -- as is always the case with social/political issues -- people on both sides of an issue have good motives, desire what is right, desire what is good. But what I would have you think about is that one or the other does not have to be right. Part of the limitations of this planet is simplistic thinking: right /wrong, black/white, red/green. And this in itself can lock solutions to social/political problems.

It is only in opening up, seeking for guidance, seeking for higher understanding, opening up to the possibility of one's understanding of an issue not being complete, by both sides, that solutions can be had. So, friends, as you think about social/political situations I ask you to look beyond one side or the other. Find what is worthwhile in both positions. I assure you that most always neither one nor the other is correct. An understanding that is in greater alignment with God's will, will be round as evolution takes place, as understandings evolve.

I/we, apologize for the stilted commentary. Our TR is nervous in being the mouthpiece for answering questions, particularly questions from a family member.  Tomas, do you have further words on this matter?

TOMAS: Thank you. Certainly. I have chewed upon the reference to motives and your behavior. It has been brought up more than once recently. I have reflected upon the aspect of decision-making from a genuine belief that any decision is going to be experiential. You are human. The path to perfection is strewn with petals of imperfect decisions yet the path is clearly that which you want to follow. It is not often that toddlers are in a position to so profoundly impact the course of planetary destiny that you should worry. Your level of decision-making is, of course, the crux of your endeavors.  But do not lament that you have not all the answers or all see visions. Even in your appreciation for devotedly doing His will, there are so many considerations, colorations, [and/or] ramifications that your motives and intentions are taken acutely into consideration. Indeed the celestial hosts act upon your decisions, even those which are less than ideal. Therefore, appreciate that it is understood that you are limited by fetters of imperfection and that your striving for perfection is the grand trick.

I have no further commentary, but I will take the opportunity to convey again my deep commitment to you all and to this mission which we hold dear, which is activated and accelerating at an incredible yet uncharted pace.

DANIEL: Thank you Tomas. And now friends, that time of the evening has come in which we open our hearts wide that you may get the full benefit of the love that we bestow upon you. Yes, thank you. Remove your limits that block your experience of our love for you. Love is tangible. If you remove the limits you will know this. And so, friends, this week consider your limits. I am your friend, guide, and teacher, Daniel, wishing you farewell. Good evening.

*****

DATE:    April 7, 1995
TEACHERS:     DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:   Alignment

DANIEL:   Greetings my friends. I am Daniel, your guide and teacher. Tomas and I both greet you with love and respect, with the understanding that you are like ourselves, creatures formed in the likeness of great potential. As you have witnessed this week in your quiet times and times of contemplation on the aspects of last week's assignment about limitations you are beginning to realize that through the outworking of life limitations are aspects of perception. Indeed, it is the wise individual who seeks a greater Source in understanding the finer points of limitations. There are things within your framework and within your grasp that can be readily changed and can be found limitless if the mindset and environmental conditions are meshed together. There are changes that can only be reached through the greater consciousness of allowing God's abundance, God's grace, to pave the way. Jesus, the Wayshower, understood as His life progressed, those ways of abundance and non-limitation. He also understood some finite limitations of a material existence.

As you continue to pursue the aspects of limitations always allow that time of contemplation, of quiet, wherein gratitude and personal love and personal willingness to follow the pathway is given. This evening Tomas and I will address you regarding the aspect of alliance.

In your lives each of you has personal fondness towards certain ideas, perceptions, groups, and relationships. To these you pledge you yourself to bringing forth a greater progression in these areas. You have an alliance with these ideas, relationships, etc. Our mission here is and has benefited from your alliance. Through your commitment the personal steps of growth are manifested for you individually and collectively as a group, and then into the outer world as you live your lives.

One of the aspects that you as individuals have cultivated, nourished and brought into life is your alliance with a firm desire to align yourself with the First Source and Center. This aspect of your being is one that has and will continue to sustain you. It calls to your innermost being to seek further knowledge, understanding and further perpetuation of your own soul growth. When one takes up the allegiance of following the First Source and Center one is in essence calling upon the omnipresence of our Creator and Creator Son to provide the necessary knowledge, necessary material possession, the necessary understanding to follow this lifestyle.

To be in that alignment with the First Source and Center at this stage of your development does not mean that there is not error or misunderstanding on your part. What it does mean is that you have made a commitment to pursue a certain pathway, a certain way of life, a certain way of viewing life, a certain way of desiring to serve one another. And in this steadfast pursuing you are in essence setting forth a goal which is to further expand the overcare of the First Source and Center. It is, in essence, helping you disperse fear, to be courageous in the face of living your lives. Aligning oneself with the First Source and Center, then, helps you in setting aside those fine fears in your personal relationships, in your material relationship, in your intellectual pursuits. Those who understand the alliance with the First Source and Center understand that phrase of Christ Michael's, 'I have come that ye may have life and live it more abundantly'. Therefore my friends you can lay down fear and readily appreciate the overcare of the First Source and Center knowing that when the time is right, when the arena is prepared, then guidance, action, service, love, etc., etc. will also be provided. And now I will turn this over to my friend Tomas.

TOMAS:   Thank you Daniel. Good evening children, loyal students, hearers of our words. This alliance of which we speak, which you have known, have experienced changes you. Be alert to the growth which comes about as a result of your conscious alignment with those powers and energies hailing from Deity. Your alignment with Deity will forever alter your approach to your destiny path and also will change your attitude and behavior regarding those who surround you in the flesh.

Your records speak of Jesus as a man of sorrows and yet He walked consciously in alignment with the will of our Father. How one can know this radiant joy and be confident of such a destiny and walk with sadness is a perception which you will also foster as you proceed on your path. The sadness of Jesus and yourselves often is related to a sense of compassion for those who flounder without alignment, who suffer pangs of isolation and experience fits of anger in their aloneness. In the duality of being mortal with mortal limitations and aspiring for perfection, divinity attainment, your work recently in the realm of limitations shall provide you with a sense of compassion as you behold your brothers and sisters in their fetal state.

Lest you, as the Master, become known by your fellows as sorrowful people, turn your face to the illumination of that drawing power of the First Source and Center and retain your devotion to its radiance. Follow the path of divinity as your heart reveals it to you, in and through your conscious alignment with your Indwelling Spirit; and trust the support and upholding of those who need your efforts in the journey to further the path of the Supreme. Yes, the alliance with the First Source and Center is such that you will more consistently realize your rightful place in this alliance, that when you stop to serve, when you stop to wash the feet of your brethren you will not falter but maintain your alliance. Hold fast to this awareness of your connection with the First Source and Center as you traverse your circles.

DANIEL:   Questions?

Isaac:   Tomas, this is Isaac. May I ask you a question to clarify something you said last week?

TOMAS:   You may ask.

Isaac:  I will read the sentence that I am not fully understanding. You said in referring to the Lucifer Rebellion...' And now let me ask you to what extent do you feel that the effects of the Lucifer Rebellion are still influencing your own appreciation of your limitations? If, in fact, the Manifesto spoke of unbridled liberty, then with good intentions and well-rationalized motives it would seem that liberty can continue indefinitely, unless restriction/limitation is placed upon some aspects of your thinking processes and subsequent behaviors'. As I was typing this I was wondering if that last sentence...' It would seem with good intentions and well rationalized motives that liberty could continue indefinitely'. I thought perhaps that this would be Lucifer's idea and that you were presenting it as something to be disavowed. Did I misunderstand that totally? What did you mean by that?

TOMAS:   One moment. I would first agree with you that the structure of the thought put forth is somewhat convoluted. Yet my intent and purpose was to question whether sometimes you limit yourselves in fear that your liberty might be too unbridled. You often censor yourselves. I have witnessed it in all of you that you constrain yourselves lest you be totally free to say what your heart desires to say. You censor the perceptions of your hearers. You limit your expression and therefore limit the comprehension of your hearer. And I have suggested that sometimes your own restrictions may be in fear that you are being 'Luciferian' in your free reign, in the liberty of your expression. Does that help clarify my garbled and too hazy statement?

Isaac:   Well, yes. And since it was I who spoke of the dangers of unbridled liberty and not recognizing limitations, now I can understand what you were after there. So that's very helpful, Tomas.  And perhaps other readers of the transcript who read this one will . .. (maybe in the first place didn't share my confusion) and now will share the clarification. So I appreciate that clarification. Thank you very much.

TOMAS:   Thank you.

PamElla:   Tomas, your answer brings me to a further question. I was sharing earlier today that I am not looking forward to company this weekend just because I'm tired and I want to structure my own time. I don't know what all is going on other than I just don't have much time to myself and so I have projects that I want to do and etc. And I have been feeling torn and wrong in that perhaps I was limiting myself by those feelings that I should be looking forward to my company and being open to the new experience. Anyway, I have been feeling wrong about my reactions and that it was coming from my self limitations. And now what I hear in your clarification is perhaps I am limiting myself in not being honest with my company about how I am feeling about having company. I definitely am feeling limited and I am recognizing that I am limiting myself. But I am not sure in which direction or if I am limiting myself in both. Is that clear?

TOMAS:   It is clear. My child, the first thing you need to address is your exhaustion. You cannot make any satisfactory, soul satisfying decisions as long as you are harried. It occurs to me why you would, if indeed you are so weary, set upon yourself the desire, the ambition to attack several new projects. This seems contra-indicated if you are, indeed, tired. If you intend to set out to experience peace and quiet and meditation in the hills to take in energy as the Master did, this might be a wise approach to structuring your time.
Yet remember that often when you have been under stress and have been too busy to the point of fitful exhaustion the presence of a friend can provide the uplifted heartfelt satisfaction that relaxation and diversion, which also would set your mind at ease from your efforts. Remember the condition of friendship is an end in itself that the love which you may express or receive in any friendship is unlimited, whereas time/space projects and the like are fraught with limitations.

Lest you perceive that I am making your decisions for you remember my initial admonition, and that is to seek stillness and rest. From there your path will unfold more naturally and happily.

PamElla:   Thank you Tomas. Part of my difficulty is that...I understand what you are saying about projects. The projects I have in mind is my yard work which I find very restful. But what I have been having difficulty finding is that rest because it seems that there are so many demands on my time that involve people or that involve alliances or involve earning my living that I really can't see where I can cut back at this point, other than weekends that I like to save to myself for sleeping and going to the hills. I definitely like to do that on the weekends. I am thinking about what you are saying about friendship. My perception is since I don't want to have friends over into a cluttered and very dirty house that there are certain aspects that go along with having people such as getting my house clean. Anyway obviously I am feeling very limited and I realize I am limiting myself in my beliefs about what needs to be done and how things have to be a particular way in order for this to happen or for that to happen. And I guess I don't want to let go of them. So I guess I am wanting to be limited. I guess I'll shut up. (laughter)

TOMAS:   Fastidiousness itself is a limitation, for although it does provide order and beauty and a sense of control it, like all efforts, is only valuable to you if it provides some satisfaction, that is, if you approach it with joy. Any service to your fellow man or to yourself that is not done in joy is valueless. It is filler and extremely limiting to your happiness.

PamElla:   Thank you, Tomas. I will try and approach it with joy.

Isaac:   From what you just said, Tomas, I can see another conclusion. If you are not doing service out of joy and it is nothing but filler and etc., then you are doing your duty or something duty like, then maybe you shouldn't do it.

Group comments:  Not clean your house?? -- Well I love it, not cleaning the house but the garden.   Nothing is as boring as cleaning the house!   But even cleaning the house is beautiful.   I enjoy cleaning the house when I have the energy. I love to put on music and clean the house. It's just that I don't want to do it tonight. What's wrong with tomorrow?   Well no, the plane comes in and I am neighbor representative and I supposed to organize the cleanup before I can do that.

Luke:  Thank you, Tomas and Daniel, for bringing up the subject like we had last week. I sure felt the limitation on self as well as each individual at the time I was sitting here last week. It is a good subject. I hope you will keep us on line and keep us striving to overcome our limitations. Thank you.

DANIEL:   Thank you Luke for your words. Tomas and I are dedicated to a fault, perhaps, in striving to be agitators to your comfort zone.

Leetah:   Well, I am a bit agitated! (Laughter). Tomas when you were talking about being free to say everything you think and not to limit yourself because you might limit the other person's comprehension, with tongue in cheek I would like to ask if you as a mortal ever said things that you thought might be appropriate and seeing shocked looks on faces and complete silence; and did it add to your fear or take away?

TOMAS:   Leetah. You have asked me a most provocative question which I will, indeed, answer to satisfy your curiosity. But before I do that I wish to clarify that when I spoke of expressing yourself freely I was speaking in a higher sense such as telling a friend about your spiritual experiences. You are inclined to restrain yourself lest they not comprehend and you limit your joyous and free expression of your personal religious experience as well as their Thought Adjuster who eagerly awaits the opportunity to take those impressions and align the mortal of its indwelling with the First Source and Center. This is the freedom of expression to which I made reference.

Your question infers that I and all evolving mortal creatures will and do say rude, thoughtless, and outrageous things to other individuals without restraint or sensitivity to their acts (continuous chuckling and laughter). Indeed the other side of the coin of my elongated question which Isaac referred to earlier speaks to that also --  [Tomas gets lost] -- for there you see in another long question I have even lost myself! (Loud laughter) And you see, Leetah, more clearly, perhaps what I meant?

Leetah:   Yes, Tomas. I really do. I was thinking of my rude mouth (laughing)..and it really wasn't rude. Maybe inappropriate. Someone was talking about their body going to end or something like that and I said in the teachers' supply room in front of many people that 'Well, that doesn't mean you are going to end'. And there was just total silence! And their faces were just blank! And I thought, 'Oh, dear, I have put my foot in my mouth again!' That's what I was thinking about.

TOMAS:   Do not limit such expressions for those are the kinds of expressions of your faith which plant seeds, despite the expression on their face. Obviously something was impressing them. It is not for you to determine whether it was positively or negatively received. Plant your seeds freely!

Leetah:   Thank you Tomas. I will remember that. That is really a very good admonition for me because I often interpret faces according to my feelings at the moment instead of the reality that might be happening. Thank you for that insight.

Luke:   Well it's like always, our intention is to be good, to help others. And as you mentioned, it doesn't mean you will go on. The way we know ceases to exist. The intention is really what counts in the end.

DANIEL:   Indeed will you all be greatly joyed, overcome when you resurrect and are able to sensually understand ascension, where faith will be affirmed.

PamElla:   I'm confused again. I apparently misunderstood your statement which you clarified now further. I would like you to address maybe the other aspect of what you, of limiting our expression. There is a lot of expression that is inappropriate, socially inappropriate, rude and insensitive if one is trying to be responsible for someone else's feelings. But it is also honest. What is the balance between being honest and letting other people take responsibility for their reactions to one's words and being a good, loving, caring person? And I guess even as I am asking this question I'm thinking that time in the quiet tempers our responses so that they are honest without being destructive. Could you comment further on that, please?

TOMAS:   Yes. It is a matter of different circumstances requiring different approaches. The gracious soul is more able to handle difficult personalities. The wise soul is frequently able to eschew difficult personalities. The clever individual can get the point across without alienating the difficult personalities, etc. You are correct that one who aligns himself and herself with spirit sources is more able to respond appropriately to the moment. Remember that much of your dealings with your society are based upon limitations of your culture, your gender, your language, your etc., and are really not real as far as your spirit truth is concerned. A farseeing individual who is not too tired can perceive the necessary avenue in a situation. Always remember the admonition of the Morontia Companion who suggests that communication is the key, that when you can align yourself with the integrity of the other personality you stand a better chance of conveying truth. Is that addressing your subject?

And may I also say that when one question leads to another it is not that you don't get it or that I don't get it but that we are communicating. We are expressing further, making deeper inroads into an understanding. It is never a concern for the teachers when a question is asked and asked again in different phraseology.

PamElla:   Yes, Tomas, you did answer the question and it did lead to another question. I am thinking about limits and I know that I limit myself when I am concerned about being inappropriate or rude or hurting someone else's feelings or displaying anger inappropriately. Well here is my question. Sometimes I have feelings and I am afraid if I were to express them honestly I would err in overdoing. And so I will therefore err in under-doing it and not expressing. And I realize both are errors. I guess I don't know if I do have a question. I want you to tell me which one is better! [Laughing] Anyway, maybe I don't have a question but that is what I was thinking about when we were talking.

TOMAS:   I will address that which has struck me as being the issue of your soul's need. And that is that you feel the need to express, but do not want to offend or alienate or be inappropriate in expressing your feelings. This is possible by letting it be known in advance that you are going to emote, and then emote freely until you have spent that soul need. Then pick up your pieces, embrace your friend who has allowed your expression, laugh and go on.

PamElla:  Thank you, Tomas. As long as they allow that expression it would be fine.

Isaac:   Well since we are having this conversation, as you just said, this is delightful to me. I wanted to add my two cents about one thing here. I'm thinking of the clarification that the Urantia Book has given me regarding Jesus' somewhat contradictory, as some people see it, modes of expression where, and it is recorded in the Bible as well, He denounced certain people with pretty strong language: snakes and vipers and etc. According to the Urantia Book He did that only at the end of His life when He knew these people had rejected His teaching and were turning from the truth. I don't believe He ever used those kind of tactics when He was trying to build bridges of communication. Do you agree with me on my interpretation of the Urantia Book on this issue? Do I have it right, I should say. Can you talk about that?

TOMAS:   I feel we rather see it eye to eye. However, I do not feel that He was making His statements simply because He was about to exit. No, but rather He felt the necessity of assigning certain evils and sins to the record. It is wise to understand that Michael had the advantage of a more sublime vantage point than you or I in that regard. It is often the case in the observation of evolving beings that certain snakes and vipers appear and spread their threats, poisons, and toxins to the detriment of all. It is not, however, incorrect for a thinking, God-conscious mortal to in the same fashion address the individual and express that this is how you feel in the presence of this individual. And if their response is clear you may wipe the dust from your feet and walk away trusting that their judgement will be made by beings of higher and more infinite wisdom than your own, which is considerable, even at this point.

Isaac:   Thank you very much for that sharing. And so I have nothing further.

TOMAS:   It would be only fair to admit that when you, any of you, opt to express your feelings to a mind/heart/soul which is limited by its own constraints, you are most often going to encounter their response, their feelings also. You might want to weigh carefully what you are emoting, with whom, and for what purpose. I am not suggesting you limit yourself but to think carefully before manifesting this process on the first person who comes along. (self conscious giggling in the background) I am certain that Daniel will conform to the belief that the most readily available entity with whom to speak freely one's feelings, thoughts, and reactions to limitations would be that Indwelling God Fragment, that portion of the First Source and Center which is your best friend, your most loyal companion.

DANIEL:   Very well spoken my dear Tomas! It is to your benefit and a tribute to your growing awareness that you are able to see humor in your weakness, for those who can see and understand the incongruities of their nature are those who are also more likely and more willing to change and to do the work necessary to bring about change.
So with that Tomas and I ask you to laugh freely at yourselves, to lighten up. During this week of great reverence on your planet may you see and understand with a great awareness, and not limitation, the message of Christ Michael to this 'planet of the cross'. Go in peace. Our love. Good night.

*****

DATE:  April 14, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Key To A New Life

DANIEL:   Greetings my friends, I am Daniel, your guide and teacher. As always it is the pleasure of the teachers to be of loving service to our fellow ascenders, so Tomas and I greet you on this day of solemnity not with sorrow but with joy and love and with the knowledge of a new beginning. As part of this Teaching Mission it has been decreed by Christ Michael to bring forth to the inhabitants of this local universe a greater understanding, a firmer grounding in the reality of the First Source and Center.

In the time span that has elapsed since the bringing forth of the Fifth Epochal Revelation much has transpired that has resulted in greater encircuitment, and as you are all witnessing in your own lives this encircuitment is bringing forth greater guidance to a world so long cut off. We work with you on a weekly basis. The writings from the Urantia Book are brought into a practical receptivity by yourselves and action stemming from these writings is reflected in your lives.

We are impressed by your wanderings through the desert. We are impressed that you no longer see sand but envision always the desert in full bloom in the newness of a new year. Your wanderings have brought you to greater heights. You envision a planet of Light and Life. No longer are you ready to give up and reduce the land to barrenness and drought. The wellspring from which you drink is, indeed, bringing forth life. Tomas and I (on) this day that is celebrated on this planet as the day of the crucifixion of Christ Michael, wish to address you not from the perspective of death but from the perspective of rebirth, new beginnings. For the first part of this lesson Tomas will speak. My friend is already anxious to communicate with you.

TOMAS:   Greetings students and friends, spirit family. I am Tomas and as you have heard I am indeed eager to address your listening ears. The resurrection, the rebirth is the key to new life, the new life of spirit reality which we pour into your vessels as you thirst for greater spirit reality. We ask you, as has been asked before, about your understanding of rebirth. I call upon you to be born again. What does this mean to you, and how does it reflect in your lives on those who have yet to breathe the Spirit of God, the living presence of Divinity?

To be born of the Spirit is to be a newly hatched egg, to be a blank slate, a channel for spirit reality to work through, to be in control of, to mold and protect you. The individual who has given him or herself over to the Spirit has simply made a decision to give up to the Creator without Whom the creature has no existence. In coming into existence in the mortal life there is much pain and anguish, and in the rebirth of the Spirit there is also often anguish and pain, for when one finds the strength of the egg too confining the egg must be broken out of in order to stretch the limbs of the new being. Such is the way of the reborn individual who has lost interest in material reality and seeks greater comprehension of his or her origin.

When one emerges as a newly born entity who seeks to congeal, to merge with his greater Self, the entity then says, 'I am new. I am naked. I am nothing. Create me. Breathe into me that which You would have me be. You are my Parent. I am Your child. Raise me up. Teach me what You would have me know. Teach me those values which You would have me carry for You. Teach me not only what it means to be Godlike but to be human and pleasing to You and Your other children. How may I be of greatest service to You Who has brought me into existence? How may I best show Your beneficence and generosity to those who find scarcity in life? How may I bring Your great love and mercy into a reality which is so contagious as to whet the appetites of Your lost children for soul companionship?'

In rebirth, in making old things new you must begin from a point of humility that your Creator is your Creator and nothing less. Your ascension now depends upon your willingness and cooperation in those lessons which are set out for you, those opportunities that are selected for you, those challenges which are custom made for your particular qualifications of personality and heritage. The uniqueness of a life which is Spirit born and Spirit led is the infinite joy of all those who experienced it and the dream/hope of all those who yet search. My dear friends I have delivered a portion of our words to you this evening. I return the platform to teacher Daniel.

DANIEL:   Thank you Tomas. Indeed have you all from the dark recesses of your soul, the quiet longing of your inquisitive nature, and from the curiosity of the human spirit often heard the call. Often have you turned your attention toward the call seeking to answer all of Tomas' questions. Certainly there have been opportunities in which the spiritual pressure could not arouse the sleeping aspects of your nature but in the experience of ascension there is always an opportunity, always another road to explore, and another area in which the call is heard.

And so let us not dwell on that which has transpired. Let us not grieve and bemoan the death of unchallenged calls, rather seek the newness and the rebirth of the call of the present and realize that the future lies ahead with many opportunities to move forward, to progress, to be the tool through which the First Source and Center is able to reach others. Be always mindful/conscious of your being, your presence, that in just being, there is opportunity for growth by others.

Each day is a new beginning. Each portion of the day can be subdivided into another beginning and so forth and so on down to hours, minutes and to that which is now. In the scheme of reality it is this 'now' which is of prime importance for it is in the 'now' that decisions and choices are made. It is in this 'now' that you are beckoning to that new beginning. It is in this 'now' that you move forward into the future.

Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will live again in each of you. Do not be one that continues to roll the stone back over the grave. Instead allow the boulder to be released and the light of day enter into the sepulcher of your soul. It is an aphorism that Christ lives and continues to bring forth those opportunities for new beginnings. Indeed Tomas' analogy of the egg cracking open and revealing a new entity is what we see in each of you! It is a day that has been mourned in great solemnity and in due respect. It is also the day from which the true meaning of the Kingdom would be known. As the time of resurrection approaches 'prepare ye the way' for your own new beginning and resurrecting into a higher realm, a higher form of consciousness. It is now. It is a new beginning.

Are there questions?

Isaac:    Good evening, Daniel and Tomas, this is Isaac. I have with me a friend, G.W., who I would like to introduce to you at this time. G.W. is spending the weekend with us. We are very happy to have him with us and also to meet you. Thank you.

DANIEL:   Indeed, G.W, are we most pleased to have your presence with us today. The ability to see and realize that learning, growing, understanding, and becoming is part of the physical realm and also part of the spiritual and infinite realm, as you have been in knowledge of, that growth does not ever reach total completion but rather is there always more to be gleaned, more to bring forth from various and different levels, and your willingness to explore and allow new beginnings to take place is evident in your present life. Indeed, retiring from one job and looking forward to something greater is a time of personal searching and growth on the material level. It can also be a great time for spiritual upliftment and revelation. Continue to be open to all possibilities and to greater knowledge. Welcome my friend.

PamElla:   Daniel and Tomas, I have no questions. I just wanted to tell you, particularly Tomas, how moving I found tonight's addresses, and to take this opportunity to thank the two of you and all of the personal teachers and all of the help, including Christ Michael, for the enormous help and progress. I really related, Tomas, to your analogy of a chicken breaking out of the egg. Thank you for that analogy.

TOMAS:   Of course you are welcome. It is one of the simpler analogies but one which is easily appreciated.

Leetah:   Good evening, Daniel and Tomas. I sat here tonight listening and I had double thoughts going on in my mind, almost a paradox of feelings and ideas in the sense that there were a lot of words used by both of you tonight that I haven't heard you use that were kind of 'red flags' to me: 'rebirth', for one, even though it is a very good word when I analyze it and 'born again' was the other. And I appreciate very much both of you referring to the fact that it is to be a new beginning at any point and that it is an alignment with the Spirit. My question is this. 'If, indeed, it is alignment with the Spirit and of hatching from the egg is a symbol, that is somewhat full of anguish and pain, what would you say the shell was in our life? Or am I carrying this too far. Would you like to speak on that?

TOMAS:   The shell is the constraints of any given perception of reality. And once you have outgrown your current reality, your appreciation for where you are now and have reached a point of attainment in spiritual growth which pushes forward into yet a new and greater reality, therein is the eggshell, the continuing evolutionary progressive experience of ascension and rebirth into newer and greater comprehension of the One True Living Reality.

DANIEL:   Do not misconstrue Tomas' words to mean, however, that the shell has served no purpose, for it is that from which we spring forth from one level to another that has brought us to that point. The experiences of yesterday have molded you into the person of today.

Leetah:  Thank you very much, both of you. That was very well answered and it did fit exactly into that which would be a continual rebirthing process. And to follow up with a bit of lightening up... I couldn't help but visualize me and everyone else as a little featherless fowl that needs help! (laughing)

DANIEL:   Even the featherless fowl has a soft coating of fluff which is found to be adorable and is the covering that protects, immunizes, if you will in a new analogy, the new entity at this time of new awakening. The process of great growth spurts is often cushioned by a plateau of rest and quiet. The fluff on the fowl is that which will then be replaced by the experiences that unfold as this new life proceeds minute by minute.

The nature of new beginnings is not seen as ugly or undesirable by the First Source and Center and the Mother and Father of this local universe. Rather it is seen as an entity of beauty capable of great potential.

Leetah:   Thank you very much for that answer too, Daniel. In a different direction now I did write down a thought. I wondered if the resurrection of Christ Michael on this planet really is the basis for the new year as far as our local universe is concerned? I know it is a curiosity question but the resurrection certainly means a great deal to all of us.

DANIEL:   This question is immaterial. However in your conception the newness and new beginning must be realized in the Fifth Epochal Revelation as bringing forth the concepts that Christ Michael brought to this planet. The new awareness should not be from the old concept of a religion about Jesus of Nazareth but rather that it should be a religion about the principles that were brought forth during His stay, His bestowal upon Urantia. Truly in that reference, then, is this the new beginning, the new year, a new time. Henceforth you have been called upon to bring forth this revelation concerning your universal citizenship, your Urantian brotherhood and sisterhood, the love of the Father, the mercy of the Son.

Leetah:   Thank you.

Isaac:   This is Isaac speaking again. As you were discussing new birth with Leetah or else in the lesson, I'm not sure which, my mind was thinking of the word you used, 'ascension'. That is what triggered these thoughts, that it appears that there is a series of major periods in the ascension career where there would almost seem to be new birth occurring as contrasted with the idea of every moment being a chance for new birth, new experience, and new growth. And I am thinking particularly of the morontia career with the keying of the morontia form to higher and more spiritual levels, transition to Spirit status, and then transition to Havona residency and finally the transition to Paradise. All of these thoughts came to me. I decided to share. Thank you.

DANIEL:   Indeed is the understanding viewed both as a microcosm of moment by moment to the macrocosm of infinity future destiny and that which awaits you in Paradise and beyond. Each aspect is certainly a time of renewal, of growth, of greater enlightenment, of progress.

TOMAS:   Make no mistake, however, that rebirth, which you have been called to experience, is real. It is of the Spirit. There are many new awakenings which occur to the ascendant being: emotional, mental, philosophical, self revelatory, and etc.; but the initial rebirth of the individual who delivers himself/herself to God for eternal keeping is now dependent upon the reality of its Parent and the Parent breathes into the child the knowledge of Its reality. This shimmering reality impresses the soul forever more and it is in this experience that one knows that he knows.

Isaac:   I am glad that you added to that, Tomas, because I also was afraid my remarks left the impression that I merely thought that new birth was synonymous with progress and growth. Let me see if I understand what you are saying. Would new birth be that moment when a person becomes aware of a personal caring God that he or she then turns their life over to, in a sense. It is like that first initial moment of betrothal with their Divine Indwelling Adjuster? Is that correct or close?

TOMAS:  Yes. It is a commitment to your Adjuster insofar as it is an acknowledgement that without your Adjuster you have no reality; you are dust without that eternal Fragment. Your immortality rests upon your yearning to merge with that which is Eternal. Yes.

Isaac:   Okay, thank you.

DANIEL:   My friends, as we conclude this evening let me remind you of the admonition given by Christ Michael to 'fear not, be not afraid, have courage'. New awakenings call for courage and boldness. Be mindful, however, that new beginnings tempered with stillness, desire, and willingness will hold little or no fear for you. Go this week as courageous citizens awaiting the newness, the dawn of the moments. Tomas and I send you our love. We have a visitor that will conclude this evening.

ABRAHAM:  I am Abraham. I have asked to address you this evening because of the nature of this lesson. As a mortal from Urantia, as one of this planetary ancestry I know from where I speak that in my moments on this plane there were many instances where a voice in the desert was heard, a beckoning to follow. There stirred within my bosom an emotional and fearful outburst. Within my mind there was resistance. Within my body there was a clamoring, yet an avoidance. However, as you have come to know, the still small voice of the Indwelling Spirit does move and calm all of those fears to he, to she, that is willing. And so to you my brothers and sisters in cosmic citizenship and in Urantia brotherhood and sisterhood, I say to you to hear within these hostile, frightening, clamorings the words 'Fear not. You are not alone. You are supported'.   Gather strength from within. Shalom.

Group:   Good evening.

*****

DATE:  April 21, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Surfing the Wave

DANIEL:  Greetings my friends. I am Daniel, your guide and teacher. Welcome my dear ones to our ongoing adventure of seeking the First Source and Center, and in the spiritual quest of expanding knowledge, wisdom, and in the pursuit of righteousness. Tomas and I are on board as usual to bring you some thought from our perspective that will cause you to think, to perhaps strive a little harder, to prepare you for the unfolding of life. The unfoldings of this past week have been personally, for each of you, a time of stretching. Nationally it has been a time of stretching, and globally likewise for life is never static. There is always flux, always the waves of movement and progress.

A wave is an interesting phenomenon for it rises and crests and as the crest falls away it recedes back down again, the high time and the low time of your personal life, of the life of all mortals collectively on this planet. And so understand that because you are a part of nature there will be always this ebbing and flowing; and this knowledge can benefit you when you are on the underside of the wave. Always when you are on the crest and riding high is there great joy and little thought of the low times. But it is through the experience of those low times that you appreciate the high ones.

The surfer paddles out on the great ocean, waits and watches for just the right wave and then begins to ride the top of it, the curl of that wave. You, my friends, are like surfers in a spiritual quest, always paddling out into the vast unknown relying on faith that the wave on which you are about to embark will be the one that will bring you to a higher and more gratifying perception of the purpose of life, of the grandeur of God and a greater understanding of all that encompasses Living. 

From Romans it is said, 'Let us pursue peace and upbuilding.' [Ed. note: Romans 14:19] In times of crisis, in times of chaos, and in times of disharmony it is important to seek and find peace and to pursue that which can be upbuilding. My friends, it is not possible to come away from crises on top of the wave if there has not been some manner of preparation along the way. Those who prepare daily will meet a crisis with a firmer surfboard to ride the waves. It is an unwise surfer who goes out on a belly board in waves of tremendous height. It is the unwise surfer who handles these waves without experiences on the smaller waves of life.

How, then, do you prepare to meet crises? Crises cannot be met totally from an outer perspective for that which you come away from often, then, are not lessons that can nurture your growth but are more like a hollow shell. It is more productive to meet crises on the premise of being prepared, for by that means the experience garnered will be more fulfilling.  To pursue peace and upbuilding requires knowing an inner peace. Inner peace and harmony transforms the individual. There is courage, there is confidence, and there is a general knowledge that that which surrounds, that which is on the outer life can be managed, can be forked through. There is hope. There is faith.

Those who are hollow within suffer greatly the vicissitudes of life. The falling away of the wave for them spells doom, creates fear, brings about intolerance, impatience, and misunderstanding. Those who have worked to fortify themselves and who have inner strength do not come away from the fallen wave in despair and remorse. They see that what has transpired affords opportunity to bring about a greater purpose. Tomas and I ask you to consider this avenue of inner peace. It is this that we have striven to help you build. It is the foundation upon which you can ride the waves of life. My friend has some added words.

TOMAS: Good evening friends and loyal students. Indeed, have I words for you who are present. However in acknowledgement of those who are not here this evening with us in body and those, too, who are not with us in spirit we send our greetings, our love, and our great faith in the ultimate unfolding of all good. I have words to contribute also having to do with waves for you in your growing reality are becoming as a wave.  In your joint effort, the small stirrings within you all are, as has been reviewed by Daniel, part of the ebb and flow of your mortal experience. In this season of spring there emerges a swelling of new life which takes hold, rises, and wells up to the high crest of summer's great wave falling in the autumn to sleep quietly on the shore. The wave to which I refer now is that wave which is emerging from the deep waters of your most primal birth, your most original coming into beingness.

In these times of spiritual awakening the coming-togetherness in your budding spiritual reality begins to move in a forward direction. Your movement is then joined through your mutual purpose to align itself to the reality next to you in spirit. This coming together of spiritual energies and reality is now forming a powerful movement; although the movement of the waves in creation is not yet powerful, the stirrings are deep in the ocean of life and it is formulating. The swelling of new spiritual life on your planet, on Urantia, is now compelling the fishes and driftwood to move in a certain direction. It is, as yet, temperate but as you become more trusting of the natural force of this swelling of spiritual water your willingness to ride with the wave will create a true tube of power which will be compelling and tremendous for all involved.

We look forward to the ride. The waves that you begin to activate by your decisions will one day carry life to the shores of Paradise. How glad we are to take part in this initial stirring. For those of you now who are here this evening we urge you to be aware of the pulsing movement of the being beside you, to rise with that energy and bond in a way which is fluid and cleansing. Acknowledge your interconnectedness to that forward swelling wave. The wave will traverse the craggy rocks and shoals and will prevail.

DANIEL: Thank you Tomas for your extended comments.

The necessity of inner work allows, then, for you to understand and know the connectedness of those beside you, around you, with each individual on this planet.  Indeed are there timeless truths that prevail.  There must continue to be neutral striving for peace and upbuilding for you cannot separate yourselves from one another.  You are one and the same.

Our analogy this evening has been to use the wave, the ocean. You are but a drop in that ocean. You are part of the whole, and like the ocean you are part of the nature of ebbing and flowing. Certainly the tide, the wave crashes against the sand and the rock but the waters pour back into that which falls back into the ocean, only to be recycled again into another place, another time, another part of a wave. Even if you should be the drop of water that is flung farthest from the beach and evaporates, that evaporation still rises to the clouds and again falls, and at some point connects again back to the oneness of the ocean.

Our words to you tonight are to remember who you are. Strive to know inner peace so that you can understand your connectedness and you can ride the vicissitudes of life with confidence, with courage, with understanding and the wisdom to know how to act. Tomas and I are joyous teachers when we witness the strength with which your foundations are bonding and cementing.   We open this now for questions.

PamElla: Daniel and Tomas, thank you for the lesson. It gives me much to contemplate. In particular at the moment I am trying to understand further how it is that as we do our inner work and we know inner peace we see our connectedness to the whole. And even as I ask this question I guess I feel rather foolish because I suppose as we do our inner work we get to know who we are; and as we know who we are we see we are part of all. But that is in -- kind of -- real general terms, I guess. And I'm wondering if you can talk about it in a more specific manner?

DANIEL:  Certainly my friend. It is he who truly knows and understands himself who is able, therefore, to love himself, who is therefore able to drop the trappings of an egotistical being. When the individual is able to put aside ego he is open to understanding others, to accepting others, to the understanding that he, his brothers and sisters, are very much the same. Does this help?

PamElla: Tremendously, Daniel.  Thank you. [Long pause]

TOMAS:  While you wrestle with your minds to formulate academic questions to that which you are feeling and sensing in your heart, let me tell you a story. Actually it is another movement.

You have all heard the analogy of the symphony, that in the swelling of the musical notes many emotional crescendos are met on the way to the conclusion. The wave of oppression, which has flooded over much of your nation has been the kind of wave which I refer to in some respects, for so many people have tapped into their feelings of outrage and sadness that the content is viable, is almost physically noticeable in your atmosphere. Others are affected consciously and unconsciously by the grave concerns focused on one devastating incident. The human is a highly sophisticated instrument. That is all.

PamElla: Tomas, as I was listening to your story, the conclusion that came to, or these were my thoughts, is that you talked about people being tapped into their outrage and whatever the other thing you said, and I really manage to keep myself fairly insulated from other events. And so I really don't know what happened in Oklahoma City. And I am seeing shocked looks on everyone's faces! But I have been feeling stuff this week. And I guess my understanding of part of what you want from us as members of the Teaching Mission is to maintain that sense of peace, to maintain that sense of love, to not allow ourselves to drown in those waves or to become a part of those waves, but rather to be bearers of light and be spreading a different wave to counteract the waves of outrage and whatever else it is. In a minute I will ask you if that is a correct understanding.

And then I want to speak a little bit further about some thoughts I was having this week which is that in order to do that I have had to insulate myself from the news and from the situations. Otherwise I tended to get sucked right into and tended to become part of those waves. I was thinking to myself just this week that maybe I was ready to become aware of what was going on again without becoming immersed in that. I have been considering allowing myself to know more about what's going on, but I don't really want to tap into the news because I don't like the negativism of it. I guess I would like you to comment on my first statement. Is that a correct assessment about a part of what this Teaching Mission is and what you have been asking us to do? And then if you have comments on my personal thoughts this week that would be great also. Thank you.

TOMAS: How avid a student you are, my dear! You have seen through me, for I deliberately created a contrast of an emotional wave as compared to a spiritual wave. Yes, I am going to make a brief remark and then offer Daniel opportunity to further respond if he opts.

The desire of your teachers is that you keep a finger on the pulse of the true swelling. It is possible too, through your alignment of what you know to be true within, it is possible to 'insulate' yourself by understanding the safety of your Source. It is possible to be aware of the many vagaries of existence occurring on Urantia without being sucked in to the emotional backlash. [Ed. comment: I fumbled with the tape forever it seemed before finally getting it inserted properly on side B so Tomas commented further] -- vagaries throughout the world and even here! ! (Laughter)  I jest! (More laughter)  And I relinquish the floor.

DANIEL: I have but one note of caution.  Being a hermit or living in a monastery shielded from the outside and doing hours of prayer does not necessarily mean soul growth. You are a part of this world. Knowledge and understanding bring higher levels of knowing how to deal with, situations. Being, as Tomas has stated, sucked down does not solve problems either. Here again, balance, tempered with inward tuning will help direct those who speak answers down pathways of finding solutions.

PamElla: Thank you both for your answers and comments.

Leetah: Good evening, Daniel and Tomas. I'm sitting here trying to equate three words you have used tonight and probably interdependently, I'm not sure, but as we recognize our interdependence as a human species -- I am thinking in terms of the planet, when we think of our interdependency and peacemaking and reconciliation -- is it recognition of our interdependency that will cause us to reach out, to reconcile both with nature, the planet itself, with our human brothers and sisters that will surely bring peace, Light and Life to this planet?

DANIEL: This certainly does not hinder the situation. It is, in fact, the strong who are able to relinquish and see the viability of other ideas. Dogma, strict political boundaries, etc. tend to alienate. Certainly pride in one's country, in personal areas of one's life as well, is tolerable to a limit. When pride overlaps and blinds one's ability to see beyond -- when pride overlaps and causes one to tread on another's feet -- then the ability to see beyond, to reconcile, and to be able to cooperate is endangered. Does this help?

Leetah: Yes, Daniel, it does. I am thinking further that as our human pride reveals itself in human hurts or emotional insults -- (I am trying to make this personal to me and I shouldn't) -- perhaps it shows a weakness in that you are saying that if we are strong in ourselves, the powerful and purpose and motive are able to reach out in cooperation and try to recognize that other person's position and to be very willing to acknowledge their position, is really a strong place?

DANIEL:  Yes. Of course, these are ideals, but those who do not hold ideals are willing to settle for the humdrum, and the humdrum does not bring about progress, enlightenment, or the planting of morontial seeds, of planting the seeds of love. And so even though this seems like a plateau or platform beyond your reach, never forget that in any ascent, no matter how difficult, no matter how steep, there is always help and support. For every step that is gained there may be some regression, but from that regressing point another step will be made and from there on and on always in a forward motion. Never give up on your ideals.

Leetah: Thank you Daniel.

Isaac:   Hello, this is Isaac.  I'm trying to restrain my pessimism today and maybe it is the mood of the country that we are all feeling this way, whether or not we were aware of the actual details. There was a section of the Urantia Book that Leetah and I read this morning that puts in Words one of my major concerns.  I am going to quote it here. 'Polyglot culture can be preserved only if the superior stock reproduce themselves in a safe margin over the inferior. Unrestrained multiplication of inferiors with decreasing reproduction of superiors is unfailingly suicidal of cultural civilization.' And we have been bemoaning the deterioration of our children, their behavior levels, their functioning, etc., in school. I just felt like I needed to express the fact that this kind of thing -- I see it happening! And it is discouraging! So it is kind of like -- those are the downhill waves, or those are the waves that we are counteracting, if I understood what PamElla was trying to say.

My understanding from Ham is that one of the aspects of the Correcting Time has to do with environmental improvement. Since this is Urantia Day and we are talking about some of those topics, I though at least I would make mention of it. I think you have probably dealt with this kind of feeling before and maybe you don't even need to say anything but, I think I express a feeling that is not just my own but shared by others.

DANIEL: Indeed is Urantia heavily laden in many backward modes. Many characteristics of this planet could be seen as those of a dying race, a dying planet. However, one must remember that the First Source and Center is well aware of this far-flung planet. The Mother and Father of this universe, Michael and Nebadonia, are Parents of great wisdom. Wise parents allow that which is necessary for there to be experience upon which growth can occur. During times such as you are now feeling, these fears of gloom and doom tend to rise. One of the goals of the Teaching Mission is to stress to all students far and wide the necessity for foundation building that will be strong enough, big enough, to support your human life in times when disharmony abides upon your planet or within your individual life. Certainly the electro-chemical makeup and your body will feel the effects emotionally and wearily but as each day brings forth a new dawn so, too, does the body change and rejuvenate and clearer thinking will bring you to understand that, again, faith has carried you through.

There is no easy answer. There are no magic wands. There is the day in and day out of living, of experiencing, of growing. Those who build a spiritual foundation will find that the vicissitudes of life are manageable, not likeable at all times, but manageable! Spiritually you understand joy and you will understand, also, the necessity for working through challenges of day to day living. Be assured, all of you that work is being done on this side and on Urantia by many humans who are called, who heeded the call, who are working to bring about change. Recall Abraham's words of last week. Fear not, you are not alone!

Isaac:  Thank you very much. Just one last question on this. Does that mean I give no thought to the fact that there seems to be a problem with birth rate in this country right now, and that it isn't the more intelligent or able people who are having the most kids, it is the other way around? Shouldn't that be something that people become aware of before we can do anything about changing it? I thought that this was a fair thing to point out just because it is a reality that isn't promising. Should I not worry about that or what?

DANIEL: Are you going to live in a monastery?
Isaac:  No.

DANIEL:  Then of course you need to think about things.  You need to pray about them.  You need to seek guidance.  But to carry the burdens of all only adds to the negativity. Seek and ye shall find that in your own way you can contribute some aspect that will help generate the movement and the pace toward bigger and greater change.

Isaac:  Well, I will certainly not try to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. So -- everything you said I fully agree with. Thank you for reiterating that. I am sure we all share this gloomy mood this week. It is certainly true of my friends at the school where I work. So thanks for your encouragement, Daniel. I appreciate it.

TOMAS: I would add that earlier in the evening's discussions reference was made to the powerful energies which were resident and emanating from your political capital, your government center. And that political power is captivating and intriguing. Many have succumbed to its power and you are in some sense feeling a strong alignment with that aspect of yourself, which seeks action and resolution. This is an innate part of the politics of the human animal.

The subsequent discussion this evening in our communication has evidenced another instance of discourse which could be acted upon by the technique of political power, the feminine reconciliation ideal as compared to the method of trade and commerce as a way of bringing about interdependence, interconnectedness and forward movement as one example. Your concern for the general malaise of intellectual striving and the same power again politically which might fight this battle on the fields of your country's arena, the issue of procreation of select representatives of humanity, these two examples are, indeed, mortal concern which have been taken to your leaders. And you as citizens are given not only free reign but encouragement to involve yourself individually in those issues you feel strongly about. As my co-worker indicates, we are not here to encourage you to hide yourselves away from the very real issues alive on Urantia.

I will refer to yet another anecdote, that being the twins which Daniel spoke of; which twins grew up having the same ideals, yet manifesting diverse ways of bringing about the desired effect. Half of your life experience is adventure. You are free to engage in these adventures of formulating the evolutionary path of your planet to the extent that you find a positive wave of others with whom to surf. You will be assisted in your efforts. We are teachers in Correcting Time and our position has been and consistently is that of maintaining a strong hold on spiritual reality and potential, for as that energy is directed and focused on the overview, on that mighty spiritual wave which is now stirring, we will ultimately crash upon the beach of Urantia in a powerful, triumphant surge of bubbles and joy. Either and/or several avenues are available. You come here as students of a frame of reference, which you will repeatedly be brought back to.  That is all.

Isaac:   Excellent and complete. Thanks for the reminder about the twins. I rest. You have done a great job, both of you, with my concern!

TOMAS: Your concerns are our concerns. We hold you all in deep esteem and affection.

PamElla: It's getting late, so I realize that this may not be the time to answer this question, but I would like to ask it now while I am thinking about it and maybe you can formulate an answer for me later. I had some confusion. And maybe I need to speak to Isaac who is clear. I had some confusion about what you were tying to communicate about. Politics is one place where I would like clarification. And the other was your comment about masculinity, commerce, and trade.

The way I interpreted that was in my own framework of thinking (which may totally have perverted what you were communicating) which is that the masculine/feminine balances of this planet have been way, way out of balance toward the masculine, and that our economic system as it exists today reflects this imbalance.

In fact it was Karl Marx that taught that the rise of the use of money hides our interdependence while it makes us more and more dependent. For as we work for wages instead of our own livelihoods we become very interdependent because every aspect of the economy has to function; for if there is a breakdown we get unemployment and crisis and it spreads. We truly are very interdependent in our current economic system but the nature of money hides our interdependence. Because we think of ourselves as being very independent and separate from one another we have our whole independent ideology.

So what you said really struck me. And it strikes me, of course, because you know my background in economics. Some of my apathy is because I am not working in an area where I see anything useful to do other than earn a paycheck. And I often think about what kind of an economic system would work as I find our economic system severely flawed because of some of what I just said about the breakdowns and also the power relations. There are so many, many things that I find it almost -- well anyway, I'll stop there. Were you suggesting that as masculine /feminine comes into greater balance our economic system will change and that perhaps our patterns of trade and commerce that rely on power and a lot of other things will change also? What were you saying there?

TOMAS: Yes.

PamElla: Okay. [Outburst of laughter.] Thank you! [More laughter.] This does not answer my first part, which was to ask what you were saying about our political system, where you mentioned succumbing to the powers! But then it sounded like at the same time you were suggesting that Isaac get involved in these issues. And so I thought I heard contradictory stuff there that was confusing.  Can you clarify that?

TOMAS: Only somewhat, for as you say, the hour grows late and we are dealing with limited vessels. However our enthusiasm and appreciation of your stimulation is now such that we would like to start all over.  The discourse which you presented is, indeed, stimulated by a single word that I used, to wit, 'feminine.' I have full faith in your ability to carry on that theory at length with those of you who have similar excited concepts and create indeed, a wave. For you have certainly room in your life to become involved in something which stimulates yourself and which contributes to the overall correction of a subject which you have personal and professional interest in and qualifications to address.

PamElla: Thank you.

DANIEL: As Tomas has stated, the vessels through which we speak are growing weary. And so as this evening is brought to a close we ask you to build your surfboard, your foundation, that you prepare and know what precautions to take that you can ride the waves and meet the crash at the bottom of the wave with the same measure of elation as when you are on the crest. In spiritual reality you can do this. In human terms the reality is that you will feel and have emotions that will trigger a downside. But he who has built and she who has built that foundation will be able to be sustained spiritually during times of human struggle. Let us now pursue peace and mutual upbuilding. Good evening.

*****

DATE:   April 28, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Influence and Disappointment

DANIEL:  Good evening my friends. Welcome to our comfortable get together again to study and discuss spiritual truth and personal growth, progress or difficulties with the matter of learning the technique of balance, and trust essential to this matter of surfing the waves of life. It is I, Daniel, who speaks to you, your teacher, your companion and your guide.

Much has been presented tonight in your discussions which shows your continued interest and dedication to the pursuit of the application of Tomas and my instructions. I am filled with pride, in a proper sense, that I am given the privilege of being your teacher. The instruction that I wish to comment on this evening is a further extension of our grappling with truth which we dealt with last week, and I would elaborate this evening on this business of dealing with disappointment. The disappointment that I refer to was in the metaphor of the downside of the wave.

It has been well spoken tonight in your discussion that your perspective on the meaning of the events in your life has major impact upon your reaction to those events which occur, whether internally or externally, on a daily basis. One of the recommendations of humor is that it is a means of altering a perspective in such a way as to see the progress that a person, a being, makes over time and to appreciate one's own childishness in retrospect. So first, then, I commend to you the full hearted enjoyment of humor to help deal with your tendency to become swallowed up and limited in a 'now' oriented view of the importance of a particular event.

Your culture is very persuaded that the fast lane, as it's termed, is the place to be in order to benefit the most from everyday events. And because of this orientation one, and this includes you all as well, one is put into a state of electro-chemical tension and priorities are arranged in such a way that the unexpected interruptions of unplanned for problems can disrupt a person's equilibrium and cause them to become disoriented. Therefore another strategy of great importance in dealing with disappointments is to look upon the whole stretch of time which is your real reality. For you, my friends, are given to know that this short life is but the prelude to eternity and that the desires of your heart and your plans cannot be fulfilled in entirety in this lifetime. These desires are not put there to frustrate you but to speak of your true eternal status, if you so choose the ascension career.

Another realization which has been presented in your discussion has to do with the relative status that each of you have in regard to your influence on the outcome of 'everything'. I know that I speak words that you have heard before, words that you intellectually understand when I say that you are not responsible for the overcare of this world. Yes, Isaac [TR #3] is concerned that this lesson is primarily intended for him, but I will say that we teachers do not single anyone out. Our lessons are broadly based.

Disappointment is inevitable. It is part of your humanity. You should not be surprised when it occurs to you for even our own Master wept when He was disappointed because the planned rendezvous between Himself and His family was aborted. Do not criticize and punish yourself for your humanity. No, your humanity, our humanity-- for I also am a former mortal -- our humanity is our gift from our Creator Son and His cohort, our Universe Mother Spirit.
You see there are many beings who do not share our mortality who are actually [almost] envious of us for experiencing things that they never will have the opportunity to do. And I refer to our Havona natives in particular. Regard the struggles of life as your opportunity to turn over control, the control you tend to naturally seek, to the overcare of our great Parent. Tomas, you may offer words at this time.

TOMAS: Thank you Daniel. Good evening group, my friends and loyal students of this Teaching Mission. The process which you all experience in learning at the hands of we teachers is fascinating to us as it is to you for whereas Daniel's transmitter/receiver this evening felt the lesson was directed towards him, I, myself have been shunted aside that my transmitter/receiver could hear those words which were certainly directed personally to her. The quality of our teaching attempts to prevail in spite of the many colorings of personalities and the individual level of understanding which you find yourself in today or on a day that the lesson takes root in your mind or your heart or your soul.

In reference now to the theme of disappointment there are those which are relevant to mind, the heart, and the soul. As you, of course, are familiar, the disappointments which are hardest to bear are those which never come. This bit of mota has caused many a mortal to puzzle over what disappointment the authors could be making reference to.
The materialist is disappointed by the lack of possessions and ease with which to attain, prosper, negotiate, and effuse.

The emotional disappointments relate to your heart's desires, which range of heart's desires bear directly upon your evolutionary standing at the time. Much of your concept of love is focused on romantic disappointments and disappointments related to your home including your physical temple, your family environment to include your planetary condition.

Also your soul disappointments are often presented to you for pondering and in a disappointment of the soul you might consider those times when your integrity is misunderstood or when you have been betrayed by a friend.

Your efforts in the field of planting seeds of spiritual truth often times are met with disappointments when your seed is seemingly cast aside for more tangible goodies or more sensual response.

The disappointment hardest to bear will never come for your greatest anticipation is always on the next crest, on the next adventure, on the next piece of insight and revelation.

In your true soul growth, in your identity-becoming your soul may transcend all seeming disappointments by the realization of the relative merit of your perception of the disappointment. In the long range you are brought forward to develop anew a stage on which to experience yet more disappointments and observe our God experience yet more victories.
Are you disappointed that the work which you have dedicated yourself to doing is work on behalf of others than yourself? In which case you will know great disappointment in your soul. The manifestation of divine love welling up from your Source is given to you and you give freely without concern for disappointment. The fruit you produce is the fruit or the living vine. It is not your fruit except that you nourish yourself and feed others with that fruit that has been provided.

If you find that the burden of service is great consider the burden of life without knowledge of your eternal self-becoming. What remnants of disappointment there are in this truth are but shadows which will evaporate in the light of the sun which falls on you who remain true to your divine purpose. [This is] the final remark from Tomas this evening.

DANIEL:   Thank you Tomas for your wise words, your added thoughts to our joint lesson together. Before I open this conversation to this group's involvement I would remark briefly that overcoming disappointment is a major accomplishment of the ascension career, for there will come a time when we all will have reached that point that is described in your text as disappointment proof, no longer battered and shattered and distraught by events that come out of the blue, as it were.

And as I said last week it is not my intention to tell you to lower your ideals for that is a strategy that some have attempted in order to avoid disappointment. No, rather rest in the security of your sonship and daughtership. Rest in the overcare of the First Source and Center and all His divine agencies of administration, mercy, and care. Do not neglect your time in silence for you only are cutting yourself off from your Strength. And now any comments and questions to Tomas and myself or any other discussion that you wish to propose?

TOMAS:  I am responding to a question which has been asked. I am Tomas. And the question which has been posed has to do with the perspective of the teachers as compared to the perspective of mortals in the flesh, the seeming vast gulf between the levels of growth. It is a curiosity question and yet I respond since this has been a thorn in the side of one of my students.

We have experienced being flesh and blood. We have known the emotions of human animals. We have known fear and love and the entire range of feelings as you have experienced them. That many of us teachers have experienced our mortal existence on advanced planets, worlds often approaching Light and Life or, indeed, well settled in Light and Life is irrespective of the feeling value which we know and which is part of our ascending experience like yours is part of your ascending experience. We are not superior in a sense of being better than you but in having maturity of experience. If our lessons sometimes appear to you as though we were speaking down to you, be at peace in your mind for we are merely elders and have little choice in how we portray our values for we are now the embodiment of those values as you, too, will embody your values as you ascend. That is all.  [Very long pause]

DANIEL:   Well, Tomas, perhaps we put them all to sleep or perhaps there is enough food for thought and weariness of flesh combined to make it appropriate for us to conclude our conversation. What say you?

TOMAS:   I am disappointed. However, I will survive.

PamElla:   If you would like a reaction, an honest reaction rather than a question or whatever, I guess I am willing to take that role tonight. I had a couple of thoughts, but my initial reaction was to Daniel when you said for us to take the longer view, I think that really is an impossible thing for us to do because it is asking us to do something which is beyond our experience! Although now I can look back to childhood easily and understand children I can remember being a child and thinking about being a grownup and being assured that that would never happen, because it was so long and far away. Even though I knew intellectually that someday I would be a grownup, an adult, my emotional reaction was, no, I will never be a grownup, never be an adult. And so that's how I feel when that is given as -- I was sort of in and out but I interpreted to be as solace to our disappointment to realize that this is just the preface to eternity. Well, that just doesn't help because right now this is my existence and it's my entire existence. I did like the comment on humor. I have found that a good laugh helps break up my disappointment. Well, anyway, there is a reaction, not necessarily a question.

DANIEL:   My dear it was not my intention to minimize the reality of disappointment by 'pie in the sky by and by' which seems to be how you may have thought or how you interpreted what I said, but rather to provide a broader framework for understanding that it doesn't all have to be done in this lifetime since you know that there is more. Much of the disappointment of Urantians today has to do with their lack of knowledge and faith regarding the whole perspective of eternal life so that they plan for the objectives of their life when they are young only to find them not being met and not being fulfilled. Many people succumb to massive disappointment that they cannot do all that they wish in this short lifetime, and knowing no other time become very sad, indeed. Rather I would intend to say that knowing there is time, much greater time than most people allow for or believe in frees you from the anxiety of that intense disappointment so that you can focus on your desires effectively and bring about those things which you earnestly and eagerly seek, of course in the overall perspective of seeking to do the Father's will. Has this clarified or helped or are you still in disagreement with what I have said?

PamElla:   Both. That did clarify. But I am still in disagreement. I'm sure it is out of ignorance because there are things that I want to do that have to do with this planet now that I can't see how they could be answered in a different time and place or in a different form. So to some extent I can understand some of the experiences that we are looking for, the feelings of adventure and that sort of thing can be had in different forms. And the problem is I have an attachment to the form! I guess right now I am thinking about experiential training that I took where one of the processes dealt with letting go of the form and realizing the experience, the emotional experience that you wanted from the form, and to let go of the form in favor of the emotional experience. And I suppose that is what would be a good avenue for me to follow at this point of time in my life, to let go of the form in which my disappointments take place so that I might have the emotional experience. That is where my disagreement remains, and I am sure that could be out of ignorance. You guys are in a-- I have no idea where you are. I have no idea what you experience. We are very limited or at least I am very limited by my experiences which are here and now. I really can't imagine what you know to be true by your experience. So it is not that I doubt -- well I guess I do doubt what you say because I haven't experienced it and I guess I am very much like the Apostle Thomas.

TOMAS:   Understood. Your childlike enthusiasm to manifest and inculcate all of thinking, feeling humankind in your experience is fraught with idealism which we would never attempt to squelch and thus your own adventurous spirit puts you in direct attack of your own ambition. This is not without value for that which you project impacts that which is real outside you that you are unable to see, feel, sense or appreciate. What you do in no way undermines what you do accomplish in your enthusiasm and your hopes. That may be construed as you say, fame and fortune, and that is a poor phrase but the 'I AM' aspect of any Father fused being or ascendant being appreciates that recognition and acknowledgment of its contribution to the Supreme. The lack of feedback is a disappointment indeed. You must understand that you have not failed in your eagerness to give to the form for all that you put forth is scaffolding toward that end. Remind yourself when you are feeling limitations which curtail your greater satisfactions that you are doing more than you realize by simply being one of those who say, 'It is my will that His will be done'. Your alignment to those values is valuable beyond your comprehension. We sympathize with the many minor setbacks inherent in a material system and even beyond. Do not feel isolated for all sensitive, thinking, feeling, God knowing beings feel that same range of noble ideal and experience, the same helplessness at being unable to expand beyond the bounds of mortal flesh. Your soul is registered and your worth is assured. Be not disappointed with yourself and hold in check your disappointments for those experiences which leave you feeling defeated for those are temporary fleeting moments and not part of your permanent make up. I hope I have been able to boost your disappointed spirits somewhat, daughter.

PamElla:   Yes, Tomas, your words are more comforting and thank you. And just for clarification, I don't think for my personal clarification but for our transcript, when you say 'hold in check' am I correct in interpreting that you don't mean, 'do not feel the feelings', but rather, 'keep them in perspective'?

TOMAS:   Correct.
PamElla: Thank you, Tomas.

Leetah: Tomas, you made reference to some of the thoughts I had in that you did suggest that beyond this mortal existence and perhaps even on your plane that there is disappointment. I am assuming that this probably is true since you are not yet on Paradise; and I say that with 'tongue in cheek', of course. But what do you do when you are disappointed?

TOMAS:   You are asking me a personal question?
Leetah:  Definitely.

TOMAS:   Then I will respond personally. What I do is I ask my peers to sit with me, to share with me that moment of frustration and growth. The strength and warmth of their support is invaluable and allows me the enforcement I require to again put my self in perspective. I have great need and great love and great admiration for my fellow teachers in the mission for we are uniquely suited to helping one another with our various disappointments. Often these disappointments which we experience -- and I better not speak for Daniel or others but rather for myself -- many of these disappointments which I experience are very much like yours in that I have such great faith in you and sometimes I am thwarted, let down, disappointed by my own expectations. It is a growth process, a refining process. That is my agenda, if you will.

Leetah:  Tomas, thank you very much. That really did help a great deal and really is an excellent model for us to try to follow. Whether you read my mind or not, I am not sure, but I was thinking in terms of the teachers dealing with me, (I'll be personal too) when I feel I fail myself and I would think that the teachers' expectations would be greater than mine. If so, then I would think that the teachers would experience disappointment in, not necessarily me, but in the situation, that I didn't rise above the circumstances of the moment. So I really appreciate you being personal. It really did answer a thought in my question that I didn't voice. Thank you very much.

TOMAS:   Thank you, my sister.

DANIEL:   Leetah we are somewhat more mature than you mortals and we have learned to a greater extent that there are limits to our ability to influence other people so that when our students fail as you describe it we see it differently. We see this as a learning process. We see this as perfectly understandable, even as toddlers fall down when they are first attempting to walk, even as children fall out of trees and break their bones, even as adults make minor to horrendous mistakes in magnitude. Failure is only appropriately described, if at all, in the unwillingness to learn from experience, to change procedure, to change expectation and etc. When you stumble, get back up. When you are unhappy with yourself, let go of that judgement. Do you see?

Leetah: Yes. But I think if we are going to hang on to the ideal then I would say when you fall, when you are disappointed in yourself then I would say to myself, change, rather than let go of the judgement. If I don't change...there has to be judgement and evaluation before change can occur. And the only person I can really change is me. So I think there has to be a point of evaluation!

DANIEL:   Agreed. By the phrase 'let go of judgement' I did not refer to assessment of the situation. I referred to that feeling of guilt, of self disappointment, and etc. Certainly to understand a situation is prerequisite to improving one's reaction in the future.

Leetah:   Thank you, Daniel.

TOMAS:   It has been said that one of our purposes is to make you think. And those who deign to think and then to blunder into awareness are our chief delight. You are not a disappointment for you have begun your active co-creative process. You accept your self conscious association with divinity. There is far more joy and appreciation for the errors of those who attempt to learn and delve into unknown waters of the mind, heart, and soul than you know. It is an unfortunate side effect of the wondrous supernal adventure that as your perspectives broaden so, too, do the occasions for disappointment. But as you step up in your growth the disappointments are newer and the old disappointments fall away. Like any aspect of ascension the sting is lessened and when it is poignant it is briefer thus all things continue to ascend and edify and delight. Therefore we encourage you to not allow the threat of disappointment to curtail your enthusiasm in embracing life in all its manifold vicissitudes, for where else can you find those opportunities for decision making which bring you greater reality?

Leetah: Thank you, Tomas

DANIEL:   I would like to share a brief summary of part of my mortal life to illustrate one point that I wish to make. There were many occasions when my disappointment was because I did not take effective action and choices that were presented to me and thus delayed fulfillment of some of my mortal goals. I do not wish to be heard as saying that all mortal goals can be attained and that there is no place for disappointment. I caution you to ask yourself if there is any internal conflict that is responsible for disappointment, for that you are able to assume responsibility for and improve. Those things which are entirely outside of your control are somewhat different. I say these things not to make anyone overly introspective but merely to point out that often there is more that we can do to lessen our disappointments than we are sometimes willing to believe.

And now because our time is long and these vessels are somewhat weary I will draw this meeting to a close. My assignment to you today is to think about those aspects of your life which you regard as disappointing and to bring them into the presence of the First Source and Center and Christ Michael. Talk with your Indwelling Spirit. Talk with our Father/Brother. Seek guidance. And may love and joy and peace be your portion today and for the rest of the week.  Goodnight.

*****

DATE:  May 5, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:   Include the World

DANIEL:   Greetings friends, I am Daniel. I am your guide, teacher, friend and companion. I am thrilled to welcome you to this Friday meeting. It is with great joy and with great love that I extend our hello and our personal love to each of you. It was with pride and with joy that we teachers, Tomas and I, and the many who are gathered -- and I might add your personal teachers and angels and the throng that fills this arena -- listened to your sharing prior to this transmission.

Your sharing of your disappointments, your exploring of your disappointments, has benefited each of you greatly this week, for in practicing the lesson as we assigned it, you have all come to a higher awareness than you had before; whether that awareness be the link between disappointment and forgiveness; whether that awareness be an awareness of yourself as generator of much of your disappointment; whether your awareness be that you are at peace with the fact that you are human and experience disappointment; whether that awareness be familiarity with the process. You now have higher awareness than you did before.

My friends, I encourage you to continue in this vein with this assignment. This assignment is not a one time thing, and we ask that if there are awareness of disappointments that come to mind this week that you continue to pray about them, that you continue to meditate on them, and that you continue to turn them over to your very best friend, the First Source and Center. We ask that you spend time in silence talking with your best Friend, our great Parent, our God, and that you spill your guts to our great Parent, our God, our First Source and Center.

Tell your Parent everything that you feel. Tell your parent every sadness that you have, every discouragement that you have, and every disappointment. Bring God into this. Bring our Father/Mother in and share your disappointment with our Parent. Lean your head on the shoulder of our Parent. Experience yourself, if need be, curled up in the lap of our Parent, and share your feelings and your disappointments with our Parent like the child that you are. For friends, still are you but children in eternity. Allow yourselves to be those children. Allow yourselves to be comforted by the greatest Comforter there could ever be, our First Source and Center, and untold healing will come from this.

You may find more and more disappointments as you undertake this process, things that you had no comprehension that you even were disappointed about. These previously unrecognized disappointments may come to the forefront, but obviously you will start with the obvious, the better known disappointments. As you undertake this process, the layers will be peeled away, layer by layer, disappointment by disappointment. The sun will shine in and you will be able to see each layer of the onion skin becoming the opening petal of the blossom. This is what allows your flowers to open into the light of the springtime sun and you to blossom into the fullness of summer.

So, friends, good work on last week's assignment, and please continue this process. Do not confine practice of this past lesson to this week only. And now my good friend, colleague, companion, and associate, Tomas, will address you this evening. Tomas has this week's lesson. Tomas?

TOMAS:   Thank you Daniel. Good evening group. How pleased I am to be among you for your companionship is becoming more rich and more real as we get to know one another. I am not going to push deeper into disappointments this evening but to, yes, commend your work and your developing abilities to withstand defeat. Your understanding of such emotional vagaries quickens your progress as you will not now be shackled by disappointment again as you have known it.

Let me now expand our panorama by including those outside this room and those outside the acknowledged mission of Michael into the deep forests of humankind at large, whether they are across the globe or on your block in your town. You are learning these aspects of your humanness that you may accept yourself and your humanness in such a way as to love yourself and manifest your own strength and vulnerabilities to share with humankind the reality of being.

Many mortals are not as blessed by the assurances of sonship and daughtership as you are. The issues of self respect and proclamation of truth are something evolved through revelation from Deity or through your own internal grasp of reality. We are again speaking of planting seeds and working in the field. The field is vast and many furrows await your gracious bestowal of gladness to enhance their hope of Light and Life. In those who have not had reassurances such as you who loyally sit at the feet of the Master and the teachers and other spirit guides to confirm and validate your being, life can be a great disappointment, indeed, for the Indwelling Adjuster is real and seeks acknowledgement. Where there is little faith, the Adjuster is cast aside for these acceptable realities of that culture or value level of existence. Thus we encourage you and enable you to develop your own realism to share.

The most effective manifestation of love to those who are disappointed, including one to another here, is through graciousness. Graciousness is the lubricant which allows the power of love to ease itself into a frightened and resistant furrow. The disappointments which you have experienced and reviewed and learned from in your studies and meditations this week can enliven your imagination as to the disappointments of those who have yet to attain your consciousness. As you lubricate your human associations through a graciousness, look for those attempts in disappointed humanity which indicate the undying hope of their Indwelling Adjuster.

Those gifts which mortals give one another are not adequately acknowledged. So hungry are you for kindness, mercy, love, understanding, and compassion, so voracious is the appetite of humankind for reality that you all tend to negate that reality which does manifest. Albeit minuscule, albeit rudimentary, albeit limited, these gifts of the courageous soul in becoming need to be acknowledged. As you in your disappointment want to know that what you experience is not for naught, so, too, do your brothers and sisters who languish, who suffer, who yearn, who hunger for this great spiritual feast begin to accept their own goodness, beauty, and truth by your confirming, affirming and commending their truth, beauty, and goodness.

Tiny yet gigantic growth is inherent in each acknowledgement of a seed, even those which are unconscious. And so you who have some understanding of the joy and glory resulting from the pealing of the onion, disappointment by disappointment, to the pure core of being, be gracious; acknowledge the graciousness of your fellows; thank people for reality when it is offered, not for things, not for habit, but for real. Each gesture is a cry for acknowledgement and acceptance. Let them know you see who they are and what they do to honor life and their part in it, for this is ultimately their faith in ultimate truth which is Paradise perfection.

Indeed gratitude is an honorable response to disappointment. But this fruit is long in ripening. Yet it is the tree to be nourished for it produces wisdom and will result in peace on earth, harmony throughout the universe and, at the least, a fair share of human happiness for yourself and others.

We are pleased to be involved in the correction of Urantia. Much work is there to be done, and those of you who willingly subject yourselves to the rigors of correction that you might carry your seeds into Urantia to contribute to its correction delight those of us who are truly honored to work in your field with you. Have you questions?

Luke:   Hello Daniel, this is Luke here. Talking about disappointments and correction time, I definitely admit it is pertinent to the time I was in Florida. I hope I learned my lesson well. I didn't know that you put the disappointment in Pocatello, but I sure hope I learned my lessons in Florida. And you noticed that I did voice it quite silently as well as verbally. The session, however, I do think I came through it quite well. I will not take things for granted again. Thank you.

DANIEL:   Luke, my very good friend, how pleased we are to have you back among us and how pleased we are with how tuned in to our group and our lesson you are. My friend, know that despite appearances much progress was made. In the course of time the gifts will be apparent. Know that much good will come from your time in Florida. That is all unless you have something further.

Leetah:   Tomas, I wanted to thank you for the pictures I saw as you were talking. Number one, gratitude is a fruit that takes a long time to ripen. I think that is probably very true. I now see the tree laden with fruit in comparison with my childhood and those things that aren't even known. I really am grateful for that picture. I am going to create some sort of a fruit that looks like gratitude. That's very beautiful.

The other thing that I thought was this. You said there are many furrows waiting for seeds to be dropped. I think that is where my question is. Sometimes I just go blundering through the day and hope that the seeds have been dropped appropriately. Sometimes maybe they have been or maybe they haven't been, but the furrows are definitely there.

TOMAS:   Yes, Leetah, each individual is a furrow. You are a spot of fertile soil. You take any seed which comes along and glean it for its value. That which has value to you, you thus develop and make it yours. This is a fertile soil. Many other types of soils exist. Many furrows are not aware they have the option of accepting or rejecting seeds which come their way. Some, indeed, are incapable of allowing a seed to remain even near their furrow.

Each individual is a furrow and each individual as far as you can ascertain is available for fruition. As you strew your seeds without thought, you are carefree and many seeds are caught by hungry souls. These plantings are viable, and valid. But in specifically planting one germ of truth in a hungry furrow, you have affected the eternal career of a fellow being. It is here that I will refer you to the Master and think in terms of ears to hear. As you see my words form a picture in your mind, your heart, your gut. Feel the truth of that picture. The words are made part of your soil. You are not requested to be an intellectual teacher, no, but a planter of seeds in that tender marrow which will most benefit all. Thank you for your words, my daughter, and for your loving embrace of truth.

Leetah:   Thank you Tomas. I do have a question and that is -- one of the great disappointments of the last two weeks is to realize that the press has brought to the forefront those things that brought a lot of fear into my mind. And that the extreme right truly believes that they are the ‘Army of the Lord’ and one they feel is prepared to fight against the Antichrist and for the Lord. It is incongruent to me that violence brings about a peaceful world. I don't know what my question is. If you have a comment I would certainly appreciate it.

TOMAS:   You tread in troubled waters, waters which we watch closely and work diligently to curtail a floodtide of disaster. Any being who presumes to press his/her/its values on another by force is in error. These are age old lessons which will require yet more time before the resolution can be reached. The conflicts in past eras have often been religious battles/wars over the truth of a stand, the right of a principle or a people. How long it will require Urantia to learn depends much upon its willingness to adhere to the calling of its soul, hence our presence on Urantia and your involvement in this structure of fortification. In that light there are still growth events which will need to occur, and, as you all well know, growth is often turbulent and seemingly destructive of value. We refer you to earlier lessons including last week's lesson on disappointment for pondering. The fact of our work and our relative success is not contingent upon those rebel attitudes which will fight for their rights as mankind has done for centuries. What is it that you fear?

Leetah:   I am not sure what I fear as such. I am so grateful for the Correcting Time. I think what I fear is that continual terrorism and violence might be a part of our public scene as far as... it appears as revenge against our Federal government. I believe that it is the acceptance of diversity that is going to bring about a planet of Light and Life. I don't know that I should fear anything. I think I am disappointed in that it is going to be a while till Light and Life arrives, I guess.

TOMAS:   You are in a position to surround yourself with Light and Life. And as you join forces with other believers, your sphere of influence is greater. As you are well acquainted, love is more contagious than hate. We are working diligently. It is not an idle matter. You are correct to have concern, for many individuals will suffer needlessly from the foolish acts of evolution in progress. But like the chick which is expanding and outgrowing the shell, so is your planet outgrowing its materialistic system of things. Many changes will require the breaking down of familiar structures in order that the new dove of peace may fly in his heavens. That is all.

Leetah:   Thank you Tomas.

TOMAS:   The evening is eventful and forwarding moving. But it is a need of mine to speak for the Melchizedeks who have spoken before that we are here in large part as an emergency measure to the dire condition of Urantia. It is our honor and true joy to attempt to uplift Urantian life to a status of acceptability and realization. But as we are joyed and honored to serve you, we must also urge you to impress upon yourselves the emergency aspect of this mission. It is serious, students, as is testified to by your loyal attendance. But it is my need to stress that your presence with the teachers cannot be singly and solely for your own comfort and sense of elitism but to rather make you more willing to put down your fears and prejudices and fight the good fight of faith in the arena where we do battle against darkness.

Isaac:   Hello beloved teachers, this is Isaac. Thank you for the faithful week after week ministrations to us. If I understand what your lesson is about, Tomas, at least at one level, you are urging us to continue our seed dropping and so forth which brought up in my mind the question of our situation as apostles. I thought of the original twelve and how they went through a period of training and teaching, then went out and did some personal work and then went on to public ministry. I realize that was then, not now, but it comes across my mind at times, that there might be a parallel here. From other groups in the Teaching Mission we hear about phases of development and that we are past the first phase which is the consolidation of ourselves into the second phase, and I'm not sure I understand the second phase. Do you care to comment on some of that in terms of phases of the mission and where you see us, etc. going?

TOMAS:   A 'no' remark first, then return the mike to Daniel. Your linear mentality requires a specified understanding of what's going on and we are not as mindful of a linear approach as you are and with good reason. It is often true that when you have accomplished one phase, one grade, one level, one job, and then you are off to the next feeling that you have accomplished that level and now you need not worry about your former learning. This is not quite the case since what you bring forward from your first phase is that which you put into and retain. If you have intellectually absorbed all the lessons and accepted the mission of Michael and your part in it, then you are already in the field working and even acknowledging some isolation and persecution as you go.

The teachers are here not as a phase but for the long haul. We are intending to remain your companions indefinitely, certainly beyond any limited time constraints of months or years. Accustom yourselves to the advancing evolution of yourselves and your world. Your question was not really overly specific for which I am glad. Your growth is commendable. Your reality is robust and your work is noticeable. As a group you have bonded in a socially fragrant and meaningfully interdependent way. These lessons will continue to bond and expand your understanding of the family of God. Perhaps I best curtail my remarks for now since I am an enthusiastic teacher and could -- how do you say? -- blabber on. I will therefore allow my co-worker the option of blabbering if he should so choose.

DANIEL:   Thank you Tomas. Yes, I do have a few comments to add. My son, perhaps you are aware that Nashville has gone off line temporarily to do emotional work. Perhaps you have heard rumors that this is the tone in other groups as well. If there is a phase that we are in at this point, this phase is to ask you to begin to address some of those painful areas in your life that they may be healed, that you may come into higher understandings of the purpose of life, higher understandings of the nature of reality, and higher understandings of your own reality, that you may begin to distinguish truth, reality, from illusion.

In order for this to happen, this higher understanding of reality, of truth, and of yourselves, these painful issues must be explored. And as my good friend, Tomas, has drawn to your attention, and your attention riveted at the time, this is serious business we are asking you to undertake. We are asking you as apostles in this Teaching Mission to be willing to undergo the discomfort, to undergo the pain and at times the agony of this type of exploration and healing that, as has been stated in TR practice -- and many of you may be familiar with this concept -- that you may be brought back to the point where you would have been if you had been born into a world of Light and Life, because this world requires groups and individuals living in Light and Life.

By your willingness to undertake this phase of the mission, through the collective consciousness, you affect the willingness of your brothers and sisters to also undertake this phase. Through the insights that you gain you become stronger, you become more able to hear more clearly that great Guide within. You are more able to live lives of generosity, of service, and these combinations of being of service and affecting the collective consciousness will spring forward this planet. My friends, I know all of you, each of you, are concerned about the forces apparent at this time, of the anger and the militarism and the violence.

The greatest thing you can do to assist in the staving off of these forces at this time is to love. Pray for these individuals. Extend your love. Feel it flow through you to them.
The second greatest thing that you can do to stave off these forces is to practice the lessons, approach the lessons, and undertake the lessons as we present them to you. To undergo this work seriously, to address it seriously is important. Yes, you will have richer, fuller lives, and, yes, we desire this for you as we love you very dearly. And, yes, you will be a part of that army of Light blocking the forces of darkness.

If you find it difficult to undertake this work for yourselves, and if you have tendencies to find it easier to do for others than for yourselves, begin by doing this for your brothers and sisters. You will receive the benefit. It matters not where your initial motivation lies. What matters is that you undertake this.

Isaac, my friend, my son, I am afraid I climbed up on my high horse, my very high horse this evening. Did we/I answer your question?
Isaac:   Yes, I guess. If I understand you both, what you are saying is that we are still in phase one which is development, growing, developing our foundations, etc. And we are going to a deeper level. At least that is what I thought I understood. Which apparently is not necessarily the mission of all the groups because others are talking about different things. They are talking about public ministry, etc. So I suppose that my question is in error since every group is not following the same agenda. Is that a correct summary of what you said except for the last part? We are still in phase one. We are just going to a deeper level? I don't mean that is all we are doing but that is the essence of it?

TOMAS:   You are affecting souls at the same time you are cleaning the freeway. Which service at this point do you feel has the greater weight? Your ability/skill to affect other human beings is part of your training. You are a people person, Isaac. That other groups are doing more outreach is a reflection on their particular gifts. Many of these gifts are interchangeable. The roles that develop are a composite of the personalities which attend the schools, for that provides the teachers with a curriculum, a platform for the classroom. This is elementary that you deal with what you have on hand, and that nothing is more important than the work of your realm.

We feel very fortunate to be involved with a group of students who are intimate with teaching, counseling and ministering, for these human skills are very important. I am not suggesting your group is better or that this group of apostles is advanced more than the courageous group of individuals who threw open the doors of conformity and welcomed the public to a panel discussion and a evidentiary display of the Mission. Each individual is unique. Each configuration of students is unique. No phase at this point is greater than another. At no point, indeed, will we encourage favoritism or grading on a 'curve'. We are just glad to have embarked on our studies and more field trips are in store for us all.

Isaac:   Thank you both. And I don't want to belabor this any further, but I guess I thought I was hearing in your words, Tomas, well let's not think about our disappointments anymore but about all these other people with their disappointments and that we have the seeds to plant. I thought maybe it was a-- It is not an either/or thing, this constant developing and growing of our own soul goes hand in hand with sharing love with other people. It is not an either/or thing as I see it.

TOMAS:   My closing remarks will be that you are familiar with the terminology, 'You must give it away to keep it' [Ed. note: a reference to 12 step program slogan], and as you gain in understanding of forgiveness, it then is your delight to carry forward that truth. As you learn personally about anger and its many potential avenues, you are in a position, then, to deal with that dragon. And as you understand your own disappointments you can perceive those same levels of understanding in your peers and draw upon your knowledge of your human experience to connect with your peers. This is an expansion and development of love. And as Daniel has said the key in opening these doors of communication and understanding of your beingness is love, and love is made acceptable through your graciousness.

Isaac:   Well that really ties it altogether, Tomas. I am going to stop now.

Luke:   Tomas and Daniel I want to thank you for the nice words you have said today, and don't come down from your high horse. Keep on riding. I like very much what I have heard today. Thank you. I am out: Luke.

DANIEL:   Thank you Luke for your comment. My friends, the hour is getting late. Your physical mechanisms are becoming restless. If there are no pressing questions perhaps the time has come to draw this meeting to a close. Go forth this week in graciousness and be the balm to the disappointments of those you meet, your brothers and your sisters. Also extend that same graciousness to yourselves as you continue to confront disappointment in yourselves as well as in others. Go in peace. Tomas and I bless you with our ever abiding love. Farewell.

*****

DATE:   May 19, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Graciousness and Truth

DANIEL:   Hello my friends; I am Daniel, your teacher, guide, friend and companion. As is often true, Tomas and I are most joyful as we have observed and listened to your sharing tonight. Many have been the occasions of heartfelt interchange in the past and we are pleased to see that this camaraderie and display of affection continues to grow in all of you. Much of what you have discussed, nay, all of what you have discussed has great value in that it has been your reaction to the experiences of your life, honestly appraised and given in an unconditional manner to your Indwelling Spirit; and so have you taken back your hands from the reins of your own life in greater measure.

In particular I would commend the attempts that many of you have made to wear the badge of graciousness, to ponder its personal meanings for each of you. Your efforts to present yourself in truth to others have been models of graciousness after all, even though one of you spoke of feeling other than that understood emotion termed 'graciousness'.

I have said this in the past but I will reiterate. It is not gracious to hide the truth. It is not gracious to gloss over that which needs to be dealt with under the facade of being 'nice'. It is the truth that will make us free and not the tawdry imitation of it. So I wish to commend you all on your dutiful efforts as my students and Tomas' students, for once again you have risen to the challenge of taking these teachings seriously.

The topic for our evening's discussion grows out of this thread of content which has been progressing in the last few weeks, starting with forgiveness and now moving on. Tonight I wish to develop further the concept of the relationship of graciousness and truth as I have already introduced it.

Remember when you were children and were advised that there were certain delicate situations that required the practice of the term 'white lies', glossing over truth to spare the feelings of others? Isaac remembers confusion as to what appeared to be, as a child, a double standard. This tension between graciousness and truth remains a problem, a concern for all peoples and not merely a puzzle for little ones, for this dilemma, the question of how much truth is the right amount, is generic to and inherent in its expression in graciousness.

Your text tells you that overmuch truth can be blinding light which causes retinal damage and causes the receiver to recoil in pain. Obviously, then, it is not gracious to present more truth in a situation to an individual than they are capable of comprehending. This is why our Master said, 'Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves'. He was referring to this very tension between truth and graciousness. But, it could be said, is there a simple formula, an easy answer to this perplexing age long dilemma? And, of course, my reply is (and I am sure you all know) no, there is no simple answer. There is no panacea, as it were. It is much more complex.

I would first like to comment on the value of truth and its importance as compared to a disdain or disregard for truth which has been held in various degrees since the master deceiver himself began his campaign of lies. It is the intention to be truthful that is primary. Again, your text talks about this. It is not so much having the total amassing of facts and their relationships as it is to intend to speak that which is truth. And so the heart of the matter, which I am sure is no surprise, is that this is an attitude of the soul born from the true dedication of one's will to the doing of the will of our First Source and Center. With this intention to be truthful one's truth, then, is safeguarded, not wholly against error, for you and I are imperfect, but against sin and iniquity. So we must begin first with this matter of intention.

Having settled the issue of truthful intention the question, then, focuses on determining the capacity of one's listener to be truth receptive. This is, in fact, a very difficult job. It requires the skills of graciousness in allowing that other person their due, their true status as brothers and sisters, as children of our common God, our common Father and Mother. It requires a letting go of self importance to hear, to allow the other person to be heard as clearly as you are capable of. And then, while it is impossible to walk in the shoes of another, to try to practice that empathy as much as possible.

But, finally, it is not your responsibility to control this process. You turn over to the First Source and Center to guide you, to give you those words that will moderate your robust enthusiasm on occasion or your misperception by erring on the low side so that your presentation will flow with the smoothness of oil. When our Master reminded his apostles not to worry about speaking in front of government officials they followed His advice and spoke eloquently. This is an illustration of what I am trying to explain.

I am aware that you all understand this considerably. Please understand that I am not talking down to you but I hope that these brief words will provide you with more meat to chew on and help lighten your load as you deal with this difficult task of presenting truth graciously. Tomas is eagerly waiting to add to my commentary and I now take myself from center stage and present to you my brother and your teacher, Tomas.

TOMAS:   Good evening ladies and gentlemen. How gracious your ears have been this evening to your teacher's words, and rightly so for Daniel has presented mota for mastication. I am, as always, eager to speak words, to greet you, to bring us into contact once again but I am not adding to this replete subject. Rather I am going to call your attention to parables such as our teacher, Michael, used when he taught His flocks.

Parables are sometimes a way of speaking truth without offending individuals. Parables are gracious. They are easily absorbed by simple thinking mortals. All children love tales with a moral, with a message. The colorful tale of intrigue and drama is the stuff of your mortal existence's entertainment.

Not all individuals are well suited for presenting parables, but it is not an impossible task to develop. The Master was genuine in His taking children to His side. His capacities were such that He could truly see the childlike aspects of all who He drew near to. In presenting your truth if you are able to breathe in that understanding which Michael had and utilized when He dealt with Urantians you might begin to see them as tenderhearted babes who have been lost, confused, angry and alone and who seek in their innermost being the warmth, radiance, lightness, joy, harmony, and love which your Indwelling God Fragment is capable of reflecting to these individuals, your supposed and sometime protagonists.

I ask you to think back to the early days of the Teaching Mission when the troops gathered together to acknowledge their commitment to carrying on with apostolic zeal the work that must be done with willing and joyful hearts. Think back to those days of surrender to harmony and love, to the acknowledgement made public among yourselves of your living faith. The gift of being a child of God is not to be taken lightly or set aside.
The work involved in bringing forth truth is noble work, work which can hardly be avoided as you accept your assignment and garner your own growth. Surely the Supreme reflects the depth of reality which you contribute by these lessons on the understanding of the emotionally based creature of humanity in order to bring forth understanding and truth of a higher nature. We are open to questions.

DANIEL:   And I would add, interaction and commentary as well is appropriate.

PamElla:   I very much appreciate the topic tonight and the response in the opening, Daniel, to my statements about not feeling that I had handled things very graciously. That was a very concise and helpful response. I do have a question that came from the opening and not from the lesson. And now I don't even remember the context. But, Daniel, you spoke about giving, something about the reins. I was not sure if you were saying to give over the reins to God or if you were saying to take control of one's own life, although I suppose, of course, in giving over the reins to God one does take control of one's own life. But there was a statement that you made there at the beginning that left me feeling somewhat confused. I was wondering if I could have clarification, please?

DANIEL:   Thank you PamElla for bringing this up as Isaac struggled to convey my meaning and saw the reins in his mind and was himself somewhat unclear in presentation. The metaphor was intended to illustrate a phrase that I speak often of, 'turning over', turning over control of one's own life from a self centered and egoistic stance. And as you have just stated, yes, this turning over to the Father, to the First Source and Center results in greater self control, paradoxical though it sounds, nevertheless it is true. That was my intended meaning. Is that clear?

PamElla:   Yes, Daniel, it is. Thank you.
DANIEL:   So I guess you have said it every bit as well as I have, my daughter.
PamElla:   Thank you.

Leetah:   I will just make a comment on something I have thought about the last two or three weeks, and have actually voiced a couple of times. And I am trying to remember what the context was. Your reference to facts not being truth is in the text. So many times when we see something happening, that is a fact, but the truth of why and what is behind the intention of the action is far more truthful than the fact of the action we see.

DANIEL:   Yes, Leetah, your words are well spoken and reflect my intention in my comments about one's attitude toward truth. It is a fact of experience, of all experience short of Paradise, that one cannot fully know another's orientation/perception, although that knowledge improves dramatically over your current limitations as mortals as you progress. The Truth, of course, is greater than any time/space creature can comprehend in total. Only the Gods know the Truth in its entirety. We have spoken of this before. Truth is relative and grows with experience, with truthful intention, with a desire to be in a truthful relation with the Giver of all Truth, the great First Source and Center. Thank you for your commentary.

Leetah:   Thank you Daniel. I am looking forward to that time when we really are part of the Supreme. I think of the Bible verse that says 'we will know as we are known'. A wonderful promise. Thank you.

DANIEL:   I agree!

PamElla:   Daniel, I have another comment and that is when you were talking about the tension between truth and graciousness and talking about first we need to have truthful intention and then second we needed to evaluate the truth capacity of those that we were speaking with a little alarm went off in my head. I know, of course, that you didn't mean this and I understand, I think, what you were saying. But the alarm that went off inside is that this brings us into judgement. And if that evaluation of people's truth capacity is done from an ego state that can be really damaging because it leads to an elitist perspective where one decides that one is so good and so spiritual and this person just doesn't have the capacity. I, of course, know that this is not what you were saying. But since you invited commentary in addition to questions I guess the comment that I would make is that I think we all have to be careful to remain in alignment and in our intention not only of being truthful but being within God's will and not judging another; evaluating the facts but still remain loving and gracious toward the individual in our evaluation.

DANIEL:   Isaac is feeling like saying, 'you should have given the lesson! (laughing). But I am speaking now, I, Daniel, and yes, exactly correct. It was not my intention to encourage egoistic judgement but that idea of assessment, that knowledge, limited though it be and fraught with a certain amount of danger, as you have pointed out. That is why I emphasized the need to follow guidance and allow one's Thought Adjuster to actually inspire speech and thinking. And, of course, remember always that there is no elitism in the Kingdom of God. There is no favoritism. The First Source and Center loves each of us with incredibly infinite love, recognizes our uniqueness, and does not place us in any hierarchy of importance or value! We are all valuable beyond our fondest ideas to Him, to Her.

I am wanting to express also that to show another truth is not, obviously, a matter of words only, although at times words are involved, but an attitude, that gracious acceptance of equality, that gospel/good news that we are, indeed, all children of one incredibly loving God and therefore brothers and sisters. I know you are well read in the book and you know this is the gospel that Jesus taught and the gospel this world needs to hear. So when you present your truth you do not do it from any elitist motivation. You share the common banquet of the Kingdom of Heaven with hungry brothers and sisters. Again, thank you for your comments.

PamElla:  Thank you, Daniel. That was helpful. I had one other thought that has come and gone and I think it has returned, and that is when you were talking about intention I somehow got involved in assessing other people's intention I guess probably from the situation that I have been involved with that I shared earlier. I have judged that individual as being sneaky, covert, passive/aggressive, and a number of other statements that suggest to me that this individual's desire is to cover up truth and not deal truthfully. And I have some confusion in that it is not my place to judge but I also know about this individual that this individual, I believe, does want to be in alignment with God's will and has been on a truth seeking path even though I see this individual as being very codependent, having all of those traits that I just mentioned that are the opposite of truth revealing. And I don't know that I have a question, per se, except that perhaps I am confused about recognizing that person's desire to be in alignment with God's will and recognizing that person's covering of truth and hiding. If you have a comment that would help me in that confusion, I would appreciate it.

DANIEL:   Yes, my daughter. My response is that you are wise to catch yourself in the act of the tension I have been describing and examine your own motivation. Are you, in fact, wanting to be in a role of judgement? Or are you intending to present truth? There is. (and only you can answer this). There is a danger in assuming that we know more about another person's motivation than is, in fact, true. And this is true for beings higher than mortals. And so there needs to be that democracy of spirit, that generosity of giving to the other, when there is a choice, the best of motives; and when there isn't a choice, withholding judgement about motivation.

You see, there is a lot of -- what is your phrase? -- Amateur psychoanalysis being practiced upon this planet as a result of the discoveries and fruit of the study of human nature which has been done by many professions. I do not make these remarks in the critical mode for this improved self-understanding has its great value. But there is also a danger of assuming you know more about a person than is the case. Do you understand my direction of thought here?

PamElla:  Yes, Daniel I do.
DANIEL:   I would just counsel generosity and humility.

PamElla:   Thank you. It's not really what I want...well it is sort of what I want to do...part of me really wants to get him!! (chuckling and laughing). I know that your counsel is sound and is definitely the best path and I will go that direction to the best of my capacity.

DANIEL:   You are a most gracious listener.

Luke:   Hello, Daniel, Tomas, it's Luke here. You probably notice because of the accent (laughing); you hardly can miss it! The last comment that PamElla had there. I am real glad that PamElla is PamElla and PamElla is not me! Because I would take that guy by the horn and throw him all over the place! (group laughter) Because what she has said, I would not put up with that. It is just something that is very, very frustrating when you are in a situation like that. You just have to step back and size the thing up. Just look at how many hours one has to spend just to sit there! I thought I would just comment about it. Thank you.

DANIEL:   Luke, my son, are you suggesting that you would act out in a violent manner? (giggling in background)

Luke:   No, no I wouldn't shoot the guy, no. (Outrageous laughter) But I would go ahead and if I had to do a paper I would not ask for his sanction. I would just publish it and make a comment on it that he was too busy to get his two cents in it. That's what I would do! Maybe a little bit of controversy if I put myself on the line, but you get action one way or the other. Thank you.

DANIEL:   I am prompted to remark that here we see a clear illustration of the difference between the sexes, at least in some regard, and I would venture that your more aggressive approach might produce different results with this man, but I am speculating also. Each of you has to do what you feel is your guidance using your minds and your guidance.

TOMAS:   I am inclined to interject a phrase, 'hidden agenda'. First I remind you of the picture in your text of the savage with his club raised high who in truth is defending the noble and valuable family cowering in the background from the aggressions of a saber-toothed tiger. This picture is often times the image of what we have been discussing, what is true verses what is truth, and how do we confront this relative reality. Hidden agendas or hidden motives and, indeed, secrets are often times the albatross that complicates free and open communication. If you sense that a situation is unclear and you, yourself, have placed your cards on the table but your peer/protagonist is a bit of a card shark, how can you care about his intentions when you're not holding an ace up your sleeve as he is?

How necessary is it that you engage yourself in warfare for the truth of the issue or of the moment? Assuredly if you are prepared to battle it to the bitter end perhaps your own hidden agenda is to assuage your own intentions. The phrase 'inventory' comes to the mind of my TR and much of the amateur psychoanalysis Daniel refers to is a matter of individuals taking the inventories of other individuals without determining that they are also in a situation to see the reflection of their own foibles of personality. Indeed, humanity is essential for success in breaking down barriers of communication to determine if all the cards are on the table, that there is nothing hidden. Yet the wise player will be aware that many times things are hidden even from oneself. Therefore mercy is also called into context. That is all.

DANIEL:  A final note in this discussion of truth and graciousness is the practice of our Creator Son as a mortal where he employed the Paradise principle of displacing error not by combat with truth but by the effect of a healthy plant that grows and chokes out the weeds in its vicinity. And so did He plant truth in this efficacious manner.

I am aware that we are not Christ Michael but we are admonished and we are taught (and this process continues on in the morontial life as well) to use this technique rather than the ego enhancing or bruising technique of debate. Again there seems to be some tension here between presenting the truth in a gracious manner without engaging in egoistic debate and I conclude my remarks with this statement. Each of you in your innermost silence need to discuss this with your own Indwelling Spirit. Actually teachers like myself and Tomas cannot and should not tell you exactly how to do things because of your own free will choices and because we, however `higher' than you (as you see us), are not inside your skin. Are there further questions at this time? Further discussion?

Aren:  Daniel, I just have a couple of comments concerning amateur psychoanalysts and Tomas' comment about another individual taking somebody else's inventory. Over the last four or five months I have slowly started to get OK with the fact that I am frequently wrong. And having to admit that and accept that I am frequently wrong has been some internal growth, and to accept that the world is frequently wrong and the personalities I allow into my life. I have found when speaking truthfully to another individual to go really slowly with that personality. I could get too `into it'. I want to know this person and what makes them tick, makes them work. And if any personality is like my personality they can be quite toxic (chuckling) and I have enough of that stuff of my own to deal with. And that is all I wanted to basically comment on, is to go slow with the personalities. Thanks.

DANIEL:   Thank you for your comments, Aren. I would say that you have made great progress in your understanding of yourself and others. The ability to admit error is the highest form of sanity for it permits a person to change and grow. Denial of error is the opposite and taken to its extreme results in cosmic insanity. So my compliments, my friend.

In regard to your other comments about the desire to know others I would remind you or tell you that our Master delighted in every individual human being that He met, even children. He saw them as precious, precious children of Himself, but also His Father in Heaven, for each of them and each of all of you, all mortals and all personalities, are endowed with that unique gift of personality. That is why you have this desire to know. Personality desires to know another personality. It is a strong attraction, greater by far than mere physical or mindal attraction. As long as this desire to know another does not become nosy or controlling and some other things, it remains a healthy endeavor. Think about your own experience. Someone who is interested in you, who wants to know about you, creates good feelings, not bad ones, unless they are being nosy, of course. Do you understand my point?

Aren:    Yes.
DANIEL:   Okay.

PamElla:  I want to return to Tomas' statement about hidden agendas and also I lost the link, but it very much tied into Daniel what you just said to Aren, the first part of it. Boy it's blown right out of my mind at the moment. So maybe I can follow up Tomas on what you were saying about hidden agendas. Your parable struck home very much in terms of the feeling that I have and the situation that I have. And also your comment on the need to fight to the bitter end for truth also struck home.

And what hidden agenda might I have that doing that is so important to me? Because as I evaluate it not only is it in the particular situation but it is a theme in my whole life. I really don't like denial and I become quite obsessed with rooting it out, wanting to debate and wanting to force people to admit the truth of a situation that I know to be truth!! It is maybe my biggest frustration and maybe one of my biggest disappointments is that people are not readily willing -- yeah, it does tie in -- to admit their errors!! And I want that so badly and I will do this debating stuff.

It seems like if one applies rationality and facts it ought to be so obvious! It is clear to everybody else who is observing! And I cannot figure out why it isn't clear to the individual! This is just a long time theme for me. Obviously those things have struck home and I need to do a lot of meditating and praying and self exploration as to why this is important, and also what to do about it! There is that balance between truth and graciousness and obviously debating doesn't work. But sometimes I hope that when I just express my feelings that this will have an effect. But often it doesn't. I can express myself and be very honest simply coming from the place of wanting to be in touch with my feelings and be truthful and then I am disappointed when that doesn't change situations because I have an expectation that when I become very honest that it is supposed to! And then I get upset that the situation didn't change. And then I get to wanting to ferret out the truth and the debate stuff. I have gone on rather long here and I don't know what response there is for you to make, but if you have any response I would, of course, appreciate it.

TOMAS:   It would take a bit of time to respond to all that you propose in your outpouring. I will, however, say two things. One is that your intensity is unusual and that you might be rather odd to your protagonist for you are so intense on one hand and so fragile on the other. This dichotomy is a parallel to those who have a facade of true and false reality which makes it difficult for you to see eye to eye.

I am not suggesting that this is a gender matter, no, for both genders are capable of acknowledging a wrongness and sincere apology or amends that the situation can become fluid again or further. I would suggest that you all as you go about your business this week make a point, if you will, of saying lightly, 'Oh, I was wrong, rather I meant..' just to accustom yourself and the world that you encounter that it is okay to make error. 'Oops!' is not so dreadful an acknowledgement. It is not a mortal sin. If one is able to be lighthearted about misunderstandings or potential error it will become easier for mankind to see that other people acknowledge error and they may begin to also acknowledge their own imperfections, albeit lightly. That is all.

DANIEL:   I, Daniel, desire to add one brief comment to this question of yours, my dear, which things you will probably admit to understanding intellectually. You ask why denial is so hard to break out of. Your psychologists, psychiatrists, students of the mindal sphere have identified denial as what they term a defense mechanism. It is the perception of painful, unpleasant, guilt producing, shame causing reality that so frightens you mortals that you resort to this obstinate intellectual/emotional fortress of denial. It is at root a desire to avoid guilt, shame, pain, etc.

That is why truth must be presented graciously. Hammering another's defenses of denial only frightens that person more, for they feel that the wall will crack and they will be exposed. Even the Thought Adjuster does not force itself upon free will mortals. Our Indwelling Spirit's task is every bit as difficult to try to persuade their host to break out of the illusions of denial. And as Aren has said that he is becoming more comfortable with being wrong I tell you all, all who are present in this room and who read these transcripts, get used to it!

There are worse things than being wrong. The worst thing, of course, is not to admit it. And now my friends, we have gone on at great length. It has been my personal pleasure as your teacher to have this spirited and important discussion. This will surprise you. My assignment is to lighten up, to not become overly introspective this week, but take a vacation from topics that have caused you some grief. Observe the flowers blooming. Enjoy the sun shining. See nature in her springtime robes, resplendent in glory, beautiful, to reflect the joy of her Creators, our Father and Mother, Christ Michael and Nebadonia of Nebadon, to Whom be glory and honor along with the Paradise Trinity, forever and ever. My love with you all. Farewell.

*****

DATE:  May 26, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Q & A and TR Practice

TOMAS: Greetings my brothers and sisters, I am Tomas, your teacher. Daniel and I are here and we are pleased, as always, to see your smiling faces, your shining souls, your open hearts ready to receive truth, having already shared and received truth from each other. Tonight our procedure is reversed for the expressed purpose of providing our transmitter/receivers with an opportunity to transmit a less familiar personage and thus establish both their self confidence and their ability to proceed without stumbling, as well as allow us the pleasure of using different personality frameworks and structures. Daniel wishes to make an opening statement also at this time.

DANIEL: I am Daniel, your guide, teacher, companion, and friend. I am pleased that you have congregated yourselves together once again to hear words which invoke thought and spiritual guidance from within your Source. This arena over which Tomas and I preside is undergoing vast and unseen expansion. Your core reality individually and collectively is forming a global solidarity. Your stronghold of Light and Life has been a beacon for many celestial visitors. We have often told you how proud we are to be your
teachers, how pleased we are to perceive your unseen growth and also the obvious fruits.

Indeed we have turned the tables, so to speak, this evening in our formatting, and as such have conveyed greetings and inculcated you all into the circuitry which we know and love. I will throw open the door to yet another new format for the sake of experimenting and give you opportunity to ask questions before a formal lesson is delivered. Now that you have grown such you are reaching levels of depth perception which calls for your conscious contribution to that which you know you need to address. Let us, then, attempt this give and take this evening.

PamElla:   Daniel and Tomas. Thank you very much for the change in the format. I do have a question that I wanted to ask and it's interesting because I felt like I was going to get to ask my question before waiting till the end of the lesson, in which case it might be inappropriate. So I would like to begin by picking up on something that I was not clear about last week, in an area that I think I need to explore more for my own growth.

Last week I had an `outpouring' and Tomas, you answered my outpouring in this way. `It would take a bit of time to respond to all that you propose in your outpouring. I will, however, say two things. One is that your intensity is unusual and that you might be rather odd to your protagonist for you are so intense on the one hand and so fragile on the other'. And I think I understood the meaning of that although I am not sure why it is odd to be both intense and fragile, but, anyway the following statement is the one that I don't understand and would really appreciate clarification. And the statement said, 'This dichotomy is a parallel to those who have a facade of true and false reality which makes it difficult to see eye to eye'. I don't understand that statement at all and yet I think it is important for me to understand because I would to be able to see more eye to eye with those that I don't. If you could explain this dichotomy, what was meant by a parallel, and by the facade of true and false reality, or whatever you want to explain about that statement, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you. Or anything you want to add that would be useful to me in my growth, I would appreciate it.

TOMAS:   My dear, I must preface my remark with the fact that this TR is nervous for it was not within his mindset that these words were spoken. So we shall see how well he can listen. The oddity I referred to is that when one is fragile normally one does not bluster in strength but remains retiring and reticent. And when one is forceful and pours forth earnestly with thought and feeling they are usually perceived as strong and capable of sustaining that outpouring of strength. Odd, however, perhaps was a poor choice of words for it implies apparently to most people the connotation of dysfunctional or not in balance, and that was not exactly what I meant. What I meant was more along the line of unusual, unexpected, not the average, to see the association of strength with apparent fragility. And the parallel was that many practice a facade that covers over their real feelings, so that they have apparent contradictions as well. I may have to switch transmitter/receivers to finish my thought. One moment.

TOMAS:   I am Tomas. Musical chairs it is. However I do want to say that Isaac and Tomas were on point as far as odd and the projection of intensity and fragility, yes! The original transmitter's mind concurred and was quite at ease with Isaac's mental interpretation of what was said. I, Tomas, was inclined to let him continue for Daniel was quite pleased with this experiment and the confirmation of our communication. [Editor's note: Isaac froze up and blocked so that Tomas had to switch]. As to the parallel aspects this, too, is correct. The--  Excuse me.

PamElla:   Tomas, may I interject at this point?  First of all I thank you and I thank both T/R’s very much. I understand this was a very difficult thing. When you were speaking through the first TR you spoke through tonight and you started to talk about the parallel I had a flash which maybe I am understanding where this is going so I will spit it out and then you can let me know if I am understanding or not. And that is: I think I am pretty honest about my feelings which are both intense and forceful and also fragile. The human condition is pretty fragile. So I then lay it all on the table for people to see and they see both aspects. And those aspects appear contradictory to people. They don't understand because on the other hand I think you were saying some people put up a facade so that they may not have that apparent contradiction. They do this because if they have decided to put on the facade of strength no matter the fact that they are fragile underneath they don't allow the fragility to show. And if they have decided to allow their fragileness to show they don't pour forth with their strength at the same time. I am thinking that is what was being said in terms of the parallel and the thought of true and false reality. Could you comment if that is correct? Then could you tie it together on why it is hard to see eye to eye? Because if that is correct I still...I think I am understanding what is going on but I still don't know how I can change it because I am just trying to be real.

TOMAS:   I am Tomas. Yes, we will still continue this experiment. First of all, it was difficult for Isaac because he panicked and that is why I allowed him to have his wish which was for me to return to the TR of my more familiar association. But he is calmer now and your thoughts in regard to what I was intending to say are correct, PamElla. In fact I was about to voice those very things.

In response to your supposition that most people are afraid to reveal their weakness, the vulnerability and cover it over with a facade of strength, I most fully concur. I also would like to say that your apparent fragility as perceived by someone who is frightened of their own and your ability to express this is, of course, true strength. Your ability and willingness to express your feelings, whether they be feelings of confidence or feelings of doubt, whether they be feelings of accomplishment or feelings of failure, whether they be what the world regards as strong or what is regarded as fragile, your willingness to do this, your ability is truly your strength. Has this interchange, I hope, been more than just interesting and entertaining?

PamElla:  Yes, Tomas, because it's validating. Last week I was left feeling like I was `odd' and something wrong with me that needed to be fixed. So it's nice to be validated. It still does leave the problem that I…

TOMAS:   My daughter, may I interrupt you (Yes.) and refer you to our Master again? If the word `odd' is unfortunate as I said a moment ago it still has a certain ring of truth for when our Master was vilified, when He was reviled, when He was struck, spit upon, when they placed the crown of thorns upon His head he was strong, even in His apparent fragility. He did not retaliate. He did not fight back. And so I wish to say to you that this manner of being willing to be `weak' in the eyes of the world, willing to be fragile is a true following in the footsteps of Christ Michael. That is all.

PamElla:   Thank you, that's certainly enough.
Kent:  Greetings, my friends. It has been a while.
DANIEL:   Greetings.
TOMAS:   Greetings.

Kent:   I, as you know, have many questions. Larenzo knows I have many questions, but no questions this evening but to express the thoughts that I had. And that was my gratitude to Michael and Nebadonia for giving you, Tomas, Larenzo, all of our personal teachers to us. And I would like to say thank you for your faith in us, that we can and we will succeed and progress with you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

DANIEL:   My son and brother, your words are well received for we truly do have faith in you! This is a gift we receive from our Creator as do you, and we are simply more experienced in the application of such faith. In time you, too, will begin to look upon your siblings with confidence of their eventual acceptance of their status as children of a higher reality than they now acknowledge. This family of faith is gregarious and contagious and despite skeptics and seeming setbacks we are most joyed by the reality which is developing and which we work diligently to instill in you also. We also have faith that as good students you take these lessons into your arena and apply your good works in faith, for the recipient of your words and expressions of truth, beauty, and goodness are fallen upon those same souls which we aspire to reach and awaken. We are comrades in truth. And you are most welcome.

TOMAS:    And I would add, my brother, Kent that I am delighted to share this time with you in this meeting as well as pay you visits on occasion in your job setting. I see your faith and love evident. I see your life blooming and growing, your soul enlarging and shining more brightly. Thank you for your love. We feel it very clearly.

Rutha:   Hello, Daniel and Tomas, this is Rutha. I have a question and it has to do with our needs. While I believe firmly and I have witnessed time and again in my life, and it happened even today, that whenever we are in need of something, a friend, monetary, whatever, it is always there. It always comes up that I have what I need. And I know I have real faith in that aspect.

And so my question stems from the fact that during my stay in the hospital there was just so much waste of materials. They had to use everything disposable. At the same time we see across the world in all these other countries, they don't even have enough syringes for just--.they don't have enough and here they were throwing, I was throwing 20 away a day, because they could only be used once. So I felt a real sense of guilt, not guilt that I am to blame for it but guilt as a member of a society, a disposable society. We just throw things away and don't think anything of it, where people across the world don't have anything. What my question is, is do we create that aspect of having because of thought processes? Or is it more, is it more of a society thing? Seems like here in America we all know we can have and most of us do have. Is that why we have? Are you understanding my question? And over in these other countries they don't have and is it because they don't think they can have? Is that understood?

DANIEL:   Understood. Let me, Daniel, first respond by analogizing a young person who is adventurous and confident. My TR wants to say cocksure. The country which you are a product of is like that youngster and very clever yet very wasteful. The concern you have elucidated about the imbalance of supply and demand is very apparent.

You, my daughter, are a good one for watching the news and being apprised of global injustices, and conscientiously bring to bear on your immediate societies these discrepancies. I am not surprised that you have done so again this evening. The happy truth is that this situation also will evolve, will correct itself to a great extent in a relatively short period of time. The disparity is awesome at this point but it is being corrected. In a short time there will be better balance in these arenas. Trust that your concerns are valid concerns and that your wasteful culture is young but will gain wisdom as its civilians gain wisdom and make those movements which will bring equity into existence for your global community. You are correct. Tomas, have you words to add?

TOMAS:   I would comment on one aspect of your statement, my daughter. You asked if your thoughts are responsible for bringing you the sustenance and care in some measure? I was unsure if I understood that. Before I reply perhaps I should ask you, did I understand your meaning?

Rutha:   Yes I was saying that thoughts are real and that we do bring about our own pathway because of our thoughts and stuff. But in this sense I was thinking as a society and a culture. Is it because the society doesn't think that they can have -- can it be a societal thing, thoughts being real? Or is it more individual?

TOMAS:   The picture is very complex. Of course you have a good understanding of the matrix of thought that we have referred to as the collective consciousness. And this is a true reality as has been discussed before and is responsible in large measure for the things that go on in your society. And it is so seemingly impersonal that individuals are unable to put a handle on it, unable to capture it and refer vaguely to such things as `system' or `them' and etc., because there is no clear picture as to how these agreements of thoughts, these common perceptions, these strong common desires are influencing individual choice and pathways. This dimly understood reality has a major role to play.

And you are also aware, I know, that are conflicts with the collective consciousness. There are those individuals who are appalled at the idea of waste, as you are, who could see a better way in terms of recycling and washing glass and all of the other ways that the throwaway society could be altered in another direction. So, because there is conflict within the collective consciousness there is also confusion.

You must remember that you spoke the very words of truth when you said that your needs are always met, for those words, first spoken by our Master, `Seek first the Kingdom of God and these things will be added to you' are little understood by most people. Isaac is giving me permission to say that it is only recently in his life that he has begun to believe this.

But one must not conclude because this country is so wealthy that it is due to the fact that the First Source and Center loves Americans more than He loves other cultures and other nations. It is, as Daniel has said, a matter of supply and demand and unequal distribution of wealth. This is one of the things that Christ Michael found most distressing in His bestowal experience. You are in good company. Once again I say your concern in this matter follows in the footsteps of our Master.

Rutha:  Well thank you, Daniel and Tomas. I know that you know I don't think the First Source and Center has chosen a few but that we are all one. And that was not a part of what I was asking, you know that. I'll have to work on that. It just seems -- it just is real hard to understand the discrepancy between the `haves' and the `have nots'. I guess what I am wondering. -- if people worldwide could understand as we do, the people here in this group, the concept of the love of the First Source and Center and the concept of ascension, and all of that kind of thing, it would, indeed, change the consciousness so that there would not be this discrepancy. Is that what the Correcting Time is going to be doing, to that aspect of the consciousness?

DANIEL:  You are merging spirituality and materialism in a most difficult configuration. The seeing of material want and need, the situation of `haves' and `have nots' must be dealt with. Spiritually there are the `haves' and `have nots'. Materially as well there are the `haves' and `have nots'. Even in your country, which is the closest frame of reference to you, there are those who have material abundance to the extent of wastefulness, and there are those who have deep material needs including medical and so forth. Only as God-awareness and those qualities characteristic of God-likeness begin to dominate/prevail are many of these inequities going to be resolved. The wastefulness of those who can afford to throw things away, as you say, a throw-away society, to include fast food wrappers, relationships, leaders, and lives, to those who seek only shelter from the elements and fill their empty bellies, their rage is great. Spirituality certainly is necessary for this curse to be attended successfully. But one must not condemn those who have simply because they have, for even Michael did not disdain wealth or riches in the material sense. Have I addressed your issue?

Rutha:   Yes, and I don't condemn those who have because I am very fortunate to be one who does have in so many, many ways. My concern lies a little deeper than that. But what I am wondering is that if what you have said about me merging the material and spiritual together, and I really have done that, in listening to you and working through what you have said and carrying it on, it just appears to me that if we don't work through the spiritual we are never going to come to the answers that we need in the physical realm. When everybody can start working from the same understanding of a loving God and ascension and brotherhood/sisterhood then it seems logical to me that the things that are creating discrepancy, those things will start to fall apart. People will begin to be less greedy, will be able to be more tolerant of one another, will be able to reach out and not think that they have to have it all, but to be able to share. It sounds like a utopian society again. But to me utopian societies have not made it because they didn't have the spiritual support underneath to make it real, to make it really carry on. So that's what listening to you brought that to mind, that the only way we are going to make it is going the spiritual way. Am I on target?

DANIEL:   Yes, (Tomas starts to speak), go ahead Tomas.

TOMAS:   I am so intent on listening that I wasn't checking with my brother here. I would remind you all that this planet is not in the normal order of the dispensations of the Sons of God. You know, of course, that this is a rebellion planet that was also defaulted by the Adamic administration. And so the usual ways of organizing the evolution of a planet have not been its history. It was unusual that Christ Michael, the Bestowal Son should come before a Magisterial Son but He chose to do so because of dire conditions of this planet. This Teaching Mission is unusual or perhaps I should say unique. So we have here, you see, a very different situation than the usual.

It is the intention of Correcting Time to affect all of planetary life, both, spiritual, material; social, scientific and so forth. The Teaching Mission as part of the Correcting Time is that focus on the spiritual growth so that your commentary just now is exactly correct. We anticipate that this mission will grow, that it will as time goes on appear more and more, not only our particular manifestation of it, but other aspects coming from different traditions receiving teacher help and guidance and other spiritual personages, that what has been defaulted and rebelled against, what has not been provided by the normal means will be provided through this Correcting Time. Have faith in our Father's overcare. Have faith in yourself. Don't become depressed by those who like to focus on the sensationalism of the negative but, as was spoken last week, learn from your errors and thus achieve the growth that comes with that learning. Does this help?

Rutha:   Yes, thank you, Tomas.
TOMAS:   I apologize, Daniel.

DANIEL:  No apology necessary, my co-teacher. I add only a couple things to your most thorough response and that is related to the values that do come as mankind becomes more spiritual, such as, ethics will begin to trickle down to those who are more needy. I also point out humility as being the pinnacle of Godlike qualities in this context for as long as a people remain proud and disdainful of their fellow men and women there can be little lasting peace.

Your contribution is both spiritual and material because you like my dear PamElla have that aspect of fragility and intensity which has compassion on the one hand and veracity on the other. Indeed it is beneficial to also minister to the material needs of your brothers and sisters as you nourish the soil in which to plant and nourish the spiritual seeds that will feed this nation and the world in due course. I have no further remarks on this issue at this time. Are there other areas of discussion, other souls in conflict or any cosmic problem issues that need to be presented for our feedback and/or community undertaking?

PamElla:  Yes, Daniel and Tomas. My question is very much related to Rutha's if not quite the same and that is there is an understanding that comes through the New Age movement, I'd say. That is where I am familiar with it. I don't know its past roots. And I have come to understand this as material law. And I think this is what Rutha was talking about, that our consciousness is very powerful in determining our reality so that abundance theory says that in order to have material abundance in one's life you have to be open to it and willing to experience it. So people do a lot of affirmations and that sort of thing in order to have material abundance.

The flip side of it is, then, that we can look at other people who are not materially abundant and we can say that the reason that they don't have abundance is because of their thought patterns. It can kind of turn into a blame the victim sort of thing where if that is the only thing that is going on, this material law, then, indeed, people that don't have material wealth, then, it is almost like it is their own fault. But we know there is much more going on, on our planet than that because there are whole countries that are in massive poverty and there are countries, such as our own, that are very wealthy.

And so it seems, perhaps, that the material law of abundance works within a country, such that one can improve their situation, if you are in the United States and have the means by changing your consciousness somewhat. So when people practice that they find out that their abundance improves and perhaps within poor countries people that practice abundance theory maybe get a little larger portion of what's there than they otherwise would, but they certainly don't get what we have in this country. I guess I'm not now even sure where my question lies other than the first thing. Is that a correct understanding that this is a material law that would hold on most planets that had a normal history but somehow because of the rebellion and everything else that material law is functioning but has somehow gone awry in our case. I think that would be a preface to whatever else I might want to ask afterwards. And if I am beating a dead horse to death I am sorry.

DANIEL:   I will make one remark. It relates to your friend Heidi and her grandfather who was content to shepherd his sheep and goats and make milk. This was to him and to his granddaughter the richest life. Your perception of `abundance' is sorely misconstrued as a result of the dominance of materialism which certainly is an offshoot of the distortions on this troubled planet. Abundance is not what is commonly construed and therefore many individuals run into problems with feeling poor when they are not poor and by the same token feeling poverty stricken when they are quite wealthy. The error is that abundance is somehow related to things and conveniences when true abundance is related to the soul of the individual, the family, the community and the country.

In these poor countries which you have referenced, which by the way exist also in these United States, this poverty mentality is often due to hunger and want, yes; but it is also caused by a comparison to those who have so much and flaunt it so flagrantly. Mortals are great ones for comparing themselves to others to ascertain their value and their worth. There are many very poor people, millions of very poor people, who are simply and truly humble and happy and who deal with life's stresses and outpourings with much more grace than many who have great wherewithal and connections, but know not the true worth of themselves or the value of one single friend. That was my comment in reference to your comment.

PamElla:   Your comment is very humbling, and also very faith provoking in that I know that the TR that you just spoke through does not know the significance of the book Heidi in my life since I have never spoken about that with her. And so that is very confirming and I will leave it there. And Luke said he wanted the mike and here he goes.

Luke:   Hello Tomas. Hello Daniel. This is Luke here. A very quick comment. Usually my thought is on the celestial level and so is Jane's as well. What I do like to do is sometimes when things get trashed out, usually at home, and you hear most of our comments, both of you or others, you are welcome to join in the discussion or to listen to it. And then when we start to babble, [attempt to TR] not to speak but to babble, we try hard to do so, however, you can quite easily break through and join the discussion. You would be more than welcome as well as other celestials which are capable of doing so. So that is all I have to comment on. Please be welcome. Thank you.

DANIEL:   Luke, my friend, I cannot quite convey to you how truly glad I am to hear you invite us into your arena, your intimate environment to take part in the comprehension and communications of your and your partner's understanding of your own individual spiritualities as they relate to our purpose here in this Teaching Mission. Your graciousness speaks loudly for it is through your willingness to incorporate these celestial personalities and processes into life that actuates the same. I, Daniel, promise to discretely attend your soirees with your mate and be of whatever service I, we, may be. Thank you my friend.

TOMAS:   And I, Tomas, will add my promise to attempt to help when I can as well.
I would desire to reply yet to PamElla my thoughts which are very similar to Daniel's. My concern is with allowing the good word abundance to be defined within the parameters that you have mentioned for there is an implied value judgement; and it is my perception of this planet, shared by Christ Michael Himself, that true abundance is not known very often and is displaced in its absence by a worship and desire for things and activities to fill that vacuum. True abundance is not the amount of things that one possesses, but is, in fact, the recognition of reality, namely that we are related as children, as sons and daughters to the God of all, who supplies all of our needs, emotionally, spiritually, and materially; and that we have the opportunity to do service to our brothers and sisters. This is what creates joy and happiness in living, not whether you drive a Mercedes, not whether you have the finest home. Our relationships with other personalities are our secondary abundance, our true friends, our families, our parents, our children, these are the things of abundance. Even one's health, important and desirable as it is, is not even the bottom line in abundance for there are those who are happy despite the fact that they are paraplegic for they have a spiritual richness. I have said enough. Thank you.

Leetah:  Hello Tomas and Daniel, this is Leetah. As you have been talking on this subject and whether or not we as human beings create our abundance I thought of the number of people that appear to have great abundance only to go to prison because that abundance was taken from others. I am sitting here thinking how can we define or say that what appears to be abundance on this planet is in our making, when many times it is in our taking, as I feel our country has done in relationship to the world.

TOMAS:  Well spoken, Leetah. Our Master had a famous story about the farmer whose barn wasn't large enough to hold all that he had so he built a bigger one. When he thought he had established his security he said to himself, `Relax, enjoy life. Live it up. For now you have everything you need. And that night he died.' And so our Master said, `Happiness does not consist in the abundance of things that one possesses'. I realize that technically that happiness and abundance might be defined differently but my point originally to PamElla here was that we need to be careful how we baptize a word that is so positive as the word abundance by restricting it to such largely materialistic meanings. But thank you for your commentary.

DANIEL:   Well, boys and girls, we have had a triumphant experiment this evening as we have all participated in yet more truth seeking and truth revealing behaviors and thought processes. How expanding it is even for us on the other side of mortal material existence to engage in such endearing intercourse as we share with you. We discuss it at length in our own way. Do not think I make light of this process for it is most important and ennobling and its long range effects will be many. We thank you for your courage and your stamina, for your loyalty and character.

This week as you walk through your arena be aware of how your mind, your thought patterns impact what you encounter. How does what you believe affect who and what you encounter. Is that assignment clear, class?

Leetah:   Do I understand you to say there are some things that we can affect by our thoughts? And we are to try to be aware of those things?

DANIEL:   Yes, ma'am. I appreciate your understanding the realm of the assignment and as you do observe please focus on the myriad ways your attitudes, thoughts, responses, behaviors, and oddities reflect upon your immediate world and beyond. I am not asking you to save the nation this week but only to be aware of how your energy, your thoughts, and your feelings impress the world around you. Tomas?

TOMAS:   It has been my pleasure to interact with you in this format tonight and I look forward to more sessions in similar vein. Perhaps this format will help allay the criticism that we talk down to you from our high horses, on our pedestals of wisdom, from our ancient experience, (I jest) and promote the idea that we truly are your brothers and sisters, just a little ahead of you. It is a joy to be with you tonight. I give you my love. Good night.

DANIEL:   Good night.

*****

DATE:  June 2, 1995
TEACHERS:  DANIEL, TOMAS
TOPIC:  Trust

DANIEL (TR#4 for the whole meeting):   Greetings friends, I am Daniel your guide, teacher, and friend. As always it is with great pleasure that I smile upon your proceedings prior to the initiation of our meeting time together. My but you are a high spirited bunch today! And we delight in your high spirits and your collective energy. This energy energizes all and has an effect even of those pessimistic sorts/types. My friends may I comment on this aspect before Tomas gives our lesson this evening?

Friends, have patience, have tolerance, have love for these who see the ongoing aspects of your material world. They have evidence for their pessimism for, indeed, do terrible things take place on this planet! Indeed is the planet in emergency status. This is why we are here. There is a real and true emergency and, you see, your brothers and sisters do not have the benefit of this contact nor have they yet learned and experienced the wonderful sustenance and nurturance that comes about from sitting in silence with the First Source and Center. Indeed does that silent time increase your faith by increasing your knowledge and awareness of our God, our Parent, our Creator, and our Source? With true knowledge that comes from firsthand experience is there faith.

And so, friends, what your sisters and brothers need from you is your steady support. They need you to be oases of peace, oases of calmness, oases of faith. It is your beingness that will change the world. It is your love that will change the world. Continue, my friends, the work that you do that your peace may be deepened, that your knowledge of God, our Parent, may be deepened, that hand in hand you may walk with your sisters and your brothers out of the clinging clutching muck and on to drier ground, ground that blooms with the fullness and the fragrance of our Parents, Michael and Nebadonia. And with these comments I now turn over the meeting to my good friend and colleague, Tomas.

TOMAS (TR#2 for the whole meeting):  Thank you Daniel and good evening students. It is an honor again to be with you in our more formalized format following the experimentation of last week's agenda. Be aware that on occasion life provides unexpected surprises and these events that shake up your comprehension of what would be is beneficial to you. Indeed this evening I have time to bestow words having to do with trust.

The fact of your high spirited demeanors, indeed, your high spirited realities are a direct result of trust. In days of yore before we were authorized to tend to your emotional and spiritual needs and quandaries you were in the same plight as many. Most mortals who are debilitated by distrust and even your trust in a higher power, in Godhead, have been damaged by their perceptions of truth.

We have come a long way in our lesson plans. You have traversed many miles of steadfast soul growth and in some areas have now come into stride, and these strengths of character, these developments of your morontial aspects are linked immediately to trust. You have come to trust first these spirit entities who have touched your lives, who have pushed your buttons, who have spurred your growth and perhaps most significantly have nurtured your infancy in your developing needful reality. Once you became convinced of your own being as Spirit and began to feel the love of Michael and the great Source you began to flower and flourish, building in yourself a trust in the overcontrol of cosmic government and divinity which allowed, then, your self realization to extend into your personal selves. We begin to see the benefit now of having learned to trust your feelings and your experiences through a backdrop of your emerging higher selves, thus coming into awareness of those aspects in yourselves which you have learned somewhat to trust.

The final link in your chain of plateau of trust now is evidenced in your camaraderie with one another, in the dynamic growth of your interpersonal relationships and the living trust that you have come to find and develop in the knowledge that each of you is a true child of God and that you are interrelated. The intellectual appreciation of this series of truths is not the same as the experiential depths and heights which have come to pass as a result of your trust. How steadfast your trust remains depends significantly on how closely associated you remain with your Spirit advisors, your own integral core reality and the continued trusting fellowship of your brothers and sisters in the Spirit and in the flesh.

It is a sound foundation upon which to further build but it is not embedded in concrete. It is necessary that your community remain true members in trust of the process of the actual development of a new reality which you begin to see take hold, take place, and take precedence in your path upon Urantia.

Inherent in the trust realm is the knowledge and truth that you have individually, and to that extent collectively, been entrusted by our Creator Parent to carry forth these realities, to carry upon your mortal shoulders the responsibility of understanding your relationship to that reality which is essential to the surge forward into our efforts toward Light and Life, toward the rejuvenation of trust of your fellows who have, like you, known abandonment and betrayal. Now you see the light. You have benefited spiritually from your exposures and your experiences. Through your fellowship you have found wisdom and sustained your trust. This has brought about such a pinnacle of divinity in your sphere that it is visible in situations, in individuals, in truth, in your own Pocatello. It will also radiate as you radiate what you have learned in full trust of the process of this Correcting Time Mission.

There is no way to make light of trust. It is your work, your decision, your mental processes, your soul commitment to trust. As a result and concurrent therewith you are entrusted. The joy and glory of your work is the shared joy and glory of all reality of lasting value, of infinite worth and truth shared by us all. I have spoken at length and sufficiently regarding trust to impress upon your deep mind the effects of this very real quality and the need for your continued trust. In implicit trust of your desire to serve Michael as one of His co-creators I return this platform to Daniel and anticipate your commentary and questions.

DANIEL:   I have nothing further to add to Tomas' complete discourse on the value of your commitment to trust. The floor is now open to conversation.

Rutha:   Good evening, Daniel and Tomas. Tomas, thank you for that great lesson. I have a question regarding your lesson on trust. You said it was a quality, but I wonder. To me it seems like trust is something that we must learn like a process where we first get an idea that there needs to be trust, kind of like an intuition. But real trust is actual knowing from within. And I wonder how many of us can just know from within initially or whether we have to go through a learning process? And if we do, other than sitting in quiet, is there any shortcuts you could give us for gaining trust?

TOMAS:   No, I can not give you any shortcuts to attaining trust for trust, indeed, is a quality that is developed, as honesty is a quality which is developed. In truth, you are given the gift of faith and this may be augmented as you ascend and as you ask for greater faith. But trust is that kind of sense which [evolves]. Although as an infant, as a weak child you have trust without measure, (you trust your parent to provide your needs), as time, however, goes by on a planet such as this, in an environment fraught with deception, trust is sullied and misconstrued in your environment. How can you, you say, trust anyone in a dog eat dog world, when there is such vying for attention and position, when the needs become so great, when people are passed over for promotions and even when you, in faith, pray for God to answer a devout prayer and the prayer is not answered to your understanding or satisfaction? There is an element of the human which regards this as a betrayal and hence distrust in tangible reality results.

As a fledgling soul when you sit in stillness and in faith and believe that you are connected to a power greater than yourself, indeed, a source of energy and life, whether or not you regard this source in the personal aspects of Father you begin with faith that something is there. That something responds to your flicker. As that is strengthened and developed you are then called upon to put your faith into action; and that requires trust that what you have faith in will respond when you need it and as you believe it will happen. Thus trust is something which you develop, that is redeveloped as a newborn soul in your ascension.

So, no, daughter, the only shortcut that I can conceive of is if you had never been betrayed: that as a child you were surrounded by loving family protectors and providers; that your society had not suffered many millennia of distorted instincts; and that you had been rather born into a world well established in Light and Life. It is part of your journey to begin to consciously determine that you will trust. Is that clear?

Rutha:   Yes, Tomas, thank you. There is just one more aspect of this, though. When you were giving the lesson I had initially thought of a baby coming into the world and needing to trust his parents. I don't know that a baby can trust, he has no other choice. That's just it. The parents either care or they don't. So it's not a matter of trust. And that's why I was wondering about the aspect of it being a process in learning. I still don't see how a baby in its soul, because the soul is not really there -- well anyway, I appreciate your words and I value that trust comes through faith and being reborn and seeing the value of different things as we do experience life, that we can then start to trust again. Thank you.

TOMAS:   Indeed.

DANIEL:   I, Daniel, would like to attempt a response. Trust and faith are, indeed, different from one another. Faith is known by the emerging soul and is more spiritual in origin. Trust, on the other hand, is both spiritual and material. Indeed do babies trust. Indeed do puppies trust. Animals that have not had negative experiences trust that their needs will be met, for as you say, they have never experienced otherwise. Therefore this trust is, indeed, an automatic gift that comes with the package, so to speak. It is distinguished from faith which is an understanding of spiritual connection.

I realize that this distinction between trust and faiths feels blurry. It is difficult to know when one is acting on faith and when one is acting on trust. My advice is to not worry about which is which. You are material and spiritual beings; you are dual in nature and therefore you experience both. One is part of your natural inheritance as material beings, one is a gift as a spiritual being. However trust can be violated, faith cannot. Trust is that material aspect and on this planet you find many, many examples of broken trust. Faith, however, is not violated for faith is the relationship to the Source and the Source never breaks faith with you.

I hope that did not create a muddy mess, a hornet's nest of additional buzzing and lack of clarity. However, if so, Tomas and I are equipped and ready to answer further. Rutha, did that help you in any way?

Rutha:   Yes, Daniel, thank you very much. That clarified a lot for me. Thank you.
DANIEL:   You are welcome.

Kent:   Greetings my two friends and all others present. Your conversation tonight
on trust is outstanding! You say trust can be violated. The trust in the Father is never violated as I understand it. Another thought that crossed my mind when you were speaking was truth, as one comes into spiritual reality, into spiritual awareness, that the truth of that builds the trust. Is that correct?

TOMAS:   In part, for truth as it is perceived is fallible. In other words you can in your mental processes mess up your own trust and faith by your perception of truth. Practice until the clarity of the truth which is that hallmark of the Father permeates you to such an extent that all trust is automatic and your faith is flourishing. It is in the perception of truth that both trust and faith are set aside. In fact, perception of truth is as wide and varied as individuals who think. For each individual maintains its own perception of truth. When and as the Truth prevails, the trust is natural among believers, then the great cosmic overseer is adored by all perceiving beings. Then will we come into that realm where we shall see truth pay off in implicit trust and fruitful faith. Herein is our work. Is this a response which impacts upon your message, my son, Kent?

Kent:    Yes it impacted. It left a good size dent. That was very good. Thank you. That enlarged my view tremendously.

I have a couple of questions, three questions that I would like to address to Daniel from
my dear sister Gerdean. The first one is concerning the Apostle Paul.

She asks the question, `I have difficulty loving Paul, in fact I have a resentment against Paul, Saul of Tarsus. And I don't understand why he is credited with being one of the seven great human teachers. Christianity has a terrible foothold. Its basic tenants keep people in fear; original sin, atonement, and sacrifice are ignoble ideas. Paul's attitude towards women is detrimental to human liberation and they have the nerve to call him an apostle. Help me overcome my negative attitude.' Can you respond to that for Gerdean?

DANIEL:   One minute, I will try. This T/R's emotional response is to applaud Gerdean's question and so it may take us a moment for me to fully gather the reins of the course of this response.

Yes, much that is negative, much that is derogatory is the result of Paul's limited perspective, Paul's time spent, Paul's past religious experience, notably his asceticism and attitude toward women and the compromise that he engineered with those who held the belief in balanced forces of good and evil, in the equal pull of heaven and hell and in the atonement principle in order to further the new religion about the resurrection of the man, Jesus.

Many wars have been fought in the name of this religion about the man who resurrected, this religion, Christianity. Many bitter words have been spoken to one another. Much pain and much misunderstanding of the love of our great Parent has been the result of Paul's imperfections, Paul's humanness.

However, much good is also the result in that the Christian religion did take hold. In addition to the errors in perception and the inclusion of inconsistent theology with the truth, the meaning, the message of Christ Michael's walk on this earth that we are all one family, we are all brothers and sisters, this message did go forward. The religion was spread. In addition to the errors the true message also spread of a loving Parent. And this knowledge of God as a loving Parent far exceeds all other errors. It was primarily due to the passion of Paul, to his political savvy that the Christian religion was spread.

As you are well aware the Eastern and more true form never took hold and therefore were it not for Paul the message of the loving Parent may have perished before spreading very far. Although very much that is wrong has spread in addition to the knowledge of a loving Parent, this knowledge did go, did spread as well. My dear daughter, Gerdean, your knowledge of a loving Parent, indeed, rests on the shoulders of Paul as well as on the shoulders of the Urantia Book. As you are aware revelation is given at particular periods in a planet's evolution when people are ready for the higher revelation. If it were not for Paul this planet would not now be ready for this revelation that you received in the Urantia Book. So my dear Gerdean if it were not for Paul you personally may not have experienced the knowledge and the experience of a loving Parent. So perhaps this understanding can assist you in forgiving Paul his errors that you may read those words with less resentment and that you may send him love.

Gerdean:   Thank you, Daniel.
DANIEL:   You are welcome.

Kent:    Thank you, Daniel. I believe that this will help all who heard this and those that will read it. Thank you.

Another question. As the new apostles would we do as well to devote our life to prayer and minding our own business? Since prayer is the most effective thing we can do, is prayer adequate service?

DANIEL:   Dear friend, sister, daughter, Gerdean, prayer is adequate service and at times it is the most effective service that can be given. Often in one's zeal to assist another, in one's zeal to plant seeds of wisdom and truth, does one act not only from one's alignment and desire but also from one's own perceptions, which, as has been discussed earlier this evening, are not always perfect, are sometimes less than adequate. In prayer is love sent. There is no more powerful salve to any issue, any problem, any situation than love. Also in prayer does one find one's connection to the Source and assist through the collective consciousness. And so, yes, prayer is adequate service.

I would add, of course, following prayer spend time in the quiet for in quiet are answers given and in quiet does one find the small unobtrusive ways to serve. May I remind you that a smile is service. So I would say this. Prayer is adequate service, if in addition to prayer one has a prayerful attitude. Prayer is not adequate service if one prays for people and then refuses to make eye contact, frowns, is an inconsiderate driver, etc., etc., and is the opposite of the love that they pour forth during their prayer. But this is rather inconceivable that one would have the devotion and the love to pour forth in prayer for other people and then be this type of an inconsiderate, dour, ill mannered person. Is this response of any help to you, my dear Gerdean?

Gerdean:   Yes, Daniel. I can see that a life well lived is a form of prayer and certainly the most effective thing we can do. Thank you.

DANIEL:   Beautifully stated. Thank you, my dear!

Kent:    Thank you both. This question relates to part of what has been said, in this case, regarding the Spirit of Truth. 'Why do we still have such disparity? How can we help humanity transcend intellectual conviction and cultural conditioning to more fully realize the love of the Master? How can we help stimulate the Spirit of Truth, if at all?'

DANIEL:   Yes, indeed, does this question relate for the answer has been given, through a life well lived that is, in itself, a form of prayer; by avoiding the human affliction to become positioned about doctrine and dogma, to avoid intellectual argumentation and in its place to love and provide solace for disappointed hearts and discouraged souls. One does this by developing their relationship with our Source. Is there anything further?

Gerdean:   I can't see any questions at this point, thank you.

Tonya:   In my philosophy course we have spent a great deal of time reading and discussing whether it is logical or not to have belief in a God. I believe, because of the teacher of our class, most of our readings have been on how illogical it is to have such a belief. And I find myself trying to come up with a way to find a logical argument that could say that it is right to believe in a higher source, a higher center than that which is in our lives on this earth. I don't see a reason for living, for going on if I don't have that, but yet while reading this I find myself very unhappy with not being able to find an argument. Could you in any way help?

DANIEL:   Tomas, can I take a shot at this first?
TOMAS:   Be my guest.

DANIEL:   My dear, one does not know God through logic. And there is the rub. Logic will never answer the question of whether there is a God, could be a God, should be a God and, in fact, does logic lead very often to the logical conclusion, as many individuals have pointed out, have experienced, have felt, does logic point to some reasons for atheism. Look at the wars, look at genocide, look at the greed, look at the hate, look at the violence. Logically would a God that was loving, that was what God is supposed to be: powerful, loving, all wise, etc., would such a God have made such a world? No! [Ed. note: See UB page 1268, first two paragraphs for similar argument] So one can not find the answer in logic.

That is why in addition to the brain you are given mind, the Indwelling Spirit and the Spirit of Truth and the ability to form the soul through your free will choices. Also you were given the instinct/desire to search for God and to believe in higher being. One minute. And so it is not through logic that we find God but rather through experience and through faith.

Realize, my dear, that you are at this point in the evolution of this planet, agondontors. You must proceed by faith alone for at this time there is no convincing evidence of God. Government on this planet, the administration of the Planetary Prince, went astray, the Material Son and Daughter defaulted. So there is no physical evidence which is what logic requires. Logic looks at the facts and some of the so-called facts go against God. Your experience, your faith is in the opposite direction. Your Indwelling Spirit gives you the knowledge. Michael through the Spirit of Truth gives you the knowledge. Your existence is part of the fabric of Nebadonia. Who gives you the knowledge of God. But this knowledge is not a fact and is not subject to logic.

I apologize for this rough answer. The TR is feeling nervous this evening. Tomas, do you have an addition to make?

TOMAS:   Teacher, yes, I have a response as well. Part of it has to do with referring you to Rodan of Alexandria who has postulated a rather excellent argument in favor of believing in God. I would secondly propose to you that since the issue is one of logic that you present your case as perhaps finding the logical merit in owning a Chrysler New Yorker. What are the merits of having a car as to not having a car and point out the advantages of velocity, comfort, assurance, and protection, not to mention power and beauty and convenience and assurance? All these aspects of knowing God are reasons to believe in God, unless, of course you are arguing the merits of walking. Thank you, student, for the opportunity to delve into some visualization. I am finished.

Tonya:   Thank you. Just one additional question. I think perhaps you answered it anyway. Why when we have an Indwelling Spirit and faith and the need to follow a Source and Center, why would you even choose the possibility of becoming an atheist?

TOMAS:   It refers, if you will, back to our earlier conversations of betrayal and trust. It is also rather interesting to note that brilliant atheists propound the reality of God daily in their need to express their own spiritual life. The aspect that is so fascinating is how cleverly and necessarily they expand the concept of God into diverse realms of energy and pattern and other intriguing physics and mathematical presentations, yet their logic always furthers credibility to the Creator they opt not to call by name. Trust that the God Fragment operates in conscientious, thinking and sensitive normal mortals whether they acknowledge our Parent or not. If they, the atheists, were not looked at with such ghastly reflections from Christianity they would not sustain their intrigue and power, for truly they are your brothers and sisters also unveiling new truths and realities to add to their experience and the experience of the evolving Supreme. Do you have `stuff' to take to class, child?

Tonya:   I definitely do now, thank you.
TOMAS:   And thank you.

Luke:   Hello Tomas and Daniel, this is Luke here. Greetings and to all the other ones that are present, I have faith that I can trust you. However if that faith is broken I can't come hunting and then I would sit in judgement. Thank you.

TOMAS:   Thank you our son and friend. Indeed in truth we hunt each other and with each other throughout eternity.

DANIEL:   And may I add, friend Luke that we appreciate your trust and that wavers less than you think. Your faith in God is sound. Your trust in us is also sound. We will be with you this next week. You can count on our love, our support and our presence.

Luke:   Thank you.

TOMAS:   My companions in this venture, it is apparent to this teacher that these vessels are exhausted, and even though the night is young we are inclined to have mercy and call it a day. The invigoration of this evening was and is much appreciated. How we do enjoy your reflective repose during our seed planting efforts and how we enjoy observing your shoots emerge into the light of the sun. I am giving the mike to Daniel for his final salutations. I leave you with my love. Farewell.

DANIEL:   My friends, as your head teacher I ask you to be those oases of calm, those oases of peace that comes from trusting and from faith. Go in peace. Farewell.

*****

[End of Vol. II, Part 4 of 6]