Episode:Jesus the Tutor—Sojourn at Rome (Part 3)
Truth cannot be defined with words, only by living. Truth is always more than knowledge. Knowledge originates in science; wisdom, in true philosophy; truth, in the religious experience of spiritual living. Knowledge deals with facts; wisdom, with relationships; truth, with reality values.
Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Faith, Truth, Knowledge
Summary by Kermit
Commentary on the Review
We began with a short discussion characterizing current-day secularists and religionists as budding material dogmatists and staunch non-material dogmatists respectively. Thus illustrating how the energy of the sixth adjutant as a religious impulse can be attached to all manner of notions (-isms). We briefly reviewed the harmonizing function of personality and its role in establishing and maintaining both true and false symmetry in man’s soul.
In response to a caller’s question concerning false symmetry we noted that with age preconceived opinions along with manifold beliefs accumulate and settled ideas plus complex rationalizations are formed. A difficult but helpful strategy to foster spiritual growth in this context is to return to the simplicity of childlike faith that garners entrance into the kingdom (upper domain) to reestablish a true foundation for a genuine cosmic viewpoint.
A second caller inquired as to how students of the revelation can talk with others concerning events the likes of which occurred last week in Las Vegas. We took a few minutes to attempt to reconcile contemporary parlance characterizing the incident as an act of evil, with the language of the revelation and its precision of meanings. Keeping in mind the truth that no real harm was done to the victims, actual temporal harm was done, and finding the common ground of the moment in comforting our fellows is most certainly an appropriate response.
132:3 Truth and Faith
Considering word pairs in the revelation we recognize the second of the pair to be the foundation upon which the first word is based. This section title suggests we visualize a foundational faith nucleus encompassed by a sphere of your personal consciousness of truth. Applying the same logic to the word pair of the previous section title, how do we visualize “Good and Evil?” In this case we take a temporal view. We begin our universe career in relative imperfection (evil). The extensive shadow of potential evil provide the necessary contrast with glimpses of goodness to stimulate our free will choices in our pursuit of perfection.
Again we see Jesus’ masterly teaching technique.
The second paragraph is foundational for this section. “Truth cannot be defined with words, only by living, i.e. real living. Real living is anchored in eternity words represent the facts of time. Words however, can spark the insights that lead to recognition of truth in the upper domain of a personal self. Listen to the delineation of the pathway of truth from the higher minds the revelators’ to the words on the page of the revelation by consulting the archive.
The authors contrast knowledge and truth. Knowledge is found in the observable material realm while truth is not observable but found in the transcendent zone where mind interfaces with spirit. Knowledge is a transferable knowingness, truth a knowingness experienced in the upper domain of the mind, the inner life. It is also in this realm that the truths of eternity consort with the wisdom of experience. The paragraph concludes with two threefold expressions of the relatedness among knowledge, wisdom, and truth. Again, the archive of the discussion provides further elucidation of the revelation.
As in the previous section the midwayers call us out on our mental laziness and fear of the unknown which while applying to Nabon in the first century, appears to be applicable two thousand years thence.
Truth and genuine knowledge are never at odds. The same cannot be said of truth and human belief. Here we are reminded that personally discovered truth is the supreme delight of the human soul and such personally discovered truth is always a revelation, be it auto-revelation or epochal.
Man’s apprehension of truth is dependent on his exercise of true faith, a product of the activities in the upper domain of the spiritualized mind, such as profound reflection, sincere self-criticism, and uncompromising moral consciousness.
As in the previous section, the authors, after providing us with a reality check as concerns our cosmic standing proceed to present inspiring descriptions of future attainments in our long path in pursuit of identification with our indwelling spirit fragment of the Universal Father.
Notes by Brad
- Individuality, associativity, unity: one of the master patterns that repeats all over the place.
- Entering the kingdom as a child: not childish. It's about finding that initial, basic symmetry you were given at age 6.
- Get the foundation right. Squared and true. [156:5.2]
- We felt compelled to discuss the recent 2017 Las Vegas Strip shooting
- In general, most all we observe is evil. Sin is rarely observed, it's an interior phenomenon--deliberate disloyalty to deity.
- Evil is a disruption of the unity of associativity. Even if someone calls this "evil" in an old dual spiritism modality, there's a thread of thruth in what they're saying and we can connect with them on that.
- But still, "no real harm" befell anyone there. No effect on their relationship to eternity. Can you trust that as the living truth?
- There was "actual harm" done though.
- But it still hurts when you stub your toe. Feelings are like that, they pull you down the levels of meaning when overwhelming.
- Truth and faith: why the order (with faith as the foundation)
- Faith is the nucleus around which you wrap the sphere your personality. Makes sense.
- So what's up with "good and evil?" Remember: evil isn't a reality. We all start out imperfect, with shadows of potential evil cast all over the place. Over time as you move up there is less potential for evil and fewer shadows cast; you become good. It's more of a temporal order (evil is the starting point)
- Jesus trusted the God of evolution. He didn't go around trying to convert people. He's just there as a catalytic agent.
- If "truth cannot be defined with words" isn't fore in your mind as you read TUB, you'll be full of misunderstanding.
- Words can be seen; truth cannot. If done exactingly and humbly, words can be followed carefully back into the truth to which they point.
- Truth is an upper-domain of the hourglass phenomenon. It's associated with eternity, not time.
- No words are true in and of themselves.
- Even a consciousness of the words in your mind is not necessarily truth, not if this is in the material mind in the lower domain of the hourglass analogy.
- Truth is indeed a knowingness, but not a knowingness that can be conveyed directly through words.
- You can know truth, but when you try to bring it into the lower domain (outer life) it loses its truth quality and becomes (mere) knowledge, which is conveyable.
- Crystallizing science is like settled science. And settled science... isn't science, it's dogma.
- Truth requires faith. As mentioned earlier, faith is the nucleus. You can't build something without a nucleus.
- Creative is not the same as inventive. True creativity is an upper-domain phenomenon.
- Sublime hope is an apt turn of phrase in the hourglass analogy. Sub- + -limnon means just beneath the ceiling--the neck of the hourglass.
