Episode:Civilization—The State (Part 5)
The enduring state is founded on culture, dominated by ideals, and motivated by service. In the ideal state, education continues throughout life, and philosophy sometime becomes the chief pursuit of its citizens. Urantia is far from the realization of ideal statehood, but the civilized races have made a beginning.
Keywords: Urantia, Education, Wisdom, Idealism, Character
Summary by Kermit
Commentary on Review
We reiterated the final sentence of section 6, “Profit motive must not be taken away from men until they have firmly possessed themselves of superior types of nonprofit motives for economic striving and social serving—the transcendent urges of superlative wisdom, intriguing brotherhood, and excellency of spiritual attainment.” As we see again, so many of our idealistic desires must be subordinated to the necessities of material pragmatism as we endeavor to strike step with the incremental evolutionary progress of the Supreme.
71:7. Education
Our author presents us with a socio-cultural yardstick for our own situation with his description of an enduring state as one that is founded on culture, dominated by ideals, and motivated by service. This is followed by a definitive prescription concerning the purpose of education, to wit the acquirement of skill, pursuit of wisdom, realization of selfhood, and attainment of spiritual values. We cross-referenced this with [16:6.11] where a Universal Censor also speaks of the purpose of education as being the development and sharpening of the innate endowments of the human mind referring to the three cosmic intuitions. The Universal Censor goes on to demonstrate the importance of these cosmic intuitions to even higher purposes: “…of civilization to express them; of life experience to realize them; of religion to ennoble them; and of personality to unify them.” This acknowledgement of the cosmic intuitions of causation, duty, and worship as being so foundational to our progress and growth collectively and as individuals should serve to focus our attention on their cultivation.
In an ideal state, education continues throughout life, with philosophy becoming the chief pursuit of its citizens. How removed are we from this state when today, philosophy is regarded as merely an arena wherein opinions are bandied about, rather than a process by which appearances are objectively penetrated to reality and wisdom is pursued. Our author suggests that when the purely profit motivated system of economics passes education will jump to new levels; from localistic to world-wide, from militaristic to idealistic, from ego-exalting to self-realizing, and from success seeking to cosmic grasping.
To further help us recognize the connection of education with the pursuit of wisdom our Melchizedek author gives us a list of seven ascending levels of mortal wisdom. Important in reflecting on these levels is to recall that mortal wisdom derives from dealing with tribulation—adversity and affliction. These seven levels culminate in cosmic insight—spiritual discernment, and it is by means of the achievement of these levels of mortal wisdom that many will continue up to the mortal ultimate of mind attainment, God-consciousness. Be aware of the transcendent and holistic fact that is God-consciousness lest anyone claim such attainment. Remember the difference between God-knowingness and God-consciousness.
71:8 The Character of Statehood
The revelators here punctuate the significance of the American form of government being patterned on the universe government with the three branches—executive, legislative, and judicial, by calling it sacred and further stating it as a sine qua non as the first step in the evolution of statehood. We note that in the American experience there is increasing dysfunction of these three branches, and further that worldwide there are many types of governments that do not have a three-branch configuration.
The final twenty minutes of our broadcast were given to discussion of the twelve progressing levels of attainment towards the evolution ideal statehood, beginning with the creation of the above mentioned threefold branches. This list of twelve provides clear benchmarks for the progress of any state. To those astir with the anticipation of our progress towards light and life, these levels should be a sober reminder of how far we have to go, moreover that we have actually lost ground on some of these measures.
We are reminded that we reached an evolutionary apex in the quest for progressive government around the beginning of the last century. Can we collectively reclaim and conserve these truths to regain forward momentum on the path to our promised destiny? Can we individually achieve the degree of self-control and self-mastery as cosmic citizens to inspire others to do likewise? As the final sentence of our paper declares: Urantia is far from the realization of these exalted ideals, but the civilized races have made a beginning—mankind is on the march toward higher evolutionary destinies.
