Episode:Religion in Depth—Human Experience (Part 4)
The great problem of religious living consists in the task of unifying the soul powers of the personality by the dominance of LOVE. The highest happiness is indissolubly linked with spiritual progress. Spiritual growth yields lasting joy, peace which passes all understanding.
Keywords: Urantia, Religion, Tolerance, Friendship, Love
Summary by Kermit
Our opening discussion clarified some aspects of the phenomenon of de-localization of mind which we suggested could masquerade as spiritual experience, when it is more correctly a phenomenon of mind.
We recapitulated the final three paragraphs of section 3. Concepts of Supreme Value. We stepped through these paragraphs in order to have a grounded appreciation of the kinetics of growth and progress in their relation to value and meaning. Our individuated and localized engagement with mind by encircuitment in the Holy Spirit by grace enables our access to value. And values are never static, but being real signify change that is genuine growth with the associated expansion of meaning and the exaltation of that value. In addition to their real existence, they depend on relationships and are not found in the past but are in what is and what is to be, both actual and potential. Be wary of teachings that suggest values are embodied in historical traditions and the ritualistic practices of former days.
In distinguishing the differences between growth and progress always remember growth is transcendent to progress, notwithstanding that progress is always meaningful. Yet progress may be meaningful for supremacy and not you as an individual. For personal meaning you must have connection to individuated value. This individuated value is possible because of what has been done for you through the aforementioned encircuitment in the Holy Spirit. However, for the growth of values and the progress in meanings to be more than potential, the cosmic interrelatedness of these two experiences must be realized, i.e. personally encompassed in their fullness. This is the equivalent of God consciousness, and far transcendent of the God-knowingness we all claim. Such a sublime achievement likely awaits most of us on mansonia.
The final paragraph of section three reminds us again of our constitutional inability to cause our own growth. Favorable conditions must be supplied if we are to be grown beyond our original grace gift of encircuitment. We can make progress along a direction, along a line, but the holistic three-dimensional cosmic expansion that is growth is accomplished by Mother in response to the activation of the growth potentialities contained in the favorable conditions chosen and performed by us. This choice and enactment is a function of personality. This faith grasp of personally laying hold of value far transcends the mere intellectual act of holding a belief.
These revelatory truths of the 5th epochal revelation (ER) most certainly exceed the more simple truths of the 4th ER. Mastery of the tadpole lessons of acceptance of sonship and recognition of human brotherhood are prerequisites to the more advanced progress and growth characteristics of living as a cosmic citizen, anchored in eternity with spirit.
Prior to beginning our reading for the evening, a caller posed a question about the doing of God’s will vis á vis the willingness of the creature to share the inner life with God, versus the actual sharing of the inner life with God. The willingness to share constitutes a personal act which potentializes that which God can then actualize. The willingness prepares a place and space where God is permitted to engage the creature. God’s engagement comes with a searching eye, a dynamic presence and demands upon the creature wholehearted participation in the adventure. It’s far easier to share the inner life with goodness, which has none of these qualities and makes none of these demands. It requires courage to let God in.
100:4. Problems of Growth
We read the first three paragraphs of this section. The problems of growth derive from man’s eightfold path culminating in progress. The effort, struggle, conflict, faith, determination, love, and loyalty that lead to progress mark the path to be traversed in being grown from a child of God, to an adult of God. We creatures of animal origin are stubbornly resistant to mustering the effort and discipline required to rise above our dependence on the non-spiritual energies of temporal existence and courageously to engage the struggle with cosmic problems.
In the third paragraph the revelators identify the great problem of religious living as the task of unifying the soul powers of the personality by the dominance of LOVE. And when the conventional wisdom holds that love is a feeling how far are we from the attainment of this task?
Mortal man, when unified in each of the threefold facets of reality is a picture of health, sanity, and happiness. But we go on to be told that of health and sanity man understands much, but happiness is largely un-realized today. Further, that the highest happiness is indissolubly linked with spiritual progress. Ipso facto, spiritual progress is currently in short supply. So it is that we have the 5th ER.
As has been emphasized many times previously on our broadcasts, happiness is a choice, as in a new and better reaction habit when confronted with the vicissitudes of temporal tribulation.
Spiritual growth (perfecting spirit) can only yield lasting joy, peace which passes all understanding because it is anchored in eternity and energized through connection with spirit.
Notes by Brad
- Where should you build your foundation? On spirit. Spirit is a substance, as if it were bedrock. Mind is not a substance. Mind is more akin to the "sand" of Jesus' analogy.
- Everything we experience is in the mind, even our experience with spirit. Except in one way: personality can exert a faith grasp. It can literally take ahold of spirit substance.
- This isn't just a metaphor. Spirit is a substance. It can be grasped. Of course, visualizing this as a human hand grasping a blob of matter is a visual metaphor we use to understand this.
- And don't confuse a belief grasp (which is in the mind) with a faith grasp (which is spirit).
- How can you know you have a faith grasp if you can't feel it as an emotion? You'll see it (faintly, at first) upon reflection, looking back.
- What will it look like? It will have a constancy to it, because it is anchored to eternity.
- And don't feel bad about not getting this. Even the best thinkers of the last 2600 years haven't consciously recognized there are all three: matter, mind, and spirit.
- Mind is the superadditive consequence of matter and spirit. Yes! It is therefore transcendent of spirit!
- It's misleading for the past to masquerade as value, because it is unvarying. But values can never be static.
- Man cannot cause growth. Man also cannot create love. Love is not just a feeling.
- If this all is overwhelming, remember to remain humble and patient in all of this.
- Progress is about moving along a line. Growth is about expanding the size of the sphere (which is holistic, and non linear).
- Devotion==from a vow
- Harmonizing with eternity is hard to do, and may be fleeting. But don't be satisfied with only partial results like this--keep trying to synchronize with the cosmos!
