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Even Jesus kept two or three of this associates near at hand when he went off to commune with our Father. The apostles were sent out two by two to teach and preach. Jesus plainly says it is not good for man to be alone. Eve was warned “never to stray from the side of her mate, that is, to attempt no personal or secret methods of furthering their mutual undertakings.” [75:2.4]
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I am comforted to read the following, because it informs me that I too will receive consideration to the circumstances of my unwise decisions and erroneous thinking, either by my omission or by my commission. I am in fact small, my sphere of influence is small, tiny in the scheme of things.
[. . .] Even so, it was always a comfort to Adam and Eve, as well as something difficult for them to understand, to ponder the only personal message they ever received from Michael. This message, among other expressions of friendship and comfort, said: “I have given consideration to the circumstances of your default, I have remembered the desire of your hearts ever to be loyal to my Father’s will, and you will be called from the embrace of mortal slumber when I come to Urantia if the subordinate Sons of my realm do not send for you before that time.” [76:5.3 ]
Maybe my pet evil is small too.
This was incredibly helpful for me. I like the idea of a pet being a cherished way of thinking. Connecting this idea with evil being an error in thinking, I think a pet evil may be the way we erroneously view how life/God/ourselves should be. In attaching ourselves to this view, we cannot see the way when our adjusters try to guide us toward it. Once we decide we know something definitively, we shut ourselves down from learning more. Why should I learn if I have the answer already? This is why we must give up our pet evils to gain entrance into the kingdom – it isn’t that heavenly Father won’t grant us entrance, rather that we won’t be able to see it due to our stubborn attachment to our own ideas.
Hello growing in grace!
Why should I learn if I have the answer already?
Good question. Maybe you mean being fixated on one’s beliefs (answers?), rather than faith?
101:8.2 Belief is always limiting and binding; faith is expanding and releasing. Belief fixates, faith liberates. But living religious faith is more than the association of noble beliefs; it is more than an exalted system of philosophy; it is a living experience concerned with spiritual meanings, divine ideals, and supreme values; it is God-knowing and man-serving. Beliefs may become group possessions, but faith must be personal. Theologic beliefs can be suggested to a group, but faith can rise up only in the heart of the individual religionist.Or maybe you are referring to opinions about something, such as having a ready answer at hand on a given subject indicating to others that no further discussion would avail. In other words the door of one’s mind is closed about the subject. Amen. Adios. End of story.Here’s what they say about spiritual fixation:100:1.2 Some persons are too busy to grow and are therefore in grave danger of spiritual fixation. Provision must be made for growth of meanings at differing ages, in successive cultures, and in the passing stages of advancing civilization. The chief inhibitors of growth are prejudice and ignorance.Maybe you might be talking about prejudice and ignorance too. But it seems to me “spiritual fixation” implies that the person already is IN the kingdom of heaven. I’m thinking a pet evil pertains to what a person treasures the most. Is it our heavenly Father? Is it another person? Is it what a person loves the most? Money? Things? Power? Knowledge? I think the comments about the parables of Jesus might shed light on spiritual fixation, as defined in the UB.169:1.15 Jesus was very partial to telling these three stories at the same time. He presented the story of the lost sheep to show that, when men unintentionally stray away from the path of life, the Father is mindful of such lost ones and goes out, with his Sons, the true shepherds of the flock, to seek the lost sheep. He then would recite the story of the coin lost in the house to illustrate how thorough is the divine searching for all who are confused, confounded, or otherwise spiritually blinded by the material cares and accumulations of life. And then he would launch forth into the telling of this parable of the lost son, the reception of the returning prodigal, to show how complete is the restoration of the lost son into his Father’s house and heart.Can I say all of the above? All good points. I think a pet evil is the thing that gets in the way of our continued growth. Your pointing out the difference between belief and faith resonates with me. I think I, personally, get stuck in belief at times – my ideas of how things are or should be. It typically seems to happen when I feel the need to feed my own ego. When we retreat to the place where we are feeding the ego (be it spiritual pride, materialism, power, etc) doing the will of God goes out the window. We cannot serve two masters.
growthingrace wrote: . . . it isn’t that heavenly Father won’t grant us entrance, rather that we won’t be able to see it due to our stubborn attachment to our own ideas.I think this is spot-on. Erroneous thinking, for whatever reason and to what end, prevents us from seeing reality (truth). There are plenty of ways to butter this bread, each with differing levels of evil (imperfection). What is being pointed out in TUB is that everyone has one preferred comfort zone of reality avoidance which can be hard to give up because it is hard to “see” oneself doing it. It’s hard to “see” because it’s a favorite way of “seeing” reality, a way that gives the mind a level of contentment and the person a feeling of self-worth. But the goal is to “see” as God the Father “sees” (sixth level of the golden rule), and it’s not about the self so much as it is about the rest of reality and the self’s relation to it. I think this takes growth in wisdom as well as faith.
Do beliefs get in the way of wisdom? Most certainly they can do that, depending on what they are. Not all beliefs are evil (unreal). Some beliefs are helpful, some have value. For instance, belief in the Son as a revelation of the Father is a belief worth trusting. Belief in a friendly universe despite all evidence to the contrary is a belief with true value. Value is the key. Recognizing value is part of gaining wisdom and wisdom is the gateway to the soul where value lives. Unwillingness to challenge one’s beliefs (contentment with personal prejudice, or pet evil), resistance to the recognition that one’s beliefs might be of questionable value, and reluctance to reinterpret all this within the context of one’s life, can result in habitual erroneous thinking (evil) and maladjustment to realty.
Matadormus believed that wealth was evidence that he was living a righteous life. He believed, like most Jews, that wealth was a measure of one’s favor with God for having lived the righteous life. Why on earth would Matadormus want to give up something like that? He had no idea that this belief was a maladjustment to reality, that God does not reward righteousness with material wealth. He was ignorant of that truth, so the value of wealth was his reality, his place of contentment and self-worth. Jesus tried to open his eyes, to help him “see” otherwise. It took time, but Matadormus did challenge his belief and began to “see” the wisdom of changing his thinking. And a change in thinking often leads to a change in behavior. And a change in behavior results in a trail of actualized reality (living truth) within the universe. It’s all good, but it takes time and it takes a willingness to think with the soul where one is taught the difference between what has value and what is value.
130:4.10 The eye of the material mind perceives a world of factual knowledge; the eye of the spiritualized intellect discerns a world of true values. These two views, synchronized and harmonized, reveal the world of reality, wherein wisdom interprets the phenomena of the universe in terms of progressive personal experience.
100:3.5 Values can never be static; reality signifies change, growth. Change without growth, expansion of meaning and exaltation of value, is valueless – is potential evil. The greater the quality of cosmic adaptation, the more of virtue of which these activities take place.
Welcome growth-in-Grace!!! Great handle and a lovely voice!
I agree with the idea that our “pet” evil(s) is sort of like a blind spot…and I think the Master may have been addressing this very issue with the beam and mote teaching. It seems far easier to see others’ pet evil…which I agree is a form of prejudiced perspective which results in a particular response-reflex in all or in certain intersections of situation, circumstance, and relationship.
I think the Papers are clear in their presentation of the acute need for transcendence within all ascender-candidates, those of us tadpoles still working our way through the circles of progress both here and in the Mansion Worlds. If we cannot transcend our current knowledge and perspective by overcoming prejudice (the love of and loyalty to our personal opinions, knowledge, and perspective – a form of pride, entrenchment, and narrow-mindedness) – then how do we expect progress to come?
I think the pet evil thing might persist in some degree with even those who make progress but our pet still delays, detours, and interferes with our potential. I’ve noticed that some of us seem to be quite critical of others who may (or may not) exhibit character flaws that we are even more guilty of….we’re a funny bunch of monkeys indeed!
The difference between belief and faith is profound…I agree. Faith requires choices and actions based on belief but faith is not belief, it is far more…it becomes a test of belief….meaning that only by our choice, decisions, motives, intentions, and acts can faith verify belief. What is the outcome of acting on a belief? Is there value and meaning discovered? Does the vine bring forth fruit? The fruits of the Spirit are certainly recognizable and verifiable to the believer/faither….does our faith deliver peace, patience, kindness, long suffering, happiness, and hope? Belief cannot and never will…faith may…but faith in what and who? How does our faith determine our decisions and outcomes?
This becomes the expression of growth, progress, experience, and wisdom…discernment and response….change which comes from within and the result of which is the experience of sorting and measuring results compared to intentions….for as we know, good intentions are really not enough and are not the same as wisdom by any calculus. But, wisdom does begin by a pure heart (motive) and good intentions which are focused upon and delivered to others and for the benefit of others….loving service. Wisdom cannot even begin without proper motive and intent…and neither does growth in the Spirit come without the ability to learn and change beyond our current knowledge, belief, and personal prejudices.
The pet must be identified and acknowledged to then be abandoned. I think much of the reversion “therapy” to come will include a rather hilarious portrayal of our pets which we are so fond of and keep so close!! Humor and humility are the best antidotes perhaps to this form of blindness and self love.
Thanks to all!
Bradly = )
Bradly wrote: The fruits of the Spirit are certainly recognizable and verifiable to the believer/faither….does our faith deliver peace, patience, kindness, long suffering, happiness, and hope?Are you saying that people can recognize spiritual fruit production in themselves?
Not the production cycle itself…or growth of fruit…but the results? Sure. The fruits are discernable in others and in our own life. We are told this is how one may discern…by their fruits you shall know them. When one’s life is changed….profoundly changed….by growth, then the results of such growth are their own witness and testimony. Are we more calm, peaceful, and happy? Or still anxious and angry? Are we self centered or service motivated? Is it me, me, me? Or we, we, we? I certainly do not mean to imply or say that we can count our circles.
The other notable change which is easily recognized within is our responses to situations, circumstances, and relationships…at these intersections of free will choice, we will note a difference in our auto responses and when adequately spiritized and experienced, a wisdom comes which becomes reflexive, even automatic, in given intersections. When our responses thusly change and the results of our responses change….plenty of confirming evidence results….or so has been my experience and so I believe the Papers teach.
Bradly
Thanks Bradly. What you write seems plausible, even logical, but personally I cannot claim to have any insight into my own fruit production. Do I perform loving service? I don’t know. Am I sincerely fair? I don’t know. Do I exhibit unfailing goodness? Darned if I have any idea. Am I gentle, meek, temperate and merciful? How would I know?? I mean, I haven’t a clue! And what is enlightened honesty? Do I have that? I’m pretty honest, but is it enlightened? Can’t even guess at that. I do know one thing though, that I am courageously loyal, but am I certain that my loyalty is correctly placed at all times? That I can say I’m getting more and more sure about, but the rest is a crap shoot. And honestly, I’ve long ago decided to stop being concerned about it.
Now . . . I can absolutely say that I recognize the presence or absence of spiritual fruit in others. There’s no question about it. When I see selflessness, tolerance, loving service, forgiveness, long suffering, or any other fruit produced in other people’s lives, it shines! I see that light, I recognize it and I’m happy for it. But any light coming out of me I am totally blind to. If it’s there, I don’t see it. I’m content to think that is the way it’s supposed to be. If not, I’m in big trouble, really, really big trouble.
Very interesting comments Bonita!
It reminds me of the time Jesus asked why the apostle called him “good”. His example was one of unconscious goodness – one who has no real need for contemplative-response because his reflex-response has become so naturally righteous. I think I understand what you mean.
It seems to me that when we begin to realize and understand our negative and/or selfish/self-centered situational reactions are either wrong or lacking positive outcomes – we become self aware. And it takes some self awareness to see needed change and desire needed change. And we consciously begin to recognize reactions and change them to more thoughtful responses. And, eventually and with success, our thoughtful responses become “thoughtless” reactions or reflexive once again…but still far different. To me it seems the difference is emotionalism self important reactions or loving auto-responses focused on God’s will in the moment or the welfare/benefit of another person in a situation. Perhaps the more thought needed for a Golden Rule response, the more progress still required.
I also think this is not a simple switch one can just turn “on”….nor is it universal to all circumstances, situations, and relationships, so some things take longer for adjustment and learning the better Way depending on the trigger or intersection of choice. Don’t know if this is making any sense….but it seems the transfer of the seat of identity takes time and may include frustration, confusion, error, and failure until sufficient experience brings sufficient wisdom to make our reflex response automatic in more and more situations over time. It’s like a musician or athlete….as long as you have to think through and manage your effort then you have not yet achieved your performance potential. Self mastery is a most interesting topic and is certainly related to pet evils…for we have not truly mastered self so long as this or these pets remain at our side….or our inside.
So your description does not make me think you’re in any “trouble” as you say…I think it indicates the removal of self from the intersections of time….but I am but a tadpole with plenty of beams of my own to manage so my opinion should be taken with a bucket of saw/mote dust – hahaha!!
But I can say for sure that I recognize things which use to cause one reaction in me which no longer do so and I am far quicker to realize error in a reaction or response than I once was and I am aware of things I never was once upon a time (one such example is how much more quickly I look for the underlying motive when others “offend” me either directly or indirectly – I more often care to understand why someone acts a certain way than I am ready to “correct” them or defend myself or whatever “reaction” use to come so readily and naturally)…and the fruits attend my life in ways not known before as well….in some ways it is becoming more about “them” than me when I become provoked or insulted or merely disagreed with. So….something is going on for sure! It is my hope it is the growth of lungs and legs for this tadpole! Time will tell….
How does one achieve self mastery without self awareness? Such perplexions let me know there is still much to learn!
Bradly = )
How does one achieve self mastery without self awareness?
Good question. Here’s another one: How can you be self aware and self forgetting at the same time?
First of all, thank you for the warm welcomes to the forum! I am glad to have a place to discuss these things.
It seems like there is someplace in the book that it warns against too much self-analysis. (warning, I am horrible at finding things in the book when I want to pull them up, it is like they just disappear! So I might not be good at pulling up the quotes like you all are.) Anyway, this thought has always puzzled me, mostly because I feel I am constantly trying to be more self aware, and I don’t necessarily want to change this habit! So indeed, how does one achieve self mastery without self awareness? How does one lose oneself, and is that associated in some way with self mastery?
After years of contemplating how one does the will of God, I finally came to the conclusion that it is when our relationship with Him becomes so strong that we express Him through our words and actions. This takes me back to that idea of the pet evil being associated with the feeding of our ego (in whatever form this takes). When I am feeding the illusion of self that is the ego, then I am not connecting to my Father as His child – which I think is the awareness we are shooting for. When I am doing the will of God, then I am acting in harmony with the universe – and the fruits of the spirit will be the result. When I am clinging to my pet evil, then I will find myself and my life in disharmony. Perhaps this is why we are so aware of the absence of spiritual fruit in ourselves – it is like if we are playing an instrument in a quartet, if we hit a wrong note when others are in harmony, it will stand out.
I fear I have tied myself up into a pretzel at this point. I had better stop here and contemplate more.
growthingrace wrote: It seems like there is someplace in the book that it warns against too much self-analysis.I think this might be the quote:
140:8.27 The three apostles were shocked this afternoon when they realized that their Master’s religion made no provision for spiritual self-examination. All religions before and after the times of Jesus, even Christianity, carefully provide for conscientious self-examination. But not so with the religion of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus’ philosophy of life is without religious introspection. The carpenter’s son never taught character building; he taught character growth, declaring that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. But Jesus said nothing which would proscribe self-analysis as a prevention of conceited egotism.
It’s clear to me that you can’t forget yourself if at the same time you’re busy trying to figure yourself out. Finding yourself, analyzing yourself and pouring over your feelings and emotions seems to me to be nothing more than the cat chasing its own tail. But it is okay, according to the quote, to ask yourself if you’re being conceited in any given situation. To me this means that in any situation I find myself, I should make sure I’m paying more attention to others than to myself, and if I’m not, fix it fast. If all conversations, both with others and with myself in my own head are centered around me, then I’m on the path to hell (figuratively speaking).
There’s another thing that I wanted to bring up before but decided my post was too long. It’s mentioned in the above quote, and that is, the difference between character building and character growth in relation to getting rid of pet evils. I’m of the opinion that it isn’t possible to analyze yourself and discover your pet evil, then remove it from your character like you’d remove a bad brick from an already built brick wall. I think growth is the key to getting rid of pet evils. They get crowded out by truth and eventually forgotten.
Here’s the quote about truth crowding out evil, or erroneous thinking:
141:6.2 When Simon Zelotes and Jesus were alone, Simon asked the Master: “Why is it that I could not persuade him? Why did he so resist me and so readily lend an ear to you?” Jesus answered: “Simon, Simon, how many times have I instructed you to refrain from all efforts to take something out of the hearts of those who seek salvation? How often have I told you to labor only to put something into these hungry souls? Lead men into the kingdom, and the great and living truths of the kingdom will presently drive out all serious error.
This brings to mind the quote about scaffolding, that all of our thoughts are temporary structures until new and better ones grow out of the old. Pet evils which are part of the scaffolding fall away when a new thought structure closer to truth forms. Meanwhile, this too will become another piece of scaffolding since new ideas are always forming if a new character (soul) is growing and progressing. Bad habits get shed with the old scaffolding as long as we continue to grow and progress. I say growth and progress because I think it is possible to regress and return to pet evils (like Judas Iscariot).
Here’s the quote about scaffolding:
115:1.2 Conceptual frames of the universe are only relatively true; they are serviceable scaffolding which must eventually give way before the expansions of enlarging cosmic comprehension. The understandings of truth, beauty, and goodness, morality, ethics, duty, love, divinity, origin, existence, purpose, destiny, time, space, even Deity, are only relatively true.
Here are some quotes about growth and progress:
100:3.6 The association of actuals and potentials equals growth, the experiential realization of values. But growth is not mere progress. Progress is always meaningful, but it is relatively valueless without growth. The supreme value of human life consists in growth of values, progress in meanings, and realization of the cosmic interrelatedness of both of these experiences. And such an experience is the equivalent of God-consciousness. Such a mortal, while not supernatural, is truly becoming superhuman; an immortal soul is evolving.
116:1.5 Whereas physique may attain completed growth, and whereas spirit may achieve perfection of development, mind never ceases to progress – it is the experiential technique of endless progress. The Supreme is an experiential Deity and therefore never achieves completion of mind attainment.
Incidentally, for giggles I did a TUB search for various forms of “self-awareness” and came up blank. There are a few terms which are similar but different: self-consciousness, self-realization and self-understanding. In regards to self-mastery, there are also some similar words: self-control, self-adaptation, and self-restraint.
I think you are spot on with this. I think that much as we were unaware of our physical growth as children, we are likely unaware to a great extent of our spiritual growth. And in my experience, the more I have learned new things (grown) the more some of my pet evils have fallen to the way side.
Here is where I am really struggling in my understanding lately: how do you incorporate acknowledgment of your growth into all of this? TUB describes Jesus as being so assured of who he was that he didn’t hesitate in calling himself the son of God. All I can come up with is that there must be a shift from awareness of self as defined by our limited and erroneous views of who we are to an awareness of ourselves as children of God.
I am asking because I fear I keep slipping into the spiritual pride category. Besides being a creator of a universe and all, do we know how Jesus lived so wholly true to himself without falling victim to his own pride? I mean, I know he fully trusted heavenly Father and devoted himself to doing His will, but how did he simultaneously feel so assured of himself?
growthingrace wrote: . . . how did he simultaneously feel so assured of himself?Jesus’ assurance came from an unwavering confidence in God and his relationship with him. I don’t think you can be too proud if you attribute everything of value in your character to its source, who is God, the Father of your spiritual genes. Jesus never took credit for his righteousness. Righteousness is God’s and God’s alone.
150:5.5 In summing up his final statement, Jesus said: “You cannot buy salvation; you cannot earn righteousness. Salvation is the gift of God, and righteousness is the natural fruit of the spirit-born life of sonship in the kingdom. You are not to be saved because you live a righteous life; rather is it that you live a righteous life because you have already been saved, have recognized sonship as the gift of God and service in the kingdom as the supreme delight of life on earth. When men believe this gospel, which is a revelation of the goodness of God, they will be led to voluntary repentance of all known sin. Realization of sonship is incompatible with the desire to sin. Kingdom believers hunger for righteousness and thirst for divine perfection.”
growthingrace wrote:All I can come up with is that there must be a shift from awareness of self as defined by our limited and erroneous views of who we are to an awareness of ourselves as children of God.I think you’re describing awareness of sonship. Sonship means the recognition of personality ancestry and is entirely dependent upon the concept of fatherhood. When you develop a personal relationship with the Father in your soul (Adjuster), when you strive to live constantly in his presence and begin to realize that his character is also in you, then you’ve awoken to the reality of sonship, you’ve recognized your spiritual ancestry. And those spiritual genes he gives as a gift, they are his, given to you to use. It’s a mind blower if you think about it. Anyway, that’s the abridged version.10.2.7 The Eternal Son has the experience of sonship, recognition of personality ancestry, and at the same time the Son is conscious of being joint parent to the Infinite Spirit.
10.3.5 But such a theoretical First Source and Center without a Son could not in any sense of the word be considered the Universal Father; fatherhood is not real without sonship.
26.48 Ability to comprehend is the mortal passport to Paradise. Willingness to believe is the key to Havona. The acceptance of sonship, co-operation with the indwelling Adjuster, is the price of evolutionary survival.
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