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Remember the first time you read that we’re missing an institution dedicated to pleasure? I was surprised, but never gave it a lot of thought until now. What should we do to begin to create such an institution?
.…Originally, property was the basic institution of self-maintenance, while marriage functioned as the unique institution of self-perpetuation. Although food satisfaction, play, and humor, along with periodic sex indulgence, were means of self-gratification, it remains a fact that the evolving mores have failed to build any distinct institution of self-gratification. And it is due to this failure to evolve specialized techniques of pleasurable enjoyment that all human institutions are so completely shot through with this pleasure pursuit. Property accumulation is becoming an instrument for augmenting all forms of self-gratification, while marriage is often viewed only as a means of pleasure. And this overindulgence, this widely spread pleasure mania, now constitutes the greatest threat that has ever been leveled at the social evolutionary institution of family life, the home…. (84:8.2)
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What do you think such an institution would look like…? Surely the government shouldn’t be its sponsor or administrator, eh? When the UB was being written, a 100 years ago, there were few to no massive amusement parks (like Six Flags, Epcot etc) and few home swimming pools. They had circuses, dancing, and theater.
What kinds of pleasures are there, besides sex? Or including sex? Race car driving, parachuting, chess, sewing, skiing? All that and infinitely more, right? What’s pleasure is different for each one of us, no? Institutions have to evolve, don’t they? We should at least begin thinking about it. I’d like to form a plausible UB inspired concept of what an institution for the creation and maintenance of pleasure is.
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Richard E Warren
Urantia Institution dedicated to pleasure couldn’t be established without a balanced frame.
They must be nurtured by the combined contributions of the constitutive factors of man—science, morality, and religion. 16:9.5
“Play along”I willing to do.
Specialized techniques of pleasurable enjoyment (gratification, enthusiasm, joie de vivre)
- temples of philosophy 72:3.5
- oratorical,musical,recipes contests etc . (a competition in which each contestant performs)
- adventuresome programming (responding the spirit of knowledge)
Anything contributing to this constitutive unity.
Texts regarding a “Government on a Neighboring Planet. paper 72” could be inspiring.
100:1.2 Provision must be made for growth of meanings at differing ages, in successive cultures, and in the passing stages of advancing civilization.
Should we first define what they mean by institutions of self-gratification?
69:1.5 3. The institutions of self-gratification. These are the practices growing out of vanity proclivities and pride emotions; and they embrace customs in dress and personal adornment, social usages, war for glory, dancing, amusement, games, and other phases of sensual gratification. But civilization has never evolved distinctive institutions of self-gratification.
I have to ask, what are social usages? Anyway, all these things seem rather physically oriented.
I would say that society has made a feeble attempt at institutionalizing some of these things, such as beauty pageants and olympic games. But heck yeah, unfortunately war for glory has infiltrated politics which has turned it into a sport, much to its degradation.
Urantia Institution dedicated to pleasure couldn’t be established without a balanced frame. They must be nurtured by the combined contributions of the constitutive factors of man—science, morality, and religion. 16:9.5 “Play along”I willing to do. Specialized techniques of pleasurable enjoyment (gratification, enthusiasm, joie de vivre)
- temples of philosophy 72:3.5
- oratorical,musical,recipes contests etc . (a competition in which each contestant performs)
- adventuresome programming (responding the spirit of knowledge)
Anything contributing to this constitutive unity. Texts regarding a “Government on a Neighboring Planet. paper 72” could be inspiring. 100:1.2 Provision must be made for growth of meanings at differing ages, in successive cultures, and in the passing stages of advancing civilization.
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Balance indeed, thanks Andre. Paper 72 does mention play, recreation, and vacation, and several institutions. But none devoted to pleasure:
72:4.4 (812.6) One quarter of the school time is devoted to play…
72:5.9 (813.10) …Every ten years the regional executives adjust and decree the lawful hours of daily gainful toil. Industry now operates on a five-day week, working four and playing one. These people labor six hours each working day and, like students, nine months in the year of ten. Vacation is usually spent in travel, and new methods of transportation having been so recently developed, the whole nation is travel bent. The climate favors travel about eight months in the year, and they are making the most of their opportunities.
72:7.1 (815.1) …The city (or some subdivision thereof) concerns itself with such matters as health, sanitation, building regulations, beautification, water supply, lighting, heating, recreation, music, and communication.
72:7.12 (816.3) …The government earns a considerable sum from the leasing of military and naval equipment for commercial and recreational usages.
72:11.5 (819.4) When at peace with the world, all mobile defense mechanisms are quite fully employed in trade, commerce, and recreation.
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Richard E Warren
Should we first define what they mean by institutions of self-gratification?
69:1.5 3. The institutions of self-gratification. These are the practices growing out of vanity proclivities and pride emotions; and they embrace customs in dress and personal adornment, social usages, war for glory, dancing, amusement, games, and other phases of sensual gratification. But civilization has never evolved distinctive institutions of self-gratification.
I have to ask, what are social usages? Anyway, all these things seem rather physically oriented. I would say that society has made a feeble attempt at institutionalizing some of these things, such as beauty pageants and olympic games. But heck yeah, unfortunately war for glory has infiltrated politics which has turned it into a sport, much to its degradation.
Should have known, the authors already defined it for us.
Hmm… Good question/insights. Social usages may mean expressions of pride in achievements, accumulated prestige, and congratulatory honors, intangible pleasures that can be felt but not held, non-physical.
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Richard E Warren
Social usages may mean expressions of pride in achievements, accumulated prestige, and congratulatory honors,
That sounds good. The dictionary defines usage as customary or habitual practices. I suppose social usages are social customs of some sort. They say that all of our institutions have their origins in our ancient and primitive customs.
68:4.1 All modern social institutions arise from the evolution of the primitive customs of your savage ancestors; the conventions of today are the modified and expanded customs of yesterday. What habit is to the individual, custom is to the group; and group customs develop into folkways or tribal traditions — mass conventions. From these early beginnings all of the institutions of present-day human society take their humble origin.
My guess is that our customs did not get properly unstepped by contact with the Dalamatia and Garden schools and that is why they are so screwed up.
Going forward, I think the focus on pleasure is not what the institutions of self-gratification are supposed to be aimed towards. First of all, self-gratification doesn’t always mean pleasure, and pleasure is not always physical. Pleasure can mean happiness too, and TUB informs us that mankind has realized very little in regards to happiness.
100:4.3 But the great problem of religious living consists in the task of unifying the soul powers of the personality by the dominance of LOVE. Health, mental efficiency, and happiness arise from the unification of physical systems, mind systems, and spirit systems. Of health and sanity man understands much, but of happiness he has truly realized very little. The highest happiness is indissolubly linked with spiritual progress. Spiritual growth yields lasting joy, peace which passes all understanding.
Social usages may mean expressions of pride in achievements, accumulated prestige, and congratulatory honors,
That sounds good. The dictionary defines usage as customary or habitual practices. I suppose social usages are social customs of some sort. They say that all of our institutions have their origins in our ancient and primitive customs.
68:4.1 All modern social institutions arise from the evolution of the primitive customs of your savage ancestors; the conventions of today are the modified and expanded customs of yesterday. What habit is to the individual, custom is to the group; and group customs develop into folkways or tribal traditions — mass conventions. From these early beginnings all of the institutions of present-day human society take their humble origin.
My guess is that our customs did not get properly unstepped by contact with the Dalamatia and Garden schools and that is why they are so screwed up. Going forward, I think the focus on pleasure is not what the institutions of self-gratification are supposed to be aimed towards. First of all, self-gratification doesn’t always mean pleasure, and pleasure is not always physical. Pleasure can mean happiness too, and TUB informs us that mankind has realized very little in regards to happiness.
100:4.3 But the great problem of religious living consists in the task of unifying the soul powers of the personality by the dominance of LOVE. Health, mental efficiency, and happiness arise from the unification of physical systems, mind systems, and spirit systems. Of health and sanity man understands much, but of happiness he has truly realized very little. The highest happiness is indissolubly linked with spiritual progress. Spiritual growth yields lasting joy, peace which passes all understanding.
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Good input. And it segues nicely into the greatest of all pleasures. The most dramatic statement on pleasure has to be this one, “exquisite pleasure” even.
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…The quality of worship is determined by the depth of creature perception; and as the knowledge of the infinite character of the Gods progresses, the act of worship becomes increasingly all-encompassing until it eventually attains the glory of the highest experiential delight and the most exquisite pleasure known to created beings. 27:7:0 (303.5)
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Surely some of that pleasure we can access now, in worship. I enjoy daily visits within, that nascent joy must increase as we ascend in knowing and experience, eh? Seems like worship itself will evolve into an institution.
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Richard E Warren
Surely some of that pleasure we can access now, in worship. I enjoy daily visits within, that nascent joy must increase as we ascend in knowing and experience, eh? Seems like worship itself will evolve into an institution.
I think religion is part of the institution of self-perpetuation. Would worship be considered a form of self-perpetuation since it is part of the survival attitude of mind and soul?
69:1.4 2. The institutions of self-perpetuation. These are the establishments of society growing out of sex hunger, maternal instinct, and the higher tender emotions of the races. They embrace the social safeguards of the home and the school, of family life, education, ethics, and religion. They include marriage customs, war for defense, and home building.
Self-gratification has to do with sensual pleasure. But I think that we humans have two sets of senses, physical and spiritual. Perhaps when mankind matures enough, and develops self-control over the lower senses, then more emphasis will be placed on the pleasure gained from engaging the higher senses, like spiritual insight and worship. We live in hope.
Perhaps the example of the reversion center and directors and activities should be considered as well? I think there is “mental” and “emotional” pleasure as well as sensual or they too are also sensual? Happiness requires a release from stress, no matter its source(s) and on the Mansion Worlds, lots of time and attention is spent in organized and sponsored relaxation and diversion. Relaxation, humor, play…all are important and all are pleasurable!!
While my tribe has never suffered from such melancholy and aversion to fun, it is odd how many religions and religionists find all forms of pleasure and play and even relaxation to be the devil’s workshop! The puritanical mores and ethics which make all forms of pleasure/happiness antithetical to all spirituality. Indeed there are extreme religionists who teach that only by guilt and suffering can one become saved and hope for eternal life…..that also lacks any form of bliss or joy one must presume!!
The pursuit of material wealth and the expression of ambition also often offers a low opinion of what it might think trivial or frivolous pursuits!
Ironically, the UB teaches that half or more of our non-resting celestial time will be focused on these activities of pleasure, relaxation, play, reversion, exploration, visitation/socializing, etc.
Consider these many quotes from a keyword search for “play”:
https://www.urantia.org/urantia-book/search?keys=play&op=Search
48:4.16 (549.3) The need for the relaxation and diversion of humor is greatest in those orders of ascendant beings who are subjected to sustained stress in their upward struggles. The two extremes of life have little need for humorous diversions. Primitive men have no capacity therefor, and beings of Paradise perfection have no need thereof. The hosts of Havona are naturally a joyous and exhilarating assemblage of supremely happy personalities. On Paradise the quality of worship obviates the necessity for reversion activities. But among those who start their careers far below the goal of Paradise perfection, there is a large place for the ministry of the reversion directors.
48:4.17 (549.4) The higher the mortal species, the greater the stress and the greater the capacity for humor as well as the necessity for it. In the spirit world the opposite is true: The higher we ascend, the less the need for the diversions of reversion experiences. But proceeding down the scale of spirit life from Paradise to the seraphic hosts, there is an increasing need for the mission of mirth and the ministry of merriment. Those beings who most need the refreshment of periodic reversion to the intellectual status of previous experiences are the higher types of the human species, the morontians, angels, and the Material Sons, together with all similar types of personality. *
48:4.18 (549.5) Humor should function as an automatic safety valve to prevent the building up of excessive pressures due to the monotony of sustained and serious self-contemplation in association with the intense struggle for developmental progress and noble achievement. Humor also functions to lessen the shock of the unexpected impact of fact or of truth, rigid unyielding fact and flexible ever-living truth. The mortal personality, never sure as to which will next be encountered, through humor swiftly grasps—sees the point and achieves insight—the unexpected nature of the situation be it fact or be it truth.
48:4.19 (549.6) While the humor of Urantia is exceedingly crude and most inartistic, it does serve a valuable purpose both as a health insurance and as a liberator of emotional pressure, thus preventing injurious nervous tension and overserious self-contemplation. Humor and play—relaxation—are never reactions of progressive exertion; always are they the echoes of a backward glance, a reminiscence of the past. Even on Urantia and as you now are, you always find it rejuvenating when for a short time you can suspend the exertions of the newer and higher intellectual efforts and revert to the more simple engagements of your ancestors.
48:4.20 (550.1) The principles of Urantian play life are philosophically sound and continue to apply on up through your ascending life, through the circuits of Havona to the eternal shores of Paradise. As ascendant beings you are in possession of personal memories of all former and lower existences, and without such identity memories of the past there would be no basis for the humor of the present, either mortal laughter or morontia mirth. It is this recalling of past experiences that provides the basis for present diversion and amusement. And so you will enjoy the celestial equivalents of your earthly humor all the way up through your long morontia, and then increasingly spiritual, careers. And that part of God (the Adjuster) which becomes an eternal part of the personality of an ascendant mortal contributes the overtones of divinity to the joyous expressions, even spiritual laughter, of the ascending creatures of time and space.
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Thanks for the input, friends. You got me thinking about the nature of pleasure, and how subjective it is. No two see it alike. And how do we classify a masochist? Is there truly such a thing as pleasure that is hurtful. Sounds like an oxymoron… Some say we can only know pleasure if there is pain as a counterpoise. But does the pleasure of worship have to have an opposite to bring pleasure? Seems like we are going to have to divide pleasure into acceptable and unacceptable categories. Indeed, we already do by banning things like cannabalism, gladiatorial bouts to the death, and multiple marriages, which some might consider legitimate pleasure outlets.
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Richard E Warren
But does the pleasure of worship have to have an opposite to bring pleasure?
I think that has to do with the fact that we are dual natured beings. The spiritual nature has one set of senses the physical nature has another. A well balanced personality can enjoy both and keep them all in perspective with universe reality. Isn’t it all about balance? Balance leads to stability and that can only be achieved if the personality desires to keep the spirit dominant over both the mental and physical aspects of life, including pleasures.
If a physical pleasure is appreciated for its beauty rather than its purely emotional and physical feelings, then spirit is dominating. For example, if I get great pleasure out of fashion it’s because of its beauty not because I want to strut around and get attention for my fine clothes and accessories. If I enjoy a meal it’s because of the appreciation of the science of cooking, the quality of the ingredients and the artistry of combining foods for flavor, not because of gluttony or the satisfaction of a craving. If I plant a stunning garden it’s for the pleasure of watching life grow, enjoying nature and appreciating its beauty, not because I want all the neighbors to be jealous. If I take care of my body and do all I can to keep it strong, healthy and beautiful, it’s not to impress my friends or catch a man, but because the body is the temple of the spirit. I think it all comes down to motivation and if the spirit is dominant, that is the motivation for everything you do, even the pleasures in life.
But does the pleasure of worship have to have an opposite to bring pleasure?
I think that has to do with the fact that we are dual natured beings. The spiritual nature has one set of senses the physical nature has another. A well balanced personality can enjoy both and keep them all in perspective with universe reality. Isn’t it all about balance? Balance leads to stability and that can only be achieved if the personality desires to keep the spirit dominant over both the mental and physical aspects of life, including pleasures. If a physical pleasure is appreciated for its beauty rather than its purely emotional and physical feelings, then spirit is dominating. For example, if I get great pleasure out of fashion it’s because of its beauty not because I want to strut around and get attention for my fine clothes and accessories. If I enjoy a meal it’s because of the appreciation of the science of cooking, the quality of the ingredients and the artistry of combining foods for flavor, not because of gluttony or the satisfaction of a craving. If I plant a stunning garden it’s for the pleasure of watching life grow, enjoying nature and appreciating its beauty, not because I want all the neighbors to be jealous. If I take care of my body and do all I can to keep it strong, healthy and beautiful, it’s not to impress my friends or catch a man, but because the body is the temple of the spirit. I think it all comes down to motivation and if the spirit is dominant, that is the motivation for everything you do, even the pleasures in life.
Agree, motivation, and as you imply, intention. I’ve been thinking about the body/mind as temple… That idea by itself shifts the pleasure paradigm. The greatest pleasure in the universe has to be a hug with Our Father. I was pleasured to learn that pleasure has a legitimate place in God’s universe, but didn’t expect it would involve worship. I had no clear understanding of true worship or ultimate (perfect?) pleasure, much less a balanced way to use such knowledge.
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Richard E Warren
I had no clear understanding of true worship or ultimate (perfect?) pleasure, much less a balanced way to use such knowledge.
Is worship something that can be understood?
I had no clear understanding of true worship or ultimate (perfect?) pleasure, much less a balanced way to use such knowledge.
Is worship something that can be understood?
Conceptually, at least. You’re thinking maybe of the totality of understanding?
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Richard E Warren
Conceptually, at least. You’re thinking maybe of the totality of understanding?
No. I’ve been trying to make this point for years and years now but it seems that I constantly fail, so maybe I have it screwed up. I’m pretty sure worship is an experience of the whole personality rather than an understanding of the mind or intellect. If worship is self-forgetting, then what’s to understand? Yes, it’s a conscious experience, but that doesn’t mean it”s intellectually understood. The mind experience is simply consciousness of the experience, not necessarily an intellectual understanding of it. Does that make sense to you? Or am I still screwed up?
5:3.8 True worship, in the last analysis, becomes an experience realized on four cosmic levels: the intellectual, the morontial, the spiritual, and the personal — the consciousness of mind, soul, and spirit, and their unification in personality.
- temples of philosophy 72:3.5
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