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This question appears on the home page of this website. So far no one has introduced it as a topic. I’m sure you’ve thought about it. Knowing what you know, how would you answer?
I think death is the end of the cycle for the vehicle in which the soul and personality find material expression and evolution, that being the human body.
BB
I’m pretty sure that Jesus proved that an end to life is not an inevitability. I think death has to be defined as something which is may be a part of life, but does not necessarily mean the end of life, but rather the end of life as we know it. Of course, if we already know of this “other level of life” while we are still material beings, then death has much less impact. The next life (morontia life) can be lived while still alive in this material one, thus making the transition much smoother. Physical death is merely a technique by which we escape from material life, and enter the morontia life. But it is without doubt possible to live the morontia life without dying.
I’m pretty sure that Jesus proved that an end to life is not an inevitability. I think death has to be defined as something which is may be a part of life, but does not necessarily mean the end of life, but rather the end of life as we know it. Of course, if we already know of this “other level of life” while we are still material beings, then death has much less impact. The next life (morontia life) can be lived while still alive in this material one, thus making the transition much smoother. Physical death is merely a technique by which we escape from material life, and enter the morontia life. But it is without doubt possible to live the morontia life without dying.
Nicely put!
BB
3. The Phenomenon of Death
(1229.8) 112:3.1 Urantians generally recognize only one kind of death, the physical cessation of life energies; but concerning personality survival there are really three kinds:(1229.9) 112:3.2 1. Spiritual (soul) death. If and when mortal man has finally rejected survival, when he has been pronounced spiritually insolvent, morontially bankrupt, in the conjoint opinion of the Adjuster and the surviving seraphim, when such co-ordinate advice has been recorded on Uversa, and after the Censors and their reflective associates have verified these findings, thereupon do the rulers of Orvonton order the immediate release of the indwelling Monitor. But this release of the Adjuster in no way affects the duties of the personal or group seraphim concerned with that Adjuster-abandoned individual. This kind of death is final in its significance irrespective of the temporary continuation of the living energies of the physical and mind mechanisms. From the cosmic standpoint the mortal is already dead; the continuing life merely indicates the persistence of the material momentum of cosmic energies.
(1230.1) 112:3.3 2. Intellectual (mind) death. When the vital circuits of higher adjutant ministry are disrupted through the aberrations of intellect or because of the partial destruction of the mechanism of the brain, and if these conditions pass a certain critical point of irreparability, the indwelling Adjuster is immediately released to depart for Divinington. On the universe records a mortal personality is considered to have met with death whenever the essential mind circuits of human will-action have been destroyed. And again, this is death, irrespective of the continuing function of the living mechanism of the physical body. The body minus the volitional mind is no longer human, but according to the prior choosing of the human will, the soul of such an individual may survive.
(1230.2) 112:3.4 3. Physical (body and mind) death. When death overtakes a human being, the Adjuster remains in the citadel of the mind until it ceases to function as an intelligent mechanism, about the time that the measurable brain energies cease their rhythmic vital pulsations. Following this dissolution the Adjuster takes leave of the vanishing mind, just as unceremoniously as entry was made years before, and proceeds to Divinington by way of Uversa.
A topic related to death is “salvation from time”. Deliverance from time to eternity is a progression. In a way, we undergo a slow death of our childishness while we gradually awaken to the full spiritual life of God recognition.
I think this is what Paul meant when he wrote in 1 Cor 13:11 “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
156:2.6 The theme of Jesus’ instructions during the sojourn at Sidon was spiritual progression. He told them they could not stand still; they must go forward in righteousness or retrogress into evil and sin. He admonished them to “forget those things which are in the past while you push forward to embrace the greater realities of the kingdom.” He besought them not to be content with their childhood in the gospel but to strive for the attainment of the full stature of divine sonship in the communion of the spirit and in the fellowship of believers.
(1229.8) 112:3.1 Urantians generally recognize only one kind of death, the physical cessation of life energies; but concerning personality survival there are really three kinds: (1229.9)
Before understanding what is death, I think it would be helpful to understand something about life, at least in terms of the initiation of life here on our world in those ancient inland seas, and we are informed that primitive marine vegetable life was purposely planted by the Life Carriers. 58:4:4 in three warm-water seas, and these living organisms were well established on Urantia by 500,000,000 years ago. By my way of thinking, death is comprehensible only by its relation to and as a result of life, as bestowed by God. All kinds of organisms have abounded and have perished over the millions of years. Plant and animal organisms have perished or else mutated in order to survive a little longer. Don’t they say somewhere in the book the meaning of life is its adaptability? So it seems to me that death is the failure of the organism to adapt for some reason or another. By my way of thinking, death is not necessarily a bad thing. But we are also told that once creatures with will are obtained (I’m thinning of Andon and Fonta), then the planet is registered in the universe and human will in subsequent generations of humans, and by each individual of each generation, must choose conform to the divine will who made human will possible. That”s the choice, and animals don’t have it. Go with God and life, or go with extinction – death.
A topic related to death is “salvation from time”. Deliverance from time to eternity is a progression. In a way, we undergo a slow death of our childishness while we gradually awaken to the full spiritual life of God recognition.
This got me thinking about the glory to come that only comes to those beings, us mortals, who are also the only ones who experience this “deliverance”. Consider that we will come to see and directly interact with every level of creation from pure spirit to the material. None other does so. From Morontial artisans to mighty messenger and finaliter/agondontor, ours is the greatest potential for the grandest adventure of all beings. Death is not the launching pad nor is death actually required as demonstrated by the natural increase in translation in every planet’s later epochs. But until the era of light and life nears, death is the doorway of transition for us mortal borns. At some point in the mortal epochs though, I would suspect that the personal, family, and societal experience of mortal death is not nearly as associated with anguish, fear, grief, or finality as on our own today. What is to come after mortal death is not a great unknown for all mortals everywhere. But the spectrum of universe reality that is our unique potential is the greatest gift and blessing of all creatures, high and low. Thanks to all.
This topic got me thinking . . . scary sometimes.
There is a quote in the UB that has always intrigued me from the time I first read it many decades ago:
195:9.6 Modern men and women of intelligence evade the religion of Jesus because of their fears of what it will do to them — and with them. And all such fears are well founded.
This struck a chord with me because I realized that it was true. I do, or did at the time, fear what the religion of Jesus would do to me. Back in the day, my idea of following Jesus meant sacrifice. I feared I would lose my life, not unlike the apostles and early Christians who gave up everything to follow him and then were abused and crucified. It took me a long time to realize the root of this fear of death and my misunderstanding of the idea of sacrifice. Sacrifice does not mean giving up one’s life, it means living one’s life in service. The only thing sacrificed is the incessant droning of the ego. In a way, it means death of the ego as the controlling manager of my life. Realizing that death of the ego-dominated life does not really end life, but instead, actually begins life in a whole new light, is truly liberating. I think that is what they mean by being reborn in the spirit.
Yet the ego does not actually die; instead, it becomes tamed, mastered and useful. I think that fear of death is often intricately entangled with fear of losing one’s identity in the ego. The job of transferring identity to the Adjuster and the soul is what the religion of Jesus does to people. No wonder they fear it so. Rebirth can seem a bit terrifying when faced superficially.
Beautifully said Bonita. I understand precisely and have experienced the same. While difficult for some time to appreciate, the paradox parables and sayings of the Master always deliver such profound promise as well as challenge. This salved my fears of complete transformation early in my first reading, first day with the text:
(1134.4) 103:5.6 The attempt to secure equal good for the self and for the greatest number of other selves presents a problem which cannot always be satisfactorily resolved in a time-space frame. Given an eternal life, such antagonisms can be worked out, but in one short human life they are incapable of solution. Jesus referred to such a paradox when he said: “Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for the sake of the kingdom, shall find it.”
(1134.5) 103:5.7 The pursuit of the ideal — the striving to be Godlike — is a continuous effort before death and after. The life after death is no different in the essentials than the mortal existence. Everything we do in this life which is good contributes directly to the enhancement of the future life. Real religion does not foster moral indolence and spiritual laziness by encouraging the vain hope of having all the virtues of a noble character bestowed upon one as a result of passing through the portals of natural death. True religion does not belittle man’s efforts to progress during the mortal lease on life. Every mortal gain is a direct contribution to the enrichment of the first stages of the immortal survival experience.
Me: taming the ego for its use in understanding and transcendence, rather than for prejudice and pride and material attachments, is key. And death is neither an end nor a beginning for the believer. Inspiring; thanks all.
Yes and consider the short parable from Jesus about the Kingdom of Heaven is like the man who discovered a great jewel in a field and then sold everything to possess the field. The lesson I take is a complete makeover, letting go of past so called absolutes and taking in great new concepts in forming new beliefs! One cannot be narrow minded and know progress.
Nice lesson from you Bonita!!
Mark Kurtz wrote: Yes and consider the short parable from Jesus about the Kingdom of Heaven is like the man who discovered a great jewel in a field and then sold everything to possess the field. The lesson I take is a complete makeover, letting go of past so called absolutes and taking in great new concepts in forming new beliefs! One cannot be narrow minded and know progress.I love all those parables about the pearl of great price. The UB tells us that almost every one of us has a pet evil that must be given up in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.163:2.7 Almost every human being has some one thing which is held on to as a pet evil, and which the entrance into the kingdom of heaven requires as a part of the price of admission.But sometimes I wonder what exactly constitutes a pet evil? I think many don’t even recognize their own pet evil. A pet is usually the favorite, the darling, the apple of one’s eye, something one feels strongly about. And we know that feelings, or emotions, frequently motivate the conscience at the price of the intellect. This makes them hard to break with. Jesus knew, and knows now, that these pets are very difficult to sacrifice, (which brings to mind the myth surrounding Abraham and Isaac), mostly because they are so embedded within the psyche, they are part of the past that have become greatly entangled in the present. To recognize their lack of value in relation to the pearl of great price can be a very slow lesson, a weaning, a very gradual enlightenment, I would think.And, as evidenced by Jesus’ unwillingness to force Matadormus to give up his pet evil for the kingdom, I don’t think he tries to force us either. I think we have to discover it for ourselves and willingly give it up, sacrifice it, hand it over as our admission ticket. We have to see it with our own eyes, recognize the difference between our pet and God’s gifts. I know that I can recognize God’s presence within me and I know that I recognize his will from time to time, but I’m not sure I am completely capable of recognizing my own pet evil.Yes, know what you mean! I have to rely on others to tell me what is my pet!!!!
The DESIRE to want spiritual growth is observed in each of us by high, divine authorities. The motive is more important than the act. The desire is a measure of recognition of truth, beauty and goodness Rick reminds us of so well. It is this direction of movement that is important. The pets will dissolve over time with movement in the divine direction.
Appreciate your thoughts and contributions, Bonita!
MK
Thanks Mark.
You brought up one of my favorite topics, desire. Jesus once said: “Let your supreme delight be in the character of God, and he shall surely give you the sincere desires of your heart.” “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” “For the Lord hears the cry of the needy, and he will regard the prayer of the destitute.”(146:2.9)
Not only does God know our deepest desires, he is the actual source of our deepest desires. And if we know him at all, we have only one consuming desire, the desire to become like him by doing his will. (1:0.3). Wholehearted desire for God cannot and will not be ignored.
I think that the soul is the seat of yearning desire for perfection. The word desire has romantic connotations making it a humanly powerful motivator. It is no wonder that the heart and soul are so intricately entwined.
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