[tmtranscripts] 07-31-96.PGH "Analogy of the Farmhouse"

[Gerdean]

DATE: July 31, 1996
LOCATION: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
T/R: Gerdean

TEXTUAL STUDY:
Urantia Paper 34
The Local Universe Mother Spirit.

TEACHER SESSION
"Analogy of the Farmhouse"
Core Ingredient of Character is Self-Respect
Further defining self-love, self-respect and self-esteem
Reference to other-terrestrials not being humanoid
Is it important to understand universe hierarchy?
Whetting the appetite for perfection hunger.
More emphasis on reaction versus response

TOMAS: Good evening, my faithful friends.

Group: (Many chewing pretzels) Good evening, Tomas.

TOMAS: I am Tomas, your guide, your teacher, your companion and your friend, and it pleases me greatly to be with you again. I have been making myself available to many resources of late. Active is this Mission. Your own heightened activity this evening, in terms of your sharing, has brought great delight to many of us, and before I begin my lesson this evening, which is a continuation of our ongoing theme of character, I would like to relate a story.

This story is not a primary tale, however the mastication of the members here presented a picturization in the mind of Gerdean, which I will run with. It is a short introduction to farm life, from my vantage point through her ears, for as these creatures chew their cud (the pretzels), I am reminded of a farm, and that leads me into a story having to do with a certain farm house.

I would ask you to envision a farmhouse that is leased to a married couple by a property manager; this property is owned by a landowner who is traveling in another country. Let us say, for the sake of understanding my analogy that the farmhouse is located in Butler County, Pennsylvania, set within the many counties in and around Western Pennsylvania. Now let me analogize that Western Pennsylvania will be the superuniverse of Orvonton and Butler county is the local universe of Nebadon, and that the farm house is indwelt by Caligastia and his wife Dalagastia, and that the property manager is Lucifer and his secretary is Satan.

This story, this analogy, is presented in response to a question which has been asked by a student (by several students in truth), having to do with the philosophy, the theory, that there is nothing wrong in God's world, that the ills of existence are as they are supposed to be. This philosophy is a great distortion on spiritual truth for, to the landowner, who is in another country and who has entrusted the property manager with his property, his property has been grossly mismanaged in his absence.

Indeed, let us carry this picture further and say that on this farm, on this ranch, there are many animals and many helpers, many farm hands in various cottages and residences, in order to support the land in its natural function of growing things and putting up stock and so forth, and that while these individuals are under the direction of Caligastia and Daligastia, they have been forced to behave in certain ways and subscribe to certain behaviors that are not necessarily in accordance with the values of the landowner. 

Might I introduce one example of a girl who is instructed to gather the eggs but she is forbidden to pass by the well on the way to gather her eggs, and so for many years she has crossed the lawn in avoidance of the well.

The landowner returns from a distant country and discovers that the property manager has leased this property and allowed it, even encouraged it to be mismanaged. In the flagrant mismanagement, the herds are being neglected, the buildings are in disarray, the abuses of nature are apparent. The landlord is displeased with the property manager's management, or mismanagement, and he banishes the property manager from the job to which he was assigned, and he also dismisses the dwellers of the home, who are wielding authority over the hapless helpers on the property.

This story is told and made personal for you when you refer again to this girl who has for years been taught that she must not go near the well in order to gather her eggs, when in fact, this is not true! And yet for years after the dismissal of the mismanagement, the girl continues to follow the practice that she was taught, through fear of punishment, in her collecting of the eggs.

One might say, then, that all is right in God's universe when God is overseeing. The analogy of this ranch to Urantia should be apparent, and what we are dealing with is the correction of this farm, to instill in it the harmony of function that would be, in the eyes of its owner, most pleasing and delightful for all involved, from the human helpers to the animal herds and to the land and buildings itself.

When you hear, then, about the philosophy that all is right in God's world, bear in mind that when God is the supreme ruler, all things are indeed right, but when you suffer from the misguided impression that you must avoid the well in order to gather the eggs, that is not a case of all being right with the world, for why should any girl be restricted or redirected in her path for fear of punishment?

And now, my friends, that they all live "happily ever after," I will return my focus of attention to our discussion of character. You read this evening in your study that the animal is not innately born with high character. Indeed, the animal balks at developing that character which would be beneficial to the Kingdom, but as you are born of the spirit, that spirit has its own divine capacities and its own recognition of those qualities -- joy, goodness, fortitude and so forth -- which are the basis for developing firm human character.

This evening I would like to bring to your attention the core ingredient in working with and developing character in yourself and in your relations with other beings, and that is a quality of self-respect. You well know from your studies, and some of you knew from your own experience, that when Christ Michael begins to activate your life, and when spirit begins to dominate your thinking and acting, you are at once rewarded with a sense of self-respect, the likes of which had not theretofore been as ingrained or as meaningful.

That in you which is respectable is that you are indwelt by divinity, and that is your new core base of reality. How can you not respect your own indwelling fragment of God, installed there by the Creator? How can you not respect that which has divinely smiled upon you to the extent of giving you eternal life? How can you not respect that quality of divinity, which has attached itself to you, bestowed itself on you and in you, in order that you may attain eternal life and ultimate perfection?

That element within you is respectable regardless of your background. Recall Apostle Matthew to your mind, for he was an indulger of life's pleasures. He is the example to many of how even the grossest of pleasure-seekers can be lifted up into the dignity of faith son status and given self-respect by the ministry of the spirit. With self-respect as your core understanding of yourself-in-becoming, you have the foundation then to bear fruit, to see with eyes to see spirit, and ears with which to hear spirit promptings and spirit guidance.

Henceforth, your growth will be sustained and nurtured because of that element of respectability that resides within you. Identify yourself with that Father Fragment, that it may continually remind you of your divinity connection, that as you then begin to observe and hear your behavior and your interaction with your fellow human creatures, you will be able to see and hear the areas of character wherein you have strength (in order to develop them), and where you have weakness, (in order to correct them).

Self-respect is not the same as self-love or self-esteem. Self-respect is a tool, which the spirit has provided you . to enable you, as a child of God, to walk wholly, humbly and nobly through your spiritual progression. Even as you become aware of your finite imperfections, you are bolstered by the knowledge that you are respectable, for you are indwelt by a piece of perfection itself,

Also, as you gaze upon the reality of your fellows, if you could but bear in mind the fact that they, too, are indwelt with a respectable aspect of divinity, your approach to them will broaden and you will cease to see them as finite beings, as imperfect beings. You will not so readily handicap them with infirmities of familiarity but will honor and respect that divinity aspect within them that will help to uphold them in their reality awareness and ascension also.

And so, my friends, in respect for you, my peers, my fledgling fellows, I open the floor for your involvement. Have you questions or commentary this evening?

Hunnah: You've got a lot to offer! I enjoyed your lesson this evening. At least toward the end I did. I don't know that I actually have a question. 

Leah: I was wondering if you could say something about self-love and self-esteem. You said they are not the same thing. Could you talk a little bit more about the differences?

TOMAS : Very briefly. I will state that self-esteem is a. result of self-respect. Let us take the young girl in the farmyard. As her self-respect, is restored, she carries herself with more dignity; she combs her hair, she adds a ribbon to her braid. She may iron her apron. Those elements of self-esteem manifest to others that she understands and respects herself. Self-esteem is in part, the manifestation of self-respect.

As you hold a position in your society and you respect your accomplishments, you carry yourself in such a way that others recognize you as an esteemed person, thereby contributing to your sense of self-esteem, but it is different from self-respect, which is not dependent on other's view of you but on how you view yourself.

Self-love is a phrase which I have heard misused and it is misunderstood by many, for the sad truth is few people know what Love is in the sense of a God-knowing, spirit-led individual, and as I said last week, in these lessons we are focusing on the character of an individual who has been born of the spirit. And so, self-love is a phrase that can be used in terms of taking care of yourself and appreciating your self's needs because you love the self, which is an extension of the Father/Mother.

To love your tabernacle is to feed it well, to provide it with fresh air and water and rest; to Love your mind is to provide it with harmony and stimuli and good conversation and companionship; to love your spirit is to worship the Father, to honor your place, your status in the universe, to love your brothers and sisters. This is the flavor of self-love and it, too, is after self-respect, for when your-self-respect is lacking, you do nor respect yourself enough to take proper care of yourself and love yourself as you deserve to be loved as a child of God. Have those declarations helped to clarify my meaning?

Leah: Yes, very much so.

TOMAS: I will digress a moment in order to respond to a question which has been submitted by our sister and co-worker Iyana on behalf of her neighbor who asks about the extra-terrestrial entities who have been making the news lately in your realm. This neighbor would like to know if these entities are humanoid beings.

These other-terrestrials are living beings but not of the humanoid series of life form. They are intelligent creations of the universes, but not humanoid. That is all I will say in response to the question.

Hunnah: That will leave a lingering question.

Evangel: I didn't know that was the question she was asking.

Hunnah: No. That wasn't. That was a question Iyana gave to Gerdean when she spoke to her on the phone. The question our friend asked earlier was: Is at really important to know all this hierarchy? I guess it sounds like the part in the Bible where you have "the begets" and . . . which is human history. And she wanted to know if when we are on the other side if it was really necessary that we know all this information that we have been studying previous to these last few pages.

TOMAS: To the contrary, my friend, it is far from "the begets.' 

Hunnah: All right. That was a bad example.


TOMAS: It is . I will not use the word "necessary." I will use the word "desirable" for you to assimilate as much information as you can about your creators and your universe. To me it is evident why you would want to know everything you could get your hands on regarding such exciting and edifying information, such comforting information! 

In terms of my lesson of this evening, it could be construed as an act of self-love to absorb as much of this information as you can, for it feeds your mind, it feeds your spirit and it feeds your soul to absorb truths about your very existence, about the beings who are administrating you and ministering to your cosmic neighborhood, who are operating the laboratory in which you are a mere amoebae. 

Part of the merit of attempting to assimilate the huge amounts of informal ion available is that your mind is challenged. There are concepts which are not possible for you to grasp upon your- first, reading. There are some concepts that you may never grasp while still in the flesh. There are some whose minds are so receptive and eager that they are already complaining that enough was not covered in the discussions that were provided.

As you, for example, learn of the reality of the evolving Supreme you will better understand your contribution to this Godhead-in-creation. As you are motivated by the love and life of this vast organism, you will be inspired to help bring about the culmination of perfection in order to, perhaps, help your higher-ups to celebrate their efforts of millions of years. As you learn to appreciate the work that has been done in order that you can experience this experience, even this evening, in your heart of hearts you will not be able to constrain your appreciation for all that has gone into your very existence.

Many of these concepts, I will grant you, are not immediately available, are not immediately appreciated, but as you persevere, as you garner certain truths about the universe, your soul has been satisfied on a certain level, your adventurous spirit has been stimulated on another level, your mind has been expanded on many levels, and so your capacities are increased, your borders are stretched, your imagination is stimulated. Is it necessary? That, my child, is a determination that only you can make. But for me, I find it valuable. Has that answered?

Hunnah: She'll be very pleased with that. She seems to have a natural appetite for the Book, or what appears to be natural, or developed. How's that? Why is it that some seem to have a natural appetite while others do not?

TOMAS: Perhaps the being who does not have a big appetite, has not had his appetite whet sufficiently.

Hunnah: How do you go about it?

TOMAS: As a hostess, how do you serve a dinner to guests? You provide a gracious atmosphere. You prepare delicious tidbits. You engage them in intriguing, stimulating conversations. You assure them that the banquet has been prepared for them, that your entire purpose at that time is to provide your guests with pleasure and satisfaction. It is the same in the spirit realms. This feast has been provided for you, and as you allow yourself to accept an hors d'oeuvre of truth, as you allow yourself to realize that this feast is yours for the taking, you will develop an appetite. Smell the scent of spirit. Does it not beckon? Taste the tart taste of truth. Does it not make you salivate? 

In truth, you are at the helm. Your spirit pilot is ever ready to embark with you upon the adventure of the ages, and you may be satisfied with short hops, but do not rule out the pleasure of the adventure of long-distance flights into the unknown.


Hunnah: You are in rare form tonight, Tomas.


TOMAS: I have been well fed, you see.

Hunnah: Yes, you have.

TOMAS: I have been dancing with my co-teacher Andrea, and being a romantic fellow on a remote outpost far from the Center of things. I have found her companionship delightful and stimulating, and this is also true of you who sustain one another and feed each other by your association. How clever we are, are we not?

Hunnah: I'm glad you've got some good company. We are indeed in Siberia.

TOMAS: I will not respond. I will, however, prepare to take my leave for indeed, our evening has been profuse, but let me give you an assignment. Let me ask you first: do you pay any attention at all to my assignments?

Hunnah: Just before yon said that I was trying to remember what our assignment was. (Group laughter)

Loreenia: I didn't hear it until today but I'm very reactionary when cats get into trouble, or when people upset the apple cart with me.

TOMAS: Indeed, daughter, the assignment from last week was to notice in your life during a day's adventure, when and how it was that you reacted and when and how it was that you responded.

Loreenia: Well, I was at work and walked into a strange situation where the manager -- his reactions literally (indistinguishable) ... raised his eyebrows. I went about my work and he came around apologizing and I feel like I've got a new friend in the process.

TOMAS: I would like to make a bit of a pronouncement, for I have been also with (Machiventa) Melchizedek of late and we have been discussing the teacher base here in this area and the lesson plan and the subsequent lessons and the group growth resultant, and Machiventa called to my attention that in last week's lesson, in the discussion of responding and reacting, I ought to expand somewhat on this business of reacting, which I. presented as, by-and-large, a rather negative experience. And Machiventa suggested that I merely add that reactive responses often indicate a need for growth, not necessarily correction. And so I will and have presented that to you.


And as you begin again to ponder and perhaps even discuss among yourselves your understandings and experiences of the assignment relating to reacting and responding, I will give you the assignment for this week, and that is to privately, in your own private time, give some thought as to your understanding of self-esteem, self-love and self-respect. Seek out that within you which you respect, that aspect of divinity, which is flawless. Respect that. That is a good place to begin our further study of character.

My stalwart companions, I am your loyal friend, Tomas. Farewell and Godspeed. Good night. .
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