[tmtranscripts] "Reading Personality" (05-15-97.PGH)

[Gerdean]

DATE: May 15, 1997
LOCATION: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
T/R: Gerdean

TEACHERS TOMAS, MERIUM and MICHAEL
TOPIC: What Kind of Book Are You?

Textual Study: Urantia Paper 7: 
Relation of the Eternal Son to the Universe

TOMAS: Good evening, my friends. 

Group: Good evening, Tomas. 

Elizabeth: Welcome.

TOMAS: Thank you for your welcome. I welcome you, also. 

What a rousing good time we have had this evening! How invigorating for you to find such value in the Eternal Son! Indeed, He has manifested Himself by and through His creations, even down to and including yourselves. It is truly a marvel that the Paradise Trinity has so much knowledge of each of its creations: high and low; perfect and imperfect; spirit, morontial and material; finite and infinite. To think that there is nothing in the universe that has transpired without their all-seeing, all-knowing observation is beyond the comprehension of those less absolute and perfect as they, but it is still inspiring to attempt to conceive of the largeness of it all.

I will go gently with you this evening and be somewhat creative, perhaps, in our further study of personality and the impulse to serve or to show mercy, and I will acknowledge that part of the motivation or impetus for the coloration of this lesson has come from the fact that my transmitter/receiver has had my mind bank inundated of late with titles of books [group laughter], and so I will try to file some of this away by presenting it as a lesson for your enjoyment, for I thought to propose to you the idea that each of you are a book. Each personality is its own unique creative undertaking. And I will preface my remarks by reminding you that, of course, "you cannot judge a book by its cover."

But I would ask you to think about yourself for a moment and ask yourself, "What kind of a book am I?" There are so many kinds of books -- as there are so many kinds of personalities. Some books are very old and very rare; some are quite new and still shiny; hot off the press like some snazzy young personalities. When you consider that the universe distributes personalities that are each unique, you cannot be "a cookie cutter" version of a book, but you must be original. Pity the poor soul who does not know his own author, but who has piled words around him in an attempt to be a book. 

Indeed, what kind of book are you? I have had fun with this myself, for I see so many of you who are a romance novel, and a great many of you who are How To - how to "fix it" personalities. Have you ever been in a situation where you relay to a person how you are doing and they want to "fix it" immediately? That is a walking book of Fix It personality. You may go to their table of contents and find exactly what it is that you need fixed and they will be so happy to report to you, chapter and verse, what must be done to mend it, oil it, clean it, dispose of it, patch it up or cook it. (Merium is also having fun with this assignment.)

There are those books that are distinctly intellectual, such as textbooks. Do you know personalities who are like textbooks? And when you approach them, you feel that you must know something about their subject, otherwise there is no point in having a conversation. Do these kinds of personalities intimidate you?

What kind of a book are you? Are you a history book who cannot get out of the past? Are you a science fiction book who lives incessantly in the possibilities of the distant future? Are you a pill book, focusing on how to get well, stay well, be well? Are you a poetry book, with lilting words and phrases pouring from your mind and from your mouth? Are you a spiritual book? Are you a walking Urantia Book? a walking Holy Bible? a walking Course in Miracles? Are you an inspirational? Or are you a children's book, complete with stories and pop-ups?

What kind of books do you know? What kind of books are you comfortable with? Have you already established for yourself what books/personalities you will read and which ones you will forego? Perhaps one time you read a crime personality/book and you don't like those so you will never read another crime book/personality again. Perhaps you are more fond of one selection than another and you feel that all books in another genre are alike and that when you have read one you have read them all.

Every personality is its own story, has its own unique beginning, middle and ending. Each personality has been outlined by the Master Scriptwriter. Within the pages of each book/personality, there is a core of truth, panoply of value, meat for the soul. Perhaps the characters are not your favorite kind, but then again, perhaps you should take another look, for what interested you as reading material when you were 6 changed when you reached 15 and again when you reached 19, and certainly by the time you had attained 36 and even more so by the time you had reached 60, and my! those of you who have learned to love to read books/personalities, by the time you are 60, what a magnificent library of potential there is in the myriad personalities around you!

Each one of these wonderful creations is different, and is uniquely a work of art as you yourselves are a work of art. One could open your cover, smell your leather, feel your pages, see your letters and begin to read your truths, your words, your concepts, could see the pictures you have created within you, if they would. You could look into the book of your neighbor and allow them to read to you pages of their experiences, their hopes, their perceptions, their recollections, their precious memories and dreams; you would know of their strengths, you could dance to their poetics, you could weep for their heart song, you could adore their God.

This is all part of sharing the inner life. But how can you even hope to share your inner life if you judge a book by its cover, or if you refuse to open your dust jacket to those who would have a peek at the adventures that lie inside?

Well, my lovelies, you will have fun, won't you? You will say, "Oh, look! That's got to be an American history book! I can see that one is a road atlas!" but what joy you will have in the new perception. Indeed, life is entertaining. I have heard of how you have entertained yourself this week. Have you any questions for me to entertain this evening? (None) Perhaps I have erred. Perhaps I have caught you all with your nose in a good book and I must shake you out like a rumpled pillow and say, "Come out and play!"

Elizabeth: Maybe we could be a set of books! I mean, I can't imagine any of my friends being one book. And I can't imagine myself being one book. The person I think of as being a road map book has a lot of other books in her.

TOMAS: Of a certainty you are correct, Elizabeth. And it is not even that one should be a walking encyclopedia, for what possible good could all that knowledge be without romance and poetry?

Elizabeth: After the description of the different kinds of books, I've decided that I want to be a book of poetry. Whether I am or not is purely beside the point.

Hester: I've got a little joke in here, with my book. I've tried to stay away from it, but ... I'm a dictionary! I thought, "Holy Moses! It's full!"

TOMAS: Many words, many meanings, and many delightful hours of companionship and understanding. Most valuable for Scrabble and Crosswords, also for essays and for essaying your mind's eye.

Elizabeth: Is this so that we can study personality from a new perspective? I gather that that's what it must be.

TOMAS: It is twofold, threefold. It is to be gentle with you; it is to sort through the voluminous arcades of Gerdean's brain; and also to add a dimension to your enjoyment of study and observation of personality. 

I will bridge the gap somewhat, for I do not mean to be entirely flippant about my presentation here. I do know, however, that in your human judgment, it is easy for you to turn aside from personalities because something they say may indicate to you that they are of a certain sort and you no longer need that sort in your life, and so you have automatically rendered them a condensed version [Reader's Digest] of real life and overlooked a possibility that you could find merit in them as a brother or a sister . in terms of the gospel.

Many times, too, in reference to a crime novel, if you see a ruffian on the street you see him only as a ruffian and you have already read enough crime novels, and you have overlooked the truth of the fact that this is your brother or your sister that you could have real contact with and real value with if you did not deny their reality.

Elizabeth: Well, getting close to a ruffian is extremely dangerous in this day and age. And, in fact, I was thinking about trying to get involved in something, and my husband was extremely upset - where the place where this thing takes place. I thought it would be a wonderful way of stretching and not being so insulated and realized if I do it, I'll have to do it in a sort of an underhanded way or something, I don't know.

TOMAS: My dear, I intend not to endanger you by my suggestions. Indeed, you have been insulated, and it would be ridiculous for me to expect you to take yourself, as if you were a potted plant, and set you out along the highway of life and expect you to thrive under those conditions. The fact that you have your environment and you are so effective in it, is all the more reason for you to function at maximum within your environment.

I will call to your mind Flavius, the collector of fine art that Jesus visited frequently, and although Flavius feared that Jesus might regard him negatively for surrounding himself with these statues of beings, as if they might be icons or idols of reverence, Jesus admired the art work and the form and the production, and this led them into many enjoyable talks.

That you have grown in this environment - insulated although it may be - it is an effective environment for you if you allow it to be. It is certainly not necessary for you to leave here and go into the downtown streets looking for a cause, no. I do hope that your wits are about you more than that!

Elizabeth: Well, I don't happen to agree with my husband on the subject, because I found something interesting in the inner city, and - I used to do Meals On Wheels down in the lower North side. I did that for about 5 years and I certainly did look forward to it. It was one of the things that kept me going at that time, from the point of view of being, just a minute of feeling useful; it really was something - and that time my husband didn't object. I don't understand it, but I will work it out, I'm sure; there's no question in my mind. I'm sort of intrigued by this project. I think I can handle that and not get into any danger.

TOMAS: Nor am I trying to make life difficult for your husband.

Elizabeth: I think he tends to be overly concerned about these things where we have difference of opinion, but it's certainly admirable the way he likes to protect his family. Very admirable.

TOMAS: Yes. I am reluctant to get into this, particularly since no one has asked me about it, and so I am merely replying in a social decorum kind of way.

Elizabeth: It reminds me of this thing Dr. Dobson said -- and he's a wonderful Christian teacher -- and he said this funny thing about -- he said women love strong silent men, but after they get them, they want them to change and talk a lot and express themselves. So I like the way my husband wants to protect his family, and yet at the same time I keep fighting that, so I think it's a certain kind of amusing thing that women do.

TOMAS: Woman and men are indeed amusing creatures. And they are particularly amusing when they presume to suspect what it is that the other one likes.

Elizabeth: Well, anyway, the idea that we were supposed to observe personalities, that we should try to stretch, perhaps, look around us, I think, is still affecting me a lot these few weeks. I'm enjoying it tremendously!

TOMAS: Indeed, I have observed that you are having a good time. Let me suggest that you extend yourself somewhat and try being a different book from your own library on different days, that you perhaps be a textbook for a day or two and then a poetry book for a day or two, that you switch from fact to fiction and from philosophy to humor, that you balance a little heavy antique [ancient] history with a little light music, so as to provide your personality with enrichment and balance.

No personality thrives on sameness. Monotony is exhausting. And so, do not marry yourself to my analogy and assume that one individual is truly just one subject, but do not make the mistake of judging these personality books by their covers and assuming that because they project one thing, that they are indeed that thing between their covers. And that was not a sexual innuendo. (Laughter)

Leah: I was thinking about the time when I heard about the title, "The Man who Loved Cat Dancing" and, with my literal mind, I couldn't wait to see the movie to see the cats dance!

TOMAS: Literal-mindedness, indeed. It can be colorful and entertaining, but if you allow yourself a free moment or two of imagination, perhaps it will take off and send you into a flight of fancy that will stimulate you all the way into the morontia zones of philosophic thought and thereby touch base with the higher way.

Perhaps we have merely done some spring fertilizing here this evening for this lovely plot of flowers. And speaking of flowers, perhaps this flowerbed is in need of rest. Sometimes we do carry on late, and I know that my understanding of time is not quite what yours is. In the interest of your clocks, shall we call it a day or do you have commentary or questions?

Hester: I think you've given us plenty to think about.

Leah: Do give our love to Merium.

TOMAS: I will let her respond. One moment.

MERIUM: I am amused, certainly! I am not laughing. I am, as you would say, smiling; and as Hunnah would convey, from ear to ear. We have indeed had fun this evening. We are not such ponderous old fuddy-duddies as you might think, and this is one of the benefits, you see, of my coming along to companion Tomas, for where there are two, now there is more fun. It is as Rodan sets out in your text: with a friend at hand, the bad parts are not as bad and the good parts are even better. We stimulate each other's creative imaginations and I hope you have enjoyed the duet that we put together this evening.

I was trying to tell Tomas to tell you that we should have looked up "ruffian" in Hester's dictionary, but I didn't get the chance.

Hester: Obviously we'll have to do that.

MERIUM: Good girl. Thank you. It does contribute to a well-rounded good time if we use words and pronounce words that are accurate. Even if they are inaccurate, we can have fun with them, but even so it would be nice to know if it is inaccurate or not. I will not mince words further. I will make a brief retreat and observe you novel creatures as you go about Our Father's business this up-coming week. Good evening.

Group: Good evening. Thank you for coming.

Leah: I think we're going to remember what the assignment is this week.

TOMAS: Tell me what it is.

Leah: Not to judge a book/personality by its cover.

TOMAS: Is that a fair understanding, Elizabeth?

Elizabeth: I thought there was something else added to that. When we were talking further, he said that we could be a different book throughout the different days, and we could test out different parts of our personality. We could be a book of philosophy one day and a book of poetry one day or something. I believe he did say that, and I thought that was fun, too.

TOMAS: Yes, better to have some variety in your personality than to be a same-old same-old every day. But, of course, if you allow the Father to guide your life, to turn your pages, there is always a new surprise in each new day.

Elizabeth: That's true. It's really true.

TOMAS: I have to insert these occasionally for those of you who are so literal-minded.

Elizabeth: Well, I just wanted to say that I was talking about the teachers and how we have a relationship, and when I read about you in the [Urantia] book, I didn't ever think you were real until you came around and you are so much like a personality -- talk about personality! You and Merium are personalities -- that it's been really fun to experience you instead of just reading about you.

TOMAS: I must know what book I'm in! Is it Longfellow? or Shakespeare? or what?

Elizabeth: I think you're in The Urantia Book. The ascended experiential beings.

TOMAS: It does provide another perspective, does it not? Of course, my ego was thinking you must have found a sociology book from another world that listed Tomas the Cultural Anthropologist that you know. I would have inscribed it for you if you had.

Leah: What would you have inscribed? 

TOMAS: Well, I don't have a pat response.

Elizabeth: I know you want to be spiritual about it, so that's okay too.

TOMAS: I would have to pause at the portal and check my motives, would I not?

Elizabeth: You've got this thing of motives going on. 

TOMAS: We all have this thing of motives going on.

Elizabeth: I feel it would be extremely helpful if you could give people peace. Leah is not as hard on herself as she used to be, which is really good, and yet when she does something kind, she's not sure about the motives, and I thought perhaps you might say something that will soothe that troubled part. Maybe it isn't my place....

TOMAS: I see a How To book presenting itself.

Elizabeth: That's exactly what I was coming up as. I'd like to change that.

Leah: I think I'd like to be a Self Help book this week.

TOMAS: Even so, take with you some inspirational daily reflections.

Is it not wonderful how like minds are stimulative of the creative imagination? Now that we have found a common ground, a unity of purpose, we are indeed family in our configuration, for which I am so grateful and so pleased, not to mention appropriately proud. I am enjoying you ever so much, and I hope that you are learning also to enjoy yourselves, for you are truly perfect darlings.

Group: Thank you.

TOMAS: Petunias, daisies, dandelions and wild roses. Good night, my friends.

Group: Good night, Tomas. Thank you. Come back. 

[T/R not released]

JESUS: Peace be upon you. I am Jesus and you know me as your brother. I am here not as your Creator, not as the risen Christ, not He whom you adore, but your friend who shares the human experience, with the eyes of heaven upon them.

You have been true companions of mine, my sisters. You have born up under the burdens of your earthly travails. The assignments of life have pelted you and you have stood up under them. This is not just a triumph for your spirit, but a commendation for your human fortitude, for your strengths of character in the way you wield your way in the world.

I know that you do not always do His will. I am aware that you are willful and that you are ignorant. But I am also aware of your yearnings, how you want to please me, how you want to set a good example, how you hope that I look kindly upon you. I know how you even try to fool yourself. I know for I have been there.

I have been where you are. I have grappled with my children, my brothers and sisters. I have seen the mind games. I have seen the sexual courtships. I have seen the political mechanisms. I have seen the corruption, the debacles. I know what people do to survive. I know what men and what women have undergone in this long upward struggle in their evolution.

Don't be afraid to carry on your shoulders the satisfactions of accomplishment. Don't be reluctant to hold yourself up in pride of demonstration for what you have contributed in the forward march. You have lived. You have experienced this life. And you have sought Our Father.

I am proud of you. I am proud to call you my sisters. I embrace you, each one. I am here for you. Hold my hand. And we will walk together.

His will be done.










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