© 2009 Chris Ragetly
© 2009 Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Livre d'Urantia
Your difficulty in arriving at a more harmonious co-ordination between science and religion is due to your utter ignorance of the intervening domain of the morontia world of things and beings. The local universe consists of three degrees, or stages, of reality manifestation: matter, morontia, and spirit. The morontia angle of approach erases all divergence between the findings of the physical sciences and the functioning of the spirit of religion. Reason is the understanding technique of the sciences; faith is the insight technique of religion; mota is the technique of the morontia level. Mota is a supermaterial reality sensitivity which is beginning to compensate incomplete growth, having for its substance knowledge-reason and for its essence faith-insight. Mota is a superphilosophical reconciliation of divergent reality perception which is nonattainable by material personalities; it is predicated, in part, on the experience of having survived the material life of the flesh. But many mortals have recognized the desirability of having some method of reconciling the interplay between the widely separated domains of science and religion; and metaphysics is the result of man’s unavailing attempt to span this well-recognized chasm. But human metaphysics has proved more confusing than illuminating. Metaphysics stands for man’s well-meant but futile effort to compensate for the absence of the mota of morontia. (UB 103:6.7)
We can infer that the morontia mota is expressed on the morontia and spiritual levels, as we can understand them, and which translates on the morontia levels by a sensitivity to supramaterial reality, by a knowledge-reason nature and a faith-clairvoyance essence.
The supermaterial reality undoubtedly concerns all living things (plants and animals) which live on the morontia plane, like the morontia plant food which we will use for our nutrition on the morontia worlds of our local system.
Mota is morontia wisdom. (UB 45:7.6) On this level it is knowledge-reason. We can imagine quite well the meaning of the word “knowledge-reason”, because even here on Urantia, fully understanding the significance of our kinship with the Universal Father brings us closer to this level. The soul is the only morontia reality of man on Urantia, it functions independently of our human consciousness, but it is directed by our Mystery Monitor, who has in a way the guardianship of it. We can deduce from this that our soul functions by the technique of mota. Depending on the level of evolution of our soul, we will have more or less ease in familiarizing ourselves with this technique when we find ourselves on the shores of the first mansion world.
Faith-clairvoyance is that reality comprehended by man, both by his mind and by the unconscious functioning of his morontia soul. But understanding or attempting to understand does not mean that man knows all its ramifications. Our minds know, through revelation, the existence of mota and its various approaches to the levels existing on the morontia worlds of our local universe. The faith-clairvoyance level is doubtless revealed to us from time to time by our Mystery Monitor, during our time devoted to worship, by sudden and magnificent spiritual flashes, the brilliance of which we can only regret. On such occasions we can only reflect on the time when we shall be able to communicate with our Monitor when we have passed through the first psychic circle, but this will not be an activity of mota, merely a spiritual action of our minds as they become familiar with cosmic clairvoyance. (mota and cosmic clairvoyance are two separate and different things which are acquired separately).
The lower planes of morontia mota join directly with the higher levels of human philosophy. On the first mansion world it is the practice to teach the less advanced students by the parallel technique; that is, in one column are presented the more simple concepts of mota meanings, and in the opposite column citation is made of analogous statements of mortal philosophy. (UB 48:7.1)
It is likely that we will be late students of the first mansion world, otherwise the author, an Archangel of Nebadon, would not have shared these revelations with us.
Not long since, while executing an assignment on the first mansion world of Satania, I had occasion to observe this method of teaching; and though I may not undertake to present the mota content of the lesson, I am permitted to record the twenty-eight statements of human philosophy which this morontia instructor was utilizing as illustrative material designed to assist these new mansion world sojourners in their early efforts to grasp the significance and meaning of mota. These illustrations of human philosophy were: (UB 48:7.2)
1. A display of specialized skill does not mean that one possesses spiritual ability. Ingenuity is no substitute for true character. (UB 48:7.2)
Even on the intellectual level, specialized ability does not mean that one possesses a special mental capacity, much less a spiritual capacity.
An individual can be ingenious in preparing a bad action. True character is built with study that becomes voluntary, selfless service that becomes natural, and worship that becomes spontaneous. (UB 47:7.5) In the ages of ethics and spirituality, and under the spiritual influence of these ages, human character goes through prodigious transformations and undergoes phenomenal development. (UB 52:5.8)
2. Few people live up to the faith they actually possess. Irrational fear is a master intellectual fraud practiced on the evolving mortal soul.
It is indeed an irrational fear that prevents mortals from living up to the faith they truly possess. This fear can be unconscious or conscious, but it is always a kind of mental cowardice. Faith and religion are quite capable of eradicating this cowardice. Truly realizing our filiation with the Eternal Father is the guarantee of abandoning all mental cowardice. The Mystery Monitor is there to justify this filiation and to get us out of these primitive intellectual ideas that cloud our evolving soul.
3. Inherent capacities cannot be exceeded; a pint can never contain a quart. It is impossible to mechanically introduce a spiritual concept into the mold of material memory.
Before reaching a spiritual level a concept must first be accepted as valid by the Mystery Monitor, who will spiritualize that concept, which can then be preserved in the morontia memory of the evolving soul. For example, any encounter with another person is considered a concept-value worthy of being spiritualized; and this is how we shall remember the persons we met on Urantia when we find ourselves on the mansion worlds.
4. Few mortals ever dare to withdraw the entirety of their personality credits established by the combined ministries of nature and grace. Most impoverished souls are truly rich, but they refuse to believe it.
I believe that we must understand by “ministries of nature and grace”, the functions which are offered to us by nature, for example our body, our mind, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the ministries of the guardian angels, Thought Monitors, the Spirit of Truth, etc. It is true that many of us neglect these ministries, (especially with regard to the ministries of grace) because we refuse to believe that they exist, and yet, we all have access to these gifts, whether we are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, black, white, yellow or red, monotheists, polytheists or atheists.
5. Difficulties may challenge mediocrity and overcome the fearful, but they only stimulate the children of the Most High.
Note that mortals are called the children of the Most Highs. We are, in fact, under the immediate supervision of the Vorondadek Sons, who have at times assumed the reins of power on Urantia.
There is nothing like being faced with a difficulty to sharpen our sense of improvisation, adaptation and achievement. If we let an opportunity to overcome a difficulty or an obstacle pass us by, we realize afterwards that an experience has passed us by, and that it is too late to go back.
6. Enjoying privileges without abusing them, having freedom without license, possessing power while firmly refusing to use it for personal ambitions — these are the signs of a high civilization.
This must be the goal of all Urantians. But first they must realize what is meant by the term “high civilization.” At present it seems that the enjoyment and abuse of privilege is the goal of many mortals, as well as the enjoyment of liberty with license and the possession of power for personal ambition. At present there are few signs of high civilization on Urantia. But let us not forget that, in addition to being afflicted with planetary rebellion and Adamic fault, we are a planet only at the beginning of human evolution.
7. Unforeseen and inexplicable accidents do not occur in the cosmos. Nor do celestial beings provide assistance to an inferior creature who refuses to act according to the lights it possesses on the truth.
The first sentence concerns all kinds of realities, whether they are things, meanings, values or personalities. In other words, a personality who refuses to act according to the instructions or advice given to him by his superiors, will not be helped. We find a good illustration of this state of affairs in the fault of Adam and Eve when they asked for advice from the Melchizedeks who refused to help them. Adam and Eve had already received instructions, they had to stick to them.
8. Effort does not always produce joy, but there is no happiness without intelligent effort.
Most successful efforts bring joy. Even when making an intelligent effort we feel happiness, if only by imagining in advance the result of this effort. But experiencing happiness by itself is not possible. We feel happiness because of something accomplished. Do not confuse the fullness of bliss that we feel in worship, with the joy that effort brings.
9. Action acquires strength. Moderation blossoms into charm.
This is about strength of character, moral strength and not just physical strength. This strength applies as much on the material as on the morontia and spiritual levels. The same is true for moderation. Charm is a quality that makes a person who is endowed with it attract to him the personalities who come into contact with him. Jesus is the perfect illustration of this.
10. Righteousness strikes the harmonious strings of truth, and the melody vibrates throughout the cosmos, reaching out to recognize the Infinite.
There can be no righteousness without truth, and when righteousness is supported, combined, and united with truth, there is produced a kind of morontia or spiritual melody which reverberates throughout the cosmos, so much so that every personality of good quality feels its effects and benefits from it. This melody vibrates and is transmitted throughout the entire hierarchy of the cosmos, even from Urantia to the Universal Father, if this righteousness represents a value worthy of being transmitted there.
11. The weak take pleasure in resolutions, but the strong act. Life is but a day’s work - do it well. The act is ours, its consequences belong to God.
Action transforms potential into reality. Our life on Urantia is indeed only a day’s work compared to the endless career that awaits us, so we might as well make the most of it. It is we who are responsible for our actions, and we must answer for their consequences before God.
12. In the cosmos, the greatest affliction is never to have been afflicted. Mortals learn wisdom only by undergoing tribulation.
This maxim is constantly verified during our earthly life, and doubtless it will be verified later during our Paradise career. For let us not imagine that we shall not undergo tribulations in our morontia and spirit lives.
13. It is in the solitary isolation of experiential depths that the stars are best discerned, not in the ecstasy and illumination of mountain peaks.
It is during our devotions, our prayers, our adoration, which we practice most often in solitude, that we best perceive the presence of our Mystery Monitor and through him the presence of the Universal Father. It is in solitude that we can perceive the Spirit of Truth and ask him for the right direction. It is thanks to solitude that we realize our status as cosmic citizens, at least that is how my personal experience feels. Group prayer and adoration have never been my strong point, and this is undoubtedly a shortcoming, I will have to wait for the advice of the instructors of the mansion worlds so that I can feel comfortable in these congregational devotions.
14. Stimulate your associates’ appetite for truth. Give advice only if asked for it.
Jesus is the champion at finding the words and the way to stimulate the appetite for searching for the truth among his interlocutors. How many times have I found myself speechless in front of a person, not knowing what to say to them! Telling myself that as long as they didn’t ask me anything I wouldn’t tell them anything! The secret is to interest your interlocutor in the search for the truth. But it’s not easy.
15. Affection is the ridiculous effort of the ignorant to appear wise, the attempt of the sterile soul to appear rich.
Nothing is more embarrassing than following the ridiculous efforts of some people who want to appear wise and educated and who are not. Let us be careful not to pontificate for fear of being ridiculous in the eyes of all.
16. Spiritual truth cannot be perceived until it is experienced, and many truths are only truly felt in adversity.
Experience is the watchword of our lives, and finite experience is the present level of reality in which we exist. Any truth we acquire is most often through experience, but even when truth is revealed to us, as in The Urantia Book, these truths are only valid when we personally experience them, when we put them into practice, and this is often in adversity. Let experience teach us the value of meditation and the power of intelligent thought.
(to be continued)
Chris Ragetly