© 2005 Eduardo Altuzarra
© 2005 Urantia Association of Spain
It could be said that we live captive, hostages to our temperament, our character, our thoughts, our beliefs, sheltered by fears and doubts. Gandhi once said, “What you think is what you become.” It has also been said, “If you stop practicing for one day, you will notice the difference. If you stop practicing for two days, your critics will notice; and if you stop practicing for three days, everyone will notice.”
The task at hand is not at all simple when we already possess a series of habits and customs. But it is also true that the uncertainties of life and the vicissitudes of existence in no way contradict the concept of God’s universal sovereignty.
There are two aspects we must wisely reinforce: trying to be conscious of most of the moments we experience and knowing how to assume our own commitments and responsibilities. Because our entire evolutionary life is affected by a series of unavoidable situations, we must be consistent in our decisions, knowing that we can make mistakes.
When we find ourselves in situations where we must use courage and strength of character, we human beings must educate ourselves in an environment where it is necessary to compete against difficulties and react to disappointments.
To develop service to others, altruism: then life experience must provide us with situations where social inequalities are encountered.
If the situation leads us to desire hope and confidence, in these moments, human beings must constantly confront periodic insecurities and uncertainties.
In an environment where the supreme affirmation of human thought, faith, must shine with its own light: in these circumstances, our mind must find itself in the uncomfortable situation in which it always knows less than it can believe.
To be happy, to feel the pleasure of living, we must live in a world where the alternative of pain and the likelihood of suffering are possibilities that, in daily practice, will always be present.
These and others, such as truth, idealism, loyalty, selflessness, etc., must live these virtues, all of them unfinished, in order to perfect them and progress in a balanced way.
From our “channel” and with faith, we can contribute to the “river of life” the most wonderful experience ever told. Evolution comes to us intentionally; it is not accidental. We find ourselves extremely conditioned by our material level, genetic inheritance, and temperament. We do not realize this in a sensible way until we come to a judicious and prudent understanding that this is the first time we have become aware of our existence.
We are truly unique, distinct, and original; however, we possess many more qualities in common than all those that might mark certain differentiations. The truth is that these different attitudes are found in our consciousness. “Your degree of enlightenment is in direct proportion to your degree of awareness,” and he goes on to say: “Naturally, the prerequisite is an open, curious mind.” John Harricharan says this in his book “Journey Through the Fields of Forever and Ever.”
¶ Waking up to reality
Oscar Wilde remarked, “The rarest thing in this world is to live. Most people exist, that’s all.” The problem the writer perceived more than a hundred years ago persists. In the 21st century, in the age of comfort, luxury, and material goods, dissatisfaction and inner emptiness live with us.
“The Universe emits a permanent vibration, a musical note that calls for filiation, a signal that is not audible, but sensitive to the soul. It is like a key, like a silent call that alerts those who, even without being aware of it, are waiting for it.”
The note sounds and something stirs in the heart of the call… it may be an event, an image, a phrase… perhaps you have found confirmation of what you already know, perhaps you have recognized this moment as your moment, your hour of transformation, your profound change of mind and heart… every second of life marks the opportunity to start over if you wish and these are not words, this is not a harangue intended to motivate you, but the explicit recognition of a cosmic Law that is activated when we set our will in motion, if you want you can.
…if you have already decided, these are the stages of the path you are starting:
First: Recognize that you are mired in error. This is the first thing you must do. No one will ever wake up unless they admit they are asleep. You know that genetics and upbringing foster false beliefs that give rise to erroneous behaviors, which in turn cause evil.
Second: Recognize that you cannot escape error alone. Admit that the solution cannot come from you, because you have sown the confusion within yourself. You are still responding to a genetic computer program whose database is false beliefs. Do not fight the self, for by doing so you strengthen it. Simply let its suggestions pass, do not retain them, do not pay attention to them, and they will leave you just as they entered.
Third: Trust in the power of the Spirit of God to do in you what you cannot do alone, accept that the Holy Spirit is the source where the truth is born, hidden today from your conscience by your false beliefs.»
These paragraphs are found in the book “Guide to Awakening” by Félix Gracia. It’s an important and interesting read; it helps us become aware and orient our evolving life and awaken to a new reality.
¶ Leave the world of shadows to live in the world of light
It is very interesting to read Book VII of Plato’s “The Republic” to realize the depth he gives to the conversation he has with his disciple Glaucon when he makes him live the scene in a kind of underground dwelling in the form of a cave.
6 — And, when he remembered his first habitation and the wisdom there and his former companions in captivity, don’t you think he would feel happy about their change and feel sorry for them?
10 — Thus, the other virtues, the so-called virtues of the soul, are very likely to be quite similar to those of the body, since, although lacking them at first, they can be produced later by habit and practice.
— Well, it is the same with good. He who cannot define by reason the idea of good, distinguishing it from all others, and is unable, as in a struggle, to fight his way through all objections, applying himself to founding his proofs not on appearance but on essence, overcoming all obstacles by means of infallible logic, you will not say that this man knows good in itself, or any good at all, but that, if by chance he attains any image of good, it will be through opinion and not through knowledge, and you will say that his present life is spent in a deep sleep and lethargy, from which he will not awaken in this world until he has descended to Hades to sleep a perfect sleep there.
Paulo Coelho comments that Ben-Yagul interrupted his disciples saying:
“When we look directly at the sun, we become blind and can no longer see the forests and mountains around us. Therefore, man needs a little light and a little shade in life.”
“He who yearns for perfection follows the path of vanity. The spiritual quest consists in accepting who we are and still striving to serve God wholeheartedly. Our small flaws will help us become more humble, more human, and more tolerant of the flaws of others.”
¶ What we are and what we can become
If we have the courage to take an X-ray of our inner selves, of how we think, of our personal development, and we are honest enough with ourselves, we will soon realize where we are failing and what steps we need to take.
Nowadays, there are many possibilities, without the need for psychotherapy, to obtain endless information from all kinds of books, self-help and reflection magazines, personal development workshops, etc., that offer support to overcome mistakes, since it is very enriching to try to live life giving and receiving the best of ourselves.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the man who observed from the sky and author of several books, including The Little Prince, tried to develop five key ideas of his thought:
Searching for oneself: Saint-Exupéry said that the search for the absolute is what gives meaning to our daily struggle.
Appreciate the basics: He commented that we are often blinded by the most superficial things, forgetting the essential.
Choose the effort: Antoine said that the whole world steps aside when it sees a man who knows where he’s going.
Serve others: “I don’t like those who have a sedentary heart. Those who don’t change anything, don’t achieve anything,” said the aviator.
Embracing friendship: Being at the service of others is one of the pillars of humanism, and Antoine never tired of promoting love. “Love is the only thing that grows when it is shared.” For him, “love is not about looking at each other; it is about looking together in the same direction.”
“There are those who obey their own rules because they know they are right; those who reap a special pleasure in doing something well; those who divine more than meets the eye; those who prefer flying to shopping and eating; all of these will form lasting friendships with Jonathan Livingston Seagull. There will also be those who will fly with Jonathan Livingston Seagull to places of enchantment, adventure, and luminous freedom. But for both, it will be an experience they will never forget.” This paragraph is found on one of the covers of Richard Bach’s book, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull.” A wonderful read that helps us navigate the vicissitudes we face during change.
¶ Religion, to be born before God and before man, as a brother
For every citizen of this world, finding God means ending the search and beginning to discover oneself. As Shakespeare wrote: “Know yourself, have the courage to look within, and that will set you free. Do not look into your eyes, do not look into your face, nor look at your hands, that is only the house I live in.”
Someone once remarked, “God is simple, everything else is complex.”
In all normal people, there are certain innate impulses toward growth and self-realization, which function if not specifically repressed. Religion is not a technique for achieving static, happy peace of mind; it is an impulse designed to organize the soul for dynamic service.
Although religion is exclusively a personal spiritual experience, knowing God as Father and knowing man as brother implies the adaptation of the self to other selves, and this constitutes the social or collective aspect of religious life. Religion is first and foremost an internal or personal adaptation, and then becomes a matter of social service or adaptation to a group. Religion has always been a preserver of morality and a stabilizer of society.
The experience of a dynamic religious life transforms a mediocre individual into a personality with idealistic power. Religion contributes to the progress of all by fostering the progress of each individual, and the progress of each increases with the achievement of all.
A religious life is a dedicated life, and a dedicated life is a creative, original, and spontaneous life. Those conflicts that trigger the choice of new and better ways of reacting, in place of the old, inferior ways of reacting, are what give rise to new religious insights. New meanings emerge only in the midst of conflict; and a conflict only persists when we refuse to adopt the higher values implied in the higher meanings.
Much more can be written about religion, but the best thing is to live it.
¶ The philosophical process
When a human being, moderately aware of this entire process and feeling observant, begins to contemplate how his nature, his idiosyncrasies, his behavior, in short, his temperament, respond to the society in which he lives, it is time to take the option of trying to relatively mature the levels of our mind. In the book “More Plato and Less Prozac,” Lou Marinoff says: “… problem, emotion, analysis, contemplation, and balance. The acronym is appropriate, since these steps constitute the surest path to achieving lasting inner peace.”
Within the parameters of behavior, there are some common patterns that will help us discern where we are in our evolution and what elements we need to develop.
Let’s take qualities, whether natural or acquired by chance, as prototypes, for example the ego; we must try to control and moderate the ego. By applying faith and hope to the endeavor, we will become humble and cordial. If, on the other hand, we are distrustful and doubtful, we will be egotistical and arrogant.
Let’s talk about fear; fear or dread can lead us, if we feed it, to become cowardly and timid. But if we imbue it with a degree of faith, we will be brave and bold. Let’s think about anger; trying to avoid anger by placing faith in the attempt will make us gentle and kind. On the contrary, if we feed it with anger, we will be violent and aggressive. The same goes for sexuality, food, greed, etc. etc.
If we imbue all those “unfinished virtues” with faith and hope—which would be something like hydrogen and oxygen, both fuels, but which are also components of water, which is the opposite of fuel—and we develop them with willpower, we would be pouring into the “river of life” the necessary component for proportionate evolution. In this way, everything that is initially potentially negative can be TRANSMUTED into positive growth and evolution, something that brings happiness.
| Bad | ← become | ← QUALITIES → | become → | Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coward | ← ← ← Without Faith | ← ← ← Fear → → → | With Faith → → → | Brave |
| The ego | ||||
| The anger | ||||
| Sexuality | ||||
| Food | ||||
| Greed |
“Aristotle thought that there are three kinds of happiness… he also points out a «golden mean”: we should be neither cowardly nor reckless, but brave…» Jostein Gaarder refers to this in his book “Sophie’s World” where he says: “It’s like with food. It is dangerous to eat too little, but it is also dangerous to eat too much.”
The ideas of Plato, Aristotle, and many other philosophers demonstrate that through balance and moderation, a person achieves happiness and harmony. It is very important to develop virtues in balance and proportionality: “faith moves mountains.”
¶ What not everyone knows and believes
Revelation is a unique document of epochal importance to the peoples of our planet. It is important to find and read the information that speaks of God, the organization and administration of the universes, the relationship of this planet to the universe, the genesis, the destiny of man, his relationship with God, and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
It must be interesting to know how to address man’s deepest spiritual yearnings and how to satisfy the intellect. It must be interesting to know how to harmonize religion, philosophy, and modern science, fostering the spiritual growth of the individual and the understanding of the universe that are proportionate to human intellectual and cultural development.
To understand how new vistas of time and eternity open up, to offer new concepts of the adventure of ascension to ever-higher levels of humankind in their search for God the Father. To obtain information that provides a new, comprehensive, and well-organized explanation of the origin, history, and destiny of humankind.
It is said that the part benefits or suffers in relation to the whole. The good effort of each human being benefits all human beings; the error or evil of each person increases the tribulations of all.
As the part moves, so moves the whole. And as the whole progresses, so does the part progress. The relative speeds of the part and the whole determine whether the part is held back by the inertia of the whole or advanced by the impulse of cosmic brotherhood.
We know it is a mystery that God is a highly personal, self-aware being with a residential center of government, and at the same time is personally present in such a vast universe and in personal contact with an almost infinite number of beings.
That such a phenomenon is a mystery beyond human understanding should not diminish our faith in the least. Let us not allow the magnitude of infinity, the immensity of eternity, the greatness and glory of God’s incomparable character to overwhelm us, cause us to waver, or discourage us; for the Father is not far from any of us; He dwells within us, and in Him we all literally move, truly live, and truly have our being.
¶ Furnishing the mind and brain
Restless spirits, dynamic, active, tireless people, etc., are those who read many documents, books, and treatises; they listen to many long conversations of all kinds and conditions, while developing ways and methods throughout their lives to try to give meaning to their lives.
Today, to begin with and as a first course, we must, in the best possible way, try to be as consistent as possible between what we believe, what we think, what we say, and what we do, imbuing it with a special quality that a good friend of mine taught me: “the intention to please.” This isn’t always achieved, as it’s usually a gift that isn’t born within us; it must be acquired through habit.
Revelation says that each of us human beings possesses something like a direct, yet relative, connection to circuits connected to the Universe’s connections. If we are sufficiently aware of this aid that manifests itself, whenever we are receptive and harmonious, and taking into account that each of these aids manifests itself independently, we can elevate and enhance our personal mind through the experiences we inevitably encounter.
Let’s dedicate some time to “intuition.” To that more or less resolved perception. To that automatic, physical, primitive, and inherent instinct. Let’s bring it to life.
Let’s develop “understanding.” The drive for organization. The spontaneous and supposedly automatic cooperation of ideas. That gift of coordinating acquired knowledge. Let’s raise its status.
Let us foster “courage.” That gift of fidelity. The pillar on which character is based, the intellectual root of moral vigor and spiritual courage. Let us foster our courage.
Let us manifest our “knowledge.” That involvement in adventure and discovery. The scientific inspiration. Mentor and faithful companion of courage and counsel. May our discernment be contemplated.
Let us always act with good “counsel.” The social impulse that leads us to share with our fellow human beings, advice, cooperation, harmony, and the gregarious instinct. Let us simply be good to our own.
These five “channels” seem to be commonly used in progressive growth. There are two more that further enhance the figure of the being as they are developed. One is the religious challenge. ‘Worship’ is the first differential impulse that separates us from the two fundamental classes of mortal existence. It separates us forever from the animals. It is the standard bearer as candidates for spiritual ascension. And, finally, ‘wisdom’ is the highest helper. The inherent predisposition of all moral creatures toward orderly and progressive evolutionary advancement. Wisdom is the summit of intellectual attainment. Wisdom is the goal of a purely mental and moral existence.
¶ The way of life
Along with the progressive development of these helpers, we must also apply rules or guidelines for using them with our fellow human beings. The best-practiced motto would be something like doing for our fellow human beings everything we would like them to do for us, or doing for a person what we would like them to do for us.
We must carry out the rules of life in a manner consistent and proportionate to our progress. We must not misinterpret or confuse them. Those of us who wish to follow these rules must be aware that we are born of the spirit, possess wisdom and spiritual understanding, and have high ideals; we must know how to overcome evil impulses and bad actions. However, we may encounter some who may ask us:
“A lustful man is found looking immorally at his future partner in sin. How can we teach that this malicious man should do to others what he would have them do to him?”
In this regard, the first rule lies in the level of the material body, the flesh, the physical, the attractive. To comply with it is precisely to do the opposite of the purely selfish and lascivious act attempted to be illustrated in the previous question.
The second develops on the horizon of feelings. This plane is one level above that of the flesh, and implies that compassion and piety enhance our interpretation of this rule of life.
The third rule is found in the mind. Now the reason of the mind and the intelligence of experience come into play. Good judgment dictates that this rule of life should be interpreted in accordance with the highest idealism, embodied in the nobility of profound self-respect.
The fourth unfolds in the space of fraternal love. Even higher is the level of selfless dedication to the well-being of our fellow human beings. On this higher plane of enthusiastic social service, born from the awareness of the fatherhood of God and the consequent recognition of the brotherhood of men, a new and much more beautiful interpretation of this fundamental rule of life is discovered.
The fifth rule extends throughout morality and ethics. Then, when you reach truly philosophical levels of interpretation, when you have a true understanding of rightness and wrongness in events, when you perceive the eternal appropriateness of human relationships, you will begin to consider this problem of interpretation as you would imagine a high-minded, idealistic, wise, and impartial third person would consider and interpret this command, but applied to your personal problems of adjustment to the incidents of your life.
The sixth extends across the entire long path of spirituality. Finally, we reach the level of spiritual insight and spiritual interpretation, the highest level of all, which prompts us to recognize in this rule of life the divine commandment to treat all men as we conceive God would treat them. This is the universal ideal of human relationships, and this is your attitude toward all these problems when your supreme desire is always to do the Father’s will. I would then have you do for all men what you know I would do for them in similar circumstances.
¶ Living in reality
By now, those of us who believe in God know that we possess a fragment of Him within us, manifesting as something similar to a Spirit Guide. He is always close to us and within us, but it’s rare that He can speak to us directly as another being would.
Evolving and progressing is like moving up from level to level. Precisely defining the levels of human progression is a very difficult task, since these levels are personal; they vary for each individual and are apparently determined by each human being’s capacity for growth.
Successfully traversing these levels requires the harmonious functioning of the entire personality, not just some of its phases. The growth of the parts does not equate to the true maturation of the whole; the parts actually grow in proportion to the expansion of the entire self—of the entire material, intellectual, and spiritual self.
When we advance more quickly in the intellectual realm than in the spiritual, the situation and communication between the Spiritual Guide and the human being becomes difficult and dangerous. Likewise, excessive spiritual development tends to lead to a fanatical and unnatural interpretation of the spiritual directives of the divine indweller.
The lack of spiritual capacity makes it very difficult to convey to a material intellect the spiritual truths situated in the highest superconsciousness. It is to a perfectly balanced mind, housed in a body of healthy habits, stabilized nervous energies, and balanced chemical functions—that is, when the physical, mental, and spiritual powers are developed in triune harmony—that a maximum of light and truth can be communicated with a minimum of temporary danger or risk to the actual well-being of that being.
Humankind ascends the levels of planetary progression one after the other, from the seventh to the first, thanks to this balanced growth. The attainment of these levels of cosmic evolution is reflected in three ways:
- Attunement to the Spiritual Guide. The spiritualized mind approaches the presence of the Guide in proportion to the attainment of levels.
- The evolution of the soul. The appearance of the intermediate soul indicates the extent and depth of the mastery of the levels.
- The Reality of Personality. The attainment of levels directly determines the degree of reality of individuality. People become more real as they rise from the last to the first level of mortal existence.
Every decision we make impedes or facilitates the Guide’s function; these same decisions also determine our advancement through the levels of human achievement. It is true that the supremacy of a decision, its relationship to a crisis, has much to do with its influence in overcoming the levels; however, the number of decisions, the frequent repetitions, and the persistent repetitions are also essential to ensure that such reactions will become habits.
Although it is impossible to precisely define the seven psychic levels of human growth, we can suggest the minimum and maximum limits of these stages of maturity:
At the seventh level, human beings begin to develop the powers of personal choice, individual decision, moral responsibility, and the capacity to achieve spiritual individuality. Entry into the seventh level transforms a mortal creature into a true, potential citizen of the universe.
At the third level, the Guide’s work is much more effective, and the human being receives a personal angelic assistant in his or her destiny. Although there appears to be no concerted effort between the two, a clear improvement can be observed in all phases of cosmic attainment and spiritual development.
At the first level the Guide usually cannot speak directly and immediately with us until we reach the first and final level of
progressive mortal attainment. And as far as the mind, emotions, and cosmic insight are concerned, reaching the first psychic level represents the closest possible rapprochement between the material mind and the Spirit Guide in human experience.
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In order to successfully develop all the sections outlined, there are two aspects that we must never forget and that we must reinforce wisely:
- Try to be aware of most of the moments we live.
- Know how to assume our own commitments and responsibilities.
¶ Diagram No. 1: Evolution and Progress
¶ Diagram No. 2 Evolution and Progress
THE SEVEN HELPERS OF THE PERSONAL MIND
Its presence conditions the course of organic evolution.
Evolution is premeditated and not accidental.
They make their influence felt on all inhabited worlds.
They are not entities, but rather resemble circuits.
Their names designate the following functions:
Intuition, Understanding, Courage, Knowledge, Counsel, Worship and Wisdom.
The first five indicate the quantitative quality that the creature has achieved in relation to the mind.
The last two indicate a more personal quality.
¶ Diagram No. 3 Evolution and Progress
