© 1999 Georges Michelson-Dupont
© 1999 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
| Le Lien Urantien — Issue 11 — Autumn 1999 — Contents | Le Lien Urantien — Issue 11 — Autumn 1999 | Who Was Jesus? (end) |
Story of a trip to Dakar
We have always wondered how the Muslim world would receive The Urantia Book and its teachings. Part of the answer was given to us during our trip to Dakar, Senegal.
A little over a year ago, we were contacted by a group of readers of the Urantia Book living in Dakar. What a surprise it was to learn that its members had been reading the book for over 25 years for some! The Paris office of the URANTIA Foundation did have a few addresses of isolated readers and occasional buyers, but we were not aware of any group. Here, it was a group of over 50 active readers engaged in the study and dissemination of the teachings of the Urantia Book.
We decided to visit them and we left on May 15, 1999 for a 5-day trip. We were greeted at the Dakar airport by Moussa N’Diaye and his group and accommodated at Moustapha’s, one of Moussa’s sons. We spent 4 days of fraternal happiness and exceptional spiritual relationships. We participated in study groups, we listened to poignant testimonies of spiritual rebirth presented by the speakers and shared with them moments of intense spiritual communion.
The history of this group is quite exceptional. In 1975, Moussa, an authentic “seeker of truth”, came to France for his studies and discovered The Urantia Book. He returned to Senegal and began to read it. Very quickly, he realized its importance for his spiritual life and that of his fellow citizens and decided to study it. While teaching social psychology at the University of Dakar, he decided to devote his leisure time to forming a spiritual research group with his sons and students. He studied the method used by Jesus to teach, reflected on how to present these teachings to the Senegalese soul, and perfected his technique. Thus, from 1978 to 1985, he limited himself to answering the questions and spiritual thirst of his students without naming his sources. A substantial group ended up forming and a certain reputation emerged from it. Moussa also taught other academics, religious figures, Imams, and high-ranking civil servants. (You should know that 80% of the population of Senegal is Muslim).
From 1985 he began to reveal his sources and The Urantia Book became their bedside book. Having no other copy, the students in the group copied entire booklets and studied the concepts by practicing answering questions and preparing topics that they presented to the group. Real in-depth work was done and each student became, in turn, the teacher who would train newcomers. Thus, more than 500 people would be put in close contact with the teachings of The Urantia Book.
It is necessary to emphasize here the intelligence of the method. The intellect of the individual is not prepared to receive higher teachings such as those of the Urantia Book. We see every day how difficult it is to brutally present to someone, however well-intentioned we may be, the Urantia Book without having first “prepared the ground”, shared friendly relations, established a climate of fraternal trust, had in-depth exchanges on subjects such as spirituality, life after death, and spoken about the problems of the person we have in front of us. Jesus knew how to thirst the soul of his interlocutor because he was deeply interested in his spiritual well-being. By simple questions he probed the soul of his interlocutor, discovered his religious level and thus knew his real spiritual needs. Only then did he begin to teach.
Moussa knew it. He knew that the Senegalese soul, of the Muslim religion, was thirsty for new truths, like all the souls of Urantia, but he also knew that the mind of the Senegalese, under the influence of the Muslim tradition, was not ready to brutally receive such high teachings. He therefore undertook the task of broadening the field of intellectual vision and deepening the understanding of this mind through a preparatory period of questions and answers. Then, once he judged the individual ready, he began to teach him the functioning of the Adjutant Mental Spirits in his mind. Then, he revealed to him the habitation of his mind by a divine particle, the Thought Adjuster, which freed him forever from the influence of the priests and tradition. He was in direct relationship with God. He became master of his destiny, responsible for his choices, and gained, through his faith, eternal life if he desired it.
Put yourself in the place of a pious Muslim woman who has been taught since her earliest childhood that her husband, and he alone, can give her “Paradise”, that she must conform in every way to his will to obtain it and who learns that it is her faith in God, and her faith alone, which gives her eternal life, what relief and what deliverance!
Jesus was interested in the individual and addressed his teaching to the individual. A recent survey conducted by the Fellowship showed that over 70% of responding readers said they had found The Urantia Book through a friend or relative. It is clear that the most effective way to present the teachings of The Urantia Book is through the “person-to-person” method.
The Islamic world represents 700 million individuals on Urantia. Some Muslim countries are quite closed and fundamentalist but the conditions, essentially political, can change quickly and transform fundamentalism into a more conciliatory attitude. Others, like Senegal, more tolerant and progressive represent a path of access, a gateway to the teachings of the Urantia Book in the Muslim world provided that we have a key.
Musa’s technique is universal. It is that of Jesus. It can be adapted by each of us, according to circumstances, religious, cultural and social realities, but it invariably involves two phases: first, the intelligent, loving and non-invasive preparation of the human mind to receive the truths contained in these teachings and second, their subsequent presentation. The Indwelling Adjuster, the Spirit of Truth, and the associated angels will do the rest.
“We are fully cognizant of the difficulties of our assignment; we recognize the impossibility of fully translating the language of the concepts of divinity and eternity into the symbols of the language of the finite concepts of the mortal mind. But we know that there dwells within the human mind a fragment of God, and that there sojourns with the human soul the Spirit of Truth; and we further know that these spirit forces conspire to enable material man to grasp the reality of spiritual values and to comprehend the philosophy of universe meanings. But even more certainly we know that these spirits of the Divine Presence are able to assist man in the spiritual appropriation of all truth contributory to the enhancement of the ever-progressing reality of personal religious experience—God-consciousness.” (UB 0:12.13)
Proof is thus given to us that provided they are presented intelligently, with respect and love, the teachings of this book can be accepted by any religion, in any part of the globe, and free darkened souls, captive to the slavery of traditions and beliefs.
“Jesus laid great emphasis upon what he called the two truths of first import in the teachings of the kingdom, and they are: the attainment of salvation by faith, and faith alone, associated with the revolutionary teaching of the attainment of human liberty through the sincere recognition of truth, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Jesus was the truth made manifest in the flesh, and he promised to send his Spirit of Truth into the hearts of all his children after his return to the Father in heaven.” (UB 141:7.6)
When asking Fatou, a student of Moussa, what The Urantia Book had brought her, she answered: “I have become a better Muslim.”
I invite you to meditate on this answer.
Georges Michelson-Dupont
| Le Lien Urantien — Issue 11 — Autumn 1999 — Contents | Le Lien Urantien — Issue 11 — Autumn 1999 | Who Was Jesus? (end) |