© 2008 Guy de Viron, Dominique Ronfet, Chris Ragetly, Olga López, William S. Sadler Jr., Max Masotti, Max Masotti, Guy de Viron, René Haldi, Anne-Marie Ronfet, Yolanda Silva Solano, Sundari
© 2008 Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Livre of Urantia
| Text | Author | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | “It’s written!” | G. de Viron |
| Prelude | The President’s Note | D. Ronfet |
| Notes | The Mystery Monitor | CMR |
| The guest | Association of Spanish Readers | Olga Lopez |
| Study | How Big is Heaven | B. Sadler |
| Psy | The Self and the Ego + the Oyster | M. Masotti |
| Share | Suresnes November 21-23, 08 | G. de Viron |
| Poetic strand | Strands of Life | R.Haldi |
| Report | A day in Suresnes | A-M. Ronfet |
| Discovery | Other Sheep | Y. Silva Solano |
| Search | In search of the Higgs | Time |
| Humor | Sense of humor | PIEM |
| Meditation | In Spiritual Life | Sundari |
| Reminder | The Study Group (1) | UAI |
| Little Corner of | Brother Dominique | D. Ronfet |
| Illustrations (4) | Viro |
¶ Imprint
Le Lien Urantien is the journal of the French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book, a member of the UAI, the International Urantia Association.
| Head office | rue du Temple 1, F-13012 Marseille, +33 (0)4 91 27 13 20 |
| afflu@urantia.fr | |
| Site | www.urantia.fr/afflu.htm |
| Publication Director | Dominique Ronfet, d.ronfet@noos.fr |
| Editor in Chief | Guy de Viron, guydeviron@bluewin.ch |
All rights reserved. Materials from The Urantia Book are used with permission.
Any artistic representation, interpretation, opinion or conclusion implied or asserted is (are) that of its author and does not necessarily represent the views of URANTIA Foundation or its affiliates.
¶ Editorial: “It’s written!”
“What is written has always been true!”
Often, the writing becomes irrevocable, even without any dispute, engraved in stone as were the Tablets of the Law at the time of Moses, the Torah of the Hebrews, the Bible or the Koran …! Indeed, humanity has never ceased to demand writings to frame its social growth and codify civil rights.
This is to say that we are fond of codes and, even if that is already a lot, we always ask for more! Thus, at a time when computers flood us with their continuous and infinite flow of codes, our greatest pride of the moment remains the decoding of the human genome… That makes a lot of numbers and letters!
Guy
¶ Prelude: The President’s Note
Having just returned from our November meeting, I must, despite everything, project myself to the beginning of January 2009, the date on which you should receive this magazine.
So I will not hesitate to tell you all at once:
- Our meetings await you: they are a moment of rare exchanges. Come participate and listen.
- The end of year celebrations are over? I hope you were able to share a little joy with family or friends, let’s not miss out on these moments of pleasure.
- Finally, a new year is coming. May it be profitable for you!
From the entire AFLLU team
HAPPY, JOYFUL AND FRUITFUL NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE
Dominique Ronfet
¶ Notes: Mystery Monitor Designations
(Quotations from The Urantia Book in italics; some important passages are in bold.)
606 Urantia — Satania 24 Jerusem — Norlatiadek 70 Edentia — Nebadon 84 Salvington U Minor the Third 3 Ensa — U Major the Fifth 5 Splandon — Orvonton 7 Uversa
Series of studies entitled “Remarks”
REMARKS — IV
Levels of realization of things, meanings and values
(fact — idea — relationship)
¶ The guest: The President of the AUE
Dear friends and readers of the Link,
It is a pleasure for me to be able to introduce myself in this magazine that I have been reading for several years. I have been a reader of the Urantia Book since 1996. I became aware of this book through the novels written by J.J. Benitez and mainly in the series “Trojan Horse” which described a fascinating Jesus, comparable to the real Jesus much closer in my eyes. Since I was little I believed in God without ever having significant surges of faith, but it is true that I quickly disengaged from the Catholic Church to seek other sources and other doctrines. This search was the one that allowed me to find the Urantia Book and until now I can say that no other way of thinking has answered my questions with as much satisfaction. So since I began to read this wonderful blue book, I have a double conviction: the first, that the teachings of the book must be applied daily and not remain simply at the stage of intellectual assimilation; and, secondly, that it is not a book to be read for oneself but to be shared with other readers in order to create a movement that will slowly and effectively transform society.
Olga Lopez
¶ Study: How Big is Heaven?
Translation of a recording of Bill Sadler by Chris and Nicole Ragetly (02.2003)
Okay, now let’s try to think intelligently. Distances do not exist on Heaven, because distance is a function of space. Let me help you with your semantics.
When you say you weigh 160 pounds, what are you really talking about? Are you talking about the mass of your body? In everyday practical language, yes. But what you are really describing is the action of Urantia gravity on that mass. The terms “pound” and “kilogram” are units of gravity action, because if you were in a different gravity field, you would weigh more or less.
Bill Sadler
¶ Psy: The Self and the Ego
In psychoanalysis, the Ego is one of the instances of the personality, precisely the one that would like to represent the whole person as united. Generally speaking, the representation of oneself is called the ego. Who am I then as a conscious subject? In the natural attitude, we have no doubt about identity. We say “but it’s me!” We point our finger at our body and say “me”. But what is the Ego? We are then ready to take out our identity papers and list a catalogue of qualities: I am Max, born in Marseille, retired, etc. Isn’t this list a rather vague answer?
If we persist in believing that the self is our true identity, we may find that this solution is not very satisfactory. Seen from this angle, I am conscious that I am and not of what I am. I am someone who is conscious, capable of saying “I”. This is a way for a conscious subject to define himself. By defining myself, I am able to claim a certain identity. The “I” becomes the focus around which all representations gravitate. The “I am” is of an invincible certainty, necessarily true every time I pronounce it, or that I conceive it in my mind. I am consciousness, this is my true identity and perhaps the highest knowledge that I can have.
Max Masotti
¶ Reflection: The Parable of the Oyster
Without boredom, taking it easy, an oyster waltzed among the waves.
Strainering her food out of habit, she inadvertently swallowed a grain of sand.
Misshapen, rough, dirty, this intruder seemed ugly, trash, no joke.
Wanting to reject this rock, indigestible, hard, yes this unwanted stranger,
She blew out without exhaling, nothing to do, she was incapable of it.
To dislodge, however small, this unknown rascal with the sullen appearance.
I should take it off quickly because it could surely hurt me.
said the oyster, thinking of his fragile being, his good health.
You have to keep in shape, perfecting your body is the key.
To look beautiful, soft, transparent, velvety, that’s a good idea.
But to have one’s privacy robbed by such an untalented being
Can she accept being changed, shaken up, ruled?
Gilles Bertrand April 1, 2003
Max Masotti
¶ Share: Suresnes November 21-23, 2008
The least we can say about this weekend that brought us together in Suresnes is that we were all “disappointed in a good way” and that our spiritual expectations were largely fulfilled! Indeed, the thirty or so readers that we were were literally energized and inspired by the Spirit of Truth throughout this fraternal sharing!
Yet, it was far from obvious that we should try to redraw the profile of the extraordinary personality that Jesus of Nazareth had, with our eyes as children of “modern times” and without falling into the eternal debate between the Man-God and the God-Man. We did not even have to ask ourselves whether we were talking about a brother, a father or a superman. No, the portrait of Jesus appeared to us in all his humility and simplicity.
¶ Poetic Strand: Strands of Life
¶ A time for everything
For everything there is a time
A time to be born, a time to die,
A time to go, a time to come,
Another one, it’s time to love,
Time for work, time for rest,
The one of success, the one of failures,
Time to learn, time to forget.
They say: Time is money…
Meanwhile, life goes to hell.
Time to live, that’s what matters.
We live with our time or outside our time,
Why talk about the weather all the time?
Everything in its time, rain or shine,
Rene Haldi
¶ Report: A day in Suresnes
“Here is the man”
THIS MEETING WAS ABOUT HOW JESUS LIVED HIS EVERYDAY LIFE, WHAT TRAITS OF HIS CHARACTER WE CAN SHARE WITH HIM, ABOUT LIFE IN GENERAL, WHAT HE TEACHES US ABOUT OURSELVES, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL RELIGIOUS LIFE.
We took as a basis chapter 7 of booklet 100 “the apogee of religious life” and a presentation made by our friend Chris concerning “Jesus, the man”.
Although the average mortal of Urantia cannot hope to attain the high perfection of character which Jesus of Nazareth acquired while sojourning in the flesh, it is altogether possible for every mortal believer to develop a strong and unified personality along the perfected lines of the Jesus personality. The unique feature of the Master’s personality was not so much its perfection as its symmetry, its exquisite and balanced unification. The most effective presentation of Jesus consists in following the example of the one who said, as he gestured toward the Master standing before his accusers, “Behold the man!” (UB 100:7.1)
Anne-Marie Ronfet
¶ Discovery: Other Sheep
““But I have many other sheep not of this fold, and these words are true not only of this world. These other sheep also hear and know my voice, and I have promised the Father that they shall all be brought into one fold, one brotherhood of the sons of God. And then shall you all know the voice of one shepherd, the true shepherd, and shall all acknowledge the fatherhood of God.” (UB 165:2.9)
How beautiful this parable and also what an image! Jesus once again and with new words brings out the religion of the Spirit, the one that leaves us free to follow our path, without giving importance to the means by which it reaches us. In his words there is not a crumb of intransigence or intolerance, there is no rite, nor conditions, the only valid thing is to listen to his voice without giving importance to which flock the lambs belong. I have always thought that in the worlds where we are going, we will find ourselves in the same levels with those who during our life, have disqualified us because they do not think like us.
Yolanda Silva Solano (Chile)
¶ Search: In search of the Higgs
In search of the Higgs or exploring the “unknown” unknowns
There is the “known known”, the “known unknown”, and the “unknown unknown”, as a US Secretary of Defense summed up. This aphorism applies well to the fantastic era that is opening at CERN. In addition to confirming the bases established for decades to describe matter (the “known known”), physicists hope to observe the furtive Higgs boson, also called the “God particle”, or to find traces of the enigmatic “dark matter” that, according to calculations, fills a quarter of the Universe (two among other “known unknowns”). This devil of a boson is crucial because it would allow nothing less than to justify why all other particles, and therefore all matter, have mass. It is also the missing piece in the “technical sheet” established for forty years by researchers to describe how the Universe “works”.
These researchers resemble those immodest navigators who, after having established the roundness of the Earth, could finally get a more precise idea of the distance separating them from new continents. But above all, they also rejoice in glimpsing lands whose contours they cannot even imagine. This fabulous quest dates back to the dawn of time, even before Democritus who postulated, in the 4th century BC, the existence of atoms. Because science, like religion or the arts, never ceases to nourish the human spirit by questioning it about this Universe that surrounds it, where it comes from, and how it “works”. To give up this questioning would be to betray the deepest cultural heritage of humanity.
With 10 billion francs (CHF), men from all over the world have built one of the most pharaonic and complex tools to enrich the legacy of knowledge for future generations. This is the ultimate justification for the LHC (CERN’s particle accelerator). With all due respect to those who brandish irrational and scientifically unjustified threats of the end of the world. In a society where research sometimes arouses indifference or mistrust, where students turn away from scientific fields, where technology is appreciated above all for its playful side, the LHC and the discoveries it promises offer scientists, the media, and above all science teachers, an opportunity that will not come again for a long time with such brilliance. The opportunity to catalyze and share this humble and fascinating aspiration to explore the “unknown unknowns”.
Editor’s note: An unexpected breakdown has somewhat delayed the tests, which will resume in early spring 2009…
¶ Humor: Smile
Excerpt from: “God and You” by Piem
“Piem feels the irresistible need to believe that heaven is not empty, but he knows how much faith is mistreated, misunderstood, forgotten today. His meditations have led him to present to us, with a smile, his personal vision of spirituality in its most diverse aspects. Piem’s iconoclastic side is often tempered by melancholy and exquisite humor applied to a serious and, to be frank, essential subject. Beyond humor, there is in this book ample material for a smiling reflection. To smile is already to love.” (Ed.)
¶ Meditation: On the spiritual path
The safest and best way to advance on the spiritual path is to engage in it without fanaticism, without exaltation… We must not rush into the spiritual path, wanting to cover long distances in a short time: by running like this, we end up running out of breath, we mark time and, very often, we go backwards.
On the contrary, we must engage in it without agitation, strengthening one step at a time, without ever looking back. We will certainly make many mistakes along the way; but did not Jesus say: “Seven times the righteous man falls and seven times he gets up again?” It is important to always get up again, always continue on our path. As long as we move forward, there is hope; it is when we stop and grow lukewarm that the danger begins.
Sundari
¶ Reminder: The study group (1)
WHAT IS A STUDY GROUP?
Perhaps the study group setting is considered the most effective place for the teachings of The Urantia Book to take root in the hearts and minds of participants. Almost everyone discovers these teachings individually and begins to study individually. However, after a while, most people seek a deeper relationship with this revelation, and this can only be found through sharing this revelation with others. Members of a study group experience a heightened understanding of the teachings and a sense of connection with this revelation that individual study does not seem to produce. Study with others increases the revelation exponentially; that is, two people together will seem to discover four times as much meaning as they would if they studied alone. Study groups also develop social bonds and friendships among readers. Just as The Urantia Book expands our cosmic perception, study with a group expands our personal perspective of the world around us. Participating in a study group allows a natural growth of understanding to develop in a friendly, family atmosphere. Group study is not the only way to study the teachings, but it does seem to be the best way.
WHY ARE STUDY GROUPS IMPORTANT?
Study groups are important for many reasons other than the intellectual study of the book. The primary purpose of a study group should be to first learn the teachings of The Urantia Book, because we cannot live these teachings if we do not know them. Second, the study group should teach us how to live these teachings by sharing our life experiences with others in our group. Study groups should also teach us the quiet, effective methods of communication to communicate these teachings to those who have not yet discovered the book in a way that is comfortable for them. Learn the teachings, live the teachings, share the teachings. This is why the study group is important.
As individuals, the importance of Urantia Book study groups comes from our need to better understand the teachings and to share our spiritual experience, friendship, encouragement, and strength through association and interaction with fellow readers. Participation in a Urantia Book study group can serve to enhance our personal spiritual growth, provide for in-depth study of The Urantia Book with others, and bring readers together in fellowship and service. Some believe that they can adequately study the teachings in the privacy of their own homes. This view overlooks the balancing and corrective influence of the group on individual opinions and the educational and strengthening effect of group participation. Individuals who have studied alone for many years often feel as if they are reading an expanded version of the same book when they study with others because study with others seems to illuminate meanings and concepts that are often not perceived when studying alone. We find God and grow spiritually not only through what the Father teaches us directly, but also through close association with our companions. …
There is a great feeling when you see the teachings live in another person. The study group gives us that opportunity. The Urantia Book tells us about our belonging to a vast cosmic community. The study group gives us a greater sense of our part in that cosmic community because we belong to a small group of believers that is larger than ourselves.
Individual study often leads to a sense of isolation or specialness that is not good for us or the world we live in. Participating in a study group recharges our spiritual batteries. The strength of the individual is increased by participation in a group study, and both the strength of the individual and the strength of the study group in which he or she participates will determine the strength, vitality, scope, and time of the spread of these teachings throughout the world. …
WHAT MAKES A STUDY GROUP SUCCESS?
A key element of success is creating a core group of readers who commit to meeting at regular times and in a given location. This gives the group coherence and seriousness.
It is essential to have regular times and a regular meeting place. Members do not have to guess, calculate or call to see where and when the meeting is. It is important that people can plan their time in advance and account for meetings…
If possible, meetings should be held weekly, it is difficult to maintain momentum when meetings are less frequent. Make sure everyone knows how to contact the host or someone else and vice versa…
Study groups are like most things in life that are enjoyable, the more you do the more you want to do. Consistency and commitment are very important to having a successful group…
Successful groups have a plan for what they are doing, how they are doing it, and why they are doing it. While it is not necessary to have a written plan, having one will help the group develop a sense of teamwork and a sense of purpose, a sense of who we are and why we are doing this. A written plan can create a sense of being an “official” organization.
Group prayer is a topic that will come up quite early in a group’s development.
Some groups begin with prayer and others end with prayer. Depending on the plan for the meeting and the wishes of the participants there will be different appropriate ways to begin or end. A moment of silence sets the mood and provides a transition from the social aspect where everyone arrives to the devotional study of the subject. A joyful prayer may seem appropriate before a meeting that includes crafts and games. Groups should worship God and serve all humanity. We should thank God for the gift of The Urantia Book and for our study partners. Prayer, however, should always be a group decision. Let the group discover its own personality and how to proceed…
Study groups should provide education that is intellectual, spiritual, and practical. Always involve the group in how the study group is run. Never dictate the rules, and never be inflexible about the timing. As the host you are there to guide and provide. The group should decide how to study, what to study, when, and where. It is good to take a moment every now and then during meetings to see if the group is happy, ask what people think, or if they would like things to be different. The majority should rule. If you let one person impose his or her will on the group, then the group will be sacrificed to the individual, and soon your meetings will be reduced to you and the individual. (to be continued)
Publication of the Urantia Association International
¶ Brother Dominique’s Little Corner
“I have a dream”!
Yes, I have a dream too!
That of being able to continue to dream; That of being able to continue to practice
this essential function of our mind.
Because who tells you that tomorrow, on other spheres, on other houses,
with another mind we can still do it?
So yes, brothers and sisters, let’s dream!
Let’s build fantastic worlds, develop our imaginations,
Let us open our limited horizons, let us clear our perspectives!
Let us listen to the tales of the ancients!
While there is still time.
Let’s dream!
