© 2012 Ivan Stol, Guy de Viron, Chris Ragetly, Lucienne Leker, Max Masotti, Meredith J. Sprunger, Benjamin Boisson, Jeanne Siaud-Facchin, Jean Debruyne, Rosette Poletti, Barbara Dobbs, Dominique Ronfet
© 2012 Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Livre d'Urantia
¶ The President’s note: Rapprochement
As we come to the end of 2012, I would like us to draw closer to the Spirit, for you see, this is how we will come to understand the directives of the Adjuster, the recommendations of the Angels to use the Spirit of Truth effectively and to fully feel our Divine Minister Mother.
Ivan Stol
¶ Edito: Knowledge and Consciousness!
Nothing like a little Link to ward off the bad omens of this end of year!
If Charlie Chaplin questions the quality of knowledge, it is also good to ask the question of consciousness. Are we teachable?
What is this part of our self that learns? After the innate, the acquired and the teachings of our faithful Thought Adjuster, how can we manage to coordinate everything in a balanced and enthusiastic character, if not joyful as in full consciousness (Mindfulness)? Not to be confused with divine guidance…
From our friend Chris R. we have the concept of “Free Will”, the continuation of Meredith Sprunger’s spiritual resources as well as the third part of Self-Esteem to put into practice!
Guy from Viron
Editor’s note (editor’s note):
The Links are quarterly and appear on the 15th of March, June, September and December! They are first sent to subscribers in digital form (PDF format) on these same dates and then, as far as possible, in their “paper” form. As AFLUB prints are grouped with other periodicals, it is possible that the deadline for the paper format is longer. As for the texts intended to be published within the Link concerned, they must imperatively arrive 30 days before the aforementioned publication date and approved by our president, Ivan Stol, director of publication. Thank you for your understanding.
¶ Study: Free Will
Free will is a characteristic which is common to deities, superhuman personalities, and evolutionary mortals. No other being, force, creator, or agent in the vast universe of universes can interfere in any degree with the absolute sovereignty of human free will operating in the realms of option concerning the eternal destiny of the personality of the choosing mortal. 71.3 . This observation is valid for all existing personalities of the central and superuniverses, and it is probable that it will be the same for creatures of the future ultimate and coabsolute levels. It is also probable that certain creatures who function more or less automatically on the finite levels do not possess this attribute. Certain Master Physical Controllers, such as the Frandalanks and the Chronoldeks, do not appear to have free will; they are intelligent beings but more or less like living machines.
Chris Ragetly
¶ Poetry: When I can say…
When I can say, I want,
Without my hands reaching out greedily
Not to take but to offer
And to serve with humility.
When I can say, I love,
Without my heart trembling with the desire to be loved.
But would leave, if quiet,
Flowing love, never closing.
Lucienne Leker
¶ Maxien Quiz No. 12: The questions
Central Universe
- On Uversa the Eternal Son is referred to by two different names. Do you remember these names?
- On the High Paradise there are three grandiose spheres of activity. What are these 3 spheres?
- Do you think that the First Source Center is present in the Unqualified Absolute?
- The Eternal Son also poured himself out 7 times. Where did he pour himself out?
- The Infinite Spirit possesses a unique and astonishing power. What is this power?
Max Masotti
¶ Psychospi: The Seven Fundamental Realities V
THE SEVEN DETERMINING KEYS (The conditions of becoming)
1. Spiritual Resources: The Ministry of the Spirit and the Gravity of the Spirit
We human beings, as we live our lives in the shell of flesh, are very conscious of our earthly condition and vulnerability. We must constantly remember who we are: mortal sons and daughters of God. But even more, we should be conscious of the wonderful spiritual ministry with which we have been provided. We are guided and sustained by the ministry of a triune spirit that we spoke of in the first section of this introduction. Let us briefly review this divine protection that sustains all creation and is the foundation of spiritual psychology.
A spark or fragment of the spirit of the Universal Father indwells the human mind. The Indwelling Spirit is our faithful companion, directing us to eternal reality, transcendent beauty, and transforming love. The Spirit of Truth surrounds us, making God the Son real in our experience and sensitizing us to the liberating perceptions of truth. The ministry of God the Spirit energizes us through the presence of the Holy Spirit, who nourishes our minds with the cosmic illumination of the ennobling will of the Father and the soothing means of the Son. This triune ministry is perfectly unified, and we experience it psychologically as one ministry.
Meredith J. Sprunger
¶ Humor: Puns on Christianity
We are requested not to slap the apostle! (Alphonse Allais)
Half-salted butter?
It’s the one you find in the mass books, right? (Jean Yanne)
The Bible does not make the monk. (Alexandre Breffort)
The sad adventure of a missionary in a village of cannibals: in the morning, he was not raw. In the evening, he was cooked. (Ducouret-Nègre)
When converted, a cannibal, on Friday, eats only sinners. (Emily Lotney)
Benjamin Boisson
##Knowledge: The Day When
The day I truly loved myself,
I understood that in all circumstances,
I was in the right place at the right time.
And then I was able to relax.
Today I know it’s called Self-esteem.
The day I truly loved myself,
I was able to perceive that my anxiety and emotional suffering,
were nothing more than a signal when I go against my beliefs.
Today I know it’s called Authenticity.
The day I truly loved myself,
I stopped wanting a different life
and I began to see that everything that happens to me
contributes to my personal growth.
Charlie Chaplin
¶ Reflection: Consciousness
Consciousness, did you say consciousness?
How crazy to try to define consciousness! And how can we talk about “full consciousness” if we don’t first mention simple consciousness?
We use this term conscience so often. It is so familiar to us. “_You are not aware of your actions!”, “Be a little aware of what you are doing!”, “He was not aware of his condition” are sentences that we pronounce almost mechanically. In court, jurors are called upon to express themselves in their “soul and conscience” and we all know the role of conscientious objectors… Deep down, we have the feeling that we understand this notion of conscience well. But do we really agree on its meaning, much more subtle than it seems?
A process rather than a state
Consciousness is a continuous and unstable process. It is constantly changing through the processing of internal and external information, which is continuously re-evaluated by the previous state. Previous state that readjusts to new stimuli “It’s always the same while being different”: this is how our consciousness of being could be defined, which defines our identity. The core of the self is built according to the principle of the common denominator: it is the irreducible entity that makes what we are can only be ourselves. Everything that will be lived, felt, perceived, will be done by combining new experiences around and from this core. It is something both perceptible and elusive: “I feel that it’s me”, _but how can I define this perception that I have of myself? The certainty of being oneself can only be validated by oneself. No one can say: “I know it’s you.” Nor even as Jean-Louis Aubert sings: “That, that, is really you. You can feel it, you can feel it’s you.” This only expresses what the other perceives… of us. And he perceives it through what he is… In short, I am me, you are you, each at home! Knowing that we live what we live…
Jeanne Siaud-Facchin
¶ Maxien Quiz No. 11: Answers 8 to 18 (updated)
- The System Curator — Holdant, number 19 of the Tertiary Corps, the jailer and controller of all interned spirits of higher status than the mortal order of existence. Holdant also came to Satania with Lanaforge. UB 45:3.5
- The Spornagias are the landscape gardeners of the headquarters worlds. They are not inhabited by Adjusters. UB 46:7.2
- Lucifer was number 37 in his order. UB 53:0.1
- Since then Machiventa Melchizedek has been proclaimed Vicegerent Planetary Prince of Urantia. UB 53:9.4
Max Masotti
¶ Poem: I would like to dress myself in God
In the name of the Father
Hand on forehead.
I would like to write God on all my dreams.
I would like to put God on all my ideas.
I wish the hand of God were on all my thoughts.
In the name of the Son
Hand on heart.
I would like to feel God deep inside me.
I would like to sing to God with all the words of my love.
I would like to plant God in all the gardens of my tenderness.
Jean Debruyne
¶ Practice: Self-Esteem III
How to Create an Affirmation
In order to achieve maximum success and achieve the desired change, there are a few rules to follow when creating affirmations.
- Affirmations should be formulated in the present tense. This is an important aspect since the body-mind relationship is only changeable in the present tense. “I appreciate myself now as I am.” In this way, self-esteem increases and there is no dependence on others.
- Using the pronoun “I” is very important because it is impossible to affirm for someone else. The best way to be accepted by others and to accept them is to accept yourself. Accepting yourself allows you to accept others as they are, with their shadow and their bright side. It is through the acceptance of what is, that change becomes possible in oneself and in relationships with others. When a person has decided to change, it is themselves and no one else who can use affirmations and achieve their goal.
- Affirmations should be positive. The body is the servant of the mind. It often happens that we make the predictions we make to ourselves come true. This is called “self-fulfillment of predictions.” So it is essential to be careful what we say. “What we resist, persists.” Whenever we express what we do not want, our body tends to make it come true.
Rosette Poletti and Barbara Dobbs
¶ Prayer: To ask for good humor
Give me good digestion, Lord,
And also something to digest.
Give me health of body,
Help me keep it as good as possible.
Give me a holy soul, Lord,
Who has eyes on beauty and purity,
Saint Thomas More
¶ Maxien Quiz No. 12 The answers
Central Universe
- On Uversa, the headquarters of your superuniverse, we designate the Son as the Co-ordinate Spirit Center and as the Eternal Spirit Administrator. UB 6:1.5
- On the High Paradise there are three grand spheres of activity, the Deity Presence, the Most Holy Sphere, and the Holy Area. UB 11:3.1
- Yes, the First Source-Center is potentially present in the Unqualified Absolute, storehouse of the uncreated universes of the eternal future. UB 3:1.7
- Long, long ago the Eternal Son bestowed himself upon each of the circuits of the central creation for the enlightenment and advancement of all the inhabitants and pilgrims of Havona, including the ascending pilgrims of time. During these seven bestowals he never functioned as either an ascender or a Havonian. He existed as himself. UB 7:5.5
- The Infinite Spirit possesses a unique and astounding power, antigravity. This power is functionally present (observable) in neither the Father nor the Son. The inherent ability of the Third Source to resist the pull of material gravity is revealed in the personal reactions of the Conjoint Actor to certain phases of universe relationships. And this unique attribute is communicable to certain high personalities of the Infinite Spirit.
Max Masotti
¶ Brother Dom’s Little Corner
A — How do I know if I’m not dreaming?
B — But you’re dreaming! We all dream our reality.
HAS-? ? ?
— So I can't have faith if everything is an illusion!
Dominique Ronfet
¶ 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 / http://forum.urantia.fr |
| Publication Director | Ivan Stol, ivan.stol@free.fr |
| Editor in Chief | Guy de Viron, guydeviron@bluewin.ch |
| Reading Committee | Jean Royer, Max Masotti |
| Subscription | €20 per year (quarterly publication 4 issues) |
| Legal deposit | December 1997 — ISSN 1285-1116 |
| Print run | 125 copies © 1955 URANTIA Foundation |
All rights reserved. Materials from The Urantia Book are used with permission. Any artistic depictions, interpretations, opinions or conclusions implied or stated are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of URANTIA Foundation or its affiliates.