© 2014 Ivan Stol, Guy de Viron, Simon Orsini, Max Masotti, Meredith J. Sprunger, Chris Ragelty, Helen Moore Hopper , Chris Ragelty, Simon Orsini, Dominique Ronfet
© 2014 Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Livre d'Urantia
¶ The President’s Note General Appeal
Hello everyone,
The need to find a means of communication in the AFLUB, lively, simple and fast takes up a lot of time.
It must be usable by all and selectable by all.
It must remain discreet, but people must be able to know who receives the information (list not distributed but accessible to subscribers).
Ivan Stol
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.
¶ Editorial
Here is Link No. 67 in its summer edition, that is to say sparkling and starry, all in lightness! Enough to distract you until the start of the school year!
Simon explains his other vision while Meredith Sprunger encourages us to act and be more determined; a little zest of serenity and double philosophy, both Hindu and Buddhist; a pinch of dream with the synthesis of the Alchemist and a favorite with the reference of a martial arts “ace” who very well relates her daily practice of her art of living and fighting …!
Guy from Viron
¶ Reflection: Another vision of the universe
I sometimes wonder if our scientists are really convinced of their theory about the universe. In reports on TV, on the radio, in magazines, or in education, existing things are always described as being due to natural selection. There is never any doubt, the existence of a creator is dismissed out of hand, yet the majority of the 7 billion human beings believe in it. Their theory about the universe is as follows:
After the Big Bang, the universe expanded in a fraction of a second, after the original spark. We are not told how the ignition took place. This theory defies the law put forward by the same scientists which says that the speed of light cannot be exceeded (At this point, I hold my breath for fear of being cut off).
Everything would have happened in an instant, in other words an infinitesimal energy produces a spark, and in less than a second, it travels 380,000 years over a width of 150,000 years, traveling as if in a cylinder that is constantly expanding.
Simon Orsini
¶ Hindu Philosophy: Principles
- The first principle: “Whoever you meet is the right person”. This means that no one comes into our life by chance. Everyone who is around us, everyone with whom we interact, represents something, whether it is to teach us something or to help us improve a current situation.
- The Second Principle: “Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.” Nothing, absolutely nothing that we have ever experienced could have been any other way. Not even in the smallest details. There is no “If only I had done it differently…, then it would have been different…”. No, what happened is the only thing that could have happened and must have happened for us to learn our lesson in order to move forward. Every single situation in life that we encounter is absolutely perfect, even when it defies our understanding and our ego.
¶ Maxien Quiz No. 18: The questions
Urantia
- When did Adam and Eve arrive on Urantia?
- What are the religions of the twentieth century?
- In Salem, Machiventa promulgated seven commandments modeled on the ancient supreme law of Dalamatia, which ones?
- Who was Abraham’s father?
- Melchizedek made a formal covenant with Abraham in Salem, which one?
- Thought Adjusters are classified into 7 orders, which ones?
- At the time of Gabriel’s roll call in A.D. 30, how many complete dispensational resurrections did Urantia experience?
Max Masotti
¶ Psychospi: The Seven Fundamental Realities X
¶ 7. Fundamental Actions: Brotherly Love, Creative Work, and Fulfillment in Service
When we truly believe in something, we act accordingly. Anyone who has had a momentous experience with truth, beauty, or goodness must share it with others. Living faith invariably creates a highly active personality. We may be reserved and objective about our social theories and religious philosophy, but we become missionary evangelists of those spiritual values that have transformed our lives. An individual who is dedicated to spiritual ideals lives and works to realize this inner directive. A religious person transforms faith into daily practice. Such tendencies of activity are indigenous to the divine plan of human development. God the Supreme requires growth and accomplishment in our lives. The main channels through which this evolution of personality unfolds are in our relationships with other people and in activities that provide for the necessities of life.
Meredith J. Sprunger
¶ Note 01: The Deity
In The Urantia Book the term “Deity” is applied to various divine personalities, whether solitary, existentially associated, or experientially associated, but the term may also refer to nondivine personalities. In the introduction a Divine Counselor points out several levels on which total Deity functions.
Chris Ragelty
¶ Reflection: Serenity
There is a state of mind that will surely help us to receive the answer to our prayers. Whatever problem we may have, however great our need, however urgent, pressing, or desperate the situation may appear, serenity will be an immediate help to us.
Serenity is the quiet and calm listening to the voice of God, to the exclusion of all others. Serenity is not a static inactive state of mind. It is a state of peace of mind based on absolute faith in God, in the God who is within us.
Right action inevitably follows serenity, for serenity lifts us above fear, uncertainty, and human limitations. Serenity is that state of mind in which we hear the “still small voice,” the state in which unwavering faith draws God’s good to us, gives us its manifestation.
Helen Moore Hopper
¶ Prayer
HOW EASY IT IS FOR ME TO BELIEVE IN YOU
How easy it is for me to live with You, Lord!
How easy it is for me to believe in You!
When my mind falls into perplexity or is overwhelmed with silence;
When the most intelligent people do not see beyond today’s evening and do not know what to do tomorrow, You give me the clear confidence that You exist and that You care that all the roads to good are not closed.
Above the peaks of earthly glory, I look with astonishment at this path that I could never have invented myself, this wonderful path beyond despair, from where I too can send to humanity a reflection of Your light.
And what I must tell them myself, You will give it to me, and if I do not succeed, it means that You have destined others for that.
Yes, Lord, all our sacrificed lives, our lame lives, our groans and tears, will all this not give an eternal and finished beauty? I feel with such clarity that what is in me is not yet all of me. I feel something very indestructible, something very, very high: Something like a burst of the universal Spirit!
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
¶ Reader’s Note
I would like to make a comment about an article in link 65. In the testimony “War Doctor”, Jacques Bérès is an extraordinary person dedicated to humanitarian work and his action is remarkable. He does not need praise to lead his fight. However, I believe that we should not take sides. Knowing that the rebels in their majority are jihadists and should not do things by halves. I do not even dare to imagine the fate of the Christians in the event of a rebel victory. Kind regards
Jose
¶ Prayer
REVEAL, LORD, WHAT LIES DEEP WITHIN US
Make, Lord, a man holy and great
And give him a deep, infinite night,
Where he will go further than ever before;
Give him a night where everything blossoms,
And may this night be as fragrant as wisteria,
And light as the breath of the winds, and joyful as Josephat.
Make it finally mature,
Let it be so vast that the universe is barely enough to clothe it;
And let him be as alone as a star
So that no one will surprise him
At the time when his face changes, upset.
Make the time of his childhood resurrect in his heart;
Open the world of wonders to him again
From his early years full of forebodings.
Let him be permitted to watch until the hour
Where he will give birth to his own death,
Full of echoes, like a big garden
Or like a traveler who comes back from very far away…
Keep us awake, at least once; reveal what lies deep within us.
Rainer Maria Rilke
¶ Synthesis: The Alchemist
Never give up on your dreams. Pay attention to the signs.
When you really want something, the whole universe conspires to make it happen for you.
No one should be afraid of the unknown, because every man is capable of conquering what he wants and what he needs.
Our history and the history of the world were written by the same Hand.
I live neither in my past nor in my future, I have only the present, and it is this alone that interests me. If you can always remain in the present, then you will be happy. Life will then be a celebration, a great festival, because it is always the moment that we are living, and this only. If you pay attention to the present, you can make it better. Forget the future and live each day of your life according to the teachings of the Law, and trusting in God’s care for his children. Each day carries Eternity within it.
We love because we love. There is no reason to love. I love you because the Universe conspired to bring me to you.
There is only one way to learn. It is through action.
All you needed to know, the journey taught you.
Live your personal legend.
Every man on earth has a treasure waiting for him.
Few men follow the path laid out for them, the path to Personal Legend and bliss.
A quest always begins with Beginner’s Luck. And always ends with Conqueror’s Trial.
Excerpts from The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
¶ Buddhist Philosophy: Mindfulness
Mindfulness (also sometimes called right attention, samma sati in Sanskrit) is a term derived from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama and designating vigilant awareness of one’s own thoughts, actions and motivations. It plays a central role in Buddhism where it is affirmed that mindfulness is an essential factor for liberation (bodhi or spiritual awakening). It is the seventh limb of the noble eightfold path.
The Principles of Mindfulness
Right attention or mindfulness consists of bringing one’s attention back to the present moment and examining the sensations that present themselves to the mind, how they appear, how they last for a while, and how they disappear. This practice allows one to realize directly whether a sensation is sometimes permanent or always impermanent. Subsequently, the practitioner will also examine matter, perceptions, positive or negative mental habits, consciousness, how all things appear, how they last and how they disappear. The observer remains neutral and silent (the “mental silence”) while examining the appearance and disappearance of pleasant, neutral or unpleasant sensations, without judging, without seeking to retain the pleasant sensation or to reject the unpleasant sensation. The observer learns detachment and gradually frees himself from matter, sensation, perception, mental conditioning, consciousness, and therefore from dukkha. If he chooses to abandon dukkha, it is because he is convinced that this phenomenon always has a double manifestation, joy and sadness, therefore “no definitive satisfaction”.
¶ Note 02: The consecration of choice
The consecration of a mortal’s or any other creature’s choice is nothing more or less than showing one’s willingness to share one’s inner life with God. See: (UB 111:5.1).
To share is to be like the divine God. (UB 111:5.1) And to share one’s inner life with the Universal Father is to be in contact with Him as often as possible, that is, with our Mystery Monitor. It is an invitation to reach the 7 psychic circles.
Chris Ragelty
¶ Pub: Little philosophical survival kit
Self-love does not encourage selfish withdrawal. It is a love intended to blossom in an embrace of the other. It is the love I owe myself every day in order to enjoy life and love others.
But what does this have to do with my self-defense and this relentless ejection?
If I do not follow Aristotle’s advice, if I do not love myself even a little, in this case if I despise myself because I have been thrown away, then every bond, every attachment seems hateful to me, both towards myself and towards others. I risk becoming in turn an ejection machine, an inflexible catapult. All this fragility that I despise in myself, I reject it in others; each weakness is a next victim. Each distress an irritating aversion. But if I manage to love myself in the greenness as in the dejection, I reconnect with the miracle of the heart. My tenderness widens to infinity, it deposits on each one a sparkling dust like the gentle caress of a benevolent wind.
Alexandra Ahouandjinou
¶ Credo: In You
THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN YOU IS STRONG
Your good is here. Accept it!
Your joy is near. Seize it!
Your power is within you. Make it effective!
Your victory is now. Claim it!
Your freedom is real. Affirm it!
Your abundance is overflowing. Share it!
¶ Reflection: Causes, effects V
Science, philosophy, spirituality, are inseparable in evolution.
Perhaps scientists will one day measure the manifestations of energy or force of gravitation of light or electricity. But these same scientists will never be able to say what these universal phenomena are. Science deals with physical-energetic activities, religion deals with eternal values, true philosophy comes from wisdom, which correlates quantitative and qualitative observations.
Scientists base their conclusions on purely physical considerations. It is logical to rely on mathematics, but in no case can it be infallible. Mathematics says that if a man can shear a sheep in ten minutes, ten men can do it in one minute. This may be true, but under unfavorable individual circumstances it may prove false.
Simon Orsini
¶ Maxien Quiz No. 18: The answers
Urantia
- Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia 37,848 years before the year 1934 of the Christian Era. On Jerusem they were jointly registered as number 14,311. UB 74:0.1
- The religions of the twentieth century are:
- The oldest Hinduism.
- The Hebrew religion.
- Buddhism.
- The teachings of Confucius.
- Taoist beliefs.
- Zoroastrianism.
- Shinto.
- Jainism.
- Christianity.
- Islam.
- Sikhism the most recent. UB 92:6.3-13
Max Masotti
¶ Brother Dom’s Little Corner: The Question!
- And what about happiness, does your book talk about it?
- Sure, wait… I’m looking.
- So you can’t think for yourself anymore? - OK, here I go…
Well, let’s say that happiness seems to correspond to an overall satisfaction of one’s mind.
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 Urantia Association International.
| 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.