ALONG THE WAY:

I am comfortable with uncertainty.

THIS MONTH’S THOUGHT:

Fear is an illusion.  Only as I, the observer, sees some idea of the self as an illusion, is it free of the tendency to identify with that idea. (Lesson 10, Science of Man)

SCIENCE OF MAN:

(Excerpts from Lesson 47) 

In the ideas of the Teaching is that a person attracts to themselves events that are in accord with their inner state of being….. In the language of the parables, it says that men do not gather figs from thistles or they do not gather pears from thorn trees and etc.  Now the type of tree one is refers to the inner state of that individual. And of course one doesn’t gather desirable states of being from an inner state of very undesirable state of being, one of suspicion or resentment or anger or fear….. You see a person is like every living thing, it operates on vibrations or we might say wavelengths.  The universe is a universe of energy. And energy is all on various waves or wavelengths.  So when a person is in a given inner state, they produce these kind of waves.  While most people do not recognize them, they are very real and they surround everything about the person.  You may know of certain people that you dislike seeing them come, because you usually feel depressed or unpleasant when they are around.  You may know of certain people that you may feel some reason for going to see them. But for some reason or another you find something to put it off, because you always feel so uncomfortable while you are around them. You may know of certain places of business that you do not like to go in and you’ll  notice, most other people do not like to go in them.  They’re kind of run down by now.   And as one becomes aware of these radiations, one begins to be aware of people’s inner states.  One knows the states of their inner being.  One might say one understands their thoughts.  Because what the mind is occupied is generally what the person’s state of being is.  If the person is in a state of fear, they’re constantly occupied by, ‘What if that catastrophe happens? Or what if this loss should occur? Or what if this doesn’t happen and I’m ruined?’

Whenever a great number of people in any country are in a state of conflict within, and of course, unknowingly, many times these are promoted.  Because it is easier for rulers to rule people in conflict than the ones that are at ease and peaceful and going on about their business.  If we get enough people in conflict, a war erupts somewheres. Because of the mass vibrations interfering to other’s mass vibrations.  Generally speaking as we see that man is in a struggle to try to change what is into the world idea of what ought to be.  And that he is a state of struggle.  We may understand why there is wars been most of the time through recorded history.  It is the natural expression of the inner state of man.  We could have all the leagues of nations, United Nations and every other conceivable organization dedicated to peace, but as long as the greatest number of the people are in the state of conflict, wars are going to break out. As one observes this, one begins to see that much of the things that man does to curb violence, possibly, actually produces the violence.  That while he thinks that control would decrease violence and that if the controls wasn’t there, that violence would come to an end…. We see that only by self-knowing, being aware of the contamination of the suggestions within that are in two opposing camps. “A” with it’s urge to complain, stick up for it’s rights, and blame.  On the other side, the pleaser, the believe and do what one is told by authority, and put on a different front.  And as long as this is within man, he will have the outward expression of wars, illnesses, crime, and all the other things. So that as each and every one of us work to know self, to be aware of the self, knowing self from moment to moment, without coming to a conclusion, without feeling that we come to an end of any requirement of self-knowing, we have made a little bit of a better world. We have added one person to one, and taken away one bit of conflict and struggle.  We have changed the vibratory rate of the nation to that much and to the entire world…..the self is the problem.  The self is in a state of conflict.  We study the conditioned man, bring it to awareness. And as we can share this with one person, we have done something….. And so our work and our effort is extended towards the inner state of man….  One doesn’t reform the world.  One doesn’t change it. One makes a contribution. One is looking how one can make a contribution to the inner world of man that it may be conscious.  So we would work and make our little contributions, whatever they may be, someway aimed and designed to awaken the inner man, to awaken to a questioning of mammon. Is the whole purpose of living just to be non-disturbed?  In the struggle to be non-disturbed man lives in slums, kills each other by the hundreds of thousands in wars, kills each other by the hundreds of thousands on highways, deprives great many of the ability to have the things that they can use. All because of the struggle within.

So there is not only Teaching by man to person, one to another, from lip to ear. But there is also Teaching by example.  There is Teaching by articles.  There is Teaching by cartoons. There is Teaching by every conceivable method.  As we mentioned last week, there is no orthodoxy in the means of Teaching.  Each person can find some way to share with other beings a possibility of the Teaching.  You can’t force it on them.  You can only make it available, something that possibly will entice the possibility of a questioning as to the purpose of living.  When this small event has taken place, it has made the person possible to be a student.  And once a student is ready, a teacher in some form or other will appear to that person.  Once you are ready, you will see untold opportunities to teach, possibly never as a formal person-to-person teacher.  Possibly never to a group of people in one set group all intent upon the study.  But there are all kinds of opportunities for each of us.  We each have a talent.  Maybe we have only one. But let’s don’t bury it in the ground and say I’m not capable as a writer. I’m not capable as a speaker.  I’m not capable as a performer.  I can’t make movies.  And we leave it all to the others. .  Every avenue of whatever channel we are capable of expressing through is open.  Because it is, possibly, the only thing that makes the earth evolve as a place for man to live.  Because the real evolvement in on the inner state of man.  We could have the finest highways, the finest airlines, the finest building, hotels.  And as long as the inner state of man is in a chaotic condition, in conflict, in struggle, all of that will be as nothing.

A STORY:

Aware that I am 100% subject to suggestion 100% of the time, I haven’t listened to the news lately.  I find the Weather Channel refreshing and interesting.

Conflict within.  Conflict without.  It’s happening all around the world.

So, what can I do about it?  I can refuse to buy the fear suggestion. (Duct tape is not on my shopping list.) Which, by the way, comes from the basic erroneous decision that the whole purpose of living is to regain the non-disturbed state.  The greatest contribution I can make is to do the Work.  As I, the observer, recognizes the illusions, it ceases to identify with those illusions.  The inner state can be cleansed of conflict, struggle, and resistance.  Then only peace remains. Peace within.  Peace without. This state is of great value to me.  All the cells in the body respond to it.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t have challenges.  Gratefully, Life brings into my experience exactly what I need to evolve. So, I’m not going to whine and complain.   Each encounter is designed to develop consciousness.  X is teaching the awareness to wake up.  For that I can be deeply thankful.

 I don’t know how to change the world.  I can be responsible for my inner state.  According to the Teachings, this changes the vibratory rate of the world.  This contribution to the Planet may be immeasurable.

CHURCH BULLETIN BLOOPERS:

(These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services.)

1. Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist.  Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.
2. Announcement in a church bulletin for a national PRAYER FASTING Conference:  The cost for attending the Fasting Prayer Conference includes meals.”
3. The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water.”  The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”
4. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
5. Don’t let worry kill you off – let the Church help.
6. Miss Charlene Mason sang, “I will not pass this way again,” bringing obvious pleasure to the congregation.
7. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.  They need all the help they can get.
8. Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions.  She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack’s sermons.
9. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24^th.  So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
10. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?”  Come early and listen to our choir practice.
11. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled.  Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
12. Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
13. The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind.  They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
14. This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the Church.  Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
15. The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment and gracious hostility.
16. The Associate Minister unveiled the church’s new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday:  “I Upped My Pledge – Up Yours.”
17. “Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house.  Don’t forget your husbands.