The Cosmic Citizen

We continue our study of Paper 112 Personality Survival, §2. The Phenomenon of Death. Here we learn something about the different ways in which a human person can die. 1. Spiritual (soul) death. If and when mortal man has finally rejected survival, when he has been pronounced spiritually insolvent, morontially bankrupt, in the conjoint opinion of the Adjuster and the surviving seraphim, when such co-ordinate advice has been recorded on Uversa, and after the Censors and their reflective associates have verified these findings, thereupon do the rulers of Orvonton order the immediate release of the indwelling Monitor. But this release of the Adjuster in no way affects the duties of the personal or group seraphim concerned with that Adjuster-abandoned individual. This kind of death is final in its significance irrespective of the temporary continuation of the living energies of the physical and mind mechanisms. From the cosmic standpoint the mortal is already dead; the continuing life merely indicates the persistence of the material momentum of cosmic energies.  (1229.9) 112:3.2 After death the material body returns to the elemental world from which it was derived, but two nonmaterial factors of surviving personality persist: The pre-existent Thought Adjuster, with the memory transcription of the mortal career, proceeds to Divinington; and there also remains, in the custody of the destiny guardian, the immortal morontia soul of the deceased human. These phases and forms of soul, these once kinetic but now static formulas of identity, are essential to repersonalization on the morontia worlds; and it is the reunion of the Adjuster and the soul that reassembles the surviving personality, that reconsciousizes you at the time of the morontia awakening. (1230.3) 112:3.5  http://tobtr.com/11883801

We continue or study of Paper 112 Personality Survival, §2. The Self. Here we learn something about the association of disparate realities which compose the human self; enabling its potential survival beyond this life. It would be helpful in the study of selfhood to remember:    1. That physical systems are subordinate.    2. That intellectual systems are co-ordinate.    3. That personality is superordinate.    4. That the indwelling spiritual force is potentially directive. In all concepts of selfhood it should be recognized that the fact of life comes first, its evaluation or interpretation later. The human child first lives and subsequently thinks about his living. In the cosmic economy insight precedes foresight.  (1227.10–1228.1) 112:2.1–6 Everything nonspiritual in human experience, excepting personality, is a means to an end. Every true relationship of mortal man with other persons—human or divine—is an end in itself. And such fellowship with the personality of Deity is the eternal goal of universe ascension. (1228.3) 112:2.8 As mind pursues reality to its ultimate analysis, matter vanishes to the material senses but may still remain real to mind. When spiritual insight pursues that reality which remains after the disappearance of matter and pursues it to an ultimate analysis, it vanishes to mind, but the insight of spirit can still perceive cosmic realities and supreme values of a spiritual nature. (1228.6) 112:2.11 http://tobtr.com/11876474

We continue or study of Paper 112 Personality Survival, moving on to §1. Personality and Reality, and §2. The Self. Personality has a perfected range of cosmic dimensional performance. The dimensions of finite personality are three, and they are roughly functional as follows: 1. Length represents direction and nature of progression — movement through space and according to time — evolution. 2. Vertical depth embraces the organismal drives and attitudes, the varying levels of self-realization and the general phenomenon of reaction to environment.* 3. Breadth embraces the domain of co-ordination, association, and selfhood organization. The finite dimensions of personality have to do with cosmic length, depth, and breadth. Length denotes meaning; depth signifies value; breadth embraces insight — the capacity to experience unchallengeable consciousness of cosmic reality. (1226.9–12, 14) 112:1.5–8, 10 It is through the mediation of mind that the self and the environment establish meaningful contact. The ability and willingness of the organism to make such significant contacts with environment (response to a drive) represents the attitude of the whole personality. (1227.5) 112:1.15 The human child first lives and subsequently thinks about his living. In the cosmic economy insight precedes foresight. (1228.1) 112:2.6

This week we segué from our serial study of the Mystery Monitors to Paper 112 Personality Survival.  We'll start with the introductory section with its 14 points known about personality; then move to §1. Personality and Reality, and §2. The Self. 3. It [the personality] is not wholly subject to the fetters of antecedent causation. It is relatively creative or cocreative. 7. Personality is changeless in the presence of change. 10. Personality is unique, absolutely unique: It is unique in time and space; it is unique in eternity and on Paradise; it is unique when bestowed — there are no duplicates; it is unique during every moment of existence; it is unique in relation to God — he is no respecter of persons, but neither does he add them together, for they are nonaddable — they are associable but nontotalable.  (1225.5, 9, 12) 112:0.3,7, 12 . Physical life is a process taking place not so much within the organism as between the organism and the environment. And every such process tends to create and establish organismal patterns of reaction to such an environment. And all such directive patterns are highly influential in goal choosing. It is through the mediation of mind that the self and the environment establish meaningful contact. The ability and willingness of the organism to make such significant contacts with environment (response to a drive) represents the attitude of the whole personality. Personality cannot very well perform in isolation. Man is innately a social creature; he is dominated by the craving of belongingness. It is literally true, “No man lives unto himself.”  (1227.4–6) 112:1.14–16 That personality is superordinate.  (1227.13) 112:2.4 3. http://tobtr.com/11866017

We concluded a study of Urantia Papers 119—The Bestowals of Christ Michael and 120—The Bestowal of Michael on Urantia. We continue to the nativity story of Jesus of Nazareth, Joshua ben Joseph, born in 7 BCE and the life and times of the peoples of his native land just in time for the Christmas season. Jesus did not come to this world during an age of spiritual decadence; at the time of his birth Urantia was experiencing such a revival of spiritual thinking and religious living as it had not known in all its previous post-Adamic history nor has experienced in any era since. When Michael incarnated on Urantia, the world presented the most favorable condition for the Creator Son’s bestowal that had ever previously prevailed or has since obtained. In the centuries just prior to these times Greek culture and the Greek language had spread over Occident and near Orient, and the Jews, being a Levantine race, in nature part Occidental and part Oriental, were eminently fitted to utilize such cultural and linguistic settings for the effective spread of a new religion to both East and West. These most favorable circumstances were further enhanced by the tolerant political rule of the Mediterranean world by the Romans.  (1332.2) 121:1.1 Joseph and Mary were poor, and since they had only one beast of burden, Mary, being large with child, rode on the animal with the provisions while Joseph walked, leading the beast. The building and furnishing of a home had been a great drain on Joseph since he had also to contribute to the support of his parents, as his father had been recently disabled. And so this Jewish couple went forth from their humble home early on the morning of August 18, 7 B.C., on their journey to Bethlehem. (1350.6) 122:7.4 Please join us to share the miracle of Jesus birth into human life and learn what made it so remarkable.   http://tobtr.com/11862371

Three weeks ago we began a study of Urantia Paper 120—The Bestowal of Michael on Urantia. This segués from Paper 119—The Bestowals of Christ Michael. Jesus came to this world to experience his final bestowal, life as a mortal being—the lowest of his personal creatures. The 6 previous bestowals were as various higher spiritual creatures in this universe.  As ruler of this creation, Michael (Jesus) stated succinctly that he came to live life on this world in order to be about His Father’s business. Said Jesus, "I am only doing the pleasure of the Paradise Sons who love and crave to understand their creatures."  Jesus "was not God in association with man, but ...God incarnate in man." Jesus "did not progressively become God. God did not at some...moment...become man. Jesus was God and man—always..." "[T]he supreme spiritual purpose of [his] bestowal was to enhance the revelation of God." Through Jesus, "the Father chose to manifest himself as he always does— in the usual way — in the normal, natural, and dependable way of divine acting."  (1331.2-4,6) 120:4.2-4,6 Michael receives further counsel and advice from his elder brother Immanuel, before he began his life as a human on Urantia. Among other counsel, "While you will live the normal and average social life of the planet, being a normal individual of the male sex, you will probably not enter the marriage relation, which relation would be wholly honorable and consistent with your bestowal; but I must remind you that one of the incarnation mandates...forbids the leaving of human offspring behind on any planet by a bestowal Son of Paradise origin. (1330.3) 120:3.8 Please join us to share this miracle and learn what made it so.

Two weeks ago we began the first part of a study of Urantia Paper 120—The Bestowal of Michael on Urantia. We previously completed Paper 119—The Bestowals of Christ Michael. It seemed only right that we should read this account of the 7th and final adventure that our Universal Sovereign made here on our world. This Paper introduces the time immediately before the beginning of His life and work on Earth. Jesus came to this world to experience his final bestowal, life as a mortal being. The 6 previous bestowals were as various higher spiritual creatures in this universe.  As ruler of this creation, Michael (Jesus) stated succinctly that he came to live life on this world in order to be about His Father’s business. Said Jesus, "I am only doing the pleasure of the Paradise Sons who love and crave to understand their creatures."  Jesus was not God in association with man, but God incarnate in man. Jesus did not progressively become God; God did not at some moment become man. Jesus was God and man, always. The supreme spiritual purpose of Michael's bestowal on Urantia was to enhance the revelation of God. Through Jesus, the Father chose to manifest himself as he always does-in a  usual, normal, dependable way. This paper candidly and touchingly portrays the words of counsel and wisdom given to Michael by his elder brother Immanuel, before he began his life as a human on Urantia. That he descended from Paradise and bestowed himself as a babe of this world, is miraculous. As the spiritual hosts proclaim, "The appearance in and on your world, by apparently natural processes, of a divine Son, we regard as a miracle—the operation of universal laws beyond our understanding. Jesus of Nazareth was a miraculous person." (120:4.5) Please join us to share this miracle and learn what made it so.

This week begins the first week of a new study, Paper 120—The Bestowal of Michael on Urantia—following on after our four week series on Paper 119—The Bestowals of Christ Michael.  Jesus of Nazareth came to our planet to experience the seventh of a series of creature bestowals; all of them celestial before he came to our world.  As ruler of this creation, he stated succinctly that he came to live life on this world in order to “have simply been about my Father’s business. I am only doing the pleasure of the Paradise Sons who love and crave to understand their creatures.'” [119:6.5] and "'I have come to proclaim spiritual liberty, teach eternal truth, and foster living faith.'" [153:2.6] This Paper introduces the time immediately before the beginning of Michael's life here on Earth. Having determined the time of his final bestowal and having selected the planet whereon this extraordinary event would take place, Michael held the usual prebestowal conference with Gabriel and then presented himself before his elder brother and Paradise counselor, ...Immanuel, in accepting the custody of the universe during the time of the Urantia bestowal, proceeded to impart the bestowal counsel which would serve as the incarnation guide for Michael when he would presently grow up on Urantia as a mortal of the realm. (1324.3) 120:0.6 (1326.1) 120:1.4 “Throughout your Urantia bestowal you need be concerned with but one thing, the unbroken communion between you and your Paradise Father; and it will be by the perfection of such a relationship that the world of your bestowal, even all the universe of your creation, will behold a new and more understandable revelation of your Father and my Father, the Universal Father of all. Come Join us for this intriguing study of Jesus' true purpose for coming here. http://tobtr.com/11847301

This week, we’ll finish our study of Paper 119, The Bestowals of Christ Michael, from The Urantia Book. We've followed the bestowals of our own Creator Son as he descended in his universe to achieve supremacy.  The ability for bestowal is an inherent gift of the Creator Sons. Divine Sons learn to become sympathetic, merciful, and understanding sovereigns by incarnating as lower beings. The Paradise Father requires that each Creator Son bestow himself seven times in creature likeness. From the highest order of being to the lowest order of being in his universe. This gives a Creator Son an experiential perspective of all of his creatures high and low. He is in all things, as they are, tried and tested. Creator Sons are never certified as sovereigns of their local universes by the Ancients of Days until they have acquired creature viewpoint through this actual bestowal experience. Our local universe sovereign, Christ Michael, made his first bestowal nearly one billion years ago (as time is reckoned on our world) and embarked on a new bestowal mission every 1,500,000 years thereafter. So far, we have studied six of seven incarnations: 1. A Melchizedek Son, during which he displayed matchless wisdom and superb devotion to duty. 2. A Lanonandek Son serving as a temporary replacement for a rebel system sovereign in constellation 37. 3. A Material Son in constellation 61, where he became an acting Planetary Prince. 4. A Seraphim in the corps of teaching counselors. 5. An ascendant mortal of spirit status on Uversa. Michael was sure to eventually incarnate as a mortal on an evolutionary world. 6. A morontia mortal in constellation five. Please join us tomorrow for the all important 7th Bestowal, as Jesus of Nazareth, a human on this very world.

This week, we’ll be continuing our third episode of study of Paper 119, The Bestowals of Christ Michael, from The Urantia Book. We've been learning these past two weeks that Michael, our local universe Creator Son, has "..acquired the viewpoint of his own creatures by actual experience in the environment of their existence and as these very creatures themselves. In this way such Sons become intelligent and understanding rulers; they come to know the various groups over which they rule and exercise universe authority." [(1308.6) 119:0.6] Last week we read about the third and fourth bestowals and noticed that Michael again did not choose to place himself in easy circumstances. On his third bestowal, as a Material Son, he functioned as an acting Planetary Prince and served in in the wake of the rebellion of a planet's Planetary Prince during the second system rebellion in the local universe and under a generation of his rule "effected the repentance and reclamation of the defaulting Planetary Prince and his entire staff and witnessed the restoration of the planet to the loyal service of the Paradise rule as established in the local universes." [(1312.5) 119:3.4] Michael's fourth bestowal was in the living actuality and likeness of teaching counselor of the order of supreme seraphim.  We had a fascinating discussion about this bestowal comprising 26 assignments over two centuries of Urantia time. This week we will cover his next fifth bestowal as Eventod of Uversa and sixth bestowal as "the morontia mortal of Endantum" and study their relationship to his seventh Urantian bestowal as Jesus of Nazareth. Join us for what will be an intriguing study of Michael's creature sojourns! http://tobtr.com/11839473