Workshop - The Lord’s Prayer - Scottsdale, AZ 1970

The following is as close a verbatim transcript as is possible. Dr. Bob’s laid-back
“Kentucky-ese” is retained – we have neither corrected his
grammar, dialect, pronunciation
nor taken it upon ourselves to change his words.

Audience (laughter) is noted; he was a master at keeping the mood up!
Audience participation is (parenthesized) and separated from his words.
Emphasized words by the speaker are in italics.
If the words were unintelligible, there’s a blank: “_________.”
[Anything that offers clarity to the reader is italicized inside brackets.]

Audio: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bjsnni9menko397/AAAXm9X-MKTl3XGsaXmrSq08a?dl=0

CD 1

Some people, who had been students of Jesus, asked him to teach them to pray. So he gave ‘em a very short, concise, to the point little prayer that man’s been tryin’ to figure out ever since; but he’s usually pretty sure it’s not quite wordy enough. And in order to get it a little better, there has been many versions of it that’s had a little tacked on the end of it. But we’ll start with the first two words.

The first two words says, “Our Father.” Now that does a number of things. First, Jesus was the one that taught it, so it made him our brother all the way across the board – each and every one of us. It made each and every one of us brothers and sisters regardless of our color, our creeds, our ancestry, our nationalities, our ideologies, or anything else – we’re brothers. Because if we all have the same father, we're brothers. So he didn't say “my father,” or the “Jewish father,” or the “Gentile father,” or the “Caucasian father.” He said our Father, speaking for all the human race.

So if we only had the first two words of that prayer, we would probably be considerable different world than which we lived if we only observed the first two because we wouldn't very well be havin’ wars and contentions, and we wouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves over a little insignificant details. We wouldn't be contending at home and all these things because first off, “Our Father” puts us as all one. And that makes us by the same token the brother of Jesus.

Now, furthermore than this, it shows that Christ is in all men. So, when you find fault with a person, who are you really finding fault with? Hmm? Who are you really finding fault with?

(Christ.)

Christ. When you criticize someone because they didn't do what they "should do" and etcetera, who are you finding fault with? And then we call each other dirty names and insult and jump up and down and scream because, "You knew better than that, and went on and did it anyway." Again, we are. When we do anything for any form around us, regardless of what the name may be, who are we doing it for, if we are conscious and awake? So the two words, “Our Father,” comes up with tremendous meaning if we can see the meaning behind the two words. But of course we most often –

(_____.)

Yup, yup… most often like the man that was tied to the brain wave machine; it don’t get out of the room because we have no comprehension, no feeling, no relationship, no association. We just said the word because it was a formula taught by him and it must be safe. And so I'll rattle the formula off and that's a good magic form and it'll make things happen. It was all right. So we say it, and then we put on a whole bunch more because that way, why, we can be sure and get through the things we need to know that he says.

Also, when we say "Our Father," we are implying, too, that we are talking to one of greater wisdom than we are. And so we don't have to tell him what to do and we don't have to say, “You better straighten this out and be sure and remember to do this. And take care of this little thing over here because I know you'll forget it if I don't remind you,” and all these many things. We would see that we're talking to Our Father, which is then operating this universe; and we don't have to tell him exactly how to run it. Because evidently he's a little older – usually Father's a bit older than the child – and therefore, doesn’t have to say that things should be different than they are. So when we use this approach, we also are not wanting to change anything.

The next phrase is “which art in Heaven.” This would remind us to direct our attention to the invisible realm, the spiritual realm, or the meaning realm – to see meaning in all things. So he's in Heaven – not only there, but definitely there – “which art in Heaven.” Heaven being that realm of meaning, the area where everything is harmonious when you see the meaning behind things, there isn't anything you want to change or feel obligated or necessary to twist around to make over into your little "picture senses". And this reminds us not to be concerned that what the senses are reporting, but to see the meaning behind it.

The next word is “hallowed… be thy name.” Now hallowed means to hold in great respect, reverence that it is dedicated to all that's real, and that it is set aside from the profane or from the senses. “Be” is always in present times – now; the State of Being. So it is not once in a while or now and then or at some future date, or at some past date; but “be” is a State of Being-ing-ness – right now. Existence.

The word “name” does not refer to some name like "Darlene", "Bob", "Joe", "Bruce", etc. It is the nature of something. Now formerly everything that the name was to represent the nature. And if you recall in all the names given in the Old Testament, they always had a great long meaning. It wasn't that there was just a name – says well this is "in" this week to call kids Robert and then a few years later, it's "in" to name little girls Linda; and then in another few years, it’s all… you never see a Linda. And then in a little while, they name em Norma. And then Norma goes out of style and then somethin’ else comes in and it's done by style.

But in these days they studied the person and determined for a “nature” of it for using the name. Now the name we would say in this, is “hallowed be thy nature.” It would begin for us then to consider the nature or the purposes, etcetera, or the meaning of. The nature of God obviously is that of cre-a-ting. It is also the nature of having meaning to everything – no profane, just noise, and so forth. So we’d see the meaning of everything. We’d see the purpose of things. And we would also begin to see that Life is all ONE.

Next is “thy Kingdom come.” Now there is not a "when" in here, but most often we seem to imply it, is that right? We seem to put one in there even though it's not there. So “thy Kingdom come. ”Hmm?

(Sometimes.)

Yeah. We almost want to put in, in our mind: "when" and it’s not there, okay? So let’s ex it out right there. But you see that we've always read it in our understanding as having "when.” Huh?

So the Kingdom is the Kingdom of the invisible Spirit, meaning the reality, the existence and what is that? Is to me – right now. It's there, but let me have it.

(Say that again.)

The Kingdom is here. It is the realm of seeing the meaning or the spirit of everthing. You know if you would do something and somebody said, "Well he sure did that in the spirit of kindness." His purpose was to be kind. So his meaning, his intention was to be kind. So what it's saying is right now, thy kingdom come to me – consciousness to my consciousness – that I see the meaning or the purpose or the reality of things rather than just saying the words.

Next is “thy will be done.” Now, this is why we have put in this invisible "when" back here... is because we're saying, "His will’s not bein’ done; it’s somethin’ else going on now," huh? So, “thy will be done.” Now, what is the will of Spirit? Won’t you think about that for a minute, you know? This is what’s exercised: people so long tried to figure out what God wants, and what he don't like, what he does like, what his will is as though he's pretty helpless and couldn't have it if he wanted it. Huh?

One thing, it is balance and that’s already being done; “thy will be,” – which is in the present time – “done” which is past tense, isn't it? It's already done. And also that it will be in the past, future, and present: “Thy will be done.”

Now what is the will of God for me is to be conscious, obviously. That's why he developed me with a conscious apparatus, which I have not used too well. So this is another one – that when I begin to see the kingdom within me, this will is being created in me. I am doing that. I am exercising my potential or the potential I am given, that I will see meaning, that I will be a spiritual existence, that I will see the reality behind all the sensory expressions in the world. Hmm? So this would keep us to being – again – to be aware of what that’s around us. It’s a constant reminding to me. Not telling God what to do. “Thy will be done” on Earth, which is in the visible realm, which is in the sensory realm, as it is in Heaven.

Now, if we could see the meaning behind things, would we begin to act it out in the sensory world, hmm? Would you do that? You begin to see the meaning of things, you would not be all tearin’ up in the sensory world.

So the sensory world would become as harmonious as the internal one when we see the meaning first. That's why it says, “Seek first the kingdom of Heaven and then all these other things will be added unto you” because that is the balance for it, hmm? So when we see the meaning behind things rather than trying to argue and contend with that first decision, which is interested in which realm, Allen?

(The sensory.)

The sensory one. When we ignore it… this is the one we spend all of our time trying to get, huh? But when we see the Kingdom of Heaven that everything there is balance, and we see the relationship and the balance and the harmony in it, then the sensory realm begins to take place. But which one do we start on? The other way around.

So we are being reminded here that, first it's in Heaven and then on Earth. First comes the spirit of things and then the sensory. Now the visible things tells us, the senses tells us, just backwards from that, doesn't it? Hmm? The senses tells us just backwards from this. But the truth of the matter, when you see beyond it, this one comes first. Which one comes first? The Spirit.

Now this you will find in Paul's writing somewheres, who writes on dubious levels sometimes. Sometimes he's writin’ from the spiritual level, and sometimes he writes from the worldly level. He says the earthly comes first, and then the spiritual… which kinda shows you where he gets hung up sometimes. Because if you can get me a house built before you have a plan of it or an idea of it, I'd like to see it someday. I’d like to see most anything you can come up with before you can conceive it in the spirit level, hmm? I'd like to see that. And I would like to see a human body that first didn't have a Spirit to build it. Okay? So you kinda see these little things, they’ll get crossed on you sometimes. Now, which comes first – the Spirit or the sensory, hmm?

Here we’re asking that things will be on Earth as when the Kingdom come, and I begin to see where the Kingdom is. Then it’s things down here in my everyday affairs will begin to be as orderly and as harmoniously as they are in that invisible relationship. So I'll see the spirit of things first, then the Spirit will carry, then we will have the sensory level of things out here and our affairs will begin to be like they are, okay? What's the next line? Hmm?

(Give us this day our daily bread.)

“Give us this day.” Now, not tomorrow, not yesterday, and not for the future, but “Give us this day our daily bread.” Now that word "bread" is not necessarily just the old stuff you eat over here – “Wholesome,” you know, or “Rainbow,” whichever kind you get… one with “Roman Meal” or whole wheat. This refers to all that man lives by.

And way back down the road that word said trans-substantial, super-substantial, and a number of other things. It has been used to say this is what is meant by the bread taken in the communion, but it's not quite that either. It is all that man lives by – the truth that he needs for today, not for tomorrow. You only need enough wisdom for when, Allen?

(Now.)

Now. You don't need any for tomorrow, do you? Because it said tomorrow will have its own little challenges that we'll have the wisdom for it. So we're askin’ only for the wisdom for today. Now, this is one thing we're told that men can always pray for and never be upbraided and never left off is wisdom, huh? So, shall we say “give us this day our daily wisdom” – wisdom meaning to see the relationships and etcetera and to have the awareness to do this day adequately and see the relationships of everything I go into… so that I can respond harmoniously rather than to react sensorially.

And the next is “lead us not…” The next one is forgive us? Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. You know, most of us ask for forgiveness, but that's about where we stop, you know. We're only interested in gettin’ saved so we won't have to burn, so, "forgive me.” But this says, “see Agape,” does it not?

“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is to see that whatever I'm doing is just like whatever you're doing: I feel it's right, proper, and justifiable.

So if I'm askin’, “Father, forgive me, and don't rattle me over here because I did whatever I did. I thought that it was right or proper or justifiable at the moment. I saw that big stump and I was sure it was a bear and I want you to say, ‘Yeah, I thought it was a bear, too when I saw it.’ But now that other guy is just a bold-faced liar out there. He's a prevaricator. He's been tryin’ to pick on me.” See? So it says, “Let's have Agape.” This is a reminder to have Agape, is it not? Remind me that I can only do whatever it is that I feel is right, proper, and justifiable; and you can only do what you feel is right, proper, or justifiable, so how can I hold anything against you?

Now if I walk up and I feel you knew better than that, you’re pretty mean, but I’m gonna be good and forgive you. I’d say, “I forgive you [he pretends to mutter under his breath] If he does it again I'll curse.... [continues muttering] and it said seven times; let him do it two more….”, huh? Is that Agape? No! Nowheres near it. So this is only askin’ us to have Love. And we're asking for ourselves to have it, is that right? Not us to have Love.

If this were lived by, would affairs on Earth be pretty decent? Would we have wars? Would we have contentions, cheatings, and all these things? But how many times have we said it with just about as much meaning to ourselves as the bishop did that was hung on the brainwave machine? It didn't make a bauble. It didn't make a wiggle. It didn't make a squiggle on that little thing. But when he tried to multiply 368 by 13, it just bumped all over the place. You know, he was really puttin’ some effort in that. And how much did that amount to, you know? This would have had tremendous effort if he would have really been thinking it, and would it make a difference in your everyday life? If you really went through this with meaning – not seeing how quick I can rattle off [He says the entire Lord's Prayer as fast as he can where you can barely catch the words.] (laughter)

Have you ever been…Carl, did I say it exactly right?

(Just right.)

Just right, and the people respond, [again, he says it very, very fast] “Hail Mary, full of grace, bahdadadada, blupblupblup,” right back. And it goes through so fast and it does sound like American. (laughter) I’ve been there. [again, saying it very fast, unintelligible]  “And a very holy, holy…” [continues too fast to understand] Great formula, isn't it? You think the formula works, huh?

(It sounds like the prayer the priest gave us the other day__.)

I imagine it was probably it. (laughter) It was probably it.

We're talking about all of us. We're saying "us" when we do this because we've run through it because it was a form, it was a ritual; we've had about as much consideration when we’re doing it. Now a lot of other times maybe off on the side, we've tried to sit down and have a good royal discussion as to what it meant. And maybe picked hairs, and split hairs, and poked a few points and all these little things. But when we're doing it, how much meaning have you really put upon it, hmm? That right? How much comprehension? How quick you can get it over with? If you say ten of em, it's better than just one, isn't it, Carl? [he chuckles] You get ten times as much whatever it is you get. I think it’s zero… ten times zero is still… zero, hmm?

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation.” What would be the greatest temptation that there could be? To get us so comfortable that we'd go to sleep soundly. So if we got what we generally would pray for or what – we are– our mind is thinkin’ of when we pray, we would be led into the temptation of sleep. “Don't ever disturb me.” And the greatest temptation that we have is to go to sleep.

So would you, then, at the same time of thinking this, be so thankful for all these little disturbances that come along? And some of em is fair-sized – these challenges of every day that keeps you "disturbed,” if you please – so you don't go to sleep. Hmm? How about that, Missy Meryle? More and more, be thankful for em, because if you don't, you'll go to sleep.

“Lead us not into temptation.” The greatest temptation that anything could be done is that we would get carried away and ask that we be non-disturbed – the first decision. Don't let us live by that one because if we do, we go to sleep; and what greater temptation there is – to go to sleep when everything feels quiet and serene and smoooooth, huh? Yeah, then you begin to be thankful even when your old tummy brain jumps around a little bit. At least, you're staying awake and sayin’, "Here’s something's going on, I better look,” huh?

But we think we want… what we're asking for is for the Lord to lead us into temptation. That's what we hold as being good, is it not? That everything would be so serene. And the minute you get so serene, what do we do?

(Go to sleep.)

Hmm? Go to sleep. So then, we don't want that. So we would then, while we're saying lead us not into temptation, be thankful for all these little challenges and disturbances and annoyances and aggravations that go through the days – including the little physical pains. Because they do remind us to, at least, stay awake. It's like every time you went under, X said, "Hey, Norma, wake up!" [knocks on a surface] But you see we want that to go away, don't we, Meryle? We don’t want that. But it says, “Hey!” and so we stay back. And so then when we ask, “Lead us not into temptation,” we are, for a little while, thankful for all these disturbances that come around that aid us to stay awake.

But deliver us from evil. [pronounces it ee-vile] That's all that's vile, which is "conditioning.” Now, X is quick to deliver us from conditioning if we will but confess it or be aware of it. So that gives us a reason to check over and be aware of all the little bits of conditioning that we have ramblin’ around through, you know… Most of us have so little anymore, but you know there may be a little poke of it, (laughter) gets up there once in a while that says, you know, "Complain a little bit,” – not much, but just a little bit. Maybe just gently stick up for your rights. There's a little of it left. Maybe a little bit of doin’ what the authority says, might be a little bitty bit over there of blaming. Very seldom I'm sure, anymore. But at least it would say, "Here it is. I still remember it’s up and You forgive me.” Get rid of the evil, huh? Deliver us from the evil. But we have to confess it without condemning it or justifying – see it’s there. X is quick to remove it, it says.

And only X can remove it 'cause if I try to get rid of it… If I try to get rid of blamin’, who do I start blamin’, Robert? If I find I'm blamin’ em a little bit and I try to get rid of it, who am I blaming? Me. So I’m right there and tied up. All I can do is ask X to remove it, you see. But I gotta be conscious of it, okay?

And the next one then is…[pauses] That’s the end of it, isn’t it?

(For Thine is the Kingdom –)

Ah, that part we don't go with. That got written in by a monk in 400 AD. You'll have to leave me off of that part. "For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen,” was added in by a monk who was copying. They didn't have printing presses then, not even an offset from Dick or Addressograph, Multilith. So they had to copy these things and some monk remembered this sentence, which is also in the Old Testament. And he thought that would be appropriate to be there and so he put it over here and wrote up this line, "For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen."

The next copyist come along and said, "Well, he run out there and I'm gonna put it down here in the line." So he put it down and it's been there ever since. But it is not in the original one, in all the original manuscripts. And the first manuscript it showed up in was after 400 AD and that's the one they brought over on this side, way back down the road, too, okay?

Is there any questions on that, if you please? Any questions about the meaning of any words, phrases, etcetera, in the prayer?

(That’s kind of a long prayer, Bob!)

That’s almost an hour.

(Yeah, but I mean it’s so much longer when you think of it as–)

A whole lot longer than the way… well, we did it here real quickly, didn’t we? See, if we’d a done that properly and really got with it, we coulda had that said over several hundred times by now. (laughter)  And every time you say one of those, you get a what? A temporal indulgence of 40 days out of purgatory or somethin’ like that, isn’t it?

(You get off 30 days.)

You get off 30 days of your sentence is commuted. Or if you want to apply it to somebody else, you can have it done vicariously for them.

(____)

Why, sure, if we all just got busy with it, we could get most everybody out of purgatory today, you know – vicariously that is.

(When it was spoken in the scriptures about how Jesus prayed all night, it was more or less symbolic of how this is the prayer that we carry.)

Well, I think you that could take all night to say that, if you really considered it.

(But couldn't you also carry this here with you at all times as a conscious prayer?)

Well, I think that would be about right. I think if you was aware of the principles in it, you would forever be in the state of prayer. You'd be living a prayer – right. And it would take many hours if you took a word and then thought of all the meanings in that and they’re related to your affairs, would you always be in a state of prayer? Hmm? Always. Without ever goin’ into any others, okay? Another question? Yes, Ellie.

(What is prayer? I don't know any more.)

Prayer is achieving a higher state of consciousness; not in gettin’, not a “gimmee.” It's degenerated into our mind, into as a “gimme formula.” It is attempting for the person doing it to achieve a higher state of consciousness. Then it is worthwhile. If it's just gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme–

End of CD 1

CD 2 of : The Lord’s Prayer

…then, of course, it is an attempt to use it as a magic invocation to get what you want.

(Then prayer would actually be not saying a word?)

Right, man, right. It's all in the attention. You got to raise your consciousness unceasingly. It doesn't matter about the words. Miss Ellie? Again?

(Well, prayer to me now, is that all I can do is just say, "Thanks a lot for what I've got.")

That’s pretty good. And then the next thing would be to see now what can Miss Ellie do about raising in consciousness a little bit. But that's the best way of saying thank you, isn't it? Is that right? So, that would be the best way of saying thank you. You sure look pretty this morning, lady.

(Thank you.)

(Praise to them is saying, we talked about it being more effective when you –)

– askin’ for them for something.

(Asking for them.)

Right – instead of for self. And if you did do any askin’, it would ask for them; and the only thing worthwhile to ask for anybody is what, Dr. Lem? Consciousness – not that they get all the goodies they want and so forth.

(It illustrates in the scriptures where this is done in spite of the attitude/action for the people involved at the time.)

It still went up after a while, didn't it?

(It still went up.)

Right! So then if you ask properly... It says you ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your passions or your senses. Huh? And if you ask properly it's always answered, which is to raise in consciousness. Nancy?

(What point is it if you just ask for someone else to raise in consciousness?)

Huh? ‘Cause two or more agrees in faith, they will kinda do a little ______. Did you ever hear of non-verbal communication? Kinda works, dear. If you put your consciousness raised up, you can be in communication with another person. And sometimes all the words in the world don't get that communication. But if you are doing some straight-line, internal raised consciousness you connect with their portion of consciousness that can raise them to that level.

(Even if they're not...)

Oh, even if they're not at the moment. But now they had to ask. In other words, first, you remember, they had to ask. That's why you don't invade anybody's privacy with non-verbal communication, no matter how nice you think it would be for them. Huh? Unless they ask. Miss Cookie?

(What about our so-called prayers that have been answered? What happens?)

They were answered, weren't they?

(Absolutely. I don't understand.)

I didn't think you did. [he chuckles]

(This non-verbal communication, I really don’t –)

The only real communication there is, but go ahead.

(I'm a little confused here about, um… now if you don’t know to non-verbally communicate with somebody that hasn’t asked –)

Right. Well, it might happen, but you didn't do it as intentionally.

(What I'm wondering about is the correlation, the relationship, or something between that and Agape where you have understanding of what they're doing and why they're doing it –)

And you're not tryin’ to communicate; you're just communicatin’ with yourself there.

(– yet they seem to respond.)

Oh, yes, because you're not throwin’ out little invisible daggers all over the place. But you know they feel that. Did you ever see someone.... I'll try to illustrate this with a point. Did you ever see someone who hates dogs go where there was a nice loveable ole hound layin’ around? What’d the old hound do?

(Bit em!) (laughter)

Right! In other words, they were communicating the other way. But we would certainly not try to have anything. It's bound to be there. Okay?

(I've proved that a thousand times with dogs. I'm afraid of dogs.)

Right and you got bit hundreds of times. Chuck?

(Ask the mailman.)

Ask the Fuller Brush man.

(_____)

I know. Some of em, though – it’s a good excuse for some of em quittin’.

(Do you have comments on the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane?)

No, we’re takin’ the Lord’s Prayer this morning. We’ll take that one next time around, Chuck, okay?

(Prayer of what?)

Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane – that one is a few hours by itself, too, Chuck. Did you have one the same?

(Is a conscious experiment a true prayer?)

I'd say that's a very definite acting out the prayer, right. Mm-hmm. Very definitely that's a form of prayer.

(There’s a question in our mind –)

That’s an acting on faith. And when you're asking, when you say, "What should I do?" you're praying to the sub-conscious mind or the devil and it gives you two answers and let's you go.

When you say, "What am I doing?" X will tell you what you're doin’. Then it's up to you to see what your doin’. So it all depends on how you pray sometimes on other things. When you say, "What am I doing?" well, all this prayer is talking about “What am I doing?” and it keeps remindin’ us to what am I doing. You see, otherwise when we’re wantin’ to work for the senses, we say, "What should I do?" And you know who answers that one, don't you? Hmm? The little guys down there, they come runnin’ up and you got two answers every time, okay?

(I was just thinking – my little three-year-old again – she's come up with her favorite blessing on the food –I think is quite appropriate, and she says, "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.")

And let's eat. Right. What more does she need? That's telling her, that’s if she’s remindin’ it… and of course maybe she understands the words don't, but if you think on the words, it’s as good as any. Wouldn’t it be right? Maybe better – than many? Some of em I've heard so long that the food all got cold. (laughter)

Then one time I went to a place where there was about four or five people in a row. After several different meals, that got up and they had reminded the Lord to remember everything that was going on over in the Orient, be sure back look about the Japanese, and look about the Cubans, and get the Russians straightened out, and then all the relatives and by that time, the food was cold. So it came the turn of a young minister down the way to be the one that would say the blessing; and so he stood up, he said, "Off your feet, on your seat, let's eat, thank the Lord." (laughter) You know… [chuckling]

Yes, Faye.

(If you can show children how to have faith in the father and______.)

To have faith. What is faith, Faye? She said to teach your children to have faith in the Father, what would you teach them, is that right?

(Yes, in their prayer, ___________.)

Well, I think I would just go through and kinda tell them the meaning. That’s if you only took one phrase – start with the first one. That oughta last em until they're 12 or 14, maybe 50. The first two words, “Our Father,” might last until… a lot of people haven’t got this that I've run into that’s almost 50, so far. They haven't got through the first two words yet. And you might stay on that for several years. When you got to the next to that one well understood, go to the next one, okay? Would that help answer your question? I'm not being a smarty, Faye.

(Well, it’s just that I remember in my life that even though I was saying it wrong, it would help me to, uh ....)

Keep the habit.

(Yes.)

Okay. I'll agree to that. It kept you habitually doing it, right? And sayin’ the right thing. Does that really amount to much or did you just have a habit?

(Well, I probably had a habit.)

Okay, but it was an acceptable habit, and so it was very worthwhile for you. I think if you had really discovered the meaning of “Our Father” there, somewheres along the way, that it probably would have had more meaning than habit. I don’t know. Dr. Lem, you –

(I want to back that up because a little child that I gave this blessing said, “Well, we've been saying this all our lives. What's does it mean?” What’s it mean to start saying what you mean ‘cause I don't think children know .....)

That’s right. They've been saying it all their lives, huh?

(But they know it.)

Yeah, they know the words.

(They know that they've been saying it and they know that it doesn't mean anything.)

Right, it's just some words. It's like a nursery rhyme, isn't it? "Humpty Dumpty ran down the hill." I mean the same, uh… (laughter) Jack and Jill, wasn’t it? Jack run down the hill or somethin’? It all means about the same amount. If there is no comprehension of it, you know it’s just somethin’ you can do first, isn’t it, huh? It’s ritual.

(I just realized sitting right here right now, is what I've been praying for is “Father, please don't expose my conditioning.”)

Right, right. In other words, don’t bother; be sure and lead me into temptation, is that right?

(That’s right!)

So from now on why not just start off and say, "Father lead me into temptation so I can sleep," and then you're being honest with it, and then X will have something to do? Okay?

(All men, all children have to make all seven of these decisions. Or can X or we help X stop our children after they’ve only made the first decision?)

I don't know, Miss Cookie. Ask some authority – I don’t know. Experiment and see. I think they'll have em all made though, but you can struggle all you want to. It wouldn't be any great advantage. It’s just as easy to get rid of one… it’d be just as easy to get rid of seven as it is one. So I wouldn't fret about it. I don't think that's a real relevant question. Miss Pat?

(Something that occurred many years ago, I was _______________________________.)

Right. He probably was about right. He was somewheres baby-sittin’ and I wonder who was baby-sittin’ the parents ‘fore he got there to bug em? (laughter) He had to have some substitute to bug em before he got there, you know… to have an appropriate teacher, so they could have one. Okay?

So when we take this prayer or any semblance of it, if we can say it honestly, fine. If we say it without being honestly and are really doing it with the intention of going to be non-disturbed, I’d think we’d better take George's prayer and say, "Father, tempt me with sleep, will you, please? Don’t bug me, man," and let it go. You'll be a whole lot better off than you would to go through the one and sayin’ you’re saying it for one purpose, when really what we're doing. After all, our purpose, our intention, our motive is far more than the words.

Now, usually it’s like Miss Diane said, the kids are taught to do it – it's not nice to start gobblin’ up your food without sayin’ a prayer first. So it's like washin’ your hands, brushin’ your teeth after the meal and so forth. It’s a form, it's a ritual to go through with and that we feel bad to not do the ritual, you know. And we give about the same amount of thought to it as we did as to whether we really got the hands clean or whether we got em wet and wiped em off on the towel, which is about the way they do it, isn't it, Linda? [he chuckles] Get em wet. And the prayer is about the same effectiveness.

But prayer is the greatest thing in man's life if he uses it to raise his consciousness. And this prayer that's called the Lord's Prayer is probably the greatest series of concepts that if a person really considers them, that would result in a consciousness raised to the awareness level that I have ever seen or could conceive of, in any way. So, I think it's extremely valuable. But if you haven't got at least 30 minutes to work with it, don't bother with it.

(_______to see the meaning. When we sit down to eat the food –)

That then you would see that this is –

(…then whatever was there –)

Right. And it’d be awful meaningful, wouldn’t it? Right. And then it wouldn’t have to be a little ritual; it has some substance to it, not just the form thereof. It has some power to it, not just the form thereof. Is that right? We’re awful interested in the form; the substance we could care less about. Okay? Jeannie?

(This little boy ______________________________________________  , is that good_____?)

I’d say that was just as good as the one [starts talking very fast] he got down there, said, “Well I gotta get this done quick! Whoo!” I think that’s just about as good. (laughter) “There’s my sentiments, Lord – read em at your convenience.” You see? (laughter) At least he’s a little more considerate than most people. He let Him do it when He was pleased, instead of, “Hey, come here and listen to me now,” when He’s havin’ to listen to a few million other people. “So, read em at your convenience there, Lord,” – it means about the same. Okay?

Let’s take about 15 minutes break and we’ll come back and then, if you would like, bring up the written questions or drop em up here or somewhere, and we will discuss them. And they’re not necessarily mean questions to be answered, but points for discussion. 

End of CD 2

The following was written by Rhondell in the late 60’s, early 70's; there is no audio

OUR FATHER – makes us all brothers, sisters – all members of humanity, mankind, brothers and sisters of the Christ in all man. One of greater wisdom; we don’t have to remind Him.

WHICH ART IN HEAVEN – direct attention to the Spiritual realm, see meaning in all things, see what is behind the senses. “Be” is the state of being now. “Name”, nature of something, purpose, meaning or meaning of – nature of God, having meaning to everything. Creator, Life is all One.

THY KINGDOM COME – the kingdom is the Spirit of reality, right now, realm of meaning and Spirit. Come to me now that I see the purpose.

THY WILL BE DONE – balance to be done in the past, present, and future. Will of God – that I be conscious, that I exercise my potential. See the reality behind the sensory, to remind me.

ON EARTH – the visible, sensory realm

AS IT IS IN HEAVEN – If we could see the meaning behind things, would we act them out in a sensory manner? Would we live by the first decision? The Spirit of things comes first, then the senses. The senses say “No, we come first,” but they lie. The truth is that the Spirit comes first.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD – refers to all that man lives by now – the truth that he needs for now, the wisdom for today.

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US – Grant us agape and teach us to live by agape. Remind me that we can only do what is right, proper, and justifiable to us.

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION – the worst temptation, to go back to sleep. Be thankful for challenges and disturbances that keep us awake.

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL – all that which is vile, conditioning. Be aware of it, confess it, let X get rid of it.

AMEN – So be it.

Prayer – achieving a higher state of consciousness. It is a conscious experiment.