Workshop - Scottsdale, AZ - Part 3 of 3
In creating a companion to the audio files found in the “Links” section, we strive to give as close a verbatim transcript as possible. Marsha Summers does the original transcribing from cassette tapes or CD’s and others do the final proofreading while listening to the audiotape.
Dr. Bob’s laid-back “Kentucky-ese” is retained – not correcting his grammar makes reading it sound like he’s actually talking. In addition, he purposefully used pronunciation and grammar as much as a tool to get your attention as the words themselves
(often switching up usage within the same sentence)
so we’ve made sure not to take it upon ourselves to “clean it up” for him.
Audience (laughter) is noted; he was a master at keeping the mood up!
(Audience participation is parenthesized and separated from his words.)
Dr. Bob’s emphasized words are in italics.
[Anything that offers clarity is added by the proofreader and italicized inside brackets.]
Continued from Part 2...........
The Host, okay? So the Host invites some new guests – the little ones – and he says, “Would you look after ‘em?” So you look after ‘em and say yes, you’d be glad to look after the new guests for a few days, a few weeks, a few months until they get “orientated” – years, whatever it takes. Then who are you lookin’ after those little ones for? For yourself, for them, or for the Host? And, of course, when you do it for the Host, you’re doin’ it for yourself because you’re very appreciative of being here and you’re never doing anything you don’t want to do, huh? So then you’re beginning to look after things for them.
So there is a field to be plowed and the Host says, “Well, we’re gonna plow that field out there today.” You don’t have to, you can always say, “No I’d rather sit in the shade.” And He’ll let you sit there, it’s all right. He doesn’t insist that you’re a servant, you are a guest – a privileged, invited guest there. So if you want to do it, then he gives you the pleasure of doing it. Who are you plowing the field for? Hmm? The Host. So he says some of the Host’s clothes got soiled – we’re gonna have a little laundry party. So who do you do the laundry for? Hmm? Would you then run screamin’, “I’ve gotta do the washin’ today?” Hmm? No. Who are you doin’ it for? The Host, right? And so some of the guests got a headache and they come over and the Host says, “So and so’s got a headache over there. You said you could kind of stop this. Would you see what you can do about it?” Okay, I don’t have to. But I say, “Yes, I’ll be happy to see what I can do,” and so you go over and stop the headache. Who are you doin’ that for? Hmm? You’re doin’ it for the Host. It’s his guests and he’s the one asked to do it.
So if we begin to see: Where we are, what we are, what we’re doing – we are quite through with what we’ve been doin’, we’re quite happy with what’s going on, we’re not all concerned as to why he put on the party, and what’s the whole purpose of having the party. It’s goin’ on – I don’t know why you put on a party but evidently it amused, interested you in some way. What difference does it make to me, huh? And you invited me as a privileged, invited guest. It’s quite an honor to be here, huh, at this big beautiful party? A very great honor to be here, a privilege. And I’d like to do a little something while I’m around. Not because I feel I should earn it – because a privileged guest doesn’t have to earn anything – but strictly because I want to be. And that way you become a companion to the Host, hmm?
And this makes Life one of the most beautiful experiences that I know of. No matter what’s going on, what’s happening, there isn’t anything to tear you up. You are in a state of joy, a state of experiencing, a state of feeling grateful, thankful – whatever word you want to use – a state where everything that you’re doing is being done for the Host. You know no fatigue. You may get sleepy once in a while and want to lay down and rest and take a little nap now and then, which the Host seems to provide a place for you to do so. But you do not know fatigue – that went out when you found out you didn’t have to do anything, you know? When you “had” to do the laundry, you “had” to take care of kids, you “had” to go to work, that can fatigue you. But when you find out what you’re doing – and you are really being privileged to do a little something around the estate and being a companion of the Host – you no longer are doing fatigue because you don’t have to. You might even say you’re “getting” to, hmm? Right? You’re getting to.
And so the Host has a lot of peculiar people here but they are very interesting to the Host. And when you begin to understand ‘em, you will find they are very interesting to you. The Host provides each one of us with a Teacher. It was like this big lodge thing that I was telling you about – the Initiation. When the whole thing was over, you found that half of the people that supposed to been candidates in there were “Degree Team.” And they was the ones that started all this commotion and everbody else went along with it by suggestion, you know? Somebody suggested, “This guy’s a bum,” and everbody said, “Well, fine, he’s a bum.” But both the guy that did the suggestion and the guy he suggested about were Degree Team. They were part of the show. You know, and you get snockered in all those things.
So, when you find out that the Host has set a lot of people here in this great party as our teachers. Now, people like myself and Stan, we’re not teachers. We are merely “awakeners.” We go along and disturb people enough to get awake to see what’s goin’ on.
But the teacher is the person who most annoys you in your everyday life – that’s your teacher. And the Host provided that teacher right there for you. And he’s always standin’ right here, you know, the Host keeps him up with you all day long – he’s on the Degree Team. So the person who most annoys you is doing exactly the same motive as you are – he’s just using a little different method, you know? So, if somebody gripes a lot and annoys you, you can be sure that you’re griping or doing something for the same purpose that that person’s doing their griping for. So then the best teacher we have is a person who most annoys you.
And it’s a peculiar thing that once you recognize that and see that that is a teacher and that he is doing what you’re doing and you quit doin’ it – you know, that person doesn’t bug you anymore. He works on somebody else then.
But you’ll get another teacher for the next game. [He laughs.] Suddenly the Host has another teacher there to teach you the next thing up, you know. So you do a lot of worrying or you’re highly suggestible to people’s worries and aggravations. You’ll find there is one comes right up and starts suggestin’ worries to you. And peculiar thing, when they’re doing that, you must be suggesting worries to other people a little bit, you know. Yours, of course, are different from the ones that they’re using; but the same method is to control. So as long as we’re trying to control people, there is a controller sittin’ in me; and when I see that and no longer try to control anyone by any means, by selling or otherwise, then all these controllers suddenly don’t bug me. They’re not in my existence anymore; they departed. They went somewheres else. They got another guy to work on, you know? I’m sure they don’t get relief, they just keep on but they go to work on somebody else right away.
But as long as I try to control people, there’s somebody trying to control me, right with me; and he’s always around, right by me somewheres. And as long as I try to be “schmoozie,” pleasin’ everybody, there’s somebody there tryin’ to please me and makin’ me disgusted with pleasin’ me. You know, it might come up as our friend said the other night, what about when you get too much attention? Yeah, somebody’s tryin’ to please me and I must be tryin’ to please somebody or I wouldn’t have that teacher there because the Host is providing that teacher right there with you to show you what you’re doing. And it takes us a long time to catch on usually, really does, takes an awful long time. But when once we begin to catch on to the system and we see what we are and where we are and what’s goin’ on, then we begin to know about our teachers real quick and we only have to put up with him a day or two; and then he no longer bothers me.
So in this, you approach what is known as “integration.” In other words, by understanding what we are and where we are, we put a stop to all disintegration. Disintegration is the struggle towards an illusion and as long as we’re strugglin’ away towards these illusions, we’re aging, sickening, falling apart, aging and dying. But once we see this and cease to and begin to live each moment doing what’s in front of me to do. Why – because the Host put it there. And how do I know it’s there for me to do – it’s in front of me to do, really. The laundry’s layin’ there, the dishes are there, the cook stove’s sittin’ there, the person with the headache is there. So the Host is saying, “Bob, you can do this.” And it’s just as much joy to cook dinner for 50 people as it is to relieve a headache or whatever the case may be. And, of course, I’ve managed to develop a talent or two and told the Host that I could work with people who were disturbed and who was upset and who had headaches and all these things. So He uses me and I’m very thankful for it.
And you never have to worry about loot because the Host provides you with food, clothing, shelter and transportation; and I don’t know of anything else that I could require in this world. And sometimes the clothes are better than others, but who cares? You know, the Host provided ‘em – I’m happy with ‘em. Sometimes the transportation’s better than others. Who cares? It gets you around. And He’s always provided us a cabana of some kind to live in. Sometimes they’re real plush, sometimes they’re rather rustic, but always comfortable enough and always there has been food. Some days He feeds you ranch style and some days gourmet style. Who cares? It’s good either way. Who wants to eat the same old stuff every day anyway, you know?
And all the little things that comes along are here for us to use and they all belong to the Host. And it’s very interesting to see somebody go around trying to accumulate a lot of the things the Host has, you know? It’s like I come in your house and picked up all the silverware. And you wonder what he’s gonna do; maybe he’s gonna clean it. But no, I get it in my pocket. And right after a while, I’m come gettin’ all the silverware around so I’m gettin’ loaded down and my suit’s pulled out of shape; but I’m loadin’ around with it. So I start out the door and you say, “Bob, you forgot to leave the silverware here. Would you leave it?” So I put it down. So I went to all that effort to struggle and carry it around for nothin’.
And I’ve noticed some people accumulated a lot of the “things” on this Earth – they thought – that belonged to the Host. And then some day the Host said you can go back where you came from – wherever that may be – and so they depart. And you know somethin’? They don’t get to take one snitchin’ more than they came with. So at this party, you come helpless, “nekkid,” without teeth and usually leave the same way. (laughter) You come in without hair, without teeth, without a coin, helpless, weak and you leave the same way. So it’s no use botherin’ with totin’ all the furniture around while you’re here, you know; it’s just a big waste of time and you miss the point of the whole show while you was here. But if you enjoy it, then there is enough of each of it every day. And I think there is many stories back through time that there is enough for today and when you try to accumulate it, didn’t it turn into rotten and got worms in it, Leo, or somethin’ like that? And it kinda does that to people, it seems.
So here is my experience – it is not yours and don’t accept it because I said so. But would you like to experiment with it and look around and see if this isn’t what’s goin’ on? And as you look and see what’s goin’ on, maybe you’ll find that really is what’s out there. And if you do, I won’t need to tell you what you’ll do about it because really it is the greatest joy in the world to know.
So all of our talks up until tonight has been about “dis-integration,” you know, how we kill ourselves and tear ourselves apart. And this is the one and only we talk about “integration” because integration is a by-product of discovery. It’s not something you work toward. It is the by-product of discovery.
I feel that what it is that we discover is: What am I, where am I, what’s going on here and what can I do? And the last is very simple. I can be a good guest and it’s so simple to be a good guest, isn’t it? You can act with simple good manners. Don’t find fault with the guest list. Don’t try to tell the guests what to do. And don’t nose into the dresser drawers as to why this is goin’ on and that’s goin’ on. And don’t nose into the personal affairs. And you find that’s what Life was designed to be – a great experience at a great and lovely party, and many interesting things to do and many other interesting guests around.
Now, you obviously…the guests were invited because they were interesting to the Host and all of ‘em won’t be interesting to you. Some of ‘em will be though. And some of ‘em’ll be very interesting. Some of them will be very little interesting. Some of ‘em you will probably just rather be on the other side of the party from and that’s quite all right. And there’s a great mass of ‘em won’t mean anything to you, you know – they’re just guests there. But remember they have their little groups all around, so you will find the group that you will fit in at the party and you won’t need to find any fault with those that don’t. If there’s one that don’t appeal to you, remember it’s very interesting to the Host and maybe a teacher for you and as soon as you see it, you won’t have anything to do with ‘em anyway. So I would recommend it that you experiment with looking this way. If it appears that way, fine; if it doesn’t, it don’t.
So now we have the end of five weeks of discussions. Some of you have been to all of ‘em. Some of you have been to a few. Some of you, this is the first one. Starting Monday, we will have three talks a week for the next four weeks. Now, we will cover everything that we did this time in five. The reason it ends in four – that I’m committed to a review class for all the teachers who work for Harmony Workshop the fifth week. So I will have everything covered and more than enough time and you will all have your same number of private appointments.
We trust that you have enjoyed enough that you would maybe like to repeat at least part of it. You’re welcome to one or all of the talks. And those of you that haven’t completed ‘em, why start at the beginning and you’ll find when you run back into the same place again. And also we hope that you have enjoyed it enough that you send your friends, your loved ones and I promise to treat ‘em nicely as good guests of the Host.
Is there questions? And it’s questions can be about anything, ever since five weeks ago. And I will try to feel the question in some way and if I can’t answer it, I’ll throw it at Stan over here, okay? Any kind of question that you would like about this one or anything else. Yes, Donna?
(You talked about those things that are – unclear.)
The unanswerable questions, okay?
(You said that the ones we really implanted in there, that we should understand those. Now, how do we –)
The ones that we have put in that we put in with, “Oh, why did so and so happen!” Those are fairly easily to recall because there probably wouldn’t be very many that you have put in with great emphasis. They would in no doubt possibly be the ones that you were practicin’ a great dose of self-pity that day about, is that right? So would it be fairly easy to go back and see, “Oh why did I have to get sick just at this time?” “Why did it rain on this picnic day?” and so forth like that. I believe you could recall the times that you have really indulged in great doses of self-pity. So I would try to recall ‘em. If you have difficulty recallin’ ‘em by yourself, I have techniques that’ll get you to recall them very easily. So I’m available, okay? For the Host. Does that answer your question? Okay. Frank?
(The one that comes to mind is you say that the person that bugs us the most is the one that is teaching us. I don’t actually understand that.)
Because that person who bugs you is doing the, working at the same motive you are. If you got somebody that bugs you. We’ll assume for observation purposes or for “elus-tera-tion” [illustration] that you would like to have a lot of attention. And you get around somebody who’s really working to get a lot of attention – he bugs you. And you want to get him out of the way, you see? So then you would be workin’ on the same motive, okay?
(I got it, you don’t have to tell me again.)
Okay. (lots of laughter)
(Well, when I thought about this when we were talking; but there are some people that do annoy me. For example, in business, there’s certain of the fellows that tend to be very independent and sharp with customers.)
Okay.
(And this annoys me because I think we should be rather helpful and rather kind to them –)
Right.
(– and there are other things that annoy me…the way they –)
Do you suppose that they would be working for that – for what motive would they be kind of sharp or not exactly real polite to the customer for? I wonder what their motive would be, Brent?
(I can’t figure that one out.)
You can’t, okay. Work on it a wee bit. See what their motive might be for doing this. Now it doesn’t matter; he would probably be that way to a customer and the person who was being annoyed probably would not do that to a customer at all, but might do it to an employee or to somebody else that totally they were probably unconscious of.
You see, most of the things that we do and somebody else is doin’ the same thing, we’re unconscious of doing it. And this is why we have the teacher who is there to constantly remind us that we are unconsciously doin’ what we observe them doing.
Okay, see if somewheres that’s the same purpose – now not the same method, you know; you wouldn’t really learn anything if it was just the same method. But they’re using a different method to gain the same motive. And so they would use it on your customers and that would not be very nice, you know and so forth. And maybe even you’d see it in somebody else’s store. It would still be very annoying. Having been in the retail business and in working with people who maybe I didn’t call customers – but were – I’m well aware of what you mean. And it is there. But it’s usually that when it is happening, we do something very similar and when we are no longer doing it, those kind of people don’t stay around us.
(What about ideas. There are people that have distinctly different –)
...ideas. Right.
(Let’s say they’re on a television set. I’m not even near them, I don’t know them, I can care less of meeting them. But I just am annoyed at what they’re saying.)
And is it because that they are rather propagating the idea they have? It’s not the…so maybe you don’t agree with the idea, but they’re really, “You should agree” with their ideas, is that about right?
(Well, potentially.)
It seems to be what they’re really working at is to get you to see things the same way they see it.
(Yeah.)
Okay. Try that one on for size sometime. See if the way you see things isn’t the way you want other people to see it.
(All right.)
Okay. So then when we see somebody else doin’ it, and especially they’re using an idea that’s not mine, they’re annoying to me. But if they were using my idea it would be all right, you know? But of course, they’re bound to have some different ones. And they would get just as annoyed at us wanting our ideas, you know?
I find some of the people work for Harmony Workshop get very insistent that everybody see it the way we do. I don’t care whether they see it that way or not, so nobody bugs me. But as long as you’re real insistent on ‘em seeing it the way we do – after all, this is great and wonderful and everybody should see it that way – then you find you got all sorts of people who’s going to be annoyed. And they get pretty high and mighty about it sometimes, you know, but they don’t do it to me.
One time not too long ago we had an occasion where a man made quite a tirade against Harmony Workshop and said but he had nothing but the “best of will to Bob Gibson” and he “didn’t want any of this tirade to rub off on him.” And I’m the guy that put all the work out! [He laughs.] So I thought that was most interesting; but I don’t care what he said about me and he knew it. And these other people were very insistent that they be constantly approved of and they got real nasty with him. It was kind of ferocious. That help answer that a little bit, okay?
(Along that same line, I guess my daughter is my best teacher and I perhaps am hers because we bug each other continually.)
They’re just alike. They’re just alike. [he starts laughing] One of ‘em’s a boy and the other one’s a girl but they’re just alike. Well, even without goin’ on, I met ‘em separately – they’re just alike. So they are excellent teachers for each other. They have the same motives and almost the same “modus of operandi.” Yes?
(One of the biggest hang-ups about this whole thing is trying to get these things to work for me. I think maybe it’s…is it that I’m trying to get them to do it in two weeks or a month or –)
May I make a remark? Try, instead of makin’ ‘em work for you, try to disprove ‘em. You remember I believe I said that on the first talk and everybody’s been trying to “make ‘em work.” As long as you’re trying to “make ‘em work,” you know…we were talkin’ the other night about provin’ things or so forth. Let’s try to disprove each principle one by one. You have a notebook and you take one principal at a time and attempt your very best to disprove it. And let me know next week how that works.
(Yeah, “making” it work isn’t a good word for it.)
But that really is what we’re trying to do is to demonstrate it in some way. And we specifically request – from years of experience knowing what’ll happen – if you try to prove it or try to make it work or something to that affect or try to put it into use it has a little difficulty. It’s very difficult. But if you will take one principal at a time and see if you can devise an experiment to disprove it, then I think you’ll find what you’re lookin’ for. And it doesn’t take two weeks, three weeks; it can only takes one day; and then it works.
(I’m just saying my problem with other people might fall into relating to something we’re already conditioned to do or make it so that it’d be compatible with present conditions.)
Oh, to some extent; and to some extent we’ve just always worked, “Well, I’m gonna prove this thing.” And we’re just goin’ out and make it work. After all, what am I spending my time goin’ over there every evenin’ unless it’ll work? So we’re gonna try to make it work. Yes, sir?
(Well, I think everybody – that we all want everybody to see what we see and to do what we want them to do. But to get them to do that now, do we do it by not lettin’ ‘em know we want ‘em to do it?)
Well, why do we want them to do what we want ‘em to do?
(Well, everything – if we’re dealing with people – we want them to see our way. If we have a little discussion on anything we want to prove that we’re right.)
Yes, sir. But this is your first night here and the rest of ‘em, most of ‘em have been here, this is the 15th night and I betcha the rest of ‘em aren’t trying to do that now. So will you come to 14 more and let’s see if that statement’s still true, sir? [chuckling] ‘Cause I really am not interested whether anybody sees my way or not, I could care less.
(Well, you want me to see what you’re – )
No, I’m really not. I’m just layin’ it out here and if you want it, that’s fine; it’s available.
(If I see it and believe it, I’ll tell my friends.)
Good, that’s fine.
(But if I don’t –)
You won’t see it, that’s fine, too.
(So you want me to see what...)
Not really. I hope you do for your well-being, but not for me. As I tell people, I get paid if nobody comes here. [He laughs] So it really doesn’t change a thing. But really, it’s like we’re settin’ out a lovely dinner and we invite everbody. So we set a lovely plate in front of you, but I can’t eat it for you. And if you don’t want to eat it, I know it was prepared well and set there. And if you don’t want to eat it, why we’re fine with it; we’ll just dump it away.
(Well, with too many of us we’re like the woman, you know? We don’t want to fight and don’t want to cry; I just want to hear you say I’m right.)
Right. (laughter) That’s what everybody’s lookin’ for and if they don’t get it, then there is a fight or a quarrel. But it’s well to throw something out without really mattering. It’s quite easy and you’ll find a great sense of freedom if you can say, “This is my opinion,” and you really care nothin’ whether anybody buys it or not. Then you have achieved a great sense of freedom in living and you will find that you communicate well with other people then. So, I respect everybody’s opinion, but I don’t always buy it. And I don’t always say he’s right and I sure would never say he’s wrong. In other words, I don’t know.
(And even if you know he was wrong, you wouldn’t say it.)
I would have no way of knowing he’s wrong possibly. But if I...doubt if I would hold back if I really knew he was wrong ‘cause I’m really come more apt to be practicin’ losing friends and alienatin’ people than I do winnin’ friends and influencin’ people.
(And if it was right today, tomorrow may –)
…it may be altogether different. So, as you go along, you will find that this major urge which you just mentioned – as to have everybody see things my way and to do it like I want ‘em to do it – ceases to be a source of motivation in the human being. So I will suggest that you come in a little while and prove me wrong. It’s just always our step – prove me wrong, okay?
(I figured you were going to give the talk on the rest of the Tone Scale.)
The top end of the Tone Scale from seven on up? When everybody’s ready for it or any one person is ready, I will do it – but not as a portion of curiosity. I could tell you what they were and it wouldn’t mean anything. But any time I see any person who is capable of really using it correctly and not making it important that they chase one of those, why then we will be happy to lay them out. But it’s so easy for somebody to decide, “That’s for me, that’ll make me happy,” and make it important and then they really get anxious. Okay, honey?
(But if you challenge us – if we came in and said I would like to know what the rest of it is, would you –)
And I thought you was ready for one more, I’d tell you that one, okay?
(And if you thought we weren’t, you’d say no?)
No, I’d say I’m busy today, dear – I haven’t got time to get on that. Why are you even interested in it, yes? It goes to 13 that we know of, okay?
(How do you keep a conversation from being competitive?)
Ask questions and listen, I guess. How would that be?
(What was the question Bob?)
How would you keep conversation from being competitive.
(I think that all conversation winds up being defensive or proving.)
That’s probably about right. Trying to prove something.
(If you ask a question – ) (The Master solved that one when He said, “Agree with thine adversary quickly.”)
Right. Why’re you in “yettin’” away with him? So you agree with him; but then, accordin’ to Don that would stop the conversation. So Don wants it to keep going and not get hung up. So the best thing is you ask the man, “Well, what do you think about it?” You remember we talked about that the other day, Don, that when somebody asks you a question and you don’t wanna get caught out in it too good, why you say, “Well, that’s a good question. What do you think about it?” Or you always answer a question with a question.
(Conversation is an exchange of ideas.)
Right. And how do we best exchange an idea? You work a bit in electronics, know something about computers, right? Information is stored in a computer in bits, right? And if you asked enough questions of anybody, you break what you wanted to tell me – your idea – down into bits and you ask me a question at a time. Even though I knew absolutely nothing about the subject and you broke it down and asked me a bit at a time, I will tell you what you wanted to tell me. Now we have truly shared an idea.
So, if you want to read up a little bit of where there was an ancient master at it, go back and get old “Soc’s” discourses a little bit. Socrates – he was a past master at makin’ people tell him what he intended to tell them. And it is still the best means of communication or sharing an idea is to ask a question; and this question elucidates a bit of information.
Now building on that, you ask the next question, and that builds up and pretty soon you have the whole idea that you wanted to relate to the other person; you have brought it forth from them. The Greek word or Latin word “educate” – our English word of “education” – comes from a Latin word of “educere,” which means to draw forth from within.
And the educator today is trying to use the student as a tape recorder. They round up and rattle off a bunch of stuff like we’re puttin’ on here and then they run it back and play it back on examination day and if it’s a good tape recorder, you’re a good student.
But the true education is to draw forth by bit by bit by bit from the person. If you ask a small enough question, you’ll find this is in programmed learning, which you probably use when much of your teaching is a form of program learning. Is it not? And doesn’t it go by bit by bit by bit? So this is still the best means of communication. And if you want somebody to listen, you ask him a question; and if you’re just standin’ there poundin’ his ear, he may not listen. So in conversation, the question interchange is still the most valid way of keeping it goin’ and it can go and go and go like a thousand and one nights.
(In other words he can’t argue with what he has said.)
Right. And he is going to bring out bit by bit. And if he comes up with a bit of information that don’t fit in your idea, you question that a little bit and rephrase your question. It’ll come out another way and you can draw forth an idea. In other words any of us can practice “educere” or education, which is the sharing of ideas when properly understood, not just hammer you out and say, “This is what I think!” and you say, “Well, I don’t see it quite that way!” and the fight’s on. That’s not conversation – that is an attempt at “conversion” on both of us’s part.
(When Franklin Roosevelt was President, he once had a gentleman call on him. And while the gentleman was there, he bent the President’s ear for about a solid hour and the guy was hardly able to say a thing. And after he had left, he turned to Burns, his Secretary of State, and he said, “You know,” he said, “that’s one of the finest conversationalists I’ve ever seen.”)
Right, “seen” but not heard.
(He never got to say a word.)
And if you ask enough questions and listen, you have been the best conversationalist a man ever heard because he got to express himself a bit.
(One thing about educing – when you educe by questioning, how can you take out what’s not already in there?)
It seems that it might be there if you break it down enough; you’re inquiring and X seems to hand it down bit by bit by bit.
(Is this what Teaching is – you put it…) [End CD 4]
CD 5 OF 5
[Begins repeating previous few lines.]
…his Secretary of State, and he said, “You know,” he said, “that’s one of the finest conversationalists I’ve ever seen.”)
Right, “seen” but not heard.
(He never got to say a word.)
And if you ask enough questions and listen, you have been the best conversationalist a man ever heard because he got to express himself a bit.
(One thing about educing – when you educe by questioning, how can you take out what’s not already in there?)
It seems that it might be there if you break it down enough; you’re inquiring and X seems to hand it down bit by bit by bit.
(Is this what Teaching is – you put it in there?)
No. That’s what conditioning is.
(Well, we’re not born with all knowledge.)
I’m afraid you might find that X has all knowledge. And if you present it by questions, one at a time, it will come through. This is where all knowledge came from. Where did the first guy learn about it? I said to someone the other day that all this school goin’ we do is to learn from some man who didn’t have to learn how to do it. So we can be a substitute for him, is that right? (Laughter) I said that all the school goin’ was to learn to be a substitute for a man who didn’t have to learn. Well, all right, the first man that flew an airplane, flew an airplane and then he taught somebody else to be a substitute. He didn’t have to learn; he just went out and flew the thing. But the rest of the guys got to learn. And you take all the professions and somebody started doin’ it and then they taught other people to be their substitutes, didn’t they, hmm? How many courses have you ever taken, dear?
(How many courses?)
Yeah, courses.
(Oh…a lot.)
All sorts of things, haven’t you? And did you take it from somebody that far enough back the line did it without learning it, he just got it out of X in his head and then he’s been teachin’ other people since then to be substitutes for the guy that didn’t have to go to school to learn it? Is that right?
(I thought I was gathering from everyone.) (Have to learn it some way.)
Where did Edison learn about electricity, for instance? Where did Burbank learn about flowers?
(1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.)
I think it was the other way around mostly though.
(He got it through inspiration?)
Inspiration. And this is the man then that can teach the other people how to do what he got by inspiration, if you want to call it inspiration.
(All knowledge comes from X.)
Right, that’s where it all came from. That’s where it all comes from.
(But you were able to become –)
Tune to it in that subject and if you’re really interested in somethin’, it’ll feed you all the data you want about that thing you’re really interested in. If you’re not interested in nothin’, it’s not gonna give it to you. It says, “If you’re not interested, I’m not gonna waste it to you.” But if you’re really interested in somethin’, it gives it to you. You know, how did the first man learn to play a guitar? He built the thing and played it. Then he teaches the rest of the people how to play ‘em, see? Inspiration. What he’s really interested in something and when you’re really interested in something, X gives all the information about it. Don?
(This brings us back around on: All information is there eventually unless the machine burned up. You would be able to pull that all back, you’d be able to call up this unfathomable question.)
If you can get the proper question, you can get the answer to it. Most of us are wondering how about the answer and we never consider the question and we put improper questions. This was what we’re talkin’ about – infinite loops. There were improperly put questions. So if you place the proper question, the question’s properly put, you’ll get the answer because it goes to X and X will give you the answer. But you put an improperly put question to X and there is no way it’s gonna answer you. It doesn’t say, “Well, you didn’t phrase the question right,” it just ignores you. You know, completely ignores you. But if you phrase the question correctly, you’ll get the answer. And if we spent more of our time in trying to figure out how to properly phrase the question and make the question up, than we are in answers – we’d have a lot more answers.
(I guess that’s really true then: If you ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer.)
....or none at all. Or none at all. (Laughter)
(There’s a lot more listening than talking.)
That’s very true; but also it’s...we’re talking about questions at this time. You ask questions, but you know we ask improperly put questions. This is even stated in Scriptures that “you ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss.” You phrase your question improperly; and if you phrase your question properly, you’ll get an answer for it – every time, right out of the bit. Huh?
(What’s the cost of the answer?)
It depends on the question, honey. [He laughs] I haven’t got the question.
(Give us an example.)
I haven’t got a question.
(One’s “assignment” I guess it to try and stay away from the word “why.”)
That’s one of the best ones is stay away from “why” ‘cause that’s nosin’ in the dresser drawers. (laughter) “What’s goin’ on here?” will help you out a bit; then you can get somewhat of an answer if you ask what’s going on somewheres. Now if you ask, “Why are we having this meeting tonight?,” there is no answer. If you ask “What’s goin’ on?” you can get an answer to it – that’s a good for instance. Stan, did you pull something?
(Yeah, you have the same kind of thing with yourself when you’re looking for discovery rather than to say, “Why did I do that?” say “What am I doing?”)
Right, but we don’t like to ask that question ‘cause that makes me responsible for it. Yes, Bridgett?
(How can we…if we’re interested in something and we read something, how can we retain it? I mean remember it?)
Try to forget it. Did you ever try to forget something?
(No, I always try to remember.)
Did you ever try to forget something?
(Yes, and I can remember that so well.)
Okay, you got your answer there now. Try to forget it. If you read something and you try to forget it, it’ll plague you from now on. I don’t read fiction because I see no particular place for most of it. Very little of it has any meaning. Some few pieces has a story involved in it – a parable-type thing. And if I read a piece of fiction that has no particular meaning, I want to forget it, you know? And so all night long the pages turn over and I read page after page even down to the numbers on it again. And so I don’t read fiction because I don’t want to catch it in my head. It doesn’t have any meaning and the pages just sit there and turn over and I read every word of it – every single word of it.
(I’m reading a real good book right now.)
But you’re making it important to remember it, aren’t you, because it’s a good book. So you try to forget all that stuff in that book – really try to forget it, miss, ‘cause you can always read the book again. So try to forget it so you can read each line at a time without the burden of the memory of the last one that you’re tryin’ to remember. You’re just gonna read each sentence. If it’s a worthwhile book, you don’t want to remember it, you want to read each sentence, hmm? You try to forget all the rest of it. You can always read it again for memory purposes, right?
(Yes, but I want to quote what I’ve been reading.)
Well, I know, but you don’t want to quote it first. You want to read one sentence at a time to see which ones it is you do want to quote and you can’t notice that if you’re trying to hold on to the memory of it. So forget it all the first time and then read it again for quotin’ purposes, okay? Experiment with it, dear. Okay, try to forget it. Okay? Then you’ll only ever read it once.
(Well, it’s all… well, if you’ve read it, it’s here.)
It’s bound to be there.
(And if you you’re crazy, you won’t, you know...)
Then you shut off the recall. Everybody has 100% perfect memory. You remember every page. Everybody has 100% perfect memory. Everything that’s ever happened to you since about three weeks before you were born is recorded in your brain perfectly and under certain circumstances can be brought out. What we have difficulty with is “recall.” And the reason we have difficulty with recall is we make it important. And that puts the little guy that runs out and knocks on the doors, you know, and says, “Who was that gal?” it gets him so excited, he hits on the wrong door, see? [He laughs.]
So when you make anything important, the recall, the little runner, don’t work. But the memory is 100% perfect unless you had a portion of your brain removed. Everything that has ever happened to you since about three weeks before you were born is recorded there and under reasonable activity, we can bring it out and show you. You can even read a newspaper page that you looked at six years ago – it’s all in there, every line of it. Yeah?
(Considering the fact that if we think about this thing as being a guest at someone’s place and so on –)
Not “think’ about it – recognize it, really see it, okay?
(Okay. And then playing the part of “being of a good guest,” can other people who do not think the same way and use other methods of –) [static and rustling drowns out rest of question and it ends with “…this book on meditation” –]
I read it. Um hum, I read it. I read the article.
(I figured you would have.)
Well, it was brought to me, so that’s how I read it.
(I didn’t read it – was it good? They suggested that those people were getting something and being very blessed and –)
Yes, I read it.
(– and so on and so forth.)
I read it. I’ve also talked to people like that; and then I’ve waited three weeks. I’ve also talked to people that’s been takin’ LSD; and they told me what great blessings they had and what great insights they had. I’ve had them too. And I’ve also been around the people who practiced so-called “meditation” as described in that article. And then I’ve had the privilege of earning many hundreds of dollars off of ‘em later. That help answer your question? For a while it’s “glory”…and then I earn a lot of money. Later.
(Dr. Bob, I thought – this all seems so much like work to me, this conversation. I thought that the whole part of being a guest was that I was there to have a good time.)
Right.
(So then I don’t have to really work at this, do I?)
No, so you’re you’re there having a good time. Don’t you have a good time gettin’ invited to my kitchen?
(Yes.)
You’re lucky if you get invited in my kitchen. (laughter) You’re lucky if you get in there, ‘cause I figure I can do better than you can and I won’t let you. [laughing] So yes, it’s all a lot of fun. This is a great party. It’s a great joyful. We’re here to be full of joy, not...
[unclear – people talking over each other]
Right. But this thing that you were talking about, Grant, there is many different things goes under the name of meditation – many different things. And the one particular that was described there, I have been fairly well acquainted with – not involved in, but fairly well acquainted with. And I’ve seen a lot of wrecks come out of it. I would not say that it’s bad. I wouldn’t say it’s good. If you ask, “Do they achieve the same thing as discovery?” – a very few do. Some do. And they do it – this what was described in the paper in that article – a certain length of time, and then they change. And that’s what was in the paper described there would be a slow, hard way – with preferably someone working with you that knew something about what was going on – to find the seven basic decisions. And then it loses its effectiveness after that. And if they don’t find that, then they only amuse themselves for a while, you see?
Because in many things it’s like the parable of the sower, you know, that people – the seed that fell on the rocks and the shallow soil, they sprung up, was all elated until the first hot day come. And we have hot days in this area, you know, and it will wilt those plants unless they have a root. And this is true of these. There’s many things that springs up and they, you know, at first are all elated; but the first hot day comes along then that separates the real ones from the kids, you see. Okay? And this is not finding fault with it because it does have a value if there is someone working with them that understands it.
(When you said that that’s beautiful – in the race track there’s a corner that they take at 180 miles an hour and they say that “separates the men from the boys.”)
Right. The driver’s from the amateurs, right? Okay. Jeannie, how are you doin’ there, babe?
(Very well. You know I keep coming back to that thought that we are still individuals but then X does everything for us.)
No, not everything for us.
(Well –)
It works with you…
(It works with me.)
Yeah, but not for you. Now when you try to make it work for you…it works with you, but not for you. Just like if you put the improper question, it ignores you. If you put the proper question, it’ll work with you and give you the answer. You eat proper food and it’ll build you a pretty body. You eat a bunch of junk, and it’ll make you sick. So it works with you...
(It makes me sick?)
Yeah, it makes you sick, sure, to get that stuff out of you. Give you the “upchucks.”.
(Yeah, but I thought you said, well, don’t eat –)
So X works with you, but not for you, dear, okay?
(Okay, I have another question.)
Okay.
(I was thinking the other day there’s one more thing that you could probably add to the seven basic decisions –)
No doubt.
(– I can talk about something and the devil can hear it and then it just turns around and goes the other way.)
Well, quite often if you talk about things you drain all the energy off of it. So we’ll say that you had a plan to build you a house or a business – you gonna start you a business, let’s say for instance, okay? And you had all your arrangements made. And you go up and down the street and tell everybody you meet about your plans, it’ll probably go a-fizzle. But I’m not so sure it’s because the devil bothered, it’s just because you drained all your energy off of it. So you “dood” it. Don’t blame it on the devil that time. He wasn’t there. He’s gone to get a short beer somewheres. So don’t blame it on him, you did it, okay?
(But the reason I say that is because Mother said that when she was a little girl, her mother would tell her, “Don’t talk out loud, don’t talk about these things because the devil can hear you.”)
That’s a good way to keep kids quiet. (laughter) They told me the booger man would get me if I didn’t be real quiet. (laughter)
[There was another unclear question asked but there was no response as the workshop was over and the tape ended.]
END OF CD #5 OF 5
END OF SCOTTSDALE ’69 WORKSHOP