Lesson 16 (Suggestion, Sharing this Material, Spiritual Body Building)
(Re-evaluation and being aware of Suggestion)
(Giving Teaching to others)
(Being Harmless)
(The Spiritual Body)
[brackets for clarification]
To those of us who have practiced the work of self-observation this far; we have done it slowly week by week, have not tried to run ahead, and have not tried to improve upon it, we have been using it. And we have experienced certain things. One may have experienced a certain serenity one never knew before. One may experience that there is an absence of the resentment, the load and the burden of accounts receivable that one has carried about. One may be aware that anger and guilt are gone. One may be aware that the expectation is based more on what is and one may be seeing value in what is.
But powerful adversaries are still active in the world and one is little in the new world. So one is subject yet to suggestion. Sometimes it is called temptation. So temptation begins to be very active at this stage of existence. And we can be tempted into falling away from our state of being that we have just entered. We are little ones in the Kingdom. We are little ones in peace. And it is said that there are great stumbling blocks and woe to those who are the stumbling blocks, but they don't seem to notice that. So in the "world" that is around one, there is powerful suggestion at this stage.
So there is the beginning of a new phase of self-knowing. It is still self-knowing and it leads to still further experiencing, not only experiencing a new man; but if one continues in the work of self-observation, and its other phases, one will experience FAITH. One will experience GRACE and one may experience a much richer degree of AGAPE. It is little and it is new at this stage and while one is considerate, there is constantly the suggestion from without that one should be very proud of this state. One will find that there is constantly someone saying how wonderful it is and there is the powerful temptation to accept that idea.
This stage of self-observation is RE-EVALUATION. Now, re-evaluation is to put on a new value. It is to look at what is and always look for its value. You see, there are certain habitual values that the world uses, and they are constantly being suggested to one. So one re-evaluates every suggestion. Now there are two fundamentals we will use for re-evaluation:
1. That Whenever Anything Is Made Important, The Self Becomes Anxious.
Now, the only thing the "self" can make important is ideals, and one may be tempted by suggestion from the environment to consider that their state of being is ideal; and of course, that would be a stumbling block in one's way. It would cause a little one to get caught away, and one might have to start all over again. Now, this is not given as a warning or a threat. It is given as an aim to continue self-observation and self-awareness--to observe all "selves" within now and to observe what other "selves" are suggesting to one. Remember, because one is out of certain clutches, that it does not mean one is not subject to suggestion. So constant suggestions are still being made to one to make something important, and the only thing that can be made important is an ideal.
So we will re-evaluate every ideal that is suggested to one. Now, there will be suggestions to one that everyone should have this work explained to them, and of course, one experiences a certain feeling of peace or joy so one wants to share the work with everyone. That seems like an ideal to suddenly begin to try to teach everyone. If one does, one has succumbed to the ideal. It is quite a jolt if one does, and I hope you do not experience it; that instead you experience re-evaluation of all suggestions. Vanity says that one can do things. So it is an ideal that one can teach all one's loved ones, all people requesting information, all the people that are troubled. Vanity says it can do it, but it cannot be done. No one can teach another. One can only put out ideas to people who are already questioning the ideal that the purpose of living is to be non disturbed. This requires considerable effort.
[I've discovered that not only is it difficult to discern who is really questioning the purpose of living; but I've found it takes considerable effort to keep the ideas to myself when I'm around people in conflict who want to figure it out their own way……….Marsha]
It is the place in Agape that says in the new world that one is harmless. Trying to give information and trying to clarify something for a person who is only trying to find a new means of self-improvement, is to give them ideas which they cannot use.
Sowing Seeds
It is like the parable of the sower who went out to sow and some of the seeds he cast about fell on rock and the birds ate them up forthwith. This is the person who is looking for self-improvement (that's the rock). Some of it fell on very shallow soil. It sprang up; but on the first hot day it wilted. Again it is a person looking for self-improvement. They think the ideas will give them self-improvement. But the first day a second force interferes in their pleasure, their fun, or their non disturbance, they will forget all about it and go for another type of self-improvement. Some seeds fall among the brambles which choke it out. This is the one who wants both to self-improve and to learn new material. He want to have his cake and eat it to. And of course, as long as he serves mammon; (and mammon being very strong) the mammon will choke out the weak new growth. And so that one is lost. It says some of the seed falls on good soil and it brings forth thirty fold, sixty fold or a hundredfold.
So the good soil is that which uses it, practices it, experiments with it, and finds out its value. To give it to others is sometimes harmful to them. It is possibly better that we wait for a while because we all tend to value something that we really want. Something that is too easily obtained will not be valued. If someone comes along and offers Teaching to me when I'm not asking for it or when I'm really not looking for it, it will not be valued or used; therefore it becomes useless. Once a person comes to a conclusion that something is worthless (it didn't do what I wanted it to do) the future possibility of seeing is blocked. There is a fundamental.
2. When Once A Decision Is Made, It Is The Rule Of Attitude
Action Until Such Time As That Decision Is Discovered And
Reevaluated.
If we give the Teaching to a person who is trying for self-improvement (and that is what he really wants), the teaching will not give it to him. It will only be a fallacy to him; and he, of course, will come to the conclusion that it is worthless. Then some very drastic things may have to happen to that person before he may consider re-evaluating. He possibly will never consider it. So possibly we have blocked one by trying to do good in sharing our state with everyone who comes along. So we will re-evaluate what it means to be helpful. Now, the constant suggestion comes to us that we should help all people. It is really that we will work with anyone on the level of which they want to work. If they want self-improvement, give them whatever tidbits of it that are around. Or we might ask them questions over a period of time so that they might be given a little crumb that falls from the table that will get them to question the whole purpose of living. Without having questioned that (the purpose of living is to be non disturbed) the person isn't even a student of "self." Furthermore, we generally want to give the great things to those we want to help and we give it out of line.
Remember a few weeks ago when you started, that observing "self" was not a pleasant situation? We began to see things that some of us were horrified to discover that was in "self." We were quite horrified to discover vanity when we thought we were so humble. We had a very beautiful picture of "self" which was made up of everything we had heard through the years-everything we had been complimented on. We put all those compliments into our false picture of self (vanity). And we defended it. We not only see this in the individual, but whole nations form an illusion of themselves as being so wonderful. They're going to do good to the whole world and so they practice "saving the world". They're going to be helpful, they're going to be condescending to all other nations, and of course, this usually leads to wars because no one wants to be condescended to; and they don't want to be helped. Possibly they would not mind if someone worked with them. We can see that what is on the "inside of man" is expressed in his outward affairs, his nations, and his organizations. If you observe, you can see various institutions that feel "they" are the only true institution, that "they" have the only "truth"--and, of course, "they try to convert" everybody to see it "their way". "They" promise rewards and threaten punishments if one does not.
Being Continually Aware Of Suggestion
So let's re-evaluate every suggestion we hear. Now if one is observing "self", one notices the impact of suggestion. It is really like a physical blow. One hears it coming. It makes a sound like a bullet going through the air. It is suggested that one should be helpful. It is suggested that one should share everything. There is a great statement some place that sounds very crude, but a great Teacher said, "Do not throw that which is holy before dogs," and "Do not cast your pearls before swine" because if you do, the swine will trample them under their feet. The swine will defile them, misuse them, and then they will turn and rend you. In other words, you are still little in the Kingdom of Heaven. You still possibly have not experienced Faith to any degree and, therefore, do not have power. There is much to survive in the new world, much like a baby arriving to the earth world from the uterine world. It is in a very precarious position for survival and must be protected and somewhat defended. It is frightened by loud noises, by sudden bright lights and all such other sudden stimuli. When one feels a suggestion coming, it is like a noise to a little infant because one is little in the new world. So one observes these suggestions and immediately re-evaluates. We have an aim to be aware of suggestion and to re-evaluate it.
One such suggestion says, "If you do not do so and so, you will suffer great consequences of a dire nature." We will re-evaluate that suggestion! Another such suggestion offers one great rewards for doing a certain thing or not doing a certain thing. One will re-evaluate that suggestion!
Does that suggestion offer that I should have self-observation and find out for "self", or does that suggestion suggest that "I should accept the word of an authority", [these suggestions also come from within] or "I should accept something as being true because I heard it on the radio, or the television, or because it was written in a book, a magazine, or a newspaper?" The newspaper is full of suggestions. One has been reading them all one's life without noticing. One has built up a crippled, tattered, spiritual body.
Now the whole effort is to develop a strong, healthy spiritual body. In order to do it, it must not be contaminated. The spiritual body must not be infested by evil forces such as suggestions of various kinds. When a baby is little, we take every precaution to protect it from sudden and powerful stresses. We feed it with food that it can handle. The great teacher, Paul, said he couldn't feed a certain group of people with strong meat. He had to feed them with pap or milk. He gave strong meat to strong men.
So recognize that we are babies, infants in the new world and that, therefore, we must be protected and watched that we do not eat contaminated food; which are ideas that:
there are ideals,
that one should improve or
that one can improve the world,
that one can improve the earth-
that one has all sorts of do-gooder things to do, and
that one can improve other peoples by convincing them of certain viewpoints.
This is to eat contaminated foods (giving baby spoiled milk). It is not based on self-observation, and discovering for self.
The Teaching Insists That One Run Experiments And Discover For Self, Both The Truth Of The Teaching And The Value Of It.
So in this state we are going to reevaluate every suggestion. It is our aim. It is also well to check up to see if one accepted a suggestion from yesterday, and the day before. Sometime in the quiet of the evening or in the early morning check up on what suggestions one heard. See what is functioning within the being because these forces are intent upon tearing you out of that new world. Suggestions [with it's implication of threats and promises] is an enemy of the new world. Suggestion's whole being exists on the new world not existing. One may be experiencing the greatest joy and peace one has ever known, but that doesn't mean that one is beyond the capability of being suggested to. This is what we are going to observe.
So let's write down on a sheet of paper: The Suggestions I Heard Today. Then on another sheet of paper: The Suggestions I Heard Yesterday. Each day through the week we will observe these suggestions, whether we heard them audibly, whether we read them, or whether they were implied to us. We will write that down for today; and then we will check up at least once everyday to see about the ones yesterday. That way they will not have much toehold or force. If we should miss one today and get caught with it, it will be seen very shortly. This is the beginning of a continual effort of re-evaluation. It is building strength into one's spiritual body. It is nourishing the spiritual body because it is seeing suggestion.
A child is grown in its physical body somewhat when it can see traffic coming. It is capable of noticing certain food is not fit to eat, that a certain bottle is marked poison, then the child leaves things alone that are not fit for food or drink. Little ones might drink kerosene. They might drink household cleaning fluid. They might eat almost anything, including dirt, bugs or food dropped on the floor and soiled. They have no discrimination. Now we are little in the Kingdom of Heaven, in the new world. We are tiny babies born into a new world; a world of AGAPE, of CONSIDERATION, of HARMLESSNESS and of CONTRIBUTION. The wise little one knows he is little and observes carefully that he doesn't eat cleaning fluid, kerosene, spoiled or contaminated food. The food we are talking about is spiritual food that builds the spiritual body. It is very carefully examined because it comes in the form of suggestions from many sources and suggestions from those nearest and dearest who are in the same school one is in.
When we started, we said we each had a school. In other words, in the school of Life, we have someone we associate with or are in some sort of relationship with. It is just as well that that person is not a student. If they are a student, wonderful. If they are not a student, wonderful.
Maybe some of those very near to one make suggestions and we want to be "considerate." We feel considerate is being nice to them, but considerate means among other things that one considers suggestions and it also considers that the other person is unaware they are giving suggestions. To be considerate means to pay particular attention and, of course, that makes one considerate or well-mannered towards all people because one paid attention. But the word considerate does not mean to simply accept and be kind to all people. It means to consider instead of react. One looks at the situation, sees it in the light of self-knowing and in the light of the Teaching. The Teaching is a light that one can use for a while. One may not need always to use it, but it is a wonderful light to have around. One experiments with the Teaching and considers it and the value of it, and considers every suggestion that comes. Almost everything that is said is a suggestion. If you hear a suggestion in any of these discussions--check it out--consider it--be careful with it--experiment with it before you swallow it. You can always taste a food before you swallow it. You can taste milk or any liquid to see if it is fit to drink. When you report how it tastes, X says whether it is fit to drink or not. Sometimes one can overpower it and say that it is ok. One can taste of a suggestion or a group of words put together and see if they can be experimented with, finding out for self. If you taste of it and find that you cannot experiment with it, it might be well to leave it where it is until such time, place and circumstance arises to experiment with it. Then one has knowledge, one has knowing, and one has wisdom.
Definition Of Knowledge And Wisdom
Knowledge is seeing what is moment by moment.
Wisdom is seeing the value in something.
So one has what is and also checks out the value of it. When one is considerate, one is harmless to I, to Being, and one is harmless to other people because one was first considerate. When one is harmless to Being, to Self, one is making a contribution to survival, to evolvement, to being in a new world, to growing, to having a grown-up spiritual body. So to be considerate means to think carefully, to observe and to experiment with it, to taste of it, so to speak, before it is accepted or assimilated into the spiritual body. That new spiritual frame of reference is an entirely new creature and it is growing. It is made by a new education. The first education was just accepted by suggestion from whatever source it came from that we considered to be an authority. The only authority we will accept now is that we have experimented with it and tasted of it, and considered it carefully before assimilating it into this new spiritual body that is being grown, developed and evolving.
That spiritual body is one's most precious thing. It is more precious than the physical body. It is the thing that makes I grow. Now the Teaching idea is: that I has never grown--that it was born, and quickly put to sleep into a suspended state. It did not grow but the "self" grew, accumulated and developed a great amount of things that were very detrimental. So I (the awareness) is evaluating everything in the "personality", in the "self".
I finds that driving an automobile is worthwhile, it keeps it.
I finds that being able to cook is worthwhile, it keeps it.
I finds that being able to make clothes or raise a garden is useful.
I finds that having ideals is not useful.
I finds that having contention is not useful.
I finds that accepting suggestions is not useful.
It is now CONSIDERATE. This is the second education based on experiment and consideration. Now the "self" is diminishing and the real I is growing in strength and wisdom because it is accepting nothing that it has not experimented with. It is accepting no idea from whatever source (even from the Teaching) without experimenting with it, checking its value. Then when all of that has been checked out, it may accept it as food into the spiritual body. So the "self" diminishes and I starts to grow. We have reversed something. Something new is growing and becoming in self. It is evolving day by day. Is it where it can't be touched again? No! There is still temptation from the "world"--the "world" of the four ideas of the world,
1. those of ideals,
2. self-improvement,
3. signs and demonstrations of various sorts that "this is fact" and "that is fact" because something can be shown and above all,
4. blaming, which is really anti-agape.
As one keeps these little charts of what suggestions I heard today and yesterday, one is checking on the food supply of the SPIRITUAL BODY.
VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT OF LESSON 16
FROM THE ORIGINAL 48 TAPES ~ THE SCIENCE OF MAN
(Including: Suggestion, “Teaching” Others, Spiritual Body Building)
[Notes by proofreader for clarification are italicized in brackets.]
Recommended Work is italicized in bold.
To those of us who have practiced the work this far of self-observation, we have done it slowly, week by week. We have not tried to run ahead. We have not tried to improve upon it. We have been using it. And we have experienced certain things. We may have experienced a certain serenity that one never knew before. One may experience that there is an absence of the resentment, an absence of the load and the burden that one has carried about of the Accounts Receivable. One may be aware that anger and guilt is gone. One may be aware that the expectation is more based on what is. And one may be seeing the value in what is.
But powerful adversaries are still active in the world. And one is little in the new world. So one is subject yet to suggestion. Sometimes it is called temptation. So temptation begins to be very active at this stage of existence. And one cannot be tempted into falling away from their state of being that they have just entered. They’re little ones in the Kingdom. They’re little ones in peace. And it is said that there are great stumbling blocks. It says, “Woe to the one who is the stumbling block”, but they don’t seem to notice that. So the world one is around one is powerful suggestion at this state. So there is the beginning of a new phase of self-knowing. It is still self-knowing and it leads to still further experiencing. Not only of experiencing a “New Man”, but if one continues in the work of self-observation and its other phases, one will experience Faith. And one will experience Grace. And one may experience a much richer, richer degree of Agape. It is little and it is new at this stage. And while one is considerate, there is constantly the suggestion from without that one should be very proud of this state. One will find that there is constantly someone saying how wonderful it is and there is a powerful temptation to accept that idea.
So this stage of self-observation is that of re-evaluation. Now, re-evaluation is to put a new value, to see it consciously and to look at what is and always look for its value. You see, there is certain habitual values that the world uses and they’re constantly being suggested to one. So one re-evaluates every suggestion.
Now, there is two fundamentals that we will use for re-evaluation. One is that
Whenever anything is made important,
the self
becomes anxious.
Now, the only thing it can make important is ideals. One may be tempted by suggestion from the environment to consider that their state of being is ideal. And of course that would be a stumbling block in one’s way. It would cause a little one to get caught away and might have to start all over again. Now, this is not given as any warning or as any threat. It is given as an aim to continue self-observation, self-awareness, to observe all selves now, to observe what other selves are suggesting to one. Remember that because one is out of certain clutches, that it does not mean that one is not subject to suggestion. So it’s still constant suggestions being made to one to make something important. And the only thing that can be made important is an ideal.
So, we will re-evaluate every ideal as they are suggested to one. Now, there will be suggestions to one that everyone should have this work explained to them. And of course, one experiences a certain feeling of peace or joy, one wants to share it with the world, with everyone. And that seems like an ideal to suddenly begin to try to teach everyone. And if one does, one has succumbed to the ideal. And it is quite a jolt if one may – and I hope you do not experience it – that instead, to experience re-evaluation of all suggestions. Now, Vanity says that one can do things so it is an idea that one can teach all one’s loved ones, all one’s people that one sees requesting information, all the people that are troubled. Vanity says it can do it. But, it cannot be done.
No one can teach another.
One can only put out ideas to people
who are already questioning the ideal
that the purpose of living
is to be non-disturbed.
This requires considerable effort. And it is a place in Agape that says in the new world that one is harmless. Because one trying to give information, trying to clarify something for a person who is only trying to find a new means of self-improvement, is to give them ideas which they cannot use.
It is like the parable of the sower who went out to sow. [Matthew13, Mark 4, and Luke 8] Some of the seed he sowed, cast about, fell on rocks and the birds eat it up forthwith. This is the person who’s looking for self-improvement – that’s the rock. Some of it fell on very shallow soil and it sprung up and the first hot day it wilted. Again, it is a person looking for self-improvement and they think the ideas will give them self-improvement. But the first day a Second Force interferes in their pleasure or their fun or their non-disturbance, they will forget all about it and go for another type of self-improvement. Or some falls amongst the brambles and the brambles choke it out. And this is the one who wants to both self-improve and learn new material. He wants to have his cake and eat it, too. And of course as long as he serves mammon, mammon being very strong will choke out the weak, new growth. And so that one is lost.
It says that some of the seed falls on good soil and it brings forth thirty-fold, sixty-fold, or a hundred-fold. So the “good soil” is that which uses it, practices it, experiments with it and finds out its value.
To give it to others is, sometimes, to be harmful to them.
It is better that possibly we wait for a while and that we really want something, because we tend to value something that we really want. And something that is too easily obtained by somebody comin’ along and offerin’ it to me when I’m really not looking for that, is to put no value on it. And once a person comes to a conclusion that something is worthless, it didn’t do what I wanted it to do, that person has blocked the future possibility of seeing. Because there is a very fundamental that when
Once a decision is made
it is the rule of attitude / action
until such time as that decision is discovered
and re-evaluated.
If we give Teaching to a person who is trying for self-improvement – and that’s what he really wants – the Teaching will not give him something for self-improvement. It will only be a fallacy to him and he of course will come to a conclusion that it is worthless. And some very drastic things may have to happen to that person, or possibly never, so possibly we have blocked by trying to do “good”, by sharing our state with everybody that comes along.
So we will re-evaluate what it means to be “helpful”. Now, that constant suggestion comes to us that we should help all people. It is really that we will work with anyone on the level of which they want work. If they want self-improvement, give ‘em whatever tidbits is around of it. Or we might ask them questions over a period of time, so that they might be given a little crumb that falls from the table that will get them to question the whole purpose of living. Because without having questioned that that purpose of living is to be non-disturbed, that person isn’t even a student of self. Furthermore…
We generally want to give the great things
to those that we want to
“help”…
and we give it out of line.
You remember a few weeks ago when you started, that observing self was not a pleasant situation. We begin to see things that were some of us were very horrified to discover that was in self. We were quite horrified to discover Vanity when we thought we were so humble. That we had a very beautiful picture made up of everything that we had heard through the years be complimented – we had put that into the false picture. That is Vanity. And we had defended it.
We see this on not only the individual, but whole nations form an illusion of themselves as being so wonderful and they’re gonna do good to the whole world. And so they practice saving the world. They’re going to be helpful. They’re going to be condescending to all other nations. And of course this usually leads to war because they don’t want to be condescended to. And they don’t want to be helped. They possibly would not mind if someone worked with them. But we see this – what’s on the inside of man – expressed in his outward affairs, in his nations, his organizations. You see various institutions that feel they are the only true institution, that they have the only truth. And, of course, they try to convert everbody to see it their way and they promise rewards and threaten punishments if one does not.
So, let’s re-evaluate ever suggestion we hear. Now, if one is observing self, one notices the impact of a suggestion. It is really like a physical blow. One hears it comin’. It makes a sound like a bullet going through the air. One is suggested that one should be helpful. One is suggested that one should share everything. But still, there is a great statement [Matthew 7] that sounds very crude someplace that a very great Teacher said, “Do not throw that which is holy before dogs. And do not cast your pearls before swine. Because if they do, the swine will trample them under their feet.” It means they will defile them, misuse them. And then they will turn and rend you.
In other words you’re still little in the Kingdom of Heaven. You still possibly have not experienced Faith to any degree and therefore do not have power. It is much to survive in the new world, much as a baby on arriving to the Earth world from the uterine world is in a very precarious position for survival and must be protected and somewhat defended. It is frightened by loud noises and by sudden bright lights and all such other sudden stimuli. When one feels a suggestion comin’, it’s like a noise to a little infant, because one is little in the new world. So one observes these suggestions and immediately re-evaluates.
We have an aim to be aware of suggestion and to re-evaluate it. One says if you do not do so-and-so you will suffer great consequences of very dire nature. We will re-evaluate that suggestion. Another one offers one great rewards for doing a certain thing and one will re-evaluate that suggestion. Does that suggestion offer that I should have self-observation and find out for self? Or should “I” accept the word of an authority, accept something as being true because “I” heard it on the radio or because “I” heard it on television or because it was written in a book or in a magazine or a newspaper? The newspaper is full of suggestions. One has been readin’ ‘em all one’s life without noticing it.
One has built up a crippled, tattered, Spiritual Body. Now the whole effort is to develop a strong, healthy, Spiritual Body. And in order to do it, it must not be contaminated. It must not be infested by evil forces, such as suggestions of various kinds.
When a baby is little we take every precaution to protect it from sudden and powerful stresses. We feed it with food that it can handle. The great teacher, Paul, said he couldn’t feed a certain group of people with strong meat. [Corinthians 2] He had to feed them with pap, or with milk. And that he gave strong meat to strong men. So recognize that we are babies, infants in the new world. And that therefore, we must be protected and watch that we do not eat contaminated food, which are ideas that there is ideals – and that one should improve and that one can improve the world. That one can improve the Earth. And that one has all sorts of do-gooding things to do. And that one can improve other peoples by convincing them of certain viewpoints. This is to eat contaminated food or giving a baby spoiled milk. It is not based on self-observation and one discovering for self, which all the Teaching insists on – that one experiment and discover for self, both the Truth of the Teaching and the value of it.
So in this state we are going to re-evaluate every suggestion. It is our aim. And it is also well to check up to see if one accepted a suggestion from yesterday and the day before. Sometimes in the quiet of the evening, or in the early morning, check up what suggestions one heard. See what is functioning within being. Because these forces are intent upon tearing you out of that new world. It is an enemy of the new world. Its whole being exists on the new world not existing. And one may be experiencing greatest joy and peace one has ever known. But that doesn’t mean that one is beyond the capability of being suggested to. And this is what we’re going to observe.
So let’s write down a sheet of paper that says, “Suggestions I heard today.” And then another sheet of paper that says, “Suggestions I heard yesterday.” And each day through the day, we’ll observe these suggestions, whether we heard them audibly, whether we read it, or whether it was implied to us. We’ll write that down for today. And then we will check up, at least once every day, to see about the ones yesterday.
And that way they will not have much toehold and they will not have much force. If we should miss one today and get caught with it, it’ll be seen very shortly. And this is the beginning of a continual effort of re-evaluation. It is building strength into one’s Spiritual Body. It is nourishing the Spiritual Body because it is seeing suggestion. A child is grown in its physical body somewhat when it can see traffic coming. It is capable of noticing that this food is not fit to eat, that a certain bottle is marked “Poison” – that it leaves alone things that are not fit for food or drink. Babies, little ones, might drink kerosene or they might drink household cleaning fluid. They might eat almost anything, including dirt. And they might eat bugs or food that’s been dropped on the floor and soiled. They have no discrimination.
Now, we’re little in the Kingdom of Heaven, in the new world. We are tiny babies born into a new world – a world of Agape, of Consideration, of Harmlessness and of Contribution. But we are little. And the wise little one knows he’s little and observes carefully that he doesn’t eat cleaning fluid, kerosene, food that’s spoiled, contaminated. And the food we’re talking about is the spiritual food, that which builds a Spiritual Body. And it is very carefully examined because it comes in the form of suggestion – suggestion from many, many sources, suggestion from those nearest and dearest that’s in the same school one is.
You know when we started, we said we each had a school – someone we associated with or was in some sort of a relationship. And it was just as well that that person was not a student. If they are, wonderful. If they are not, it’s wonderful. And maybe some of those very near to one make suggestions and we want to be considerate and we feel that “considerate” is being nice to them. Considerate means, among other things, that one considers suggestions. It is also considers that the other person is unaware they’re giving a suggestion. To be considerate means one who pays particular attention. And of course that makes one considerate or well mannered towards all people because one paid attention.
But the word “considerate” doesn’t mean to simply accept and be kind to all people. It means to consider instead of react. One looks at the situation, sees it in the light of self-knowing, sees it in the Light of the Teaching. The Teaching is a Light that one can use for a while. One may not need to always use it, but it is a wonderful Light to have around. One experiments with the Teaching and considers it, considers the value of it, and considers every suggestion that comes. And almost everything that’s said is a suggestion. And if you hear a suggestion in any of these discussions, check it out, consider it. Be careful with it. See that it is experimented with before one swallows it.
You know, you can always taste of food before you swallow it. You can taste of milk, or any liquid, to see if it is fit to drink. When you report how it tastes, X says whether it’s fit to drink or not, usually. Sometimes we can overpower it and tell it that it is. But one can taste of a suggestion, or a group of words put together and see if they can be experimented with and found out for self. If you taste of it and find out you cannot experiment with it, it might be well to leave it where it is and see until such time, place and circumstance arises in one’s way that one can experiment with it. And then one has knowledge. One has knowing. One has wisdom.
WISDOM
is seeing the value of something. And
KNOWLEDGE
is seeing what is,
moment by moment.
So one has what is, and also checks out the value of it. And one is considerate. And when one is considerate, one is harmless to I, one is harmless to Being, one is harmless to other people because one was first considerate. And when one is harmless to Being and harmless to Self, one is making a contribution to survival, to evolvement, to being in a new world, to growing, to having a grown-up Spiritual Body.
So to be
CONSIDERATE
means to think carefully, to observe and to experiment with it...
to taste of it, so to speak,
before it is accepted or assimilated
into the Spiritual Body.
That new spiritual frame of reference is an entire new creature and it is growing. It is made by a new education. The first education was just accepted by suggestion – from whatever source it came – that we considered to be an authority. The only authority we will accept is that we have experimented with it, we have tasted of it, we have been considered it carefully before it is assimilated into this new Spiritual Body that is being grown, developed and evolving.
And that Spiritual Body is one’s most precious thing. It is more precious than the physical body is. And it is the thing that makes I grow.
Now the Teaching idea is that I has never grown, that it was born and was quickly put to sleep into a suspended state and that it did not grow. But that the self grew and accumulated great amount of things, developed many things that were very detrimental. So I, the Awareness, is evaluating everything in the personality, in the self. It finds that driving an automobile is worthwhile – it keeps it. It finds that being able to cook is worthwhile – it keeps it. It finds that being able to make clothes is useful, to raise a garden is useful.
It finds that having ideals is not useful. It finds that having contention is not useful. It finds that accepting suggestion is not useful, that it is now considerate. And this is having a second education based on experiment, based on consideration. And now the self is diminishing and the real I is growing, growing in strength and wisdom because it is taking nothing that it has not experimented with. It is accepting no idea from whatever source, even from the Teaching, without experimenting with it, checking its value. And then when all that has been checked, it may accept it as food into the Spiritual Body.
So the self which diminishes and I starts to grow. We have reversed something and something new is growing and becoming in self. It is evolving day by day. Is it always made where it can’t be touched again? No, there is still temptation from the world, the world of The Four Ideas: of Ideals, Self-improvement, Signs and Demonstrations of various sorts that this is fact and that is fact because something can be shown; and above all, Blaming, which is really anti-Agape.
As one keeps these little charts
of what suggestions I heard today,
what suggestions I heard yesterday,
one is checking the food supply
of the Spiritual Body.