Closing Thoughts (Tape 48)

This is the beginning of the 48th week of listening, applying and working with the teaching ideas- seemingly to some people it is a very long time. However, it is almost nothing if we consider the number of months we have lived--all our lives--without really ever paying attention to the “self”.  We have observed that the “self” operated; that the I was mostly asleep, mostly controlled; and purely as a mechanical being by mammon and his cohorts.  We have observed the urge to be non disturbed, the ideal, the practices of self improvement of the six basic decisions.  We have seen them jump from one to the other sometimes instantly and that they have all been in charge.

So while one has spent many months, much work and much time, it is still possible that one only hears in degrees. Many people who have listened to the TEACHING, have practiced, and worked diligently; and after three and four years, have realized that they have heard something for the first time. They might say, "Why didn't you say that a long time ago?" And we might point out in transcripts of previous talks that such has been said repeatedly over the years, but it was not heard.

Many other things were heard. Many things that when worked on proved to be awakening items. So we do hear by degrees, not because of any fault, not because we are not paying attention to the best of our ability; but because I, the observer, has been asleep for many years and can not stay awake at all times, so it doesn't hear everything. It hears in bits and pieces. It hears by degrees.

So if we may suggest that instead of assuming that we know all about the material that we have been through, and that we have discussed it, that we drop that assumption and begin to use it again - like starting from the beginning. I believe you will hear many things the second time that you did not hear the first time.

However, we know that the last great enemy of man, vanity and pride, which is called death, will tell us that we have gained all that we can gain out of it, that we have practiced diligently, that we have done exactly as was suggested in the teaching, that we have used it; and therefore, we know all that is in it. However, if we can ignore Mr. Vanity and Mr. Pride for a minute and say, "we will find out," it will not be too much wasted time if at least once a week one goes back to the beginning, starts over, and listens to a discussion again, considers it and thinks about it.

You can go a little faster the second time; but I believe as you continue that you will see you are hearing things that you did not hear before, and that you are seeing a new relationship in many things that you did not see before.

The speaker has been involved in the study for some 40 years, and believe it or not, the speaker makes discoveries every day. The speaker would no more think of saying, "I know it all," than he would think of trying to fly off a high building by flapping his arms and hands in the wind like bird wings, because one has discovered over the years that there is an endless world to be discovered and seen, that new relationships are seen constantly, and that one discovers that one is a student of man.

When one has renounced everything as being of no value, one has renounced all the “self”, and then one becomes a student of other material that one did not see at all, that one did not hear in the teaching.

The great Master Teacher said, "Hear ye, ye can in no wise be my student until you have renounced all." So the first effort was to renounce. Maybe we have renounced all, and maybe there are still little corners of conditioning around, little pockets of vanity, little pockets of pride, little pockets of greed, and little pockets of some ideal that seemed so reasonable that we haven't seen. As we go through again, we may see some of those. If you do go through again, which I highly recommend, you will find by the time you are through the second time, you will realize you will always be a student.

Once one discovers this, one has embarked upon an entirely new existence - one of constant observation, one of being aware of things one was never aware of in a world where there are discoveries every day--sometimes many--never few, always discoveries every day. One will not think of self as a teacher. One will always see that I AM A STUDENT; and that the longer one studies, the more challenges there are, and the more responsibilities there are, and the more thankful one is for the TEACHING because one is seeing more and more relationships. One lives in an ever more beautiful world of relationships of every conceivable kind. As we do this, we are finding more and more value. We are seeing more clearly WHAT IS and the VALUE of what is.

Having been through this once, we have probably seen more than we have ever seen in all of our lives together before, but the second (or third) time through, one will see even more. From there on, I don't think anyone would ever need to recommend that you do it again. I think you would never cease, and that also you will see the TEACHING in symbol form in everything you come in contact with, in every relationship, in everything you hear, in every conversation.  You will be able to see both the “self” perform and you will see other selves perform in relationship. It is like being in an entirely different universe.

So one will not need to find it to be an effort. The first time through no doubt was an effort. The second time it will cease to be an effort before it is through. From there on, you wouldn't think of giving up your studies. You see it as the greatest gift, the greatest privilege that one has. So one won't need to recommend that you do it again.

We have spent many hours in making these discussions, keeping them in sequence, trying to get every essential point, making them very rich in meaning and knowing that no one, by hearing them one time, would comprehend all that is available in them.

And it has been a very great pleasure knowing that there is a way, at the moment, to divide oneself in order to multiply. One can't be in many places at the same time; but by the particular method that has been used here to share with others what one has observed, what one sees, makes it possible to be in one-hundred different places at one time. We find this a very worthwhile adventure.

Most of the time it will be impossible for the speaker to be in personal contact with you. However, from time to time we will try to be in contact with one or more to see how things are going, to see what recommendations you might have, and what questions you have come upon. Whenever it is possible, you will be given information as to where you may have a means of personal communication for your questions, comments, and what have you. However, as we said, it will not be frequent for many months. There are assignments to be taken care of that will not make it possible for us to be in personal contact whenever one might desire. If you have a question while you are studying, keep going. I think you will find as you go by again, you will probably hear the question answered for you. You will see a relationship you have not seen before.

With the tapes you can receive a book called "HEADLINES." We would recommend that you not only read it once as an interesting piece of trivia, but that you read it again and again. Having been conversant with the material for many years, even the speaker can read the book and though he put the words together, can still see new relationships other than the one he saw when he wrote it down. It is possible that you will also. Of course, maybe some of us are far more talented than others and saw it all the first time, but it is highly possible that there is other material to be seen.

We wish to thank each and every one of you for your contribution to making this work possible. It would not have been possible from the financial end of it alone for one individual to supply it. We see that you will find many ways to make a contribution to the work. We discussed that somewhat last week in our discussion. As you continue through the series of discussions again, as you continue your studies, and as you begin to see more and more that life everywhere about us is an expression of the teaching, you will find more and more ways of making a contribution.

We do thank you for your kind attention through these many weeks of study. We will be with you in SPIRIT whenever and wherever you are studying. We do trust that you will experience all the Spiritual experiences possible to man.

___________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 48 – Science of Man

Without commentary, additions, or changes to Rhondell’s original talk.
Bold Headings added by transcriber.
[Clarifications are bracketed]

If you have followed the discussions as they have been given and used them as it was suggested in the beginning, you have been… this is the beginning of the 48th week of listening, applying, and working, which is seemingly to some people a very long time. However, it is almost nothing if we consider the number of months that we have lived all our lives, without really ever paying attention to the “self.” That the “self” operated, and that I was mostly asleep, mostly controlled, purely as a mechanical being, almost, by mammon and his cohorts. That the urge to be non-disturbed, the ideal, the practices of self-improvement of the six basic decisions have all been in charge. 

So, while one has spent many months, and much work and much time, it is still possible that one only hears in degrees. Many people have listened to the Teachings, have practiced and worked, and after three and four years they have realized they heard something for the first time. They might say, "Why didn't you say that a long time ago?" And we might point out in transcripts of previous talks that such has been said repeatedly over the years. But it wasn’t heard. 

Many other things were heard. Many things that when worked on proved to be awakening items. So, we do hear by degrees, not because of any fault, not because we are not paying attention to the best of our ability, but because I, the Observer, has been asleep for many years and it can’t stay awake at all times, so it doesn't hear everything. It hears in bits and pieces. It hears by degrees. 

So, if we may suggest that instead of assuming that we have known all about all the material that we have been through and that we have discussed, that we begin to use it again. Like starting from the beginning. I believe you will hear many things the second time that you did not hear the first time.

However, we know that the last great enemy of man – vanity and pride, which is called death – will tell us that we have gained all we can gain out of it, that we have practiced diligently, we have done exactly as was suggested in the Teaching and we have used it and, therefore, we know all that’s in it. However, if we can ignore Mr. Vanity and Mr. Pride for a minute and say, "we will find out," it will not be too much wasted time if at least once a week that one goes back to the beginning and starts over, and listens to a discussion, considers it, thinks about it. 

Maybe you can go a little faster the second time. But I believe as you continue that you will see that you are hearing things you did not hear before, that you are seeing a new relationship in many things that one has not seen before.

The speaker has been involved in this study for some 40 years, and believe it or not, the speaker makes discoveries every day. And the speaker would no more think of saying, "I know it all," than he would think of trying to fly off of a high building by his arms and hands in the wind like bird wings. Because one has discovered over the years that there is an endless world to be discovered and seen, and that new relationships are seen constantly, that one discovers one is a student of man. 

When one has renounced everything as being of no value, one has renounced all the “self,” then one becomes a student of other material that one did not see at all, one did not hear in the Teaching.

The great Master Teacher said that "Hear ye, you can in no wise be my student until you have renounced all." So, the first effort through was to renounce. And maybe we have renounced all, and maybe there is still little corners around, little pockets of vanity, little pockets of pride, little pockets of greed, little pockets of some ideal that seemed so reasonable that we haven't seen. And as we go through again, we may see some of those. If you do go through again, which I highly recommend, you will find by the time you are through the second time, you will realize you will always be a student. 

Once one discovers this, one has embarked upon an entirely new existence – one of constant observation, one of being aware of things one was never aware of in a world where there’s discoveries every day. Sometimes many, never few… always discoveries every day. One will not think of self as a Teacher. One will always see that I AM A STUDENT; and that the longer one studies, the more challenges there are, the more responsibility, and the more thankful one is for the TEACHING because one is seeing more and more relationships. One lives in an ever more beautiful world of relationships of every conceivable kind. And as we do this, we are finding more and more value. We are seeing ever more clearly WHAT IS and we’re seeing ever more clearly the VALUE of what is.

Having been through this once, we’ve probably seen more than we’ve ever seen in all of our lives together before, but the second time through, one will see even more. From there on, I don't think anyone would ever need to recommend that you do it again. I think you would never cease, and that also you will see the TEACHING in symbol form in everything you come in contact with, in your ever relationship, in everything you hear, in every conversation. You will be able to see both the “self” perform, and you will see other selves perform in relationship. It is like being in an entirely different universe even. 

So, one will not need to find it to be an effort. The first time through no doubt was an effort. The second time will cease to be an effort before it’s through. From there on in your studies, you wouldn't think of giving it up. You see it as the greatest gift, the greatest privilege that one has. So, one won't need to recommend that you do it again.

We have spent many hours in making these discussions, keeping them in a sequence, trying to get every essential point, making them very rich in meaning, knowing that no one by hearing them one time would comprehend all that’s in it. 

And it has been a very great pleasure knowing that there is a way at the moment to divide oneself in order to multiply. One cannot be in many places at the same time. But by the particular method that has been used here to share with others what one has observed, what one sees, makes it possible to be in one-hundred different places at one time. We find this a very worthwhile adventure.

Most of the time it will be impossible for the speaker to be in personal contact with you. However, from time to time we will try to be in contact with one or more to see how things are going, to see what recommendations you might have, and what questions you have come upon. Whenever it is possible, you will be given information as to where you may have a means of personal communication for seeing your questions, your comments, and what have you. However, as we said, it will not be frequent for many months. There are assignments to be taken care of that will not make it possible for us to be in personal contact whenever one might desire. If you have a question while you are studying, keep going. I think you will find as you go by again, that you will probably hear the question answered for you. You will see a relationship you have not seen before.

With the tapes you have received there is a book that you received also called "HEADLINES." We would recommend that you not only read it once as an interesting piece of trivia, but that you read it again and again. Having been conversant with the material for many years, even the speaker can read the book even though he put the words together, and still see new relationships other than the one he saw when he wrote it down. It’s possible that you will also. Of course, maybe some of us are far more talented than others and saw it all the first time, but it is highly possible that there is other material possible.
We wish to thank each and every one of you for your contribution to making this work possible. It would not have been possible from the financial end of it alone for one individual to have supplied it. We see that you will find many ways to make a contribution to the Work. We discussed that somewhat last week in our discussion. As you continue through the series of discussions again, as you continue your studies, and as you begin to see more and more that life everywhere about us is an expression of the Teaching, you will find more and more ways of making a contribution. 

We do thank you for your kind attention through these many weeks of study. We will be with you in SPIRIT whenever you are studying, wherever you are and whenever you are. We do trust that you will experience all the Spiritual experiences possible to man.