(Q) Is the following outline of VIRTUE AND UNDERSTANDING
complete and inclusive enough to cover the lesson which we
should present on this subject? Please suggest any advisable
additions or changes, as I read this to you:
VIRTUE AND UNDERSTANDING
1. Introduction
2. Both virtue and understanding essential to right living.
3. Virtue and understanding are spiritual and can be found
only in the spiritual way.
4. The way to virtue and understanding open to all who will:
A. Become a channel of blessings to others.
B. Thoroughly acquaint self with self.
C. Have their ideal set in Him. The one way - the
straight and narrow way.
5. Faith, the chief cornerstone in acquiring virtue and
understanding.
6. Virtue, a defense; Understanding, a weapon.
7. The effect of virtue and understanding upon self and
others.
(A) This is well. Well that his be understood, that virtue
and understanding deals primarily with self and self's
relationship to the Creative Forces, or God, and that virtue
and understanding in self is REFLECTED in self, rather than a
JUDGEMENT upon another. Judge self by thine understanding
and thine own virtue, NOT another - for these are of the
spirit and must be judged by the spirit. "Judge not that ye
be not judged."
(Q) [
993]: Would appreciate a message from the Master that
may guide me now in virtue and understanding.
(A) As there is set before thee that thou has builded and
chosen in thine service, thine work, so WILL the harvest be,
if there will be kept that faith in Him who gives that
necessary understanding for the comprehension of the varied
conditions as present themselves as problems in thine daily
experience. There will not be those things that are not
understood, if there will be the opening of the heart to that
consciousness that comes from the closer walk with Him. Keep
the way thou knowest; keep the path thou hast trod in, for He
is able to DELIVER thee in every trial, in every way, for
unto him that is faithful comes the crown of life.
(Q) [
69]: Through what source may I gain a greater
understanding?
(A) Through prayer and meditation in Him, for He IS the way,
He IS the understanding, and the approach to all
understanding must come from the proper concept of the
relationships of conditions in the physical, the mental and
the spiritual phases of an individual's existence. In HIM,
then, is understanding. The approach to the Father through
Him.
(Q) What is the meaning of the words I got in meditation,
"18 carat gold", that was repeated over and over?
(A) That as had been the criterion with which the judgement
had been passed on those concepts that were in the mental
being of self, RATED as such from material standard.
(Q) [
379]: Is there a message for me regarding virtue and
understanding?
(A) In making those parallels, or those analyses of what are
the requisites for the closer relationships to faith, to
knowledge, to self, to cooperation, to the knowing of self,
to that of thine ideal, MEASURE these by the spiritual
aspects; NOT as man-made, or man's concept from the material
viewpoint, and there will come the more perfect
understanding. KNOWLEDGE is not ALWAYS understanding; for
these are as knowledge in the daily experiences that are as
miracles, yet they become so often as everyday facts that
there is no understanding in the mercies or the glories that
are showered upon the sons of men from an All-Wise Creator.
Few get understanding that have mere knowledge. Then the
fault lying in that which is as the standard of measurements,
in judgements; but get the understanding through the closer
approach to the throne, for he that has understanding may
move mountains.
(Q) [
404]: Please expand on the statement, "Truth is not
learned, it is earned."
(A) TRUTH is as experience. Hence IS an earning, through
the manners in which a finite mind becomes conscious of what
truth is. Hence truth is a growth, and hence an EARNING, a
yearning, a growing and is EARNED by he or she that applies
that known in the manner that IS in keeping with His will,
rather than that there may be the satisfying of self's own
desires. Not that man should deny that this or that force
exists, to make self believe, but rather that the truth is as
that which may be earned through the EXPERIENCING of the
knowledge and understanding concerning the laws of truth; for
HE is TRUTH!
(Q) Please expand on the statement: "Open our hearts to
those unseen forces that surround the throne of grace, and
beauty and might, throwing about us the protection found in
the thought of the Christ." [
262-3, Par. 16-A.]
(A) These expand by doing it! That's the best expansion!
(Q) [
2125]: Am I pursuing the right course for my
development?
(A) As ye sow, so SHALL ye reap. As ye remain in that
attitude of seeking, so will there be opened unto thee THAT
as is sought. In Him is the light, and no darkness at all.
Seek the way, and it will be opened unto thee.
(Q) [
2124]: Am I still on the straight and narrow path?
(A) That must be answered from within, to Him in whom thou
hast put thy faith, thy trust, thy hope, thy hereafter. WHO
am I to judge thee? "WHO is good?" as He gave, "NONE save
the Father", not even the Son of man. Rather in HIM is the
way, and "My Spirit", saith He, "beareth witness with thy
spirit whether ye be the sons of God or not."
(Q) Compilers: We have sent the paper on, "Present World
Conditions" [
3976-9] to "The Westerner", the Westerner
Limited, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, some weeks ago for
publication. We have received no reply from our letter in
regard to the paper. Should we write to publishers again?
(A) It has gone abroad. Wait at least a week.
(Q) Any message for the group at this time?
(A) Keep in the way as is set before thee, for much may be
accomplished in that THOU hast undertaken.
We are through.
BACKGROUND
