20 - The 20th of the 28 Principles in The Urantia Book

 the 20th of the 28 principles in the urantia book

The 20th of the 

28 Principles in The Urantia Book

The Great Question Number Five

5. Is the love of truth and the willingness to go wherever it leads, desirable? Then must man grow up in a world where error is present and falsehood always possible.

The Great Goal of Hue-manimal Existence

It is to the mind of perfect poise, housed in a body of clean habits, stabilized neural energies, and balanced chemical function—when the physical, mental, and spiritual powers are in triune harmony of development—that a maximum of light and truth can be imparted with a minimum of temporal danger or risk to the real welfare of such a being. By such a balanced growth does man ascend the circles of planetary progression one by one, from the seventh to the first.

The Urantia Book 110:6.4

On the Path to Understanding the "Mastery of Self"

It is accurate to say that "understanding" the 28 principles of "high mortal philosophy" found in Paper 48, The Morontia Life required the asking of many questions and not a small amount of meditative thinking on them.

The Creative vs. the "Lock Step Mind"

The 20th of the 28 principles in The Urantia Book is

the most simply stated of all of the others. Yet, while easy to read, it is difficult to apprehend and seize upon the deeper meaning in it.

So, let us approach that deeper meaning by looking at "the creative mind" vs. the "lockstep mind."

The dictionary gives up the following definition of "lockstep."

Definition of lockstep

1: a mode of marching in step by a body of persons going one after another as closely as possible

2: a standard method or procedure that is mindlessly adhered to or that minimizes individuality

in lockstep

: in perfect or rigid often mindless conformity or unison

politicians marching in lockstep with the party line 

 

So, it is "a standard method or procedure that is mindlessly adhered to or that minimizes individuality" that is most applicable to this exploration.

"Mindless adherence" is the beLIEf level of living. And while beLIEf may rise to the level of "faith," it is not "faith." BeLIEf is "fixating," and "self-imprisoning." Faith is ever elastic, ever-bending, ever-moving, ever-changing and ever-expanding.

Next, let us look at the definition of "creative."

Definition of creative 

1: marked by the ability or power to create : given to creating

the creative impulse

a creative genius

2: having the quality of something created rather than imitated : IMAGINATIVE

the creative arts, creative writing

 In this definition we apprehend the idea that the impulse to be

creative must expand beyond the self-limiting boundaries of beLIEf. 

One may beLIEve that he and she has the ability to do something and be something, but it is only the "allowing" and "following" the inner impulse that rises to the level of "faith" to be creative -- to act creatively.

Now, with these meanings in mind, let us explore the 20th of the 28 principles in The Urantia Book.

48:7.22 20. Only a poet can discern poetry in the commonplace prose of routine existence.

Turning this Principle into a Personal "I am" Declaration

I am a poet because I see poetry in all of life around me.

Always remember: it is not possible to grow into the "living spiritual value" contained within an intellectual principle typed onto a page; you must "internalize" the principle by converting it into a personal "I am" declaration of the person you desire to become.

• What does it mean to be a "poet?"
• What does it mean to "discern poetry in the commonplace prose of routine existence?
• Have you ever really given much thought to this?

Let us return to definitions.

Definition of poet

1: one who writes poetry : a maker of verses

2: one (such as a creative artist) of great imaginative and expressive capabilities and special sensitivity to the medium.

When an individual child of God thinks of the word "poet," the 1st definition of "one who writes poetry: a maker of verses" is the one which almost always comes into mind.

• But how often does definition number two come into mind?

Definition number two "one (such as a creative artist) of great imaginative and expressive capabilities and special sensitivity to medium" give us a more expansive definition of the word "poet."

But "allow" ourselves to be even more expansive in our grasping of the deeper meaning in "a special sensitivity which leads to great imaginative and expressive capabilities."

Next, let's look at the word "poetry."

• What is the first meaning that comes into mind when you hear the word "poetry?"

It is highly likely that most of us think poetry as meaning the "lines of verse which compose a poem."

The dictionary give us the following meanings:

Definition of poetry

1a: metrical writing : VERSE

b: the productions of a poet : POEMS

2: writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm

3a: something likened to poetry especially in beauty of expression

b: poetic quality or aspect, the poetry of dance. 

3a and b give us a more expansive and deeper meaning of "poetry," "something likened to poetry, especially in beauty of expression," and "poetic quality or aspect, the poetry of dance."

Next, let us take a look at the word "prose."

Here are the definitions which with which we have to work:

Definition of prose 

1a: the ordinary language people use in speaking or writing

b: a literary medium distinguished from poetry especially by its greater irregularity and variety of rhythm and its closer correspondence to the patterns of everyday speech

2: a dull or ordinary style, quality, or condition

The first two definitions (1a and 1b) are what most of us will think of when we hear the word "prose."

But it is definition number two "a dull or ordinary style, quality, or condition" which gives the possibility of a more expansive and deeper meaning of the word "prose."

Here, I think of the 5th principle of the 28, which states:

48:7.7 5. Difficulties may challenge mediocrity and defeat the fearful, but they only stimulate the true children of the Most Highs.

•  Are you beginning to see the more expansive and deeper meaning in the 20th of the principles in The Urantia Book?

It is only "one of great imaginative and expressive capabilities and special sensitivity to the poetic quality of the ordinary and commonplace routines of one's daily living," who is the true poet.

And the true poet is the master of his own tongue and ever-momentary actions in interrelationship with fellow children of God -- the "true character" child of God.

The 20th principle is about self-mastery. And it takes experiential spiritual courage to self-correct, self-discipline and exercise self-control, and ever-momentarily self-direct back to alignment with Father's will, by giving our most honestly sincere cooperation to the spirit-leading of the indwelling divine spirit--the Thought Adjuster -- all of which leads to self-mastery.

The 20th of the 28 principles in The Urantia Book correlates to the individual child of God vibrationally responding to the marshalling impulse of the fifth (5th) Adjutant Mind spirit of Counsel. The 20th principle is the fourth (4th) of the set of principles 17 through 20, which are the generalized requirements to experientially master the third (3rd) psychic circle of experiential spiritual fraternalhood, also corresponding to the fifth (5th) planetary age and the third (3rd) Mansion Training World educational and socialization equivalency requirements.

Note: Any of the first sixteen (16) principles representing the generalized requirements for the mastery of the seventh, six, fifth and fourth psychic circles of experiential spiritual intuition, experiential spiritual understanding, experiential spiritual courage, and experiential spiritual knowledge, which were not mastered (after entrance in the third (3rd) psychic circle) will be carried over into the third for further experiential acquirement.

The Great Goal of Hue-man Attainment

• I am the mind of perfect poise.
• I am housed in a body of clean habits, and clear and pure thinking.
• I am stabilized in neural energies.
• I am balanced in chemical function.
• I am ever-momentarily transferring all mortal experiential meanings and values into the unifying whole.
• I am ever-momentarily unifying the physical, mental, and spiritual powers with the "I am that I am" personality. 
• I am ever-momentarily giving you, my indwelling divine partner and Thought Controller, my most honest, sincere, and dedicated cooperation in attaining to "supremacy of spirit domination over mind and matter."

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Supplemental Reading

• What are the four cosmic dimensions of personality unification?

1. Body                            1. self-correction 

2. Mind                           2. self-discipline / self-control

3. Soul                             3. self-direction to spirit-leading,

4. Spirit                           4. self-mastery

Personality unity self-realizes supremacy of spirit domination over mind and matter.

What is your definition of religion?

How do you define 'your religion?'

How do you keep your religion...pure...?

Personal religion must be kept uncontaminated by:

1. maintaining a self-corrective philosophy of daily living.

2. maintaining non-involvement and impartiality with regard to all social, economic, and political alliances.

3. seeking out and maintaining creative, comforting, and love-expanding relations with one's fellow beings.

4. enhancing personal progress of spiritual insight and the appreciation of cosmic values.

5. prevention of fanaticism by the compensations of the scientific mental attitude.

What is a character deficiency?

What is self-correction of a character-deficiency?

What are the steps involved in correcting one's own character-deficiencies?

What replaces a character-deficiency?

Does a character-deficiency automatically disappear when one is exercising self-correction, self-control and self-direction?

1. Self-correction.

99:3.7 The great weakness of all this unrecognized and unconscious type of religious activity is that it is unable to profit from open religious criticism and thereby attain to profitable levels of self-correction. It is a fact that religion does not grow unless it is disciplined by constructive criticism, amplified by philosophy, purified by science, and nourished by loyal fellowship.

2. Self-control.

54:1.6 True liberty is the associate of genuine self-respect; false liberty is the consort of self-admiration. True liberty is the fruit of self-control; false liberty, the assumption of self-assertion. Self-control leads to altruistic service; self-admiration tends towards the exploitation of others for the selfish aggrandizement of such a mistaken individual as is willing to sacrifice righteous attainment for the sake of possessing unjust power over his fellow beings.

3. Self-direction.

36:5.8.  3. The spirit of courage—the fidelity endowment—in personal beings, the basis of character acquirement and the intellectual root of moral stamina and spiritual bravery. When enlightened by facts and inspired by truth, this becomes the secret of the urge of evolutionary ascension by the channels of intelligent and conscientious self-direction.

4. Supremacy of spirit domination over mind and matter.

109:3.2 ...comparatively few will elect to ascend the moral heights beyond the hills of self-mastery and character acquirement to attain the higher levels of emerging spirituality.