The Price Of Progress
YouTube Audio
Uranda May 1, 1954 p.m. Class
There has been some progress made in relationship to the unifying of our spirit and our pattern of endeavor. We have made progress toward reaching a point of agreement on earth. The agreement is not yet what it can be, what it should be, in fact what it must be if we are to succeed. Nevertheless there has been some very definite progress, which I would acknowledge, and the degree to which you have held steady and remained true to our basic pattern of agreement has made possible a level of achievement which has been unknown heretofore in our experience. However, we must be careful not to develop a sense of resting on our laurels—from my standpoint we have not acquired any yet. But I have been wondering, if we took an hour of our meditation time for a consideration of your specific function in relationship to my responsibilities, whether we could not find a more effective pattern still. In approaching this subject I recognize the vital necessity of finding the right words, to avoid developing misunderstandings, the right words through which the current of the spirit may work in establishing a deeper realization.
In the world as it is, with conditions as they are, we must face the fact that there is always, with respect to all things, a price to pay. Very often human beings pay a great price for that which turns out to be “fool's gold,” of no value. In other instances we may have reasonably legitimate desires in various forms which, by reason of the circumstances in the face of the necessities of our service, we must set aside. In this field particularly, the basis of evaluation depends upon what is best for the whole. What can we do that will make it possible for all who share in the service of the Lord, whoever, wherever they may be, to carry through into the higher level of life and service?
Personal sacrifice which permits forward movement in the fulfilment of the whole is not actually, for those who are dedicated, a sacrifice. The point is: no matter what we do, no matter what course we may choose, we are going to pay a price. For everything which we receive we exchange something. We have to give something in exchange for the privilege of receiving the air we breathe. We have to give the energy, if nothing else. The gifts of God are given freely, and yet we must pay a price in order to receive those gifts. We must give something in exchange. We cannot receive God's love unless we give our love to God. Wherever we turn, with respect to everything, there is an exchange basis.
I have wondered if, by some means, I could convey to you something of the working of this principle in the ideal state, in a manner which would be of value to us in the present. As we look back to the days in the Motherland and consider the state of those who were not subject to the limitations of the fall, we will find this same principle applies. I mentioned to you the fact that although there were great schools, and there was an opportunity for anyone and everyone to go as high as his or her capacities might allow, in the sense of education, there were many who did not avail themselves of the opportunity to go very far in that educational program. They found a level which, for the time being at least, was satisfactory to themselves in the face of this matter of exchange. To gain one thing, even in the ideal state, it is necessary to give up something else. I do not know how to clearly portray in any detail the situation as it was then, but we might conceivably illustrate.
A certain person, living in a place with ideal climatic conditions, say, on what we might call a little acreage, where the necessities of life were not very demanding, having shared up to a point in the educational program—which might be said to correspond really with, oh, university graduates of today—might be reluctant to give up the opportunity to remain in that quiet place with the friends acquired, the privilege of going fishing when he wanted to, so to speak—not that there was fishing as we think of it, but a certain freedom, a certain ability to live a rather carefree life. In order to achieve a higher level of life expression he would have to give that up, go to school some more, and accept greater responsibility. With privilege there is always responsibility. For those who were willing to pay the price of moving out of one pattern of being, relinquishing one set of circumstances, putting forth the effort, expending the time, providing the application, the diligence, and developing the willingness to accept and discharge responsibility, there was absolutely unlimited opportunity. There was no barrier except that which the individual accepted for himself, that which was to him a balance point. When he reached a point that gave him as many responsibilities as he felt like accepting, he had established the level of his privilege.
The same principles hold true today, only today there is an inclination on the part of human beings to try to have privilege without accepting basic responsibility. Such an attitude is a distortion. Each one must face the question for himself as to where that level shall be for himself—the level where desire or longing for greater achievement shall balance out with a willingness to put forth the effort to make that achievement possible, the level where responsibility and privilege come to a true balance. In the ideal condition the percentage of those who carried forward to the higher levels was always adequate to the need of the program. Today, working in the sphere of fallen man, this is not the case. There are those who would like to have what they deem to be the higher privileges of higher position, who nevertheless do not show forth the inclination or the ability to accept the higher responsibility.
We have made a beginning. If the human mind, in self-active function, begins to attempt to evaluate or measure the task yet remaining, the mind begins to feel overwhelmed with the vastness of the task. And yet comparatively simple measures can be utilized to exert a very powerful influence into the world. But if we are to have power we must accept the right pattern of responsibility in relationship to the uses of that power. To whatever degree self-centeredness remains we have, in relationship to this higher level of function, a bad risk. If a person functions on a temperamental basis—he feels like it one day and not the next—then those who come in the range of his influence in the current of power will be subject to the whims and fancies of the way he feels, and no one has the right to subject others to any such thing. If we cannot accept the responsibility of the right uses of power, we should not have the privilege of the exercise of power. This is just as true with respect to God's power as it is true with respect to temporal power, earthly power or authority. If we are going to achieve that point of basic agreement which will permit us to accomplish that which must be done if we are to be successful, we are going to have to be willing to pay the price. We are going to have to examine the situation and make some deliberate choices, be willing to set aside various things with respect to our own inclinations or tendencies, in order to achieve something else.
The ability to center attention and hold it centered,
to devote one's energies to a single point on a controlled basis in a creative field,
according to a specific design, with a singleness of purpose,
in harmony with the absolute principle of Being —
this is required of us.
To so achieve, we must be ready to set aside, as being of lesser value, certain other things which we may think we would like to do, certain other things which may, according to various reasonable viewpoints, be considered perfectly legitimate; and yet, they must be set aside as being of lesser value. A short-sighted policy may make a person feel that the greater value to self is of the greatest value to the whole, because he may say to himself, “If I achieve thus and so, then that will be of value to others. I will be leading; I will be setting an example; I will be lifting the world of man.” And it may seem so. And yet, if this same individual, doing something that may appear to be perfectly legitimate, had the capacity, the ability, the willingness to set aside this effort in personal achievement, to disregard the various concepts of his own fulfilment in order to do something else for the whole, he would have actually had a greater personal achievement than he could have on the other basis. This begins to suggest a distinction.
Often I am faced with the necessity of making certain suggestions to others, to help others make decisions. I have many, many times seen human beings set forth a possible course of action which in all ordinary respects was perfectly legitimate—definitely of service, a path that involved a certain amount of individual fulfilment, and it could be said to be of value in many, many ways—but the individual's consciousness is more or less lost in this which he sees as a potential. And I have seen, in such cases, instance after instance where, if the person involved were capable of seeing and accepting a different course, he would actually be of much greater service to God, to mankind and to himself. But he does not leave the door open to give himself an opportunity to even see that course of service. He has centered his desire and his determination, and so usually I don't even mention the alternate course as I see it. Usually there is no opening to do so. The price to be paid in such a case seems too high; it looks to the individual as if he would be sacrificing something infinitely worthwhile for something definitely questionable. And so, as long as the person feels that way about it, I cannot encourage—not too strongly—following some other course.
We could take the case of our membership. I look out and I see instance after instance of individuals who are apparently content, probably not satisfied but for the time being content to function at, well, a comparatively small percentage of meaningfulness in the Lord's service in comparison to that which could so easily be. I suggest that we could do more, and yet when I say it, the general tendency is to feel, “Well, I don't see how I could do very much more.” And the individual starts setting up some kind of a resistance pattern. Yet, no matter what is said along such lines, I have to come back and say, “We could be doing a great deal more than we are, in the sense of the effectiveness in the Lord's service, if we would just do it.” I am not talking about something beyond the scope of our capacities. I am not talking about something beyond our abilities. I am talking about something we could do if we would. I am faced with the fact that there is no way in the world that I can compel you to move any higher, to do more, to fulfil your responsibilities more effectively. There is absolutely no way. And if I could, I would not attempt it. It is only if I can inspire you to do so, and encourage you; but you have to accept it for yourself. And I'm not talking about something impossible. Maybe you say, “But I can't see it.” I can. I can see it, and I know. I doubt if any of you are satisfied. But how can we be content to go along in this unsatisfied state, so far from the fulfilment of our potential?
Within the range of what could now be done it is a far cry from what we could be achieving in the sense of actual accomplishment, in the sense of shaping the future of the world's vibrational pattern, in the sense of truly serving the Lord, of being a blessing to people far and near, of feeding the hungry ones and giving of the water of life to the thirsty ones. And I see some little human quirk or determination, such puny little things, stand in the way of that greater fulfilment—things that are utterly unworthy of us here, human determinations this way or that, or the plain refusal to accept a larger responsibility. And I have no way of compelling it; I cannot give orders—and yet I see the vast need, the crying need.
There are blessings flowing out into the world because we are here, but you are as yet unconscious of even a large part of that, because we have not established a true basic pattern of agreement—true accord. You could have a larger consciousness of the result of what you are doing if you would let it work out correctly, but I cannot force the issue. For each one it comes out at a certain point of balance with respect to privilege and responsibility. Some are attempting to gain or take more privilege than their responsibility warrants. Well, it may seem to be something one can get away with for a while, but it will not last very long. There will be a tumble. Sometimes it may seem to the human vision that there isn't as much privilege as the discharge of responsibility warrants; but if the individual is particularly concerned on the point, he shows that he is not discharging as much responsibility as he thinks he is.
There are certain things that I would like very, very much to share with you. I have been considering for some time the possibility of our setting aside one of our evening periods of meditation each week for specific purposes in radiation, so that you might consciously share with me in the work of meeting certain issues in the world, or exerting certain influences. And yet, every time I think that perhaps we are drawing near to it, certain factors work out which say, in effect, “Not yet, not yet. You will have to wait awhile.” They tell me I will have to wait awhile, the time is not yet. All of these steps forward are, and must be, absolutely voluntary. There are places of responsibility that need to be filled, crying for someone to do a job [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/the-final-step.html], and yet vibrationally, wherever they are, I must say, “I have no one to put there; no one is ready. I can't do it. You will have to wait.” And so often I hear sounding through the vibratory pattern, the mental, emotional pattern of the world, “How long, O Lord, how long must we wait?” And what can I answer? What can I say? I release the current: “Hold it steady, be patient, take advantage of all your opportunities; in season, as you hold steady, the fulfilment will come.” And all that is true.
