Metaphysical Romp!

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Comment by Roger on April 18, 2009 at 8:06pm

I bumped into the Unity.fm site a few months ago,and since then, have been praying for the arrival of the Unity Church in WA or Perth.
I don't know when that will happen, but in the mean time, is that a possibility that the Metaphyical Romp holding some special broadcast to Australia(or Perth)? I have been downloading the broadcasts to my Ipod, but I am yearning for some real-time interaction to Paul Hasselbeck and Metaphusical Romp members......
All my life, I have been looking for this......connection. Now that I have found it, I want to reach out for more........

Comment by Rev. Paul Hasselbeck on December 9, 2008 at 4:24pm

Here's the content for this week's show (12.09.08)

Blurb and Blog

The phrase explored this week was, “Everything happens for a reason.” It was amped up to be, “I bring Reason to everything that happens.” Then, we launched in to a long term series of walking through the metaphysics text book. This week we explored metaphysics and truth.


Everything happens for a reason


This weeks phrase: everything happens for a reason. The context is when something happens and someone says, “everything happens for a reason.” Or I respond to someone for whom something has happened and I say, “everything happens for a reason.” This phrase is propelled from embedded theology that there’s a God who is micro-managing the world. The Supreme Spiritual entity making everything happen in the world. It’s our job to figure it out, because that entity is not telling. “Everything happens for a reason.” Some postulate that this is happening because of the position of the stars (astrology) or karma.

Some say everything happens for a reason because between lifetimes, I chose my parents, made agreements before coming into this physical form. I can’t say if any of that is true or false in a definitive way. I really don’t know. Now, in regard to God micro-managing in a pre-determined way, I do know that that’s not what Unity teaches. When I see the phrase,” Everything happens for a reason” I know that I cab bring a Reason to everything that happens. I can chose victim consciousness (”r” reason)or I bring Reason to everything that happens. When I say “r” reason I mean that I bring that Christ mind of me to everything that happens. What that does is to set myself up to use everything for a blessing or some good. It is our choice. What are you choosing? YOU COULD HAVE HAD A V8 instead of that soda pop. You can have a divine moment in this moment and the next moment, if you choose. You are the point of power. That puts you in a place of responsibility as well as power. Are you going to take responsibility for how you are reacting to what’s happening in your life? How would your life change if you decided to do that?

It would be different than everything happens for a reason and settling because some outside, external God has a reason for everything. Sitting back and waiting and abdicating your personal responsibility. You are Christ at the point of you. You are the flow of Christ consciousness at the point of you. You are wisdom and understanding and you get to choose. It’s an awesome power and it’s easier to say everything happens for a reason and I’m going to bring to bear everything the what of me. Every moment is a moment to prove the Oneness. Not just some. We go dead asleep when things are going well. When things are going well, do we ever hear anyone say, “Everything happens for a reason?” No, only when there’s a challenge.

When things are going well, we’re not thinking about practicing the practical Christianity that Unity teaches. We fall dead asleep.

I can bring reason to everything that happens. When you bring everything you are to every moment, you will have golden moment after golden moment. You decide to manifest good from it.

Here is the chapter:


CHAPTER ONE
METAPHYSICS AND TRUTH

INTRODUCTION

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that is concerned with the fundamental nature of Reality and Being. In its broadest sense, the study of metaphysics explores areas that are considered to be above and beyond the physical sciences.

In this chapter, we will define our understanding of metaphysics from a Unity perspective and discuss our beliefs about the nature of Ultimate Reality.


CHAPTER ONE
METAPHYSICS AND TRUTH

1A METAPHYSICS DEFINED
“The systematic study of the science of Being; that which transcends the physical. By pure metaphysics is meant a clear understanding of the realm of ideas and their legitimate expression.” (RW/132)

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the Ultimate Reality beyond the physical realm and is generally concerned with asking these questions: What is the nature of Being? What is the nature of the Spiritual Universe and the physical universe? How do we know what we know? When we study Unity metaphysics, we are studying one perspective within this branch of philosophy. What we, in Unity, discern in the study of metaphysics are those Realities that are True concerning the inner life of every human being, regardless of time, place, and circumstance.

Unity metaphysicians ask such questions as “What is the Nature of God?", “What is the nature of humankind?”, and “What is the relationship between God and humankind?” They believe that God is Spirit, the invisible Life and Intelligence underlying all physical things. As the Consciousness underlying all things, God is sometimes referred to as Mind or Divine Mind. God-Nature, Divine-Nature, is explored in detail in Chapter 2.

Unity metaphysics is based on the recognition of Divine Ideas as the fundamental, eternal Truth that underlies and transcends all physical manifestation. Divine Ideas are Spiritual Patterns that pertain to all of us. They are all the components known to our mind that constitute what we call Good. The most essential and basic of all Divine Ideas are what we now experience as our Twelve Spiritual Powers (Faculties or Abilities): Faith, Strength, Love, Power (Dominion, Mastery), Imagination, Understanding, Order, Zeal, Will, Judgment (Wisdom, Discernment), Elimination (Renunciation), and Life.

1B WHAT IS TRUTH?

“What we mean by Truth is concerned with the great fundamental questions that have always perplexed and at the same time engaged the profoundest attention of humankind:
• What is the character of God?
• How does God create?
• What is the real character of humankind?
• What relation does humankind bear to their source?
• What is the ultimate destiny of humankind and the universe?” (ASP/84)
“The Absolute; that which accords with God as divine principle; that which is, has been, and ever will be; that which eternally is.” (RW/200)
“God is Truth: the eternal verity of the universe and humankind.” (JC/30)
“All truth has its origin in Divine Mind.” (TT/116)

There is a special meaning for the word Truth as used in Unity. We do not mean “all the Truth there is.” Nor do we mean “all the facts that are known.” The Unity usage of the word Truth is in connection with Divine Ideas as they relate to God, Divine Mind. Anything that acknowledges, verifies, supports, or expresses Divine Ideas is called “Truth” in Unity terminology. Anything that contradicts or attempts to negate Divine Ideas is called “error” in Unity terminology.

Unity acknowledges that the term Truth represents these perfect Divine Ideas. Truth is absolute, unlimited, unchanging and complete. We understand that Truth is universal and that every human being has the capacity to know the Truth by engaging in the activity of metaphysical thinking as well as investing time in the Silence. We do this by looking beyond the physical realm to the Realm of Pure Thought.



1C ABSOLUTE TRUTH / RELATIVE TRUTH

“It is only from the plane of mind that one can know Truth in an absolute sense. That which we pronounce truth from the plane of appearances is relative only. The relative truth is constantly changing, but the absolute Truth endures; and what is true today always was and always will be true.” (ASP/88)

Truth is experienced as the Absolute and/or the relative. Absolute Truth consists of the sum total of all Divine Ideas in their original purity and power. Absolute Truth describes the pure, ideal Good that encompasses Divine Mind. The Absolute is changeless. Relative truth is that aspect or dimension that we experience in the physical realm. The relative is constantly changing.

The human mind has the unique ability to identify with the Absolute and at the same time to participate in the changing processes of the relative. Learning the difference between Absolute Truth and relative truth helps us apply metaphysics in a practical way in our own lives. In the Absolute, we can never be sick, poor, or anything less than the perfect Divine Ideas that exist in Divine Mind. Relative truth deals in the world of human thoughts and feelings where we can experience sickness, poverty and death.

The Realm of God-Mind, Divine Mind, is Divine Ideas. All things rest on Divine Ideas, and therefore they are changeless. Thus, a Divine Idea behind the flower is Beauty and a Divine Idea behind music is Harmony. Relative truth is based upon our human experience of the appearance of things in the physical world. It is anything we can say or observe about the physical world that is subject to change, qualification, or limitation. Although the flower will appear to eventually fade, wither, and die (relative truth), the Divine Idea of Beauty exists forever (Absolute Truth).

By practicing moving our awareness from the relative to the Absolute, we change our thinking and use the power of thought to manifest greater good in our lives.

1D RELATIVE EXISTENCE

“When we say that our mind is our world we do not mean to deny the existence of a material world or a material body in which we function, but only its independent existence.” (KT/46)

It is most important for the Unity student to gain a clear understanding of the relationship between the Absolute and relative. The relative world, or world of the senses, certainly seems to exist, but it does not exist independently from the Absolute Realm. It comes into manifestation solely through the formative power of thought. ("The Ideas of God [Divine Mind] are potential forces waiting to be set in motion through proper formative vehicles. The thinking faculty of [humankind] is such a vehicle, and it is through this that the visible universe has existence," Atom Smashing Power of Mind, Charles Fillmore, pg. 93) Since the relative world is a product of thought, it is not ultimate or eternal in nature, even though it may seem so from our human perspective.

Divine Ideas are in the Absolute. They do not change. Thoughts that are related to a Divine Ideas or about Divine Ideas are in the relative since they can and do change. Since that which is relative is impermanent and changeable, we come to understand that any condition existing on the relative plane (the realm of the senses) has the potential to be healed and "restored" to wholeness in our awareness. Moving our awareness from the relative to the Absolute requires a great deal of practice.

It could be thought of in this way:

First Cause is in the Absolute Realm.
Beauty, a Divine Idea, is First Cause. It is in the Absolute; therefore, this Divine Idea does not change.

Effect: Thoughts about Beauty or thoughts about creating a beautiful garden are effects of the Divine Idea of Beauty. This is in the relative realm since thoughts about Beauty or creating a beautiful garden can and do change.

Second cause is in the relative realm.
Thoughts about creating a beautiful garden are second, or secondary, to the First Cause. These are in the relative realm because thoughts and ideas about what makes up a beautiful garden change.

Effect: A beautiful garden is made in the physical realm, the realm of the senses. It is madeup of things like flowers and trees and does change.




SUMMARY STATEMENTS


Metaphysics is the study of the Ultimate Reality that underlies and transcends the physical realm. In Unity, we refer to this reality as Divine Ideas.


Absolute Truth is the Realm of Divine Ideas. Truth is Absolute, Universal, unlimited, unconditional, unchanging, and complete.


Relative truth refers to the world of the senses. Time, space, form, changeability, experience, and perspective are components inherent in the concept of relative truth. It is our experience as humans living on the physical earth plane.


The relative world, or the world of appearances, does not have independent existence from the Absolute Realm. It exists solely through the formative power of thought and is based on humankind's present understanding of Divine Ideas.


Even though relative experiences are not considered to be eternal Truth and therefore are not in the same Realm as the Absolute, we tend to experience them as If they were real. They feel very real. This is why it is Important to cultivate balance in our lives as we learn to acknowledge our humanity and affirm our Divinity.


By practicing moving our awareness from the relative to the Absolute, we change our thinking and use the power of thought to make and manifest greater good in our lives.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION


1. Discuss your understanding of the Absolute and relative.


2. Is it appropriate for Unity students to speak of the relative world as “unreal”?


3. What steps can we take to cultivate a balanced state of mind when conditions in the relative appear to be overwhelming?


4. Share a time in your life when you were able to know the Absolute Truth despite appearances to the contrary. How did you relate your understanding to others? What was the outcome?




THOUGHTS FOR REFLECTION AND MEDITATION


God's world is the real world.
In God’s world life is eternal.
In God’s world good is unending.
I live in God’s world of eternal life and endless good.”
(WAY/71)




SUPPLEMENTARY READING


Cady, H. Emilie, Lessons in Truth, Chapter 1, “Bondage or Liberty, Which?”

Lynch, Richard, Know Thyself, Chapter 1, “Knowledge of Truth.”

Shanklin, Imelda, What Are You?, Chapter 4, “The Real and the Fictitious.”

PRINCIPLE ONE


GOD IS ABSOLUTE
GOOD,
EVERYWHERE
PRESENT.



Blessings, Paul

Comment by Ernest D.. Tamminga on October 12, 2008 at 10:31am

I'm still looking for comments on thie concept posited by researchers in Consciousness---"Consciousness is what God is." discussed iin my book titled "What If---", by E. Dorsey.
Y'all have a wonder-full, beauty-full, joy-full NOW in peace and love

ern

Comment by Rev. Paul Hasselbeck on September 23, 2008 at 3:25pm

HI Everyone!

This week we have a very special edition of Metaphysical Romp. Dr. Ken Wapnick from the Foundation for A Course in Miracles joined me from A Foundation for a Course in Miralces. Ken is one of the foremost proponents of The Course and was instrumental in creating the three volumes of the course from Helen Schucman’s original material. Ken understands and explains the course with amazing clarity.

In our sharing together we explored some of the similarities and differences. Ken clearly explained these conscepts from A Course in Miracles while I chimed in with some Unity views:

• All about working with the ego, learning how it works, and then finding ways to disempower it. It is all about discovering the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence.
• We talked about the importance of the Holy Spirit and how it might at first seem like a completely separate entity due to our dissociation from it. While in truth, it is our Right Mind, it speaks with our True Voice. It is that part of our mind that is still awake to the Truth.
• Forgiveness was explored and how it is really a change of mind or change in perception away from a projection of the ego to the Reality of the One Mind.
• The physical universe being an illusion where we, as egos, seek to hide from God.

Oceans of blessings, Paul

Comment by Rev. Paul Hasselbeck on September 9, 2008 at 3:31pm

Here's some info for the week of September 9, 2008

This week we explored the phrase, “God is All.” This well used phrase is True in the Absolute Realm. It is not true in the relative realm. Everything in the relative realm is based on at least one Divine Idea that is “in” the Absolute Realm. So, at the level of the Divine Idea everything is God. In the relative realm everything is not God. Cancer, HIV, people killing each other, etc. these are not God. This phrase can be amped up with this phrase, “God is All in the Absolute.”

We shared how demons are error thoughts, angels are Divine Ideas and/or thoughts related to Divine Ideas that come from our Christ Consciousness. Angels are metaphorically messengers of Divine Ideas and thoughts related to Divine Ideas.

When we visit tarot card readers and spiritual healers we are giving power to someone outside of ourselves. If we are negative we have our own Christ Nature that can shift the awareness from negativity to “positivity.” Giving our power to these people is really just supporting victim consciousness…except now we are inviting it into our lives.

Then I shared some thoughts as a response to an email I received about our making the physical universe. The writer made some very good points. We really must care for the physical universe just as we must care for our bodies even if they are not our True Reality. And, we must be careful of not slipping back into the “God as an Entity in Heaven” concept. Of course there is much beauty, order and harmony in the physical universe because it is based on Divine Ideas that are utilized to manifest the physical.

Finally, the concept that we are the Oneness and not simply parts of the Oneness was reviewed. We are not like grains of sands that add up to the totality of God nor drops of the ocean.

Blessings, Paul

Comment by Rev. Paul Hasselbeck on September 9, 2008 at 3:30pm

HI Everyone, Seems I did not post for the week of August 28th so here it is!

Degeneration

An individual or a group of individualities can “be,” “do,” or “have” anything they want in this realm. We, a group of individualities (a portion of spiritual humankind), chose to experience the process of “being” our manifestations (effects). We became so engrossed in being our effects we forgot we were [C]ause. Charles Fillmore refers to this as entanglement in effects.
In the course of being our effects “time” seems to exist and manifestations seem to persist. Since we are being effects we are not being [S]piritual [C]ause. This results in the seeming continuation of the effects. This is a seeming world of existence. False beliefs begin. We are no longer aware of our spiritual birth right of “[S]piritual [C]ause.” This is the process of degeneration or process of falling. These false beliefs begin the contamination of the psychic realm.

We are interrelated and interdependent in this seeming world. We begin to make laws for this seeming existence. Therefore, race [collective] or sense consciousness emerges. (From Rev. Orren Evans Truth Kernal #2, Regeneration, pp. 6 - 7)




Unregenerate

mind, mortal--error con¬sciousness in unregenerate man, or man composed of ungodlike thoughts. It is the opposite of the Christ Mind, which is the perfect Mind of God in [humankind]. Mortal mind gathers its information through the senses. It judges by appearances, which are often false judgments. [A person] must renounce this false state of mind if he[/she] is to be one with God [Oneness]

Regeneration

Regeneration is neither a theory nor a fad; it is a spiritual ideal. It is not an opinion to be held, but a life to be lived. It is a spiritual quickening which purifies, refines and exalts the soul [conscious and subconscious mind], and it gradually brings the mind and body under the dominion of the Christ Mind. It is a process of unfoldment. The culmination of this growth is the Jesus Christ consciousness expressed as a resurrected life. Because regeneration is both a principle and the practice of the principle, it should not be confused with anybody’s idea of what it might be, nor with anybody’s opinion of what it should be. The real knowledge of it comes through the Holy Spirit of Truth in your own heart. Follow it always, and you be led into Truth and nothing but the Truth. (Unity, Vol. 54, #1, Jan. 1921, Kansas City, MO.)

Applying the Powers in General

If we could always remember to deal with each problem of our lives where it exists as an idea in the mind, instead of trying in the personal consciousness to adjust outer conditions first, we should be saved many inharmonious experiences and much unrest and anxiety. But as soon as we catch sight of a truth that appears good to us, we immediately seek a way to make an outer adjustment instead of working to establish this truth in our inner consciousness. We are inclined to be much more concerned about getting rid of something in the external that no longer pleases us, or about holding to an outer pleasure that we do not wish to let go of, than we are in freeing our inner consciousness form the beliefs and the ideas that keep the outer in expressions. (Regeneration, Theodosia DeWitt Schobert, 1926).



The Power of Judgment

The Power Judgment is the ability to judge, be wise and to discern.

1. From sense or personal consciousness it is the ability to discern and we wise based on worldly standards. It is our ability to use what we know based on our senses.

2. From Spiritual Awareness it is the ability to discern and be wise based on
Divine Ideas, Spiritual Truths and Principles. It is the ability to discern the
meaning beyond simply knowing. It is the ability to use Divine Ideas,
Spiritual Truths and Principles.


Blessings, Paul

Comment by Rev. Paul Hasselbeck on August 19, 2008 at 3:33pm

This week we explored the phrases: “Surrender it to God, and “I surrender this to God.”
Topics explored this week were: the ten commandments, The Power of Strength, Absolute Truth, relative truth, and “who we pray to.”

From an email from several weeks ago and exploration of Unity’s take on the Ten Commandments was started. This information is from Unity Magazine, 1915, August, pp.
132 – 133

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

There can be but the One Supreme Mind [GREAT START, I WISH THE AUTHOR HAD STAYED HERE IN THE WORDING!], “in you all, and through you all, and above you all.” But it is possible for one with a theoretical understanding of the truth of being to have other gods. Some metaphysicians have other gods than the One God. There is the money god, the family god, the god of pride and ambition, and other deities of less degree. These often occupy so much space in the mind that the God who [makes God anthropomorphic] is spirit [Spirit] finds but small place there. The one Supreme Good should so fill the consciousness that there is no room for other objects of adoration.

“Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or hat is in the water under the earth.”

Do not imagine God as having a material form, not even a limited idea in mind, nor location in substance, nor in conscious thought. God is Spirit – “without body, parts or passions” - transcending all forms and forces of man consciousness, both visible and invisible.
One would think it utterly impossible for a metaphysician to make a graven image of the God who is Spirit, yet it is possible. When we imagine God to be in any way limited in capacity we are making him material, that is, a “graven image.” To think of God as present in some places and not in others gives him locality, which implies form and shape – a “graven image.’ If we fall short in any respect in realizing the meaning of the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence [EXCELLENT, THE AUTHOR DID NOT MAKE THESE LIKE POSSESSIONS…OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT OR OMNIPRESENT] of Diety [GOD IS NOT A DIETY OR ENTITY EITHER!!!], we make a mental “graven image.’”

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me;
And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

Do not worship or give power to erroneous ideas about God. God is one, and should never be imagined as duality. A departure of this unity from the Divine Mind leads to a consciousness of Spirit as cause and effect.
People ask how heredity can be true in mind. Bless you! It is only true there. Memory is necessary to heredity, and only mind remembers. Matter does not transmit conditions from body to body; it is mind, and only mind. Bodies are the ground in which mind sows its seed, and that seed is thought, or word. “The seed is the word.” Whatever the parents think, whether it be good or evil, the children bring forth generation after generation. This is an inherent law of being, and it perpetuates beyond the fourth generation in those who fail to change their minds. But through obedience tot eh Supreme Law, and love, the mind is transformed and mercy shown upon the redeemed body.”


Question from Mona: If we each have the entirety of absolute truth (God) within us, then when we are in our relative truth (ego) [EVERYTHING THAT IS SEEMING RELATIVE TRUTH MUST BE BASED ON A DIVINE IDEA OR TWO, ABSOLUTE TRUTH] which I understand is NOT part of our absolute truth (God) -- can we pray to God from whom we have separated ourselves? [THERE IS NO PRAYING TO GOD AS THERE IS NOT GOD AND US. THERE IS SIMPLE THE TRUTH TO PRAY FROM.] When someone says, "God give me strength," is it the same thing as saying, "I now acknowledge God that is the truth of me"? [I SUGGEST SAYING IT THIS WAY: “I NOW ACKNOLWEDGE THAT GOD IS STRENGTH THEREFORE I AM STRENGTH.” OR “I CLAIM MY STRENGHT NOW.”


Twelve Powers – Strength. – The ability to endure, stay the course, last, be persistent, to persevere. From sense consciousness it is the ability to hold onto thoughts and things based on the senses and error thoughts and feelings. It is stubbornness. From Spiritual Awareness it is the ability to hold to Divine Ideas and Truths in the face of the monkey chatter of the mind as well as the appearances for the relative realm.

Blessings, Paul

Comment by Rev. Paul Hasselbeck on August 12, 2008 at 3:09pm

This week we explored the phrase, “I’ll get there when I’m ready.” We change it to, “I’ll get there when I do my spiritual work,” or, “I’ll get there when I do my spiritual play!”
We also explored the physical universe, intention, and Spirit, soul, body. As well as a brief look at the powers Faith, Imagination and Will.

Comment by Sara Savary on August 10, 2008 at 10:54am

Hi Paul, I love your show. I'm still trying to catch up with the current shows as I'm listening to the podcasts. I really enjoy your comments on watching our language and the old imbedded theology that many of us still use. I teach the youth at my Unity church and am constantly struggling with the old "God out there" concepts in the Unity cirriculum for children. It seem like even the lessons develop by Unity struggle with how to teach the "God concept" to children. I was wondering if you had any insights into that.

Comment by Melissa Wells on July 14, 2008 at 3:16pm

Hey Paul,
Melissa Wells here from Wimberley Texas! I am loving this paying more attention to the language I use and being more aware of the embedded old theology that I have been unconciously acting and speaking from. I have been extremely empowered by using this new language and have a question about the language of "at the point of me"...can you shed some insight on this phrase for me?

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