Notes for this talk
00:00:20 Ed reads from p 45, Chapter VI, Self-Justifying. Cheerfully admitting that one has been wrong is not the same as feeling guilty. In Truth, a person can do something wrong and be at fault, but there is no guilty verdict in Spirit. Two terms that do not exist in Spirit: too late, too bad. Guilt is a negative emotion and is always wrong. Admitting one has been wrong is positive and creative. It creates new energy and builds greater health.
00:05:45 Another example of a conscious shock is using concern about another's guilt as an opportunity to work on oneself. Why me? Giving oneself a conscious shock promotes growth. We are now at a level of evolution in our consciousness where our power is much greater than previously. We now have "laser beam" power of consciousness and this energy must not be all externalized. That is why our energy now needs to be directed internally, through self-observation.
00:10:20 As an example of misapplying energy externally, Ed shares a story about correcting a friend about mispronouncing some terms in an MEP presentation. Ed self-justified by saying to himself, "so what, I didn't mean to hurt him." We need to give more attention to ourself, instead of externalizing and self-justifying. Admitting to oneself that one has been wrong clears the water.
00:15:08 Ed reads from Chapter VII, Personality and Essence, p 50. "The personality itself can be divided into two parts: false personality and personality proper." The Work and Unity have the same term for false personality, but The Work uses essence when Unity would use individuality. And essence and individuality are not exactly the same: Unity says individuality is the Real Self, The Work says that essence is that which grows and leads us into our Real Self. Ed quotes the metaphor of the egg on p 52.
00:20:00 Jesus was referring to the same thing speaking about pouring new wine into old wineskins and John the Baptist also referred to the same thing speaking about "he must increase." We will find that there are a few characters in the four gospels who seem aware of their own symbolism, aware of their roles in the "messianic saga". Mary, John the Baptist and Judas were aware of their symbolism, of the role they had to carry out in the drama. Explains why Judas (the symbol) had to give Jesus a kiss. John the Baptist was aware that he symbolized the illumined intellect. The same thing is being taught in The Work: he must increase and I must decrease. This involves shocking and sacrifice. Without them you can prolong your existence, but not increase one's growth.
00:26:17 Ed quotes from last paragraph of p 55: "We cannot make ourselves perfect. REAL I is already perfect." Explains why Jesus said "Be ye perfect" (Matt. 5:48). Not "become perfect, but BE perfect". Until then religion had focused on becoming good. But Jesus recognized that we are already perfect.
00:29:05 The Sex Center. Ed quotes from last paragraph of p 56. Unity does not teach about the centers in man, but the idea behind it is very similar. In Unity it is body, soul and superconsciousness. Soul, in Unity, means integrating of thinking and feeling nature. Superconsciousness in Unity, would be "higher mental center" and "higher emotional center" in The Work. The Work also talks about a sex center. Jesus seldom refers to sex, except about marriage, divorce and adultery. Be Jesus stops and says "but this teaching is not for all persons" (Matt. 19:11). Our understanding of our sexual nature is still very misunderstood. And Ed reflects that sexual misconduct remains a common problem among Unity ministers. The average Unity minister has a great understanding of these three centers, but not of the sexual center. Ed announces that Jim Freeman is about to get married in Sacramento and that Dorothy Pierson will perform the ceremony.
00:36:36 Ed reflects that Jesus does not come to any conclusions about sexuality, especially male sexuality. Another difference between Unity and The Work are the terms superconsciousness and "higher mental center" and "higher emotional center". Unity combines them. The Work teaches that the perfect man would the perfectly balanced four-sided man: mental, emotional, instinctive, sexual. Unity teaches that the perfectly balanced many would be the 12 sided man.
00:39:45 Ed reads from Chapter VIII, Man As a Self-Developing Organism, p.59. Man is not an animal, but rather a higher form of organism. This is necessary for one to be able to change. Man "has something within him which makes it possible for him to become complete or perfect." Ed reflects that in Unity, this is the God Idea of Perfection or Perfect Being, which we call Christ. The work calls it "Real I". Ed continues reading on p. 63 without comment. Continuing on p.61, Ed reflects on Jesus' statement about those who have "ears to hear" by saying that in Unity we often assumes that people "need Unity teachings" but are not able to comprehend them. Ed also says that Myrtle Fillmore placed great emphasis on "God's divine plan for each person" and he compares that to the "Cosmic Plan" mentioned in the text on p.61. All work on oneself is cooperating with the Cosmic Plan.
00:48:00 Ed reads from Chapter IX, Negative Emotions, p.65. Ed is glad that the book says we "must not identify with them" because it is impossible to get rid of negative emotions. From p. 67 Ed says that Nicoll emphasizes that we are of "celestial" origin and as negative emotions are worked on we begin "to feel at home with the stars and constellations." As positive emotions begin to take their place "we actually feel that we are beginning to live at last." Charles Fillmore, in Atom Smashing Power of Man, says we a are a "new body, redeemed or regenerated body" but that negative emotions crystalize in us, cutting short the building of the new body.
00:55:55 Ed reads the footnote on p.66 about genuine sorrow and suffering being positive emotions because they are related to the real part of ourselves. He comments about Charles Fillmore's insistence about the necessity to stop going with any negative emotions. Pay attention to the hierarchy: "personality proper, essence, Real Self" and just above that is "God." Ed comments that "insecurity" is also not a negative emotion, but fear is. Insecurity means there are other opportunities ("I'm not fixed here"). Pity is another
01:02:00 Ed returns to sex. He comments that, like Jesus, Charles Fillmore, in his later life, began to say strange things about sex, which was atypical of what he had said in his earlier life. Ed tells the story about a post WWII female ministerial student named Marion who had a tape recorder and was upset about his teachings. He also got "off track" on food and dream prophesies. It was then that he believed that sexual expression wasted "vital body fluids". Talks on Truth "Sex lust has diverted the vital forces in the body away from the Love center" and in Twelve Powers of Man pp. 166-167 he says "persistently deny the carnal belief in sex." Ed concludes that Charles has just lost his interest in sex as he got older.
01:09:35 Ed reads from Chapter X, Internal and External Accounts, p. 71-72. Ed emphasizes "you owe me nothing." We must stop the habit of thinking that we have been mistreated ("inner account-making"). Ed reflects on how much better he felt when he learned to refrain from inner accounting. He tells the story about Charles Fillmore being asked about lending money. Charles stopped and reflected and said "loaning money does not necessarily create a debt. If you want to loan without creating debt, anytime you are asked to loan money, first pause and observe yourself. If you can't loan with the same attitude as when you give, don't loan. But if you can loan with exactly the same attitude you have when you are giving, then loan, because there is no debt." It is all about the attitude. it is the law of giving and receiving.
