Magic Valley -

 RECAP

Thus having seen that”I” am an alien in a beautiful world of beings who are in a state of waking sleep, “I” realize that “I” have an inner urge to mimic that which “I” am around all the time. Since we have gathered to work together for the purpose of maintaining, enhancing and expanding consciousness, we will practice the Art of Being Conscious—ABC’s of the new life. The art includes architecture, which is to understand relationships, the way things are really laid out. This art includes building, to put things together properly. The art includes co-operating and using that which is built. These are the requirements of a craftsman in the ABC’s of awareness, the ART OF BEING CONSCIOUS through Architecture, Building and Co-Operation. Appropriately, this college is planned to provide schooling in the “fine arts”, and the finest art is that of being.

To perfect any art requires practice. We are dealing with an art that involves survival—which is staying  conscious. We can ask those working with “I” to remind me when they see me dropping into the spell of mimicry. We can practice the four ingredients outlined above for six months. We will then meet and discuss the next steps to be taken, if any, at that time. 

The outward work to be done at the college is symbolic of the inner purpose we have of being here. The buildings have been asleep for some time. The outside shows signs of aging. The interior, which is not seen by the passerby, is in a deplorable state of disintegration. As the outer and the inner work of salvation is accomplished, so will the outer and inner work of consciousness proceed. Our purpose is to salvage that which was lost, passing from death to life. No matter what we do here, if we are not being conscious, are efforts and attainments are as the rattling of empty beer cans. 

The first experiment—agape—is known only as inner function. However, the other three, (1) being considerate, (2) being harmless and (3) having an harmonious mood, are essential for the tolerance and endurance of those people among who we dwell. There is a danger of being exposed as the real aliens we are, which will arouse the reaction of hate common to all who have reason to be afraid. In the past, many aliens have failed this test and were executed. The point is—AVOID HEEDLESSNESS.

Magic Valley contd.

 1. AGAPE.

    As in any locality, the ‘natives’ feel very comfortable and secure there because of the depth and strength of their agreements. All of them feel that everything they do is right, proper and/or justified. They can become very upset at any suggestion to the contrary. We may know that other behavior and ideas are right, proper, and or justified, but these ideas would be in serious conflict with the ideas, rules and training of their world. 

Therefore, we are in a particularly favorable place to practice agape at all times, consciously. 

2. CONSIDERATENESS.

    People want to be non-disturbed in their manners, customs, likes, dislikes, beliefs and so forth. They become highly irritated if any of these are threatened. Therefore, since we are Aliens here, one of the things we can experiment doing is to be consciously considerate and to pay attention to their manners and customs. In this experiment, we will be considerate without expecting them to be the same.

3. HARMLESSNESS.

     One of the major preoccupations of the people in the world we are in is the ‘need’ to escape being responsible for ‘I’ in every way. They feel that ‘I’ is a victim of many things, which give them the comfortable illusion, they suggest to ‘I’ and each other that ‘I’ owns aspects of self, occupations and things—instead of being. Since this need to escape responsibility keeps them in a state of conflict, struggle, and resistance, we observe that they are in the process of destroying themselves. We can experiment with observing their need to escape responsibility and be harmless ourselves by not joining them in the deadly game. As we find it necessary to associate  with them, we will remain conscious and not pick up the illusion of fragmentation of the “I”. In other words, we will be wise as serpents, which is to WATCH  EVERYTHING, and to be harmless as a dove, which is to NEITHER AGREE OR DISAGREE — just make cooing sounds.

4. HARMONIOUS MOOD.

    In as much as we arrived in this Alien world poorly equipped  in either ability or any other means to survive, we have found people to be helpful and compassionate to provide for us until we are relatively capable of making some contribution. We do not know the basis of their graciousness, whether it is love, fear, guilt, unconsciousness, or whether they think we are one of them, but there is one thing we can certainly do at all times. that is to contribute to a pleasant, harmonious mood.