Goodness- 6th December 1992

ORANGE groves are resplendent in luxurious sweet ethers. Anyone who has passaged an orchard's thoroughfare will know of the experience which delights and overruns the senses. Magnificent fruit trees at the times of abundance, exude properties of liquid light, fragrance and expression of total perfection. The fruit may be given over into the mouths of men and examined within, that the splendid, vital properties be imparted to Man and exchanged for his consideration. The beings who tend to these glorious wiseacres are of service perfected, embodied in prosperity made obvious, become apparent.

We must look to those things within the world which are truly 'good' and good of themselves - uncontaminated, 'essentially' true. There is much real goodness, explicitly stated, to be found. It is wise therefore, for a man to acquaint himself with such, making conscious associations with those expressions of perfect goodness which he has come to recognize and subsequently know. 

This was once the 'art' of the artist, the labor and longing of the chef, and the seeker of divinity. Goodness, the finding thereof, leads to a comprehension and innate perception of 'goodness' hidden - in Man, in mire. It is the identification, the instant recognition, the conscious practice, the intention of focus and the seeking out, as it were. To come to know and experience goodness and be glad, and give gratitude for its grace, its perfection, its expression.

How often do men contest there being such a thing? How often do the demons arise indignant and proclaim the injustice of being but 'second-best'? Are we to summon the Angels and then defile them with conceit which says that all are but the same? Discernment of beauty and truth is the way into that Paradise described as Heaven. If we lust after anything less, then by such content we are self-bound to equal domains of sympathy.

However, true beauty and true goodness does exist, whether recognized or not, and it is to the knowledge of this we can aspire. We may begin with the fruit, with the sky, with the form - "Tell us oh flower, of your correspondence with HIM?" For it is the perfect goodness in the flower that shall correspond with HIM; as so with us. It is with perfect service and sacrifice that such beauty becomes manifest. For surely those aspects of Nature which in loving servitude do obey and give over to the needs of their partner relations, are of the highest accord with God, and they of God. That we may cohabit and furthermore be of worth, by that our service. 

It is death to the very soul to strive against this. If we deny the rhythms of such cosmic law - that of coexistence - then surely we eke out a certain self-annihilation, for there is no place in Heaven for the insufferably selfish. It is a self-determining system, cosmologically speaking. The malcontents eventually shrink out of existence, literally. A self-cleaning (sort of).

There is a blanket bank of lies concerning the splendid spiritual realities in which we are saturated. Such lies protest goodness firstly, as they are exceedingly uncomfortable with admissions of such truth. For this would become a concession of pain.

Conversely one finds much struggle for men to become outwardly beautiful or associate themselves with such, in a vain attempt to resemble the goodness they seek. By such one can readily understand that although mistaken in discernment, they endeavor for this reason. 

Heaven is immeasurably beautiful. For those with no recollection who might argue against this one can ask, "How could it be otherwise?" Heaven is immeasurably beautiful and exudes goodness, as goodness is 'perfection in service' and often made perfect by service also.

We are enhanced into completeness by becoming worthy. We are worthy by that service which renders us valuable. We are unworthy if complacent and without offering. We are without value if we are not actively responsive to need.

The student must train to be quick in response of service, that we are grateful for all opportunities for useful employment. That we acknowledge the importance of co-dependence and the responsibilities one can joyfully fulfill. That the lower kingdoms do not hesitate to oblige, why should we? From where then does almighty sloth come?

Sloth (great word isn't it?) entered the world alongside Pride. For it is presupposed by the proud that they are valuable in the eyes of God - which is true- but also, that they need find no more approval than this. In part one can understand this point of view. That is to say, that if we already please God, or at least are valuable to Him, then there is no higher authority which we should work to become more valuable for.

However, God is innocent of both Pride and Sloth and has not provided for the soul who withholds their useful powers - this is foreign even to Him, just as the underneath of your toenail is foreign to you. The active principle of Creation does not concern itself with static dust. It does move it on, but does not seek to learn its ways. God Himself does not give counsel or credence to Sloth or Pride. (And you can really hurt Pride by saying that.)

Pride is the younger cousin of Vanity - Vanity, who is at her best not only a virtue but the Virtues: the Vanities. For it is distinguished by men, by their conduct and become introverted. Not to become nonplussed, the Holy Vanities are those cosmic beings who stand at the masthead of those Cosmic impulses. Such impulses find their way into Man to be either transmuted or made active; they are taken in and received within. The vanity as is known in man is presumptuous of a perfection of which he is not necessarily active in or master at. This is earthly vanity. The Holy Vanities are the concordance of virtues endowed to Man but not as yet, fully received.

Goodness is not of itself one virtue, but does stream forth throughout the expression of each and every one. The reactive nature of all virtues is that of service. In other words, the conductivity is responsive. Therefore as 'goodness' is perfection in service, all virtues are characteristic of such expression. The impulse behind each virtue is an offering to those who would receive such positive endowments; and manifest in differing variations throughout the multidimensional realms of coexistence. 

We are empowered to develop a keen rapport with all that which will be defined as 'good' within our hemisphere. The experience of that radiant/light/warmth revelation is one of coming to the reality of Goodness. This does not need to be repeated. It is in the meditation thereof, the consideration, the seeking and the coming to know.

How quickly the fruit can spoil! If we are to grapple with Goodness, it is especial to the paramount timing of this consideration. For the fruit unripe or decaying, shall not give us a proper representation of such fruit perfected. Therefore, when in time we strike such Goodness in example, we must be quick to acknowledge lest it dissolve from our grasp. 

We particularly give thanks for Goodness, knowing well that by doing so we are provoked from within. The system which envelops our constitution of fiber and sinew, breath, beat and rhythm, is driven by Goodness - the condescension of God.