Group question: The question this afternoon has to do with the metaphysical appropriateness, or value, in consciously choosing the more difficult path when we are aware of more than one path facing us in a particular direction. Is there a value, metaphysically, to consciously choosing more difficult paths or more difficult catalyst and being able to find joy anyway?

(Carla channeling)

I am Q’uo. Greetings in the love and in the light of the one infinite Creator. We greet you with undiluted pleasure and thank you for calling us to your circle of seeking. It is our pleasure to share our thoughts on the subject of difficulty and would—we correct this instrument—we would ask of you only that you hear our thoughts with the awareness that they are our opinions and have no authority over you except that authority you give them because you recognize them as your personal truth.

Move with us in your mind to the gardens outside this dwelling place and gaze about you at the various flowers, bushes, shrubbery, grasses and trees. Walk along the brick pathways looking at the perfection in each leaf, each blossom, be it clover or rose, green thing or colorful. Turn towards the light and visualize the beauty of this tranquil environment. Listen to the songs of the small birds twittering in the trees. The Creator moves through each fiber of each thing whatsoever that your eye can fall upon. Shall the lilies find some labor to justify their existence? Indeed, in your holy works the teacher known as Jesus asks to behold the lilies for they are so lovely not even a great king could be dressed in such splendid apparel yet they had done no work, put out no special effort to gain this glorious beauty. It was simply the Creator’s gift.

Turn within now to look at the self. How, within, is your self arrayed? What clothing do you use to dress your thoughts, your personality, your character? Is the character that is your inner self that which has come to you by taking thought or is this self of yours that which you have by some effort chosen? We ask you to see yourselves as natural creatures like the lilies and the roses. There is a beauty and a virtue in the self that is natural. There is a truth within which is given and by no thought can this truth be duplicated. Indeed, all who seek truth seek out in the world only as a reflection of the seeking within to strip away the illusions of shadow which cover from one’s own inner eyes the truth that lies at the heart of self.

The spiritual journey is a journey of taking away those things which are not natural until the natural beauty, the natural truth of the self is at last uncovered and is able to stand free of the fetters of darkness and radiate as the light bulb. Let us then move to another image. The self is now the light bulb. It is in itself simply a clear, empty channel. When that which is exterior to the bulb places it in a position in which it can receive energy and then this pathway is opened the bulb becomes radiant. As the lily radiates in its fragrant color the love of the infinite One so does the creature of spirit, the natural man stand in its empty openness of heart and radiate the love and light of the infinite One.

You ask if one should choose difficulty in order to express love under more difficult circumstances. We say to you, rather, the circumstances are before each. There is a period where no choices seem to need to be made and the seeker expresses its nature in peace and harmony. Inevitably, however, the seeker comes to some choice. Say it is the choice of one activity over another. The activity, say, of riding the bicycle or the activity of listening to the concert of music. Shall the entity choose the physical effort of riding the bicycle or shall the seeker choose to sit quietly and listen to beautiful music? One is physically difficult, another is physically easy.

Do you then choose to ride the bicycle so that you may choose the difficult path? We suggest, rather, that the seeker consult its desire. Which activity is the more natural to it? Some would find the bicycling, though physically more difficult, yet still preferable because the nature of that particular seeker is to find joy in activity, in feeling the muscles working, the body moving and the harmonies and beauties of the natural second density creation of the infinite One delightful. Another seeker might well choose to listen to music and feel its inner nature expand in feelings of positive joy and praise at the beauty of the creation of the race of humankind in all of its harmony and its joyous expression.

This seeking for some way to intensify the offering of love to the infinite One has a long history among your peoples. There are those in every generation who seek to wear the hair shirt next to the skin, to make this creation uncomfortable in as many ways as possible so that joy will be found not in this world but in the Creator only and the world of the Creator which is not here. There are many seekers who instinctively attempt to find the hardest jobs, the most difficult and intractable people to befriend, all for the sake of the infinite One. To those who find this an expression of their true nature we say go and do that which is natural to you for the path to the infinite Love and infinite Light in its purest manifestation within your illusion is that path which is—we correct this instrument—which has attained most purely a realization of the natural self within.

There is no intrinsic value either in ease or in discomfort. There is no special learning in arbitrarily choosing the more difficult or the more easy paths. What the seeker is attempting to do is to attain the inner vibration which is most natural and true, which most expresses the core of the self, the heart of that which is infinite and everlasting.

Thusly, to one seeker one way is the most straight path to that original Thought. Each entity will have its own way of moving towards that vibration of love and light. Perhaps we would say that as each seeker attempts to vibrate in the vibration which is most close to the original Thought which is the Logos or the Love of the infinite One the attempt is aided not by questions concerning difficulty or ease but rather the seeking to express and echo the original Vibration is aided by those who are willing to become transparent to that original Vibration.

When one is transparent then all things whatsoever color one, touch one, affect one. When one opens in transparent trust and love allowing the radiance of the original Thought to pour through one then that which is natural to that entity simply is in front of that entity. The choice has been to bear witness to the infinite Creator. Thus, if this purely vibrating entity is offered either the bicycle or the concert the transparent entity simply gazes upon each activity with the question, “How may I serve in this environment?” If the entity vibrates more in love and praise while physically active then this is the greater path. If the transparent entity vibrates more radiantly as a passive listener then the entity joyously sits and serves in praise and thanksgiving for this beauty all about.

Now, when there are choices which are partaking of the incarnational level, such as the choice of life mate and the choice of worldly vocation, it may seem more difficult to determine which of two choices is the more natural choice, yet in this too we suggest the process of becoming transparent to the original Thought, becoming able to be a channel for that great original Thought, so that there is allowed the self the process of choosing that life mate or that vocation in which the entity might most deeply bear witness to the love and light of the infinite One. This takes more and more awareness of the true nature of the self. The Creator does not ask of its children that it choose those things which are unnatural. It rather allows complete freedom. However, it is our observation that the more a choice conforms individual nature with the more representative way of relating or way of working the more profound will be the expressions of praise and thanksgiving that become possible as this relationship or this vocational activity is pursued.

To all who may listen to the voice of spirit comes suffering, limitation, difficulty, loss and the experience of death. To any activity that the sons and daughters of the infinite One may move there comes the difficulty, the pain, the time in which stamina, nerve and determination are called upon. It is not necessary to choose a more difficult path for all paths will contain the difficulties which you have prepared for yourself. Each of you has great trials in the past and in the future. That is the nature of the illusion in which you have chosen to pursue the learning of the lessons of love. If you attempt to choose an easy path, difficulties shall come to you. If you attempt to choose the difficult path, difficulties will come to you. It is impossible to avoid them.

So the virtue lies not in choosing difficulty, for difficulty is inevitable. The choice well made is that choice which seeks the most opportunity for service to others. We do not find it necessary to encourage any to wear hair shirts and make themselves uncomfortable thereby, for each will be very uncomfortable and feel as though he were indeed wearing the hair shirt again and again throughout the incarnational experience. It is just as futile to attempt to avoid difficulty. Those who attempt to make their lives easier and choose the easier path will still find the same lessons learned and every single iota of difficulty experienced whether the attempt to avoid the experience is made or not. You cannot move from your own nature and your nature as you experience yourself will be that which recedes before your understanding’s grasp.

We began this talk thinking of the flowers in the garden who turn towards the sun. Just so, we encourage each to consider itself as that which by its very nature turns towards the sun which is the one great original Thought. Unlike the lilies in the garden you in third density have legs, you are mobile, you can move and express with mind and heart by using your voice and in all of your communication ways, writing, singing, drawing and expressing again and again. In your expression seek to allow to drop away those things which you do not find to be congruent with the attempt to express that great original Thought. Sometimes this will occasion the choice of the more difficult way. Sometimes it will prompt the choice which seems the easier way. The choice, however, we encourage you to make on the basis of its rightness for you as you attempt to praise and serve the infinite One. Follow your nature and know that your nature is joy, light, peace and love. Yes, you shall strive, you shall find difficulty, you shall perform feats of overcoming difficulty and still bearing witness to the light, but in any choice between two paths follow your light, follow your joy, follow your nature so that you may be your own unique self, most wholly and most entirely.

As you give up yourself to service you simply seek to maximize that service by choosing those …

[Side one of tape ends.]

(Carla channeling)

We see that we have overspent our allotted time once again and apologize for this length. We sense a low energy within this group, however, we do thank each for opening this channel this day. Perhaps you may see in this activity the example you seek. There were two ways to work with that with which you came to this circle today. You came to this circle without a clear and intense desire to seek the truth. You could have chosen not to sit in this working yet you chose to be faithful to a practice which you consider a portion of your spiritual seeking, and you turned toward the light and sat in faith, hoping in faith that light would be given. In that energy you created that vehicle through which we were able to contact this instrument. Was it the more difficult of the two choices? We believe so, yet this is not why this choice was your proper choice but rather it is because the choice was made to be of service and to open the self to the seeking of truth. In this you fulfilled your nature as you understand it at this point in your development. We thank you for this attempt to seek to grow closer to the one original Thought. We thank you for allowing us to be of service by your seeking and allowing us to speak.

And as you leave this circle we ask you to look not for difficulty but for opportunity to bear witness to the light by your very nature. Thusly, may your beauty shine and the Creator manifest Itself in the outworking of your life. We leave each in the resting and abiding of that selfhood which is the true nature of all. We leave you in love and in light, holograms of the one infinite Creator. We are those of Q’uo. Adonai. Adonai.