Group question: The question today has to do with the concept of pride. We’ve been talking about being honest in relationships and how we behave and how we sometimes build a persona, whether it’s used positively or negatively. It seems to be used in the way we feel like we will get what we want out of a relationship or communication, whether it is a harmonious experience or being honest or maybe telling a little fib and just letting that go. Our pride seems to be the motivating force behind a lot of the things we do and why we do them and we would like some indication as to perhaps the description of pride, how it arises, if it has any beneficial uses, if pride has a balance to it that we can come in contact with in our daily lives.

(Carla channeling)

Greetings to you in the love and in the light of the one infinite Creator. We are those of Q’uo. May we say how privileged we are to be called to your group this day. We bless and thank each for seeking and for attempting to discover that which is called the truth. We also seek that illusive perfection and are your comrades on the way. Therefore we ask that each listen to our thoughts, retaining only those which have use for you in particular.

To gaze at the pride within an entity is to gaze upon that portion of the self that has been created by the self for the purpose of self-defense. That is, one who has pride has attempted to discover a good, right or noble way to think or behave or speak. Then one adopts the mask that is most efficient, most in line with the desired making of an impression on others. It is as though a man with a modest garden were to put a wall twenty feet high about the garden, certainly more than the garden needs in order to be a protected plot.

The one known as Jesus pointed out that when the spiritual seeker attempts to do everything right in order to become worthy of the kingdom of what this instrument calls heaven—we shall start that sentence again—when a person attempts to reach what this instrument calls heaven by piling up and accumulating good deeds and appropriate attitudes, that path is the center of the emotion or emotional imbalance which can be seen as pride. In the person of pride there is the unspoken assumption that there is one right way. And that by [inaudible] to that right way, the self may maintain the attitude of pride, an attitude which functions as an armor against the encroaching world so that the self may hide behind its good works and appropriate attitudes and not uncover that truth which each entity within third density, becoming more conscious of the self, becomes aware of, and that is that there is no possible way to become worthy of the nature which the Creator has shared with each and every entity within the limitless creation.

Now, why is pride considered such an inappropriate emotion or imbalance or distortion for the spiritual seeker? The seeker within the spiritual or metaphysical world is creating itself, nurturing itself within just as the physical self is born with flesh and blood, so the spiritual self may be seen to be born within the consciousness of the seeker when that first choice to seek and to serve is made. The beginner is humble knowing that it is a beginner. This attitude tends quickly to wear off for many seekers and the balance of inquiry and contemplation is overset by each choice which moves away from inquiry and answers new questions with old answers. For the truth or the ideal is actually far more subtle than one truth, one ideal. There are currents and movements within truth which the seeker moves into and out of repeatedly throughout the process of receiving essential input and choosing the portions of that input that the self shall react to in first priority.

If you would characterize pride in a simple way, it could perhaps be seen to represent the Earth itself and the kingdom upon it which humankind has built. In this model or way or parable of seeing pride, the world becomes a worldly, corrupted and imperfect world, whereas the world of the spiritual is seen as that which is better, non-material, a higher way. Spiritual pride may be measured by how far from the everyday experience the seeker has placed itself, by which we mean that if an entity decides it cannot worship or seek or meditate or learn spiritually in the everyday world, then to that extent the entity is dealing with spiritual pride. For the energies that are metaphysical are energies that move as the wind into any situation and burn like fire, tempering and refining in the very crux and heat of the everyday.

Now, we are not saying that those who choose to be solitary or within religious orders and seek spiritually are all filled with pride. We simply say that insofar as an entity seeks, eschewing and looking down upon the world without it, and feeling scorn for that everyday world, to that extent the entity is dealing with a false image or idea or paradigm of what spiritual seeking is about. For the service-to-others seeker the path of seeking lies squarely through servitude and servant ministry. The more of humility and the less of grandeur that seems to adhere to a position or line of investigation, the greater chance that line of investigation has of being a good and appropriate model to follow.

The teacher known as Jesus offered a simple parable which may aid this discussion. This entity pointed out that there was a wealthy man who was very, very careful to say all of his prayers, to cover himself with ashes in the public streets, to show the depth of a religious penitent. This sort of man, then, was seen as one who would say to himself, “I am glad I am not as other men are, thieves and robbers. I have two fast days a week. I give much money to the temple.” Then there was another man beside this proud man who only knelt upon the ground and said, “Lord have mercy on me.” The one known as Jesus then asked, “Which of these two men went home justified?”

Dear ones, we know that you know the answer. That entity who asked for mercy had a clear and honest awareness of its position, spiritually speaking. For any of the infinite Creator’s creatures, the honest evaluation of self shall inevitably include a request for mercy, for there is no way an entity within illusion can build perfection. This is not a goal that we would recommend to any. The striving for perfection is seen by many, and certainly this instrument, to be an important goad, urging the self always onward to a more wholehearted effort, a more total attempt to be perfect. We suggest that a little of this thinking will be adequate. In other words, it is acceptable and wise to keep the ideal in mind, to aim for. However, to give the self the hard time if that perfection is not reached, or to give oneself the patting upon the back if the self perceives perfection has been reached, these are not the ways that shall produce learning.

We find that there is a true desire within each to relate the self back into the society in a way that produces more love, more compassion, more understanding, to make the world a better place. While this is certainly a good attitude, the center or middle way that this entity spoke of earlier must move back into that place where the self is seen as a servant and the question is, “Not my will here, but Thine needs to be known. So Creator, what is Your will for me?” Then if the impulse or inspiration moves to small or great success, neither matters, for the attempt given in wholehearted and single-minded effort is the total and sum of that which metaphysically matters.

To bleach the pride from this attempt to strive towards perfection, simply remove the editor and judge of the self from the picture so that you are free to do your best and then let that be good and sufficient. The pride will take you back many times looking for how the perfection could have been more closely approached. These deliberations are seldom fruitful, for the self shall not build a stairway to heaven by any good works or appropriate attitudes or systems of knowledge and understanding, but, rather, all that you shall judge of yourself after this experience will be held within that basic vibration or thought which is yourself. No works shall you take with you, nor thought, nor attitude, nor behavior, but that vibration that is you, integrated, unified, harmonious and whole. You cannot, by any knowledge or work, no matter how good, affect this vibration. You can only empty the self as often as you can, hoping always to become as the window through which all may see the Creator and all may feel Its love.

You cannot be proud or embarrassed about that vibration because you cannot get at it. You can only work on those things which are beginning, just beginning their descent into the roots of mind. You can only fuss around with responses. It is that sum total that is never seen in your illusion which shall be sum and substance of who you are always forever. It is that which is you. And what is there to be proud or not proud of in something you cannot ever, ever see?

We encourage each to take up the dance of life, dancing around judgment, moving away from vanity and glory and pride, seeking to serve, seeking to be servant. For every entity whom you meet is love itself, and, if you speak always to angels unawares, let your heart be humble, your hands be empty, your heart at rest that you may seek to love, and reach the hand to touch, and lift the heart to share love.

We would at this time transfer this contact to the one known as Jim. We leave this instrument in love and in light. We are those of the principle known to you as Q’uo.

(Jim channeling)

I am Q’uo, and greet each again in love and in light through this instrument. At this time we would offer ourselves in the attempt to speak to any further queries which those present may have for us. Is there a query at this time?

[Pause]

I am Q’uo, and we are satisfied that we have for the [nonce] spoken that which those present need to hear, and we are most grateful to be able to join your group at your invitation. We remind each of you that we are available for aiding the deepening of your meditations during your week, as you call it. A simple mental request is all that is necessary for us to join you in the presence of the one Creator. We, of course, will not speak at that time, but will blend our vibrations with yours that your meditation might be deeper and hopefully richer as well.

At this time we shall take our leave of this group, leaving each, as always, in the love and in the light of the one infinite Creator. We are known to you as those of Q’uo. Adonai, my friends. Adonai.