Overcoming Desires/Letting it Fall Away

[Bring4th_Austin]

Ra's advice about experiencing desires is something I have not fully grasped either.

For instance, what would be the difference between temptation and desire? Ra claims that it is necessary for a proper channel to deny the former, yet says that it is the proper role of an entity to experience the latter. Where is the distinction between what we are tempted to experience and what we desire to experience?

I suppose it is worth note that Ra only addresses the concept of temptation in regards to channeling groups such as L/L, in where a 4th density negative entity attracted to the channel will "offer temptations" to the channel which, if given into, with detune the contact (such as aggrandizement of the channeling group or other types of selfish acts.) Perhaps these are the types of things that Ra suggests using our imaginations for rather than acting upon. But this doesn't seem to add up with the material for me, as denying temptation doesn't imply using the imagination to experience the desire.

I think one very important part of the passage you quoted is this line here: "We have found it to be inappropriate in the extreme to encourage the overcoming of any desires..."

This implies that Ra has had experience in this matter, and possibly at one point suggested to some entities to overcome desires. Perhaps at one point they believed that overcoming desires was an appropriate aspect of the STO path. However, they explain the results of such advice in a later passage:

52.7
Questioner: Am I correct, then, in assuming that discipline of the personality, knowledge of self, and control in strengthening of the will would be what any fifth-density entity would see as those things of importance?
Ra: I am Ra. In actuality these things are of importance in third through early seventh densities. The only correction in nuance that we would make is your use of the word, control. It is paramount that it be understood that it is not desirable or helpful to the growth of the understanding, may we say, of an entity by itself to control thought processes or impulses except where they may result in actions not consonant with the Law of One. Control may seem to be a short-cut to discipline, peace, and illumination. However, this very control potentiates and necessitates the further incarnative experience in order to balance this control or repression of that self which is perfect.

So in overcoming desires, we are simply "delaying the inevitable" with an issue that is begging to be addressed. Perhaps in some cases, it may seem better to "put off" the exploration of a certain desire for another lifetime, so we may concentrate on a particular task or objective before us. Understanding the consequences helps us make an (somewhat) informed decision.

Ra goes on to explain the alternative to "overcoming" desires:

Instead, we appreciate and recommend the use of your second verb in regard to the use of the will. Acceptance of self, forgiveness of self, and the direction of the will; this is the path towards the disciplined personality. Your faculty of will is that which is powerful within you as co-Creator. You cannot ascribe to this faculty too much importance. Thus it must be carefully used and directed in service to others for those upon the positively oriented path.

There is great danger in the use of the will as the personality becomes stronger, for it may be used even subconsciously in ways reducing the polarity of the entity.

This seems to suggest, to me, that to understand this issue of desires which seem to stray from our chosen path, we must understand the will and our ability to wield it as a co-Creator. I personally have never really been able to conceptualize "the will" and understand it in any sense that could help shed light on this issue.

However, Ra does touch some on the idea of strengthening the will:

42.12
Ra: I am Ra. There is but one technique for this growing or nurturing of will and faith, and that is the focusing of the attention. The attention span of those you call children is considered short. The spiritual attention span of most of your peoples is that of the child. Thus it is a matter of wishing to become able to collect one’s attention and hold it upon the desired programming.

This, when continued, strengthens the will. The entire activity can only occur when there exists faith that an outcome of this discipline is possible.

49.8
Questioner: Is it better, or shall I say, does it produce more useable results in meditation to leave the mind as blank as possible and let it run down, so to speak, or is it better to focus in meditation on some object or some thing for concentration?
Ra: I am Ra. This shall be the last full query of this work time.

Each of the two types of meditation is useful for a particular reason. The passive meditation involving the clearing of the mind, the emptying of the mental jumble which is characteristic of mind complex activity among your peoples, is efficacious for those whose goal is to achieve an inner silence as a base from which to listen to the Creator. This is an useful and helpful tool and is by far the most generally useful type of meditation as opposed to contemplation or prayer.

The type of meditation which may be called visualization has as its goal not that which is contained in the meditation itself. Visualization is the tool of the adept. Those who learn to hold visual images in mind are developing an inner concentrative power that can transcend boredom and discomfort. When this ability has become crystallized in an adept the adept may then do polarizing in consciousness without external action which can affect the planetary consciousness. This is the reason for existence of the so-called White Magician. Only those wishing to pursue the conscious raising of planetary vibration will find visualization to be a particularly satisfying type of meditation.

Contemplation or the consideration in a meditative state of an inspiring image or text is extremely useful also among your peoples, and the faculty of will called praying is also of a potentially helpful nature. Whether it is indeed an helpful activity depends quite totally upon the intentions and objects of the one who prays.

May we ask if there are any brief queries at this time?

And I always try to hold this sentiment when contemplating these types of things:

52.11
Questioner: Is there then, from the point of view of an individual who wishes to follow the service-to-others path, anything of importance other than disciplines of personality, knowledge of self, and strengthening of will?
Ra: I am Ra. This is technique. This is not the heart. Let us examine the heart of evolution.

Let us remember that we are all one. This is the great learning/teaching. In this unity lies love. This is a great learn/teaching. In this unity lies light. This is the fundamental teaching of all planes of existence in materialization. Unity, love, light, and joy; this is the heart of evolution of the spirit.

The second-ranking lessons are learn/taught in meditation and in service. At some point the mind/body/spirit complex is so smoothly activated and balanced by these central thoughts or distortions that the techniques you have mentioned become quite significant. However, the universe, its mystery unbroken, is one. Always begin and end in the Creator, not in technique.