The rule of living: Questions on its levels

The Rule of Living (147:4/1650-51)

. . . I am disappointed in that you all so often fail to put a genuinely spiritual interpretation upon my commonplace teachings, instruction which must be given you in human language and as men must speak. Let me now teach you concerning the differing levels of meaning attached to the interpretation of this rule of living, this admonition to ‘do to others that which you desire others to do to you’:

Question. Emmanuel, in his expressing to Michael of Nebadon his bestowal limitations, made it clear that the prohibition against interfering with “normal and orderly progressive evolution” “must not be interpreted as limiting your efforts to leave behind you an enduring and improved system of positive religious ethics.” (120:3.5/1329.6) Can we not see such a system in the following exposition of the rule of living?

^{147:4.4 (1650.}“1. The level of the flesh. Such a purely selfish and lustful interpretation would be well exemplified by the supposition of your question.

Question. What benefit can a person of high ideals derive from considering this interpretation?

^{147:4.5 (1650.}“2. The level of the feelings. This plane is one level higher than that of the flesh and implies that sympathy and pity would enhance one’s interpretation of this rule of living.

Question. Suppose that the rule of living, interpreted on this level, because universal in our world. What different would that make?

^{147:4.6 (1650.}“3. The level of mind. Now come into action the reason of mind and the intelligence of experience. Good judgment dictates that such a rule of living should be interpreted in consonance with the highest idealism embodied in the nobility of profound self-respect.

Questions. How does the intelligence of experience affect the way we apply the rule of living? Why is it necessary to include mention of “the nobility of profound self-respect”?

^{147:4.7 (1651.}“4. The level of brotherly love. Still higher is discovered the level of unselfish devotion to the welfare of one’s fellows. On this higher plane of wholehearted social service growing out of the consciousness of the fatherhood of God and the consequent recognition of the brotherhood of man, there is discovered a new and far more beautiful interpretation of this basic rule of life.

Questions. Why did Jesus not stop here? What does the fact that there are two higher levels imply about the limitations of the level of brotherly love?

^{147:4.8 (1651.}“5. The moral level. And then when you attain true philosophic levels of interpretation, when you have real insight into the rightness and wrongness of things, when you perceive the eternal fitness of human relationships, you will begin to view such a problem of interpretation as you would imagine a high-minded, idealistic, wise, and impartial third person would so view and interpret such an injunction as applied to your personal problems of adjustment to your life situations.

Questions. Give an example of real insight into the rightness and wrongness of things? What teachings in The Urantia Book reveal the eternal fitness of human relationships? Why is it helpful to imagine your problems as viewed through the lens of a high-minded, idealistic, wise, and impartial third person? Who is the nearest example you have known to such a person?

^{147:4.9 (1651.}“6. The spiritual level. And then last, but greatest of all, we attain the level of spirit insight and spiritual interpretation which impels us to recognize in this rule of life the divine command to treat all men as we conceive God would treat them. That is the universe ideal of human relationships. And this is your attitude toward all such problems when your supreme desire is ever to do the Father’s will. I would, therefore, that you should do to all men that which you know I would do to them in like circumstances.”

Questions. When Jesus says, “Last, but greatest of all, we attain the level of spirit insight and spiritual interpretation . . .”, he reinforces the interpretation of this sequence of levels as a developmental sequence. How many readers would like to identify with level six without going through the disciplines of the previous five levels? Do we sometimes congratulate ourselves prematurely? Jesus gives his final version of the rule of living: “Do to all men that which you know I would do to them in like circumstances.” In the ordination sermon he had said, “Whatsoever you believe that I would do to men, do you also to them.” What is the difference between acting in accord with what you believe Jesus would do and acting in accord with what you know that Jesus would do?

August 4, 2016