T.N.G. SIGNS OF THE TIMES - N.M. November 4, 2002 (#113)
Greetings from Russell's Remnant: www.oocities.org/dkone_us
“The Path, the Path, there is nothing but the Path. Nothing else is worth a damn, not a tinker’s damn.” R.W.
Several years ago, two of Russell Whitesell’s disciples ventured out into the hinterlands. Alas, they were visiting a very dark place on the planet – a bank (a place where personality reigns and soul is not often found). One of the aspiring disciples was a businessman who was in need of a loan in order to finish one of his projects. Let us call him LR. LR had invited one of Russell’s senior disciples to lunch with him that day after the visit to the bank. Let us refer to the senior disciple as MA.
This trip was made in LR’s nice large automobile. MA’s automobile was not used because it was a compact vehicle that LR said was “nice but not something you would want to make a long trip in.” Note that any trip into the hinterlands is a long trip. This road trip actually was made in an Easterly direction, but unfortunately this trip did not go far enough East. Note that the “East” is where the Teacher sits. This east was somewhat devoid of the Teacher so a senior disciple would have to do on this day. However, the two disciples did plan to eat at an oriental (eastern) restaurant after the bank meeting.
After arriving at he bank, LR and MA were ushered into the waiting area of one of the bank’s vice presidents who dealt with commercial loans. We shall refer to this banker as VP. Upon waiting their turn, VP’s secretary ushered us into VP’s office. VP was dressed to the “nines.” He was very impressive in dress. LR was dressed in his outdoor business attire, but looked very nice. This disciple always dressed dapperly, and his attire was usually well selected. However, MA was not dressed so well. He wore blue jeans, a worn blue chambry shirt, and moccasins. MA was a tall, large man who wore a mustache and full beard. LR shook hands with VP and introduced MA to VP. VP looked at MA and shook his hand, but there was definitely an air of disdain coming from the banker. This was embarrassing for VP to have this type man in his office. This was an office for high finance, not a place for a now financially poor man, even if he was with LR.
As the business dealings proceeded, LR tried to introduce MA into the conversation by pointing out to VP that MA had been at one time a very large stockholder in one of the South’s largest banks as well as the owner of five businesses. This did not impress VP. Later during the bank dealings, LR pointed out that MA was the brightest man he knew and had advised him on many occasions as well as many others in the area. VP again was not the least impressed. At this point, MA decided to enter the conversation and place a few choice ideas (seeds) in the vice president’s mind. These were esoteric ideas that the senior disciple felt VP would surely need in this life, if not - in the next few lives. MA realized that he was trying to teach the pig to sing – you know, it annoys the pig and frustrates you.
After MA had placed a few choice seed ideas, he sat quietly and watched the bank loan extension take place. He knew the banker was probably a lost cause in this life. Could MA make any inroads in this vice president’s consciousness about serving humanity instead of building castles in the sand? Maybe VP’s soul could plant a reinforcing seed into the banker’s mind to support what the teaching disciple was trying to tell him. As the secretary brought the new documents for LR to sign, a man just walked into the office and began talking to VP about bank business. He must have been very important because VP sprang to his feet as soon as the man appeared at the door. It turned out that this powerful and important man, at least to VP, was the bank’s CEO and majority stockholder. We shall refer to him as CEO. CEO did not even see LR and MA sitting in VP’s office. He just gave orders and VP just kept saying, “Yes sir! Yes sir! I’ll take care of that. I’ll take care of that right away.” LR’s business was put on a temporary hold as the bank underling snapped to attention and listened to his boss. MA just sat there and watched.
After a few moments, CEO turned to the two men sitting before the vice president and apologized for interrupting. At that point MA rose to shake hands with the bank’s Chief Operating Office. CEO smiled, grabbed MA’s hand and shook it warmly and placed his other hand on MA’s shoulder. He said with a big smile, “Hi MA. It is so very good to see you. I have been meaning to come see you for the last two years but just never got around to it. I do apologize for the delay. If you have a few moments before you leave the bank, I would appreciate it if you could come see me in my office – if you have the time.” MA said, “Of course. I will be glad to speak with you CEO.”
At that point soul struck. CEO turned to VP and said, “If this man speaks to you – listen! I have found it wise to listen to him.”
VP turned his demeanor around. He was rather sheepish and did not do or say any more demeaning things to MA. As the documents were being finished up, MA excused himself from the vice president’s office and made his way to the CEO’s secretary. As he approached, the secretary said, “Good morning Mr. MA, CEO is waiting for you in his office. Please go right in.”
As MA entered CEO’s office the bank president got up and came to greet MA. He told his secretary to hold all calls – no interruptions please, he closed the door and guided MA to a seat. He then told MA that it had taken him over two years to read the book MA had guided him to – Bridges by Aart Jurriaanse, a basic study in esoteric philosophy. CEO had come to MA 2½ years earlier. He needed guidance in his business and personal life. It turns out that most people do not listen to MA until their life turns unpleasant. Then they often do not even listen because it calls for sacrifice.
It often happens this way for MA. He tries to advise people to go to those who know about the Path. The doctors don’t know, the parents don’t know, the spouses don’t know, neither do the school teachers, the professors, the bankers, the businessmen, the CEOs, the lawyers, the politicians, the generals, the priests, rabbis, and ministers. Nor do the psychics, tarot readers, automatic writers, trance mediums, or pendulum swingers. Even most astrologers don’t know “their rectum from an aperture in the Earth’s surface” as Russell Whitesell used to say. Russell told his disciples to go to the “Knowers.”
MA asked the bank president about Bridges. CEO just shook his head and told of how long it took him to read the book, much less understand it. MA was pleased. Then the CEO made an interesting statement. The soul strikes again. This banker said that he liked the book, but that if he followed it and cared about humanity and soul instead of his depositors and personalities – the way D.K. and Jurriaanse advised – I’d go broke making loans to the people I know I need to help. MA said, “Yes, I know.” This made the banker very sad. As Christ said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” As MA was leaving, CEO said he was glad to see MA, but that if he followed MA’s advice, the bank would have to close.” MA nodded affirmatively and left the bank.
As LR and MA dined at lunch, the entire episode was discussed and analyzed. It was really funny that the vice president did not listen, even when the president told him otherwise. It also turned out that the CEO did not pursue the advice of MA and/or Bridges or the advice he gave his own vice-president. LR and MA laughed all the way home. As Russell would say, “The trouble with ignorance is that it does not know it is ignorant.”
Ironically, the aspiring disciple, who emphatically told others to listen to MA did not listen himself. On one occasion, LR sought advice about taking a new job in another state. MA cautioned LR not to take the job, do not move to the new location, but if he did decide to move – definitely do not go into the communication industry. LR did not listen. He moved away, took the job, quit that job and took a job in communications. He quit that job also after a while. He returned to Russell’s class where he was laughing about the experience. As the discussion of the events proceeded, MA asked LR a question – “LR, why do you insist others should listen to me and chastise them for not following the advice? Then you asked for relocation and job advice and blatantly ignored it. Why?”
At this point LR looked at the teaching disciple and said, “I choose to interpret your advice differently than what you told me.” The class exploded with laughter. Being an esoteric teacher is not very rewarding, especially with friends like LR. It is not fun trying to teach the pigs to sing.
“Distinguish between those who understand and those who agree. He who understands the Teaching will not tarry in applying it to life. He who agrees will nod and extol the Teaching as remarkable wisdom but will not apply this wisdom to life. These agreers are like fruitless and shadeless trees which only decay awaits. Those who understand are few, but like a sponge they absorb the precious knowledge and are ready to cleanse the horrors of the world with the precious liquid. Do not waste much time with the agreeing ones. Let them first demonstrate the application of the first call. He who agrees will readily accept the benefits but will be horrified by the first obstacle. Therefore, test through obstacles.” (Morya made this statement).
Upon hearing this last statement, LR told the class that he was an agreer and not an understander. He did not really understand that he had been given much but squandered it for more life with gusto. LR is no longer in the TNG. There are several other stories of Russell’s disciples who withdrew from the work because their actions were singled out for being detrimental to the Path. MA did not laugh, in fact he was sad.
***
Truly one can become exhausted not so much by enemies as by the indifference of friends.