Prepared 2007 by William Cooper
In The Urantia Book (UB 1098:4 / 100:5.1) a high spiritual personality comments: “Too few have learned how to install a philosophy of living in the place of religious authority.” This is recommending that we abandon religious authority as a guide to living our lives and instead develop and follow a philosophy of living that promotes a noble character.
As one of our activities at the July 27-29, 2007 Spiritual Living Conference at Belton, Texas we undertook to start defining a philosophy of living which would guide our lives.
The dictionary definition of philosophy is a beginning point.
Philosophy is a system for guiding life, as a body of principles of conduct, religious beliefs or traditions.
This definition could include inflexible theology, dogma and religious laws and rules. Since The Urantia Book advocates a personal religion of following the leading of the fragment of God who inhabits our soul, we can be certain that fossilized rules of righteousness are not part of the philosophy of living recommended.
Our personal philosophy of living can draw upon any source of wisdom. The Urantia Book is a good source but it is not the only source of truth. Ultimately the best sources of truth for your philosophy of living are the sources which the Spirit Within can use to enlighten your mind and soul.
A philosophy of living includes such things as:
How do you see the world and your place in it?
As a frightening, exciting, threatening, growing, dying, a contest, a school, a marvelous adventure a pointless game, material/emotional, spiritual?
How do you view difficulties and challenges?
To be avoided whenever possible? To be faced with graciousness, goodness and charm? As opportunities to learn good spiritual habits?
How and what do you think of other people and even of yourself?
Is it Godlike to forgive and to be tolerant, just and even merciful?
Do you evaluate people in terms of the best they are capable of or of the worst? Do you relate to other people for the purpose of benefiting yourself or do you seek to serve their real spiritual, emotional and material needs?
What place do wealth, power and prestige have in your philosophy?
Is that as it should be?
Where privilege, advantage, and power for change are concerned, what is fair?
Conference participants undertook to explore several Urantia Book passages and to extract philosophy of living principles as best we could; then we added some principles from unidentified sources. You could look at these principles and say these are just sayings or facts or maybe even truths. This is correct because they do not become part of your philosophy of living until you give them that high status and allow them to guide your thoughts and behavior. Would you like for these to be part of your system for guiding your life?
The following children of God were attending and contributing to this effort.
Matt & Peter Callac, Sharon Porter & Ted Lanier, Carol & Skip Weatherford, Mitzie & Michael Dentler, Jean-Pierre & Nickla Heudier, Nancy Johnson. Kaye & Bill Cooper, Jeannie & Brad Wall, Diana Drake and Mary Huggins
Thanks to Carol Weatherford for very promptly typing up our hand-written principles.
This is the report of what we came up with. No sources are specifically referenced because the authority for one’s philosophy of living should be the Spirit of Truth which ministers to each of us, the Inner Spirit (the spark of God within each of us) and the truth instinct of human mind. The list of potential principles got long. Feel free to approach it in pieces to prevent your mind from wandering away from the material. It is worth your time and attention.
Exercise One:
Ask yourself what would be the consequences in your life if you really believed and practiced these principles? In doing this I was brought face-to-face with some spiritual deficiencies. I think that is healthy.
Choose any three of these principles randomly by number (1-281), Note the numbers so you have them available for reference in your reflection, and then think deeply about having those three as part of your philosophy of living, your personal guiding principles. How would that affect your attitude toward life? How would it affect your interactions with others? How would it affect your role in the cosmic family? Would you be a better, happier person?
In reflecting on these principles, think deeply on their meanings and their consequences. Don’t just read quickly and pass on. The numbers are for reference only. They do not indicate importance or hierarchy of principles.
Exercise Two:
Engage in a cooperative game with your Inner Spirit The way this game works is that you choose one principle to consider meditatively and in depth (not hurriedly). You remain alert to thoughts or impressions that come to you. Consider whether you agree with the statement and the ways the principle is true. The object is to have fun discovering new insights into the possible meanings and applications of the passage. Things that a quick reading would miss. Expect to discover values embedded in the passage. Expect to be surprised by new meanings, new truth, new beauty, and new goodness. My Inner Spirit and I really enjoy playing this game together.
Love, Bill Cooper 2-8-2008