“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Now, if you have learned anything in here, you must realize that when you tread a superficial web, you fall under. The inner strengths that are available to you, you are not using. Social discourse lately has been your profundity. You can indeed be more profound than that. This evening in class, you were not able to use your inner abilities. Now it is not often that I speak severely to you. But if I did not speak severely to you, then who would? You have seen, and you continue to see what can be done—and you have seen others come to class with no experience and little knowledge. You have seen our dweller in the hall here (Theodore) use his abilities—and he does not need to look for wonders because he is experiencing reality.

Now you are all getting it this evening, but it is long due—and it is for this reason that our friend Ruburt did not welcome me with open arms at your last class, for he knew what I was up to. It does you no good for me to come here and give you a symbolic pat on the back, and say, “My chickadees, fly away—you are doing well!”—not when you are not doing well. You are not fulfilling your responsibilities to yourselves simply by coming here once a week. You are fulfilling your responsibilities when you go within yourselves every day. Is the journey, after all, that frightening? The fear is only what you have created yourself. You have made it and placed it before the door.

Now, if I did not know your potentials, then I would not bother you. If all of you did not have abilities that you were not using, I would leave you alone. For to needle you would be cruel and I am not cruel. But I needle you in a righteous cause, and each of you knows it well. The search upon which you have all embarked can only be begun from the center of your own reality. This is what you have to work with. And you have more to work with than you realize. Demand more of yourself- not less. Your (to Rose) information was quite legitimate (this referred to a letter Rose received from England).

Now, to begin with, you must take the time. There is no doubt to whom I am speaking (Vera). I welcome you formally (to Jenny and Laurie). You (Rose) are doing well but you are still going very cautiously. You can have far more results even within the context within which you are working—if it were not for this overcaution. But you are making an effort, and where little effort is made, little results can be expected.

When (to Florence) there is a mathematical problem in which you are interested, you try to solve it. You do not solve it by standing in front of it with your arms crossed and closing your eyes and saying, “Surely the solution must be fearful.” Now again, if our Lady from Florence did not have the ability to look inward, I would not try to force her to do so. But you do have the ability.

Now, there is a tower of strength—but it is not outside yourself, but within yourself. And may I ask you (Brad) in all seriousness, dear friend, who—who do you think you are to refuse to use the strength which has been given to you. And why do you believe that the energy of the universe which flows through frog and tree—does not flow also through your own being—or to refuse to use this tremendous energy because you feel you are unworthy. Is a stone unworthy? For the sun falls upon the stone, and the stone does not say, “Lo and behold, I am a simple stone and not worthy for the sun to fall upon me.” And a flower does not say, “Lo and behold, I am one small flower. In a million universes, who am I that I should grow and develop?” It uses its abilities spontaneously and with joy. Then also, use your own, and accept the energy and strength that is available to you. One flower cannot ask another flower for the sunshine—for the other flower cannot give it. But the sun is there and it shines upon all flowers. Therefore, do not look to another for help—for the help is there and available for you to use. Avail yourself of it.

Now, perhaps I do not use the correct approach with you (Florence) when I speak of responsibility, but you are responsibility oriented. But a flower does not feel the responsibility to bloom in the sun, it blooms because it is natural to bloom. And it is natural to look inward—it is only you who have set up these barriers and now find it so difficult to break them. And when you begin, I can hear you now—”Why didn’t I know earlier. Instead of hells, I find meadows—instead of darkness, I find light! Why did you not tell me?” Well, I am telling you now—and I will say I told you so.

But (still to Vera) I do not want you to feel left out. What a heavenly smile indeed! I am glad I am in the company of saints! Now take your break.

You are the flower that is telling itself not to grow. You can counter this—and to some extent your attendance in class does counter it. You can counter this by changing your attitude. Where is your courage? You are extremely courageous in the exterior environment. We take on racial problems—we deal with the weighty issues of our community. We tend to look boldly and courageously into the problems of our society—but lo and behold, what happens to our courage when we think of looking into ourselves. Now, you are not being intellectually honest by refusing to look into yourself. You are using your intellect instead as an excuse. You are saying, intellectually I will not operate in this particular area. You think you are saying, I am too intellectual to operate in this particular area—my intellect impedes my progress. Your intellect does not impede your progress, your attitude towards your intellect does. Your intellect can be used to examine your progress. It can be an aid and it can help you in your achievement. Your intellect is not afraid of the inner self. It will grow with you gladly and as a friend if you will allow it to do so. Pretend then that the inner self is another land—and that you are a tourist—and highly curious—that you are intellectually and intuitively curious—pretend that all this courage you use in your daily endeavors is an aid to help you find your way in this new and strange and wondrous environment. Imagine yourself using all the abilities, as you look inward, that you use daily in looking outward.

The problems exist in the inner realms—you can solve them there. You help indeed by trying to solve them in your community and in your society. But they will actually be solved in inner reality. Use all of your courage and your brain and solve the problems at their source. Find out what the nature of inner reality is. You can then use inner reality as a secure basis from which you can look outward and see the world’s problems more clearly and in better focus.

I will let our friend (Ruburt) rest—but I will stay in focus—and you had all better stay in focus!

Now I have said what I came here to say this evening. And you all know that there is fondness behind my severity. And you all know I would not huff and puff and blow your door in unless I gave proper warning—and I am giving proper warning! Now, there is joy in all this—and there is spontaneity—and you do not have to think in terms of walking into the inner self in a sack of ashes and crying repentance. If I had gold stars, I would paste one on his (Theodore’s) forehead—but then he would be the one who would have to go to the bank and explain the strange star and not I.

The reason and the origin and the joy of your existence is within you all. And if you let it speak, then indeed it can speak within you in a voice as loud and joyous as any I dare use within the confines of this room. My voice is turned up to show you once again that vitality and your search is not sorrowful and is not for repentance, but is a joyful—and ambitious—and lively thing—and that the energy within you flies through your own being as the birds fly though the sky. And indeed, even as my voice reverberates against the ceiling, be thankful that it does not bounce and fall down and break into rocks upon the floor.

I am not tired out—my friend Ruburt is not tired out. But I am sorry that you are tired out. I would not tire you out for the world—it does not befit a good host.

Now, since it is nearly midnight I will leave you—before I turn into a pumpkin! But to a very real extent, you are all sleepwalkers—for you are far more awake and far more alert in many of your sleep states than you are now. And use many of your abilities to much greater advantage then for there is a much higher state of wakefulness that you do not realize—and yet you know it well. There are states of perception with which you are intuitively aware but that escape you in the light of day.

The door is never closed. It is always open. You only imagine that it is closed. No one closes the door but you. And no one makes you close the door—and no one can make you open the door though I can certainly try!!