Q: Please talk about your views regarding creating a
Michael community.
A: The teachings as a whole do not depend upon the formation of a
community. We do try to reach those we have agreements with, however there is no timetable and no
sense of urgency; we offer the teachings as a tool, not as a way of life. But people in a community certainly
enrich the quality of your lives, and opportunities then abound to test
the principles learned in the teachings.
We sense the channel dislikes the cliques that often develop in communities, but
we do not see the harm in any endeavor that fosters more personal growth and
positive interaction. We will add, however, that cliques are often
attempts to avoid growth and they largely arise when the differences of others
are looked upon with fear. Rather than succumbing to this easy-way-out
through avoidance, we encourage more of you to face those you have difficulties
with (although we do not mean this in an adversarial sense). The lessons
of the
teachings are most effective when you learn the appropriate response to those that
challenge you. If you find yourself in a constant state of flight from fragments who are not your vibrational match, you
miss many useful o pportunities to apply the teachings.
In simpler terms, the teachings help you learn to connect with the unconnectable.
When you can do that with both compassion and tolerance, you are truly
doing good work.
Q: Is there a community mission that makes one
group more special than another?
A: Since in the eyes of the
Tao no individual or group is more worthy than another, the term "special"
serves no useful purpose here other than to excite the chief features. Whether
or not our students splinter into smaller groups or find a way to bridge
the gap into a homogenous blend, is of little concern to us; the teachings are simply
a tool to improve your understanding of yourself and others. If you feel that a sturdier toolbox will help protect you, then that is your personal choice.
But it is a choice, not a necessity.
We do not hover
over one particular group of fragments, nor do we currently support a specific community mission -- other than the guidance we provide to each of
our students individually.
Q: Do students need a community for the
purposes of understanding the teachings?
A: Community is, of course, a necessary and valuable part of
your experience on the physical plane. Many practical reasons
exist for living in a community -- too many to list here -- and the variety of
relationships forged in these interactions are vital to your continued
development. The formation of a Michael community, per se, is certainly
not counter-productive to our intentions, and the mutual
exchange of ideas and camaraderie that develops between students who share
your interest can be quite meaningful. But as we have said before, the effectiveness of the teachings
does not depend upon the formation of a student community. Greater learning
experiences are actually achieved when you apply the teachings to fragments in your own
local circle. Since you often share pre-incarnational
agreements and karma with these fragments, they will likely challenge your grasp of
the teachings in situations that test the limits of what you have learned.
With that said, we do not wish to discourage any students who
actively nurture communities based on the teachings.
Q: What is community as defined by
Michael and Michael students?
We define community as the cooperative coalescence between people
of diverse persuasions who agree to co-exist in a mutually beneficial way.
Many types of communities exist -- more than can be named at this
time -- but the real bonding agent that holds them together is the magnetic draw
of tolerance and acceptance. Obviously there are practical factors in
communities, such as the exchange of goods and services, religious worship,
municipal governance, and so forth, but the lessons surrounding tolerance and
acceptance provide the glue that creates a lasting bond. Now such lessons are
often pursued unconsciously, but they are still an overriding influence in any
community.
Too many variables exist to define a community by the individual
desires of Michael students, but the nine needs:
Security,
Adventure,
Freedom,
Expansion,
Power,
Expression,
Acceptance,
Communion,
and Exchange
could certainly be used as a guideline in this endeavor.
If we were to draw up a blueprint of a future
Michael community, we would make sure that the nine needs are properly
emphasized.
Q: Tell us more about how students can apply the
teachings in the community.
A: As we mentioned earlier, students will find the teachings more instrumental
if they can learn to conquer avoidance. More specifically, the fearful avoidance
of others, self, and life in all of its complexities. When you avoid anything
out of fear or judgement, you actually create a void in yourself
that lessens your opportunities for growth. Applying the teachings here will not
only help you see the rest of humanity without a jaundiced eye, but a world once
devoid of color will suddenly shimmer with a radiance never seen before -- there is nothing more striking than the truth.
It is by no accident, by the way, that personalities have clashed
in the Michael community, as there is no better way to learn about the
teachings than to experience them firsthand. This doesn't mean you must
be around other students in order to learn: your friends, family, and
coworkers are your greatest teachers in this sense.
We are amused
by students who passionately wish to understand the teachings yet seem so
passionately unwilling to apply them to each other. Many of the conflicts we've
sensed could easily be remedied if these difficulties were examined
through the lens the teachings provides.
Greater levels of compassion and tolerance are, of course, within the grasp of
all of you, and when you learn to apply the teachings to those you perceive as difficult,
the answers will be available.
It might surprise you to know that fragments who
upset you are often reflecting an image of yourself that has yet to
heal. This does not mean you should condone behavior that forcefully affects the
choices of others, such as violence, but armed with your knowledge of the teachings, you
have the key to unlocking the mysteries of the human psyche in profound and life
changing ways. When you avoid or exclude others, however, either out of fear or judgement, you
exclude a part of yourself. For this reason
we encourage our students to open more doors than they close.
.....................................................................................................................................