PERSONALITY
THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE - PASSPORT to PARADISE

The aim of this presentation is to take a look at personality. In this attempt I propose to ask a series of relevant questions and encourage you to personally participate.

Let me begin by focusing on the heading line "The Pearl of Great Price - Passport to Paradise". It is not possible for us in our spiritual infancy to put a true value on personality, but we are able to get an appreciation of its worth when we realise what unique privilege it is to be recipients of the gift of personality. Personality, a gift from our Paradise Father, is a level of deified reality. This is a great comfort, to know that the personal exchange we are now enjoying is based on such a reality.

When speaking of the value of personality, we may ask, who has most clearly illuminated the true worth of a person? Jesus, our Father/Brother and fellow one time mortal. Jesus loved men and women more than any human who has ever lived, he highly valued each person, he knew how precious was the father's gift of personality to each mortal. A perception of value is a level on which personality functions - experientially realised in the progressive realms of the material, morontial and the spiritual.

How is personality like a passport?

By definition, personality is permanence in the presence of change; no matter how many transformations we go through on the paradise journey it is by our personality that we will be known - recognised Personality is absolutely unique. There are no duplicates. You are a living passport to paradise. This subject has the potential to take us into many interesting related topics which could occupy us well into the future, beyond the time allocated for this presentation. After all, even the high personalities of the universe deem personality one of the mysteries of the universe. Let's try to stay on the subject and delve into the mystery:

Where does personality come from?

There is no personality apart from GOD the Father. To personality GOD cannot be plural; GOD is father to each of his creatures, it is literally impossible for a child to have more than one Father. As mentioned earlier, personality is a gift from our Paradise Father.

That said, what else can we gather about personality?

To all created intelligences, GOD is a personality, the origin and destiny of personality throughout all creation - in fact GOD is personality. Someone who can "know and be known", who can "love and be loved" [p27-28]

Of what is personality made? Sugar and spice and all things nice?

One thing is for sure, a material body is not indispensable to personality in either man or GOD. Personality is one thing which can be added to spirit. Though transcending its constituent parts personality is dependent on them for functional identity. Personality is superimposed on energy and is associated only with living energy systems. Living energy systems which are the culmination of the Life Carriers' plans - evolutionary mortals such as ourselves.

Where does personality reside?

During the mortal life, mortal will, the personality power of decision-choice, is resident in the material mind circuits. As life progresses and ensuing growth proceeds, this self, with its priceless powers of choice, becomes increasingly identified with the emerging morontia soul; and after death and consequent to mansion world resurrection, the human personality is completely identified with the morontia self.

What does personality look like?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, could apply here. In a previous record it is said man is made in the image of GOD. Also on record is that all mortals of will dignity are erect animals - bipeds. To a certain extent, the appearance of the material body form is responsive to the character of personality identity; the physical body does to a limited degree reflect something of the inherent nature of the personality. On the spirit level outward form and inner nature begin to approximate complete identification.

How is personality transcendent?

Personality and mortal memory of personality relationships having cosmic value will persist beyond this initial life. Beyond this life you will remember and be remembered by your one-time associates in the short but intriguing life on Urantia.

What distinguishes personality?

Two self-manifesting and characteristic phenomena of mortal reactive behaviour: self-consciousness and associated relative free will. Self-consciousness in the intellectual awareness of personality actuality including the ability to recognise the reality of other personalities.

What is the purpose of personality?

Bestowal of the dignity of cosmic citizenship. To make a gift to GOD - dedication of free will. Respond to the Adjuster lure of the Universal Father to the end that the prize of eternal life is achieved and personality is truly liberated - launched on a magnificent adventure of eternal unfolding even to the penetration of the absolute. Held as potential in each mortal is the synthesis of the lowest with the highest.

What guides the personality?

Personality responds to the Father's personality circuit. Personality invariably attains Deity destiny; your choice to share this destiny is optional.

What is the relationship between Personality and the Thought Adjuster?

They have the same origin, but when they first come from the Father, Thought Adjusters are identical in nature, whereas personality is diverse, original and exclusive. The attainment of personality is the Adjuster's quest. Fusion with the mortal of its indwelling - in this way the Father completes his promise of the gift of himself to his material creatures. We are responding to the call from within with a personality response to cooperate with the Adjuster's personal plan of spiritual growth.

Does the type of Adjuster influence personality?

More experienced Adjusters choose to indwell the higher types of mortals. Through the ages many great intellectual and spiritual leaders exerted influence because of the superiority of their indwelling Adjusters. Mystery Monitors are one of the real potentials of advancing civilization. Adjusters are fostering planetary cross fertilization in the domains of truth beauty and goodness. Mortals benefit from the previous experience of experienced Adjusters, and consequently, so too does Urantia.

If choice is characteristic of personality how can a pre-personal Adjuster choose?

Though they are not personalities they are real entities - true realities. They exhibit traits of personality, they select mortal subjects, plan their careers and volunteer to indwell them. They exhibit will, choice and love. But they are subservient to existent personality.

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What effect does fusion have on personality?

A fused individual is in reality one personality, one being whose unity defies analysis. Man and adjuster, no longer able to be distinguished, stand in the personal presence of Michael of Nebadon - triumphant Adjuster has won a personality, valiant human has acquired immortality. When fusion occurs each contributing partner gains all of the experiencable qualities of the other. It will take an eternity of future experience to completely endow the personality partnership with the meanings and values the Adjuster carries forward from the eternity of the past. The Thought adjuster is the full spirit stability focus of the ascending mortal while mortal free will offers the Adjuster an eternal channel for liberation of the Divine and infinite nature.

Where does personality operate?

Because a personality exhibits the power of choice in the operational realm of the mind circuits, it is within the mind arena of choice that personality unity is realised. In this arena human personalities live, are self conscious, make decisions, choose GOD or forsake him, eternalize or destroy themselves.

Where is personality most effective?

Only in the inner life can personality, which is inherently creative, function effectively for the individual. Happiness and joy take origin in the inner life. What are the significant personality choices? Those which culminate in the survival of self. During material existence survival decisions must be formulated. During the morontia career Survival decisions are confirmed. Spiritual emergence when Survival decisions have been made.

Is mind necessary for personality function?

Exercise of will is essential for personality expression, a body minus the volitional mind is no longer human. [p1230] How is personality linked to brotherhood? You become conscious of your creature brother because you are already conscious of GOD as your creator Father. Fatherhood is the relationship out of which we reason ourselves into the recognition of brotherhood. The closer the personal relationship to GOD the greater the motivation to make meaningful contact with other persons - service to others.

How can personality achieve the art of living?

The greatest problem of living is the task of unifying the soul powers of the personality by the dominance of LOVE. Only a person can love and be loved. Only a personality can know what it is doing before it does it. The challenge is to replace reactive habits to life situations with a balanced farseeing wisdom that is willing to exercise patience in place of impetuous action.

What do we know about personality?

It causes spirit to strive for mastery of energy-matter through mediation of mind.

Unifies the identity of any living energy system. Displays a qualitative response to the personality circuit Characterised by morality - consciousness of others and differing levels of conduct between persons. Responds directly to another person's presence Personality is uniquely conscious of time.

How is personality linked to spiritual growth?

The sum total of personality realization on a material world is contained in successive conquest of the 7 psychic circles. Psychic circles are indicators of personality status - moral maturity. The successful traversal of the circles is achieved by harmonious functioning of the entire personality. The parts grow in proportion to the expansion of the entire self. Persons become more real as they ascend from the 7th to the 1st level of mortal existence - the journey from child to mature human of immortal potentiality.

What are the outward signs of personality unity?

Light-hearted joyous life with a consequent successful and honourable career on earth.

What has forever changed all meanings and values of human personality?

The Universe fact of GOD's becoming a man.

What was unique about the Master's personality?

While we cannot hope to attain the high perfection of character of Jesus of Nazareth - every mortal believer can develop a strong and unified personality along the perfected lines of the Jesus personality, a unique feature of which was its symmetry, its exquisite and balanced unification:

Unfailing kindness in combination with strength of character Sincere and genuine, lived the truth as he taught it - was truth personified Well poised and unafraid, imaginative yet practical, courageous but not reckless Sympathetic but not sentimental, he evidenced exquisite discrimination associated with an extraordinary sense of propriety Surcharged with divine enthusiasm, but he never became fanatical Frank yet friendly, touchingly considerate because he loved his fellows and believed in them He exhibited courage born of faith - truly brave but never audacious.

And so it is literally true "if any man has Christ Jesus within him, he is a new creature..."

How is personality a bridge to paradise?

Stop and ponder the solemn fact that God in his own way has already bridged the gulf that exists between him and you. He is willing to share your life and toil with you as you pursue your universe career.

The authors of the Urantia Papers redefine the English word "personality" to mean that universe reality which responds to the gravity grasp of the First Source and Center. As students of these Papers, it is appropriate that we use their definition. What does this new definition imply for our evolving frame-of-concept? One effect is to adjust how we see the relationships between the four phases of reality - the mathematical, mindal, spiritual, and personal: since the Universal Father was unable to delegate responsibility for personality, we may assume that personality is in some sense the fundamental reality manipulated by the plans and purposes of the I AM. We explore this interesting matter in the next presentation, "Surfing the Absonite".

Verner Verass, Australia.

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