The Synthesis Test – Analysis, Part 8
Questions Fifty and Fifty-One:
Have you read three or more Health Food related books in your life? (a) Yes (b) No
Do you purchase from a Health Food store periodically? (a) Yes (b) No
50 &51. Most enlightened people try to keep their bodies in good functioning shape and will express some interest in health foods and visit health food stores or organic sections in grocery stores occasionally.
Question Fifty Two: If your next door neighbor angrily accused your boy of stealing $5.00 from inside the neighbor’s house and your boy’s feelings were hurt to the extent that he shed tears; and you knew the accusation was false, because he had been helping you in your house at the time of the purported stealing, how would you react?
(a) I would be visibly upset and tell the neighbor off. (b) I would remain calm and tell the neighbor off. (c) I would refrain from telling the neighbor off, but would explain that my boy was with me and did not go into the neighbor’s house.
Question Fifty-Three: Whatever your response, the neighbor becomes more angry and demands you give her the $5.00 that your son has stolen. What is your reaction? (a) I would hit the neighbor (for this answer, assume that you are of the same sex).
(b) I would take my son and walk away and make sure neither I nor my son darken the neighbor’s door again.
(c) I would tell the neighbor off some more. (d) I would remain calm and explain that I know my son is innocent. If the neighbor calms down later I would react as though the incident had never occurred.
(e) I would give the neighbor the $5.00.
Question Fifty-Four: If you discover that your neighbor’s boy stole $5.00 from your house what do you do?
(a) Angrily confront the neighbor and demand punishment of the boy and return of the $5,00.
(b) Same as (a) but without anger.
(c) Calmly explain the boy’s behavior to his parents, but not demand the $5.00. Wait and see if they return it.
(d) Catch the boy and punish him myself.
(e) Do nothing.
Comment on Questions 52-54. This is a difficult set of questions to answer honestly. It may help to explain the objective. People respond one of two ways to emotional situations. They will act or react. The actor is his own person; whereas the reactor is controlled by the situation. The majority of people are reactors; the few who are actors are on the path of Synthesis.
The actor returns good for evil. The reactor returns evil for evil, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The reactor always wants revenge and to “get even”. He wants his pound of flesh. He always wants the criminal to serve the last day of his sentence.
The actor does not follow the accepted pattern of behavior and response. Someone may shout directly at him or even slap him on the cheek and he will not impulsively return the insult. He will mentally consider first whether such response is desirable. To the offender’s surprise, the actor may respond by a show of love or friendliness which may often disarm him. The response of such a person will not always appear as love, however. Remember the cutting words of Jesus to the Jewish officials a few pages earlier. Even here Jesus was not just reacting, but acting. When an actor does respond with criticism, it is with a well deserved righteous indignation. The actor’s emotionally charged criticism will always be true and cutting. The reactor’s criticism will often contain half truths and insinuations.
The reactor will always think his criticism is justified, but the basic difference between an attack by an actor and by a reactor is the frequency and the predictability. If you shout at a reactor in an angry fashion he will always react in a negative way. On the other hand, if you shout at or attack an actor, even with great anger, he may not return the attack, perhaps nine times out of ten. But on that one time he does return it you may be assured it will have the result as a penetrating arrow, just as the attack of Jesus inflamed the Pharisees. “Frequency” then is the key word in determining the difference between the actors and reactors.
Many reactors deceive themselves and think they are really actors and think that even Jesus would do the same thing in their situation. Many overestimate their control in differing situations, thus will give an incorrect answer in these three questions. It was felt wise to include questions like these anyway, for a prospective Synthesizer should at least examine himself to see if he is acting or reacting. If he finds himself constantly reacting, perhaps he can become more self-aware and improve himself.
Examine the best answers on these three questions and ask yourself if this is really the trend you would be likely to follow. If it is not, above all do not deceive yourself. Self deception is the greatest hindrance to spiritual progression there is on this planet and when one gets caught in the web it can become almost impossible to break out. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” said the Master. Even if the truth is humiliating, face it boldly. There is no other road to freedom.
Question Fifty-Five: What percentage of your free time each day is spent in constructive activity?
(a) Almost none (b) 5-10% (c) 10-20% (d) 20-40% (e) 40-60% (f) Over 60%
55 To a Synthesizer, time is his most important possession, and he values it greatly. On the other hand, he also identifies with the “eternal now” and knows the timelessness of the spirit and has a calmness so he does not appear to be impulsively in a hurry. He values his free time and wants to spend it constructively.
Some may have answered this question incorrectly because they misunderstood what we meant by “free time” and “constructive activity”. Free time is time that you do not have to work in order to make money, time that you do not have to sleep, that that you do not have to spend in doing chores, washing dishes, tending kids, mowing lawns, fixing up the house, and so on. It is time you can spend in constructive activity. And what is constructive activity? First let us explain what it is not. It is not earning money. It is not sleeping, doing chores, washing dishes, tending kids, mowing lawns, fixing up the house, etc. These things may be constructive in the normal sense, but are not constructive use of free time.
By constructive use, we mean time which is used for self-improvement or unselfishly used for the benefit of mankind. Some types of reading may be for self-improvement and some may not. Reading a novel would generally be for entertainment unless one were reading it for study so he can become a writer. Studying non-fiction would generally constitute self-improvement. However, some of the gossip about movie stars, even though some of it may be true, is of very little use. Taking various lessons and educational classes of your own initiative is also constructive. Going to church would not count here, as it is usually done out of duty instead of for a real benefit. Anything that improves skill is constructive. Of course, watching sitcoms on television is not counted as constructive, but this time is definitely free time.
Time used for the benefit of mankind is the second area of constructive use. This may be a project designed to bring enlightenment to your fellow men. If you are a church goer, it would be time spent proselytizing activities. If you are into meditation, it would be time spent in teaching others your methods. If you are into healing (not as a profession) it would be the time spent in helping others to better health.
Now that we have defined terms, review the question again. Figure out how much free time you actually average a week and then decide approximately how many hours you honestly spend in genuinely constructive activity.
Note that the highest score is 60%. This is because it is recognized that no one spends all their time in constructive pursuits, nor is it desirable. Everyone needs to unwind at times in frivolous activities.
Now that you have studied the commentary here, you may want to reevaluate your score. If you have to lower it some it does not make you a lesser person. You are what you are, and no test will change that. It is important, however, that each individual sees clearly his true location on the path so the right steps can be taken. There is no greater or more common hindrance than for an aspirant to think that he is further advanced than he really is.
Again, in perceiving ourselves, it is good to follow the advice of Christ: “When he noticed how the guests were trying to secure the places of honor, he spoke to them in a parable: ‘When you are asked by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the place of honor. It may be that some person more distinguished than yourself has been invited; and the host will come and say to you, “Give this man your seat.” Then you will look foolish as you begin to take the lowest place. No, when you receive an invitation, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he will say, “Come up higher, my friend.” Then all your fellow guests will see the respect in which you are held. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:7-11 New English Version.
There will be no greater humiliation than that which will come to him who represents himself as being higher upon the Path than he really is. Humility is the safest route and the only way to be exalted by the Master. A true Synthesizer will someday hear the words: “Come up higher, my friend.”
It is a difficult task to determine by black and white questions as to who is and is not capable of receiving truth. Generally, one with intuition will be able to fairly accurately surmise the enlightenment of another brother within about five minutes of conversation. Those who have not developed the intuition will always have limitations on the amount they can receive. It is as if each person has within him a container of a certain size that is able to contain so much truth and no more. Each person walks around with a different sized receptacle. Some may contain a teaspoon, some a cup, some a quart, and some a gallon, but once they are full, no more may be poured in. This is an important truth which many proselyters ignore: ONCE THE LIMIT HAS BEEN REACHED IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW CLEARLY THE TRUTH IS PRESENTED, IT WILL BE REJECTED.
Finally, the time comes when the intuition is developed. When this happens it is as if the bottom were to fall out of the container and is now capable of having an infinite amount of truth pass through it. The person is now opened to any possibility that his consciousness can conceive of. His next limitation to overcome is the limitation of consciousness.
May 31, 2004
Copyright by J J Dewey
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