10/25/83

The Presidents

Understanding Unit # 1

 

What do we say when you ask, "What is Understanding?"  True it is, that Understanding Inc., is now an international organization with many units, whose membership varies from the minimum of five to perhaps fifty. True, also, that units sponsor public lectures or conduct study and discussion meetings, and do research. But, you ask, what is "Understanding?

Our purpose is defined: To propagate a better understanding among all the people of this earth and those not of this earth, and to this end we examine all things. Actually we examine particularly the unorthodox, in all areas of man's relationships with others, to expand the generally accepted viewpoints.

Why are we banded together? As we study from as many perspectives as possible we begin to understand why others think, feel, and act as they do, though these actions differ from ours: By understanding we have no quarrel with another individual, group, nation or race.  So it is we seek membership that others may share with this search for understanding among all men!

What do we study? We have in the past few years covered many areas - health, cooperative religion, ESP, the flying saucer phenomena with its spiritual implications, thus also metaphysics. We have speakers, we read books.  We live in accordance with our concepts of understanding, thus by example draw others to us.

What do we accomplish? We develop a new awareness that all aspects of life are not necessarily presently visible nor objective. Rather than render judgments based on prejudice, ignorance or emotions, we seek to determine basic truths and consider new possibilities and perspectives. We seek that bond by which, we are made One, that peace and good will may come to us individually and collectively.

We seek to understand our relationship to all the cosmos, infinite and eternal that it is. This is no small task yet we are aided in our beginnings by a consideration of the appearance in recent years of so-called "unidentified flying objects."

None has the time to investigate thoroughly the areas of human and divine relationships, yet by our sharing of understanding gained we help others to grow. Our growth, however, does not come so much from an acceptance of new concepts of harmonious adjustment to life but from our practice of that which we learn.

It is the same basic lesson - SERVICE to others, directly or indirectly, c according to personalities. Not everyone can teach from the platform, but we can teach by our own lives. Not every neighbor accepts our new-age concepts, yet, by judicious use of example, stories and experiences, we can and do create at least curiosity to investigate new subjects.

Understanding, Inc., as an organization, has no particular teachings or lessons to offer because "Understanding" encompasses all things - man's every relationship to every aspect of life, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, historic, scientific, etc. It includes an understanding first of man himself in his environment, then of his brothers, which in turn leads to his Creator. We study, research, we read, each according to his particular interests, then we share with one another, on a person to person basis, through our Unit activities and through our Monthly Newsletter.  We are sharing with those about us by every deed we perform. Our influence thus is both direct and indirect.