The fifth session of 61th round of the Academy Branch Workshops was held on 17 January, 2018 at 09:30 a.m., this meeting was held by Master Dezhakam as the master of ceremony and Mrs. Fahime as the secretary. The weekly agenda was "The fifth valley: Cognition alone is not the ultimate approach to problem solving in our world. It will be completed with experience and achievement".
Master Dezhakam: Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler, I am fine and hope you are keeping well. If we have many problems today, it is due to our contemplation. Today's agenda is "The fifth valley: Cognition alone is not the ultimate approach to problem solving in our world. It will be completed with experience and achievement". From the first to fourth valleys, we learned how to think and they show us the limitations of thinking. They all tell us that most of our problems are due to lack of cognition.
In the first valley, we realize how to think, in the second valley, it tells us that we were not born futilely. Then, we understand that no one thinks about us more than ourselves. And in the fourth valley, we learn that we cannot simply hand over our responsibilities to God. Based on the fourth valley, human beings are always looking for an evasion just like a gazelle. They blame all the people around them for their failures but ignore themselves. But in the fourth valley, we realize that we even cannot hand over our responsibilities to God.
In the fifth valley, we are told to put our thoughts into practice. If we want to reconstruct ourselves, we have to act (upon what we know): the first step is to return from anti-values, to repent of our bad doings. Some thought that they can do whatever they want and then they repent and all their sins will be forgiven; however, it is not the case, it is impossible to be forgiven without paying your debts. Take this instance into consideration, a person makes a cheque out to somebody and it is not cleared on the due date, now you encounter two plaintiffs, the first: the person you have taken money from and the second is the government. You can say I repent of doing that bad action; and God may forgive you; however, you have to return from the wrong path [i.e. provide money for your debt]. A person may become a drunkard, now he repents, he should gradually return back to get liberated from alcohol. Or if a person commits a murder and then repents, is [simply] he forgiven? [No], he must respond to what he has done.
The second step is "avoidance" meaning that when I wonder I should do this or that, we should not do that. I want to enter a house from which I have no news, should I enter that house? No! I do not know whether he will pay back my money, if I give him a loan; I should not lend him money. If we do not know if this job is good or bad, we should avoid doing that.
The next step is contentment. By contentment in Congress60, we do not mean begging, but it means we have to make best use of anything in hand.
The next stage is "scouting, judgment and backbiting". We should avoid doing these anti-values. It is none of our business to know why this person has gone to that house.
Another issue in the fifth valley is our "savings". In all other spiritual schools, they say money is something bad and inauspicious; however, in Congress60, we believe that money is as important as spirituality. Saving does not belong to rich people; it is for us! We have to fortify our monetary foundations. If you have not money, you will have not spirituality. We have bought a building for Academy branch, and it was the result of the fifth valley. If we did not fortify our foundations and if we did not apply contentment, we are now begging other organizations to provide money for us. It is not important to have a low income, but it is important if you save money or not.
You have to start saving money in your life from the lowest amounts, and then you have to consider time and be patient so that over years, you can establish a strong saving foundation. Be patient, when you start working in a job position. It may take many years so that people know you and trust you and at last you will be successful. Do not change your job as soon as you get bankrupt. I have tolerated lots of troubles and borne many difficulties and hardship of life; therefore, you have to be resistant. It is not the case that you will always be successful in your life. Successful business-people have tolerated the hardship of life, but they resisted to be successful.
Saving is different from begging. You have to donate for the Lord's sake. If you pay or donate your money, your fund will be like a running and live river. However, if you do not fulfill your own commitments, it will change into putrescent water. Observe both spiritual and monetary issues. Here in Iran, we have never asked for money [for Congress60's affairs]. Therefore, you have to focus on your own programme, those who have based their life on others' money, will always fail. Other organizations wanted to give us money. The most important one was the European Union. Five years ago, they implored to give us 400000 euros, but I did not accept. I told that this is a poison for us. I have not accepted other organizations' help. If I accepted their help [i.e. money], we could not reach this status that we bought a building for $1333333 without others' help and money and without being indebted to others. A human being must have money but not for showing off themselves. I hope you will have a thoughtful life.
Thank you for listening to me.
Translated by Elahe
