Yes, and elsewhere in the book (I cannot recall the exact quote) it says something about how we are not expected to give up everything and pursue an exclusively spiritual existence; but that it is important and necessary that we conduct our material affairs, family relationships, and vocation.

I believe that personality is spirit pattern and is responsible for unity attempts. Example is when true religion and true science attempt unity there is a super additive and that is true philosophy. That’s about as close to Spirit as we can get. Call it metaphysics if you like but if growth results, then the effort implies true value and meaning.

What was that quote about it’s sad to record that so few people don’t do reflective thinking - or something like that?

So...if metaphysics is mortal mind's attempt to explain and understand that reality which is not factually and scientifically known....a formation of speculations or inventions which helps the reasoning mind to construct a perception of reality and assist in the formulation of a working philosophy which unites the observable universe to the causes and forces or origins of creation and thought and self and spirit, and if reason, logic, and the cosmic intuitions delivers reality-response and insight to deep thinking to deliver a factual understanding of reality, especially as added to and completed by epochal revelation to help eliminate errors and confusions of our conceptions of reality, then over time and as the mortal reality perspective gains factual and objective knowledge and perspective of reality does metaphysics have less and less "empty or blank" canvas which requires our speculation and metaphysical considerations and constructs.

In other words, to Andon and Fonta, everything regarding material and spirituality was metaphysical. For us far less is so and in a few hundred or thousand generations, even more will be known and understood about reality. The UB is filled with descriptions of reality not known on our world or not known for a long, long time now, lost in history. Imagine the time to come when our world's view of reality is objectively and commonly held and shared as delivered by the UB and the scientific method has also progressively contributed to our factual understanding of material realities. That which will be subject to metaphysics will be less and less over time. Indeed, on a world in Light & Life, that which is subject to speculation might include primarily those issues of speculation mentioned by the authors of the UB.

To me metaphysics is the process of "filling in the blanks" of the unknown and also the unknowable. This process is, according to the UB, a vital and inherent mind function. We have an urge and desire and need and compulsion to "know" and to "understand". Only lazy and indolent minds are indifferent to learning and to knowing. This is one shared commonality and tendency of UB students. You really need to know and understand to dive into this huge volume filled with so much new data and perspective - so much of which challenges and contradicts all prior metaphysics and beliefs!

I'd like to point out an interesting element to the following and previously posted text:

16:6.4 (191.7) There exists in all personality associations of the cosmic mind a quality which might be denominated the “reality response.” It is this universal cosmic endowment of will creatures which saves them from becoming helpless victims of the implied a priori assumptions of science, philosophy, and religion. This reality sensitivity of the cosmic mind responds to certain phases of reality just as energy-material responds to gravity. It would be still more correct to say that these supermaterial realities so respond to the mind of the cosmos.

16:6.5 (192.1) The cosmic mind unfailingly responds (recognizes response) on three levels of universe reality. These responses are self-evident to clear-reasoning and deep-thinking minds. These levels of reality are:


Me here: It appears to me this is saying that not only does mind respond to reality but also that reality recognizes mind-response and also responds to its recognition??!! We know that all of reality is a creation of mind and must then be mind responsive. Which makes the reality response a symbiotic relationship which denotes a double response. I believe the Supreme is Deity that is similar in function, both cause and effect. The Supreme causes effects and is effected by the mortal experience and both forms of experience contribute to the Supreme Being.

16:6.10 (192.6) In the local universe mind bestowals, these three insights of the cosmic mind constitute the a priori assumptions which make it possible for man to function as a rational and self-conscious personality in the realms of science, philosophy, and religion. Stated otherwise, the recognition of the reality of these three manifestations of the Infinite is by a cosmic technique of self-revelation. Matter-energy is recognized by the mathematical logic of the senses; mind-reason intuitively knows its moral duty; spirit-faith (worship) is the religion of the reality of spiritual experience. These three basic factors in reflective thinking may be unified and co-ordinated in personality development, or they may become disproportionate and virtually unrelated in their respective functions. But when they become unified, they produce a strong character consisting in the correlation of a factual science, a moral philosophy, and a genuine religious experience. And it is these three cosmic intuitions that give objective validity, reality, to man’s experience in and with things, meanings, and values.

16:6.11 (192.7) It is the purpose of education to develop and sharpen these innate endowments of the human mind; of civilization to express them; of life experience to realize them; of religion to ennoble them; and of personality to unify them.

Self Revelation....a new concept for me I don't recall from all prior readings. Revelation of reality that is a function of our innate endowment of mind and the cosmic intuitions ....the ability to figure stuff out by reason, intuition, inspiration, and insight....and for those to function, metaphysics is a tool and function which assists that process of learning and knowing. Or so I understand. 3 forms of revelation - self revelation by thought and mind endowment; personal/auto revelation by the Thought Adjusters; and Epochal Revelation.

That is excellent analysis, except I would exonorate what we consider "the nature of metaphysics" or as "metaphysics per se", does not require mortal mind's attempt to explain and understand in order to have relevent present-actuality-status for the human individual.

The existence of Andon and Fonta, for Urantia as for every evolutionary world, signifies the "birth of morontial beings". And therefore, it is indeed metaphysically significant.

Metaphysics pertaining to the inner mechanism of man which enables Revelation to enter into the conscious streams of human thought. Of course this is an esoteric subject, which personality would perhaps not divulge to a maturing sphere, sociologically or intellectually. Even as a human embryo is considered a parasite before it is considered an infant or child, the morontial form is likened unto "being in its embryonic stage while sojourning in the material tabernacle upon Urantia." Then in fact, with metaphysics one must approach God through the prospect that I am a parasite of the cosmic mind?

But man's attempt to capitulate intellectually the nature of Revelation, or the function of autorevelation, through the actual mechanics of metaphysics, will "come up short" in the final analysis? Even if one is "properly processing" the truth of Revelation for one's own purposes and inner-striving, even if one is properly attuned? The mechanics of metaphysics need not be explained but rather "geared into" the doing of God's will, whence such mechanism of supernal potential becomes activated in the sentience of the human individual? How is the harmony of the universe revealed to the mind of a human individual, through the establishment of a central unity after the person has adopted the standard of finality and eternity, where all future action is predicated upon the goal of likeness unto God. In the Urantia Papers, ascencion is foreshadowed upon entrance into the central universe, whereas it is also likened unto a quest of personality attainment.

Of course that depends on our Circle Progress
Bradly

got any text to support that? papers are full of developing a conscious unified philosophy. i'm totally unaware of any such thing as "circus progress" but i heard the main attraction is a yuge elephant and three blind clowns

Of course that depends on our Circle Progress and experiential wisdom. The presentation in the Papers is the additive of both revealed truths and facts by Epochal Revelation to enhance the more objective and mature perspective of universe reality...materially, spiritually, and especially with the addition of the morontial realities in between...reducing mortal confusions and eliminating mortal errors of perception, assumption, and conclusion.

Bradly