Not till we know "Life" completely will we know what "Death" is. Posted by narada on June 09, 1998 at 10:43:21:
In Reply to: Death is a silence posted by Laurie Bean on May 01, 1998 at 22:45:41:
The first time I remember seeing something and surmising that it was "dead" was when I was about 6 years old. I woke one morning to find that my cat was lying outside my window, not moving, and I seem to remember there were already ants on her. Thus did the concept of death become an experience for me.
Since then I have become rather more sophisticated in my conception of what "life" and "death" really are. But this has only deepened my appreciation of their mystery. If I should ever fully understand this one, I feel there would be not many more secrets left to fathom.
I would like to see a submission regarding reincarnation, and to this end will quote some recent developements of this ancient belief. First from Seth, (a being channeled by the medium Jane Roberts), who was instrumental in broadening our concept of reincarnation to include multiple universes and non-linear time.
"The present idea of the soul, you see, is a
'primitive' idea that can scarcely begin to explain the creativity or
reality from which mankind's being comes. You are multipersons. You exist
in many times and places at once. You exist as one person, simultaneously.
This does not deny the independence of the persons, but your inner reality
straddles their reality, while it serves as a psychic world in which they
can grow." session683
"The self is multidimensional when it is physically alive. It is a triumph
of spiritual and psychological identity, ever choosing from a myriad of
probable realities its own clear unassailable focus. . . The fact is that
in life you poise delicately and yet perfectly between realities, and after
death you do the same." session695
And then some quotes from "A Course in Miracles", a rather phenomenal book dictated to one Helen Schucman by an entity she accepted as being an historical Jesus of Nasareth. It also stretches the idea of reincarnation beyond our traditional understanding.
"In the ultimate sense, reincarnation is impossible. There is no past or future, and the idea of birth into a body has no meaning either once or many times. Reincarnation cannot, then, be true in any real sense. Our only question should be, "Is the concept helpful?" And that depends, of course, on what it is used for. If it is used to strengthen the recognition of the eternal nature of life, it is helpful indeed." Teachers Manual P57
"And the last to be overcome will be death." Of course! Without the idea of death there is no world. All dreams will end with this one. This is salvation's final goal; the end of all illusions. And in death are all illusions born." TM p.64
I hope this will be developed into a full submission soonish. ;-)