Dear Neil, Part 2.
Mary: awakening to a new reality is our common destination. Leaving our bodies
behind since they are destroyed and need to return to the Earth which lent us what they were made from is our common destination.
It would be greatly unwise to dismiss the Teachings from very many of the World'
s great religions, going back through time. Especially when you look at the lives of those great Teachers. Their very lives prove that they knew that life here was not the end. They willingly took persecution and even death. They gave away what they had here. They gave Their everything.
I also personally believe that it would be greatly unwise to believe that there
will never be another great One come to us. That's exactly what our predecessors did when they persecuted and killed the Great Teachers. It is
vital to seek for truth. Seeking for truth means not prejudging. Looking into
everything with a searching eye. What is more important than to carefully investigate the claims of One who claims to speak from the One God? I've investigated very carefully the claims along this line of both The Bab and Baha'u'llah. Personally, I have never found a flaw so I've had to conclude that these were exactly what They claimed to be. Of course the responsibility to seek truth in such
a detached and careful way is everyones'. But what they conclude is strictly their own business. I personally think that this world is a sifting place. A sifting place of souls. As well as a "soul school", of course. Because I have accepted the claims of both The Bab and Baha'ullah doesn't make me better or "saved." You know why? Because "No man knoweth what his own end shall be." The story of the two thieves on the cross beside Jesus Christ when he was crucified illustrates what I mean. One thief knew Jesus for what He really was, and accepted
Him. Jesus, as he hung there suffering said to that thief, "Today you will be
in paradise with Me." So what about the other thief? What about those who killed Jesus. What about those who made His physical life here on Earth a misery.
Well, they sorted themselves, don't you think? We sort ourselves, and no man knows what his own end shall be. There is no room for self-satisfaction, is there
?
Neil: I抳e been skimming through books like 揇on抰 sweat the
small stuff?by Richard Carlson, 揟uesdays with Morrie: an old man, a young man, and life抯 greatest lesson?by Mitch Albom and 揕ife抯 greatest lessons: 20 things that matter?by Hal Urban, and the theme is, it all boils down to what really counts at the end of our life. And it抯 love, family and friendship that matter the most.
So all
the wise sayings all point to the fact that the most precious
things in life are actually not physical things at all, they are all non-material in nature. And it抯 the non-material emotions, love, good deeds and of sorts that makes up the 憀ife report card?that we抣l be judged upon when we
depart from this material world and enter the invisible world beyond.
Mary: "Don't Sweath the Small Stuff" is excellent. So is "Tuesdays with Morrie
" I gather, because Ben read it on the last ship and said that Baha'is try to do
all those things, and so as I was reading about The Elegant Universe I didn't read Tuesdays with Morrie. I did read the other book by the same author. The other books mentioned I haven't read so I accept your interesting resume of them.
You are absolutely right that all the things that really matter are non-material. The chief of them is our love for God. The love of God can illumine all the
rest. I believe you are right that it's the non-material
emotions, love, good deeds...." that are very important. I guess I wrote much the same. above. As for it being "an invisible world beyond" -- I don't know about that. I don't think its invisible to those who inhabit it. We can't see it,
but then we can't see past the colour spectrum, either. We can't feel radio waves, we can't see many things that have been proven to exist. I think our physical abilities at sight, hearing and so on bar us from being able to know all that is around us. That's not to say that I think the next world is all around us.
I have no idea about that.
Neil: Mary, the fact that I抦 thinking about this sort of things is indicative
of another cruel fact that I抦 drawing further and further away from my youthful
and glorious years. Hopefully this also means that I抦 slowly wading through the reign of wisdom.
Mary: Maybe that's why. I'm sure you're gaining maturity and wisdom. You arecertainly a seeker and that's good. It isn't good to go through life deaf, blind, even spiritually dead. Jesus cured the blind, healed the ailing, raised the
dead and caused the deaf to hear. So did other Manifestation of God. Baha'u'llah says that these stories have both a physical and a metaphorical meaning and that the most important of the two is the metaphorical meaning.
Manifestation of God have powers beyond our human powers. They submit to our
ignorance and cruelty for our sake. They have always been reported to have done
miracles, but a miracle is only truly significant to the ones who see or experience it. Others can say that it was sleight of hand, or that they were hypnotized, and that's what they do say, too. Miracles that give back physical sight, hearing, life, mean less because the sight, hearing, life, will eventually fade away again when the person leaves this world. The metaphorical
meanings are much more significant. Jesus spoke in this metaphorical way when he said to his disciple whose father had died: "Let the dead bury their dead."
His disciple was alive to Jesus' true standing. He was alive, hearing and seeing the spiritual knowledge that Jesus Christ brought. From Jesus' wordsit is clear that the disciple's father denied the station of Christ. So did the
others who would bury his body." They were all spiritually dead, while the disciple, one of the same family, was spiritually alive, and aware. This is one proof that Jesus used these terms metaphorically. This metaphor applies to all of
us today, too. Some of us are asleep, some of us are ill. Some of us are dead
. Some of us are blind, deaf or dumb. These are spiritual conditions. You are
moving nicely along the path of search. And no man knows what his own end shall be.
Thanks for the recommendation on two good books. I think I saw 揟he Elegant Universe?in the books and magazines aisle in Superstore some months ago, but it may not be there anymore. I can抰 even find 揟he Family Mark Twain?in
all thepublic libraries in my city. I may have to resort to the Amazon website to findeither one to read, on top of 揅alculating God?you mentioned before. I read
the Chinese translated version of 揕ife After Life?in early 2003 shortly after my dad passed away. I think the book was given to me by one of my dad抯
friends. I was deeply touched by the notion of 'survival of the soul' in the beyond.
I recently bought 揟he Pagan Christ: Recovering the lost light?by Tom Harpur,
揂rt of Happiness at Work?by Howard Cutler, 揟he Jesus I never knew?
by Philip Yancey, 揇eath and the After Life?by Billy Graham, and 揂 Passionate Life?by Mike Breen, so I have no shortage of brain food for the next little while
.
Mary: You need to be careful of the interpretations of scripture and happenings
that are provided by others. Often they take literally what is metaphorical.
Much of scripture uses symbols to express spiritual things. Take the case of the
bread and wine of the Eucarist. Some believe that bread and wine literally turns into the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus meant this as a potent symbol. I don't think I should go into it here, but if you are ever interested I would. The old religions have been misinterpretated for ages and ages. Be aware
that all the books you've mentioned will be full of ideas that weren't originally meant. So do your best to read and think for yourself.
Neil: So the election is over and the Tories got what they deserved. Are you happy with the outcome?
Mary: The outcome remains to be seen. Maybe yes. Maybe no.
Affectionately and with sincerity, Mary
