The Soul and the World

*******

The great Unconscious can dream up any kind of world in which the in-dividual ("undivided") can become a "person." This is the kind of "dream-world" in which we now exist. (The word "person" is from the Latin persona, and means "mask." You are one "mask" being worn by the Mind, and I am another.)

Why, then, does not the Mind dream up only perfect lives, without problems, challenges, and difficulties?

It did, for billions of years. This might be seen as the "amusement park" phase of earthly history. The Mind dreamed up trillions of lives (probably more), and each one was thrilling, blessed, perfect, content, satisfied, and whole. This "paradise" phase continued for countless eons.

Souls were "emanated" (sent "out" into the world) by the Mind, and each celebrated a fantastically brilliant and unlimited experience of the perfect life. This went on, as noted, for billions of (countless) years.

Everyone loved the "game" of "physical" life. But everyone wanted to make it more exciting. Everyone was interested in improving the "game," making it more realistic and thrilling.

So, one day, a soul (nonphysical, very deep Mind) said, "The ultimate game would be to forget that we are everlasting, eternal, invincible souls." The Mind can do anything, and so, according to God's will, it allowed Itself to forget. In fact, It willed Itself to forget that it was the Being of Love.

When It forgot, it got caught up in the "drama" of life. Falling into illusion and dream, it began to believe, for example, that "death" was real, and that it was the "end of life." This gave rise to all forms of ignorance (avidya).

This fall into illusion is symbolized by the story of Cain having murdered his brother Abel. For, by this time, people thought that they were nothing but animal-bodies. Souls forgot that they were nonphysical Minds or soulminds, and fell into the delusion that they were nothing but "animal" bodies. Indeed, the seeds for this animal-illusion were planted in Genesis, by Jehovah. For, after they fell from their perfect realization of grace ("Eden"), Jehovah "covered" them with "animal-skins."

Once you began to believe in selfishness, as a soul, you believed that you were completely separate from all other beings. (Actually, you were one with them, all "plugged" into the common Mind, Lovemind, Coremind, or Godmind.)

Thus "separated" from God and from all other creatures, you could develop and cultivate the "separate" life, containing the "knowledge of good and evil." This was, in Eden, the "forbidden fruit." (It involved a belief in the true reality of evil, its absolute reality, and a belief that anything or anyone could ever exist "separate" from the One, the Mind, or God.)

This nightmarish belief made it possible to "sow the seeds" of karma. This principle was mentioned by Paul as "that which a man soweth, that shall he also reap." So, once the seeds of karma began to grow, not only was every imperfection possible, but they became inevitable. For all of us, in our dark days of ignorance, harmed many people. (This we did voluntarily or intentionally.)

It is because we all carry around a load of such great karma that the "good news" of Christianity was so delightful. For it was this: "All your sins are forgiven." After the coming, and teaching, of Jesus Christ, we could live without any more karma; the sins of centuries, and mountains of them, simply vanished in the Love and grace of God. For Jesus died a death of "propitiatory" karma, meaning that his life absorbed the "sins of the world."

So, Jesus became a symbol and statement of divine forgiveness, which was one hundred percent. But until, by grace, we grow into the full realization of that grace, it does not, and cannot, affect us.

But the whole situation, this "panbiography" of billions of years, and billions of "individual" minds, is not that simple. Most people come back to earth to work out their karma. But some other, greater, or enlightened, souls also come to earth, to perfect some spiritual quality. (This is called "voluntary karma," for it has been chosen as a "limitation" by the soul, in a "contract" with God.)

Thus, it would be inappropriate and incompassionate for us to look at a problem in life and say that it is due to "sin" or "karma." For there are souls, of many ages in duration, who have chosen or selected a life with certain karmic limitations.

They have come to earth simply to experience being human, or the power of "limitation" to create humility, or to unlock compassion.

This fully explains why some of the greatest, most tender, Love-filled, and mystical teachers-- some of the most humble and enlightened-- have experienced major difficulties on earth.

Any problem that is genetic is, by simple definition and extension, also karmic. So, a person who suffers from this condition might be taking this condition as a supreme "test" or "exam" for the soul. She need not be "guilty" of any karma, and the condition is not due to ordinary karma. (This is called "reflective" or "reflexive" karma.)

So, both the good and the bad "suffer" from the limitations of earthly (biological) life. (It was thinking about suffering that brought the Buddha to full enlightenment. So, this is yet another way that suffering has benefited both people and the entire planet.) For the earth is a great school, and many of its "learning courses" or "lessons" are quite difficult.

At the soul-level, each soul realizes and knows, although deeply unconsciously, that nothing from earth can ever harm it. This world can harm or damage the body, and it can also hurt the mind. But, at very deep levels of mind, such as the soul, it cannot be harmed. For the soul is invincible, meaning that it cannot be harmed or hurt by any earthly event, object, or situation. For the soul is so deep within the Unconscious that nothing can ever harm, or even affect, it.

Knowing that she is an invincible, invulnerable soulmind, and not a body, releases the enlightened into a new universe, with brand-new selfimage. She knows that she is forever, and so, does not take "death" quite as seriously as the "final end," or the "extinction" of consciousness. It is to have this startling Selfrevelation that a person practices meditation. For this is getting in touch with those very profound soul-levels of Mind.

When you can know that the world is not "absolute" reality, you don't have to take its tragedies and disasters so seriously. The world no longer controls you. Instead, you give up your entire Mind to the control of the One, the great Mind; after that, you never have to worry, ever again. For everything is in the "hands of God," or in the one great Mind.

The mystic believes that only Mind is real. The "material, physical, external" world is not. The enlightened realize that the life of a person in this world (70 or 80 years) is but an eye-blink in eternity, and so, she is not crushed, wrecked, dhattered, or ruined by the conditions in this world. She knows that it is all but a dream, and this gives her power and courage that she could never obtain in any other way.

*******