When we became the victims of Typhoon Ondoy last year, we were forced to stay for a few days at my cousin's place in Fairview, Quezon City while we figured out what to do next. Unlike most of my relatives, this cousin of mine is the only one I know of who exhibited an entrepreneural bent, and was quite successful at it.
He has a clothing company he runs with his wife and their company supplies a lot of RTW (ready to wear) clothes to some big name brands. So you can say that while not extravagant, my cousin has quite a comfortable lifestyle for his family.
It was a relief to stay at their house after the devastation we went through just the previous day. Not many were as fortunate as we were. And then I found out that my cousin was not totally spared from the floods, because his factory was located in one of the areas that experienced flooding. A lot of inventory was lost and a lot of machines went under. The factory was their income-earner so needless to say, it was a big financial blow for him and his wife. And yet here they were, sheltering us, even if only for a few days.
But what really amazed me was what I saw a few days later. My cousin arrived at his house after being out shopping, and he was bringing in boxes and boxes of relief goods. Later, he and his family started segregating them into relief kits for distribution to some families affected by the flood.
To me that was really amazing. I'm sure that most, if not all, of us would like to think that we are generous people to some extent. Esoteric practitioners are even taught that we receive what we give. But how many of us would admit even to ourselves that in practice, we only give out what is from our excess? "Giving until it hurts" is fine as a concept unless one is brought into a situation that calls for it.
My cousin's generosity was really a lesson for me, one I was glad I had. This lesson has showed me that personal loss is no excuse not to help other people or not to be generous. Here was a guy who lost a lot, but could still find it within himself to give help to other people. He wasn't even an esoteric student, but he was living the teachings more faithfully than some long-time practitioners! And now I could understand why he was so blessed with prosperity. In fact, his business was able to bounce back from that loss.
Ever since that time, I have also tried to go beyond my comfort zone when it comes to giving and helping. All through life we've built around ourselves certain expectations about ourselves and other people, but I've learned that you constantly need to challenge those expectations if you want to really improve yourself. Sometimes it involves going exactly against "your nature."
I am again reminded of Mark 12:41-44, where the widow who offered all she had was considered to have given more than those who gave from their excess. Hopefully we remember to reflect on this any time we are faced with a situation that calls for giving help, especially when it's not convenient or is financially burdensome to do so.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Quandary of Knowing
A few weeks ago I started watching this TV series called Flash Forward, starring Joseph Fiennes and John Cho (of Harold and Kumar fame), who play FBI agents in the show. This may turn out to be a spoiler for some, but the whole premise of the series is that everyone in the world blacked out for exactly 2 minutes and 17 seconds. In those 2 minutes and 17 seconds, majority of the world's population saw themselves 6 months into the future. Anyone who didn't see anything during the blackout are destined to die before 6 months have passed, that's why they didn't see anything at all.
Seeing the future changed everything for everyone, for good or bad. Some people saw things that gave them hope and a strength to push through despite the troubles of the present. For these people, they want the future they saw to happen. Others saw things that were not so good, and so they are dreading every minute that the appointed day comes closer, and are desperately trying to prevent that particular future from happening. This is especially true for those who didn't see anything at all, and so are destined to die before the six months are up. The idea of going through each day knowing there is a looming death sentence over their heads is almost unbearable.
This highlights the inherent problems of knowing too much of the future. If the future one sees is bad, more often than not, it is the anticipation that is worse than the event itself. Imagine each day being lived in fear and anxiety of the supposed future event. Even if the future one sees is good, there is an underlying anxiety that perhaps it won't happen or that it was all a mirage.
What is further intriguing about the series is that in one of the earlier episodes, when they were interrogating a long time inmate in Germany, the inmate made a reference to 137 seconds, which is the equivalent of 2 minutes and 17 seconds. The interesting part is that he correlated it to the Hebrew letters that make up the word "Qabalah." Every letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical equivalent, and it so happens that when you add up the letters that spell "Qabalah" you get the number 137. There's someone in that show who knows a thing or two about esoteric subjects. Incidentally, the number 137 also corresponds to the God of Truth (Elohi Amen) in Isaiah 65. The number 137 in gematria can also refer to upheavals and a pushing forth.
Despite the fact that it's a TV show, one of the characters said something that is still significant for us in the everyday world. The character commented that everyone seems so focused on living for the future that people are forgetting to live in the present. Admit it or not, the future occupies our thoughts to one degree or another. From deciding what to wear tomorrow, to worrying about which course to take, who to marry or what direction our careers will take, the future captures our imagination like nothing else can.
There is nothing new about this. People have always been obsessed with the future. Since time immemorial, wise men and sages have been highly valued for their ability to foresee or predict the future. Although they often had other skills and functions, it was their ability to foretell the future that made these sages much sought after. All mythologies of various ancient cultures and peoples, and even the Bible, tell stories of oracles, prophets and seers who had a high degree of access to knowledge inaccessible to almost everyone else. They gave counsel to king and peasant alike, providing bits of information that would affect the fate of nations or the bounty of the next harvest. Like a blind man being guided across the road by someone who can see, these adepts helped people avoid pitfalls and traps that they would otherwise stumble into.
Today, people still read newspaper horoscopes and seek the advice of feng shui experts. Divinatory methods such as tarot card reading and palmistry have never really gone out of style. However, one method of foretelling the future that always catches the attention of people are those predictions made by psychics through the use of clairvoyant sight.
Clairvoyance is that ability to perceive things normally hidden from the physical senses. It is not limited to the ability to see spirits or auras, but also extends to remote viewing and reading the thought forms of people, among other things. Truly skilled and powerful clairvoyants can look into the past lives of an individual or access the Akashic Records to view scenes from far back in the past, even before recorded history. This same ability allows clairvoyants a glimpse into the future, which is imprinted in the astral realm. Before anything materializes on the physical plane, it first takes an astral form. By looking at this astral signature, future events can be detected in advance. It is like skipping forward to look at later chapters in a DVD video disc.
Clairvoyance is attributed to the so-called "third eye" which is associated with the development of the pineal gland. In Lemurian and Atlantean times, the pineal gland was highly developed, hence everyone's third eye was fully opened. As humankind sunk into lower and lower levels of spiritual consciousness, so did the pineal gland entropy into the form it takes in humans this day and age.
With its various uses, it is not surprising why clairvoyance is such a valued ability among the ancients. Even today, people are quite taken with individuals who display any psychic ability. Of course, this only holds true among people who believe in such things. Many psychics I know are usually apprehensive about displaying their abilities among people they don't know, because derision can follow if one is surrounded by unbelievers. People, even believers, also tend to look at psychics differently, but a lot of psychics want to be treated normally just like anyone else.
Most clairvoyants are born with the ability, with varying degrees of power. Some are limited to random flashes of precognitive dreams, while others have a fully opened third eye. But hard as it may be to believe, clairvoyance is a trained skill. With hard work and training, it is possible to develop one's clairvoyance. Of course, if you combine natural ability and training, the effects are even more astounding (the same way that natural athleticism combined with Freddie Roach's training made Manny Pacquiao into the boxer he is today).
In his book Initiation into Hermetics, Franz Bardon says that people who retain their clairvoyance into adulthood have worked at developing this ability in a previous life, and the fruits of labor show themselves in the present life as an inborn clairvoyant ability.
Clairvoyants inspire attention because they can perceive things that others simply can't. And here often lies the folly with our perception and understanding of clairvoyance. A clairvoyant is like a person with eyesight in a room full of blind men. As such, anything the clairvoyant says will be treated with the weight of authority.
But what most people don't realize is that because clairvoyance is a trained skill, there are varying degrees of proficiency. There is a world of difference between the eyesight of a person suffering from near-sightedness and that of a fighter pilot with 20-10 vision, but the blind man wouldn't understand the difference. In Master Choa's book The Origins of Modern Pranic Healing and Arhatic Yoga, he cautions that seeing is not the same as understanding. You can give a toddler detailed blueprints on how to build a 747 jet, but without the capacity to understand what is seen, the plans will just be a collection of lines and scribbles on a piece of blue paper. Therefore a lot of what is clairvoyantly seen will be colored by the interpretation that the clairvoyant attributes to the vision. If the interpretation is wrong, then it can cause a lot of distress for nothing.
All form of knowledge is a responsibility, for it can either build or destroy, inspire others or cause despair. For the clairvoyant, the burden of responsibility is even heavier if it involves the future. This is especially important nowadays where predictions of doom are so prevalent. Discovery Channel and History Channel have all played it up, so a lot of people are sensitive to anything that might be said about it.
To a clairvoyant who has seen the future, there are several complicating factors to deal with.
1. First factor is the accuracy of interpretation. Let's say you're riding a car, you look to the side as you pass an alley just in time to see a man punch another man in the face before the scene is taken out of view as the car speeds away. Was the guy being punched getting mugged? Was the aggressor a jilted lover getting back at the guy who got the girl? Or perhaps the guy getting punched was a mugger who had the tables turned on him by a quick-fisted victim? Some flashes of clairvoyance are like that, quick views of a scene before disappearing from view. If you take the scene out of context, then chances are you will have a mistaken interpretation of the vision.
Of course, if other psychics and clairvoyants see the same things you saw, and are interpreting them similarly, then chances are there's something to it though it's no guarantee.
2. The next factor to consider is the belief or unbelief of the audience. Getting a reputation as a nut job among people who don't believe in the paranormal can severely limit one's options and movements, especially if those people happen to be colleagues at work. On the other hand, if people do believe what one says, then get hysterical or panicked, the resulting pandemonium will certainly fall on one's head.
3. And of course, the most complicating factor of all is that the future can be changed. How can this be so? Let's say a person is diagnosed with a severe form of cancer that can kill him in 6 months. If left untreated, then the diagnosis will come true. However, if the person explores all avenues of treatment, both allopathic and homeopathic, it's possible for the cancer to go into remission and allow the person to live many more fruitful years in good health. Predictions are just like the diagnosis. They present an event with a high probability of happening, but it's not yet set in stone until it has already come to pass. Of course, if the future is changed, it does nothing for the credibility of the clairvoyant who came out with the original prediction, unless the whole principle is explained clearly and understood by the people who hear it (which often is not the case).
If you want a concrete example, it is said that 1998 was the year that a pole shift and global disasters were supposed to happen. Psychics around the world saw it. Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet, also predicted it. People were so sure it would happen, that according to one person I recently met, he migrated to Australia and bought property high up in a mountain. He and his wife waited for the disaster there until the appointed day passed and nothing happened.
People around the world who knew of the prediction were confused. What happened? As it turns out, the event was delayed because of the efforts of the Light Workers and the continual raising of consciousness among people in the world.
The fact that the 1998 event did not push through is a testament to the progress being made in spreading spiritual knowledge among the masses, but the flip side is that proponents of the 1998 prophecy lost credibility. Incidentally, the 1998 event is the only prediction of Edgar Cayce's that didn't come true. It's really a difficult situation, knowing the future. A clairvoyant has to discern between letting people know too little and giving away too much.
But how does this all affect the ordinary person, who doesn't have the ability to see any of this? It's easy to get caught up in all the hoopla about supposed disasters and dire predictions. But we need not be so fatalist.
The average person is to a large extent subject to the ebb and flow of astral forces that regularly push and pull on one's life stream. These forces stem from the karma that one needs to work out in this life. In order to rise above the tides, it is necessary to inject a certain amount of spirituality into one's life. I'm talking about something more than just piety, which involves diligently following the tenets of one's religion and its attendant dogma. One needs to also understand the teachings. Just as an understanding of natural laws allows scientists to come up with wonderful inventions that seem almost magical to us, so does a spiritual person use an understanding of even deeper esoteric laws to inject order into one's life, a level of control that seems incredible to the average person.
I have written several articles relating how these esoteric laws can be applied to one's life. You can read the article on taking control of one's life and the one about the Meditation on Twin Hearts. They should give an idea of how one is to start.
Although it is easier said than done, before much progress can be made, a person will also need to deal with one's fears. It's not just a fear of the unknown, but also the fear generated by knowing exactly what is to come. The fear of death tends to fall under this category, though I have heard some people say that it was not death itself they were afraid of, but any extended and agonizing pain preceding the actual death itself. For these people, they would rather that it happened quickly.
I've slowly come to realize that nothing about life, especially times of trial and hardship, will make much sense unless looked at from the point of view of soul consciousness. Therefore one must realize one's true nature, that we are all immortal souls and that our physical life constitutes only a small chapter in the journey of our existence. There is an esoteric maxim that says as a man changes clothes day by day, so does a soul change bodies from lifetime to lifetime.
Looked at in this context, physical existence is simply the sum total of all our previous choices from past lives expressed in terms of the karma we need to work out, yet at the same time it is also an opportunity for us to participate in the Divine Plan. There is really nothing to fear about the future because everything is happening according to whatever soul purpose is being followed. All the fears and anxieties are illusory thought forms that are insignificant as far as soul development is concerned. If this sounds so confusing, it really is if one is making a sudden shift from the physical and material perspective. But we all have to start from somewhere.
Kabbalistic belief teaches that whatever outside conditions one sees or are immersed in are simply reflections of the inner state of the person. Being given a hard time by others could be a reflection of one's own tendency to be harsh and unforgiving to others. If people are impatient with you, it could be a reflection of the anger and impatience you have on others as well. Therefore, by changing one's inner state, one can change the outside conditions that one finds oneself in. In essence, you define and create your own future by the choices you make each minute of every day. There is a science to this, and it's called the spiritual path. Kabbalah and yoga are just some examples of systems that guide students on this path. Don't expect any quick fixes, though. The whole process of completely liberating oneself from the cycle of rebirth often encompasses several lifetimes. However, it is still possible to witness certain improvements even in the current lifetime.
To people already on the spiritual path and have studied these concepts, we need to simply trust the teachings and continue to follow our spiritual practice. Trusting in the ancient wisdom is also a form of practicing the teachings.
Concern should not simply be on saving one's skin, but rather on finding out how one can be a better channel for the fulfillment of the Divine Plan on Earth. If one still has a part to play in the Plan here on the physical plane, then it doesn't matter where one is. Conditions will align themselves so that the person survives whatever disaster there is. On the other hand, if one's time is up, then it's up. People can die from earthquakes and flood, but they can just as easily die from slipping and falling on the bathroom floor.
Psalm 91:1-16 (Security of the One Who Trusts in the LORD) is quite appropriate for this:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.” (From the New American Standard Bible)
Although the self is always the start, it is not enough to stop there. One of the characteristics of Light is that of expansion, so it cannot be bottled up inside. So it is also important to share this realization and bring this Light to others. I'm not suggesting missionary work or sermonizing, because unless executed just right, they can become one of the fastest ways to close people's minds. Rather, one can simply provide opportunities for others to be a witness to the effects of change. This can be done by leading a life of example, and simply practicing right thought, speech and action towards other people.
Or, to put it succintly let me relate a story I've read in one of the Kabbalah Centre books:
A student once approached a sage who was well-versed in the spiritual doctrines and mystical arts. He asked the master to teach him all the sublime secrets of life - to explain all the magnificent mysteries of the cosmos that are hidden in all the holy books.
And he asked if all this could be done in the time that a person can remain balanced on one leg.
The great sage carefully considered this request. He smiled warmly and replied:
"Love thy neighbor as thyself. All the rest is commentary. Now go and learn."
All of this seems like such an extensive and heavy discourse to draw out from a TV show, but we also need to recognize the gems in everything we see and encounter.
Seeing the future changed everything for everyone, for good or bad. Some people saw things that gave them hope and a strength to push through despite the troubles of the present. For these people, they want the future they saw to happen. Others saw things that were not so good, and so they are dreading every minute that the appointed day comes closer, and are desperately trying to prevent that particular future from happening. This is especially true for those who didn't see anything at all, and so are destined to die before the six months are up. The idea of going through each day knowing there is a looming death sentence over their heads is almost unbearable.
This highlights the inherent problems of knowing too much of the future. If the future one sees is bad, more often than not, it is the anticipation that is worse than the event itself. Imagine each day being lived in fear and anxiety of the supposed future event. Even if the future one sees is good, there is an underlying anxiety that perhaps it won't happen or that it was all a mirage.
What is further intriguing about the series is that in one of the earlier episodes, when they were interrogating a long time inmate in Germany, the inmate made a reference to 137 seconds, which is the equivalent of 2 minutes and 17 seconds. The interesting part is that he correlated it to the Hebrew letters that make up the word "Qabalah." Every letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical equivalent, and it so happens that when you add up the letters that spell "Qabalah" you get the number 137. There's someone in that show who knows a thing or two about esoteric subjects. Incidentally, the number 137 also corresponds to the God of Truth (Elohi Amen) in Isaiah 65. The number 137 in gematria can also refer to upheavals and a pushing forth.
Despite the fact that it's a TV show, one of the characters said something that is still significant for us in the everyday world. The character commented that everyone seems so focused on living for the future that people are forgetting to live in the present. Admit it or not, the future occupies our thoughts to one degree or another. From deciding what to wear tomorrow, to worrying about which course to take, who to marry or what direction our careers will take, the future captures our imagination like nothing else can.
There is nothing new about this. People have always been obsessed with the future. Since time immemorial, wise men and sages have been highly valued for their ability to foresee or predict the future. Although they often had other skills and functions, it was their ability to foretell the future that made these sages much sought after. All mythologies of various ancient cultures and peoples, and even the Bible, tell stories of oracles, prophets and seers who had a high degree of access to knowledge inaccessible to almost everyone else. They gave counsel to king and peasant alike, providing bits of information that would affect the fate of nations or the bounty of the next harvest. Like a blind man being guided across the road by someone who can see, these adepts helped people avoid pitfalls and traps that they would otherwise stumble into.
Today, people still read newspaper horoscopes and seek the advice of feng shui experts. Divinatory methods such as tarot card reading and palmistry have never really gone out of style. However, one method of foretelling the future that always catches the attention of people are those predictions made by psychics through the use of clairvoyant sight.
Clairvoyance is that ability to perceive things normally hidden from the physical senses. It is not limited to the ability to see spirits or auras, but also extends to remote viewing and reading the thought forms of people, among other things. Truly skilled and powerful clairvoyants can look into the past lives of an individual or access the Akashic Records to view scenes from far back in the past, even before recorded history. This same ability allows clairvoyants a glimpse into the future, which is imprinted in the astral realm. Before anything materializes on the physical plane, it first takes an astral form. By looking at this astral signature, future events can be detected in advance. It is like skipping forward to look at later chapters in a DVD video disc.
Clairvoyance is attributed to the so-called "third eye" which is associated with the development of the pineal gland. In Lemurian and Atlantean times, the pineal gland was highly developed, hence everyone's third eye was fully opened. As humankind sunk into lower and lower levels of spiritual consciousness, so did the pineal gland entropy into the form it takes in humans this day and age.
With its various uses, it is not surprising why clairvoyance is such a valued ability among the ancients. Even today, people are quite taken with individuals who display any psychic ability. Of course, this only holds true among people who believe in such things. Many psychics I know are usually apprehensive about displaying their abilities among people they don't know, because derision can follow if one is surrounded by unbelievers. People, even believers, also tend to look at psychics differently, but a lot of psychics want to be treated normally just like anyone else.
Most clairvoyants are born with the ability, with varying degrees of power. Some are limited to random flashes of precognitive dreams, while others have a fully opened third eye. But hard as it may be to believe, clairvoyance is a trained skill. With hard work and training, it is possible to develop one's clairvoyance. Of course, if you combine natural ability and training, the effects are even more astounding (the same way that natural athleticism combined with Freddie Roach's training made Manny Pacquiao into the boxer he is today).
In his book Initiation into Hermetics, Franz Bardon says that people who retain their clairvoyance into adulthood have worked at developing this ability in a previous life, and the fruits of labor show themselves in the present life as an inborn clairvoyant ability.
Clairvoyants inspire attention because they can perceive things that others simply can't. And here often lies the folly with our perception and understanding of clairvoyance. A clairvoyant is like a person with eyesight in a room full of blind men. As such, anything the clairvoyant says will be treated with the weight of authority.
But what most people don't realize is that because clairvoyance is a trained skill, there are varying degrees of proficiency. There is a world of difference between the eyesight of a person suffering from near-sightedness and that of a fighter pilot with 20-10 vision, but the blind man wouldn't understand the difference. In Master Choa's book The Origins of Modern Pranic Healing and Arhatic Yoga, he cautions that seeing is not the same as understanding. You can give a toddler detailed blueprints on how to build a 747 jet, but without the capacity to understand what is seen, the plans will just be a collection of lines and scribbles on a piece of blue paper. Therefore a lot of what is clairvoyantly seen will be colored by the interpretation that the clairvoyant attributes to the vision. If the interpretation is wrong, then it can cause a lot of distress for nothing.
All form of knowledge is a responsibility, for it can either build or destroy, inspire others or cause despair. For the clairvoyant, the burden of responsibility is even heavier if it involves the future. This is especially important nowadays where predictions of doom are so prevalent. Discovery Channel and History Channel have all played it up, so a lot of people are sensitive to anything that might be said about it.
To a clairvoyant who has seen the future, there are several complicating factors to deal with.
1. First factor is the accuracy of interpretation. Let's say you're riding a car, you look to the side as you pass an alley just in time to see a man punch another man in the face before the scene is taken out of view as the car speeds away. Was the guy being punched getting mugged? Was the aggressor a jilted lover getting back at the guy who got the girl? Or perhaps the guy getting punched was a mugger who had the tables turned on him by a quick-fisted victim? Some flashes of clairvoyance are like that, quick views of a scene before disappearing from view. If you take the scene out of context, then chances are you will have a mistaken interpretation of the vision.
Of course, if other psychics and clairvoyants see the same things you saw, and are interpreting them similarly, then chances are there's something to it though it's no guarantee.
2. The next factor to consider is the belief or unbelief of the audience. Getting a reputation as a nut job among people who don't believe in the paranormal can severely limit one's options and movements, especially if those people happen to be colleagues at work. On the other hand, if people do believe what one says, then get hysterical or panicked, the resulting pandemonium will certainly fall on one's head.
3. And of course, the most complicating factor of all is that the future can be changed. How can this be so? Let's say a person is diagnosed with a severe form of cancer that can kill him in 6 months. If left untreated, then the diagnosis will come true. However, if the person explores all avenues of treatment, both allopathic and homeopathic, it's possible for the cancer to go into remission and allow the person to live many more fruitful years in good health. Predictions are just like the diagnosis. They present an event with a high probability of happening, but it's not yet set in stone until it has already come to pass. Of course, if the future is changed, it does nothing for the credibility of the clairvoyant who came out with the original prediction, unless the whole principle is explained clearly and understood by the people who hear it (which often is not the case).
If you want a concrete example, it is said that 1998 was the year that a pole shift and global disasters were supposed to happen. Psychics around the world saw it. Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet, also predicted it. People were so sure it would happen, that according to one person I recently met, he migrated to Australia and bought property high up in a mountain. He and his wife waited for the disaster there until the appointed day passed and nothing happened.
People around the world who knew of the prediction were confused. What happened? As it turns out, the event was delayed because of the efforts of the Light Workers and the continual raising of consciousness among people in the world.
The fact that the 1998 event did not push through is a testament to the progress being made in spreading spiritual knowledge among the masses, but the flip side is that proponents of the 1998 prophecy lost credibility. Incidentally, the 1998 event is the only prediction of Edgar Cayce's that didn't come true. It's really a difficult situation, knowing the future. A clairvoyant has to discern between letting people know too little and giving away too much.
But how does this all affect the ordinary person, who doesn't have the ability to see any of this? It's easy to get caught up in all the hoopla about supposed disasters and dire predictions. But we need not be so fatalist.
The average person is to a large extent subject to the ebb and flow of astral forces that regularly push and pull on one's life stream. These forces stem from the karma that one needs to work out in this life. In order to rise above the tides, it is necessary to inject a certain amount of spirituality into one's life. I'm talking about something more than just piety, which involves diligently following the tenets of one's religion and its attendant dogma. One needs to also understand the teachings. Just as an understanding of natural laws allows scientists to come up with wonderful inventions that seem almost magical to us, so does a spiritual person use an understanding of even deeper esoteric laws to inject order into one's life, a level of control that seems incredible to the average person.
I have written several articles relating how these esoteric laws can be applied to one's life. You can read the article on taking control of one's life and the one about the Meditation on Twin Hearts. They should give an idea of how one is to start.
Although it is easier said than done, before much progress can be made, a person will also need to deal with one's fears. It's not just a fear of the unknown, but also the fear generated by knowing exactly what is to come. The fear of death tends to fall under this category, though I have heard some people say that it was not death itself they were afraid of, but any extended and agonizing pain preceding the actual death itself. For these people, they would rather that it happened quickly.
I've slowly come to realize that nothing about life, especially times of trial and hardship, will make much sense unless looked at from the point of view of soul consciousness. Therefore one must realize one's true nature, that we are all immortal souls and that our physical life constitutes only a small chapter in the journey of our existence. There is an esoteric maxim that says as a man changes clothes day by day, so does a soul change bodies from lifetime to lifetime.
Looked at in this context, physical existence is simply the sum total of all our previous choices from past lives expressed in terms of the karma we need to work out, yet at the same time it is also an opportunity for us to participate in the Divine Plan. There is really nothing to fear about the future because everything is happening according to whatever soul purpose is being followed. All the fears and anxieties are illusory thought forms that are insignificant as far as soul development is concerned. If this sounds so confusing, it really is if one is making a sudden shift from the physical and material perspective. But we all have to start from somewhere.
Kabbalistic belief teaches that whatever outside conditions one sees or are immersed in are simply reflections of the inner state of the person. Being given a hard time by others could be a reflection of one's own tendency to be harsh and unforgiving to others. If people are impatient with you, it could be a reflection of the anger and impatience you have on others as well. Therefore, by changing one's inner state, one can change the outside conditions that one finds oneself in. In essence, you define and create your own future by the choices you make each minute of every day. There is a science to this, and it's called the spiritual path. Kabbalah and yoga are just some examples of systems that guide students on this path. Don't expect any quick fixes, though. The whole process of completely liberating oneself from the cycle of rebirth often encompasses several lifetimes. However, it is still possible to witness certain improvements even in the current lifetime.
To people already on the spiritual path and have studied these concepts, we need to simply trust the teachings and continue to follow our spiritual practice. Trusting in the ancient wisdom is also a form of practicing the teachings.
Concern should not simply be on saving one's skin, but rather on finding out how one can be a better channel for the fulfillment of the Divine Plan on Earth. If one still has a part to play in the Plan here on the physical plane, then it doesn't matter where one is. Conditions will align themselves so that the person survives whatever disaster there is. On the other hand, if one's time is up, then it's up. People can die from earthquakes and flood, but they can just as easily die from slipping and falling on the bathroom floor.
Psalm 91:1-16 (Security of the One Who Trusts in the LORD) is quite appropriate for this:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.” (From the New American Standard Bible)
Although the self is always the start, it is not enough to stop there. One of the characteristics of Light is that of expansion, so it cannot be bottled up inside. So it is also important to share this realization and bring this Light to others. I'm not suggesting missionary work or sermonizing, because unless executed just right, they can become one of the fastest ways to close people's minds. Rather, one can simply provide opportunities for others to be a witness to the effects of change. This can be done by leading a life of example, and simply practicing right thought, speech and action towards other people.
Or, to put it succintly let me relate a story I've read in one of the Kabbalah Centre books:
A student once approached a sage who was well-versed in the spiritual doctrines and mystical arts. He asked the master to teach him all the sublime secrets of life - to explain all the magnificent mysteries of the cosmos that are hidden in all the holy books.
And he asked if all this could be done in the time that a person can remain balanced on one leg.
The great sage carefully considered this request. He smiled warmly and replied:
"Love thy neighbor as thyself. All the rest is commentary. Now go and learn."
All of this seems like such an extensive and heavy discourse to draw out from a TV show, but we also need to recognize the gems in everything we see and encounter.
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