Published: Monday 9th of October 2023
Life Without Death
When the subject of death is discussed, especially in connection with the passing of someone who is known, it is often spoken of as a termination of life, an end to everything except the memories that others hold on to. How wrong this is, for so-called death is far from the cessation of life, in the same way that when the leaves of a tree turn brown and fall to the ground we don't say the tree is dead. We know from observation that the strength of the tree is in its roots and its trunk and in due course there will be new leaves that grow.
Are we capable of growing new leaves like a tree? Well, yes, in a sense we are. The earth body is only a convenient shell, an outer garment necessary for a presence in this stopping-off place we call earth. The body clothes the inner self like leaves in summer clothe a mighty tree. When it is time for us to move on, perhaps having learnt all we can for the present, the body is put aside, dust to dust it is said. That may be true of the matter body, but it is rarely understood that the inner self continues on. This is the natural order of things, not determined by any religion a person may adhere to.
At the time the matter body dies there is a transition, a taking up of life in the inward body. We have had this body all along, using it during sleep, so it is nothing new. Our surroundings, our existence, the people we are with: these are not new to us either, and life continues in whatever plane of consciousness we have already made our home during sleep.
To illustrate the point about death being a transition, a journey from one place to another, I would like to tell you about a close friend. On discovering he had cancer he decided to return to his native Canada to be looked after, and, if possible, be helped to overcome his illness. On the day he left England I had a vision of a plant that was dead, although it had a number of bright orange flowers. The flowers turned to seed almost immediately and blew away in the wind.
I knew this meant my friend's passing would happen quickly, and sure enough it happened nine days later. An orange colour in the aura shows a determination to do good, and I feel this aptly sums up my friend's nature, his positive example and his words having been like seeds of thought going out into the atmosphere and taking root in the minds of others.
As to whether he could have overcome his illness, I would most definitely say it would have been possible if his inner self had wanted it. In this case it seems his inner being decided it was an appropriate time to go on and not to linger.
A few days following this vision, and before my friend died, I had a dream of saying goodbye. He was being driven to the airport and the car had stopped off at my house en route. I don't think the dream referred to my friend's flight to Canada, which had already taken place, but symbolised a different type of journey: the journey into life beyond the earth, shown to be as natural as getting on and off a plane.
Enoch: The Man Who Never Died
The title of this article is 'Life Without Death'. This refers in the first place to the account of Enoch in Genesis (the first book of the Bible). I know the Bible is usually associated with religion but for the moment we are looking at the experiences it relates independently of those religions that have incorporated and embellished the texts it contains.
It is said of Enoch, that 'He never died. He walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.'
Firstly, walking with God means he endeavoured to enlarge the good in life, using the 'god' or the life force within himself. He was not, as it implies, is that he was no longer in the earth, and God took him is not simply that he died, else why draw attention to this, but that the matter body dematerialised to leave his inner body in a separate plane of life. People have been taught of heaven and hell, but the reality is that there are many planes of life accommodating the varying levels of mind of their inhabitants, some heaven-like and some hell-like, but all fashioned by those in residence and not by a judgemental god.
What does this mean for us today? I think it helps us understand a little more about life as well as death. Life extends beyond the earth, but the most important thing we should consider is the quality of life wherever we find ourselves. It is our feelings that allow, or restrict, the use of life forces. The more sincere and harmonious our feelings, the greater are the life forces in us and the positive effect upon our soul. This applies equally to the earth life, although the matter self is adept at hiding what is truly felt whilst the appearance and outward personality of the body seem to be what matters most.
The Soul
The soul and its strength is not something we can take for granted, it must be built up through our approach to life and our own efforts to enlarge what is good, like Enoch. The soul is made strong or weak by virtue of the feelings that rise behind everything we do day after day, year after year. It is possible to learn both during sleep as well as in the earth how to become more loving, kind, and peaceful, and to remain strong against those things which undermine the essence of good.
Something that can threaten our progress is the emotion that drives us towards getting our own way, regardless of the needs of other people. This will send the soul to sleep and leave us like a ship without a rudder, drifting through life without establishing lasting benefit for ourselves or anyone else, and unprotected against the vagaries of life. It is possible to be woken up again by the loving help of someone else and given another chance to look fully at the self. This is the time to get rid of any insidious feeling that distorts our outlook, and to know that by doing so we are restoring the inner self to full life.
The soul should be considered as much as the body in everything we undertake to do. A certain type of dream can show the outcome of our plans in terms of the soul, but this is given only to those who truly want to learn. If we are sincere on this then the possibility of a full and happy life in the earth, and beyond it, is opened up. Life and death are not subject to an omnipotent god but are firmly within the hands of the natural self.
I have hardly begun to cover this subject. There are many other aspects that I will consider in later articles, such as reincarnation, the second death, the when you're dead you're dead mentality, and belief in the sleep of death.
Do not fear death for it is merely the start of a new chapter.
Author: Colin