Essential Zen

Teachings from the book "Messages From Michael" came up in chat the other day. Unfortunately, the website devoted to those teachings has taken the currently popular "airy-fairy" approach to exhibiting the teachings and have further capitalized on the concepts. When I first encountered the book some 30+ years ago, I was initially quite skeptical, primarily because of the source of the material, and secondly because of the author, Chelsea Quinn Yarboro, yet another science fiction author ala L. Ron Hubbard with yet another spiritual spiel, this time coming from an entity calling itself Michael channeled via a Ouija board by some amateur occultist women in San Francisco. (It doesn't get much better than that.)

The book was thrust into my hands one day while I stood pondering titles in the New Age section of Either/Or, a superb book store that used to be in Hermosa Beach, CA. The person who gave it to me said, "Here. Read this...", and exited stage right. I'd already browsed the Seth Books, rejected them for the same reason as this one ought to be rejected, but decided, what the hell? I have nothing to read at the moment anyway.

The major problem with the website, now that I've read it more closely, is a failure to quote directly from the book, which changes the meanings, in most cases softening what was said. A glaring example is in regard Roles presented in three pairings and one stand-alone role. For the pairs, the two roles are opposites of one another. The fraudulent example is the first, which should be the role of Slave, which when exalted is the Priest. The website chose the word "Server" in place of Slave. (The word "exalted" has been removed. Instead they provide a graphic calling one role "ordinal", the related or exalted role "cardinal".)

I think the information provided in the original is relevant and is being done an injustice by this site. Therefore, I've ordered a copy of the original from Amazon, and once it arrives, I intend to add to this thread.

Here are some initial excerpts from the book. "Michael" explains "who" he is, and that the name "Michael" was the name used by the last fragment of the entity with whom the group is communicating.

Each soul is a part of a larger body, an entity. Each entity is made up of about one thousand souls, each of which enters the physical plane as mane times as is necessary to experience all aspects of life and achieve human understanding. At the end of the cycles on the physical plane, the fragments once again reunite as we have reunited.

There is no exalted purpose behind human life. The life itself is the purpose and is only one stage of evolution, which proceeds in an awesomely ordered, unalterable line until the created in effect evolves to become the creator.

Human understanding is the lesson of the physical plane; without it, there can be no growth of the soul. To strive for spiritual enlightenment without gaining human understanding is to disregard the real purpose of your existence on the physical plane.

One of the group in the session said it sounded like "Michael" was "...preaching reincarnation". The response was:

Belief is not required: you will reincarnate anyway. A leaf does not have to believe in photosynthesis to turn green.

A couple more:

The soul, sans body, tends to forget the intensity of the experience and the pain. Detached review is almost impossible on the physical plane. The soul makes its choice between lives, selecting the locale, the socioeconomic status, the parents, all as part of programming the bio-computer. The closer the soul comes to its true essence in life, the less the fragment will have to change to meet the situation. The artificial personality is a chameleon. The face that you present to the world is determined by this false personality. How often have you thought that in order to be with Aunt Minnie, you must not talk about the things that interest you most. This does not truly help Aunt Minnie, and it is damaging to your soul.

The following seems to loosely agree with notions from "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" as well as with notions from the books of Robert Monroe:

There are seven planes in all, each with seven levels. First is the physical plane. Beyond the upper and lower astral planes are the causal plane with seven levels, three low, one mid-causal upon which we ("Michael") exist, and three higher levels upon which reside the haugh causal bodies, the transcendental souls contiguous with this plane. We remind you that our cycles consist of seven levels just as yours do. The mental plane is the akashic plane, which is a photographic record of all history. Some very high adepts have access to this plane. On the mental plane reside the infinite soul and the low and mid-mental bodies. Beyond this are the Buddhic planes, and upon that level are all those souls who have achieved physical communication with The Tao. Beyond this, of course, is the Tao itself.

One of the group asks, "...what happens between lives? It sounds as if the soul goes to school".

"Michael" responds with:

School is a deceptive term. There is much time for reflection and much guidance. Many souls remain suspended in a limbo of their own manifestation for many of your years. Old souls welcome the interval. There is normally a very short transition from the physical body to the low astral planes.

(As to where souls stay after death, it..)...depends a great deal on the level of the soul and the belief system going on at the time of transition. For instance, those who make transition believing in a literal heaven and hell will have to experience this before they can experience anything else, as unfortunately, they create this out of astral material with the thoughts of transition. Then those souls like Jean-Paul Sartre must experience a long period of nothing before they go on. Then the soul becomes a habitue of the low astral plane. The alternative threads can be pursued, the alternative courses outlined, and the choices made.

The question then is asked, "...why is the world in the state it's in, if all these souls are busy learning things between lives?"

This is very much a planet of young souls, and it is not the nature of your souls to seek such solutions. This planet has evolved to the point where it could certainly have a stable economy and an effective global government based upon something besides whim. And yet even discussion of this produces delicious fear enough to keep it from ever getting past the conference table. Tribes are still necessary, you see, in order to keep the conflicts going. If the tribes were eliminated, there there would be no more territorial battles, and then where would all that lovely negative energy go? It would never occur to the personality to yearn for peace on earth, and yet it frequently parrots this in speeches and exhortations - but pin it down and peace on earth is the last thing it wants. I has now scared itself nigh unto death, though, with the nuclear weapons it has devised. This have effectively put a moratorium on war on any grand scale for a while This is precisely why there is now a resurgence of effort on the part of the causal teachers to bring cadres such as yours together in this brief respite. If enough are brought together, it could turn the tide, but only if the teaching is lived.

Some commentary before posting more excerpts.

Opponents of the theory of reincarnation seem typically to reject the theory because they believe it provides an excuse to make no efforts towards improving one's life, towards learning, or towards spiritual growth. The idea is that if you're going to live again, why bother? The other way of looking at the theory is that it provides not an escape but a reasonable explanation for the purpose of life, and in the case of further notions from "Michael", reasonable explanations for the behaviors encountered in others.

Perhaps the biggest urge in my own life has been to seek understanding, despite or perhaps in accord with the famous comment about Bodhidharma: "I only allow the Old Barbarian knows: I don't allow that he understands." Two of the biggest sources of information aiding that understanding for me have been essential Zen, and the notions provided in "Messages from Michael".

"Michael" referred to the Earth as a "young soul planet", and further explanation was requested.

Within the cycles there is a vast difference in perception. Each perceives to the limits imposed by the age of the soul. The mature souls often view others in error from one point of view: that being that others around him will perceive another soul in quite a different way. There is, of course, an ultimate perception that is the synthesis. This, of course, is "truth". Older souls have a tendency to be less harsh in their perceptions, and as growth occurs, this gentleness grows too. It is very much a question of perception: the approximate age of the soul can be determined by its perception of itself and the world around it.

As civilization ages with the soul age of this planet, so solutions to the human condition will emerge as the average soul level rises in age. Civilization will become primarily philosophical. Right now personality, which is a camouflage for the body, has the upper hand.

The soul, like the body, must develop within certain set limits. There is no express lane to the human understanding. There is only growth, often difficult, mostly painful because so few of you are willing to learn through joy.

In my opinion, the following two sections are of the most interest. The first concerns soul levels; the second concerns roles. There is far more information on both which if anyone is interested, they ought to obtain the book. A complex section also concerns "goals", "modes", and "overleaves". The impact of karma as well is discussed. Altogether, the information provides an interesting means for understanding ones own purpose and style of existence and perhaps more importantly, the same for others, especially when trying to understand contentious relationships.

Soul levels:

There are seven levels of evolution of the soul, five of which manifest in the physical plane.

I'm only going to list the five, which are primarily relevant in the human realm, and only portions of the full description.

The infant or firstborn soul

The motto of the infant soul is "Let's not do it."

These cycles, like physical infancy, have a very limited range of perceptions and activities. For that reason, many infant souls are born into very simple stations of life and will find any demand or complexity frightening. New experiences are more apt to terrify than excite the infant soul.

The infant, or "firstborn" soul perceives itself and the world around it simply as "me" and "notme". In this cycle there are no racial memories. If "not me" is perceived as hostile and unkind early in life, withdrawal occurs, and a condition known as autism often develops. If this perception occurs later, the infant soul may react with unchecked violence: sadism, murder without visible cause, acts of unbelievable cruelty. The infant soul truly does not know the difference between right and wrong action, but it can be taught the laws of common sense and decency.

The baby soul

The motto of the baby soul is "Do it right or not at all."

These cycles are more complex. The soul, so to speak, has learned to toddle and in these cycles will learn to run and climb trees.

The baby soul perceives itself and the world around it as "me" and "many other me's." The baby soul forms strong beliefs early in childhood, borrowed from those around it, and these are literally unshakable. The baby soul is normally agreeable - a pillar of the community - until an opposing viewpoint is expressed. Then, inwardly, the baby soul is bewildered and baffled by the difference. Outwardly, it will express anger, hostility, negative emotional energy, belligerence.

The baby soul occasionally seeks higher education and does well in small conservative liberal arts colleges, trade schools, etc.; learns "proper" subjects; and is often the "good student."

The baby soul tends to be fundamentalistic in its religious beliefs. personification of the godhead is strongest in this cycle. The baby soul believes in the forces of evil.

Hi G,.....,
My objection to ideas of reincarnation, and certainly, the ideas presented here, is that, they presuppose that human awareness is somehow, so special that, it goes on without end, in some form or another. The self-importance inherent in this preosterous idea is plain to see.

This particular idea introduces a novel twist, with the idea that, individual souls are merely fragments of a larger soul.
Attractive idea that, along non-duality lines, but unfortunately, the version presented in Michael, stalls at mere thousands of fragments in each super-soul.
Still, I suppose its progress from the idea of individual survival, ad infinitum.

Actually, CC's writings do not entirely dismiss the idea of reincarnation, though, in the version possible in his writings, no individual souls/awarenesses are required.
The energy of awareness is recycled into other forms, each of which, is an individual only for the duration of it's life.
I like this idea, as it fits neatly with what happens in the natural world. One can extrapolate from this, - in the manner DJ does with "the predatory universe" - and apply the same economy of energy to the universe/existence at large.

Hinduism and Buddhism, once stripped of thier bullshit and control mechanisms, might be said to have a similar view. ( Correct me if I'm wrong, as I know little about both, other than that, they are religions, and therefore, full of shit!,).

I feel certain that, any idea/philosophy that panders to our sense of importance, should be dismissed out of hand.
This, of course, leaves us with very little, and that is no comfort, but then, maybe, its our desire for comfort,(self-pity,) that we should be addressing, rather than seeking ideas that reinforce our ideas of our own importance?

PS. It has been my experience that, the unknown is experienced in terms personal to oneself, that are reflective of one's own ideas, and this should be borne in mind, at all times,(even, when on the shitter!,).

Perhaps that's why the crapper got nicknamed "the throne"...image also of Rodin's "Thinker" comes to mind.

As I said in the initial post, nobody really knows...this is merely another attempt at understanding. In my opinion the theories put forth coincide generally with Eastern philosophies, although I profess ignorance in regard their particulars.

What I have enjoyed about the theories here is that they provide a plausible means for understanding one's predilections as well as those of others. Whether there is some purpose for being alive and in human form no one knows..perhaps it is a one and done deal. I don't entirely agree with all the notions, but as with CC and Zen, I prefer to cherry pick.

To continue on re soul levels

The young soul

The motto of the young soul is "Do it my way." This is an adventuresome time, with the soul ranging into new territory. This is where the movers and shakers are found; young souls are eager to take on tasks in the physical plane and often set themselves impossible goals in their lives. The are the architects of civilization.

The young soul perceives itself and the world around it in quite a different manner than in the preceding cycles. It perceives itself as "me" and it perceives you as "you", but it perceives "you" as different from "me", and experiences the need to change yo - bring you around to its point of view. Young souls rarely question their motivation as they are limited by their perceptions in a way the mature soul is not.

The young soul almost always seeks higher education, usually graduate degrees. The young soul is a tireless worker for its cause, and will go through unbelievable hardship to bring this cause to bear.

The mature soul

The motto of the mature soul is "Do it anyplace but here." These are difficult cycles, demanding much introspection and often seeming to give little peace in return. The hard won lessons of the young cycels are brought to bear on the mature soul.

This is the most difficult cycle of all, for the mature soul perceives others as they perceive themselves. Because of these perceptions the mature soul will often seek to sever relationships, seemingly for no reason, or by the same token, seek to perpetuate outwardly inappropriate relationships. If you and I are both mature souls, withing this framework are also your experiences of me. I other words, while I am experiencing you, you are experiencing me, and at the same time, you are aware of my experience, and upon this deep awareness, you and I will base any future social intercourse. As you can imagine, sometimes this makes living difficult. The Mature soul is not as open to the occult as the old soul. The mature soul perceives beauty with a clarity not found in the earlier cycles.

~

I don't see the fifth, the old soul. Could you post it? (Assuming the fifth IS the old soul.)

Kris

Kristopher wrote:~

I don't see the fifth, the old soul. Could you post it? (Assuming the fifth IS the old soul.)

Kris

the five levels are:

infant soul
baby soul
young soul
mature soul
old soul

...and rather than copy the descriptions, here's a link:

http://www.michaelteachings.com/soul_age_index.html