The Transformation

A big part of your problem here is that you seem to be working with a number of people who have quite a few prejudices, about both life and people. Apparently, they have this idealized vision of what life and people are suppose to be like, and whatever doesn’t fit in with that vision is wrong.

Such people believe that we are all suppose to have a body that works a certain way, that we are all suppose to have productive lives – preferably with jobs, I imagine – and that we are all suppose to live to be a certain age. And whatever doesn’t meet their model of what life and people are “suppose” to be like is viewed as being less than normal.

Perhaps some think that not being normal is just a tough break, while others see it as being bad, or a punishment from God (because of sin) or from Karma (because of evil done in a past life). But, they all have the same vision in mind: this is not how a person is suppose to be. And, as I say, such a view is prejudiced, short sighted, and narrow-minded.

There are several different situations that I would like to talk about briefly. Some mention people born with handicaps and jump on the “punishment” bandwagon right away. Whereas I can think of many good reasons why someone might be born with a handicap. For instance, someone who is just embarking upon a series of human lives might be frightened of such a momentous undertaking, so they might prefer to watch life from the sidelines just to get the feel of it and to see how its done. They might choose to be just cared for, feeling that they are not ready yet to leap into action.

Or, another person in the similar disabled situation might have led a former life that was very active – perhaps having done many beneficial things – and may need to take a break and lead a much less active life. They might still want to be around but unable to do much – a sort of forced vacation.

Another person in the same situation may have spent a good part of a former life caring for others and may want a life where they are the one being cared for, for a change.

Another might have so much energy, ambition and drive that they need a handicap to slow them up.

I don’t see any of these situations involving punishments from a previous life. I see them as showing that people have free will to lead the lives that are important and meaningful for them. And unless you hold up an arbitrary ruler to them that says they must be this way or that, they seem like very acceptable, valid, worthwhile lives to me.

You see, when you have the option of having more than one life, you can choose to devote a life to a great and challenging learning experience because in the next life you can do something completely different.

Some inevitably mention the case of the little boy who died too young. Please understand that not everyone wants to grow up or grow old. Again, this may have been someone who is just getting the feel of what physical life is about. They may have just wanted to test the waters and then get out and evaluate things before going for a longer life.

This may have been someone who came to deliver a message, perhaps to the parents. Message having been delivered, the child may not have wanted to stay around, with all the great work that life requires. Who knows, it may have been a very important message for all that it involved.

This is my own story from when I was in a similar situation. (I have memories of several of my lives. A number of them were in the Far East.) After several lives in succession in which I was a samurai (really, little more than a poor gangster with a sword), I really wanted to have a life of wealth and position, so I arranged to be born to a rich nobleman.

My father dotted over me quite a bit, he loved me tremendously. While I had all the toys to play with that a child could want, as I went along I could see that I was being groomed to be in the position of a nobleman. I could see that I would be playing a role in life; in short I would have very little freedom, always having to curb my activities to conform to my position of nobility. True I would be wealthy, but I would not be free.

At about eleven years old I bailed, I couldn’t go through with it. My father had bought me a pony. I went out riding, got thrown, and my neck was broken, I died instantly. I did not consciously try to die; it was an accident that just happened. (Still, in this life I am uneasy about horses.) I was the heir and my father was utterly heartbroken to have lost me. I felt very bad about the whole thing, but I just couldn’t go through with it. I am truly sorry for the grief I caused him. But, so you see, there may be many reason why the young shall die when they do.

If you believe that we are only these egos that inhabit fleshy containers, then I don’t think you will able to appreciate a deeper truth. But, if you can allow that we are more than these little egos whose identity we assume temporally as we take on physical life, then you must allow that this greater personality may have greater purpose for its human life than just making its ego happy.

And this greater overall purpose might include accepting challenges that are difficult, unpleasant and undesirable. Situations that no ego would want to choose, but would grow from, to become a greater person through the experience. Rather than think we are being punished when bad things happen to us, I think that it is a call to look deeper into our lives.

Sometimes we are just stopped from going further on a particular life course because we may have lost the thread of what is important for us learn in our life. Sometimes we have drawn situations and events to us that cause us grief, and we need to reflect upon our actions to understand how we are causing our own misery. But we have to allow for pain that a greater good might flourish. Some us have to go through the winter in our life in order to find the spring. I think that if we would have faith, it would be that we can and will rise to the challenges that we face.

Some of us are working with superheroes. Those people who have taken on some of the most difficult challenges that one can take on in human life. And not only must they battle with the limitations of their physical condition. They must also battle with fear, regret, self-loathing and rejection. The realm of the mind. And this is where the true battleground is laid, because their own ideas are the ones they must face and win over.

This is the heart of Buddhist practice: to realize your karma, those ideals that you cling to, and to realize the truth of freedom that transcends your little ideas. And so, for your clients, the karma that they need to transcend is not their physical limitations, but the limitations in their minds. Those ideas of selfworthlessness that they are clinging to are what bring them so much pain.

I don’t means to explain all of the horrific situations that we find on this planet. I have just been trying to give you a few examples of the greater dimensions of reality that might contribute to a few particular situations. To show you that you mustn’t presume that someone’s past or future is due to any blind payback mechanism churning out punishment.

I would say from my own experience, that when you realize the Highest Truth, you don’t experience something menacing vengeful or cruelly /coldly metering out merit and demerit. Rather, if you are open, you realize that which is profoundly beautiful, wise, and supportive. Beyond comprehension as love is beyond comprehension. Nurturing in its outlook, and understanding in its grace. Our penchant to explore every aspect of our rightful freedom, and its loving acceptance of our choice to do so, does not test it, but only bestows greater wisdom and compassion to its beauty.