Conversations with Jesus and Zoe: Build A Better World
Jesus: You walk through the lives of many each and every one of you. Ask yourself what do you leave behind? Promise, faith, hope, smiles? Anger, resentment, fear, alienation, isolation? Make sure you are aware of the impact. Think of the child responding to the mood of the adult. What do you wish your legacy to be? With each step, each glance, each phone call, each hug you interact with another. Even in thoughts. Nothing is invisible. If you could see your “effect” or residue as tangibly as a badge of emotion on another- and you knew that they could also see the badge that your impact had- would you change?
Let’s build a better world. It only takes you. Together we will succeed.
Conversation with Buddha and Zoe: An Exercise in Kindness
Buddha: Today we speak about the milk of human kindness. Consider acting as if you are the kindest person ever placed on earth. Try for one day, one hour, one minute to be kind in thought, action and deed. Practice this. After you have done so ask yourself how do you feel? Better or worse? Give yourself a target time that you feel you can aim for and achieve whether this is one minute, one hour, one day, one week. Work towards becoming the kindest you can be. Even in the moments where worry, fear, anger and resentment arise. Test yourself to see how quickly you can return to conscious kindness.
Background to Conversation with Buddha and TMichael on Smoking Cigarettes
Note from TM: This topic may be a bit off from the typical spiritual topics we talk about, but it’s one that I have been wondering about for some time from a spiritual perspective. Many people I know, including myself, have struggled with trying to quit smoking cigarettes. We all know about the health issues associated with smoking, yet continue. Is there an understanding about smoking cigarettes that could help people quit?
Master Buddha: It’s a good topic because it bridges the material and spiritual realms. On the purely physical level smoking cigarettes is well known to create a physical addiction. That is not so difficult to understand or accept.
It weakens the breath capacity and reduces the nutrients that can be carried by the blood. Additionally, it carries with it potentially harmful chemicals throughout the body. This is the part that is established. Just a small amount of common sense can grasp this and say that it is not necessary to smoke cigarettes to achieve good health and that to the contrary it degrades health.On the emotional and mental levels other addictions are at work. Smoking also creates an illusion of power. And this is much harder to give up than the physical addiction. Power can mean different things to different people, but I mean it I the sense that one feels powerful to do whatever one needs to do. If one feels weak in some way, he will compensate by finding some way to feel powerful. This is why so many people begin smoking as a teenager—a time in which a great sense of weakness is experienced. Others experience the attraction to smoking during emotionally upsetting moments. Still others enjoy smoking when they are drinking alcohol (this is more complicated because the source of weakness is not so apparent).
It should be obvious that real power is not gained from smoking cigarettes, but that is exactly what makes it a illusion. For those who derive power from it, it is real, and thus an effective illusion.
There is a proverb that states, “The best way to eliminate is to substitute”. In order to do this in a way that supports substituting real understanding for an illusion, one must understand that the apparent weakness for which the illusion is compensating, can be addressed through self-awareness and contemplation. Some people, when quitting smoking, will substitute another substance or activity that supplies the power they seek. This could be substituting one illusion for another; perhaps one that is less harmful in other ways. The real benefit will come from a true understanding of the weakness perceived in the first place, and then proceed to cure it. Some people can make the behavioral change without this deeper understanding I’m speaking of, and for them this is a success. For others it requires the deeper contemplation and cure. Most likely the underlying feeling of impotence, or weakness, is affecting them in other ways as well and this approach will be more helpful.
The worst thing that can happen is for one to come from an approach of judgment, self-loathing, guilt, shame or anger at oneself. Be gentle with yourself as you begin to unravel the complexities that lead to behavior that is inherently harmful. At one point, however erroneous, the smoking habit derived from an intent to cope by providing a power that compensated for a weakness. Seeing that error in choice and seeking a new one confirms self-love and care.
Conversation with Buddha and TMichael: Anger Management
TM: May I ask about anger and its role in our lives and relationships? Will you begin with offering a definition of anger?
Master Buddha: What may seem obvious to most everyone is that anger is a reaction to not getting what you want when you want it or in the way you want it. It can be your fault, or it can be someone else’s fault. The second reflex of anger is retribution or evening the score to recover what you didn’t get plus a bonus for having suffered the agony of anger and inconvenience. There is also anger once removed, meaning on behalf of an injustice done to another for which you have a connection or affinity. The reflex of retribution is the same.
TM: I have a difficult time knowing when to express anger, that is, when it’s appropriate and when it isn’t. Sometimes I wonder whether or not anger is necessary or not, even though it seems to arise as an involuntary reaction.
Master Buddha: Let’s start with the involuntary reaction part of your statement and then move to the rest. Anger is a natural human emotion just like love, sadness, grief, joy, happiness, bliss, disappointment and others in the spectrum. They arise spontaneously as a reaction to what is happening in your life. This as a general statement is true for every human on earth. Then how do we account for the differences in reactions among people? Why do some people react violently to the slightest provocation and others almost not at all to severe events?
Humans share in common an emotional body that works in concert with your physical and mental bodies. There is an influence based upon one’s past life history—what must be experienced this lifetime? There is group connection—what must be worked out for this group of beings? There is the influence of parents, family and community that impacts one’s emotional body and conditions its reactions. Beyond these local influences, there is responsibility from humanity’s role on Earth.
The confluence of these many factors produce differences in reactions from one being to another.
As a social concern, there must be a range of acceptable reactions and for that humans have erected laws to regulate behavior. Within those laws one will find instances that permit retribution resulting in death of the offending party that passes as justifiable because of the provocation of anger and the acceptance that that person is not liable for such reactions, or as is in some cultures, entitled to the justice of the extreme reaction. Other cultures don’t condone anger reactions to that extent, but make some allowance for it that support the concept of it being involuntary if acted out spontaneously. There are also social customs below the threshold of laws that regulate behavior.
To answer your question of whether or not anger is necessary, we must ask to what purpose is it necessary.
TM: Some people I’ve spoken to about this usually say that expressing anger is natural and involuntary and that it releases the energy from you and that’s a good and natural thing, then you move on. Their assertion is that anger is within the constellation of natural human emotions as you just said and that we eventually evolve to the point that we can freely express anger without killing one another, but express we shall just like any other emotion.
Master Buddha: Would you say that as a rule, expression of anger has the potential to be more destructive in its effects than the expression of joy or sadness?
TM: In some cases yes. But maybe that’s because people overreact to some things due to repression of anger until they explode disproportionately.
Master Buddha: That’s possible, but let’s go back to your question to what purpose it serves and so is it necessary. If our definition of anger described the circumstances of anger, then let’s answer what is anger energetically? What purpose does the delivery of that energy serve?
Anger, energetically speaking springs from the desire nature, which in turn reflects human survival needs, and desires beyond the necessities of life. Anger is the defender of those personal and group needs and desires. If they are threatened, then anger arises to defend. Energetically, it is linked to desire and it does not discriminate between basic needs and frivolous wants without the help of the mental body. Anger at its root level, just is the defender that can be, when combined with mental energy, an impetus to aggression.
TM: In the desire nature and its list of wants, do you include things like dignity and respect?
Master Buddha: Yes, of course. That is a matter of ego interpretation of necessities that we have covered elsewhere.
I wish to draw your attention to the fact that anger derives its force and origin from its role as defender within the human realm of physical, emotional and mental.
TM: From that are you implying that anger doesn’t exist in other realms, such as spiritual?
Master Buddha: I say emphatically that anger does not exist in the spiritual realm because there is no need that goes unfulfilled.
TM: What about the whole Lucifer rebellion? That sounds like some needs unfulfilled.
Master Buddha: That was a matter of pride and desire, not of anger. It was a calculated, creative execution of a perceived right of domain. It failed.
TM: So spirits in the universe weren’t angry with Lucifer and his minions for disrupting and corrupting everything? I mean it seems like a major conflict and you’re saying there was no anger involved and I find that hard to believe.
Master Buddha: What can I say other than what I know to be true? There was disappointment in the whole affair, but not anger or retribution associated with anger. There were consequences that were accepted with responsibility by all involved.
TM: Okay. Please go back to your line of thought.
Master Buddha: Anger finds its origin in the human realm. Given that, we can look for its necessity there. Its purpose is to defend. But is that necessary?
TM: I think I know where you’re going. You’re going to argue that our desires aren’t necessary, neither is defense of them; so, anger isn’t necessary.
Master Buddha: That would be a difficult argument wouldn’t it? Many people would disagree that desires are unnecessary. What about basic survival needs? Don’t those need defending? Can’t anger be necessary for that?
TM: Yes, I suppose so. But couldn’t they be defended without anger? Why is anger necessary to arouse defense?
Master Buddha: Because it is. This is where humanity is right now. As the human race evolves closer and closer to its spiritual nature there will be a diminishment and eventually a disappearance of anger as the impetus for defense. Over time there has been and will continue to be this gradual receding of anger.
TM: I’m surprised. I never would have guessed that the official ‘Master’ position is that acting out anger is okey-dokey.
Master Buddha: Well, we have to cover this a bit more to qualify that position. I think what you’ll discover is that our understanding of human nature encompasses a realistic perspective of long term evolution of human characteristics and traits. The expression and use of anger as a defense mechanism is one. There are others.
TM: I think I need some elaboration on this, because it goes against what I believe.
Master Buddha: And you believe?
TM: Anger is a natural emotion arising from our attachment to what we desire and feel entitled to have. I don’t believe it’s necessary, but we are conditioned to express it, violently sometimes, and to accept it and actually be entertained by it. I believe there are ways to express anger without being harmful to others and that seeking revenge and retribution create more attachment to the experience. I agree this is an evolutionary process, but surely we at the point where we can see that anger isn’t necessary so that we can explore other ways of providing for our survival.
Master Buddha: Does it make you angry that others can’t see this point and share your belief?
TM: A little.
Master Buddha: This is one of those conundrums for which we can’t assert what should be based upon what we’d like it to be—it just is what it is. And at this point in human evolution there is a substantial number among the world population that experience anger differently from the belief you have stated and it’s going to take some time for the weight to shift. In the meantime there is progress toward peaceful solutions among people who have recognized, if nothing else, that peaceful solutions grant more security to the protection of needs and wants than it does by using anger and retribution. It’s a start. You don’t make the shift by being angry or judgmental towards those who still regard anger, violence, war, or force as the natural solution to feeling threatened. It is the natural solution for those grounded in the materiality of humanity, and that is the majority population of the world.
It will change over time through the enduring examples by those who have mastered peaceful solutions to threatening situations. It will happen. Patience is required.
TM: It always requires patience doesn’t it?
Master Buddha: Patience and a non-judgmental perspective.
Conversation with Jesus and TMichael: Conditions on Earth (Part 2)
TM: Let’s say I’m sufficiently confused. A story without a beginning or an ending is unimaginable to me. It defies our understanding of science, our framework for history, drama, literature, everything. But do continue.
Master Jesus: You know when business innovators tell you to think outside the box? This is one of those times. Only I’m not so much a business innovator as I am a spiritual innovator working with life concepts that happen to include business.
Humans are organized energy, as are plants, minerals, animals, oceans, atmosphere and every living thing on this planet and in this universe. The pattern that forms the visible form is one part to be understood, the creator of the pattern, another, and the energy itself yet another. Most humans are not aware (except some scientists and philosophers who at least explore this thesis) of these basic concepts and therefore lack understanding of their origins and motivation for living. In short, they don’t know where they came from, where they’ve been or where they are going, or why as a species they are on this journey. They do, however, desire to know at some point in their lifetimes, but usually it’s on their deathbeds. There’s not much time to explore the meaning of life at that point.
It is much easier to let the storytellers create tales that have a beginning, middle and end. That’s logical and neat. But that isn’t the way it is, only the way it has been told to pacify humans. Parents do this with their children. Spirits have done this with humans. It is time to undo this. It is time to lift the veil and reveal things as they are.
I am the Master Jesus, as you know me. But my indwelling spirit is not of this world as I have stated. What does that mean? It means what I said; my indwelling spirit is not of this world—Earth. Neither is yours. For that matter, neither is it the case for any human on Earth. No living spirit is of this world. The human forms were created here and are of this world and will die here and return to the stuff of their origins.
The indwelling spirits shall return to their places of origin. Many spirits have journeyed here repeatedly for millions of years, even though you would reckon human history in the thousands of years, I tell you it is much longer than you can imagine. The patterns for all forms visible to you now are not identical to ones that have existed here before now. The patterns change, as does the composition of energy that fills the patterns. The creators of the patterns and the energy change as well. So you see all things change.
The originating points for the indwelling spirits are manifold in the millions. Humans ponder the prospects of alien life visitors when in fact your very essence of spirit is precisely that. There are indeed physical-form, alien life visitors who frequently come to Earth. They are no more or less spectacular than you. As a matter of fact they think you are pretty spectacular; that’s why they visit Earth. They are advanced in ways that you are not; mainly in scientific terms. But it is only necessary for you to accept your far-flung origins to accept the presence of others here from points far and wide. There are spirits who are in forms invisible to humans who visit here and have done so for millions of years. They leave clues of their presence, but very few humans pay attention.
It’s okay if you don’t know about these things. Now is the time to learn. Learn about yourselves and from where you have come. You will know me as a teacher, as I have always been. I will tell you about yourselves and assist you in learning how to live together in peace. Despite your long history of conflict and wars, it is now time for peace. The observations of others in the universe are focused on this point—can the humans of Earth live in peace, or will they slide further into unmitigated conflict that will destroy life. It’s the question we asked and humans will answer it with their choice.
TM: When you talk about beings from other planets, it sounds like, well, no offense, but it sounds kind of out there. Crackpot comes to mind.
Master Jesus: Of course it does. Humans have created a story of denial around this fact. You should have seen how difficult it was to reverse the story that the sun and the planets of this solar system revolved around Earth. It wasn’t just the clergy who held onto this story. Remember our opening to this conversation? When enough people hold a belief with enough emotional force for long enough, then it becomes unshakeable truth. Your governments, and I mean all of them as the leaders of the world, know about these things to some degree. They have taken the position that it is better to keep a lid on this because it would destroy the story and the world would collapse into chaos. There comes a point however when there are enough experiences outside the boundaries of the story that the story has to shift. Now is that time. The story is changing just as it did when the proper order of the solar system was revealed. Crackpot is actually a very appropriate name. The pot will be cracked, shattered more likely. The contents will be revealed. Your government leaders who have kept secret this information initially feared chaos, now they fear massive anger by the populace for them withholding this information and denying they were doing so for so long. Remember the denials have been going on for many decades.
TM: I don’t believe there will be so much anger as there will be curiosity for answers and if the governments will be forthcoming, people will quickly get past the anger.
Master Jesus: Therein lies a problem for your world leaders. They have so mismanaged this situation that they fear anger coupled with complete loss of confidence will result in their loss of power. Chaos, they believe, will ensue. Once people realize that their power has been held in place by major deceptions, people will revolt and overthrow the governments. They have been informed that their containment of this information shall be pierced and that is why events are unfolding they way they are at this time. They are scrambling to cover themselves.
TM: All of this seems far a field from what you usually teach. What happened to the render unto Caesar approach?
Master Jesus: We’ll get to that. As I said earlier, things change. Everything changes. This includes what is being taught and the methods of teaching. Humans have assumed, wrongly, that they are the only ones affected by their decisions. This is the egocentric aspect of the story. First, the story must be enlarged to include everyone and everything affected by decisions. Then everyone must be given a voice in those decisions. Those of us working from the side of spirit are here to ensure this happens. From that point, humans in their dominant position will decide the fate of Earth and all living things on Earth. That will be judgment day.
TM: Why is humanity in the dominant position to make such a decision and doesn’t that contradict what you said about everyone having a voice?
Master Jesus: There is no contradiction. Humanity was given this prerogative under conditions of fairness and full understanding of all points of view. The struggle as you can see is between factions of humanity who believe they have the right understanding. This will have to be resolved and will be soon.
TM: Back to the alien visitor part—when will we learn more about this? Why can’t these aliens make direct contact with the general populace? By going through corrupt leaders, it seems they are in league with them to perpetuate a deception for the general population.
Master Jesus: Despite what you may think, there has been very little direct contact between alien visitors and government leaders. If you can realize that there are mischievous visitors among the ranks of aliens as there are among humans. The most contact has been from that group and your leaders have rightly observed their dishonesty. Secrecy and fear and the power accrued to those in the know has blocked the process up to this point. But as I indicated earlier, this is about to change. Those visitors who are here to assist in the fulfillment of humanities’ role are notifying the government leaders of their intent to communicate with the general population of Earth.
TM: Aren’t you and others violating that protocol by revealing this to me and thereby to others who may read this?
Master Jesus: This revelation through this method is how it is to unfold. That has been conveyed to the leaders. There will be a gradual unfolding.
Humans are organized energy, as are plants, minerals, animals, oceans, atmosphere and every living thing on this planet and in this universe. The pattern that forms the visible form is one part to be understood, the creator of the pattern, another, and the energy itself yet another. Most humans are not aware (except some scientists and philosophers who at least explore this thesis) of these basic concepts and therefore lack understanding of their origins and motivation for living. In short, they don’t know where they came from, where they’ve been or where they are going, or why as a species they are on this journey. They do, however, desire to know at some point in their lifetimes, but usually it’s on their deathbeds. There’s not much time to explore the meaning of life at that point.