Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00554)

As for ends, the end is always near.  I just read an obit in the morning paper
for a 23-year-old woman whose small plane went down in Botswana.  We never know
when the end of our storyline is going to happen (unless you're psychic).  The
only sane approach is to realize that as personalities we are finite creatures
drawn and fleshed out by our Souls, who working through us gains knowledge
(gnosis) and wisdom in a particular lifetime, then withdraws to contemplate the
lessons and plan for the next venture into matter.  The end is always near, but
so is the beginning.

- Ann E. Bermingham

I agree that this is one of the great special attractions and blessing of the
theosophical perspective: to give the world and the individual as many chances
as it, he or she needs to "get it right" - no hell or heaven for knowing the
right name when you knock at the "pearly gate"--- Psst! Jesus sent me and all
that :)

I have more or less stated that I have been a bit of a wastrel.  I always
expected to live fast die young.  But all those rich and famous rock stars and
(poor addicts as well) have gone on and I am still here.  I guess I have lived
long enough, 44 now, to believe that suffering and old age are not the worst
things that can happen to people.  Not knowing love and doing what you are
supposed to even if that is "dying young".  I have tried not to understand the
folk expression: "only the good die young," but am coming to understand it more
everyday.

I have worked with the elderly quite closely.  I have seen them lying in their
own urine and feces, in incredible pain and still insist that they wanted to
live that they had the TV and life was "wonderful".    The relatives and
hospital staff wondered with me at the meaning of these "burdens" to others.
What lessons could they be teaching?  Do I want to know?  I wonder if some are
given the special role of "dying young" - for seemingly no reason and living a
long time -seemingly with out meaning.  These are the elements of fate and karma
that are the hardest to look at for me.  Does my suffering force me to CREATE
meaning where none exists? If all is maya, and suffering is maya, can I fool the
fooler, can I create an illusion of love, hope and joy?  Is this the real
meaning of slay the slayer?  The divine fool by being connected to the higher
becomes the magician that can transmute even though he is walking off the cliff
with the damn hound yapping at this butt :)

Namaste
Keith Price