Lucian Eyers © 2008
Our understanding develops not only with time but when we scrutinise every aspect of ourselves. This week I was party to a conversation where a young man was telling another that he disliked rats and mice. He said, “I have no problem with people doing experiments on them.” The other man said, “I agree, but I think experiments should only be for things like medical research and not for cosmetics.” I then intervened and said to the first man, “It may have been in a past life you were either a mouse or a rat.” He replied, “That doesn’t affect me because I don’t believe in religion or reincarnation, so it’s not a problem.”
There are three levels of understanding this conversation illustrates. The first level is very basic, the second is more enlightened and the third level understands why such creatures exist. It is important not to judge a person’s view but to see the opportunities for growth for all concerned. Both these men will in time understand that any life form is not here merely to be used for our own convenience, but should be honoured in the same way human beings are. When we value all life forms and understand, we are all ‘One,’ we advance spiritually to a much higher level – the positive outcome this brings to the planet and our souls is then breathtaking.
More than forty years ago when I was in the church choir, I remember being troubled by something our Vicar Reverend Barnes would recite as part of the Christian service. It was this: “Thou art not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table.” Even as a child, this seemed to me to have far more to do with control and less to do with an all-loving God.
What Reverend Barnes was referring to was the dogmatic interpretation by the Church regarding ‘original sin’. In the spiritual world it is understood as karma. The common spiritual understanding is that we have accrued karmic debt from our past lives and we are here on Earth to learn and to repay that debt. In some cases we are here to receive payment for our past good deeds. It is important to remember that difficult challenges in life are not only a consequence of karmic debt, but are lessons our higher selves have undertaken in order for us to develop. However, to condemn any of us knowing nothing of our past lives, but simply because we are in a physical body is clearly wrong. This bizarre principle would also extend to the innocence of a child.
Then one magical day I was resting against an old London Lime tree and to my astonishment my question of karma was answered by this beautiful tree.
For many years I had talked to trees as I discovered they were the keepers of knowledge. I befriended this one tree in particular and when I connected with him, he would give me wonderful insights, many of which were in verse. What the vicar and the tree had taught me was to trust not in what I was told, but in what I can feel.
It is this self-seeking for independent understanding that brings us closer to our higher selves and as such, closer to God.
Most people would consider me quite insane to be talking to trees and it did puzzle me how I could relay long passages of poetic verse, which had a wisdom of its own. As I was pondering on this, resting against my tree’s bark, he showed me a dream, which I had experienced when I was very small. I still remember the detail and my parents at my bedside, because they were awoken by my screams. In the dream I was chased down a stone corridor by Roman soldiers. The moment I awoke was when a sword was plunged into my chest.
Later that week my wife told me about an historical fact that she had read concerning the Governor of Roman Britain, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, who with his army in 61 AD was responsible for murdering a whole community of druids on the island of Anglesey, as they posed a threat to the Roman Empire. Suddenly the penny dropped and I understood that my question had been answered.
Numbers are significant and it was no coincidence that in that past life, I died in 61 AD, but was born in 1961 in this one.
The word ‘Druid’ means, ‘oak knowledge’. Druids passed their teachings on through verse. They would train for twenty years before they could teach others and were known for their connection with the trees. It was now clear that I was once a druid. We are all an embodiment of our past. However, when we use the ‘present’ wisely, we can become beacons of guiding light, carving out a future that attracts love and peace to all things.
My tree’s poem is helpful in reminding us how wise nature can be and not to view the Earth’s silent, gentle species with indifference, but with love and a deep respect. You can purchase this poem and others via our website at:
There are three levels of understanding this conversation illustrates. The first level is very basic, the second is more enlightened and the third level understands why such creatures exist. It is important not to judge a person’s view but to see the opportunities for growth for all concerned. Both these men will in time understand that any life form is not here merely to be used for our own convenience, but should be honoured in the same way human beings are. When we value all life forms and understand, we are all ‘One,’ we advance spiritually to a much higher level – the positive outcome this brings to the planet and our souls is then breathtaking.
More than forty years ago when I was in the church choir, I remember being troubled by something our Vicar Reverend Barnes would recite as part of the Christian service. It was this: “Thou art not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table.” Even as a child, this seemed to me to have far more to do with control and less to do with an all-loving God.
What Reverend Barnes was referring to was the dogmatic interpretation by the Church regarding ‘original sin’. In the spiritual world it is understood as karma. The common spiritual understanding is that we have accrued karmic debt from our past lives and we are here on Earth to learn and to repay that debt. In some cases we are here to receive payment for our past good deeds. It is important to remember that difficult challenges in life are not only a consequence of karmic debt, but are lessons our higher selves have undertaken in order for us to develop. However, to condemn any of us knowing nothing of our past lives, but simply because we are in a physical body is clearly wrong. This bizarre principle would also extend to the innocence of a child.
Then one magical day I was resting against an old London Lime tree and to my astonishment my question of karma was answered by this beautiful tree.
For many years I had talked to trees as I discovered they were the keepers of knowledge. I befriended this one tree in particular and when I connected with him, he would give me wonderful insights, many of which were in verse. What the vicar and the tree had taught me was to trust not in what I was told, but in what I can feel.
It is this self-seeking for independent understanding that brings us closer to our higher selves and as such, closer to God.
Most people would consider me quite insane to be talking to trees and it did puzzle me how I could relay long passages of poetic verse, which had a wisdom of its own. As I was pondering on this, resting against my tree’s bark, he showed me a dream, which I had experienced when I was very small. I still remember the detail and my parents at my bedside, because they were awoken by my screams. In the dream I was chased down a stone corridor by Roman soldiers. The moment I awoke was when a sword was plunged into my chest.
Later that week my wife told me about an historical fact that she had read concerning the Governor of Roman Britain, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, who with his army in 61 AD was responsible for murdering a whole community of druids on the island of Anglesey, as they posed a threat to the Roman Empire. Suddenly the penny dropped and I understood that my question had been answered.
Numbers are significant and it was no coincidence that in that past life, I died in 61 AD, but was born in 1961 in this one.
The word ‘Druid’ means, ‘oak knowledge’. Druids passed their teachings on through verse. They would train for twenty years before they could teach others and were known for their connection with the trees. It was now clear that I was once a druid. We are all an embodiment of our past. However, when we use the ‘present’ wisely, we can become beacons of guiding light, carving out a future that attracts love and peace to all things.
My tree’s poem is helpful in reminding us how wise nature can be and not to view the Earth’s silent, gentle species with indifference, but with love and a deep respect. You can purchase this poem and others via our website at:
My Dearest Tree’ taken from ‘The Second Sparky Book of Hours,’ by Lucian Eyers © 2008
You can hear me recite all three parts of the poem in the video below.
No comments:
Post a Comment