From my cuttings collection, which is probably nearly thirty years old, the question as to whether there is life after death is asked.
"Is there a life after death? That is a question everyone is conscious of at some time or other. If man was not to have a life after death, why does he have this longing and desire for a future life, and why such a great interest in the subject?
We know for a certainty that some forms of animate life life change into an entirely different aspect of a living animate form. If that is true in one instance as with the caterpillar, why should not man, the very highest form of life and intelligence on Earth, have an even more wonderful change?
We are given many examples in nature to show that life goes on. The caterpillar seems dead but is not. The form which is to be is not visible to our perception. The change will be from one which was adequate and satisfying to the worm crawling on the ground, to one far more delightful when soaring above in the air.
Everything we witness is in a state of transition or change from time to time. Life never stops, has never stopped for millions and billions of years.
Henry W.Longfellow wrote in one of his poems, "There is no Death! What seems so is transition ..." As man has a higher and spiritual nature than other animal forms on earth, it may be that his change will be a spiritual one. No one can predict what it may be.
Is the tiny bug at the bottom of a deep canyon able to imagine the wonderful world of sunshine many miles above it? No, a bug's perception is too limited to know anything other than the ground beneath it. Nor can we imagine what further joys and experiences may be ahead for the race of man. Our perception is too limited.
Whatever our change may be, we can safely trust to the wisdom and intelligence which has brought every form of life to its present form of existence. It will be right and adequate for each one of us as we approach that time in our life cycle.
The philosopher and poet Bulwer-Lytton, wrote in one of his poems:
"Ever near us, through unseen ... the fair immortal spirits tread; for all this boundless universe ... is life; there are no dead."
Photo: Spiritual tree by Nevit Dilmen
I'm commenting this on the post rather than send it to you under the 'contact' tab as it didn't seem to work, so here goes.
ReplyDeleteI was speaking to my grandfather 2 days ago and he told me this story.
We now live in Cornwall, but he grew up in Watford.
He said that in the middle of watford there was a tree that grew out of a concrete grave, and the story behind it was that the man buried there had asked to be buried with a grape in one hand, and a date in the other. The man had said that if a grape vine grew on the spot where he was buried that there would be no life after death, however if a date tree grew, then there was life after death.
I can't be sure on the details as he may have gotten some bits mixed up, but I thought you would be interested in it. And seeing as you travel around a lot, I thought you may want to check it out yourself if you ever visit Watford.
Terrific post, Mike. Our perception really is too limited, although it seems that may be shifting. I love Tara;'s story, too.
ReplyDeleteI am sure there is life after death, and a lot more than that, which is pretty exciting. I never really thought so, to be honest, until I started to do intutive readings for other people and got to meet their guides and angels. Now I know that a soul lives on from lifetime to lifetime. At least those who don't believe will be pleasantly surprised when it's their time to move along to the next stage.
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