Visitors' Questions during October 2003

This page will be revised at the beginning of each month.

The following are Hai's and other spirits' responses to miscellaneous questions recently posed by visitors to this web site or by personal visitors to our home. If you would like to ask a general question please complete the Question Form or post it in one of the Web Board's forums. If you have a question of a more personal nature please see the Consultations Page.

Q: Do all or just certain people continue in consciousness after death, and if it is certain people, how are they chosen?

Hai: (Smiling) The question, Jane, is whether all people are conscious before death. (Laughter). This is the problem unfortunately. In fact there are many people who are not conscious before death. They are automatons, yes? They go on like a clockwork toy unfortunately. But we must take charge of our lives. We must reflect, we must monitor, we must direct, choose our own pattern of living. And yet a lot of people unfortunately do not direct their own lives. They do not take responsibility. Therefore they live out their lives mindlessly. You understand me? This does not answer your question I know, but it is an important point anyway, yes? Why would you think some would not be conscious after death and some would be conscious after death?

Jane: Well I was concerned that if someone had an accident, became unconscious and died quickly, would their consciousness stop working altogether?

Hai: I understand you, but this is a matter of a physical body. It might be that people as you say are unconscious in the moment of transition to the spirit plane, but it is only in the moment of transition. For when they awaken in the spiritual land they are there conscious in thought. There are some who may be needy of a period of time of recuperation, to adjust to the transition, the change in themselves and their environment, but this does not mean that they are not fully conscious afterwards. It is a momentary thing this loss of consciousness, loss of awareness. There are those who pass and are fully conscious of their transition, their journey to the spirit lands. There are others who are not really conscious of this transition at the time of transition but come to recognise it, to understand it on their arrival.

What you speak of refers more to the physical plane, the physical body, where people may well be unconscious in their physical selves at the moment of death and also have a lack of awareness of their transition during the time of transition. Does this answer your question Jane?

Jane: Yes thank you.

Jane went on to say she no longer fears death.

Hai: Yes, you are right. There is nothing to fear in death. It is just like going through a door, a door from one room of your house to another room of your house. It is as natural as that, as painless as that, as normal as that — and the room on the other side is pretty; it is nicely decorated.

Q: A passage in a book implies that not all our soul energy incarnates to the earth, but that there is a residual amount that always remains in the spirit realm. It also says that our soul energy can split and incarnate into parallel lives to advance the development of the soul.

Hai: Hai answered with a smile: When you have heard "the stone cockerel crow" you will know the answer to this one. There is not much merit or usefulness in dwelling upon such a question because the One Mind is Eternal. It is all embracing. It is all reaching. It is as deep as you can think. It is as extensive as you can think and you my friends are at one with this One Mind. What does it gain you to talk and think in terms of splitting yourself up into multidimensional beings; beings who live partly in heaven, beings that live partly on the earth? What does it gain you, my friends? From the point of view of experience as human beings you are here, yes? You are living your life. But you must live your life here to the full within this very moment, within this very second of existence. And yet even this is talking too much in terms of time. But even in this instant you have all eternity before you. You are your Eternal Nature in this very moment, this very split second of time, and therefore to speculate in other ways creates a fragmented view, which is not helpful.

Assuredly you have all lived many lives and you have all learnt from these many lives and we have internalised, we have grown in our knowledge, in our understanding, through much pain sometimes, but also we learn through joy as well. It should not all be about pain this life of ours on this earthly plain. But we learn from these earthly lives and we grow in abundance through these experiences in these earthly realms.

Yet we also learn from the spiritual realms, as we live in our spiritual realms as well. But to speak in terms of splitting all these things is not helpful, is not conducive and does not get us very far. The important thing is that we are walking onwards, we are growing to maturity, we are returning home to our True Nature, which we have in truth never left. And yet we must recognise this True Nature and we must learn to express It to the full. Therefore, I do not find it helpful to encourage you to speculate about these questions of being here and there at the same time and living here and there at the same time and so on. What good will it do you to think this way? You people of the earth plane, you have many curiosities, many questions, many speculations, which you would like to know the answers to, but does it help you in your development? I think not. There are those who use very sophisticated, very detailed theories of existence and yet I say to you also that existence, the Essential Reality, is something which you may access in this instant and all the theories and speculations, no matter how elaborate, no matter how detailed, will not add one iota to your experience of this Reality which is you.

Q: But people pick up books and read these theories, Hai and it is natural that they will want to check it out.

Hai: The Buddha spoke of skilful means. Skilful means is what advances us, what brings human joy and comfort, what brings wisdom, compassion, and love. Therefore we would encourage you to focus upon skilful means, which bring these things about, rather than to over speculate on some of these theories. They do not advance the loving compassionateness of the human species, of us ourselves as spirit beings for that matter. They do not advance us in compassion. But if we can only understand our fundamental Oneness; that if we hack off the branch of a tree we hack off the arm of our brother, for we are all of the same tree. We are all of the same tree so to damage one part of this tree, we damage ourselves, all of us. If we can only understand truly the depth of this Oneness amongst us, within us, around us, then this would encourage us all to look with eyes of compassion on our brother and sister. For this is our nature my friends. This is the nature of all of us: that we are seeds from the same fruit possessing a common heart, a common thread, and common lifeblood pumping through our veins. We are all of the One Suchness. But you must question me further if you wish to on this. If you feel there is something you would wish to know.

Q: Well I’ve also read books that suggest similar things and although I do not believe it would help me to live a better life to know these things, once it’s been read it makes one think about it.

Hai: Yes you think about it because it spares you thinking about the next time that someone snubs you and you are not able to respond in a compassionate way. Yes?

Q: Do you mean it takes up your energy that could be used for more positive things?

Hai: Yes, it takes up valuable energy. But you see it is not as simple as those say who portray this idea. For although it is a complicated idea, this being part of you here and there at once, yes, it is a complicated idea, but yet it is not complicated enough my friends and indeed it is too complicated in many ways, for the Truth, the Reality, is simple. It is like, you see, I keep saying to you that we are all of the One Mind. Now this is a final statement. There is no room for question or discussion or speculation. And yet we do speculate and discuss because our minds cannot embrace the reality of this. Our minds say: “Ah, so there is a One Mind” and your friends have come to me in the past and said: “Ah, Hai there is the One Mind, yes? We understand this. So — where is this One Mind? Is this One Mind equally all around the universe? Is this One Mind in this place and not that place? Are we all equally of this One Mind?” You see my problem? The One Mind is a final statement, which embraces and nullifies all these questions, for the One Mind simply is, and we are that Isness.

So I tell you another little story: When I was on the earth plane we had many discussions. They were philosophical monks you see, much prone to giving these kind of questions which you are posing to me tonight. So, regarding the One Mind for instance, they would say: “Well if all people are of the One Mind, if all people are of Essential Purity, where does the One Mind go when the worst criminal who has committed despicable acts goes into the deepest hells?” And so I would say to them: “The One Mind is in hell”.

And so we have the One Mind that lives many different existences. It sustains, It embraces, It is within, It is the Essence, It is the Isness of all things. Wherever you look on this earth, in the far galaxies of your physical universe or in the far reaches of the spirit realms, there is only the One Mind and yet this One Mind manifests itself in a hundred million thousand ways and one of these ways is you. And so we may be approaching something of what you posed to me initially, that we have one consciousness but expressing itself in different consciousness. So now where does it get you to think: "Ah, I have a consciousness here. I have one in heaven, I have one in hell, and with all these consciousnesses there is the One Mind. We will tie ourselves up in knots. And I have already said too much; for "the stone cockerel crows" would be truer to the mark.

Q: So why do guides communicate this?

You must live your lives to the full. You must give your lives to the full, to others with not a thought for yourself, which is what you were speaking of downstairs, Helen when you spoke of your Methodist man. (Helen had been talking about the Minister at her daughters wedding before the sitting). He was able to go with the flow, to give to the moment and this is what we must all try to do though it is difficult for us on occasions as it is for him also, but we give to the moment. We give ourselves fully to the moment without second thought, without thought of self. We are then one hundred percent attention to those to whom we speak, to whom we interact, yes. (Smiling) All ears.

Hai: Yes there are, indeed there are competitive athletics. If he wishes we can set him up in a race. We will organise the horses to be ready at the start point. (Laughing). Why does this person want to know this? Why does he want to compete? Perhaps he is addicted to this competitive athletics.

Q: How can this happen in the spirit world because it’s a physical activity isn’t it?

Hai: You have got it in one Arnie. The first requisite of competitive athletics in the spirit land is that no one cheats by mind travel. He would do well to ask himself what it is he likes about competitive athletics. This is important to be clear about both here and there in the spirit land. Yet there are those who can create these conditions. It they wish to become competitive athletics they can become competitive athletics and like your friend Black Beard (one of our guest speakers) he can do his thing within moderation. But it is important to know ourselves my friends, so it is important to ask ourselves: "Why do I like this? What is it I like about this? What is it I get from this? What is it I do not get from that?" This is all self-knowledge, which is important knowledge for us to possess. There are many who are athletics for various reasons. Some because they wish to pit themselves, to match themselves, to compete with others, test their own mettle, to push themselves to see whether they have pushed themselves so they can do better than others. But what is the goal of this? For you may feel good, but does the other person feel good?

And yet it may be pursued, this competitive athletics, with just good-natured fun, just the enjoyment of participating in this sport. It depends upon the spirit of it. But in this as in all things the fundamental question is how must we live, how must we conduct ourselves, what must we do which enhances the life experience of all, enhances the feeling of value for all? This is the fundamental point. So we do not prescribe; we just suggest that people ask questions. But short answer is, if he wishes to do this thing it is like cups of tea. You can have a cup of tea if you wish, but there may be a time when the cup of tea is put to one side. You could engage in competitive, mental athletics (laughing), if you can engage the warp drive first.... I was referring to mind travel.

Q: How should we send out distant healing to the world?

Hai: You may also send distant healing to the world by imagining that you have your hands cupped with great, great mound of sparkling dust in hands. You imagine yourself blowing into sparkling magic dust and dust disseminates itself around whole world, reaching out to all who need healing. Blow on dust with loving heart and see your loving heart reach out to four corners of the earth.

Question of the Month

Hai was asked to comment on the recent controversy over a gay Anglican minister in the USA who was being proposed for appointment as a bishop.

Hai: Well it is true that where you rely upon doctrine, where you rely upon legality, this will put you into difficulty in such cases. For if you are abiding by the letter of the law; if you are abiding by what is written; what is written of old; if you are interpreting in this light, then you will have no option but to follow the ruling, to follow what is written. But this is why you get into difficulty. Because you people in human society you are always trying to write things down. And once you write things down you live by what is written and therefore you create a corner for yourselves out of which you cannot extricate yourselves. Therefore you box yourselves in; you cannot turn; you have nowhere to turn.

Yet there are other criteria which we may put here. Well, what should be done out of love for this person, those people etc. We should ask ourselves: "What should be done out of love, what should love tell us to do?", yes? Love tells us tolerance. Love tells us compassion. Love tells us embracing. Therefore it becomes more a question of how this person would fulfil their role; how they would fulfil their role in this church to render service; to fulfil their mission in this framework. So the fundamental question is: Can this person fulfil their duties? - Rather than any the other consideration. But because you have boxed yourselves in with your doctrines, with your rules and your regulations, they will not find it so easy to come to this conclusion, for they say it is written, yes?

Q: Who would put that into the bible, Hai? Jesus surely wouldn’t have said that would he?

Hai: Well, what Jesus said or did not say is not so much the point, for even those things which are reported of what Jesus said are what people remember of what Jesus said. So therefore you are on dangerous ground if you try to say: "This sentence Jesus say, that sentence Jesus say." What you can say is that the flavour, the fundamental principles, the essential meaning of what Jesus said come through those parts of the bible which relate to Jesus. But you must interpret this in the light of your world, in the light of your times. For if you say: "Jesus say this, Jesus say that", you are on shifting sand, for no one who is on your earth knows what Jesus said anyway. All you can say is it is the essence of his message. You have the essence of his message and loving compassion. The Truth, the Essential Reality, is to be found in the hearts of living men and women not in the dead books of yesterday. And therefore Jesus’ message also is to be found in the loving hearts of men and women of today, not in what are his supposed words of yesterday.

Q: Surely though these bishops realise that the writings of the bible have been distorted over time. So it is not as though the bible is a true record anyway.

Hai: But how will you know which bits were said and which bits were not said? So therefore you must make some sound judgement about this. As I say you must go to the essence and make your own judgment accordingly.

Q: A judgement must have been made that this person is suitable to be a bishop.

Hai: Yes, in his own place, in his own time, yes.

Q: What do you mean, Hai?

Hai: His place of origin (America.) So there is no problem here you see, he just has to do a Henry the Eighth (split from the church.)

Q: Surely though if the person is a priest already then what difference does it make because he is going to be made a bishop?

Hai: Yes this is true.

Q: I know I am showing my intolerance now, but it made me quite cross to hear the exisitng Bishops talking about leaving the church over this issue.

Hai: You must have compassion for where these people have come from; what their influences are upon their life; what their thinking is influenced by; how it is shaped. You must have tolerance for them also. We are all prisoners of our own concepts, of our own teachings, of our own doctrines, of our own backgrounds.

Q: Were there any homosexual monks at your monastery, Hai?

Hai: Yes, there were.

Q: But you weren’t allowed to have partners or marry were you?

Hai: No, not generally so, but yet there were some who could, yes. This was ok.

Q: Were you tolerant about homosexuality between monks?

Hai: Yes we were tolerant, but the human body is built to function in certain ways.

Q: From what you say then does it mean that homosexuality is a contradiction of nature because it does not follow the normal course of how the body works?

Hai: It is contradictory to the essential plan. Yet the contradiction in itself creates some purpose because it contradicts the plan. It contradicts the expectancies of men and women. It contradicts the preconceptions of what human love is about. And in contradicting the conceptions of what human love is about it creates confusion, it creates a challenge to their thinking, to their understanding and therefore it challenges their understanding of love also. And in challenging their understanding of love it serves a purpose. It must make them embrace wider concepts of what human love is, of its variety, its variation. But yet there are practices which run counter to the human condition, to the human body and its functions. I speak of the sexual act.

Q: Is the human body designed to eat meat?

Hai: The human body is designed to eat lots of things, Tim. Some good and some not so good, but it is designed to eat lots of things. It can cope with a variety of foods. There is no fundamental problem with the nature of food which people ingest. There is simply a condition, a desirability, that people should move to vegetarian food, but this is more to do with insight and understanding, with development, rather than any need of the human body to ingest certain food.

Q: Could you compare a homosexual to somebody who eats meat, but would be better if they were a vegetarian or is there more to it than that?

Hai: No, it is not like this, no.

Q: Is it possible that when same sex people are drawn to each other they have shared a life before where there has been love?

Hai: No, not necessarily so. It is to do with the nature of the human body which they have taken on themselves upon this earthly life in particular. But there is a complication here also, for there are those who could turn in either direction, to be attracted to male or female. This is not to do with anything other than experiences, which mould them as they grow up, as they develop, and to a point you could say that this is potential distortion of their original path. So there are those who will be attracted to those of same sex on this earthly life because of their genetic makeup, because of the way their body has been formed, yes. So this is a physical thing. There are also those who may be attracted to people of same sex because of the conditioning which they have experienced upon this earth life. It is a matter of experience, yes. They may choose and yet they do not choose because they have been conditioned. So there are many factors as always here; many things, which may influence events.

Q: Does every person have what could be described as a soul mate?

Hai: No. You have many soul mates so there is not one soul mate. There are many soul mates.

Q: Are there such things as twin souls? I was reading a book that refers to twin souls. Do soul mates exist?

Hai: It exists but it exists in abundance. (Laughs)

Q: I am even more confused.

Hai: It is simple. There are many who are on your wavelength, on your thought pattern, who are on your heart strings. There are many who are your potential soul mates.

Q: I was wondering that if there were soul mates and if both came here as the same sex, could this be the reason for homosexuality?

Hai: No, but what does sex mean when we are looking at the reality of eternity? You could meet soul mate of same sex while you are here, John. You can meet soul mate of female sex. You are close to wife, yes? But you do not need to enter a physical relationship with soul mate of male sex. You can feel closeness. You can feel bond and comradeship with this person, but there is no need for a physical relationship because physical relationship is peculiar to man and woman relationship in most circumstances. So we can have soul mates of different sexes.

Q: But it sounds as though we could have a lot of different soul mates.

Hai: Yes this is true. We are all mates at one level yes.

Q: I thought we always just had one soul mate.

Hai: But yet we are all One.

Q: Now you’re getting clever on me, Hai.

Hai: What need is there for twin souls? This is an earthly concept to do with earthly birth, physical birth. What need is there of speaking of twin souls in spirit lands?