Tranquil Spirit, Northwich, Cheshire, UK - Spirit Communications: Social Issues

Spirit Communications:

Social Issues

Kelly from Florida in the USA asked a question about the potential benefits of a Women's Rights Movement in the Middle East

Q: I feel very uneasy about what may happen in our world with all the fighting and war. I was curious to know that if women around the world who are in countries who treat women equally were to create a women's rights movement in the Middle East would it have an impact on the path of our future? Could it possibly change things if the women in the region had a voice and were treated equally?

Hai: It must grow from within. It must grow from within, within all these countries. It cannot grow from outside, but those who are outside can encourage, can engender support, can encourage those women who are within these countries. But the strength must grow from within. Too often force moves from without. Even when the force from without is well intentioned there are too many dangers; therefore, ways should be found to encourage growth from within, to nurture growth and strength from within.

If anyone can point the finger to such things coming from without the movement will be undermined, weakened, yes, for they will say: "This is something from another place, another country, someone who has another agenda to pursue, not our well being." Therefore, movement must come from within. But there is no harm in encouraging communication between women and all who seek peace, all who seek peaceful means, all peaceful souls. There is no harm in encouraging such communication to build up a swell of peace that all may know that the people want peace, peaceful ways of resolving problems, and peaceful ways of resolving conflict. When the power of the people, the swell of their power, has grown, those who pursue other means will be overwhelmed or rather they will be educated, yes.

Kelly must not be discouraged. If you drop a small drop of ink in a pond that drop of ink may seem insignificant but yet it will colour, to some degree, the whole pond of water. Therefore, whatever effort you put in place, whatever effort you manifest, will have its positive effect. And if you all place one drop of ink in the pond it will not be long before the whole pond is ink colour.

Cosmetic Surgery

The group had been discussing a TV programme about cosmetic surgery. Hai was asked:

Q: What do you think about the ageing process Hai?

Hai: The ageing process; (smiles) this is as it should be; this is a natural process. We must all age, yes. You can try to do a magic trick to hide your ageing but yet your body ages within. Better to go with the flow.

Q: So you don't agree with cosmetic surgery?

Hai: No, it is a fixation, which people have about their appearance. They become captivated by the need to manifest a particular appearance and they become prisoners to this.

Q: We sometimes hear of young people who have some feature that they find difficult to live with and which holds them back. Is it ok then?

Hai: Well this is to do with the expectations which others have of the human form, of the human condition. Therefore it is a matter of preference, a matter of choice, and a matter of decision. But these things are fundamentally of no importance provided the person can function in the world, provided the person can function with their health.

Q: Have some actually chosen to come here this time with some disfigurement?

Hai: Some may choose such a condition to experience the feelings and thoughts of others when they manifest this condition.

Q: Do they forget that when they are here and try and correct it?

Hai: Yes that can happen also; that they become captivated as I say, by the expectations of the days in which they live. But you know, times change, expectations vary from age to age. Therefore, why put yourself through misery to conform to expectations of a particular age when another age will view your attributes in a different light?

Q: When people have cosmetic surgery and it goes wrong, does that help the person to get things into perspective and realise what really matters?

Hai: It may, but it often creates bitterness and morbidity. For they have selected an option whereby they see themselves as trying to improve themselves. When it goes wrong they see a disaster and therefore this brings grief and bitterness.

Q: When we come to your world, Hai, are we still worried about our physical form?

Hai: No, for there is more uniformity in the physical. But we have learnt that the form, which we take, is less important than our Essence.

Donated Organs

Q: If someone's next of kin gave permission for an organ to be used after death but the person who'd died would not have wanted that, would the spirit feel distressed about it when in the spirit world?

Hai: It is likely that they would accept it because what is an organ of the body at the end of the day? Tis only the organ of a body; it is a mechanical thing not the identity of the person, which is being given away. Therefore is has no significance in this way.

Assisted Suicide

Q: Hai, what is your view on assisted suicide?

Hai: This is difficult because there are sometimes situations where people are finding themselves in terrible pain and anguish. In such situations your doctors should try and do what they can to relieve this pain and anguish without necessarily shortening lives though some of the drugs they give may well shorten life as a side affect. But it should be the goal of your medicine to prolong life but also to preserve the quality of life. It is no use preserving life if the quality of life is nil, if the quality of life is pain; therefore, it is no easy matter. There is the possibility of abuse if those who have the power to take life can take life without restriction. So there is no easy answer to this question which you pose. But we do not say that it is evil in all circumstances for the motivation of some may be to relieve the pain and suffering of those who are in this terminal state.

Q: I heard of a case recently of a woman who, because she was paralysed from the neck down, asked the court if her husband could help her to commit suicide. In a case such as this would the husband be just as guilty as a doctor who decided to take a similar action without the patient asking?

Hai: The principle should be to maintain life as far as is humanly possible and to maintain a quality of life as far as this is humanly possible. It should not be given over to another to decide if life should be shorter, to have the power to shorten life. This is too easily open to abuse. Yet again we can foresee situations where a person is in great pain and torment and someone is available to them who may help them to shorten their pain and torment. We would not judge them. But the fundamental principle is to prolong life and its quality as far as it is humanly possible, for even the manner of passing is part of life. The manner of passing is also the path of life.

The group talked for a while about a similar question Eileen had put to Hai some months ago. It was a case where, at the request of the patient, a court had agreed that the patient's life support machine could be switched off. Eileen had asked Hai about this later and he'd said that this was ok because without the machine the body would have come to a natural end anyway. This brought about another question to Hai.

Q: So is there a difference here between that case, that Eileen has just described, and the form of assisted suicide that we've just asked you about? If, for example, someone has been in a coma for many months, are you saying that it is ok for the life machine to be switched off, or should the person be kept alive regardless?

Hai: No, because this is a natural process, but the keeping the person alive by artificial means is artificial. The body's processes left to their own natural inclination would terminate. This is a clearer situation.

Abortion

Q: Is abortion an acceptable thing?

Hai: It is not desirable to have an abortion because it is life. Yet we know, that there are many people who find themselves in very difficult circumstances and therefore we would not judge. But we say to you that it is not desirable. Yet in spite of this we know there are people who find themselves in difficult circumstances. Sometimes it is best perhaps for a child not to be born if this child is going to be unloved, unwanted, uncared for, or discarded, even though they are born into the physical world. But this also is an unfortunate occurrence for every vestige of life should be loved. Every being born into your world should be loved.

Q: How would the spirit feel if it were aborted? Because it hasn't had chance to be loved, has it?

Hai: But you must remember, Janice, that you have all been on this earth many times before and therefore you have experienced love, or the lack of it for that matter. Therefore it is not that this is the person's one opportunity to live on this earthly plane for there may be many opportunities to live on this earthly plane. But we say that life is sacrosanct; therefore, it is ill advised to terminate life. However, as we say, there are those who find themselves in extreme difficulty and we would not judge their circumstances.

The Donation of Blood

Q: I have heard it is not right to donate blood. Can you tell me more?

Hai: Why? (Laughs). Why should it not be right to donate blood? If you are trying to help your brother, your sister? It is motivated by love, by compassion. Therefore, what is motivated by love and compassion is good action.

Q: What about receiving blood? Does the same apply?

Hai: It is good to receive love and compassion.

The New President of the USA: Barack Obama

The night following the Presidential elections in the USA, Hai was asked about Barack Obama.

Q: Will he be a good president, well I mean as good as we can hope for?

Hai: Yes as good as you can hope for.

Q: Better than George Bush?

Hai: Yes better than George Bush. But he (BA) is no saint; he is no paragon, yes. Therefore you should not expect this nor look to it to happen this way. This man is a human being; he will try to do his best but not his skills, nor the skills of any, would be up to the job so to speak.

After Barack Obama was elected we received a general question from someone in the USA. She asked:

Q: The USA just elected our first black president. What implication does this have on our spiritual advancement as a country?

Hai: It has potential for spiritual advancement - in so far as it is a coming of age of her country; in so far as it is elevating to position of high office in Government of a black person. Therefore this gives a focus to the American psyche, you may say, to internalise this, to reflect upon this, to acknowledge perhaps in reality the equality of white and black of different races. But it is also a challenge, yes, for some may take this change in their stride and embrace it, others may kick against this change and may not wish to accept it, may deride it, may cause conflict over it. Therefore, it is an opportunity we would say, but like all opportunities it depends upon how people respond to this opportunity. People must embrace it, yes. It is not important that it is this particular person; it is the principle of it, which is important. But people must embrace the opportunity and in so far as everyone can embrace the opportunity then it is an important opportunity for spiritual wisdom, growth, yes.

Vegetarianism

Q: Is it better to become vegetarian?

Hai: Yes it would be better if people were vegetarians, but we know this is not easy; we know this is a gradual thing to be achieved on the earth plane. The Buddha taught that people should be vegetarian and this was correct. He however was patient and sensitive and tolerant of those who found this too difficult, or could not understand the reason for it. Blaming is not useful, serves no purpose. Gradual awareness is the way.

Q: Does this include fish?

Hai: All fish are animals. So yes I would include fish in this. We can only try and do our bit.