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. 

Genetic Manipulation of Embryos/Cloning

Q:What are your views on genetic manipulations on embryos and cloning?

Hai: Care must be taken here .There is danger in some of the experiments which your scientists are trying out.They do not understand the consequences of some of their experiments. I have said before that in many areas of your research of your scientific knowledge they are still babes in cradles and they should therefore be careful before experimenting in certain directions. There may be a form of arrogance here of which I have spoken before .Knowledge is good. It is right and proper that knowledge should advance. But this must be tempered by common sense and good judgment. Some experiments appear to be experiments because your scientists know they can do it .This is not a good enough reason. All experimentation must have a firm basis in advancing the welfare of human kind and your animal friends which share the planet with you. 

A member of the group referred to a recent television programme that was about a couple that had a baby in order to save the life of another of their children. Hai was asked for his view.

Hai: Well this is a difficult question, for they are afraid for the child which they have, the life of this child. Therefore they wish, which is only natural, to do what they can to help this child, to safeguard his life. Yet they should not put the health of another child at risk. This is the first priority. They should not do it to the detriment of the other child. It is difficult because the parents should not assume the right to use the other child to heal this first child. They must not usurp the rights of this new child. There is a problem also if they have another child purely because they seek a solution to the needs of the first child. For this can devalue the life of the new born child in their own understanding, yes? It is their own understanding of the new child that we are considering here. Therefore the second child must not end up with a message which says: I am only of value because of what I bring with me. So this also is a consideration.

Q: Would the soul have known before coming into the body that it would be used for this purpose?

Hai: Whether the soul knows or not is not the point. For, whether the soul knows or not, the human beings upon this world must find the best way forward, the loving way forward, and the right way forward in all cases. They must not assume, they must not take for granted that: "Ah this soul has been born into this body knowing what will happen to it. Therefore it must be happy with it. Therefore we shall do this thing to it." We cannot do this. We cannot go down this road. We must make our decisions based upon the needs of all present, but also with due regard to the sanctity of life, with due regard to the welfare of all in the long run. There is no easy answer to this particular question which you give me, but that it must be thought through delicately and carefully. The right motivations must prevail and there must be no harm to any concerned.

Q: I am also presuming that the sex or genetics of the child would have been selected to meet the requirements before the foetus was implanted into the mother’s womb?

Hai: Well we have a difficult situation here. If the child has been manipulated in some way in order to create the correct genes, cells, or whatever. We must remember, as difficult as it is, that we are not in the business of preserving life at any cost, at all costs. We are in the business of preserving the quality, the sanctity, and the principles of life. In some cases this might mean that people will die young, that people will die without a cure or whatever. But life, of itself, is not the "be all and ends all", for we are spiritual beings with eternity before us. And therefore, as difficult as it is, we must take the broader picture.

If we used as a principle that we must preserve life at any cost, you and your scientists would go down roads that would not be becoming, which would not be skilful. For this would take you down one path. But if we seek the path of Universal Love this could be a different path to that one. You will have many difficult decisions to make before you, in your time upon this world. I speak of the time of your species, the species that I was also. You will have many difficult choices to make as your technology, your sciences advance, but you must keep before your eyes all the time the sacred flame to guide you along the right path. There will be mistakes made in many areas of life within these scientific developments and technological innovations. There will be errors made, but you learn from these errors and you will find some correct adjustment to the way in which to develop them and the path to tread.

Q: It must be very difficult for parents to say no if a doctor tells them that another child may be able to save the life of their sick child.

Hai: Yes it is. Our heart goes out to them. Yet they could find themselves in a conundrum here. For would they say that, but for the possibility of restoring this first child to life they would not have had second child regardless of this possibility? Will this new child, born into the world, will it have the understanding that it was born into the world to save the life of this other child. These are the difficulties of which I spoke. For we can end up with situations where the child who becomes an adult person may become confused as to their significance, their role, and their identity. Therefore we must take a broader picture and safeguard the welfare and rights of all in these situations.

Another member of the group expressed concern about the new born child’s feelings, if it could not save the life of its sibling.

Hai: And this can compound the difficulties for this new child. For if it is not successful in its purpose, in the sense of not producing what is required, where then will it go in terms of its thinking. So we can create many difficulties here and who has the skill amongst you (referring to the world population) to deal with them?

Derek from Kent in England asked a question about Euthenasia

Q: The News has items regarding the approval of some countries allowing individuals to be given the opportunity of choosing an early death of dignity using humane medical assistance to pass over. Does this earlier and self determined termination of life before the due day have any implications in passing over?

Hai: The questioner leaps on to the secondary question without the first one being asked or answered. It assumes that this is ok practice in the first instance, then moves on to ask what are the consequences when the person moves on to spirit lands. But I say to you that it is not a desirable practice. It is not a desirable practice in the first instance. For although it can be frustrating, painful life in cases of some people yet we should try to make life comfortable and pain free as far as possible in the final stages, but without assisting, accelerating the death of this person.

But there is no blame in this matter. There are no serious consequences in this matter in terms of their death coming about; in terms of them moving into the spirit land having accomplished their death in the way you speak of. But they will learn that it is not the best way to proceed to the spirit land. That it is best to let nature take its course, with help to live peaceful, pain free life as far as possible in the latter stages.

A group member asked: Sometimes when people have been in great pain in the past doctors have given more morphine than they should knowing that it would hasten the end for them. Does that affect the person if it hasn’t been their choice to bring the end of their life nearer?

Hai: Well the person’s doctor tries to act in the person’s best interests and within reason it is relieving their pain rather than accelerating their death. Therefore there’s no big deal over this. But it is better sometimes if the person can have some awareness of their gradual movement from this realm to the next, rather than to be zonked out (smiling) and to wake up in the spirit land unawares. In the transition it is useful to be aware of this movement.

Q: You mean so that it is not a shock?

Hai: Yes and so we do not have an uphill struggle to convince the person of their death. 

Adoption of Unwanted Embryos to Avoid Them Being Used for Research or Terminated

A recent item on this issue on a TV news programme prompted members of the Home Circle to ask for Hai's views

Hai: Yes, well there is no need to do this. There is no need to do this for there is the opportunity within the research with the human body to enable some research and investigation to be done which will in the long run bring about improvements of your condition, bring about the disappearance of illness and disease. So there is no need to experiment with human embryos, no.

There is some danger in this because it becomes a case of new potential life being sacrificed for the life of those who are already alive. But should the lives of those who are already alive be placed above those who are yet unborn, who have the potential for life? We do not think so. Though you may acquire a disease, an illness, you must bear this philosophically for as long as you must. You must bear it patiently. I know this is a difficult thing, but by bearing illness and disease patiently you do acquire depth, a strength of character, of soul development. So though it is painful and it is not to be opted for, sought or desired, yet in adversity, if we can bear it with patience, with forbearance, we are the richer for it, though this may sound perverse to you; but we are the richer for it in terms of our development, in terms of our soul development.

Also, we have had our life, a full life, a rich life and indeed in one sense we have all had a rich life by living. Yes, whatever our environment, whatever our circumstances, we have all had a rich life by living and we should not sacrifice the lives of those who are unborn to perpetuate, to enrich, the lives of those who are alive.

But this is complex question you ask me, for there are many different aspects, strands to it. For the other aspect you ask me is what of these embryos, should they be implanted in another woman’s womb so that they should, man and wife have a child? Well I would say that this is permissible, this is good, because it is acting out of love and compassion, provided it is out of love and compassion and not for monetary gain. But you must also recognise what the children may face in future time, because of their confused identity perhaps. So this needs careful consideration, will need careful work with them in order to ensure there are no difficulties or problems and that things will progress well for them.

It may be that it is desirable that they also have contact with their physical parents. But this programme was recognising the fact that mother and father figure is not just about the physical source. It is about what a man and woman give to that child. And that is important. But in some ways it breaks down the rich boundaries of kith and kin and to an extent this is good for the broadening of human compassion upon the planet. For it breaks down these rigid barriers of kith and kin whereby those who regard their family as sacrosanct, as special and different; and they protect them at the expense of others and so on. It breaks this down; it broadens out the human vision of love. So to an extent it can have beneficial consequences and aspects to it.

Q: Some feel that one couple that have managed to adopt two embryos have used this in a political way to put pressure on the government to change and ban research into these embryos and the feeling is that these children should not be used for political motives.

Hai: Well yes, we can see this what you say. But it is a difficult matter, for we are inclined to say that it is not desirable to undertake this research upon the human embryo and we would say that this should be argued with your governments and so on. But it is a matter also of how this is done, the process which is employed to do this and the approach which is adopted. We would say though that it is not desirable to create more embryos than are needed in the first place. Why do this? It is efficiency is it not, and we have spoken of efficiency in the past.

Q: I think it’s because it doesn’t always work first time.

Hai: Yes we know this, but it is an activity which should not be entered upon. For if you create more embryos than you need, you create a problem.

Q: I’m not sure why they create more than they need.

Hai: They inseminate more than they need to be sure of some working, yes?

Q: I know that you say that an embryo is potential life, but would the spirit have actually contacted the embryo at that stage?

Hai: No, but yet it is a sacred process this creation of life and this process must be safeguarded. It must be safeguarded because it is your future, the future of future generations. Therefore it is dangerous to meddle with this process. This process is self-regulating, is self-evolving. It should be left to its own devises. For if it is interfered with in some way it may go arry and may be detrimental to your race, your species, in the long term. This has happened on other planets and it is of great concern. It has gone arry with severe consequences.

Q: Is genetic engineering not desirable for human medicine?

Hai: What do you speak of when you say genetic engineering?

Q: I was referring to genetic researches and techniques that are applied to cure diseases.

Hai: Genetic research is ok in itself if it is pursued with caution and care — with reverence. But it should be pursued with reverence and care for you are meddling potentially with the genetic processes, the programming which sustains life. Therefore it is important to work with these processes, with this programming and not to interfere to the point were it might fundamentally affect the programming. But we speak primarily here of human life, of meddling with the processes of human life. You must all do your research and you must do your research out of love. For you see, it is a paradox I know, but there is truth in this paradox in that I have told you already, that those who have to endure must endure illness, must endure disease. They grow strong because of it if they can have the attitude, the mental attitude the approach of life towards it to enable them to make use of the experience, to strengthen themselves, to grow in their spiritual development.

But likewise also, those of you who are researchers, scientists, or doctors involved in research, then you also, from your point of view, must pursue the research aspect of this to enable people's conditions to be alleviated, to remove some of these conditions. And you do this also out of compassion and out of love and by pursuing this course you also are enriched in your spiritual development. You see what I say to you? So there is no paradox in this though there apparently seems to be one. The course of action should always be motivated by love and compassion and love and compassion in a sense will meet in the middle from the point of view of those who suffer disease and from the point of view of those who counter it.

Q: Are you allowed to interfere with what happens on the earth?

Hai: No not at all. And yet we do interfere in a sense by just talking to you. But you must make your minds up about what you hear and you have your own decisions about your own lives to make. Therefore we are just voices in the wilderness speaking to the wind. And whether you choose to hear us or to think on what we say is up to you and this is quite right.

Q: I was just wondering that if we had three proposals about research into cancer would you be able to say which one was likely to be most effective?

Hai: I may give you my view on it and I should have an opinion perhaps. But your scientists will pursue the right way for them.

Q: When you referred earlier to research on the embryos not being necessary did you mean that the research could be carried out on human bodies?

Hai: Yes you could research on human bodies by taking the materials from human bodies, which are not fundamental to the processes of life. There is much to do, there are many places to go with this research. There are many aspects of this research which are yet to be discovered and developed in ways that are scarcely thought of yet, which are dimmed behind the mists of life.

Q: I can understand all that you’ve said tonight, Hai, but as a woman I suppose I believe that women have a right to decide whether to continue with a pregnancy or not.

Hai: No, by agreeing to be implanted, by agreeing to give life this must carry its own responsibility. But yet we have said that there are many circumstances and difficulties which arise, conditions which are brought about upon women and they have much difficulty. They have a hard life at times. There are many things to consider. Therefore it is not helpful to judge, nor should we judge.

Q: Some women are raped and it must be very difficult for them.

Hai: Yes it is difficult, it is difficult, and yet even in this there is a human life, a life that may be loved. Yet in truth it is a challenge to all who encounter this life, to love this life, to give freely to this life, to cherish this life. And yet if those who are around can arise to this occasion it is again a possibility, a potential, to demonstrate the heights of human love. But unfortunately, often it demonstrates the weaknesses of human love. I do not speak of the mother towards the child but I speak of those around them. You know people speak of love and yet the love they speak of is only on the foothills of the mountains and must climb to the mountain peaks in its aspirations.