Tag Archive for: Reincarnation

Horse Hooray Henry Prancing Free in a Meadow

Today, I’d like to discuss the concept of animal reincarnation which has fascinated me since my twenties.

The Basis for Belief:

Jill Hughes Holding a Copy of Spirit of Prophecy Today, more people are coming to believe in reincarnation, which is a central premise of major Asian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, yet it is still another “leap of faith” to accept that animals can also be reincarnated. Notwithstanding that in some religions and cultures, animals and all sentient beings are placed on earth as divine entities and/or Gods. We can think of many of the Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism (cows and elephants, for example), or if we go back to early civilization, we can see the Egyptians worshipping and revering, not just animals, but often hybrid animal/human forms. The Incas also considered some animals, such as monkeys and dogs, to be holy. Other religions, however, tend to view animals as mere soulless beings placed on earth for the servitude and dominion of man. It is clear from most major religions, though, that there is an inextricable and deep connection between us human beings, animals, and the spiritual universe.

So, whatever your outlook on the place of animals in our society, the question remains – can animals, especially pets, reincarnate?

Personal Experience:  

If there’s one thing that convinces us our pets or other animals have reincarnated its personal experience. Many of us experience an incredibly close, loving relationship with our pets. They are “family members,” to us, and when one dies, the grieving and the sense of complete loss/desolation is like losing a close family member. Deeper than that, though, is the linkage through which we are connected with all the animals on this earth that we share, and the entire universe, in general.

My experience of animal reincarnation relates to my horses, whom I loved with a deep passion. My second pony Red a 14.2 HH, fire- cracker chestnut showjumper, returned around 7 years later as Hooray Henry, a 16.2 HH palomino. Whilst Red and Henry were very different physically, their behavior was so similar that I just knew, on a profound, intuitive level that in essence, they were the same being. The story of why Red reincarnated as Henry and the lessons to be learned, feature in my No.1 Best-Selling International Metaphysical Crime Novel: ‘Spirit of Prophecy’, available on Amazon here: http://getbook.at/SpiritofP

Horse "Red" in action Show-Jumping

Red

Red was an amazing competition pony, but he was really difficult to handle – he would kick and bite and he was very tricky to ride anywhere, except in the show ring. If I tried to take him out for a hack, I wouldn’t get far before he started reining-back – like a crab in reverse. Next, he’d rear up on his hind legs or go into bucking-bronco mode: objective being to get the rider off. With hindsight, of course, this was probably because he was ill. Often when horses misbehave, they aren’t simply being naughty, they’re in pain and trying to tell us something. Frequently, we tell them off or simply don’t listen closely enough, because we’re too busy, distracted, not living in the moment and aren’t paying attention.

One weekend, at University, UEA in Norwich, I had this really strong feeling (call), to return home immediately. I trusted the strong intuition and made the two-hundred odd mile trip back, although really, I had no idea why. I just knew that I needed to get back and trusted that it was something important. On the Sunday, my father let me have a lie-in in bed and he went to give the ponies their breakfast. However, before too long he rushed back home, banged on my bedroom door shouting: “Get up now. Red has gone down – he’s in a really bad way.”

The vet came out and I stayed with Red for hours out in the orchard, walking around in circles. Red was kicking, pawing, trying to lie down and roll. We had to try and keep him moving so he didn’t roll and twist the gut. It was heart-wrenching to see him like that, beside himself in agony. Eventually the vet came out again and advised, this time, that there was nothing more that he could do. He gave Red a sedative and told my father to call the knacker-man. I was too heartbroken to stay – something I really came to regret. I really shouldn’t have let the knacker-man [that’s what they were called in those days – now the humane slaughter consultant or something?] take him away; he should have been put to sleep, quietly, at home, in familiar surroundings, with people who loved him and cared about him. Decisions surrounding death are often highly emotionally charged, and I’d definitely made a mistake.

The similarities seven years later between Red and Hooray Henry, my next horse, became obvious to me in week one, on our very first hack, shortly after he arrived. Henry was bucking, rearing, and snorting and generally being highly unpredictable and downright dangerous. It is moments like these when a Velcro-bum comes in mighty handy! I was supposed to canter back along the bridle path where my dad had camera-on-tripod set up. No such luck, Henry exploded into a fit of extreme toddler-style tantrum. He became positively kamikaze. In the end I jumped off and did the unthinkable for an experienced rider – I let him loose and with that Henry galloped away in a cloud of dust.

‘What the heck, love?’ My Dad gasped, looking stunned.

My heart sank. ‘’It’s Red, he’s back and he’s back with a vengeance.”

He nodded. ‘’Righty, right then. We’d best go after them.’’

Hooray Henry Running Free in the Paddock

Hooray Henry

My dad was always pretty progressive I guess, he was totally organic-you-are-what you eat, talked to his plants and on his allotment, led the campaign to stop his friend Sweet Pea getting evicted for being a white witch.

I didn’t realize at the time what a long road would lie ahead, back to the original ending with Red – what happened with Henry was profoundly connected. By now I’d learned that such extreme behaviour could only point to some underlying physical problem and pain, so over the years I called out many vets and alternative practitioners trying to get to the bottom of Henry’s problems. Henry was finally diagnosed with kissing spine and arthritic degeneration in all feet, hocks, and knees. The vet said it would be kinder not to put him through another winter but to let-him-go, peacefully. At that moment Henry breathed a deep sigh of relief and rested his head on the vet’s shoulder, as if to say – at last, thank you.

What Does this all Mean for Us and our Animal Relationships:

Animals are here to assist humanity and they’ve undergone many silent sacrifices. Ultimately, any society must be judged on how it treats the most vulnerable – the old, the infirm and of course animals and all sentient beings – things are improving but there is still a way to go to express real compassion for other beings. I get that death is part of the endless regeneration cycle of life. If a person is suffering greatly it may be a blessed relief for them. That we should all live our lives asking ourselves this: “when the day comes and I’m on my death bed, did I share my gifts, did I share and be of service to others? Did I experience joy, purpose, passion, and self- love, whilst accomplishing my mission here? Can I move forward with few regrets?”

Horse Red Flying High Over the Shoew-Jumping Rails

Red

I learnt a lot from Red and Henry. With Red I felt guilty, just as Juliet, [one of the heroines in my novel] has haunting dreams about her horse’s fate. I regret I wasn’t there with Red at the end, so he came back as Henry to give me the opportunity to create a different [improved] ending. Red taught me patience and perseverance. Where many previous owners had given up on him, I remained loyal and this was rewarded. Our bond was strong, so strong that he came back as Henry to rewrite the ending for me. What is ironic, I guess, is that at this stage of my life I’m an author and ‘Spirit of Prophecy’ is based on the story of a reincarnating Apache horse called Espiritus. In this way too, Red and Henry carry on into eternity, as the main theme of the book is based on what happened with them, except as my understanding of reincarnation has evolved, it’s deeper and more nuanced.

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Spirit of Prophecy EBook Cover with Readers' Favorite 5 Star Badge - Awakening AlchemyMaybe check out Jill Hughes: Author pages on my website which highlights my No.1 Best-selling, Visionary Fiction, “whodunit” crime mystery, Spirit of Prophecy, and download the First Chapter for FREE.

Spirit of Prophecy AudioBook Cover With Awards Displayed Finally, today, please do pop on over to the SHOP: where you can download the Award winning Audiobook at an amazing price. There a SoundCloud taster so you can try before you buy, and bag a big discount!

The novel incorporates many of the ideas and philosophies discussed in my blogs, into a fast-paced, fictional thriller with a spiritual under-current: prepare to be swept away.

 

Till Next Time I’m Sending: Love, Phire, and the Violet Flame of Peace

Hiorse Whispers Banner: closeup of Woman Talking to a Horse - Awakening Alchemy

Horses often communicate relying on their eyes and their very large and mobile ears, which they use to signal to other horses where to direct their attention, in order to locate food or to evade predators. Grey Horse With Head Leaning Over Fence - Awakening Alchemy Horses are social animals living in large groups and they are also prey animals – so, young foals learn how to stand up soon after birth and how to run with the herd by following mom’s lead. Horses feel emotion without too much rationalizing. They understand us and scientists say that they pick up on our moods from our facial expressions and tone of voice, similar to dogs. Experienced riders know how to pay attention to their horses’ ears in order to help determine what their horse is thinking/feeling. Equally important in the equine vocabulary is tail position – as you can see from the diagram.

Diagram of a Horse's 9 Tail Positions - Awakenong Alchemy As you can see the hunched / clamped tail position very clearly indicates a tense / anxious, individual and to other horses, this signals submission. A flicking tail may simply be practically swatting flies away or if the swishing is vigorous, accompanied by lifting a hind leg and at the other end the teeth are bared, this indicates anger, feeling threatened and is intended to ward invaders away! Aggression in horses involves biting, kicking, rearing, and striking out with a foreleg, however, this is more common under domestic conditions where there is competition over resources – food / water / shelter. Generally, in wild herds, apart from a new stallion approaching the herd or a mare defending her foal, horses do not go out of their way to exert dominance, instead they try to avoid conflict, so when threatened by a stronger opponent a horse will depart, holding its head low with its tail tucked in. Horses interact with one another mainly on bilateral levels that include all members of the group and not according to a rank order. An incorrect belief that the person handling and training a horse must be in a top position of a dominance hierarchy [ i.e. an alpha position, being a leader] may have a negative effect on the horse, compromising its welfare and can trigger fear, resulting in avoidance behavior – particularly when the desire to dominate encourages and involves the application of punishment.  To discover more about calm and consistent training principles which are infinitely preferable,  and to enhance horse welfare and improve the horse-rider relationship please check out the International Society for Equitation Science – Learning Theory in Equitation.

Horses Communicating Preferences

It was previously believed that only dolphins and apes could learn how to communicate their preferences e.g. by pointing at symbols but a study in 2016, by scientists from the Norwegian Vet Institute, shows that this applies to horses too.

How was this accomplished?

Three boards used to train horses ot recognise symbols - Awakenng Alchemy The horses [a total of 23] were trained, using carrots, to approach a board on a fence. Then how to tell the difference between three symbols:  ____ for [blanket on] and | for [blanket off] as well as a blank board for [no change]. The scientists also used hot and cold temperatures to help the horses differentiate.

The speed of learning varied from horse to horse but after 2 week’s training, all 23 were able to go to the board to indicate, rug on or off, and express their own preferences. They tended to request ON when it was wet, windy, or cold and OFF when mild, dry, or warm. The study was published in the Applied Animal Behavior Science Journal and Karen McComb, professor of animal behavior and cognition at the University of Sussex said;

‘This is a really interesting, innovative study that has conceived a very novel way of getting at what is going on in the mind of a horse.”

Horses and Humans

Wild West Mustangs Grazing Free - Awakening Alchemy The adoption of the horse was one of the single most important discoveries for early human societies. Horses and other animals were used to pull wheeled vehicles, chariots, carts, and wagons with horses increasingly being used for riding, in the Near East, from at least 2000BCE onwards. The relationship between man and horse, involving workers, farmers, kings, and enthusiasts has been evolving for centuries. However, horse meat is still eaten in around 22 countries and indeed beef eaters in the UK were horrified to learn that some of the beef in their food was, in fact, horse meat – Britain like the US generally has an aversion to this, indeed in the Wild-West, horses became a sort of mythological creature in American National consciousness. Horses, like cats and dogs, are considered as companions and pets but definitely not food. My novel Spirit of Prophecy features a painted American Apache horse called Espiritus, who reincarnates as Totem, a top event horse who was unwittingly exported for slaughter, whilst his owner Juliet Jermaine was away competing. In this extract Juliet is on a lunch date with the Irish hero, Tommy Rafferty. Juliet has just shared the guilt that she feels and describes how Totem’s tortured screams haunt her dreams:

She thought of Chateaubriand, red and bloody on some French Madame’s plate, and shivered with revulsion. “The French eat horses,” she moaned. And she pushed her food away untouched.

“They do, that be right. But, let’s not think of that now, can you think of a nation more sentimental about horses than the Irish? I mean, for us, horses are in the blood. Petting, betting, buying and selling. Oh, and art of course. Don’t you be worrying about the French.”

Spirit of Prophecy EBook Cover with Readers' Favorite 5 Star Badge - Awakening Alchemy Note, in the paragraph above the word “use,” is also contained in “abuse,” and it is well overdue for humanity to become fully aware that animals – all animals are sentient beings; they feel love, fear, pain, just like us and at a soul level they are certainly not “lower beings.”

In fact, like Leo Tolstoy, a staunch vegetarian and the author of War and Peace stated:

“As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.”

He wrote in one of his journals:

“You must treat animals as well as people, the way you’d like to be treated.”

So, he clearly values the lives of animals, and by implication there is nothing to justify harming animals, being apathetic about their abysmal welfare, or eating them for that matter – it is no longer a genuine necessity. Perhaps a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is necessary to free humanity from violence?

Beef Farmer saves his cows from the SlaughterhouseWatch Jay Wilde, former organic beef  farmer doing his bit. 

On an equally uplifting note, you can’t fail to be moved and inspired by the love between humans and beautiful equines when you watch: “The Horse – My Horse and Me – What’s your Horse Story?” Martin Clune, the British actor and chairman of The British Horse Society conveys the tender beauty, admiration, and respect that exists between him and his horse.

Chocolate Coloured Pony in amongst brish - Awakening Alchemy The story of my horses, [Red and Henry] and me, is one about how I came to believe in Reincarnation and Karma and as noted earlier here, that became the central theme in my novel Spirit of Prophecy.

My first pony was called Chocolate who transitioned over the rainbow-bridge some years ago. More recently, I had an Angel reading and asked, why had Chocolate returned as Jester [my daughters (formerly) first pony]? What message did he have for us, and what did he have to teach us?

Angel Raphael replied:

“In a previous lifetime he was a being who was silenced. His passion is inter-species communication.”

After the reading, I pondered a while and took this as a nudge from the universe that I should go see Jester and his new loan family, together with an Animal Communicator [the amazing Rebekah, who can be contacted at Paw Prints (Animal Communication and Healing)], so that he would have the opportunity to speak through her.

Connection via an animal communicator (a silent, telepathic communication that works via deepened intuition) which is covered in an earlier blog post, is both awesome, and exciting. The sessions were videoed and will form a series on my: Jill Hughes Author, YouTube channel, called: The Pony Escaping the Story.

Would you like to find out what Jester had to say? Drop us a line at support@moneymagnet.global and we’ll let you know when the video has been edited and posted to YouTube.

Have you ever heard of the Wilhelm Scream?

Odds are, if you are involved in the film industry, you absolutely know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, well, like me, it’s all-new, fascinating and perhaps even just a little bit weird. Let me enlighten you.

ThJohn Wayne on a Horse: Pointing a Colt 45 - Awakening Alchemy e “Wilhelm Scream” has become one of those almost mythical icons of Hollywood. It is a stock sound-effect that has been used in over 400 films and TV Series since it was first recorded in 1951, for the Western film, Distant Drums. It is frequently used when someone is shot, falls from a great height or is blown backward in an explosion. Examples of the Wilhelm Scream can be found in any numbers of blockbuster movies down through the ages, including the Indiana Jones franchise, many Disney movies and most notably, Star Wars. The name Wilhelm Scream comes from a character, Private Wilhelm, who uses it in a 1953 Western, The Charge at Feather River, when he is shot in the thigh by an arrow.

So, what exactly does this scream sound like? Check it out here on this YouTube video:

White Horse Neighing - Awakening Alchemy In the spirit of the Wilhelm Scream, De Wolfe Music, suppliers of sound-effects and music to Hollywood have decided to allow a previously unknown horse to achieve its own form of cinematic immortality. Partnering with Equilab (an app. and social network for equestrians) they ran a competition where users of the app. recorded a short snort, neigh, or snicker and submitted it for judging. This could all be done via the Equilab App. The closing date for entry of a horse’s wonderful “words” was September 1st, 2019, so it will be amazing to discover which horse’s vocabulary could be immortalized, forever, as part of Hollywood legend. Horses communicating indeed!

The initiative was supported by Redwings (the U.K.’s leading horse charity).

Redwings’ Nic de Brauwere stated they had loved this project and added; “horses use a variety of noises which, when combined with body language communicate a wide range of emotions. But when it comes to the big screen an image of a horse is usually only accompanied by a classic neighing sound and often in situations where the horse would be unlikely to make that noise anyway.”

He noted that at their horse sanctuary they observe the many ways horses communicate with each other and with humans on a daily basis. It will be good to highlight, especially to Hollywood and the movie audiences there is a much richer selection of horse communication to help portray a more realistic view of our beloved four-legged friends.

About Redwings UK:

Redwings Horse Sanctuary Corporate Logo (Black and Red Horse) - Awakening Alchemy Redwings Horse Sanctuary care for over 1,500 rescued horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules every day at sites across the UK. The charity, which is 100% funded by donations, rescues equines from neglect or abuse and gives them a safe, “forever home” at the Sanctuary. The charity’s own highly skilled veterinary and behaviour teams provide the expert rehabilitation and specialist care its rescued residents need. Horses capable of living outside of the Sanctuary’s paddock fences are given the training to help them find loving, new homes, as part of Redwings’ rehoming scheme.

American Wild Horse Campaign:

American Wild Mustangs Roaming a Sunset Plain - Awakening Alchemy For Americans and something closer to home, consider the plight of the wild Mustangs. Google: Unwanted Horses of the West. Rescuing and repatriating them is going to be the central theme of my next novel, the sequel to Spirit of Prophecy when Olympic event rider Juliet Jermaine is moved to buy a ranch……………….

It is also my intention that next week’s blog will highlight and champion the terrible fate that has befallen these magnificent animals – so do keep reading

If you enjoyed this Blog and would like to read more spiritual and metaphysical issues, plus lots more besides, please share it with your friends and family, or do join our website and you’ll receive a notice whenever a new blog is posted. We will never spam you though. You can join here:

If you’ve enjoyed what you read here, please do check out our previous blogs. The last four can be found here:

Prosperity Report Cover: Chinese Hanging Lanterns: Awakening Alchemy You may also wish to avail yourself of our fantastic FREE report: 3 Proven Ways to Pull More Prosperity to You in 30 Days. You can grab your copy of this here:

Spirit of Prophecy EBook Cover with Readers' Favorite 5 Star Badge - Awakening Alchemy Maybe check out Jill Hughes: Author pages on my website: which highlight my No.1 Best-selling, Visionary Fiction, “whodunit” crime mystery, Spirit of Prophecy, and download the First Chapter for FREE.

AudioBook Cover of Spirit of Prophecy - Awakening AlchemyFinally, today, please do pop on over to the SHOP: where you can download the Award winning Audiobook at an amazing price. There a Soundcloud taster so you can try before you buy, and bag a big discount!

The novel incorporates many of the ideas and philosophies discussed in my blogs, into a fast-paced, fictional thriller with a spiritual under-current: prepare to be swept away.

Spirit of Prophecy Recipe with Wicca Symbols - Awakening Alchemy

Till Next Time I’m Sending: Love, Phire, and the Violet Flame of Peace

 

Reincarnation new thoughts movement Awakening Alchemy

Continuing on from our discussion about reincarnation in my previous blog, today I want to focus on an area of reincarnation you may not have considered before. This third area I want to touch on in this discussion may surprise some people, but it probably shouldn’t. Reincarnation is also a key precept in what is commonly known today as “new thought” philosophies, perhaps best encapsulated by the work of Rhonda Byrne and her “Law of Attraction” books, movies etc.

Two Open Hands Upwards:  With a thought quote between them - Awakening Alchemy  The new thought (sometimes known as higher thought) movement first came to prominence in the middle of the 19th Century with the teachings of mesmerist and healer Phineas Quimby. Quimby believed that illness originated in the mind as a consequence of erroneous beliefs, and that a mind, open to God’s wisdom, could overcome any illness. By the middle of the 19th Century, Quimby’s metaphysical healing beliefs were beginning to mix with the mental science of Warren Felt Evans and the Christian science of Mary Baker Eddy. By the end of the Century a series of essays on Your Forces and How to Use Them by Prentice Mulford, a book by William Walker Atkinson, titled Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World, along with Bruce MacLelland’s book Prosperity Through Thought Force, all served to crystalize what we now think of as the Law of Attraction – “You are what you think; not what you think you are”.

Reincarnation and Law of Attraction

But – I hear you say, what does the Law of Attraction have to say about reincarnation? How does it apply?

Two Hands Hold Key in Front of Keyhole With Sunlight Streaming Through - Awakening Alchemy  Simply this; if, as I believe, we are spiritual beings merely embarking on a human journey, then we must assume we were something before we became human and we will be something after we are human. We understand from the First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only change its form. New thought teachings tell us we are exactly that – energy! We can neither be created nor destroyed but can only change our form. It follows, therefore, that we must have existed before we became human and we will exist after we are human – we are eternal beings. Indeed, it seems to me that there are many, many, different kinds of beings, which exist on numerous different dimensions such as– Spirit, Divine Beings of Light, Extraterrestrial, Galactic, Angelic, Power Animals, Creator and Guardian Light Beings. In some dimensions both lighter and darker beings exist, just like here on Earth – as above, so below. So it is. Blessed be. In the higher vibrational realms or dimensions there are levels, a little like school grades it seems…life, the universe, and everything, eh? I don’t claim to be an expert about the “out there or the other side,” but I do subscribe to the concepts of Star-seeds, Indigos, Crystals and Lightworkers, as I discuss in the About the Book and Authors Notes section in my novel Spirit of Prophecy, which also [much to my surprise as I was never until recently a UFO sort] features a pop-in arrival of ET’s.

Stars Arranged in the Shape of a Human Figure - Awakening Alchemy “We are stardust, we are golden, we are one- billion- year old carbon.”

— Joni Mitchell

 

 

Whacky – or watch this space? For a more scientific exploration of life, potentially seeded from outer space, check out my interview with Brig Klyce, about Panspermia and Cosmetic Ancestry on my Media page.

 

 

Girl Sits on Grass and Gazes at the Stars at Night - Awakening Alchemy “Remember to look up at the stars not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist.”

— Stephen Hawking

 

 

What were we before, where do you originate from – ah there’s the sixty-four-million- dollar question? The good news is you can gain more insight with an Akashic Record reading, if that appeals to you [for recommendations about this please get in touch.] Sunrise Over The Ocean With A Voltaire Quote - Awakening Alchemy If we follow the Law of Attraction, we are committed to try and live our lives in “the present”. We are encouraged not to dwell on the past or to worry about the future – the past cannot be changed [although its negative limitations can be carried forwards but they can be cleared/released] and the future will be shaped by what we intend, believe and do today. There is a particularly compelling paragraph in one of Rhonda Byrne’s books where she posits the thought that our departed loved ones are still actually with us, but we cannot always see or hear from them because they are all on the “level of love”. That idea appeals immensely to me.

Karma, Reincarnation and Akashic Records

For those interested in exploring karma and reincarnation, perhaps consider discovering more about the Akashic Records – a great library oracle of accessible soul wisdom, and in reliable experienced hands an excellent method for clearing limiting karma and getting on track with our life purpose/dharma. Book of Akashic Records in Mysterious Light - Awakening Alchemy Karma is a layered process: ancestral, past life, familial [our cells/DNA store memories which we may or may not be aware of], inner child, and present day. Karma from a past life can have a ripple effect causing wrinkles and reverberations throughout time and dimensions. This is another theme raised in my metaphysical/visionary crime novel Spirit of Prophecy and also why Akashic Record access is potentially advantageous, since clearing negative karma in say C12th could have a cascade affect on clearing the consequential limiting beliefs that are still showing up today!

 

So, there we have it – two blogs with a brief look at reincarnation. I hope you enjoyed us scratching the surface of this fascinating subject, and I would definitely encourage you to do some research and reading if it has piqued your interest to know more. Alternatively feel free to contact me through the website with your questions or leave comments on this blog.

 

Girl Meditates in Nature: Rivers nad Mountains - Awakening Alchemy In our next blog we will look at something that we all need more of, in this frantic, fast-paced world but far too often ignore or put off – meditation. What does it achieve and why should we do it? Be sure to catch that blog.


If you’ve enjoyed this blog and want to read more, just sign up on our website and you will be sent notification each time a new blog is published. I welcome all feedback and look forward to hearing from you. You can sign up for the website here.

You may also want to check out some of my previous blogs. The last four are available here:

Reincarnation: Is It For Real? 

Love Is A Beautiful Song: 

Seven Concepts of Unity:

A Philosophical Colossus  – Gautama Buddha:

Please do also visit my Book page where you can discover my paranormal, psychic detective story, Spirit of Prophecy which presents many of the concepts I cover in my blogs in a fantastic “whodunit” murder/mystery. You can find that here: 

 

Sprit of Prophect Mystical Banner - Awakening Alchemy

 

 

 

As promised the universe and I have finally caught up. Today we will look at one of the core elements of the Buddhist teachings, that of rebirth or reincarnation. Rather than limiting ourselves to just the Buddhist philosophy, I want to expand that idea to look at two other forms of “rebirth” belief, along with the Buddhist belief. I will cover Buddhist and Hindu belief today and in my next blog, a reincarnation thought that may surprise you.

Of the four largest religions; Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, two of them, Hinduism and Buddhism, embrace and teach the precepts of rebirth or reincarnation as core values to their faith.

Buddhism’s views on Reincarnation

A Buddhist Monk Walking Through Sunlit Forest - Awakening Alchemy The teachings of Buddha in this area focus specifically on the actions a person takes in their lifetime, leading directly to what type of new existence they will reincarnate into after death. Reincarnation, in Buddhist lore is an endless cycle known as “samsara”. This cycle of death and rebirth is considered to be “dukkha” (unsatisfactory and painful). This endless death and rebirth can only be halted by the attainment of liberation or “enlightenment” which can be achieved by reaching insight and the extinguishing of personal desires. The idea of rebirth is foundational to Buddhist thought, along with karma, nirvana, and moksha (freedom from ignorance).

It is reported that Buddha, himself, on attaining enlightenment after those forty-nine days of meditation under the fig [pipal] tree, was then able to recall all his previous lives. He is said to have remembered not just a few past lives, but literally a vast number that stretched back some ninety-one eons (one eon being the equivalent of the lifespan of a solar system).

Karma and Reincarnation

The Dalai Lama with a Quote on Happiness - Awakening Alchemy Traditional Buddhist teaching speaks of six possible realms of rebirth (also known as reincarnation or metempsychosis). These six realms (The Gati) include three good realms; Deva (heavenly), Asura (demigod), and Manusya (human). There are also three lower realms Tiryak (animals), Preta (ghosts), and Naraka (hellish). Where you end up after rebirth is totally dependent on one thing – KARMA. Your actions, thoughts and deeds in this and previous lives will determine what realm you will be reborn into in the next life. Good Karma will get you into the three good realms – bad karma, not so great; this theory says you will be heading for the lower realms.

A 3-Day Event Horse, Showjum;ping - Awakening Alchemy At this stage, I will say that personally I don’t fully agree with the six realms described above, nor the endless suffering concept of “samsara.” Based on my personal experience with animals reincarnating – the story of my show jumper Redbrook returning some years later as Hooray Henry, is fictionalized in my novel Spirit of Prophecy. These two horses had a contract with me to reincarnate in order to allow me to get the ending right the second time around. Animals have souls, and moreover as I intuit it, they form part of our soul group connections and come back offering love to assist us here on Earth [the 3rd physical dimension] and to support us and help us or teach us something we really need to learn.

“A little while, a moment of rest upon the wind, and another woman shall bear me.” 

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Dogs for instance are a great gift to humanity and examples of what love really is all about. It does not resonate with me that animals – fully sentient beings after all – who feel fear, pain, but who are all too often abused, abandoned, [eaten!], yet still they show up, forgive the suffering inflicted on them, and express love and joy [in the main] : that they are supposedly a ‘lower’ species. Closeup of a Beautiful Golden Retreiver Dog - Awakening Alchemy People who abuse those smaller and more helpless [animals] or the innocent [children] have plenty of seriously heavy karma to shift – deservedly, and so it is! Equally, I don’t imagine that simply turning a blind eye and choosing to ignore rather than acting to stop/prevent/report/expose such abuse, will go entirely un-noticed. Maybe next time around those adopting passive “whatever,” not-my-problem strategies, will get to experience abuse themselves plus what it feels like when no-one responds to their sobs, let-alone steps up to help or support them? Living in the now, and being positive also requires paying attention, and the intention to stay in alignment with your divine souls’ integrity, and willingness to empathize and walk in another person’s shoes, surely?

A central Buddhist message on reincarnation, resonant here, is the justification for following the precepts of good karma. They take a totally pragmatic approach known as the “wager argument”:

1. We wager that karma is true and good moral actions in this life will get us a happier rebirth:

  • If it is true – we will have a happy life in the next life.
  • If it is not true – we are praised by the world, in this life, for our upright and moral actions.

2. We wager that karma is not true and how we live today makes no difference at all to anything in the next life:

  • If karma is true – we are unhappy in the next life.
  • If karma is not true – we are condemned by people for our actions in this life.

Based on this reckoning it is easy to see why people might choose to believe in Karma and many Buddhist principles in general. If we lead a moral and upright life, we either reap our rewards in this life or the next – that, in my view is what is called a “win-win” situation.

Hinduism and Reincarnation

Closeup Photo of a Pink Lotus Flower - Awakeningt Alchemy Next, I want to touch briefly on the role reincarnation plays in Hindu thought and teaching, bearing in mind that both Buddhism and Hinduism grew out of the ancient Vedic principles.

The basic precept that differentiates reincarnation in Hinduism, as opposed to Buddhism, is the idea of the soul. In Hinduism, the body dies, but the soul does not. In this respect I land more in the Hindu camp, I guess, as Buddhism does not explicitly recognize a soul as existing separately from the human being. The concept of Karma, however, is just as important in Hindu belief as it is in Buddhist. Good intent and actions lead to a good future whereas bad intent and actions lead to a less auspicious future.

Massive Golden Buddha Statue - Awakening Alchemy In the afterlife the soul is believed to be reborn (based on your Karma) into one of three realms: Heaven, Hell, or Earth (as either a human or an animal). It is important to note that wherever you are reborn, it is only temporary. Gods also die again, once their stored karma has been used up. The same is true for those sent to Hell. Everyone gets another chance, back on Earth, to do it all again, in an endless cycle. Like Buddhism, this cycle can only be broken after one embarks on a spiritual journey, gains deep self-knowledge and thereby gains moksha (liberation, freedom, release), believed to be a state of “utter bliss”. In Hindu tradition, this state of utter bliss is identical to what is known as Brahman. Brahman is described as, the “pervasive, genderless, infinite, eternal truth, which never changes and yet is the cause of all changes. It is a metaphysical concept that is seen as the single binding unity of all diversity that exists in the Universe.” Perhaps the best definition I’ve read of Brahman is that it is the unchanging reality that existed before the creation of the Universe, exists today and will still exist long after the Universe has disappeared.

Diwali: Lotus Flower in a Floating Dish with Candles - Awakening Alchemy Although different Hindu and Buddhist sects exist that teach differing ways of approaching rebirth and of how to achieve enlightenment, it is easy to see that both religions approach the topic in very similar ways and that the inviolable principles of karma, reincarnation and enlightenment run through every school of thought. There are, of course, other religions, offshoots and philosophies that embrace the idea of reincarnation, including, but not limited to; Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Yoruba, Native American Tribes, and even to a limited extent in some Christian denominations.

So, there we have it – a brief look at the Buddhist and Hindu views of reincarnation. In my next blog I will introduce you to another view of reincarnation – one that may surprise you a little. Make sure not to miss that one.

I hope you enjoyed us scratching the surface of this fascinating subject, and I would definitely encourage you to do some research and reading if it has piqued your interest to know more. Alternatively feel free to contact me through the website with your questions or leave comments on this blog.

 


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Feel free also to check out our previous blogs. The last four are listed here for you:

Love Is A Beautiful Song:

Seven Concepts of Unity: 

A Philosophical Colossus: Gautama Buddha:

Happiness Revisited: 

Please do also visit my Book page where you can discover my paranormal, psychic detective story, Spirit of Prophecy which presents many of the concepts I cover in my blogs in a fantastic “whodunit” murder/mystery. Just click on the photo underneath and you’re there:

Spirit of Prophecy Cover: Death Mask - Awakening Alchemy

 

 

 

 

 

This post is not promoting any one particular religion, or religion as such, as I prefer to leave it to your own interpretation of WHO or WHAT constitutes a PRIME CREATOR, or if you choose to disagree completely. That’s a highly personal choice and suffice to say that anyone or any system that demands your blind loyalty and/or obedience  and allegiance is not aligned with the fundamental concept that we are all sovereign beings on our own sacred paths, regardless if we choose to believe in a GOD/HIGHER POWER/PRIME CREATOR or NOT.

Five hundred years before Jesus Christ first dipped his toes into the Sea of Galilee and a full two and a half thousand years before Rhonda Byrne brought us all the precepts of “The Secret”, as delivered to us through the internet, a book and film, one man strode this earth, like a colossus, spreading his message of love, understanding and inner strength. That man was Gautama Buddha – the founder of Buddhism and one of the first of the great philosophers and leaders of world thought. Over this and the next three blogs I will introduce you to the simple philosophies of this profoundly wise man and demonstrate the impact he has had on our modern-day world with many of his ancient precepts which are now taking deeper root in our consciousness. In future blogs I will look at some specific precepts of Buddhism, not as a religion, but as a way of living and interacting with the Universe. Buddhism, like Hinduism, which was beginning to emerge at the same time, both have their roots in Vedic principles.

Today, however, I want to concentrate on the man himself – Gautama Buddha (born Sidharrtha Gautama). There is plenty of argument about when Buddha was born and when he died but there is little argument about the difference he made in the society of the time. Born sometime between 583 and 480 BCE, Buddha is said to have died somewhere between 483 and 400 BCE at age 80, but his legacy stretches across the centuries to this very day. He was born in Lumbini, of the Shakya Republic in what is now modern-day Nepal, into a wealthy influential family but as he grew up he became especially upset at the extent of suffering in the world, so he renounced his privileged life. Buddha [which means Enlightened One] became a monk, a mendicant (a beggar), a sage, and whilst sitting in contemplation under a fig tree – (the Bodhi Tree of Awakening) he had insights that became the basis of his philosophies, teachings and religious/spiritual leadership

His main impact on the society of the time was to teach that there was a “middle way” between typical sensual self-indulgence and severe self-discipline and denial, which was the common belief amongst the people of the region. The basic concept Buddha brought to the world was the idea that the purpose of life was to seek “ultimate enlightenment” as described in Buddha’s discourse – “The Noble Eightfold Path”. There are many tales of Buddha’s life. How many of them are true or not is perhaps moot; what matters most are the teachings and the philosophies he has left behind. One particularly famous event occurred, it is told; of Buddha seating himself under a “pipal [old sacred fig]” tree, in Bodh Gaya, India. He vowed to never arise from that tree until he had found the “truth”. His companions decided Buddha had just given up and left him to it. After forty-nine days of meditation, at the age of thirty-five, he was said to have attained “enlightenment” at which point he became “The Buddha” or the “Awakened One”. It is said, at that time, that Buddha completely understood and had insight into the “Four Noble Truths” and thereby achieving freedom from the endless cycle of rebirth, suffering and dying again, which is a key concept in Hinduism. He would later develop this idea into training the mind (meditation or “dhyana”) as required to take a person to nirvana. Nirvana is characterised as the process of extinguishing the fires of desire, hatred, and ignorance that keep the cycle of suffering and rebirth going. Once Nirvana has been reached it is said a person has lost all personal identity and no boundaries remain to the mind. In this state the person is said to possess the “Ten Characteristics” belonging to every Buddha. As I said earlier, I will be delving much more into the actual study and beliefs of Buddhism in the next blogs, suffice it to say that Gautama Buddha and his Buddhism; like Jesus Christ and Christianity, and Muhammad and Islam, has stood the test of time. After two-and-a-half millennium have passed there are said to be almost five-hundred million practising Buddhists in the world, the bulk of them in Asia. That makes it the world’s fourth largest religion behind Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.

Meanwhile, it is deeply sad to witness, some of the ways in which humanity has perverted their pure thoughts, and ideals for life, to their own means. Buddha’s teachings of peace, love, respect and self-introspection, one day came to be totally ignored, by some of his followers, intent on racial or cultural genocide. The same points can be made about the other religions also. It is deeply disappointing that a religion which greatest precept is; “love thy neighbour as thyself,” should use their beliefs to subjugate, dominate, or completely eliminate whole other classes of humanity. We are surely reaching a stage on this beautiful planet where religious tolerance needs to flourish, and we focus on our commonality, community and connectedness rather than our divisions/barriers and illusions of separateness.  

Before I go today, I want to share some of Buddha’s insights that have made a direct impact on my life. Like Einstein, Buddha is one of those historical figures who are attributed with many more “quotes” than they probably ever made in their lifetime. That aside, however, these ten quotes that I share here are, in my opinion, guidelines for life and for achieving personal fulfilment, whether or not, you follow the full precepts of the Buddha’s teachings. I’ve always said; “if just a large enough proportion of humanity followed these precepts, what a wonderful world we would live in.”

  1. You will not be punished for your anger – you will be punished by your anger.
  2. He has the most, who is most content with the least.
  3. Every day is a new day! No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.
  4. No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.
  5. Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.
  6. Pain is certain –suffering is optional.
  7. The only real failure in life is to not be true to the best one knows.
  8. Give, even if you only have a little.
  9. Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.
  10. Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

 Gautama Buddha

That last quote is one that took me, personally, a while to come to grips with but when I finally realised, I had to let go of my anger, what an enormous difference it made in my life. When we let go, we create space for something new and better to arrive!

As you may have guessed, I’m a big fan of “The Buddha” and that this has just brushed the surface of his teachings. Over the next few weeks we will delve a little more deeply into three aspects of Buddhism that particularly fascinate me:

  1. The Cycle of Rebirth (Reincarnation):  
  2. Samadhi / Dyhana (Meditation), and;
  3. Sila – Buddhist Ethics (Ways of Living)

Be sure to catch these next three blogs. You can sign up here to ensure you never miss a single one of our blogs, and of course if it all gets a bit yawn inducing, you can always switch us off!

Even if Buddhism doesn’t appeal to you, personally, as a religion, I reckon you’ll find something of interest to your everyday life in these up coming articles.

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You may wish to catch up on some of our earlier blogs, hop-on here:

Happiness  – That Elusive Dream: Part 3

Celebrating International Women’s History Month

Happiness – That Elusive Dream: Part 2

Happiness – That Elusive Dream: Part 1

 

Please, also, do feel free to check out my fictional “whodunit”, paranormal novel, Spirit of Prophecy. Many of the concepts discussed in these blogs are presented in a fictional setting in Spirit of Prophecy. Just click on the photo below to find out more.

As discussed in my earlier post about Karma, the law of Karma is grounded firmly in Newton’s law of cause and effect: for every action there is a reaction. However, whether you totally realise this or not, when you reincarnated and came here to Earth you enrolled in a sort of spiritual classroom. There are lessons to be learned, exams to be passed before you can advance up the grades, and if you fail, then guess what you get held back a year for a re-sit. Everything that shows up in your life here on Earth is part of that education and learning process, however, unlike certain Buddhist concepts we are not supposed to inescapably suffer. Yes, life is/can be tough, but the suffering is all relative. Karmic debts are intended to be paid gracefully, without bitterness or resentment. Take responsibility. Firstly accept, then forgive and finally atone.

Just to be clear, it is our personal responsibility to clear our karma, in so far as tempting as it may appear, there are no magic mantra’s which enable us to delegate this responsibility. Where some modern religious groups imply that if you ‘say the words: “I accept the Lord Jesus as my saviour and ask for forgiveness.’’ That somehow absolves you, it does not and it’s a sort of spiritual laziness and playing hooky with your homework. We are supposed to seek the truth, our own truth which comes from learning our own lessons and atoning our mistakes.

There are many people and indeed animals with whom we enter into karmic contracts. Some people disagree about animals having souls and re-incarnating, but I have had experience of two of my horses re-incarnating and indeed this is the central premise of my metaphysical crime novel Spirit of Prophecy. I hold back on judgement as to whether or not animals can reincarnate as humans and visa versa as I really can’t comment on that. What I can say though is that all animals feel pain, want love, compassion and dogs, for instance, epitomise a consistency of unconditional love that is difficult for us humans to achieve, even the devout and those of us on a spiritual path seeking awakening and enlightenment.  My daughters are both vegan and have recently converted me [Watch out for my VEGAN WITCH blog posts] but actually the guy who really convinced me was Earthling Ed, check out some of his talks on YOUTUBE or maybe check out his restaurant Unity Diner in North London, UK. Ed is so persuasively reasonable when he points out that all animals feel pain, and whilst dog lovers around the world are mortified by the dog slaughter and consumption in Seoul, that is their choice and custom. Pigs are more intelligent than dogs, they are killed for consumption out of sight and suddenly materialise on the diner’s plate. How is that okay then? I came lately to the logical conclusion that it is not.

With regards to how to balance your karma, energy work, [e.g. Akashic Record level] and clearing [ [e.g. Ancestral] can be awesome but as with the Jesus analogy above, we need to park it and then go along for the ride and fully participate. Negativity and blocks accumulate at a number of different levels:

  1. At the ancestral/family lineage level, [and that’s proven to pass down in our DNA by way of cellular memories.]
  2. At the past lives level.
  3. At the Inner Child level which also benefits from release and forgiveness work.
  4. At the current day EGO level – yes, we have to watch out so that instead of clearing the above, we don’t go accumulating new karma to keep us endlessly on the treadmill, right?

Remember everything is ENERGY, so go benefit from any energy work eg Reki, shamanic healing that you feel resonates with you. [If you’d like my personal recommendations for Akashic Record and Ancestral clearing work, feel free to drop me an email.]

Back to you more actively balancing your karma, which needs to be done in conjunction with positive and beneficial energy practices. When something severely negative happens to you, realise that you inflicted the same kind of pain/trauma on another [most likely the same person] in a previous existence, or you wouldn’t be on the receiving end now. You may protest your totally astonishment and innocence and try to blame/shame the other person. Work through your anger/grief/pain – release it, that’s usual, get it out of your system – whatever it takes but just don’t dwell on it. Instead without bitterness or resentment towards the other person – let it go – step up to a new level of sincere and genuine acceptance that you set this into motion yourself in a previous life. You probably won’t recall the circumstances, but often on reflection we see patterns, recurring themes which just keep repeating themselves. Admit your mistake, don’t try to hide – it will always catch up with you in the end and often with a big rebound effect. Better grasp the nettle rather than sweep things under the carpet to fester, I feel. After all that chip on your shoulder will simply weigh you down. We can’t stop all problems checking in, but we can stop them from over-staying their welcome.

 

You may wish to check out our previous blogs on this and similar topics. The last four blogs are listed below: 

Attitude Upgrade Part 2

Attitude Upgrade Part 1 

Karma It’s Gonna Get Ya! 

An Attitude of Gratitude

Many of the issues I discuss in these blogs are also covered in a fictional narrative in my exciting, murder/mystery, Spirit of Prophecy. Do be sure to pop over to another part of my website and take a look. If you love horses, I know you’ll adore Spirit of Prophecy. Come take a look: http://bit.ly/2LeRJ84