Chapter Six – Your Next Life Vehicle


                                                                                                                                                               

Chapter Six - Your Next Life Vehicle



Baby you can drive my car
Yes I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And maybe I'll love you

                       -  Lennon/McCartney



Trading In Your Body


          In most cases, when someone buys a new piece of equipment, such as the latest electronic gizmo, they look at the instruction manual to get an idea of how to operate the device. But if the device is already somewhat familiar, as is the case for a new automobile, and you have been using something similar for a while, you start driving it immediately unless, of course, you are a complete novice, in which case you may first get personal instruction on how to operate the machine. Otherwise, most people will not read the manual until they run into problems that they have no knowledge of resolving themselves based on their pre-existent knowledge or experience.


Will They Take It?


          In the case of your human vehicle, you first got basic instruction on its operation from your parents or guardians and then went to school to become further educated. There really was no operating manual, as such, for your unified human vehicle, although there are many books that deal with the various aspects of living a fulfilling life.
          Regardless, because of the knowledge you gained from being taught personally and by experience, you would probably not have picked up such a book anyway, until you ran into difficulties in which you needed some additional information. Which means that you, the reader, are probably a mature, experienced individual, possibly even nearing the point when you can see the need for trading in your material body. At the least, with some exceptions, you are cognizant of the limitations of the physical portion of your unified vehicle and have been thinking about when you have to trade it in, if that is at all possible. Is it possible?
          There is no scientific evidence that it is possible, but here we are talking about something that is beyond the realm of present day scientific knowledge. Science is very perceptive and thorough when it comes to studying the material vehicle but has no tools for dealing with what the material vehicle contains - the soul and spirit as well as the mind. The study of the mind by science has progressed but is still inexact and not as developed as the study of matter and energy.
          Science has no answers as to the continued existence of the soul in another vehicle after the present vehicle has deteriorated. Attempts at answering this question has been left up to philosophy and religion. But even those avenues of inquiry have not given us definite, incontrovertible answers that we can verify with even partial assurance.
          What about past history? Has there been any storied cases where someone has come back encased in a new vehicle? Stories are easy to concoct, and stories without credibility come and go, they do not last. Even stories about reincarnation abound, but none has penetrated into the depths of our collective souls, changed entire cultures, has lasted for generations and inspired us. Except for one. There is one case whose story has lasted for millennia, influenced the course of civilization and has resulted in a religion. This is the story of the death and resurrection of Joshua Ben Joseph, otherwise known as Jesus of Nazareth. Unfortunately, much of this story as well as his life and teachings have been distorted, dogmatized and even clichéd, to the point where one is hard put to distinguish between fact and myth. Regardless, it is the one documented story that has lasted the trial of time in which someone had successfully traded in an old vehicle for a new one. This gives us hope, if nothing more.
          If the story of the resurrection of Jesus is true, why aren't there other similar cases?
          It would make sense that Jesus' resurrection was an exception. The progressive evolution of the unified vehicle, the body, mind and soul, would mean that the new body would not be suited for life on this material sphere. The new body would be composed of material that would be more spiritual and hence not made for groveling around on this ball of mud. Even Jesus did not stick around after he made his few appearances in his new body. It's like the caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly. Once the transformation is made the butterfly's new medium is the air, it was not designed for crawling around on tree branches or on the ground. Why crawl, when one can fly?

Back

Continued ...