The movie A Film Unfinished depicts the Warsaw Ghetto during the month of May 1942 when Jews were sent to live in  very overcrowded conditions.  They had little food except for a few who were rich.  Many lived in small apartments with no working toilet facilities.

The atrocities that were inflicted by the Nazi’s even goes on today but with different names and within different countries.  When people suffer such degradation it must put their faith to the test.  Is God a loving God?  Has He/She abandoned me?  The list can go on and on.

Or, perhaps, a lesser scale, my brother lost his daughter who was in her early thirties pregnant with child.  While driving home after dropping her sweetheart off at the ferry a driver went through a stop sign and killed her.    My brother never recovered from the incident.  He was naturally overcome with grief and suffered tremendously because of his loss.  My brother would say many times “why couldn’t God take me instead of L?  Even though I had an understanding nothing spiritual would have helped since he was limited in believing that their was no more to life then  earthly life.

Not only do we have individual karma but also group and country karma as well.  While watching the movie I thought of the pain other countries had bestowed on the less fortunate.  Even knowing that the Jews in this ghetto set this up, it was still painful to watch.

I understand life and its opposites of good and evil but the pain of watching these people suffer was heart breaking.  I read much of what people say about love from quotes or from their own experiences yet how does one come to a loving heart?   One must have a foundation to build upon to have the strength and fortitude to go fourth.  One cannot do it without the foundation of Spirit.

I read many quotes, and some I also contribute, from various sources such as Hafiz the great poet of his time, Depak Chopka, Meher Baba and others.  People gravitate to the love quotes and knowledge but I wonder about the foundation.  It seems to me that  to express  and believe one is Lovable is not easy.  Meher Baba states, “True love is not for the faint hearted or the weak.  It is born of strength and understanding.”

The world must go through what it is going through before it can heal.  Perhaps people will just get tired of killing, being greedy, lusting for power and manipulation and turn towards God.

I may not experience it in this lifetime but when I come back I will be prepared for whatever the world has to offer.

I recently took  a Suicide First Aide workshop to help individuals who were thinking about killing themselves.  Whether someone called or you connected  in person one would ask “do you have a plan?”   However, prior to that question, as hard as it may be, is to simply ask, “are you thinking about committing suicide?”  Once you know the reasons why  then you would want to eventually  have a plan to keep them safe.

Yes, there is a process of uncovering if an individual is thinking about harming themselves.  My Godfather killed himself by putting a gun to his head. Personally I felt people who did that were selfish and weak.  However, I now know it is part of the soul’s journey.  When a person commits suicide that individual will often experience the pain in the astral world (the place we go when we die) when reviewing  the consequences of their action.

In this course the Caregiver (there are other names to use but we will use Caregiver as the one who is trying to prevent an individual from committing suicide) must first connect to the individual by asking questions and exploring reasons for that person wanting to commit suicide.  Next by listening, the Caregiver will have an understanding for the reasons……………….

Yes, after understanding the reasons , if feasible, turn the negative into positive reasons for wanting to live.  Finding out what a person has done in their life could reinforce the reasons to live, i.e., music, travel, pets, family members, etc.   Of course you would want to know if they have a plan and ask if they had tried to commit suicide  in the past.  If they have tried what stopped them.  The very fact that person is talking to you is a reason they want to live and if necessary point that out.

For sure you want to get a commitment from that individual not to carry out  suicide even if it is for a day or less.  For example, if they were planning on using a gun, ask the person to give you the gun. Another example if they were going to turn on the engine in the garage to follow through with suicide ask for the car keys.  So, have a safety plan in place.

Also important have that individual state the reasons they were going to commit suicide and state the safety plan that is in place.  By doing that will reinforce their commitment to stay safe.

After that you would want to have the person connect with people who will be their for them within the safety plan besides yourself;  it could be a trusted family member, therapist, counselor and so on.  In this course, even the person who was playing the part of wanting to commit suicide brought up different emotions.

As a society we need to have more workshops in place and especially in the schools. Our world is experiencing numerous difficulties  and more people will  want to let go of because of pain.  From a spiritual perspective the pain will be carried over into the next world.  Again, that soul will continue to suffer and when reborn will have to experience similar circumstances to learn his or her lesson.

I welcome  your comments.

I am sure like many of you their  have been numerous e-mails stating that you have won a lottery from some foreign country or someone is giving you their sob story.  Sometimes I e-mail these individuals to inform them that their deeds have dire consequences.

If they knew that their is no escape from greed, manipulation of others they would not try to take advantage of gullible individuals.  When a person dies they must play back on the others side (Astral Plane) all their transgressions.  They will do it with their astral body which is not dense as it is here on the Earth plane.

These individuals will play back their earthly life and feel the pain they have caused others ten fold and experience tremendous suffering.  When they take on another body they will also experience much suffering do to  karma (the sum of a person’s actions in this or previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.)

There was an individual who, in a past life, had stolen from others and in this life had to pay the consequences of those past actions.  This individual was in a loan business as a salesman trying to help people get loans for their enterprises.  The salesman worked unknowingly with an owner who manipulated others.

It so happened that eventually the local authorities arrested  the manager for taking advantage of  others in order to make money.  The salesman, who was honest and truly trying to help other people obtain loans was also arrested.

It happened that an undercover police officer had recorded conversations between the manager and other people who were also trying to scam others.  The salesman was not privy of the goings on.  The salesman was arrested because of a past life stealing from others and had to experience being put in jail.

Yes, there is no escape and if the people of the world knew that karma and past lives are a part of our journey towards God these transgressions would not happen.

We have just celebrated the 4th of July with fireworks and talks on how we came to be a free nation.  Being a free and independent nation has its responsibilities which we have dearly neglected not only with our environment but with other sovereign nations as well.

We as a country have controlled others with misuse of power, manipulation, and greed.  The United States of America will have to pay a karmic debt.  The oil spill in the Gulf is only the beginning.  If you have been reading the papers, you would have seen that we are on a collision course with Mother Nature.

It reminds me of what had happened to Rome, ah yes, the  fall of Rome to be exact.  They had overextended themselves, were greedy, and had lust for power.

Religion in itself cannot change the course of events.  Religion created separatism to get a point across.  For our nation to heal it must  put God, which is beyond religion, first and then possibly our nation can begin to heal.  This can only happen when you as an individual open your heart and release the fears that have kept you trapped from your true self.  And, your true self is LOVE and LOVE is not separate from God.

As for me, I believe it is too late for our nation to heal and our karmic debt must paid. However, you  as an individual can heal if you have  the courage to go inside and release those bindings that have kept you from LOVE.

Well, it sure looks like we are in for a whole lot of trouble in the coming days, months, years, nest pas?

Does a person believe if they are on the spiritual path that they will be saved or shown the way out?  From my perspective all one can do is hold on to God and just let go.  In order to let go people must have faith that the soul is beyond form and we never truly die.  Yes, it is difficult for the multitude to not be attached to their body, hence holding on to the body can become exhaustive and emotionally painful.

It reminds me of a story told to me years ago.  There was a person ( I will call A) who had just followed a master from India.  He amongst others were feeling quite blissful feeling love for their master as well as having many  of life’s questions answered.  It was a time of high ideals  filled with joy, hope, and love.

A  and others were taking an excursion in a VW Van.  The driver needed to fill up her gas before proceeding.  After getting the van filled all the way up,  A decided to move to  the front of the van not  giving any reason to others for doing so.  Just as he moved forward the van caught on fire and his fiance who was in the back  could not get out  and burned to death.

Yes, the painful episode brought up many feelings toward his master, God, and so fourth.  Was it karma for his fiance to burn to death, why did he and others survive,   how could God do such a horrible thing, etc.?  These are not easy answers unless one goes deeper into truth.

For me, as I  journey toward God, all I can do is Love  and follow the truth of the heart.  Yes, it was her time to leave the planet and for the others to survive.  This episode broke the “ideal bubble” and tested those who wish to follow a loving master.

One truth whether positive or negative, know that you set it up.  Nothing happens without a reason.  God does not do anything to us, He/She loves us regardless of our shortcomings.  Even Mother Earth must heal from the terrible consequences brought fourth by those who are ignorant of truth.

You are, believe it or not, given a wondrous opportunity to know who you truly are.  It takes courage to release the false because it is safe to hold onto it.  However, if you let go, your heart will sing and you will be free from the shackles of the past.