Other Sheep - other opinions, other streams
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father.” John 10:11 -18
Verse 17 seems to be at odds with this fourth I AM saying; we can accept that the wolves have their place, but what about “other sheep”?
And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. Verse 17
We can look at this in two ways; an inner way and an outer way. We have been looking at the sheep as parts of our growing consciousness. One thing about our consciousness is that it is full of ideas and opinions. And we love to be right don’t we? If we are really honest, we often prefer it if others are wrong and we are right.
Yet to reach a full understanding of something we need many different points of view. The opinions of others contribute to the whole. Think about a large tree, each person’s view of it will differ. Some say, “Oh let’s have a holistic view, let’s look from a distance so we can see the whole thing - one elevated, holistic but blurry view. One person can never see every side of a tree at once. We can only really get a full picture of the tree when we take into account all the perspectives.
The secret lies in accepting the other person’s view that differs from our own. If we cannot immediately see it then we should hold their view in our heart until we can see how it gives our view another dimension or, if not, that we discard it. How often do we discard or dismiss another’s viewpoint too soon? To honour the view of others when it differs from our own requires effort. This striving for truth, the effort we put in, is like giving our soul a work-out.
Another way to look at these “other sheep” is to look outside ourselves. In the previous reflection we considered karma not as punishment but as something that provides the necessary resistance to propel us forward. Just like an aeroplane cannot soar into the air until it meets with the required resistance.
This resistance can come from people steeped in different belief systems. Or it can come from people within our own belief system who have come up through a different stream of the mystery teachings. When we reach the point of remembering our past lives we will see all the different streams that we have dedicated ourselves to life after life. There were healers – in Atlantis, Egypt, Palestine etc., there were astrologers, there were musicians, temple dancers, there were teachers of the mysteries, oracles, knights, builders, hunters, scientists, the list goes on - each skill appropriate for its time.
Many of these skills can no longer be used for consciousness has changed. Yet each one of us has a certain number of skills in our soul memory, some of which can be used now but in a different way. As memory awakens in people everywhere, as it is at present – even unconsciously- we can see that many people want to drag these old gifts into the present. But our I AM is not interested in that; the I AM is a unifier – there will be one flock and one shepherd. What works against this unification is like and dislike; sympathy and antipathy. The old memories, of different tribes, different cultures, different belief systems, rise up and we are at odds with each other face to face or behind the other person’s back we gossip. It’s best not to be too self righteous and place this in the other person’s arena.
This is simply the karma of the different streams. “I have other sheep that are not of this fold.” There are many theories about 2 streams, 3 streams and 4 streams but there could possibly be 12 streams and they may be linked to the zodiac. The issue is not how many streams but the unification that is necessary now.
Because we live in the presence of the etheric Christ these other sheep are hearing the voice of the Shepherd. We are coming together in groups to unify. Great teachers are unifiers and when they die the atmosphere of the different streams gives rise to factionalism. Now it is up to each person to act in a unified way. Karma is the opportunity to unify. Perhaps we could spell ‘karma’ a bit differently – c a l m e r.
By finding ways to embrace differences we will work with the Good Shepherd and hear his voice. The best way to get over any dislike we may have is to love. We don’t have to like a person to love them. It is our challenge today; to transform our likes and dislikes into love.
To stay calm in our differences, to embrace all points of view to see the whole, and to love where love may not be returned ensures that we will not become estranged from the I AM.
Different Streams working together
Dear Kristina,
Rudolf Steiner spoke to the ”Group Study” as being one of the most important aspects of Spiritual Science/Anthroposophy. For myself, I have discovered this truth in the different study groups I have been privileged to participate in here in the U.S. and also in Europe when I lived there. Being a member of a study group of around 12 people (more or less) encourages all members therein to learn to love each other with all our different myriad histories, backgrounds and different ways of viewing things. One may sit home and read a book, or lecture, or series of lectures by Steiner, but if one is reading the material in a group circle with others who participate in the study by sharing their thoughts, questions, experience, one learns so much more, not only about the group, but especially about one’s Self, and one's understanding of spiritual science is ever the richer. When you consider that twelve people are sharing together out of an experience that encompasses not only the dimensions of this life time, but also many past life times (some even that may have been shared with some other members of the group, in full knowledge of or not), the esoteric dimensions of the group are seen as most profound, and one is working out of a much larger picture.
Many thanks for all you share here.
Love,
Patri
Group work
Dear Patri,
Excellent comments. Sharing is often seen as risky and we can feel that our precious ideas are threatened. In researching for my book "I Connecting" I was surprised to read that when our connecting with our I is in a budding state, if we meet another person with a more developed I-connection we feel like they will destroy our 'baby'. I think it would be interesting for people who work with groups to test this.
Thank you for your appreciation.
Love,
Kristina
Groups
Wonderful thanks Kristina.
From my experience one of the greatest challenges in a group is learning to listen and wait for what wants to arise from the group. If one person dominates the true spirit that wants to work through the group can't arise.
That doesn't mean everyone has to speak if they want to, or have equal time if they genuinely have nothing to say. But there has to be a space which everyone can occupy, either with their words, their silent thoughts or their listening.
I find it is the same even at work - to really achieve something in the modern workplace requires intensive collaboration, along with respect for and understanding of the contributions each one brings - the challenge is to find the time to recognise this, initially internally then hopefully externally. The "high achiever" is something of a myth in one way, only in that such people actually need to bring the plodders, malingerers, dreamers and also-rans along with them in their wake to reach the goal, if you know what I mean! Perhaps a bit like Parsifal bringing his half-brother to the Grail in the story.
Connecting back to what you say, I can imagine that perhaps some of the people we are less than impressed with because they don't quite fit into our ideal picture of today's society may have been high priests, knights or sages in a past life and are just biding their time waiting for their ripening time again...
Waiting in the silence
Hi Tim,
Thanks for your insightful comments, as always. In the study group I participate in we try to work out of the Michaelic inspiration. We read the work together, each taking turns, we may or may not discuss what someone has just read, if someone has a comment they experience as pertinent to what is being read that person will wait until the person who is reading has decided to stop and then they will quietly share what they felt is pertinent. Trying to work out of the Michaelic spirit, we have no leaders per se, but each individual member takes responsibility for how the study flows. Ha, yes the wonderful silence, many times after someone has read, or spoken/shared, and stopped (when reading the individual will stop at their own volition when they feel the time is right or someone may ask them to please stop there), there may be silence for a while where nothing is said, in this silence something beautiful lives, a living presence that one feels, experiences, but no one talks about what is revealed, it is allowed to occur on a natural and organic basis. Yes, the silence that allows the spiritual content of the reading to arise or whatever is to be revealed, is most profound.
Much thanks.
Love,
Patri
Indeed Tim! It seems to me
Indeed Tim! It seems to me that there is an even more urgent need for the "waiting to see what arises" - it is as if the rushing, dominating, verbosity wants to kill what might arise.