A year has past, he thought to himself. Four seasons I have sat outside this cave.

When the spear had been fashioned, Narada walked to the entrance of the cave.

Mother Pig, he yelled into the cave.

There was no response.

Narada walked into the cave's dark mouth. Inside he saw a pig nursing five piglets.

It's time to go, yelled Narada.

The pig and piglets ignored him.

Narada then began waving his wooden spear violently. The five piglets squealed, bolted upright and ran out the cave… but the mother remained.

I will not go, said the pig. Why did you send my family away? I loved them so very much. Why have you done this to me, you cruel man?

Leave this cave, pleaded Narada.

No, said the pig. Leave me alone. I've done no one any harm. I only want to live in this cave until I die.

So be it, said Narada.

Narada quickly brought his spear down on the pig, piercing her through the belly. The pig yelled in pain. Blood leaked onto the floor.

Why? said the pig. Why have you done this to me? She squealed once more and went limp

Narada fell to his knees, tears streaming. He remembered how one year earlier he had stood outside the same cave speaking to Lord Vishnu…

How can you expect humanity to ever find freedom from the wheel of birth and death? he had said to Vishnu.

Vishnu had smiled. God consciousness is so satisfying — it is far more tempting than material reality.

Yes, Narada had replied, but when all people know is the taste of matter, how can you expect them to want anything more?

Vishnu then had become quiet. Finally he had spoken: Possibly this illusion of material reality is too strong. But I am not sure.

Then why don't you test it out on yourself? Narada had replied with a tinge of anger in his voice.

Very well, Vishnu had said. I will become a pig and start a family.

What? Narada replied in shock.

I will live in this cave for one year as a pig, Vishnu repeated. After one year, you shall come and get me. If I refuse to leave then you need to kill me.

My Lord? Narada had said in horror. Please no…

But it was too late. Vishnu had already transformed himself into a mother pig who violently discharged Narada from her cave.

One year later, Narada now cried over the corpse of that same mother pig. When his anguish had become so great he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Vishnu standing above him, radiant and smiling.

Thank you, Narada, said Vishnu. I was so happy being that mother pig that I forgot what I really am. Though painful and unwanted, thrusting that spear through my belly freed me from the illusion that I was content just being a pig.

It hurt me so to do so, said Narada. I didn't want to harm you.

It hurts me also to bring suffering upon my children, said Vishnu. But such is how it must be. As you say, my delusion is too strong.

The author of this spiritual story is unknown and greatly appreciated.

The post Why People Must Die – A Hindu Spiritual Story appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

It was like going from believing the earth to be flat to it being a sphere.

James demonstrates that the soul survives the dimensions of time and space.

Soul Survivor is that story-period!!

As a Christian the story challenged my faith in every way that faith can be challenged — the journey of discovery was a fearful one — the destination of fact affirmed it. Soul Survivor suggests the answer to our salvation and redemption that Christians chase throughout this life on earth. Other than the acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savior — this experience is the most profound of my life.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Bruce had staged a fighting retreat from the wild conjectures over the meaning of his son's nightmares. He had dug in and insisted that, whatever they were, they were not proof of a past life. Yet, he had lost the battle over the name, Natoma Bay — it was an American ship, not Japanese. Jack Larson turned out to be a real person who flew off of a real aircraft carrier. The knowledge his son had of airplanes and flying was uncanny; the battles in the Pacific were real and the veterans vouched for the details. Finally, he had to accept that James Huston was the pilot who was killed in his son's horrific nightmares.

Still, he had held out over the fact that James insisted that he flew a Corsair in the war and no Corsairs were reported on Natoma Bay. And now that last bunker had fallen. He had the picture of James Huston standing in front of a Corsair.

He was starting to believe in something beyond reason.

I was baptized and raised as a Methodist. I grew up going to church every Sunday with my mother and sister. My father had very little to do with church. Church is a place that makes me feel comfortable, safe, welcome.

In college, my attendance slipped, but I went to church with friends of different denominations — to see what they were like. I went to Buddhist Temples, Catholic cathedrals, Lutheran, Pentacostal, Episcopalian . . . most of the other Protestant churches. I even went to Synagogues.

But as I matured, I became connected to the Evangelical Christian movement, eventually finding myself involved with a Full Gospel Christian Businessman's Fellowship.

We met every two weeks for Bible study, discussion and trying to assimilate the Word into our lives. It was a dramatic journey. I studied the Bible intensely. The Holy Spirit was demonstrated for me in praying in Tongues, Faith Healing and what we call Discernment.

I have witnessed Healings that I know were genuine.

I have personally realized the true power of Prayer. I prayed for a second chance after my first marriage failed because I was spiritually lost. I prayed for a wife with green eyes — and one who was Asian — and my second wife, Dre, has green eyes and her mother is one half Philippino.

Suffice to say that I feel I am a developed Christian on a continuous path of spiritual growth.

If James' nightmares were truly a manifestation of a past life — a proof of reincarnation — then, as I saw it, it would threaten the Biblical promise of Salvation. If the immortal soul can randomly transfer from person to person, generation to generation, then what does that imply for the Christian orthodoxy of Redemption?What happens on Judgment Day if the immortal soul is handed off like that? It goes against the Evangelical teaching of rebirth through a spiritually transformed personal life through Jesus Christ.

The impact of James's story on my spiritual well-being . . . well, it felt like spiritual warfare. My purpose for disproving what was happening to my son was to establish that this was all a coincidence — as astronomically remote as that possibility seems.

Of course, I was drawn into this by setting up these tests, establishing questions that had to be answered, all the while, I was getting closer and closer to something . . . dangerous . . . it was like putting my hand in a fire . . . ¹
One may put their hand into a fire and in time it would heal — but ferreting out answers that could threaten a complete belief system was scary.

I was traveling a strange road lost in the fog searching for an unknown destination. The questions were simple — but the answers could destroy my lifelong beliefs and threaten my salvation. During the journey there were plenty of times I wanted to stop — but a voice of compulsion drove me forward. My effort centered on my love and concern for my son. When I first encountered the full force of his nightmares a movie “The Exorcist” hit me square in the face.

James might be demon possessed! With every step of validation about what he told us the fog began to lift and the destination became clearly visible.

James had experienced a past life and/or reincarnation had occurred — the exact conclusion I did not want to accept. It took time as I measured the fruit that this tree of experience produced.

In the end Faith and Fact collided like atoms in an atomic accelerator to form a new reality. It was like going from believing the earth to be flat to it being a sphere. James demonstrated the soul survives the dimensions of time and space.

As a Christian the story challenged my faith in every way that faith can be challenged. “Soul Survivor” suggests the answer to our yearning for salvation and redemption that Christians chase throughout their life on earth. Other than the acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savior — this experience is the most profound of my life. “Soul Survivor” is that story-period!! It left me with many unanswered questions that involve how and why.
Endnotes
¹The above is an excerpt from the book Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot by Bruce and Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
Copyright © 2009 Bruce and Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross, authors of Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot

©2009 Bruce Leininger, coauthor of Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot

The post The Collision of Faith and Fact – Spiritual Story by Bruce Leininger appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.