Surprise!

JAN. 7, 1981, 9:50 PM
W. WILLOW, STUDY

You did not surprise Me, o son, in coming to hear a teaching this day, as you pledged to do, but the time is somewhat unusual. The major surprise, however, is the absence of pain in your leg, when earlier in the evening another hard night seemed inevitable. I admit that the process for these past nights has not been particularly pleasant, but there have been some surprises. Think on it… just being awake until 5 A.M. is a rather surprising achievement. You really haven’t made the most of the experience. You still think too traditionally in terms of pain and self. Yet you have shown some progress. Always consider that an experience like this puts you in relationship with some other humans where this would not have been possible otherwise. There are surprises, eternally, from suffering. One of the most interesting aspects of life here in the earth, o son, is that, while suffering is to be avoided and alleviated, when a person must experience it there are often, surprising, and positive side effects and results. This should not send you in search of “suffering”, but it is a perspective to hold consciously as you must suffer.

Even though Surprise! is the theme, I also want to offer some observations on your Death Education class, the course outline for which you just finished. I would observe that you kept some of the best experiences and activities and added a few others… and left a bit more time for the natural things to happen. Yes, for the immediate future this is the course in which spiritual matters may be dealt with most easily. A section in the Fall next year would be a good idea. Gain more maturity in dealing with spiritual matters in the classroom through this means.

Now hear some observations on death in relation to tonight’s theme. For a few people death is an unpleasant experience, but, basically, this is of their own making. For many more people death is a pleasant, transition experience, with a good balance between the earthly familiar and the newness of the next realm into which each passes. But for many folks, including most Westerners, death is a surprising! experience. You should emphasize this.