
by Lori Toye
I recently read about Hindu culture and when a teacher wants to place the emphasis on an important point, the information is repeated three times. I imagine this is done so the student will never forget that the message, hopefully, is forever imbedded in the student's memory. With this intention, I'll make this statement. "Prophecy is not prediction. Prophecy is not prediction. Prophecy is not prediction. "
Now that we have that out of the way, you're probably asking, "Why"? The fact of the matter is that our Western culture does not and maybe has never understood this.
When examining Western culture from a spiritual perspective, one easily leaps to the apparent conclusion with the vast array of cellular phones, luxury cars, gourmet frozen meals and ATMs on every street corner, that we are, indeed, a material society. You cannot deny that the "toys" and "staff" that embody and measure the success and comfort of one living in this world can and does stop spiritual growth and the evolution. But, it is not our obsession with materiality that is blocking the view. Instead, it is our mind. It is the way that we see things. The Masters call it "The point of Perception".
The metaphor is as ancient as the story of the three blind men hanging on to the elephant. Since each was in a different position, the three experiences of the elephant by the blind men was entirely different. So when you are dealing with something as dramatic and looming as Earth Changes Prophecy, you can bet it will be hung onto in many different way. My experiences with this have been very interesting.
When people first encounter an I AM America map, they either love it or hate it. Those who love it feel hopeful and happy that a new time is coming. Those who hate it simply don't believe it, and sometimes point out that the map is geographically impossible. Quite honestly, I have learned over time that it is not a matter of loving or hating the map. Or, what is possible or impossible. The map is a powerful metaphor of spiritual teachings, which releases the purifying, redemptive and transformative experiential results of prophecy, and that while subtle is extremely important.
So why is this important point concerning prophecy so often missed? Again the Masters state it is our current, "Point of Perception". Western culture is extremely literal. Aside from the fact of our over- identification with what " we can only touch, see, smell or hear, and less if we have scientific, empirical evidence-facts, forget it. It doesn't exist.
So why even deal with prophecy? If they can't take it and make it into a date, a time, a correlation, a fact, a possible prediction, what good is it? Oh, we're missing so much!
As I stated above, prophecy is experiential. Throughout the years I've witnessed many people experiencing the tampering spiritual fires of prophecy. The fear, the anxiety, coping with the idea of the loss of anything that one is to over attach to you. Native Americans encourage this process, the letting go of the unessential as purification. The visions and dreams of their prophets were the signals to do so and through this process their culture, their way of life and their connectedness to Mother Earth was restored.
Eastern Indian Rishis heard the voice of the unconscious and their position in their community was considered invaluable. Prince Siddhartha, who later became known as the Buddha, denied the voice that prodded him, "Go back to the pleasures you have left behind". He declared that the middle way was the only way that one could be redeemed from illusion and experience unity. The Hopis say that humanity must "Walk in balance," and this is the only thing that will prevent the world from experiencing calamity.
We westerners are fortunate to have one well-known body of spiritual teaching that could be classified as prophecy, the Book of Revelations. When I was a little girl growing up in rural Idaho we would listen to the radio every morning during breakfast. There was a program that came on before the news called, "The Voice of Prophecy". It was very evangelical and even my mother, who loves Christianity and is a devoted Lutheran and would roll her eyes when the show's song, which sounded much like a Sousa March and sung by a barber shop Mitch Miller's sort of trio began, "Ring out the trumpet, and long live the King Jesus is coming again. . . " None of us ever believed it.
As a little girl in Sunday school, I liked the idea that someday heaven on earth would come-but why did we have to fight the battle of Armageddon to achieve this? Today, through the help and example of our Native American and Eastern brothers and sisters I can see that prophecy helps us to a address the spiritual battle that is often waged within ourselves, the birth of our conscience and the redemptive power in our choice. Prophecy is truly the balance that blends human fate with free will. Again, the Master teachers calling it "Point of Perception".
And so prophecy is not prediction. One quick and easy way to tell the difference between the two is that prophecy always gives a way out, a solution so to speak, of what to do to avoid catastrophe. It's like the option clause in the business contract that allows you to reconsider a major purchase after 24 hours: the door that miraculously opens in the eleventh hour: the inner voice that tells you to turn left instead of right on your way home awaiting a traffic accident. It's the end result not fated, instead, if the urging and prompting of prophecy are heeded, the results are transformation. So don't get hung up on dates, earthquakes, shifting plates and volcanic explosions- that's just the drama of the story to get you to change. This is so that you won't forget it and it is imbedded in your memory. Get the point?
Maybe in a greater dream, which is the New Time, Eastern and Western cultures will blend as one and the child of this unity will bring just enough comfort to ease suffering and pain and yet such material harmony will never divert our minds and hearts from the true spiritual way. And maybe, just maybe prophets will live and be respected in all communities as listeners to the voice that can keep us out of harms way and direct us to the path of healing. An early Buddhist writing attributed to Buddha says, "As a bee collects nectar, and departs without injuring the flower, or its color or scent, so let a sage dwell in his village. ". I smiled at the thought that this sage also repeats to his students no less than three times "Prophecy is not prediction. Prophecy is not prediction. Prophecy is not predictions."