Blog member, Amber, brought to my attention that the “Browse the Archives” button wasn’t working! I checked my plugins and found that and other ones were deactivated for some reason. These included the comment and socializer buttons. So, newbies, you can search the archives two ways: Use the “Browse the Archives” button or the “Start with the Very First Post” one. And for all of the CE family, I hope you use all of the socializer buttons to spread the word. I have Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Stumble Upon and many others on each post, but if you want to suggest others, I can certainly include them. It’s so important to reach out to others, and I’m sure Buddha will agree. Right Buddha?

Me: Have you reincarnated already, or do you plan to? Are you on, I mean, in terms of earthly time are you here?

Buddha: I am in everyone.

Jamie chuckles.

Me (chuckling): Oh, that’s amazing!

Jamie: But I know what you’re talking about. We’re talking about a specific life. Is he in one body, right now, a character, a personality and so on, and he says no.

Me: Okay. Now, tell us about your afterlife and the work you do there.

Buddha: I am continuing my teaching.

(Long pause as Jamie listens, then looks at me, and shakes her head in disbelief before saying the following:)

Jamie: He’s continuing his teaching, and he kind of quietly told me that he reads the newspaper, and I just don’t even know what to make of that.

Me (laughing): Which newspaper do you read?

Buddha: All of them.

Me: All of them! I don’t suppose it’s the sports section, is it?

Buddha: No.

Me: I didn’t think so. So, what do you think about the state of humanity now?

Buddha: Many people are choosing to drown themselves.

(Long pause)

Jamie (to Buddha): Um, say it again.

Buddha: When the individual is ready in seeking guidance, I will be there, but I neither find their enlightenment nor their struggle good nor bad.

(Pause)

Jamie (to Buddha): Why are you laughing?

Jamie burst out laughing!

Jamie: I stopped breathing! He told me I was holding my breath.

Me: Oh!

Jamie (trying to collect herself to proceed): Okay. Yes.

Me: Not a good idea, Jamie.

Jamie: No, it’s not, but it’s intriguing that he, not only is he noticing that I’m holding my breath, he’ll say something about it like asking me to breathe, asking me to not be nervous, asking me to relax—

Me: Aw.

Jamie: –asking me to keep it, like we’re just hanging out and talking. He told me to reach out my hand. He held my hand for a little bit. He’s just nurturing in a very average, very calm way, and it’s—it’s nice.

Me: Oh!

Jamie: Lost my thought.

I giggle.

Jamie: Humanity. And I’m breathing. (She takes a deep breath as evidence.)

(Pause)

Jamie (to Buddha): You go!

Jamie (laughing): It’s kind of, I don’t know, what I would imagine, I’ve never hung out with the Dalai Lama, but it’s what I’d imagine that would be. You wanna put him on a pedestal, but then when you hang out with him, you find out that he’s an average person with an extraordinary way of seeing life.

Me: I think you just found yourself a new BFF! (“Best friends forever” for those not in the “know”.)

Jamie: I would love, god, oh my god!

I chuckle with delight at Jamie’s Buddha-crush.

Jamie: I might just start studying Buddhism. I haven’t done it.

Me: Yeah! Don’t say “might” right in front of him! Say, “You will”!

Jamie (looking embarrassed, then laughing): He doesn’t take offense by it; are you kidding?

Buddha: I’m hoping that through this interview that whoever is watching or listening will find it intriguing enough to research the teachings and the concepts that I presented so long ago and see how timeless they are they might find it valuable, and they might learn it for themselves.

Jamie: He does talks to anyone, everyone. He’s very obtainable, available—

Me: Approachable.

Jamie: Approachable, right. He won’t let you put him on a pedestal. He just won’t—it—there’s just no space for that. He won’t let it happen.

Me: Aw, that’s nice.

Jamie: It’s so freaking cool!

Me: I think you’re star struck!

Jamie: I’m a little bit, yeah.

Me: Anything else on that, or do I go on to the next question?

Jamie (with a tittering laugh): I have no idea. I think we should go on, because I just lost it.

Me: Yes, you just lost it. Do you have any messages or advice for us, Buddha?

(Long pause)

Buddha: It’s beautiful to be human. You do not know how long this life is offered to you. Why wait to find eternal joy? Do not place external materialistic goals before the practice of disciplining the mind, before dharma, before protection of the mind. Choose to have that joy and enlightenment now. This is the message that I want to share with anyone who comes across my path. Your race, within the term “human race”, is not external. There is no start nor finish. The value is in the quality of the joy that you will allow yourself to experience. Again, as the mind believes, so the body becomes. And when the mind finds joy, it will follow you like a shadow that will never leave. This is the ultimate presence of human life. This is what we all can obtain.

Me: Wow. Well, it’s kind of hard to follow that with any other questions, but I must I suppose. All right. 

to be continued…

Have a great weekend guys! (And click those socializer buttons!!)