Ethics, Morals and the OBE

**SoulSail** · 13th January 2012, 01:32 AM

Hello All,

I've been reading various papers, books, and other sources on Astral Projection lately, and a great deal from the Theosophy site dedicated to Charles Leadbetter and Annie Besant: http://www.leadbeaterandbesant.org/

What strikes me about Annie's writing, beside her killer insight, is her emphasis on moral and ethical behavior.

I want to take something of a poll, or just solicit your feedback on the importance of moral behavior in the life of an OBE practitioner. How important do *you* think living a morally is in relation to conscious exploration?

Best,

**CFTraveler** · 13th January 2012, 01:50 AM

Depends on how you define morals.
I'm a big fan of the "Do unto others as you'd want done to you" rule- the golden rule- and I apply it to my life (always have) as much as possible. Not because I'm so 'moral', but because it makes sense to me. I mean, what are we here for?

However, the ideas of morality seem to me to be contextual, and my idea of 'morality' may not be the same as yours, or many others, even if we live in the same society, or type of society.

ps. Thanks for the link- it's nice to have all that material in one place.

**SoulSail** · 13th January 2012, 02:25 AM

Originally Posted by CFTraveler

Depends on how you define morals.

Good point, and perhaps I should've tightened up my language a bit to be more specific. But for now I'll leave it open to interpretation and see what comes back.

I personally follow the Golden Rule principle as well, but I see the idea differently at 40 than I did when I was younger. I don't get tangled up in the whole "sin" ordeal so I can stay out of hell when I die or because I fear God. Not that I'm smarter or wiser or better than those that use those as reasons for being "good."

What I've *personally* come to understand is that immoral behavior sort of "thickens" the Matrix, if you will. It reinforces the web of illusion that permeates "reality" to the casual observer. If I lie, I simply broaden the net of unreality and illusion that I must then work through in order to see things as they really are. "Bad" or "good" become irrelevant in that context. So, in short, sin = adding more layers to the Matrix. I think. Something like that.

And of course, if I do unto others with love, I'm only loving myself. After all, we're One, but I digress.

My two cents,

Soul

**CFTraveler** · 13th January 2012, 02:32 PM

Well, that's the thing- I don't believe in sin- as defined by most people (to go against God)- if there is the possibility of sin it's against each other and creation, which is why I try to live my life by the Golden Rule, for similar reasons as yours- if we are all One, what's the point of coming here and going against each other? It just seems like a waste of time IMO.

**Korpo** · 14th January 2012, 11:54 AM

What strikes me about Annie's writing, beside her killer insight, is her emphasis on moral and ethical behavior.

And I certainly agree with her. Behaving according to high standards is a good way to live and grow.

I don't like the word "sin", but I certainly do believe that every action will ultimately have consequences. Evil, amoral or overly selfish deeds will have consequences that in the long run teach one to let go of them, and I think that can become very uncomfortable or worse.

**Korpo** · 14th January 2012, 12:02 PM

PS -

SoulSail, if you like Annie Besant, you might also want to check out Kurt Leland's "The Multidimensional Human". Kurt has studied theosophical writings in depth and especially Annie Besant's. He also makes reference to her in his book, I think he devoted a chapter to comparing his ideas with her writings. He also keeps a reference list of her writings on his website: http://www.kurtleland.com/annie-besant-shrine

You might also enjoy this: http://www.austheos.org.au/clibrary/bindex-0.html. It's an extensive list of online editions of theosophic books ordered by author. It also includes books or texts about these authors.

**SoulSail** · 14th January 2012, 06:18 PM

Hey Korpo,

Thanks for the thoughtful response. Actually, it was reading Kurt Lelend's Multidimensional Human that turned me on to reading both Annie Besant and Seth Speaks. I like Besant, Seth speaks was very enlightening, if not a little tedious with the amount of time Seth takes telling the audience how slow they are to understand everything.

Anyhow, now I just need to scrape together a little more money and get Otherwhere. That book isn't cheap!

Take care,

Soul

**CFTraveler** · 14th January 2012, 07:54 PM

I believe Kurt mentioned that he is planning to re-publish it, and when he does, the price will go down- it's expensive due to the demand being what it is, and there being no new books. I was lucky to get mine when it was still reasonable.

**Korpo** · 14th January 2012, 09:21 PM

I concur with CF. I was doubly lucky to get my copy replaced by Kurt while the book was still available.

Originally Posted by Kurt Leland

Next up: a revised and expanded edition of Otherwhere: A Field Guide to Nonphysical Reality for the Out-of-Body Traveler in honor of the ten-year anniversary of its first publication.

Might be well worth waiting for instead of lining a reseller's pocket, methinks.

**Korpo** · 14th January 2012, 09:36 PM

PS - the only of his books that you can pick up cheap seems to be "Menus for Impulsive Living". It sells for practically nothing in the US when bought used, several copies offered. It's a channeled work and it is still as valid as when it was published.

"Music and the Soul" is definitely sold out, and I'm surprised that now "The Unanswered Question" seems to be as well.