Free Joint Intentions (Book 9) by Jeff Inlo

what he had witnessed.
    "I know what I saw."
    "People see many things," Rachael countered, "but they learn to ignore things as well. You yourself said earlier you didn't think it was an illusion, but it sounds as if you might be keeping your options open. Maybe you'll change your mind, decide that what you saw had more to do with where you were as opposed to what's really inside of you... inside of us all."
    "I guess that's part of my problem. If I completely accept what I saw, then I have to consider the implications. I can't just ignore how this is going to affect my perception of myself and everyone around me."
    "I understand," Rachael revealed with an even greater smile. "It's not a bad thing, but it's a complex issue. On the positive side, the futility of a life culminating in death can be overcome by the knowledge of what waits beyond, and the fear inherent in our lives can be extinguished by the promise of a renewed existence. But that same concept—the acceptance of a soul—creates the need to look beyond this existence. It requires attention to matters of spiritual guidance. Suddenly, there is more to consider than the here and now. We have to reflect on circumstances before birth and after death. We also have to reflect upon the consequences of our actions and how they affect us in ways beyond our lives in this land. It's somewhat like the difference between the past, the present, and the future."
    "That's a good way to put it, but it also leaves me unsure about what to do, and that's the heart of my question. I'm not saying I think I have to completely change my life, but I have to come to grips with what I saw."
    Rachael nodded and then offered advice the best way she knew how.
    "There's a passage in the Book of Godson which I think you might wish to consider. It's a story about a landowner who offered up his lands for others to tend. He divided his land up into separate farms and allowed tenants to work the parcels in a way that the entire land would thrive. He left the tenants to their own devices, did not give strict instructions on what to do. Essentially, it was up to them.
    "After some time, he sent messengers to those tenants to check on their progress. But the tenants beat the messengers and sent them on their way empty handed. The landowner then sent his own son in order to get the tenants attention, but the tenants realized this was the landowner's sole heir. If they killed him, there would be no one to inherit the landowner's possessions and the land would be theirs. In hopes of getting their way, they killed the landowner's son. The question arises as to what will happen to those tenants who ignored the landowner, sent away his messengers, and even killed his son."
    Ryson became confused. He saw no correlation between the tale he just heard and his desire to understand his spiritual existence.
    "I'm not sure what this has to do with my question."
    "Don't worry about that for now, just think about the story. What do you think will happen?"
    "I imagine the landowner will seek justice against the tenants?"
    "What kind of justice?"
    "I guess it would depend on the laws of the land."
    "That's the safe answer. You're letting other people decide for you what to do. Imagine you're the one responsible for creating the laws. What do you think the landowner should do?"
    "At the very least, he should throw the tenants off his land."
    "Anything else?"
    "You mean should he seek revenge?"
    "Are you asking me or telling me?"
    "It's a difficult question," Ryson confessed. "They killed his son. I don't think he can just let them walk away."
    "So you believe there should be some additional punishment?"
    "I do, but I'm not sure what punishment would satisfy the loss of someone's child. I also realize revenge is a difficult business. I don't know if there's a suitable answer to the question."
    "There may not be," Rachael admitted, "but it is something to consider. The meaning and significance of the tale has been debated