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TALKS WITH BANANA SLUGS 2/28/04
From the Buddhist perspective, liberation from cyclic existence is achieved by Taking Refuge in the 3 Jewels. This story, however, is a work of fiction and has been written from the Banana Slug perspective.
Today as I walked our dog, I came across a banana slug on the edge of the roadway. Worried it could get run over, I gently rolled it off the road and onto the soil with my foot. I looked at the banana slug for a moment. It was fearfully coiled into a tight ball, covered with pine needles and leaves.
“That wasn’t a very nice contact for the slug,” I thought. “From it’s world, it probably misinterprets this as an unkind act on my part.” I Leaned over and touched it.
Now anyone who has ever touched a banana slug knows it is very sticky and slimy.
I leaned over and touched the yellow, slimy banana slug, and started saying a Tibetan blessing, the Medicine Buddha Blessing, which gives a blessing for Liberation from Cyclic Existence and Healing.
I had heard during some dharma teachings at Land of Medicine Buddha that this blessing could, at death, transport a being’s consciousness to what Buddhists call ‘A Pure Land’. A pure land is a little like the Christian Heaven. It is a dimension in which Only Happiness Exists. Without any suffering, one then is free to learn Universal Truths without any distractions, leading one into Full and Complete Enlightenment.
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“Tayatha Om Benkandzay Benkandzay Maha Benkandzay Benkandzay Radza Samudgate Soha,” I said seven times.
I noticed in the middle of this blessing, as I continued touching the slug, that it started to relax, uncoil and actually stretch out to its full length. The more love I poured through my fingertips into the slug, the more it stretched out and acted normal, beginning to slowly slide on its way into the garden.
I stood up and said, as if I were speaking to a young child, “Be careful of this road. It’s dangerous. Cars and trucks drive on it. The other day your brother was squashed by a car. I nodded my head in the direction of the garden. “Go that way,” I said.
As I started walking away with the dog, who was eager to explore, I actually heard ‘the voice’ of this banana slug. It was a surprisingly deep, powerful voice. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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“That wasn’t my brother who was run over,” it said, “it was my mother. We are treated poorly by your kind. They place salt on us to kill us and all manner of things.”
“We don’t do that here,” I said in reply. “We don’t kill on our property. If we did that, we’re sorry. It was accidental. You are safe here with us.”
“You don’t need to say any blessing for me, because you sent us love. When you send me love, you send love to all of me, all of my kind,” said the banana slug. “Everyone who is LOVED by a master, or by one through whom a master works, Automatically Ascends, gets what you call Liberation. This is why people such as Jesus, Buddha, Osho and Don Miguel Ruiz are not worried about their loved ones ‘being liberated’. All the masters know their loved ones will be rescued when they leave this planet. It is Their Love which does this. They speak of LOVE. It is this LOVE which lifts us UP. Even the animals and people one loves while here, when they feel the master’s energies come through you, are ‘saved’. It is an automatic thing.”
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I still am amazed that this banana slug is speaking, let alone with Such Authority and Wisdom. This is all NEWS to me! All I need to do is surrender to Love????
“What if a person is not connected with a master? What then?” I asked the banana slug.
“Then it is a little harder,” he answered, “but it is possible. Connecting through The Heart of The Divine is what Saves. We all have a piece of This Heart. Masters help us to connect with The Divine Spark in our hearts and in all Hearts. No one needs a master if they have An Open, Loving Heart, and have the Welfare of All Beings within that heart. Then negatives will dissolve on their own. Negatives need to drop. Otherwise, when one leaves the body, these negatives can drive one’s spirit to a less than desirable state. We have more control while embodied, so this is the time to practice Divine Love. Many Humans these days are learning to Connect Directly with The Divine Heart.”
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“We all, on this planet, are High Vibrational Beings,” continued the banana slug, “the blades of grass, the trees, the birds. Do not be deceived by our appearance. We all are highly evolved, and we all are doing our part here, to create a Loving World. We consider it a privilege to be here.”
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In surprise and humility, I responded to the slug, “Thank you for speaking with me and sharing your teaching.”
I continued on the walk with my dog, shaking my head. Well, that was one powerful awareness. So here I was thinking the banana slug wouldn’t understand me. I was relating to it as if it were a kindergarten child. And now I see it knows more than I!
On my way back home, I passed by the banana slug once more.
“I love you,” I said as I walked by and smiled down upon this Magnificent Being.
“I will stay clear of the Main Gateway,” it said.
Somehow I had an inner understanding that he meant the road and our driveway, when it said “main gateway.” I also sensed that the banana slug knew much more about what we call ‘roads’ than I do, by naming it as such.
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“Next time we meet up, perhaps I will ask him what he knows about THAT!” I thought.
A few hours later, I somehow energetically connected again with the banana slug, as I was really curious to learn what he meant by the “Main Gateway”.
As soon as we energetically connected, I asked. His response was quite sweet.
“We call the road and your driveway the Main Gateway, because it is the meeting place with humans. If we wish to get your attention, we have to move onto your roads. Then you notice us.
Other people notice us when we eat their plants. Then they try to destroy us with salt and worse things. But you don’t do that. You allow us to eat.
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The only way we know to get your attention is to move onto the street.
The other morning my mother moved under your husband’s car. She did that to get his attention. He was swiftly moving and never noticed. She remained, as she knew his schedule.
By sacrificing her life, we have gotten your attention. You saw the squash mark left by her body. She is pleased we have met and spoken. She says this is good and she will remember how kind you were to her with your blessings.”
I had said the Medicine Buddha blessing over her squash mark. For some reason, I had started to include, “I love you” at the end of this blessing, about a year ago. Now I am very happy I did that.
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From the Buddhist perspective, liberation from cyclic existence is achieved by Taking Refuge in the 3 Jewels. This story, however, is a work of fiction and has been from the Banana Slug perspective.
I MEET ANOTHER BANANA SLUG 5/7/04
I again met a banana slug as I walked the dog this afternoon. However this time I met one further up our hilly road.
“Hello,” I said. “I love you.”
“We have a secret,” it said. “We are transforming this earth. We eat The Past and Transform it into Positive Energies, through our digestive systems. If humans would learn to be more kind to each other, we wouldn’t need to do this.”
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This banana slug sounded similar to the other one I spoke with, only this one sounded a bit more fed up.
“Oh,” I answered, “can I help?”
“Say Please. Say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You,’” it said.
“Is that all?” I asked.
“That will do, for now,” replied the banana slug as it slid along the edge of the road, dragging pine needles with it’s tail. “ If all did this, we would see a Very Different World.”
“I will try and remember,” I said. “Thank you for your teaching.”
“’Please’. Just say ‘Please,’” I heard as I walked on down the hill. "Smile. Say Please and Thank you."
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Since communicating with the banana slugs, a few other wild things have “spoken” to me. One was a fawn. Also, birds and squirrels come close, whenever I meditate and say prayers outdoors. I have imagined they have shared a few things with me, from their perspective. One day I imagined a Redwood Tree spoke with me, as I hugged him. What I am finding is that there are some common concerns among all of these Beings. They are all telling me that they are working, Transmuting Negative Energies into Positives, to help Save Planet Earth. They are saying that Nature is Transmuting All The Time. Even pets are becoming Alchemists. Trees and plants are included in this work. They have shared with me that they are becoming overwhelmed and wish that Mankind would Learn How To Do This, as Man has created Much Misery Here, with negative thought forms, and there is only so much that Nature can do.
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Nature wishes Humanity to learn to Transform all Negatives into Positives, beginning with One’s Own Mind.
So, for the animals and nature, I share this story. And I wish all Humans Blessings on Their Path of Love and Transmutation.
From the Buddhist perspective, liberation from cyclic existence is achieved by Taking Refuge in the 3 Jewels. This story, however, is a work of fiction and has been from the Banana Slug perspective.
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copyright Anupama Deanne Kallman, AHA! STORIES
Think on This ... Arguments gain little. The mental attitude and prayers gain much; for thoughts are things and their vibrations reach those in every sphere and walk of life as related to self and to others. Edgar Cayce Reading 1438-2
The Golden Rule in 16 World Religious Texts
music playing is Teya Tah by Deva Premal
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