An article by Sha'Tara, local writer and friend...

There's Something Wrong Here -- The Problem of Predation 

[thoughts from      ~burning woman~      by Sha'Tara]

There's something terribly wrong with this place.  It's not something that is usually noticed unless you are caught in it and you realize it is trying to eat you alive.  The problem: this is a predatory world, hence a horribly diseased world with no possibility of core healing.  But of course just about everybody here though equipped with the tools to observe and record cannot see this clearly because they have nothing to compare their condition and situation with.  How many people have been to other worlds while in their current life expression, say, in dreams (asleep or lucid) or in visions, or by astral travel?  And of those worlds, how many have been of the more advanced type; worlds where the resident ISSA* beings have taken responsibility for "the way things were" and changed them for the better, and I mean, the better for all concerned, not just certain particular groups?  Probably not very many, and of those, few are talking because they are afraid of being singled out as crackpots... or worse.

Earth exists within that lower level of evolutionary consciousness that depends on predation to control its effusion of life.  There is a prolific, rash fecundity to life on this world.  There is a madness to reproduce that extends to, and constantly tests, the very limits of the environment's ability to support such.  While this is evident everywhere at the biological level, it is most noticeable in temperate and torrid zones.  It does not matter who you are, whether you deliberately seek to destroy life, or think of yourself as a benign creature who respects all other life, you cannot survive without being constantly in a process of destruction of life, seen and unseen.  All of life on planet Earth is at war with itself, cyclically and permanently.  It could be said that the modus operandi of the Earthian system is the enduring and inflicting of pain.

ISSA's of Earth, that would be those the Teachers refer to as Earthians (to distinguish them from other humanoid type creatures on other worlds), take this killing process for granted, often even extending it to include identifiable groupings of members of their own species.  To them, killing is natural and normal, often both profitable and enjoyable.  Again, as insane as that seems, it is not so surprising, knowing nothing of worlds that have evolved beyond the use of death and destruction to control reproduction and give their life meaning.

Having had the opportunity to see other worlds, here is how I view predation as a means of "control."  Let's say this town has an art gallery.  In it can be found original works of art from all over the world going back thousands of years.  But the walls and floor space are covered, full.  There is no more room and no other art gallery can accept anymore works.  There are new artists clamoring to get their work in the gallery and something has to be done.  Simple, says the curator.  We will burn and smash the old paintings and statues, as well as all the works less popular and replace that with the newer stuff.  Problem solved.  And so, according to the predator/aging/death principle of life on earth, this is how things must be done.  The "new and improved" must replace the old.

But the funny thing is, that is not how it is accepted, quite the contrary.  People hang on to the old stuff.  People feel great pain and cry when someone close to them dies, or when they are affected by thousands being killed in earthquakes or floods.  It is not "normal" at all.  No loss goes unfelt or happens without some pain.  Losses cause pain and we know that pain is a warning that something isn't right.  But that's not all.  There is the other side of the coin here, the extreme other side.  There are those, many and common among Earthians who enjoy hurting, maiming and killing.  Some of these psychopaths are called soldiers and become heroes, having volunteered and enlisted in the man's army to fight the man's wars.  Why?  They have no understanding of the politics and economics involved, so its all about adventure, and perhaps a bit of technical instruction gained at taxpayers' expense and perhaps a chance at looting and raping. Others of similar ilk dub themselves sports fishermen and hunters.  War, fishing, hunting and butchering for meat, fur or leather are billion dollar industries built upon sociopathy. 

So you have so-called "natural" predation seen in the rash abundance of natural reproduction gone mad coupled with the definitely unnatural predation caused by those who find their sadistic pleasure in maiming and killing other life.  Two sides of the same coin and that is the coin of the realm, make no mistake about it.  And while on that topic, does it not seem odd that those sadists find it unacceptable and unfair when, by some stroke of luck the intended victim gets the upper hand and maims or kills the soldier of fortune, the fisherman, the hunter?  Oh, the hue and cry then!  Vengeance is mine, I will get even cries the sadist or his family.  That nation must be crushed!  That mountain lion shot! That shark killed!  How dare these creatures attack me, when all I was doing was enjoying some legitimate exercise, sport and fun? That is of course not surprising because sociopaths and sadists are at heart the most cowardly of all people.    

Quote: "Current day statistics tell us that there are more psychologically sick people than healthy ones. If you take a sampling of individuals in any given field, you are likely to find that a significant number of them display pathological symptoms to one extent or another. Politics is no exception, and by its very nature, would tend to attract more of the pathological “dominator types” than other fields. That is only logical, and we began to realize that it was not only logical, it was horrifyingly accurate; horrifying because pathology among people in power can have disastrous effects on all of the people under the control of such pathological individuals."      (Andrew M. Lobczewski )

While it would appear that Earthian sociopathy has nothing to do with planetary predation, or that it is relegated to those in power, the dictatorial Hitler types, that is of course false.  Sociopathy cuts across all social demarcations and is becoming increasingly evident in the decadent, narcissistic, collapsing societies of the so-called West.  Historically, troubled societies have always leaned to sociopathy in vain attempts to check their own downfall.  A dread aspect of sociopathy is the search for identifiable scapegoats upon whom the growing sins of a society can be heaped in justificatioin of their "punishment" after being accused of sedition or treason.  A clever move, one we are thoroughly familiar with because every Earthian society harbors a "dark" enemy somewhere it can bring out in the open when the times ask for it. 

It would seem that nature doesn't operate that way, but the principle is the same.  There is no hidden enemy in nature, is there?  Well, what do we really know?  The mice who hide under a thin cover of frozen snow in winter aren't the hidden enemy of the coyote or the snowy owl, yet they are as much, and always, in danger of being discovered and eaten.  Are they afraid?  Yes, they live in that state.  Is it natural to live in fear of being discovered and killed?  Good question.  It isn't hate that drives the predator in this case but hunger. But what is ultimately the difference?  Make the mistake of rejecting one while justifying the other and you guarantee that this world's predatory mindset will never change; that cyclical violence against victims will continue until one predator gains a complete upper hand over all others and destroys them to the last.  And then, that successful predator will of necessity die, last and alone.

The question, should any feel up to pondering the above, and not just deny it outright, should be, "And how would I go about changing a planetary pattern of life such as the predatory system?" To which there is an easy answer, as easy to answer as it is difficult to engage any valid "rectification" process needed to save any world.  The answer is, of course, "I utterly reject the predatory system in all the ways I can identify it in my own life and I determine to set myself upon a new path, one that blesses and supports life and never takes advantage of its weaknesses. "

That is the path of the Avatar, the choice of the self-empowered and truly free individual.  Any takers?
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*ISSA: acronym for intelligent, sentient, self-aware