The Brown Book Commentaries

PAGE 55
Image 120 (Page 55a & b) … These two pictures are ―fairy imprints‖ (from Lady Cottington's Pressed
Fairy Book, written by Terry Jones). Odd images, to be sure, and yet I love the way the fairy on the left
was obviously amused by his death, while the fairy on the right was clearly joyous during her demise
… Death is not something to be longed for, of course (we should cherish every day we are given), and yet
death also need never be feared. Indeed, if we have chosen to live a life filled with regular acts of selfsacrificial
Kindness, then our passing will be a source of bewondered amusement &/or Joy-full
gratitude – never sadness or regret or shame or angst …
This saying reflects a relatively important Truth – namely, that rebirth is not what happens to
you after you die physically (I have nothing against reincarnation, per se. It is simply not a
productive concept – rather being one that distracts true Seekers from rediscovering & reenlivening
the True Self that already resides within them in this lifetime), nor is rebirth a shift in
the person one reflects after metaphorically dying to the ego. Rather, real Rebirth comes
automatically (at least in the latter, metaphorical case) while the ego is doing its ―dying‖. As such,
contrary to popular ―New Age‖ belief, it is not necessary to strive and struggle to ―hone‖ or
―perfect‖ or even ―become‖ one‘s True Self … Rather, the True Self simply always is the True
Self, and as such comes forth naturally and without effort once we simply choose to set aside the
selfish inclinations of the ego and allow the Soul to flow forth smoothly into our current choices.
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