Mindful Travelling, Star Seeds and Fragrant flowers

 

This transcript is a continuation of the last posting. This chapter is a combination of various topics which are interesting in themselves and not necessarily connected directly with other topics in the book.The session was delivered soon after I returned from a four-month journey to Asia. The channeled fellowship of the River delivered more information about mindful travel, and spiritual explorations on some observations I made while abroad, as well as answering questions about Star People (I prefer this term to ‘aliens’ or ‘extra-terrestrials’.)

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All of these transcripts will be published in the fall of 2026 in the third River book–

All knowledge is inner. All knowledge is outer. All knowledge is neither inner nor outer.

 

In answer to my question about my restlessness upon returning home, the River gave me these thoughts.

River: Restlessness gives the traveler energy. You will not travel for a long time, but you will travel again, and you will get restless again.

The most important thing that you learned from traveling was that you are the same and you are different to everyone. What else did you learn?

Julia: I learned that wherever I went, I took my mind with me.

River: Yes! You must take your mind with you. It is an erroneous idea that with self growth work you should not also continue to be aware and discriminating. Don't confuse mind with the struggle to separate from the discontentment that comes from concretised discernment. Many spiritual practices develop a tenant of no- mind because this attitude was necessary in religious organizations to keep order. So, they preach - your mind is getting you into trouble! But really, it’s not the mind or the discrimination that causes problems, it’s what you choose to do with those judgments. That is why we say again our mantra for balanced living is -action with compassion and a vision of the whole. The Three Great Ways expressed and in harmony.

But you will get into much more trouble if you don't use your mind. Be suspicious of any practice that encourages you to let go completely of discernment.

This is different from attachments to solidified ideals and ideas- that isn’t helpful for personal growth. Always maintain an openness to what is manifesting in your everyday life-inner and outward. When you let go of discernment, you are destroying a part of yourself. We will warn that when a person destroys part of himself or herself, then they are also destroying humanity as a whole.

Julia: That reminds me of some nun nuns I saw in India. They had become guru groupies and let go completely of their own identities and knowingness.

River: Yes. But of course, since you brought this up, we are interested in how this experience brings awareness of your own self? What is it that you are not being discriminating about? [Pause] Well normally we would take you through a whole set of questions, but for the sake of brevity, we will simply tell you. There are two insights, which you could take from this teaching experience.

First, you need to be more discriminating about your own time.

Secondly, you need to be more self disciplined.

You can in all justice, be critical of these nuns. But from a spiritual counseling point of view, they become a tool and teachers. So, you can validate both approaches. First, note the irritation of the experience and secondly explore how they are also teachers from the environment.

By self-discipline, we don't mean practices which curtail the self. What we are talking about is done with awareness and permission of the self. For example, the discipline to go to a coffee shop every day, (See previous posting. The River gave me a spiritual task of going to the coffee shop every day for two weeks and starting up a conversation with some one I don’t know.)- that is not giving up your agenda or compromising yourself. The nuns were making themselves smaller by their discipline. We strive to have a balance between discipline and the self. We want to create freedom within structure. So, the question is- how to structure the practice? When is self-discipline helpful? For example, for you- how does this practice of going to the coffee shop sound?

Julia: I have a feeling of pleasure about it.

River: The pleasure is part of being in the world, it is also a sign of goodness. The pleasure is due to harmonies of the stage of where you are now in the world. You will change the coffee shop by being there. You don't have to be a teacher all the time to be a teacher. By coming to a spiritual conclusion about your visit, you affect all that is in the coffee shop, as much as a formal discourse. By simply being there to witness, you bless the world because you are inter-penetrated and transmuted with it. You can't be the truth at the beginning of the fabric and not affect the end of the roll.

Julia: I have some questions about the beginning of the world.

River: There is no beginning of the world and there is no end. You cannot fully fathom this in your body and present life. But you have a glimpse the truth of this in altered states. THERE IS-resides in all.

Humanity developed step by step by WHAT IS. Humanity will fall. They are a good flower of the earth. Some are roses, some are dandelions, some flourish, some are choked and don't grow.

Julia: You mentioned once star people who seeded the earth.

River: [silence] All life was seated by star people. They are life itself. There was a seeding, but not as you imagine it. Life developed naturally, you can feel that same life of the planet today, it is part of the universe. There have been great movements which have brought life into fruition, creation and destruction. You were seeded, but not by little green men who dropped down from the sky into the ocean. All matter seeded you and seeds itself. All matter is sentient and does this with consciousness.

Julia: Humanity seems so different from all other species.

River: you have more in common then those differences. All matter on earth is varying degrees of complexity and consciousness, different speeds of molecules. All matter is sentient and is on different places on a continuum of complexity and speed of vibration. For example, the earth herself is slow but still interconnected. Some humans have more awareness of the whole, some less. The tiny atom knows itself, it just is.

However, humanity is like a little child who demands to be special. Humanity has the ability by awareness and focus of attention, to raise the rate of awareness of all around them, even to the molecules in the soil. The earth is pleased with humanity, but no more than any other species, they are special but not more special.

You [humanity] have a sacred journey which is different from rocks and trees. But the whole universe is engaged in this sacred journey also. It is the task of raising consciousness of all matter.

Julia: I had a difficult visit with my relatives. Could you comment on that for me?

River: They did not sense your difficulty. You come from a different world, a world where there are interactions in a more genuine way. They are more rooted in thinking. We see that you maintained your compassion and equilibrium. You do not have to solve anything. Don't be critical of criticalness, it is disingenuous of you!

You must be critical, that is part of being human, part of the life of experience. Be critical and then let it go. Don't be responsible to change others.

Julia: Can you give me some advice about how to proceed with the River books? I think the second book will be about rituals and spiritual counseling.

River: Pick up your writing where you left off. The coffee shop practice will help you build your next book.

Julia: Did I have a lifetime as a black man in the southern USA?

River: You arose as a black child in that area but were dead by the age of three. Your interest and affinity with that lifetime was more with the plants and vegetation of the southern hemisphere, especially the fragrances of that part of the world.

We must go now, the channel is getting tired.

We are the small voice who says, “Pay attention!”.

We are always with you for protection.

 

It is an incredible relief to know that I can maintain my discernment!

I don’t have to force my values or observations on others, but I shouldn’t deny what my mind is telling me. I can keep my discernment, and frankly, I have lots of that. But I can still be compassionate and get along with others, even if we are different. But not too different… obviously.

I was intrigued by the River’s comment about my affinity with the fragrant plants of the southern hemisphere. I am usually motived by how a flower or shrub smells before I decide to plant it in my garden. I don’t think there is anything more pleasurable than going outside in spring and taking a deep inhale of fragrant honeysuckles, arbutus blossoms, roses, apple and peach blooms, jasmine and night scented nicotiana. Life is made worth while by a stroll through a fragrance garden. Heaven is a grove of plumeria trees.

Particulaity today, some thirty years after this channelling, it’s fascinating that the River said we were seeded by Star people. Who were they? What did they look like? Their purpose, according to the River was to raise all consciousness of matter. That sounds promising. Will they come back and check in on how we’re doing? Can they save us from ourselves?