hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.  Well, in my humble opinion if I used to be the all then i had free will because all the choices i made as the all were me right.  I do believe as above so below.  That the individual spirit decomposes as does the body after death.  Th edecomposed spirit becomes the woprking material for other spirits. hence in my mind the past lives an future ones are not exact replicas of our spirit nor are they the ego self since that poofs at death.  the closer to now the reincarnation occurs the more of the whole spirit remains.  past life regression in my mind is tapping into pieces of ones spirit the larger amount of spirit that contains the same or similar experiences the more detailed the memory will be.  Hence lots of people have been told they were Elvis and maybe lots fo people were.

Mz Yoga-Peep.   The Peep-ette that Roared.  In fact - both Peep and Witan ---- this is like watching Ruth and Feller (for you baseball fans) - and for those of you not up on your American basefall history - go read a book .

I love these queries - because they remind me of the Koan I had to work on as a Floating Hand student.  Great discussion, by the way.  And here is your cheeseburger, no lettuce - and a Coke ( I only Ever serve Coke).

Don't assume that Individual consciousness cannot co-exist with the Group Whole, just because there is a Merging.  One of the Precepts that we are forever learning - is that the Wonderful exists just outside our Known logic.  There is a thing (a continuous event) called the Ashatic Record (I Know I'm spelling this wrong - but if you recognize the word, go with the discourse).  This Record is like the best 16MM Camcorder ya ever saw --- it records Everything ya ever did, said or Thought, when you were on this Earth Plane.  It's really cool - cuz it is a way to Review what ya did here - each time ya came here.  Because it is a product of the Astral (thought plane) - ya can't fully describe how it works in Earth terms, other than to say that this Record Imprints everything you experience.   And the coolest thing about this is --- this Record is what ya use for that Great big Judgement day (pie in the sky) that everyone worries about...ya know --- like, "who is gonna Judge me for my sins" kinda stuff.

Well -now ya know.  You are. If yur so inclined.  If not - ya use this datum for it's best purpose ---- Family Movies

It's like - I'm sure I'm gonna go to DisneyWorld and Not take a Camera, right?   Well - you're in the biggest best Disneyworld yet created; don't you want to capture all those Kodak moments?  After all - you are here to have fun, And to Learn - right?

Yoga - life is illusion.  But don't assume that it is without purpose, or that life knowledge is lost.  Just because you're fuzzy on the technical logic to make "it all happen" - doesn't mean it can't happen.  You may not be able to explain quantum foam - but you'll be using it in your computers very soon, in day-to-day activities, that are quite removed from 'spiritual' stuff. If we can progress technically at the rate that we do - why can't we also learn to accept spiritual technicalities a bit beyond our current logic?  And who is to say that scientific and spiritual technicalities may not merge someday?  A little at a time?    Read your history -- it's been happening for the last 500 years.

"All this work" IS a trap set by Ego.  In reverse.  Ego is a product of this Wurld; and so, Ego doesn't know about the AfterWorld --- but it senses It.  Primarily - Ego wants This Wurld - the physical one - to go on and on and on.  So Ego will maintain whatever illusion is required for that to occur.  World religion, conflicts, war, peace - whatever is needed.  And Spirit is in concert with this.  Because this Wurld is a playground, one must play by the rules.  Because this Wurld is a classroom, one is here to Learn -- by the Rules.

Think of the Rules --- as Rules of Engagement.   We - all essence -- agree to play here.  It is needed for our progression through Forever, and It's Fun.   We learn how to play by the Game ----- so that we can throw the Game away.

Contradiction?  You bet.  Illusion?   You bet!    One thing about Koans ---- grasp one, and you "get" the funniest joke ever told.    And the Joke is On You!   and that makes it better.     and you get Farted on .

blessing be, Mz Yoga-Peep

We Americans are well-known for using Aerosol cans .  Usta drive my Japanese teacher crazier, when I used derivations on a theme. "what's the sound of one hand clapping?"  ..."what's the feel of one man snapping?" But he was crazy anyway, so now I am too.  I actually prefer roll-on Zen though.  Anything ya put through the air has a chance of going elsewhere.  Roll-on Zen puts the grease right on the sleaze, and takes the skin right off the knees.  Yada.

Yoga-Peep ---- don't sweat the jury or the judge.  Don't worry about reality or illusion.  Action doesn't require understanding; understanding requires action.  A Clean Protocol requires an impeccable Ettiquette.  And thus - is the paradox.

Follow your Tingling.   Witan will be there to correct your spelling, and perhaps to buy you sweets and magazines along the way.  He is impeccable, and you could do worse for a traveling companion:

You could be traveling with the Fart-brain.  Pass the pastrami and the dancing chocolate toads.

Here is my one-finger zen.  Enjoy