Tami Simon closes by asking Christopher Bache the largest question she has. If incarnation is a kind of school, what is it for? Is there a goal to being here? And she puts two of his own lines back to him: that the greater the suffering, the greater the awakening, and that we appear to be at a perilous turning point in the evolution of this universe. Where does she, and everyone listening, fit into that? He is not, he says, looking for the end of his incarnation as a source of joy. Being here is what makes sense to him. What excites him is bringing heaven to earth, on this planet, and the way that happens is by getting more of our soul into our humanity, individually and as a species. The great awakening, in his framing, is becoming aware that you are the entire history of humanity. That your body carries a hundred thousand years. That your soul is at least that old, with your own reincarnational past layered into it. Our history lives in our lifeblood, and awakening is not being lifted out of that. It is realising you are all of it. That is why he wrote Life Cycles. Understanding reincarnation, he thinks, gives the context for a more intelligent and responsible individual life, and beyond that a responsibility to the collective. The planet is in ecological crisis, and the individual and the collective are inseparable. Individualism, he suggests, is exhausting itself. What we are stepping into is the fire humanity has been living in for five hundred years or more, and the awakening is what will be asked of us as that karma comes due. So great the suffering, so great the awakening. And if humanity fails, we fail with it. But he offers a way of holding that. Buddhism has a practice of dedicating one's suffering to all sentient beings, and if we take what we go through and offer it to humanity and the greater good, our suffering becomes a very small part of a collective enterprise, and there is joy and community in that. We are a we far more than an I. And because the awakening will be so profound, he does not believe any individual will completely fail. Asked why this turning point is perilous for the universe and not only the planet, he says the two are entwined. This planet is a jewel. Our hearts are intertwined with it. And the universe, in his sense of it, is waiting to see what we do. It is an important time, and an unknown one. It may be sad, it may be lovely, it may be wonderful. He has hope. He is optimistic. The earth, as he sees it, is being born, and we are in a difficult labour. Want to go deeper with Christopher Bache? Join Sounds True One for more teachings like this. Get your first month FREE at https://bit.ly/4ctecMn Subscribe to Sounds True's YouTube Channel ► https://bit.ly/SubscribeSTYT Sounds True is a mission-driven learning and media company, and a recognized leader in wellbeing, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. Partnering with the world’s foremost wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, the company reaches millions worldwide with its unique programs, digital learning experiences, and worldwide events. The company also features a variety of original series, weekly shows, and live online experiences on Sounds True One, its global platform and community with members across more than 125 countries. Sounds True is a Public Benefit Corporation and also the home of the Sounds True Foundation. Connect with us: ▪️Facebook: http://bit.ly/2XFIIeE ▪️Instagram: http://bit.ly/2UlEoiH ▪️Website: http://bit.ly/2tOl02d