赛斯的转世故事——教皇

在1971年5月15日的ESP课中，赛斯第一次提及他在转世中曾做过一次微不足道的教皇。当时有18人在场，由于那节课的内容是录了音的，所以下面的内容一字不差。赛斯当时情绪高昂，用语也颇为豪放：

几天后，在1971年8月9日第590节课上，赛斯再次提到了做教皇的那次转世，明确了教皇转世生涯的时间，并对那一世做了一些补充：

Seth first referred to his incarnation as a minor Pope in Jane’s ESP class session for May 15, 1971. Some eighteen people were present. The session was recorded, so the quotes that follow are verbatim. Seth was in a high, if somewhat ribald, mood:

“... for I was a pope in A.D. 300. I was not a very good pope.

“I had two illegitimate children [class laughter], a mistress that sneaked into my private study, a magician that I kept in case I did not do too well on my own, a housekeeper who was pregnant every year that I had her, and three daughters who joined a nunnery because I would not have them —and I am referred to in barely three paltry lines, for my reign did not last very long.

“Now: I had a large family — that is, I came from a large family, and I was ambitious, as all intelligent young men of that time were. I did not go for the military, so there was nothing to do but go to the church.

“For a while I was not in Rome but held my religious call elsewhere. I wrote two Church laws. It should all go to show you that some good ends up from everything. I died of trouble with my stomach because I was such a glutton. My name was not Clement [in answer to a question from a class member] although Clement is a lovely name.

“I was originally called Protonius. Now give me a moment. The last name is not nearly so clear, and this is not my papal name, but my —if you will forgive the term —common name: Meglemanius, the third. From a small village.

“Unless I summon the self that I was at that time, the memories for details are not that clear. But as I now recall them, without directly checking on our friend the Pope, who has, you must understand, gone his own way, I am coming as close as I can. We did not have as many guards at that time, but we had many stolen paintings and jewels of great merit. Now some of these jewels, as well as the money, went for expeditions that you do not realize were adopted at the time, having to do with commerce and ships sent to Africa; and this interest had to do with my later life when I was involved with the oregano [as a spice merchant in Denmark, in the 1600’s]. My sniffing goes back for centuries.

“There were two brothers strongly united in control of Italy at the time. Perhaps I should say two males, one in the higher capacity and the other his chancellor, with whom I was involved as Pope; and I sent armies to the north also.

“We had not yet begun the strong insistence upon indulgences, so I did not have that extra cash that indulgences would bring in. I believed and did not believe, as you [to a class member] earlier believed and did not believe, and I did a good job of hiding from myself what I believed and what I did not believe. And the higher one gets in power, the harder it is to hide such things from one’s self.

“I was very fond of my first mistress, whose name was Maria. And there were no such sane rules as those in which you now sit, and there were no governments as secure in which you could reside as those you now enjoy.

“I did believe implicitly in the God in which I was brought up, and in that belief. It was only later that I wondered how such a god would choose me for such a position —and then I began to wonder. I had four lives following that of the most adverse circumstances, to make sure that I understood the difference between luxury and poverty, pride and compassion. And there were days in other centuries that I walked the same streets that I had walked as Pope. I touched these streets lightly as Pope; but as a peasant I walked with a heavy foot and great weight, until I learned the lessons that I had to learn, as all of you will also learn your own lessons. ”

……

(To our further surprise, Seth added to the data concerning that life in tonight’s session.）

It was in the 300’s.

A few extra notes for your own edification. Often during that time, and for some time afterward. the records are rather unreliable. They were doctored. Sometimes the name of one man would be given as a reign covering a span of years.

The original man may have been assassinated, another taking his place, carrying on as if there had been no change as far as the populace was concerned. Poison was the usual method, and even those who suspected the truth would not dare speak out.

The records would show one reign of one pope; but one, two, or even three different men may have filled the position. A change of policy is the clue in such cases; vacillation.

There were also men called “Little Popes,” those in training of an ambitious nature, and catered to. If they were seriously in the running, you see. the rewards would be great to their followers. These men, incidentally, were no worse, particularly, in their actions than the rest of the populace. Their positions simply gave them greater leeway.

The dates 325 and 375 come to mind in connection with my own life at that time. Again, the names and dates have little meaning to me now. In that life I learned to understand the interplay between men and their ambitions, the gulf that often exists between ideals and practical action.

You must also understand that politics was a legitimate hand of the church in those days, and a churchman was expected to be an excellent politician. I seem to have spent some time in a place that sounds like Caprina, also during that lifetime.

A cousin or brother was important to me. He ended up in severe difficulties, caught in some smuggling business to the Spanish.

There was at the time a secret group called "Followers of the Motherhood of God.” They were considered heretics, and several times petitions were given to me against them. This concerned the position of “the Virgin” within the dogma of the church.