Cosmos Online

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:49:38 PDT

Top (picture): Image designed for Cosmos Online.
The image depicts a developing human embryo in shades of blue and white. At the
foot of the image, in white font, the word 'Cosmos' appears and just below it, my
name and surname in yellow font.

o ABOUT COSMOS

o CONTENTS

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Audio Library

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:47:57 PDT

COSMOS ONLINE
AUDIO LIBRARY

I hope to post links to individual chapters in the coming weeks.

More recording expected:
3 May 2011

Watch this space...

Download Cosmos!

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:54:42 PDT

Now that we've reached the end of our journey, you might want to download the book in Adobe Acrobat Reader Format...

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Requiem

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:32:24 PDT

Namuh woke up with a terrible premonition that had caught up with him in his dream. He was isolated from all other humans. It was just a dream, concluded Namuh.

Namuh looked at the sky. He looked at the animals. The trees. The grass. The river. The Manthar. Everything. He reflected on the whole experience of the world and examined his changing being.

He saw how he'd flown into the world of concepts with ease, thanks to the dragons. How he'd learned the key to life. Why then did he feel that death was going to strike? He said to the whole cosmos that surrounded him:

"You are me! Love is the truth, we must search for. Truth. That is all it amounts tool God is love, in fact. I've seen that with my own mind. Manthar, please let me live! I want to tell others! I want to help them and liberate them from their troubles!

"Love is the solution. That's the greatest thing I've learned. Give me the chance to teach my fellow humans what freedom it is to love. My life is not your choice, it's my mission! Why discard me? What have I done? The only thing I want is a chance to tell others. Nothing else."

Suddenly, the Manthar seemed to have responded.

The sky above suddenly darkened. However, Namuh that there was something sinister about this darkness. It felt destructive. It was not going to give him a good night sleep. It was not the same gentle Adeisa, or night sky!

He noticed that the Manthar was suddenly expanding.

It flowed across the sky and filled it with the colour he had learned to fear: red, the colour of blood.

He was so absorbed and astonished by this sudden transformation that he failed to notice his own world was changing.

The trees, animals, and all the other creatures melted and became a brownish liquid. He looked down at what was once his paradise. Now it looked like a chaotic mixture of nothingness.

Things were happening too quickly. He could not handle it!

He could see that the shape of a giant circle had formed in the blood-stained sky. As if it was the mouth of some giant beast, it opened. He noticed that there were things inside this circle. Then he realised!

They were teeth! He noticed that they resembled teeth the animals used to eat the grass. However, he noticed a subtle difference. They looked sham. Much sharper!

Suddenly he realised that this giant hole was pulling him towards it with a force he could not resist any longer.

He felt his whole body, the world, collapsing!!

Namuh did not want to give up that easily. He made it a point to retry for his own sake. If he did not do it, he would have given up his right to choose. However, all Namuh's attempts to save himself were futile.

Namuh looked at the Manthar and asked it for the last time, "Why?'.

Then the "mouth" above him sucked Namuh's fragile body and its "teeth" cut it into pieces. What carnage! What a waste of life!

The vacuum suction device had done its job effectively. The abortion clinic had done its job perfectly, again. It had fulfilled Dlataz's great wish. The Manthar looked at the sliced body of Namuh and stood there unable to say anything. She did not realise what she'd done. Where ignorance triumphs, evil will reign it was prophesised. The death of another Namuh had occurred. Many millions of people like Namuh are slaughtered in this way. That was true.

Another precious star in the great cosmos of humanity had been destroyed. For what? Freedom, liberty or ignorance? Damned ignorance! If you could only see the fragile bones of Namuh, you'd see. You'd see what we've become! Another human had been sacrificed because of beliefs. Beliefs that were far from the truth.

Now that you've discovered who Namuh is you realise why we're on the verge of self-destruction. We're destroying the only hope we have. Where there's no hope there's death.

That's the truth. Love is our hope.

But if we don't listen and sacrifice millions of Names, then we'll deserve what we get. All of us who have seen the truth must proclaim it. And believe in it For the truth is one.

Namuh is now on a journey that will give him eternal happiness. Too bad we lost another human being. Another child. Another hope. Another star. Another suffocated end.

Yin and Yang

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:42:35 PDT

It is ancient knowledge that opposing forces exist. The yin and yang they were called. Such forces existed even in the world itself. Namuh's world. In one way they were both part of him, in another one could win over the worst side. Darkness and light. Ignorance and Truth. Call them what you want.

However, unlike the traditional Yin and Yang, the Yang comprised both the female and male elements in Namuh. That what made it a special Yin and Yang. It was once in equilibrium but now was being overturned by the Yang -- which was the way to the truth and thus to love.

In an unknown corner of the world Evol met Dlataz. They talked in a type of language no human could understand. Only I can tell you what I can remember from that event. The event I wish to call 'the Triumph of Yang'.

It all began after Dlataz had stumbled in his evil opus because of the humble Namuh. It sought revenge but knew that Namuh could not be killed. At least not on the world. He sought, therefore, the cause of Namuh's enlightenment. The damned cause, Dlataz muttered.

After many futile attempts to find Evol, he bumped into him whilst going back to his abode. He cursed him, but instead of arguing with him, Evol offered Dlataz forgiveness and was willing to reconcile. When Evol told him that, Dlataz lost his temper. He used all his hate against Evol. Evol was hurt. Evol still loved the hopeless Dlataz, even if he meant to kill. Dlataz charged again but knew it was a lost cause in itself. One last try, he said to himself. Evol opened his hands to try to hug his opponent. He wanted him to see the truth as well. The truth, that he preferred to ignore and made others ignore.

Dlataz failed again. Now he had really lost hope in everything. First, he had lost hope in salvation and the world. But now, he had lost hope in himself as well. It's a tragic Dlataz that left Evol crying for him. However, Evol was happy because he'd shown Dlataz the way. Dlataz left and was never seen again in the world.

Some say that he'd tried many new ways of denying the truth. Others say that he'd tried to kill himself. The only truth, though, is that Dlataz is still living somewhere in Namuh's world. He still hoped to gain power over this body.

Evol, though, had been the real winner. He'd inspired another child to find the way and thus had ensured that a new life be brought to humanity. Evol, like Future and those who cared for Namuh, was worried too about the fate Namuh would face. He could not bear it, but he couldn't ignore it either.

During this fight between opposites, Namuh was quietly looking at the things that surrounded him. For the first time on the world he saw the rapid change of day into night. He also felt that this was not a mere coincidence. It was a sign that something great had occurred today. The events of the 'fight' passed through Namuh's head. He was now happy because he knew that good, truth and light had triumphed in the world. But an inexplicable sadness loomed over Namuh. Somehow he felt all this wilt soon come to an end.

His last dream, though, was a peaceful one. He dreamed he was flying in the air like the dove in Evol's poem. He dreamed he was free from the world's restrictions and able to look at the source of all light of the world. Instead of our sun, he saw the spirit of Evol, high in the sky and he, Namuh, was flying around it. As if, he was going into it. The brightness in the dream felt so real, that Namuh also forgot his tormenting worries.

Dlataz

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:27:39 PDT

When Namuh woke up he found that Future had gone and his feelings of helplessness and abandonment grew worse. However, he said to himself that he must face the truth even if it hurt. He struggled to go on and told himself It's not definite yet, maybe the merciful Manthar will reconsider. But now he was like the Dlataz in Evol's poem. He had no direction. In fact, he lost himself in the forest but this time not because of his craving curiosity but rather because of his lack of joy in living. He doubted in the Manthar.

As he walked deeper into the forest, he started feeling tired. He'd never felt so tired before after such a short walk. His mind was thumping and crying out questions that had no answer. From behind a tree, though, sprang a mischievous-looking spirit.

"Hi, there! sad fellow, it's me you should follow. You've seen that the others, the so-called 'brothers', they're just liars, those truth-buyers." "No, they aren't." "Even if it's now late, there's still time to hate, ignore the truth, that's all the fool's loot. The only way to live, is just to gain and never give. Thrive on property, give yourself to luxury. Become a slave, to your own crave. The truth is for the blind, something you shouldn't mind. Just rubbish and rubbish, that will lead to you becoming unselfish. You are all that matters, the others are just matter. Evil is the only way, they say it all who may. For those who can deny the truth, Have made the greatest deed! All evils must triumph, for the self to be up." "But that's wrong!"

"No, it's right, or it might, for knowledge must be used, and abused, manipulated, and corrupted.

So that no one wilt see the stupid truth, that will kick you with a boot, that disgusting credo, "Help others' Help!" will disintegrate to a hopeless yelp. If it takes enough to deny free will, than that may be my will.

Ignorance is beautiful, it makes life so pitiful. Crippled beings so inferior, just creatures without decor. Kill! Kill! Blood! Deny! Plant ignorance! That's the gospel I pronounce!"

"Stop it! That's not the truth! That's not the light! That's darkness and you're Dlataz!" "Yes, Dlataz, I am, you silly lamb.

Hope there's none, that's all a pun. For the only thing I see, it's but she."

"The Manthar?", said Namuh shaken.

For Dlataz kept turning round Namuh trying to force his thwarted truth into him. But alt attempts failed, for Namuh was absorbed in what Future had told him about the Manthar. And about Dlataz too.

"No, but everyone's mother, if you have to shudder, do it now, before hence, for all of this is ignorance."

Dlataz had spoken the truth. He'd failed to concentrate well on Namuh. He had spoken the truth!

"What have I said? Am I mad?"

To add to this short poem, I might add 'and gone red'. For the Dlataz had suffered the worst humiliation. His own self had betrayed him! He had betrayed himself! Was it the sight of the enlightened Namuh that made him lose his evil touch? He was angry at himself for failing. He could not accept it. It was too much! He, who'd ordered the damnation of Namuh fail? Never. Still, it had happened. In the last attempt to retest his touch. He tried to start all over.

"Namuh, you're lost, for those who host, these great truths, will never be powers.

They'll be killed by others, who don't fear to be killers.

You, Namuh, are stronger than me, is that the truth again I see?

Go, go, you fouled wretch!

You're a force I can't bear to match!"

Dlataz seemed to have lost control over his voice.

"Namuh, Namuh, you are great!

You've seen the truth and won over hate! Go, go, for you've won over Dlataz!"

The voice seemed very familiar to Namuh. it was the laity Future! Now he knew he'd really achieved something~. Something that went further than mere words could describe. He had overcome himself at last. He had infiltrated into Dlataz's heart and tried to pour love where there was pain. Truth had inspired the evil entity to go against itself. Namuh, thus felt triumphant, as if he'd won a war. A war without useless bloodshed. A colossal war.

The war however was just starting.

Future's Sorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:00:01 PST

Namuh looked at the morning sky with new eyes. He did not see just a blue sky. He saw the blue sky and the fact that it surrounded his paradise. This finite paradise, Namuh sadly reflected. He wondered why he could not stay there. But of course, the Manthar could not permit that. Even if it decided in favour of Namuh.

He looked at the sky and tears trickled as he noticed there was his saviour: Future! He approached her affectionately and wanted to hug her. Instincts of a child who had lost his mother.

"I see you've matured Namuh. I had fears that Dlataz would be more powerful and that you'll fall to him. Thank goodness you're all right."

Namuh was momentarily mesmerised by Future's brightness and splendour.

"Who's he? I've never met him."

"He's an evil spirit that lives in that forest. Haven't you met him yet?"

"No, Evol told me about him."

"Well, you'll have to face him soon then. He's a vile creature but it's only because he wants to ignore the truth."

"Why do I have to meet him anyway?"

"Because it's the concept of love that asks you to do so. You can't abandon anyone. You've got to try to help others at least. If you fail, Namuh, you can say to yourself that you've tried. You must not be a spectator in the face of evil. You must take away the blankets of ignorance and replace it with that of truth. That's all love asks. If you fail, though, it's his fault. But, Namuh, you managed to let Zyhil see the light."

"What about him?"

"Your dream was right. He was stoned by the other five dragons. We found his body near the great river. I tried to revive him but it was too late. But see, he talked to you. He has triumphed over death. Remember that darkness and death have the same initial letter. Also, light and life. That will help you remember your mission. For your life is not a choice, my friend, but a mission.

"And thus I see nice things in the infinite future you may have. But some things I don't like. Not for your sake as such, but for the whole human race. Believe me, your life is at risk."

"Evol told me something about that."

"Don't worry too much. We might solve the problem, but who knows what the Manthar decides."

"The Manthar, do you know about it too?"

"I must tell you now. You're ready for the whole truth now. We're all illusions but real to you. You govern the whole world you live in. However, it's destiny is influenced ultimately by the Manthar. It controls the day's length, the brightness, even the wind. Unfortunately, the Manthar is confused lately and has difficulty in seeing the truth. She may choose to destroy you."

"Me? Why? What have I done'?"

"Nothing. It's not your fault you're here. You must be aware of something I can't withhold from you any longer. She may not let you live as a complete human being. In other words, and this will hurt, Namuh, this may be your first and your last experience of humanity."

"Never shall I mix with others? Is that what you're saying?"

"Exactly. I'm sorry but it is a possibility, which is not very remote. Not remote at all, judging by the Manthar's current state of mind."

Namuh cried, for his first hopes had been shattered. He wanted a real body with which he could interact with others. He was thirsty for humanity. The thought that these entities were the first and last things he'd see made him shiver.

"But it's not right! How can I be free now? How can I say what I feel? How can I show them the truth?"

Namuh's suffering was worse than any of us can envisage. He cried the tears of one who was going to die for no reason at all. Just for being Namuh.

Future embraced Namuh. She thought that this was the most sensible thing to do. The only thing she could do. She couldn't stop the Manthar. She felt the tears dripping off her golden wings and saw the dispersed rays forming the most beautiful spectrum she'd ever seen. That gave her hope. Even if it was false hope, she'd never forget this special moment. The moment she had loved her son, or even herself as well, so much.

As night approached, Namuh began dozing off on Future's shoulder. Like his mother, she gently made him rest on the green grass and prayed the Manthar to reconsider. As for Namuh's dreams, there weren't many for the greatest hope he had was slowly dying. In the world of dreams there was darkness and an irritating threat hovering and shrieking Humanity denied!

Evol

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:25:50 PST

A gust of wind disturbed Namuh's sleep. The world was really getting colder. He kept Hyfe's mantel close to him as a reminder of that short but sweet friendship. Sometimes the only thought of Hyfe made him cry and a momentary fit of anger would seize him. Still, he didn't blame himself any longer. Yes, he should have known better but it didn't intend to kill the poor creature.

The dragons, which he knew he'll never meet again, were at the centre of his thoughts. He asked himself what spirits ruled them and who they really were. For unlike us, the whole world Namuh lived in was not just a mere fantasy but his whole life. He got really curious, as if he was observing it for the first time. He saw for the first time, the light rays reflecting off trees and dispersing. He now beheld creation from a new standpoint. It was if it was first sight.

He absorbed what was in front of him. How it compared well to the different perspectives of the truth he had been given. The same light - but varying beams. The same God - but different interpretations. In this deep moment of reflection Namuh failed to see what was in front of him.

There was Evol. The white entity looked at him with great fascination and began to speak.

"You must be the child Namuh who, discovered that the sky is blue, and who moves towards the light, to discover what's right."

"How strangely you speak?"

"I'm Evol and regardless of my name, and without any shame, I don't know evil,
just that it causes upheaval."

"What are you?" "I am the light that you have seen, the one that sets one free and I've been, all around you and within you,
and throughout nature too."

"So, you're the truth?"
"Your heart has seen the truth,

Namuh and your mind will bear its fruit. Speak love because it's good, regardless of your mood."

"What do you mean?"

"The liberty you now possess, which I had to hardly assess, is the power to go beyond yourself, and beyond all known selves.

For you have grasped the concept
-- behind all great concepts
the concept of love,
and like a free dove you'll fly into eternal worlds where you'll see different ideas.

That will open the door to knowledge, and thus wisdom will be your heritage! Having done this you'll discover, and like the dragons hover, without any fear or unhappiness, to the shining world of being!"

"Really? Tell me about the Manthar too, please. You seem to be really wise."

"The Manthar is nothing but your caring mother, who's in great bother.

Namuh, don't give up I'll try to help."

"Help in what?"

"For there is a small possibility, and prediction is in my ability, that you may be in great danger, threatened in your own manger."

"What is this danger? Don't leave me!" "I'll not leave you now, for there's more to show. About that trouble, it might be pure rumble. Now that you've seen the truth, and I'm that root, of all the things you see, and if you wish to pursue knowledge, let curiosity, fill you till obesity. But first you must see and learn, with a pure and gentle heart to earn, the greatest concepts of all time, I can't find for this line a rhyme, for the concept of concepts is, Love."
"Love. I suspected that. Even the world of being can be reached that way?" "My fellow, you are the world of being, not just anything.

But if you encounter Dlataz, beware of his way of fracas. And don't be tempted to enter his cave, for you'll surely be a slave to the problem of no hope and you'll elope, with ignorance and thus, with evil."

"So evil is ignorance?" "Yes, the ignorance of being, and of seeking, and of asking, just lurking.

With no direction, and no obstruction. In a world of darkness, and great sad madness."

"How sad."

"Of course it's sad,
but it's still bad,
for evil breeds evil,
and nothing but upheaval,
I never get old,
that line's repeating itself in bold. Fear that demon, if you want real freedom, and have the zest to learn -

Then seek the truth!"
"Just beautiful"

The Evol spirit whirled round and round until it was seen no more, and was dispersed all around the world. All the questions Namuh had had were now answered by this wise spirit. Wait, just one thought prevailed on what Evol said. Who was Dlataz?

Namuh had made a breakthrough! He had finally put all the pieces of this great jigsaw of life together.

He cut a stick from a nearby tree and for the first time tried his best at mastering language. He tried to immortalise what he had learned today. So, Namuh drew a triangle, similar to the Hindu and Christian Trinities, yet different. For, there was no Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu nor the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

On the top point he inscribed a symbol. It was like an 0. That meant love and truth. On the left point, he inscribed another which seemed like a U. That meant wisdom. On the right point, he inscribed a letter that looked like an inverted U. That was knowledge.

Namuh seemed to be saying one thing to the world the top part was vital for the two below to conjugate together.

It was now night and Namuh slept. For the day ahead would be another adventure in his life. A new experience he had learned to cherish. Experiences he'll cherish forever.

U

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:00:00 PST

Namuh woke up thinking about how many friends he now had. The blue dragons, the creatures of the world themselves, the fairies, his now dead great friend Hyfe and the converted Zyhil. He wished to meet them all again. He looked at the world that surrounded him. It's really beautiful! he told himself And I never really appreciated it before!

Namuh looked at the blue sky and for the first time noticed its grandeur. He looked at the blue dragon that was landing. He now did not just look, he now began to see. The dragon sat down near Namuh.

"I'm U."

"What, you're me?"

"No, U's my name. But it could also be yours. For if in everyone you see yourself, then love will triumph. Why do you think there is evil, Namuh?"

"Because humans want everything for themselves?"

"Yes, but what if everyone looked at themselves as a unity, as one human race. Then they wouldn't fight each other for things that don't last. Humans would then build together and not separately. Most importantly, they would realise that they are precious. For humans, unfortunately, sometimes devalue themselves."

"Tell me about it!"

"Zyhil, had no real self-knowledge. In his eyes he was nothing but matter. Thus, people who don't know what good is, either through ignorance or because they have never experienced it, will never do good -- for they don't recognise what it is. Love breeds truth, justice, peace, order and yet more love. Believe me, if one really understands the philosophy of love, then all evils will fall and the human mind will expand."

"What is this expansion, U?"

"You've heard it before. Love is the tool for learning. Through love one is capable of grasping great concepts. For love opens many doors, not just one. Love does not close doors to people like the old Zyhil. Love tries to understand him and cure his wounds. It does not condemn him, like hate would, but would help him see the truth. It does not force others into anything but helps others to learn. If humans keep that in mind they will attain a new level of being.

"Thus, it helps you, who practice it, to learn too. Humans have preferred to breed ignorance and ignorance breeds hate. Humans are creatures born to ask not to submit themselves to authority. That's not right, that's totalitarianism!"

"Totalitarianism? Ugh, long word!"

"Yes, Zyhil was proposing that as well as other things. But humans are not born to obey, they are born free. Thus they cannot be used as objects in the game of manipulation as in the case of utilitarianism. Humans, I say, in the name of Kant must never be used as means but always as ends."

"Who's Kant?"

"A philosopher. A man who loves knowledge and is willing to learn from that knowledge and gain more of it. A philosopher is many things. But, first and foremost, he is someone who asks and asks. Only then will the philosopher discover the truth - by asking.

"You've discovered many things and are now a wise being, Namuh. I know that for I've heard the way you answered the dragons. You know how bad it is to try to kill people for the sake of ideas. For ideas cannot be killed. Never."

"No, they can't."

"Thus humans can't be sacrificed because of ideas either. Belief does not necessarily imply truth and fact. But some people impose their beliefs on others! They think that an embryo is not a human being, for example. Then they destroy it. What if the embryo was a human being, then what? How much do we know to assume such a thing? Do we really know what life is?
"Thus, Namuh, evil plays with people's emotions and with people themselves. It makes them find ways to justify it and choose the irresponsible route. Suddenly people become their emotions! This route may finally destroy us all!" U sounded prophetic.

"It's terrible!"
"Yes, but it happens. That is why we've taught you the best ways to achieve the truth. The ways that unite, and not those which lead to chaos. Look, Namuh, you're now wise enough to explore on your own. You've learned what the good way is. If you are in doubt about what the good way is, just look within yourself and let your soul guide you to the answer. Inside you there are many questions but there are also innumerable answers. You just have to look.

"Namuh, the more knowledge you accumulate, the more you'll be able to reflect and think. All the experiences of the human race are within you."

The dragon waved at Namuh and was quickly gone into the forest. Namuh now understood that that was the last dragon. Now he was ready to face the most powerful. What would I face? he asked. He hoped he would one day speak to the Manthar. But of course, he had to wait for that, if it would happen.

Night came and the black blanket of the sky soon settled gently on and around the sleepy Namuh.

Namuh now dreamed about love and about that same world he had dreamed when he had first come into being. The world where people shared everything and considered themselves as being one human race. He saw this new race communicating like the dragons with each other, not with words just with concepts. Through the concept of all concepts: God, love, call it what you want. The role of philosophy had been fulfilled and humans now searched for the truth.

Namuh had suffered many losses on his brief stay at the world. He had however overcome those and himself. He had learned to search for what is right.

The Manthar was in a rather difficult situation. It was confused. It knew that it could destroy Namuh and his world if it chose to. It knew it had such power over Namuh's future. But knowing is not enough. Have we contributed towards the Manthar's dilemma?

Namuh knows, like we do, how he was influenced by the dragons. He had no intention of killing the pig. Yet, he did. He had no intention of killing Hyfe. Yet, he did. Thus, sometimes if we don't keep love In mind we cause the demise of others. For we're given illusions and we're made to ignore the truth. But if we discover the truth, through love, we will be freer. Much freer.

This, my friend, is the Manthar's situation. Our condition.

Zyhil

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:28:32 PST

When Namuh regained consciousness, he started coughing hard. He wondered where he was. What had happened? It hadn't been a bad dream for sure, for he was still cold and wet. He remembered the dragon and Future -- his saviour? He looked all around him and noticed that someone had helped him cross to the other side of the bank. If it had not been for Future, he would have drowned. He had never been so close to death before. That dragon Juyog really did not like him.

He had only tried to explain to him how the denial of truth, and hindering the way to achieving it, was detrimental to everyone. Education should not be based on competition but on cooperation. Namuh had realised that if kept their knowledge to themselves, no real progress would be possible. All human initiative would be discouraged. The dragon did not want to listen. All Juyog wanted was to follow its instinct. He did not realise that there were good and bad pleasures. Pleasure could never be the highest good, for how could there be good things that are bad! The fruits of such a way of life are just unhappiness and death.

A distressed dragon glided towards him.

"Not another dragon!", murmured Namuh.

When it reached its destination, it stopped abruptly and floated gently on a sandy spot, a few meters from Namuh.

"Are you all right Namuh? I've heard they tried to kill you. I'm so sorry."

The only thing he regretted, however, was that the plan had failed.

"I'm here to teach you a few things you'll need."

"Tell me your name first."

"I'm Zyhil. I must tell you that on Earth there is a great deal of inequality. You've heard about it I presume. People aren't treated in the same way. Some are given more than others. You have an easy life in this world."

"Right, the dragons keep telling me that!"

"That's because it's true. You don't have needs like humans do. As humans are made of matter, they need material things to sustain them. Have you ever eaten, Namuh?"

"Eaten? What do you mean?"

"Well, people need food - like the pig you saw. People eat such things. They also need water."

"But I'm feeling comfortable here. I never felt the urge to eat anything. But why do humans need to eat?"

"You know that people die. They need food and water to stay alive. If they do not eat or drink, they die."

"So every human needs such things to stay alive."

"I say, Namuh, people are all made of matter. For the only thing that matters in the world is matter. What do you see around you Namuh? Don't you just see trees, rocks and raw material? Because that's all there is on Earth. Matter is of absolute importance. It comes before anything else. For if there was no matter to sustain them, humans would degrade into nothingness. To dust. It's crazy to attempt to go beyond the realm of matter. It's a denial of the actual reality. It's a denial of how things really are. For all I see around me is matter.

"Many times, those in power elude us into hoping of an after-life... of higher ideals and so on. Do you know why this happens?"

"To say the truth, I don't."

"Well, they're better off with a disillusioned people. A people that believes that there is a better life beyond theirs! Thus, they get to enjoy all their material goods, and ensure that they keep it to themselves.

"That is why all of this is wrong! And that is why all matter must be distributed equally amongst the people. Without matter humans are nothing, can't you understand that?"

"Surely there are other things that go beyond that?"

"No, my friend, it is food that keeps you alive. As humans are fundamentally matter they must not be denied their only source of survival. Anything that goes against that fact is going against reality. Only matter is important. It is the only thing that really counts. Other things are superficial! And you don't even know the value money has...

"I don't follow you..."

"Money is the means by which humans attain such needs. On Earth, we use money to exchange goods. To buy food, we need money. It's also true that those who have a lot of money tend to have a lot of power and influence. As a result, they gain more money and material! More than they really need..."

"So you're saying that money is everything?"

"It is of great value because everything depends on it. Now another thing, Namuh. As humans are made of matter, they also follow the laws of matter themselves! Namuh, don't you think that what you're saying is just a product of your experiences? What if you had been exposed what the blue dragons said, or to the fairies? Comrade, believe me, it is experiences that shape your future decisions. Your future is determined by your past. So, in reality you are not a free individual! All things around you, and you yourself, are following definite laws. The laws of nature.

"That is why one must realise that humans only act the way circumstances and experiences have moulded them. That is why existence is meaningless and striving for material things is everything. It's the only way to achieve a little happiness. Only then you'll feel really free."

"Please, stop. But can't I decide for myself? I can choose to go one way or the other surely. I can resist influence. After all, I can reject your idea without trouble, I'm not forced to adhere to what you say. I might not be able to fly like you but that does not mean I don't have a choice. I may build something that makes me fly.

"You can't build your life on things that don't last. Yes, matter is important but it's not all in life. Life is not just matter. If I were just matter, how come I can go beyond it? How come can I examine matter itself."

"Humans are just puppets in the stage of existence. They have no free will, no direction. They just die and everything ends there. There is no other life. The body and Soul are just matter. Matter that travels in time without ability to choose its own way. Namuh, believe me, trust your senses. It will reveal to you the truth about the world. For it is what my senses perceive that is my only guide. What you can see should be your guide! What I can measure is all I can trust!"

"There you're wrong. Is this just matter? Surely there's something that goes beyond it? I feel that humans are not just puppets. They are animals who have gained a new kind of freedom. They are not limited by instinct but can go beyond that. They can go beyond matter. They are free to follow instinct or to go against it. They can use their knowledge and wisdom to decide for themselves what to do. Thus they are free to follow what path they feel is best!

"Naturally, as you said before, they are dependent on matter to survive on the world. But there are things that go beyond that. Humans are more important than material considerations. Imagine humans being exploited by others for the sake of material gain. Where would it end up? In every human there is a gift. The gift of building new things, exploring new worlds and achieving insight into the truth. Every human has a free will to learn. That goes beyond mere matter, Zyhil, cant you see? Love is not a manifestation of matter, Zyhil, it is something that is above it.

"An animal would not sacrifice its life to others because it is does follow the laws of nature. That doesn't make it evil. It only makes it unable to know the consequences of its own actions. Animals are just incapable of realising that they know, It's simple really. They cannot weigh things from a detached position. They lack objectivity. They cannot examine their own life. They just exist..."
"But aren't animals just matter?"

"No, it's like saying that thought is like a stone. Yet, both of us know that one is solid and concrete, the other inexplicable and abstract. They are not the same. It's true, they may be both fundamentally dependent on matter to exist. However, the stone does not go anywhere unless a force acts on it. Thoughts, on the other hand, can go to the deepest corner of space without real effort. Thus, thoughts are both energy and matter."

"Humans must not have real freedom. You've seen what horrors they can create. What you're proposing is just an ideal. The facts tell a different story! What about those in power? How should a state work then? No Namuh, humans must serve the state at all costs. It is their caring mother, their source of food. They are dependent on it for their being. It brings them matter to thrive on. Humans have an absolute commitment to it. Thus, it follows that the state has the right to use any means possible to achieve social justice. Humans must be controlled and utilised when they are needed. They are resources."
"But that is not right! Humans do have a freewill. True, they should serve the state and contribute to the welfare of the whole society but they must not be treated as being mere resources! They are not things. They are beings that should be free and not chained down by some force that thinks for them. There can never be true love if people are not given a chance to love. There can never be peace if humans don't have the right to think. There can never be justice if humans don't have the right to learn. What you propose reduces not only persons to things, but the whole of humanity to a mindless unity."

"That's not true. Humans can't know what's right for them. They should rely blindly on the state. Only then can they have matter to sustain them. They have to do their part. The rest is in the hands of those in power. The state may thus break the law for the sake of its citizens."

"No! How can a state composed of humans, who don't know what's right for them -- as you're saying, retain justice? It's a contradiction! Humans can do mistakes and so, one must attempt to reduce them. This can only be done if humans work together. Power should never concentrate solely on a group of individuals. It should be spread evenly amongst everyone. Only then will humans cease seeking their own gain but start to keep in consideration others. If humans continue to over-value things that don't last there will be no end to political corruption. Or evil as such. Material pleasure does not last. When I had felt the caress of the wind, I wished it would not end. But such things just don't last!

"If humans are given the means to use their abilities for the benefit of all the people, there one will have achieved a balance. Humans have the power to create and change the world around them. That is why they can never be considered as being purely matter. If that happens, humans will lose their uniqueness and become mere products of no real value - and I mean products!

"Zyhil, I don't think that you're sincere. If humans were just matter why are you so afraid of them? Don't they follow the laws of matter? So, aren't they predictable? Why do you need to gain their control? I fear that the only reason you believe in these lies is because you want to be the centre of everything. Is power and control your real goal and nothing else? Have you come to accept such injustices as long as you're on the winning side? Have you fallen to that level? Have you become a slave to your own desires?

"Humans can't be only matter. They are wonderful beings who are continually seeking ways to improve. Some, however, prefer to be ignorant and strive in a mission to gain what they can. That is the real illusion! That leads to further unhappiness and further desire! Humans must learn to go beyond their material needs. Such needs are important but not absolute. Would you, Zyhil, sacrifice your health for money? I hope not."

"I rather would. If there's nothing to hope for? The world is just a hell. One must gain everything possible from it. Humans must learn that nothing is of real value. Nothing. Humans are just means, like any other resources on Earth. Matter that comes and goes. We are born abandoned in a barren desert called life. Life comes and goes, then void follows. Nothingness. No God, no love -- but hate and isolation. Humans are left alone in this world of suffering!"

"No, Zyhil. The world is full of wonderful things. You must only learn to look deeper into things! You must appreciate the beauty and perfection of all things. The beauty of nature. Its harmony and order. Then you'll progress and discover the beauty of conception. The beauty behind the miracle of life. The beauty behind concepts themselves. Finally you'll see the truth. That in life, there's everything you need. Zyhil, if you give up before you've started, what's the use of going on?

"If you understand that you are not just mere matter but a being capable of changing the reality around you and of creating new things, introducing new ideas, you will discover an oasis. You'll not live in a desert anymore for your thirst will be quenched. Humans may be corrupt and destructive sometimes but one must learn from those actions. One must go beyond them. One must only learn why one has to love. And then can they truly love.

"Humans have a great potential. They can change the world and make it better. They can give themselves to others and love. For inside every living being there is something that can change not only the world itself but the whole universe. The whole cosmos!"

"But why hope, when everything really ends? Why drug yourself with such illusions -- when you know the truth? That there's nothing to hope for. Why believe a lie'?"

"If that really was the truth, I tell you, I prefer to continue living with hope in my heart than with nothingness and no direction. For if I love and discover that I can really do something for others I'll not be lost. However, if I hate myself I'll live to harm myself and others. You'll never appreciate others or the beauty of the world if you don't change yourself first!

"Zyhil, I never hated any of the dragons before. I just hated the things they tried to do to others, to me and to themselves. I pray you to change! I love you for what you are and will continue to love you even if you try to kill me, like one of you did, for I don't fear death. Now I have discovered that life is a gift not a choice. I've seen that without love everything is lost and impossible. For love brings hope and a multitude of possibilities. Hate breaks everything and everyone it encounters -- and for what? For nothing that lasts.

"What's the use of obtaining control and power over others when you can't control yourself? Why kill mercilessly others when there is no justification? Why impose belief on others? Why, if you believe that humans are just matter, do you need to sacrifice the life of others for the sake of your own belief? Why all this insanity?

"I know why. We never look at each other through love. We try to deny each other, and please our lust for things. We always seek an easy way out, without thinking. For without thought, how can one attain wisdom from knowledge? For without reflection on what we are doing, would our experiences in the world matter? How can you say that matter is everything and that I don't have a freewill -- when I have the strength to contradict those same statements? How can I go against that influence if there was no freewill? I guess you've gone to the extreme where money is everything and that the only thing that matters is what you can see and touch. But that's not my philosophy! I conceive things that go beyond matter though they emanate from it. I see concepts through you, Zyhil! Concepts I can't understand. Love of matter corrupts the hearts. Love of others will really make a difference in life.

"Zyhil, look inside you and release yourself from the things you thought would free you from the chains of nature! Discover the true value of being. For anything that goes against freedom goes against human nature, and against nature itself. Humans sometimes pretend to know more than they actually do. They pretend to know when life begins when they don't. They pretend to know who is capable of reasoning when they really don't. With all these pretensions, and labels, they pass their sentence on others. Unfortunately, the people they destroy are usually defenceless and powerless. They can't even protest. They aren't even given a voice!"

Zyhil began crying.

"It all seemed so right to control others so that they don't go against you. It seemed so simple to conceive humans as matter. It made things so easy. Too easy. It seemed so right to conceive humans as totally lacking freewill. Yet, it seems that it's untrue. For if it were true, I wouldn't doubt. I wouldn't want to ask. Would some entity with no freewill, be capable of asking whether it has a freewill? I think not.

"Namuh, you have made me realise that humans are not to be used as objects for they possess something that is beyond. Unlike objects they have the ability not just to react but also to act! They have ability to use the infinite cosmos within them to produce new things, new ideas and make the impossible possible. They're not all evil. Thank you, Namuh."

The dragon flew in the sky with a new acquired sense of dignity. It now started to value itself not just as something but as someone. It had reached a new level of looking at things that freed it from just being a spectator and made it the participator in the making of reality. Namuh, now a mature being, had showed Zyhil the way to liberation. He had made the dragon more optimistic. He had given Zyhil the will to live.

The sixth dragon of nihilism had become the seventh dragon of enlightenment thanks to Namuh. Namuh had finally discovered what being human was all about. He had discovered who he was. Namuh had helped someone else to examine itself and thus, to discover the truth within it. Only by searching inside you will you discover the goodness in others. For if one sees oneself as being evil, all the world will become evil.

That is another truth Namuh cherished.

Namuh hoped that Zyhil would really change and find the way to the truth. Namuh felt happiness and peace engulfing him. He had helped Zyhil free himself from the chains of slavery. Only Zyhil could do the rest. He now looked at the night sky and looked straight at the Manthar. His heart now filled with great joy as he looked at what he now believed brought him here. He almost cried at the sight of those red streaks. His eyes closed, and a broad-smiled Namuh left this world to another world. The world of dreams. For even on this world, there is another world.

In Namuh's dream, he could see Zyhil going back to his fellow dragons. There was even Juykam, Kaius and all the others. He told them the truth. Something terrible happened.

They grabbed the biggest stones and started stoning the defenceless Zyhil. In a few minutes, Zyhil was dead. Time became meaningless now, for he floated in a pool of blood. The dragons looked at what they had done and laughed hysterically.

Then they abandoned their 'friend'. They left Zyhil rot! Namuh began feeling sad. He felt responsible for what had happened.

However, all of a sudden this senseless guilt faded away. For Zyhil's spirit rose from a decomposing body and talked to Namuh in his dreams. He could now understand. He told him how wonderful he now felt that he finally was free from his body's grip. The perfect spirit of Zyhil flew up into the sky and disappeared. Namuh was happy because the true dormant Zyhil had finally woken up. He had attained freedom from himself. Now Zyhil was free forever...

Juyog

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:30:49 PST

Namuh woke up and decided that for Hyfe's sake he'd better continue meditating in the river. He also decided that it would be fun to cross to the other bank of the river, It make help him feel better. He rejoiced as he felt the river's gentle touch as he walked across it. As he was half-way through, a red dragon landed on its surface gracefully.

"Hi, my friend. I'm sorry for Hyfe. He was really one of my best friends in this lonely world.", the dragon said.

"Was he now? I really loved him."

"But I don't really blame you for what you did. His mantel really emanated warmth. What did you feel when you wore his mantel?"

"I felt a great sense of well-being... I cannot really describe it."

"Well, well. That's what we call 'pleasure'. And, tell me Namuh, have you ever felt really bad about something? Or frightened?"

"Yes, I felt frightened on many occasions. Especially when I have a bad dream. Right now, for example, I feel bad about the death of my friend Hyfe. I feel -- I don't know...

"That feeling is pleasure's opposite, 'pain'. All humans, at one point or other, experience both pleasure and pain. It is what being human is all about. My friend it is thus good to seek what pleases you and all what causes you pain is wrong. What you did with Hyfe was, in a way, justifiable."

This doesn't sound like one who is Hyfe 's friend, thought Namuh, I think he's out here to trick me!

"What do you mean?"

"Look at yourself, Namuh! Would you rather suffer the torment of the dragons?
Uncertainty? Fear? Or would you have rather have the peace and security of when you are happy?"

"I would rather be happy."

"Good! You must realise that behind every human action, the main motive is to attain pleasure. That is why what you did to Hyfe was justifiable. Any action that pleases you should be the greatest good, and pain the greatest evil! Justice should ensure that actions are judged according to whether their result is pleasure or pain. For such things are the basis of all human actions and thought!"

"What you're saying is that what I feel like doing is good just because I feel like doing it?"

"Right! You finally got it!"

"But what about others? If what pleases me causes pain to others, where will one draw a line? I've seen people who have done good and have suffered for it! Mother Theresa, for example, did things for nothing. She gave herself to others! She did not do things just for the pleasure of doing them!"

"People like Mother Theresa did what they did because it pleased them most - to help others I mean. She derived pleasure from helping others. You haven't contradicted me, yet."

"But what about our responsibility? You're saying that actions should be judged only according to their consequences? It's as if you're telling me that in the world only actions exist and not intentions! When I killed the pig, I did a wrong thing. Unwillingly I caused pain to another creature. When I killed Hyfe, I did another wrong. I took a life. I killed one of my own kind. However, in each case I did not intend to harm others. There are other things to consider besides actions."

"But you can't judge others my friend! We are only able to perceive the results of actions and not intentions. We must only act on what we see and on what we can prove. Other things are immaterial! Intentions cannot be weighed, measured and analysed. We can only do so with our actions!", answered Juyog

"Intentions are important. You're right when you say that we shouldn't judge. Sometimes we don't even know what's in our hearts, let alone in the hearts of others.

"But if we really love each other, we would not base our actions on what pleases us most at the time! We must always take into account others. When I killed Hyfe, I did so unintentionally. I did not know that it was wrong. I lacked knowledge of wrong and right.

"But now that I know that my actions have caused harm, or pain, to others, I would not do it again. If we base our actions just on pleasure, we tend to do blunders. We tend to fall prey to ignorance! Actions which are not backed up by knowledge and wisdom will always have a serious aftermath."

"Namuh, don't you realise that knowledge itself is the cause of all our problems. When Hyfe told you why he wore his mantel, you chose to take it from him. It was knowledge in the first place that triggered your reaction to steal!"

"In a way you're right. But, its not knowledge itself that made me steal the mantel. For knowledge on its own is not enough to guide human action. If knowledge is not backed up by wisdom, it is useless! It's not knowledge itself that's wrong but premature knowledge!"

"But what if knowledge falls in the hands of those who do not know how to use it properly, Namuh? Then what?"

"By denying knowledge from human beings, don't you think that you're hindering their path towards truth? A true education does not include just the induction of knowledge. That is only one aspect of learning. Learning certain facts about my world was important for me. However, learning from other people transcends, or goes beyond, anything else! If we look at things from the perspective of love, we'll begin to see that from everyone there is something to learn. This, my friend, leads to true wisdom."

"Humans must strive for themselves! Knowledge must be withheld from those who have no right to it! You've seen what happened when humans acquired knowledge of good and evil in Eden? Have you seen what terrible tragedies the Nazis perpetrated when they took nature as their guide?"

"Knowledge is only dangerous when it's not combined with wisdom. Knowledge is the only key we have to understanding our world and others. That is why that it must be available to everyone, for everyone must be given the opportunity to find the truth. But this cannot be done if everyone strives for his own interests! For true education entails more than mere knowledge. It requires cooperation: it requires learning from others with love. For love only gives us the will to learn. One must learn to look at the world through the eyes of a child. Only then you'll see...

"Enough!"

The dragon became furious when he heard these words. The truth must be eradicated was Dlataz's direct order. He would deliver. He grabbed the Namuh's frail body with its webbed hands and attempted to drown him.

"Now purify! The ones who don't value themselves more than anything else shall perish! Let egoism reign!", the dragon proclaimed.

"No! Unity! Let unity reign!", garbled Namuh.

Namuh felt that he was drifting into unconsciousness. He could not take in more water! The last thing he would see was Future. Then there was darkness. Nothingness.

Redeemer

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:32:16 PST

In the morning, Namuh headed towards Hyfe's cave. On his way, Namuh thought of the proper way to apologise for his hasty departure. He went in the cave and noticed that there was no one. He sat on the hay waiting for Hyfe to appear. However, after a few minutes, he got bored and explored the cave. Then he noticed that Hyfe was there.

"Hyfe! Hyfe!"

But Hyfe was dead.

Namuh gazed at the frozen face of the lizard-fairy. Tears flowed. He had not understood what had really happened. He tried desperately to revive Hyfe. It was too late. Namuh now realised the seriousness of his theft, he had fallen again to the red dragons! He tried to reassure himself that Hyfe would soon wake up and stayed with the bluish body for many hours. it never stirred. Namuh could not believe what had happened.

Insanity took hold of him. He began walking around the cave murmuring senseless words to himself. Suddenly, he could no longer take it. He escaped from the cave.

He cried all the way. His heart was broken. He had denied his only real friend his life. The images of the discussions about the world, the dragon and about reality flashed through Namuh's troubled mind. He had been so egoistic. Why had he done it? Why?

Namuh continued running aimlessly. He did not care. He had made another error. He had taken a life! In his delirium, he ignored where he was going. He hit a tree and fell on his back. Blood started seeping out of him. He did not care if he hurt himself now. He had lost hope. I killed my only real friend! His tears mingled with his blood. So it was that his blood poured over the green fields of the world. It was the very first time that Namuh perceived his world as being hell disguised as heaven. But hadn't he asked for it?

Namuh sat by the river and lay motionless. He stared at his reflection. More blood and tears gushed out of a sad Namuh. He had slaughtered another being! He had once asked himself, Why all this hate? Now he knew. His ignorance and greed made him kill this poor creature. For that is why he had betrayed the poor Hyfe. Namuh thought that money was very like the mantel for humans. They just wanted warmth, happiness, but never weighed the consequences of their actions.

His head bubbled as he remembered the short but good times he had shared with Hyfe. What strange things they had in common. Brother, I'm sorry! cried Namuh. He recalled the conversation he had had with Hyfe all over again. The memory tortured him. He was responsible for Hyfe's last days. It could have been the start of a great friendship. Instead, it was a beginning of a great tragedy.

At that time, Future appeared. She wished to soothe the battered Namuh.

"Come on, Namuh, you knew this would happen."
"But why Hyfe? Why him?"

"There are things that occur because we don't act wisely."

"Why did I kill him?"

"Don't cry, now. You know there's still hope."

"For Hyfe?"

"No, he's dead. You've got to accept that."

"So what can I do? I can't bear my guilt! You know, he understood me more than you do, or the dragons. He was almost like me. I loved him like a brother! Yet I killed him..."

"That is why the dragons came to show you the way. If you're sorry for what you've done, there's still hope. Remember the river? It purifies the impure to give new life."

Future disappeared and Namuh knew that she had a point. So, Namuh looked at the sky above. He addressed the Manthar and yelled, "I am sorry Hyfe. I did not know. Brother, I ask you to forgive me for what I've done because if you don't, I know I can't live."

Namuh poured some water all over him.

"May this water take away my old self and help me see the wise way to act. May it take away my old life to make way to a new life full of true love and understanding. For the sake of Hyfe, my brother, and all those who are thirsty for truth. May the water purify me and quench my thirst for truth. May it help me recover from the loss of my brother, who I unintentionally killed. May it enlighten me to follow the right path. In the name of love, truth, knowledge and wisdom."

Namuh meditated in the river. When he felt sleepy, he got out of the river and rested on the reddened grass. All he could dream of was about the last minutes he had lived with Hyfe. A smile appeared on Namuh's immaterial face. For now he felt that he had been forgiven and was at peace with himself.

Second Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:35:15 PST

The wind strengthened so much that it woke Namuh up. He could not bear the crippling cold any longer. Why was the world getting colder? he asked. He realised that he needed shelter. Then he noticed that there was a cave in the vicinity of the river. He also noticed that no life grew near this strange cave. He had never seen a cave before and inspected it carefully before entering it.

The cave's opening was gigantic and formed a perfect circle. There were three worn out steps leading to the entrance. Namuh feared approaching it but now had too. The cold had not improved. On the side of the cave's entrance he noticed that there were four letters, which were carefully carved. Being unable to decipher the letters and in desperate need of shelter, he made his way to the inside of the cave.

The inside was warmer than he expected. There was hay all around the place and Namuh noted how disorganised the keeper of the cave was. What could possibly live here? whispered Namuh to himself. The place scared Namuh. He was not out in the open anymore, he was not free any longer. Whatever was in here could stop him from escaping and trap him inside its cave.

Namuh sat gently in the hay and covered himself in order to keep warm. He tried to reassure himself that no one lived in this cave. In fact, he had never seen any creature anywhere near this cave. Instead of comforting him, the thought made him even more nervous. Why did not life grow here? The world was bursting with life which grew everywhere. Only this place lacked any form of life. Or did it?

Namuh shivered at the thought of encountering something he would not be able to defend himself from. These thoughts would not have passed from Namuh's mind in the past. Now, however, he had learnt that there are things that could harm him even in this heaven. He wondered if this was the home of a dragon. He feared the worst and decided that he was better off outside. So, he walked in the direction of the cave's opening.

To his dismay, the weather outside had worsened. He could see that the wind had now grasped hold of even the most sturdy trees. What was happening to his world? Was it collapsing? Namuh was frightened.
"Make yourself at home."

Namuh, as if in defence, turned round.

"What's happening?"

"Let's get to know each other first. My name is Hyfe. You might have read my name on the wall of my adobe. You must be Namuh, right? I've heard about you."

Hyfe looked rather weird. Namuh could see that he was like a cross between a fairy and a dragon. He had fairy-like charm but a dragon's body. However, he had no wings. He could also notice that he had a scaly body. Hyfe wore a dirty mantel. Namuh asked himself what the need of clothes was. Why wear clothes?

"Yes, I'm Namuh. May I know what's happening outside?"

"It's a meteorological phenomenon. I wouldn't call it El Nino - for it's not original... I prefer to call it El Hyfe instead."

"El Hyfe? Does it occur often in my world?"

"Hey, I'm like you, right! I've been here only just for a couple of days. I don't know. It's new to me

too."

"How do you know it's El Hyfe then?"

"I know many things. I'm a lizard wizard. I can go into the past or future without real difficulty. Isn't it wonderful that you know all those things Namuh? You've seen the dragons, right."

"The truth fascinates me. All those facts. The loving God on one side and one after-life and on the other a completely different ideology. It's really great."
"What I like most is the reality-illusion paradox."

"Reality may be an illusion and illusion may be reality. Yes, reality. Hyfe, is this real? I mean I perceive the world but am doubting whether it really exists."

"Strange, I was asking myself the same question. My philosophy is that it is real. Though, it's an illusion."

"Hey, you aren't a dragon. I can't understand your concepts that easily. That's another thing I want to discuss. The dragons. Let's discuss this first though. Let me try to understand what you think."

"Look, the world really exists for you. For all the creatures of the world. You feel the river, the earth, you see the dragons. However it's all an illusion. The working of a great mind."

"I think that the world is me."

"Really? Better explain."

"I mean I feel that the world is me. The world, the trees, the river and everything is in me and I'm the one who created all this. No, it's all wrong... how can I create? I've been here a couple of days too."

"You may have a point. The world may be you. Your body, I mean. You're just an entity floating in the body. You're human after all, Namuh. That might explain my theory."

"In what way?'

"You're controlling our world, Namuh. The body is real, yes but you're making up this world.... it's an illusion in a sense, but a reality for us for we're living in it!"

"How come I can't control it?"

"I think because there is something else that controls this world beyond you. A far greater power. It may be feeding you with things and ideas...."

"Are you referring to the Manthar?"

"What? Mant-what?"

"Manthar. Well, it's what I call those red streaks we see in the night sky. I think that those have something to do with my creation. I'm not sure but it's just a feeling. I think it might be really near the truth."

"Yes, I've noticed those. The world might be floating in some strange kind of cosmos. In a void. The Manthar might be responsible for what you are perceiving. It might be the great force."

"We've sorted that out quite well, haven't we? Next thing are the dragons."

"Yes, what about them?"

"When I talk to them it's not like talking to you, or the fairies. They seem to talk to me on a different level. All they say I understand and don't need to ask questions. Very rarely do I need to ask. With you it's different. We understand each other but it needs kind of... more effort!'

"I met the dragons too. They are adorable, some of them at least. I experienced the same things. Let's put it this way. We talk at the basic level. We need to define each concept when it occurs. If we talk about the concept 'Hyfe', for example, we need to define what it means to us to understand and to talk about it. We need to use words."

"Right! The dragons need less words because they talk at an advanced level. They can convey concepts rather than simple elements. They don't need to tell us what every basic element of a concept mean, they just don't need that. They convey the concept itself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, they don't need to show us a tree to understand what the word 'tree' means. They just convey automatically the concept. It's like looking at this cave. If I need to explain what a cave is to an outsider I would have to describe what rock is, what an opening is. I must describe all the basic elements of the cave. The dragons don't need to shift from the basics to the concept itself but immediately give you the concept."

"The unchanging world, they said to me. I have the eyes to see the unchanging world of being."

"They told you that, right. Me too."

"If I don't know what the concept 'cave' is I can't build a cave. If I know that a cave is a place of shelter I can apply the concept cave in every situation. I can build a grass 'cave', a wood 'cave'. Though they aren't really caves they are manifestations of the cave concept. I've understood its underlying purpose!"

"It really makes learning much easier."

"True. Well, I had another question. About the clothes you're wearing. Why do you need clothes?"

"To keep myself warm. My mantel makes me feel better equipped against the world's cold. These past few days brought a lot of cold weather, didn't they?"

An impure thought passed through Namuh's mind. He wanted to feel what it was like to wear it.

"I'm tired, Hyfe, may I sleep?", lied Namuh

"Sure, we'll both sleep then. Asking these great questions tires you more than walking sometimes. You're not the only one to feel tired -- I'm exhausted too! So, sleep well..."

Namuh waited until Hyfe was fast asleep. When he was sure that Hyfe had slept, he undressed Hyfe of his mantel. He wore it and hurried towards the exit. The wind had calmed down. Moreover, the mantel was working! It was keeping him warm.

When Namuh had finally got out he ran with all his energy. He could hear Hyfe's shrieks echoing back from the cave.

"The mantel? Where's the mantel? Namuh, did you take it?", screamed Hyfe, as if he was in great pain.

"No, Hyfe, it wasn't me. Something has come up and I can't stay.", lied Namuh again.

Namuh ran even faster away from the cave. He did not want to see it again. However, Hyfe's cries worsened and Namuh could sense agony in Hyfe's voice. After moments of deafening yells, Hyfe gave out a final shriek and was heard no more. Namuh suspected that something was wrong in the cave.

Hyfe could cry no more. The cold was literally killing him. They had taken away from him what kept him alive, his dear mantel. He fell on the hay and looked for the last time at his home. He struggled to breathe. He closed his eyes for the last time. Hyfe had died, cheated by his new 'friend'. The lifeless body of Hyfe froze to death in a few minutes and stood there, motionless. Hyfe's agony was immortalised in his expression.

Namuh got a bit worried. Hyfe's silence was not a good sign. Regardless of his worries, he still tried to sleep with his new mantel. No more cold nights, he told himself. He was happy to have met someone to talk to and planned to visit Hyfe the next morning. He had finally found a friend who understood him. Namuh did not realise what he had done. He had left the cave because he wanted to experience something new. He wanted to experience what it would be like to feel the mantel's warmth.

Unfortunately, the only thing he would discover in the morning would be Hyfe's lifeless body.

Jyho

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:04:38 PDT

Namuh's eyes hurt. He had had a difficult night. He looked at the world around him and loved it more than ever now. The little knowledge he now possessed made him realise that one day he will have to face the next world. But when?

He stood looking at all the beauty that surrounding him. He realised how perfect his 'body' was. The trees and the uncorrupted spring. The beautiful sky and the soft earth. Now, he appreciated more what surrounded him and was reluctant to leave his paradise. In the same time, he longed to meet his own kind. Namuh was troubled by an important question Will he, in a way, die? Will all this finish?

He looked at the sky and caught a glimpse of the Manthar. Namuh started crying. Will he ever see the Earth? Why was he here.... couldn't he just be on the Earth? The Earth. This was Namuh's paradox. He felt that he should stay in this place, but in the same time wanted to feel what being human was like. The only way he could do that was by abandoning this world and go to his real home. The place he was meant to be in.

He knew that he'd suffer and that he'd be denied the truth. People will try to control him and influence him to get their own way. Some will hate him and offer him the road to damnation. He must love, though, and only then will he free from the chains of slavery. There, he will be, contemplating truth and learning new concepts. From new knowledge he will achieve wisdom. Finally, he will guide others to the light and all people will see that love is the only path to learn.

This daydream filled Namuh not only with hope, but it also gave him a reason for being. He now knew what he wanted to do. He'd been inspired by the truth. He was now free of all the restrictions of hate. He was free to see the path towards true learning. He had found what his mission on the Earth would be. Only then did he realise that there was a smiling blue dragon in front of him.

"You were daydreaming weren't you?'

"To say the truth, yes."

"My name is Jyho. I am going to show you the way to achieving liberation from the cycle of rebirth. I represent Buddhism."

"Buddhism?'

Namuh now could see a man meditating under a tree. The man did not move but just sat there ignoring the strong wind that blew on him. He asked himself what this man was doing.

"That man is called Siddharta Gautama. He is the enlightened one -- the Buddha."

"May I ask what he is doing?'

"He is meditating. Searching within himself for the truth. He'll discover many things in himself and through the experiences he has had. You see Buddha was once a Hindu. However, he could not accept the caste system, the way Hindus divided humans from birth in different categories. He also wanted to find the truth because he could not accept all what the Hindu taught. Thus, he searched for the truth amongst the poor and the dying.

"The first thing he concluded is that existence is unhappiness. That is the first of the Noble Truths. All the madness you saw is caused by a craving for happiness. However, the world offers temporary happiness. If you live on the world you'll be constantly unhappy if you attach yourself to things that don't really matter.

"The second is that unhappiness is caused by selfishness. The self causes us to have delusions, greed and a multitude of evils. If we become staves to our own self we'll never be happy but always want more and more. However, if we become unselfish and give to others, we shall not want but give and thus, love, and we'll be truly happy. Don't you see that this selfishness makes us kill others? It makes us seek what's best for us, irrespective of what others need? The human who is slave to himself will never be happy because there will always be something for which to fight for and greed is unquenchable. Thus, Namuh, if humans looked before they leaped, they would not fall victims to the self. They would control the urges of their body and be truly above the animals. How can things that don't last make you happy? When they finish, you'll need more and more. Thus we must fight desire."

"It's like in the river. I tried to experience the water and tried to go into it many times. However, though it gave me momentary satisfaction, it never really gave me happiness that lasts."

"Yes, because your longing for more happiness made you unhappy. That takes us to the third truth. One can go beyond desire and destroy it completely to achieve Nirvana - freedom from the process of rebirth and achievement of happiness and freedom from all desires. This can be attained by following the Eight Ways."

"The Eight Ways?"

"The first way is right view.

"The second is right desire. That is, knowing which desires are good and doing good things. For example, the desire to help is good.

"Third, right speech. Not lying and deceiving others but saying what is true and factual.

"Fourth, right conduct. Behaving morally and abstaining from taking of any life--human or animal.

"Fifth, right livelihood. You must harm no one but help everyone.

"Sixth, right effort.

"Seventh, right awareness of your past, present and future. In order to act wisely, you must draw from the past and reflect on how your present decisions will affect your future.

"Eighth, right meditation. Looking within you for the right ways and actions. If one does so, one will achieve Nirvana."

"So, those are the Four Noble Truths."

"Yes. We also believe that there is no permanent self. As the self always changes, it can never be permanent. You, Namuh changed from the beginning of your conception and are not the same Namuh. You're not the same self anymore. The illusion that the self is permanent makes people do stupid things. They began attaching themselves to power, money and luxuries. They forget that the body will one day finish and die.

"All this arises from the belief in a permanent self. The karma, or one's deeds is carried with the self. However, when Nirvana is attained the force that binds the different elements of the impermanent self break loose."

"Is there a God in your religion?"

"We neither deny or accept a God. We just live to liberate ourselves from suffering. As life is suffering, we must do something about it to achieve true happiness.

"All religions, Namuh, teach you the way to the truth. You have to listen to their voices and you'll manage to understand it. All religions have part of the truth and together they will reveal one truth.

"Some last things Namuh."

"What is it that you want to tell me?"

"Remember that though humans might be reborn, that does not mean their life is not precious. That goes against the eight ways. All human life is precious because it leads to the whole improvement of humanity. It is wrong to harm others, so it is wrong to kill others.

"True education does not mean crippling others with knowledge, Namuh. That is wrong. True education should let humans use their creativity and help them reach the truth within them. Through knowledge, they should be taught not just what that knowledge means but what the implication of knowledge is. The responsibility it entails. Only through their use of both their logical mind and their creative mind can they truly benefit from it.

"Education should let the mind develop in understanding and not sink into seas of meaningless words. For what is the meaning of meaning?"

Jyho was gone and Namuh was struck by this question deeply. By night he could not get a straight answer. Meaning was understanding, like he was doing. The underlying concepts conveyed meaning. So meaning of meaning would be the concept behind all concepts. For concepts convey meaning. Were concepts meaning? Was the concept behind all concepts God Himself? These and many thoughts confused Namuh.

This night he dreamt a peaceful dream. He saw millions of people realising happiness and telling others of how they feel. Then he saw millions of souls changing themselves as if a giant wave had caused such a change. They were no longer the same. And Namuh was in the centre of the whole event.

Namuh's had shifted from Western to Eastern ideals. However, Namuh sought balance. A balance that would reveal to him the causes of all causes. A task he would, unfortunately, fail to finish.

Namuh had been exposed to five major world views and now was at the mercy of another two red dragons.

The Manthar looked down at Namuh. It was now confused and could not think clearly. The decision regarding Namuh's fate was too difficult to take. What could it do? What should it do?

Kaius

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:56:45 PDT

Namuh woke up feeling refreshed and ready for another adventure. He had now matured greatly and could weigh things more critically. He was still innocent and thirsty for knowledge, but now had acquired wisdom. Namuh had become more than just merely mature. He looked at what he learned with the eyes of a child, innocently and willing to understand the underlying concepts behind everything -- an effortless thing for him now. On the other hand, he knew how to look critically and weigh the teachings the dragons gave him. It felt as though he knew what was right or wrong.

He had experienced such a feeling before when he had slaughtered the pig. He had been shocked by what he'd done because he was not conscious at the time of what the consequences of his actions would have been. How he had changed!

Namuh still wondered about what the Manthar was. He still felt the need to make up stories about it. One of the Mantharian myths Namuh devised was simple but precise. The Manthar was his mother that gave him life and had brought him in this strange sphere. The Manthar was responsible for everything that happened in this place.

This myth was nearer to the truth than Namuh thought. However, Namuh could not possibly understand the complexity of the world he had found himself in. Do you remember when Namuh first stepped into this world? He just was. I must tell you, though, that this is not at all true. Namuh's life was being controlled by an unknown force. It would be too easy to tell you what this force was. You must discover it for yourself.

Namuh stood there near a tree. He wanted to find out whether the world was a reality or an illusion. He examined a big tree and discovered many things. Things he had not noted before. Though Namuh never conceived nature as such, he had understood the concept of nature.

The tree did not have any sign of life around it. No insects, or any other creatures. He had seen Eden's trees and had noted that they were bursting with life.

Thus, this world was not like the Earth. The idea of perfection troubled Namuh. He had thought about it before but now it was different. Namuh was different.
Before everything was new and thus, everything he saw he considered natural. Now that he'd been exposed to so many different facts and realities that he began doubting many things about the world. If I am a human being what am I doing in this world? I should be on Earth, not here! protested Namuh.

One must examine deeply Namuh curiosity. If he had never seen the Earth, or the dragons, he would not have questioned the validity of his world's existence. He knew that all humans, at least on Earth, had a body and that he had none. This other thought troubled Namuh deeply. Suddenly, it struck him.

The world and me.... we are the same! The world is my body! I am the entity occupying this world! So, I have a body after all. The truth about himself had dawned upon him, but that was not enough. He wanted more. He had not solved the riddle of the Manthar yet, had he? Now, he was not alone. The world was in him and he was in the world. The only means he knew of rejoicing was to dance around the spring because of this new realisation. Veritas had taught him how humans express their feelings. So, Namuh danced around the spring like a person who had found himself again. The whole truth however, is yet to come.

A great red dragon interrupted Namuh's dance.

"I am Kaius. I'm here to teach you a really fine art!"

"Like dancing?"

"Let's start from the basics. We agree that humans have a tendency to do wrong, to do evil, so to speak."

"Yes, so?"

"So, because they are fundamentally evil, they must be controlled at all costs to protect them from harming themselves."

Namuh was not sure he agreed. Yes, they had a tendency to do evil. But this was not the same as saying that they were fundamentally evil.

"What about freewill? Don't they have the right to decide for themselves?"

"Humans have committed evil. Thus, they cannot decide for themselves what is best for them. You must realise that humans are there to be led. The leader must take responsibility of the people. He must guide his people."

"The leader?"

"We're talking state matters here. The state is an area of land controlled by the representatives of the people. Because society is fundamentally evil, humans must be stopped from harming themselves by total control - they must be grasped with an iron hand"

"That goes against freewill! Humans are born free. They must be free to control their own actions. No one has the right to deny them freedom. If they were denied their will, they will lose all direction. They'll become puppets in the hands of their leaders."

"The ultimate decision is of the leaders. The people know nothing. They are evil. The good leaders should stop the evil populace from harming themselves. Now be patient and follow my argument. What do you think are two qualities that a leader must possess in order to be a good leader?"

"I guess he or she should be loved by the people. I fail to find any other. Could you please tell me of the second?"

"Well, you got the first right. The second is that he should be feared by the people. I would rather have a feared ruler but one who is obeyed than a loved ruler who has a disobedient people. After all, the leader has the best interests of the people at heart..."

"Please wait, I think you're partially wrong. Are not leaders human beings as well? Are not they evil too if they're humans, as you're saying? Will not they tend to harm others as well? Would not be better if all humans participated in the running of that area of land? I've learnt that humans can both be good and evil. You can't deny it! There wouldn't be people like Mother Theresa. Didn't you see how she cared for the sick and dying? Were you there?"
"That can't happen in real life. That's impossible. The people do not know what is best for it. For the people is evil! That is why it must leave everything in the hands of those who can decide for them. They must be protected from themselves!", the dragon seemed to be making a great speech.

"But all people must participate, Kaius, It's wrong to take control of the minds of others. It's total denial of their freedom. They must seek the truth and no one has the right to deny them their opinion. Because opinion might lead to the truth. Perspective leads to the whole picture."

"The people must serve the state without questioning it. The alternative would be anarchy! Can't you see that all human's problems could be solved if they gave up to the care of the state. The state is everything!"

"Humans have the ability of deciding, my friend. They are not objects you can throw away. They are, like any other creature, to be respected. The leader is just another human being and can't deny the voice of the populace for he's not infallible. No one is! Thus, it follows that if everyone discussed the affairs of the state with an open mind it follows that different perspectives lead to the truth and to the whole improvement of a state. If all people have active participation in deciding, they will be able to learn the truth. Only a collective contribution, rather than a dictatorship, can lead to real freedom.

"If leaders, I warn you Kaius, don't have a vision and an insight into the truth --then they will drown into a sea of corruption. No problems will be solved if we are shortsighted and want everything now. The state should be governed by patient and wise men.

"For it is one thing to know how a state works, but it is another thing altogether to know how to rule it. That is wisdom. Thus, all humans must seek the light that makes them live, the atman if you like, to direct them to the truth. The truth which is one, and which can be reached through many paths. One only has to look for the answer inside him. Religion is one way of reaching the truth but is not the only way. The truth is something people wish to ignore and something they must surely face if they are to improve.", said Namuh echoing Plato.

"But what is the truth, Namuh? Does the truth exist? Human minds are corrupt and must be tied down. The only way to do this is to thwart truth, because humans only believe lies and nothing else. You must give the people what they want to achieve power."

"But why thwart truth? Truth will inspire the right action and will make society behave better to respect the freedom of others. The only truth I know is the one that loves and does justice."

"There can be no justice if free people exist. Control and restriction promise justice. Don't forget that humans always tend to choose wrong! Control only ensures that humans are protected against themselves! Don't you realise that?"

"No, my friend, control promotes rebellion. The soul must be free to decide. Though humans may be part evil, and for that must adhere to certain regulations, so that each individual's freedom is respected, they must still be free to choose. They are free creatures, who can chose whether to follow the path of love or not.

"Justice is the protection of that right. If I decide not to follow the path of love and hinder other's choice I'm not being just. Children are free creatures too - they must be given a chance to follow the path of love. That is the path that leads to the truth and is the only good path.

"I tell you, Kaius, if children are fed love they will give back love. That is the solution to all the world's problems. Remember Auschwitz? That was lack of love -- a dominance of the hate ethic! See what it turned to.. your dictatorial regime? Loss of dignity, loss of humanity and a total feeling of alienation, uselessness! Do you really want this? Denial of truth is denial of love. No state, I think, will succeed in keeping its populace peaceful unless this attitude is adopted. All the wars and bloodshed are a sign of a hating society. Love promotes peace and unity. Hate promotes separation and racism.

"Kaius, the greatest evil is to try to manipulate others. It not only means that you don't respect the other person but are willing to use him for your own means. If politics mixes with manipulation and lies, then it becomes impure and corrupt.

"A good leader really seeks what's best for his people and not for his means. He keeps the truth in his heart and has a vision for the future. He loves his people and listens to what they want. He tries to do what they want, if it is good for them, but if not shows them where there is the error and discusses the problem. He may be in the wrong, so, he must be open minded and feel responsible of his actions."

"Poison! All poison!"

"Thus, a whole society will be guided by a leader who has a vision and not just knows how to run a state. That is what love is all about."

"You're a useless being, Namuh, useless! If you listen to the people you'll be led by the people! Then you'll ask yourself who the real leader is - the people or you?"

The dragon cried out, and escaped through the forest, shouting and whining as if it had been hurt. Namuh looked at it and asked himself why all this madness, why all this hate existed. Dominate the minds of others? Manipulate them? thought Namuh. For what? Power and money -- things that don't last Are humans so short-sighted? Don't they see the consequences of their actions? Are they ready to sacrifice others for their personal gain and because of their irrational hate? Namuh sadly nodded and said Yes, they are.

Namuh stood by the tree, shaken by the power truth had. He wanted to calm down. He wanted to think straight.

The dragon represented a part of humanity. The ruthless side. There are humans out there who are ready to sacrifice others, and even nature, to gain power and money. What power does money have! uttered Namuh. Humans were divided because of things that don't last and which will not be taken into the next reality Things which are worthless. Love is the greatest teacher. Nothing is more precious than love Namuh concluded. With love, everyone is equal, everyone has the chance to speak. Love gives the opportunity of learning from others and of creating great things. Why all this evil?

"Evil is caused by alt this lack of love! It's the answer to a world that promotes hate! That is why children learn to kill and destroy -- they know no better way! All this corruption! Shame on all humans who let this happen!" cried Namuh.

However, his was a lonely voice in an unknown world. A world lost in the cosmos of humanity. The words echoed back and were never to be heard again. Surely one does not expect to live in a good way and to listen to the truth. It's too uncomfortable and surely we don't want to listen to it. We humans want lies, lies and damned lies. We lack the urge to live to the full. Now, Namuh sat there crying because of all this evil. Are we also the culprits?

Night came and Namuh struggled to get some sleep. But when he did manage, he had the worst nightmare. It was a world of darkness, where humans marched without direction. They were living beings, but seemed to have no will. They lust marched into the darkness. Then he saw a man shouting at the crowd, with blood seeping out of his mouth and he sat there throwing stones at them until they fell one by one. There was no order, only chaos. There was no peace, but total emptiness. There was no love, but hate. The man clasped another stone and threw it at a corpse. There he sat and started eating it. His eyes had no glitter. He was dead as well, but in a different way.

Vediknin

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:59:06 PDT

A new day had emerged. It was brighter than ever! Namuh noticed that the light rays were relatively stronger than they were before. Namuh suspected that the more he approached the truth the more the world brightened up. The world and him were one and the same but different, thought Namuh. This was the dilemma he wished to solve. How can two things be one and be unique in the same time?

"I'm here to help you understand your reality deeper, Namuh."

A dragon had spoken. Namuh turned around. Facing him was a blue dragon. Namuh was drawn to it. Unlike the other dragons, it had features he had never seen before.

"You surely know I've got a riddle to solve..."

"But you must find your own answers, Namuh - inside you. I'm here to enlighten you towards the truth. Nothing else."

"Then, who are you?"
"Vediknin."

For a moment, Namuh did not notice that the scene around him had changed. The river he was looking at was not his own.

"This is the Ganges river. It's one of the most important rivers for my people. it is where my people were given part of the truth."

"You mean this isn't my world anymore?"

"No, what you're seeing is a pilgrimage."

Many people appeared out of nowhere walking towards the river as if trying to do something with it. Now Namuh could understand.

"Water has always been the symbol of purification for many centuries in human history."

"Purification?"
"Removal of all that is bad and evil in us, the cleansing of the body. Water is also a symbol of life because humans and all creatures cannot survive without it."

"I can!"

"You're different, friend. You still need water but do not know that this is so because you don't get it as humans do on Earth."

"In simple terms?"

"You need it but don't take it yourself, not consciously. Water, thus, is the source of life, as is sometimes fire -- but that is a different story altogether. Water thus is a means of purification as it is the source that keeps you going. It's perfect because it's pure and gives life. Thus through perfection one realises liberation from suffering. My people are a bit different from those of the previous blue dragons."

"Who do you represent then?"

"I represent those who believe in Hinduism."

"Hinduism? What's that?"

"It is many things. But first you must understand that this is a different world view from the others.

"Right."

"The ancient works of Hinduism are those we seek inspiration from. They are the Veda, Brahmanas, Upanishads and Bhagavad-gita. They convey some of the fundamental truths of our beliefs.

"The whole universe around you, and around your home place, is spherical in shape. Thus, everything is related to the figure of a circle. Inevitably, human life is cyclic as well."

"You mean they don't die?"

"They die, but are reborn. The essence of humans is reborn. It can end up as anything. It can end up as earth, trees, animals or as another human. This cycle of lives we call the samsara. It is like a wheel which turns and turns. Every human chooses his destiny through his deeds -- the karma. What karma one does influences where the samsara takes him or her.

"As the universe is cyclic, all things in it must be cyclic as well. The creator of this universe is the absolute spirit, or the omnipresent Reality -- the Brahman. The Brahman is the impersonal world soul in which all atmans, or individual souls, must reunite with when they have achieved release, or moksha, from samsara."

"How can one achieve moksha?"

"They can achieve it by following the path of knowledge. Only when they have gained knowledge can they say that they have seen the truth. All living beings are part of Brahman and thus can take many forms, by means of samsara. So, knowledge liberates the atman from the endless cycle of samsara and lets it reunite with the Brahman. The Brahman is the only reality. All you perceive is a product of His mind.

"There are also the Trimurti, or the God heads. There is Brahma, the creator of the universe. Then there is Vishnu, who preserves the universe and finally Shiva, who destroys the universe. The universe continually is being destroyed by Shiva and created again by Vishnu. Brahma keeps the balance that maintains life. Thus, Brahma creates and Shiva destroys."

"Isn't this trinity similar to the Christian Trinity?"

"Not exactly. In the Christian Trinity God is one and is not divided within itself. The Hindu Trinity is made up of two opposing forces, but in the same time it is balanced. It's confusing really. We can't expect to understand God really. He's mysterious.

"There is disorder but order in this trinity. Brahma and Shiva seem to complement each other. One makes, the other unmakes. So no new creation would be possible if one or the other did not exist. Thus life is a cycle. Life must die to make way to new life.

"The cosmos is full of contradictions. Because it will not last long it is, in a sense, an illusion but because it exists it is real. That is the same with life. It is both an illusion and a reality."

"You mean..."

"Yes, what you see is real because it exists. On the other hand it is an illusion because it will one day end. That is, if you take into consideration both the past and the future."

"So life is like a wheel and when we die we are reborn. Doesn't that contradict the previous truths?"

"It may seem too if one gets lost on trivial things. But the human essence is reborn, the atman, who wishes to reunite with the Brahman. Thus, one's deeds affect where one ends up. In one way it challenges the previous dragons but in the other it fits perfectly. Heaven and hell are suffered on the Earth and outside it. The desire for reunion with Brahman and the failure to do so is hell. Heaven is when both the atman and the Brahman reunite.

"This is not much different from the previous. We are all part of the Brahman, thus His children, because we have His essence. Our only place is being one with Him.

"We believe in lower gods, demigods and supernatural beings but they are obviously less important than the Brahman. They are our heritage of the past. Traditions. The members of the Trimurti can become incarnate as well."

"As in the case of Jesus Christ?"

"That's different, yet similar. Again, another paradox. Once a member of the Trimurti, Vishnu, became Krishna. Vishnu was the preserver of life. But of course, one cannot really compare Christ to Krishna. They are not the same."
The Ganges river disappeared and a skinny man who seemed to have many followers appeared.

"That man is Gandhi. He has taught the world a great lesson: the lesson of peace. He has taught the world not to use violence because bloodshed is useless. A waste of lives which should have lived to build a better world! That's why we call him the great spirit, or Mahatma. Thus he has shown that any activity that destroys life is denial of self-improvement and thus is detrimental to all life. What's the use of destroying ourselves when we could build together?

"This man has starved himself, almost to death, to stop useless slaughter and bloodshed. He's a man who has sacrificed himself to stop this bestial desire to spill blood. He has made a significant change in the world, and thus, has achieved a great level of being."

A woman appeared in Gandhi's place. All the followers were gone and all Namuh could see were very sick people dying. He could see that this woman caring for them with all her energy. One of them had a torn face and insects surrounded her. Namuh had never seen before a body plagued by such terrible diseases. He was shocked. The dragon pointed at this old woman who was caring for them.

"She is Mother Teresa. She, unlike Gandhi, was not a Hindu but taught the world something else. She taught that love leads not only to learning from others but of giving oneself to others. What Logos taught you, she has lived. She has gained a new level of learning through love. She didn't judge humans by their actions but tried to reach them through their hearts. Most importantly, she tried to forgive the evils that they had committed. Only then could she manage to change them. She did very good karma on this world.

"The last thing that I'll teach you Namuh, is about Jainism and Sikhism. These grew out from the Hindu tree.

"Jainism believes in the beautiful teaching of ahimsa. That is, the sacredness of all life - be it animal, plant or human. I believe that if we respect all life, like these do, we will not only respect human life naturally but dissolve ourselves in the sea of love, if all life is sacred, then all life will be respected and preserved at all costs.

"Sikhism retains that all religions have a fundamental truth. That is the truth I convey. They all portray the truth but from different backgrounds. Then you must search deeper for the truth inside you. Thus, God is one. The names we give God are just unimportant. God has revealed Himself to many people. Humans tend to turn religion into a game of power. No one should detest another because of belief, If one understands the true meaning of all religion one will gain freedom and learn through love.

"Thus one must tolerate everyone if one really wants to seek the truth and through this example lead others to the truth."

The dragon was gone and Namuh slept.

This night he dreamt of a giant wheel turning. He was in part of the cycle turning round and round. Then in the centre he could see the Trimurti and many atmans travelling with him around the Manthar. Was this an illusion or was it real? Namuh constantly asked himself.

The complexity of such a system confused Namuh. He had not before separated illusion and reality. For him everything was real. The scenes and images he saw were real. He realised that they could also be illusions. But they were both real, for he saw them, but illusions, for they were not there. His world was a paradox.

That is why he must explore it deeply and understand what happens on it. All Namuh could say to himself was that God is love. That was the truth he saw recurring. However there were many things he had learnt. The truth of being, of love and of truth itself. Now, he sat there in the wheel asking himself whether this dream was a reality as well. The confusion one feels when exposed to different truths, which really emerge from one truth, is great.

One no longer can believe in the lies that the world says but is placed in a difficult situation. Once one has drunk from the spring of truth and now must tell others of the truth. However, many times as In Namuh's case, the person who is conscious of the truth is killed because all we want are lies. Truth is an illusion, we say, life is real. As life soon ends it eludes us into believing that there is nothing beyond it.

Yognerni

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:39:59 PDT

When Namuh woke up, he could feel a gentle and comforting breeze. He stood on the grass lazily tasting the strength and comfort of the wind. Now the truth about himself had been revealed and was all that mattered.

A loud sound was coming from the forest. It was like a cry but of course Namuh would not really know. Namuh, having been aroused by a deep sense of curiosity, made an effort to direct himself towards the forest. What could that possibly be? wondered Namuh. The wind became stronger as he approached the forest.

Namuh walked without stopping through the leaves and through all the strange new plants he encountered. These are the trees behind all trees, thought Namuh. Immediately after he said those words, he was captivated by something he had never seen before in his world.

It was a giant stone, larger than any stones he had ever seen. It was white and pure. Unlike all the other stones, no sign of dust or dirt were present on this marvel. The stone, in fact, was so white that it reflected light back and Namuh had to shield his eyes from its reflection. On the stone sat a dragon, who was crying as if in pain. With a newly acquired confidence, Namuh approached the dragon to ask him what was happening.

"Hey, dragon, why are you making those strange noises?"

"Because I've seen the truth and don't like it."

"Who are you?"

"Yognerni, the dragon of truth."

They all tell me that! an annoyed Namuh said to himself.

The only truth in Yognerni, though, was just that was his real name and nothing else.

"What is the truth?"
"The truth is that this is the only reality. There is nothing beyond it. Life is an illusion, and after death there is but a deep void. That is all, isn't it sad?"

"No. The previous drag-"

"Forget them. They have been disillusioned by religion, thoughts and ideas. Life is a misery and religion is its poison. It is the opium of the people. It drugs them into believing something that is not there and that will never be there.

"That is why one must affirm one's place in the world of beasts. For that is what your world is. Have you ever seen humans cooperating with each other? From the fall onwards humans have always sought their own interests and nothing else. It is natural for human beings to be like that! So, it's right for them to be like that. You are all that ultimately matters In the world! Otherwise if you don't strive for your own interests, nobody will show you any compassion."

"As long as there is no hell or heaven, there is no reason to fear. What can be done should be done. That's a fact. Look upon yourself Namuh. You are unique and very intelligent. Yet, because in the future you'll be surrounded by people who follow blindly what the other people are doing, what's the fashion -- you will be suffocated and repressed. Remember Jesus? The Jewish herd went against its master! The inferior beings had overthrown the true genius! Do you think that people like you should be chained by the herd's beliefs? The master must express his or her potential. The master must not be tied down by moral standard which oppress his or her talent! The master must be freed from the chains of morality... There are humans who are better than others. The herd must not oppress the will of such better humans!"

"I understand what you're getting at. You wish to give a chance for those who have talent to express themselves. To better themselves and thus, overcome themselves. But there must be, in the end, a guiding force behind all which we do. Even the greatest minds, even I, at one point may succumb and commit an error. Everyone will err at one point. Then what? No, don't get me wrong, humans are good! The problem is that they do not know it. It must be pointed out to them that they can be good!

"The ends of all human action is to achieve happiness. But many times even those who have found the right path, or know it doubt themselves and do stupid things. As long as humans are fallible, they need a morality to guide them. Can't you see that if we learn to love, there'll be no need to fight... no need to hurt each other? Only then will people be free from the chains of ignorance. Only then. But until then all must be guided towards truth!"

"The world of illusions has corrupted you, Namuh. Don't you see that all this is false! Pure fantasy!", he said whilst pointing at the creatures and things around them.

"Even if it were... can't you see the beauty of it all? The harmony and freedom it conveys? Yognerni, I tell you, you are looking at the world as if nothing in it works -- but everything does! I've learned a new way to look at things, can't you understand? If you love nature you will learn from it. If you hate it, you'll learn only how to hate it even more.

"Now Ii give you a piece of my mind, Yognerni. If we look in this way at all things and people we'll achieve an insight into the truth and with this insight we shall free ourselves from the need to fight and destroy ourselves for things that don't last"

"Namuh, you must learn to think more of yourself. You can't expect justice to occur without keeping in mind the fact that humans are egoists! As long as humans are selfish, their actions will be selfish! Remember what they did to the Jews? Do you think that we should show compassion to people like the Nazis? Even your God had said that -- 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth and life for a life'! Justice should be harsh!"

"It is not the only thing God said! Real justice can only be achieved when we look at things through the perspective of love. If there comes a time when justice uses evil means, it becomes evil itself! And such a circle will be a vicious cycle, an irreversible choice. For if justice gets corrupt, then all its law will become useless. For if in the name of justice, one is prepared to destroy and kill, then it becomes useless!"

"You idiot! You'll succumb to anyone or anything if you really believe those words. Shame on thee! I thought that you could become one of the strong and not one of the weak."

"Of what use is calling me an 'idiot'? If you are calling me an idiot because I know the truth then call me so. But if you're calling me so because I prefer to love than to hate, to choose the right than to choose the wrong, then you should be the one to be ashamed of yourself and not me!"
The dragon dived into the air and cursed Namuh's words. Deeply relieved, Namuh, rested for it was night.

Meanwhile, Yognerni flew to that part of the forest inhabited by Dlataz.

"He has become too immune to be left alone. It's not working, Dlataz! He's been taken in by those imbeciles."

"Keep trying and if you all fail, then and only then will I intervene.

He will then see me and hail, and I'll be the master as I've always been!"

Truth and Knowledge

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:58:38 PST

A cool breeze awoke Namuh. It was like the river: refreshing and rejuvenating and yet was dry. Nature made Namuh think deeper about his stay in the world. It had been an experience in which he had felt both comfort and discomfort. He was taught things he could not yet fully understand. In the same time, however, he could understand the meaning of the words uttered. That was his paradox. He heard things he had never heard before, concepts he could not conceive and yet he still managed to understand. How could that be possible? Today he must find the answer. Today.

Then he looked at the sky and noticed that there was something he had never seen before. He saw a cloud, something rare in the planet because there was no sun. However, sometimes the heat caused the river to evaporate and form clouds.

The cloud reflected the rays so well that the poor Namuh had to cover his eyes. Slowly but surely, though, Namuh became accustomed to the cloud's reflection. Then he noticed two strange characters on the cloud who, like the dragons, had a face. Yet, they were nowhere like the dragons. They are like a cross between humans and fairies, Namuh thought. Body-wise, he was right. One of the beings ordered the cloud to land on the ground.

After the beings' slow descend, the clouds disappeared and one of the beings came forward to talk to a nervous Namuh. Namuh's reaction was rather strange, considering that he had encountered beings such as dragons and fairies. One must keep in mind, however, that Namuh had grown accustomed to meeting such familiar entities. The thought that the world he inhabited contained even stranger entities never occurred to him till this day. In fact, even the concept "strange" was new to him.

"Don't be afraid of us. We're here to show you the right path.", said one of them.

"Who are you? Who sent you?"

"I am Logos.", said one

"I am Veritas.", said the other
"You sent for us, you wanted to know why you know, right?"

"Right."

"We're also here to teach something else about the human race. Something that the dragons are not authorised to include."

Authorised? So there is someone in control of my world after all. Namuh felt that this piece of information was not just useful but vital knowledge. He wanted to know who was in control but no one ever told him. He wondered why.

A strange noise interrupted Namuh's thoughts. In fact it was not a noise at all. It had some strange kind of...

"This is music.", said Veritas whilst dancing with the rhythm.

Namuh could not resist joining in.

"And music is part of a far greater thing. It is part of art. Humans are artistic creatures. They need to express what they feel through what they perceive."

The music went on but soon died out.

"You have experienced the power of music. It lets your heart drift into the little known realm of emotions. Emotions are what you feel, friend, they are hate, love, agony, pity and a myriad of others. The artist suffers and when he suffers he feels the need to express his suffering. Even when he is happy, he expresses his emotions through art but suffering is large part of human existence. Art is his release from this suffering. It lets its those who experience or behold it interact with the artist's state of mind. It unites different kinds of people.

"Art is not a mere window into a landscape or into an event. Every piece of art has that unique contribution of the artist. It is impossible to explain what art is if we one does not understand who we are or what we are. Because art is us, and we are art. We may be the art of the creator, of God. And like God who created us we have the ability to create as well. Through art we create and through art we become the people who change our reality.

"Thus art offers us freedom. Not just freedom from the oppression of unhappiness and loss, but freedom from the chains of our body to do something that goes beyond us and yet is in us.

"Music is one of the most powerful arts because it releases the emotions through noise. Noise is the universal language humans can understand. But unlike noise, music is organised and orderly. Then there are those who prefer to release this force of creating through writing, like the characters you've seen inscribed on the ten commandments, or through their the use of their body.

"As long as this offers release from the world's pain, even for a moment, it is art. This art that is part of the artist and yet is distinct from him, this art that makes him live through the moments of his life and also beyond this life. The artist uses his creativity not to seek immortality, eternal life, but to help him cope with life's struggle and to keep him going. The artist seeks happiness.

"When a human is working he is expressing his need to create and in this sense he is, with God, taking part in the creation of the world. Art unites the artist with his art. The role of art is not to bring success or fame, Namuh, but satisfaction of having released what is inside you."

"You mean release the spirit?"

"Release the light that is in you. Release the truth of your reality and push others to the truth."

"What is reality, then?"

"The only reality is the truth."

"What do you mean? Dragons have deceived me and I considered that truth to be the reality."

"You were wrong. Don't believe the illusions they put before you. The only reality, and the truth is in the world of being."

"The world of being?"

"All the animals, plants, and things you see are just the effects of a far greater cause. They do not really exist. They are, in a way, just an illusion, all illusions. The truth lies within you. That is why you can understand concepts because you have entered the world of being. The world of being includes all concepts. Thus, it never changes and it is always true. Things we perceive may be real to us. They are. We are part of a great creation. However, the truth we should be searching for is inside us: within us. It's the peak of knowledge and of truth.

"If we understand all the underlying concepts of everything we will have seen the truth. Each animal is just a copy of a far greater thought. It is a copy of the concept behind all the animals in the world and in the universe. It is a word in God's mind!"

"You mean because I understand concepts I do not need to understand all the details leading to that single concept."

"Right. Namuh, you don't need to be spoon fed because the world has been revealed to you not in chunks to memorise but in fact. What is the use of learning the names of all the animals in the world if you don't know what an animal is? That is why humans are so foolish sometimes. They try to attain all the wealth of the world and don't know why. They offer the excuses of happiness and satisfaction. Is that the truth? The truth is one. If they don't discover that beautiful part inside them and the power of love, humans are doomed to constant unhappiness."

"Real happiness", continued Logos, "is in discovering that each thing we perceive is part of a far larger plan. A plan for the whole cosmos. If we manage to understand the concept behind all concepts we wilt attain true happiness. You have heard about the genetic code, Namuh'?"

"I didn't quite get what they were trying to tell me."

"In the beginning of all life on the world, God gave His creation an instruction. Every creature which would evolve later followed God's plan because the code guided it through survival. Some creatures did not make it through time and became extinct. Humans are a different story. In God's plan they were to become above the animals, though being animals themselves. Thus, it was that they gained the ability to not just ask themselves what to do but why they were doing it.

"This knowledge led them to fall to pride. They began attempting to overcome their humanity and know all. Thus now they must be guided back to the truth because they have tried to deny it. They now must learn the concept behind all animals in order to know what animals are. That is true knowledge.

"Namuh, it is not enough for you to know how to build a fire. It may turn against you and you'll be lost. You must also acquire the why behind the fire. If you know why the fire burns you'll be able to do something if it gets out of control. You'll know what you have to do next! You'd have a vision into the future. You will learn that the fire feeds on the air around it, and thus will know that if the wind blows towards you, you must run away from it. You'll know in future not to feed the fire with air but extinguish it by denying it air.
"Thus by understanding the underlying truth you'll be able to apply it in all situations. This concept you learnt will apply always when there is a fire and thus is the truth because there is only one truth and it never changes. For if the truth changes there would be no order in the universe. If gravity, the thing that keeps you on the ground, changes then you would not live as you do now. Only the experience of gravity changes, when we go in places where the pull is weaker, not the concept of gravity. It's the same thing with our world."

"You mean that it's possible to change my experience of truth but not truth itself."

"You could use part of a truth to fabricate lies. You could use truth to say that there is just relative truth. But if there was no truth, how could truth be relative? If there was no truth, how can we conceive of truth? How can one say that truth does not exist if one can define what truth is?"

"But surely people can invent something and believe that it is true? Can't they fabricate the lie that truth exists?"

"If a pig wakes up in the morning and says to itself, 'I am a tree' will it become a tree? The truth is that even if it considers itself a tree and acts like a tree, it will never become a tree. The tree and the pig are of different natures. One comes from the pig concept and the other from the tree concept. Then, a pig cannot lie to itself and say that is a tree, for if it believes so then it is blind. The truth is one: the pig is a pig. If the pig believes that it is a tree, then this lie does not change its being. If one says that there is no truth it's like the pig saying that it is a tree."

"What if the pig changes into a tree?"

"The pig can change into a tree only in thought, Namuh. It cannot be a tree, but just think that it's a tree. One cannot go against nature, or one wilt go against oneself."

"But can't nature be improved?"

"How can nature in its imperfection move to perfection? If one tried to breed a better stock, by destroying all imperfect stock, will not diseases evolve too? Thus the agents of disease will catch up with this new stock again and naturally make it imperfect again. There cannot be a world without diseases, my friend, only here can that occur.

"That is why I cry at the hypocrisy of humanity. They say that they respect all life but yet contradict themselves. They have destroyed many animals and plants irresponsibly because of their personal gain and are on the verge of destroying their own species."

"Surely it can't be that bad?"

"Yes, it is. Once the thought of using human life as experimental tools has emerged, the dignity of all life on the world has been sold. If humans continue to be so short-sighted and selfish they will lead to the destruction of their own species. That means that if you, Namuh, justify other humans being used as research tools you are accepting that your dignity is destroyed as welt. Don't believe that ethic.

"Humans are so short-sighted and aren't mature enough to weigh the consequences of their actions. They must think before they act or else all be lost."

"Why are they so short-sighted?"
"A disease has set its claws on the hearts of humans. The greed for money. Money has become everything, even above all life on Earth."

"Money? What's so special about it?"

"Money is just paper and coins. Material made from wood and from rock. It makes people blind to the truth. It makes them do things for profit only without the least respect for whom it may affect, especially when it concerns innocent creatures. You see, Namuh, innocent creatures are powerless in your world. They must fight for survival and are at the mercy of the powerful.

"Many times the powerful don't have a vision. They think they know everything about the world and how it works but in reality know nothing about the truth. The truth is in all of us, Namuh, the truth that craves for attention. But it hurts to discover the truth and we wish to ignore it. Don't do that, Namuh, never deny the truth. If you accept that the truth is in you and that it is in the world around you, you will conceive things you have never conceived. You'll be aware of evil, that's true and you'll try to find an reason for its being. However, don't let the world of lies win over you.

"Unless those in power realise the beauty of loving and thus of learning they will never gain the insight towards the future and consider themselves responsible for their actions. They will know just how to lead. But how is not enough. The fire they are in charge of must not be just built but also guided. They must know why they're there. This comes from loving and learning. That is the only way.

"If leaders don't ask questions, dear Namuh, it's because they don't seek answers. They don't have a real direction. To gain the truth one must examine one's own life thoroughly with love. Only then will one learn what is the truth. Experience is vital for you to understand but is not enough. If you don't reflect on your experiences, of what use were those experiences?

"A man who does not ask questions is a dangerous man. That means he does not care about himself or others. One will never reach the truth if one does not ask questions. Questions lead to the truth. The right questions lead to the truth."
"Right questions?"

"Yes, the right questions are those which affect one's particular existence. They are vital for the understanding of the self. Knowledge leads to these questions."

"Knowledge?"

"If you understand the underlying concept behind all things you will realise that no knowledge will be impossible to obtain. If you are given a fire you will know how to use it and never be lost for what to do and when to apply it. What is the use of teaching you how to write music -- if you don't know why and what use it wilt serve in the long run? I tell you it is better to understand the why of music first than start with the how. If you have a long-term vision you'll be able to understand its application better. Knowledge, though, is useless on its own. It needs wisdom."

"What is wisdom?""

"Wisdom goes beyond knowledge. It is in fact reflection upon that same knowledge. If one reflects on what one knows, one will be nearer to the truth. What's the use of knowing something and not learning anything about it?"

"That's paradoxical I"

"There is a difference between knowing and learning. If I know that the sky is blue and my knowledge stops there I am not a wise man. One must go further and ask 'Why is the sky blue?'. One must not merely accept knowledge and experience, but ponder on its significance. Only then will one see the light.

"For you'll see the light if you examine things with love, a will to learn, and through knowledge and wisdom. Only then you will see the truth. The truth that is in you and around you. The reality that will liberate you from the body and let you reach the skies. There is a spirit inside you that will let you fly from the boundaries and restrictions of the body. Then, you'll achieve happiness. That's the spirit you must search for and only then you will truly learn. Then only you'll see. That is the truth. I will add to it no further."

Logos and Veritas looked at each other and disappeared. Namuh was left there, still rather confused about what they had said. There was a truth and it was one. They had talked about light. What light? He had to search for that inside him. Namuh now knew why he knew so much. He could understand concepts immediately without effort. He learnt how to build a fire and could thus build many fires.

"So, if I know what a fire Is and why it behaves so, I can master it and apply the same principle in every situation. The fire feeds on air. That's the first principle. The other, it is extinguished by lack of air. Now, I can master all fires because I have understood.

"If I look at the flame from my inward eyes I see that the flame is not really there. It is just an illusion. An applied concept."

He placed his hand in the flame. It didn't hurt anymore.

"Pain is another illusion. Pain does not exist, it. Pain exists only through the senses. I can overcome it.

"There was that thing -- music! Music, the voice of the essence inside oneself that triggers the emotions and hidden feelings. Beautiful thing, and like the eternal flow of the river -- gentle but powerful."

Namuh had learnt to go beyond knowing but asking why he knows. He had been prompted to discover the truth and go beyond the body to achieve freedom. He had learnt these lessons before through the previous dragons in their different ways but the truth was clear now. What was the truth? Namuh decided that the only truth is the concept of love and the other laws were just a manifestation of that love. Everything was just an effect of ideas. Ideas were the truth and the only truths. The reality he saw was just a manifestation of those Ideas. The truth was made up of ideas and nothing else. Ideas in the book of God.

Namuh's world was not there but in the same way existed. It was conceived in the world of ideas and created through words. Thus, it was and it was not. That was the mystery of the world. One of the many mysteries of the world.

Namuh dreamt he was floating in the world of ideas, the world of being. There he could see alt the things behind all things. He could see the concept sky, hence he understood all skies, the concept love hence he understood all forms of love. He could also see the concept God, and understood all the manifestations of God's presence.
He did not need a bridge to take him to the other bank of the river. He was there already in thought. That's all he needed and that's all he wanted.

Dear reader, Namuh could understand faster than any human could. You can too. If you understand that you are in Namuh's state as well you can approach the truth. You have the power to understand the concept bird and so, don't need to remind yourself what the word 'bird' means every time you approach it. You have the power to distinguish all the flying animals in the sky either as birds or as planes. Thus, like a bird you have the power to fly beyond the earth and your body and free your mind into the sky, to the world of ideas and of freedom.

Then only will you learn to live to the full. You will learn to learn like Namuh, without fear and like a child. A child who has the joy of discovering new things and who does not fear to experiment. A child free from prejudice or bias, a beginner willing to learn and give oneself to the joy of asking and searching for the truth. Like a child who seeks love and lives to be loved. Like a child who does not judge his dragons beforehand but challenges them with an open mind. Look inside you and you'll find a treasure and endless possibilities. Then only you'll achieve true knowledge and wisdom. Then only you'll understand this world. My world.

But now back to Namuh's world.

Allah

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:00:00 PDT

The heat was killing Namuh. He woke up and felt jumpy. He felt also unhappy. Why he felt so he did not know. Namuh had no time to worry about such things now. He just had to wait. For what, he did not know. He looked at life in his planet differently now. This was only a stage in his existence.

It was not the eternal resting place he had thought it was before. At one point, this beautiful place will vanish. There was a lot of truth in his words. The world would one day crumble, disappear. That's why it was perfect. It was meant to be perfect from the point of creation of the whole cosmos, billions of years ago. It was projected in God's plan from the beginning of time. Now, it had finally popped into being.

Namuh started walking around. He felt that something strange was going to happen. Something he would not be able to comprehend that easily. Then it happened.

A strange creature stood before him. It had no face and had a strange body. Wait, he thought, it was in a way like him. It was also like the fairies. It had no evident body. The creature was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Not that it looked beautiful. The energy it transmitted to him made it appear beautiful, not its outer cover. And finally Namuh understood The creature was an angel, Namuh said to himself - like Future!

Namuh realised that there was a man meditating near the creature and the creature, like the dragons did, communicated without talking to the man. Namuh thought that those were all the things he could see. Then something else startled Namuh.

"Namuh. I am Halmal, your third guide. The strange creature you are seeing is the angel Gabriel. The man meditating is Mohammed."

"What is actually happening here?"

"Gabriel is enlightening Mohammed with the truth. We Muslims believe in the Jewish Old Testament too. However the Koran is the most perfect form you can find of God's revelation. That person over there, Mohammed, is the greatest prophet of all time."

"Do you mean he is greater than anyone who had come before him?"

"Precisely. He is the greatest because he has finalised the work of Allah, or God. The Koran -- the true revelation of Allah, is infallible, because it is the word of Allah to man and anything written by Allah is perfect."

Namuh was quite confused. He had never encountered some of the words Halmal said. Knowing fully well what Namuh was thinking, the dragon continued.

"The Old Testament is the collection of the stories of Moses, Adam and more prophets. It is an account of why evil and good came into the world and of many other things. Koran is a far greater work.

"The word 'Islam' is the name of my religion. That means submission to God's will."

"Do you mean without choice?"

"Perfectly the opposite. Humans do possess a free will. You were taught that by the previous dragons. They can choose which path to follow. Humans can either follow God's law or not. That's what makes them, in a sense, above the animals. They can choose. That's the extent of Allah's mercy. He does not force anyone to follow Him, though we have sinned and gone against Him.

"He could have chosen not to create the universe at all. Or you, Namuh. Creation was an act of Allah's great mercy. Therefore we must be grateful, for each creation has its own role and the plan of Allah creates harmony throughout the universe. There is no chaos but order. This order was given to creation by Allah from the beginning of time as we understand it. Allah never abandoned His creation and loves it so much that He feels He must protect it. So, He is committed to it."

"Committed? Committed to the creation that betrayed Him?"

"Of course, Allah is merciful and He has four commitments to His creation. He committed Himself to create life. Thus, He must try to keep this life He created alive and offer His guidance to its welt-being. When the day comes, He must judge the life He has created."

"I've got a strange question! All of the dragons constantly refer to Allah, in this case, as He but never as She. Why?"

"Allah does not have any sex. That is a property that he has bestowed on his creations. As in the Christian trinity, and in the Jewish God, Allah is the one and an only Allah. He is not really a He but a sexless entity. He is a father and a mother in the same time. He has both properties of femininity and masculinity and properties humans cannot understand. He revealed Himself because He wanted to reveal that He offers his love to all humans, males or females. God is neutral and being an entity, He does not need a body."

"Right, what about the fact that he is the one and only God?"

"In the beginning, people thought that there were many gods. You did before you encountered the dragons. There was the grass, the sky and the Manthar. You worshipped them by giving them offerings. You created myths about what they were. You still are."

"To tell you the truth I am confused."

"That is why Allah sends prophets. He knows that sometimes Satan's traps are powerful. He knows that evil usually appears more appealing than good. All prophets of the world convey the truth. We cannot accept the teachings of one prophet and reject the truth of the other prophets. For the truth they bestow upon us is one. It is us who corrupt it and change it to suit us. There is only one truth.

"Humans are too proud and narrow-minded. They are sometimes selfish. The Koran says, 'Man is by nature timid. When evil befalls him, he panics, but when good things come to him he prevents them from reaching others.' That is the narrow-mindedness we must fight Namuh. This selfishness that is the product of Satan's plan of destruction. He makes us believe that lie. He makes us believe that by giving good to others we will lose something. He makes us believe that we'll not gain any happiness by giving to others.

"If we are generous, Allah will reward us because there is no greater act of love than to give ourselves to others. Humans must seek freedom from meanness and from all the illusions of false happiness. Humans must free themselves from thinking about the present moment but must think of humanity at large.
"Every human being, Namuh, was created to help the human race progress in the journey of truth and knowledge."

Namuh was struck by the power of truth. The truth revealed to the human race. Yet, it seemed they preferred to distrust the truth. How stupid they were. Then he realised how stupid he was. He was also part of that race. He wanted to do something but he couldn't because he was away from the Earth. Looking at his world he asked himself What was this place?

So he asked, "Will the world one day cease to exist?"

"Yes, in order to fulfil God's fourth commitment: judgment. The Day of Judgment, is a day both Christians and Muslims believe in. It is a day when all the divine commitments cease to be. A day when all the world will stop. Individuals will be judged by their deeds. Allah will forgive the people who deserve His forgiveness because He is merciful. Those who have done good will go to the Garden, whilst those who have gone against Allah will go to hell. The nations of the world will be punished as well if they have done evil."

"You mean all of us will be given what we deserve."

"Yes, we will."

The dragon now looked at Namuh and warned him.

"Beware the evils of racism. We should never judge other people. Allah should be the only one to judge because we have all sinned. Racism should never exist or be accepted. Not even religious intolerance should occur. All humans must be guided towards the light but not coerced into accepting it against their will. Humans must never condemn each other but love one other. They must keep in mind all the potential of humanity because humans should be one with each other. This is the truth. May Allah protect you!"

The dragon was gone and Namuh sat there reflecting. He now understood why people hated each other. They were ignorant of the truth. They also ignored the truth.

They were too proud to admit that they could love each other. They were too proud to admit they were one human race and not many scattered races. This pride, Namuh thought, could one day destroy them. At that thought Namuh cried. He had now learned what the blindness of the truth could lead to....

death... madness...
disease... anger...
murder... torture...
persecution... ignorance...
pleasure at all costs... loss of human dignity... blood... holocaust...
total destruction... chaos...

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He knew he could not but at least he tried. Every effort was worth it. At least he could say to himself that he tried to sleep even if he did fail.

He dreamt of Judgment Day. There he was in front of Allah and he knew he had once done wrong. He could also see that Jesus, Moses, Adam and Mohammed were present. He feared the worst. That was the last thing he recalled before he woke up.

Triumph

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:00:20 PDT

Namuh woke up feeling strange. It seemed that he did not get enough sleep last night. His whole body was aching. However, the idea of living another day on the planet filled him with an indescribable energy. Was this the Holy Spirit? He was so immersed in his thoughts that he failed to notice that a red dragon was sitting near the river bank.

"Namuh? It must be you!", the dragon exclaimed

When Namuh finally noticed the dragon he jumped in surprise.

"You frightened me!"

"Why should I go about frightening people? They told me that I should come and teach you what I believe to be true. For I speak the truth and I am the way to true salvation."

He sounded like Jesus, thought Namuh

But of course, Dactyla was cunning and wise. These dragons were not fools. They did not want to make their prey escape from them before they lured it into their trap. They had to act patiently and in a friendly manner. Then the true Dactyla would strike.

"I will teach you some things your experienced tutors failed to mention. I am here to teach you that the foundations of Judaism and Christianity are faulty. Do you know what the concept soul refers to?"

"An entity, I think, like I am."

"Correct. But of course, you are just an illusion. You don't exist. Not even I do. We are just a figment of the imagination and so, we don't really exist. God doesn't exist either because he can't exist. There is no creator in this world. Life is but dead and damnation. Life is hell. That's where hell really exists -- on Earth.

"All the talk about a God and about truth is all hogwash! Have you ever seen God? You shouldn't believe in things you cannot see. Trust your senses and nothing else. There is no universal truth. All of that is just wishful thinking. We live in a world of lies, Namuh, even here. The dragons lied to you and you suffered.", Dactyla did not refer to Juykam. He wanted to shift Juykam's blame on the blue dragons.

"So, are you saying that I was deceived?"

"Not intentionally. Those dragons are mad and live in a delusion. They actually believed in what they told you. Remember that no one should impose what they believe on you. No one. No way of life is better than another. All ways of life lead ultimately to death. That's the only thing you need to know to live. No dragon, no Mathnak, no Juykam, - no one - should impose their way of life on you. This is the only truth. There is no loving God, all I see around me on Earth is turmoil."

"But did not humans bring about this turmoil?"

"That's part of their trap. There's nothing beyond this life. Nothing. Humans cannot rise to a higher level. There is no after-life! You've seen human beings. They are animals who just happen to know that they know. That's all. There is no soul, Namuh. That is why humans who live in a world of lies must make their own truth. When you look around you -- what capture your attention most?"

"I perceive the trees the most."

"And I perceive conflict. Thus, we live in different worlds. We must make our own truth. We must both draw our own conclusions!"

"But isn't making your own truth like lying to yourself? And isn't the same world that we are perceiving? We're not living in different worlds. We may look at the world differently but ultimately there is only one world. Can't you see?"

"No, you're wrong. If you make your own truth you are the master. You control what you do with your life. You must make your own truth to be above others, you must be the supreme. You must become your own god. Your truth is the only one that is of

value. It is the only thing that matters. Other things are irrelevant."

"But the truth is in you! You must take into account others. What you are telling me is disgraceful. How can I profess love if all I think of is myself? There is a light in every one of us that can lead us to God. With love we can reach a new learning dimension. We can see others, help others and learn from the environment. You are a slave to yourself if you constantly seek what pleases your body. Your body is just a means of expression, the soul goes beyond it. It is a force that makes you not just live but exist.", Namuh was surprised at what he had learned and never knew he did.

The dragon did not give up. He wanted to fight these truths at all costs.

"Nobody has the right to prescribe what you should or should not do with your life. Truth is relative. What may be true for you may be false for me! Can't you see?

"The self is the master! If you don't want a child you may do what you want to do with it. It is just a possession. Marriage is just a contract that you can dissolve when you want. Love has no purpose other than to enslave you to others. Humans cannot distinguish right from wrong. They are animals of instinct. Just instinct! There is no God, there is no universal right or wrong. Evil does not exist, it is just a creation that just exists in human minds. It is you who should define what is right or wrong."

Namuh was infuriated but was willing to challenge this dragon. He knew that because the dragon could easily pop thoughts into Namuh it was difficult to resist him. Direct answers would be the solution.

"You're saying that nobody has the right to prescribe their own beliefs on me. Yet, you seem to be saying that your position is better than anything else. If there are no better ways, how can your position be a better one? How can you say that there are no truths and yet affirm that yours is the truth? How can I be sure?

"And about the other things you said. Don't you realise that a child is a gift. It is the product of union. You may not discard it because it is an individual, another person. Marriage is a commitment, not a contract! You are either going to love forever or you're not. Love liberates you from being slave to things and commodities. It makes you see deeper into other people's hearts. Humans can distinguish right from wrong if they are enlightened towards the truth. Humans are above animals because they have mastered instinct. They can choose to follow it, or choose a more reasonable solution. God is in your heart and everywhere. He is with the souls of the living and with the souls of the dead. He is in Nature, in us, and everywhere."

"Those are all lies! Lies! Lies I'

"If evil was an invention than why do we fear harm from others? If evil was an illusion then how come we do fear judgment? How come we feel lost when we do evil? If we come to believe that there's no evil, there will be no barriers! If there are no shared values, humanity will crumble. Humans will be given the chance to destroy what they have. Like we did in Eden. Humans may be part evil but they

have lots of good in them as well. They are good and evil in the same time. They are all children of the same living loving God."

Namuh felt that he had found a way to control his hate by using it beneficially. He hated the way this dragon argued, but did not use his hate to kill or destroy but tried to change his hate into love and replace irrationality with reason. For inside Namuh a change was taking place. He had won over his desires, he wanted to think, learn and love. He wanted to explore inside him, outside him, nature, everywhere!

He knew what Jesus meant when he said that we are children of God. We are all one collective conscious. God and humans, humans and God. God was in all of us and yet everywhere around us. He was in nature and outside us. Because God's will was embedded in the code of life and his wind was there. Evolution was the process by which the code adapted. Evolution was the key by which God's word developed and started to be done. God held humans at a higher level than animals, so for them he had a different plan. He wanted them to be free, but they wanted to be Him and so they chose evil. Dactyla was proposing taking the place of God. Of playing with people's lives without knowing the consequences. Without caring! It was as if Eden had not taught him anything. God knew best.

"One must consider everyone, Namuh! There are humans who are suffering! There are people who are in constant pain... people who have a considerable burden in their life. People who cannot live anymore One should not impose on them the hell of everyday living -- one should give them the right to choose. One should give them the right to die...

"Yes, you have an easy life here on this world! No pain! No suffering! You can't even conceive of such matters. Can't you practice the love you so talk about? Don't you have a heart? Can't you give them a chance to rest from their constant fight against senseless pain..."

"The greatest act of love we can do is let them live. Just because I am strong and my brother is weak, does not justify me killing him. If the strong don't help the weak then who will help the strong when he is weak? No, my friend, by denying these people life you're telling them 'We don't want you! If you're not perfect, not fit, you should not live I'. Can't you see that this would be their final rejection? One must give them all the means to enjoy life to the full but by killing them you are rejecting them forever! Health is important, but not everything! What have the Nazis achieved by removing those who they considered unfit or inferior? They have become no better than beasts. Heartless beasts!"

"Love is... is... disgusting! I, Dactyla am the dragon of relativism and won't suffer this humiliation. I'll destroy you Namuh, now!"

The dragon tried to hit Namuh with its sharp claws but missed him.

"Love is liberation, freedom from slavery to this world. Love gives you knowledge and open mindedness. Love is the way to true knowledge and wisdom", Namuh had finally understood the words of the wise dragons.

The dragon Dactyla was infuriated. He knew he had lost. He was angry with himself and in this state left Namuh, who did not know that Dactyla will tell everything to Dlataz and will be punished for failing to corrupt Namuh. The ones who failed were never forgiven, but persecuted!

Namuh was happy. His inner joy almost compelled him to fly and touch the skies. He knew that he had answered correctly! He had matured and could understand concepts more easily now. He was not just Namuh now. He was Namuh together with the experiences and ideas of people who lived many years before him. Namuh thought, What I saw was occurring in the past or in the future? Then he told himself that that was a useless question. Dactyla was in a way right. Time was relative. Our perception of things does change. But it is the same world we are living in!

Namuh saw that night had come and that it was time to rest. It was useless to ponder for now, because he had done enough. He felt that his mental exhaustion was driving him towards the world of dreams.

In his dream, Dactyla was there asking him questions which he was unable to answer. Namuh tried to lie and cover up the truth. He saw himself even take all the credit for Dactyla's reasoning. Namuh would wake up with this unpleasant dream in his head the next morning.

Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:03:29 PDT

Namuh crawled half awake when the first rays of day fell. He had not as yet forgiven himself. He looked at his reflection in the river and saw the sickly state he was in. Up above he heard a cry. Another dragon, he sighed. The thought of encountering another dragon made him feel uncomfortable. He had been hurt before and feared that the dragons were out to ruin his peace. Thus, he promised himself to be more cautious and attentive in the future.

The dragon sat near Namuh and offered him his support.

"Don't be afraid, brother. You have sinned but that does not mean that you must remain a sinner."

Again, a thick mist surrounded the world and the whole scenery of the world changed. He could see a man and a couple of children surrounding him. He could sense that this man would suffer. He also noticed how his eyes radiated warmth and comfort.

"I'm Kristofos. That man is called Jesus Christ."

"What is he doing?"

"He is saying something important. He is telling his disciples, or his followers, that to enter the kingdom of heaven one must be like a child."

"What kingdom?"

"I believe that there are two kingdoms. There is paradise, where all good entities - those humans who have done good go. In this place humans live in happiness with God."

"Is this the same Jewish God?"

"In a sense, yes, but in another no. Jesus taught us that God is loving and wants us all to be saved from damnation. He made the whole of Judaism simpler and more practical. Naturally, Jesus meant Christianity to be a new form of Judaism, not a separate religion from it."

"So what is damnation?"

"Doubt, fear and most importantly lack of God's love. The other kingdom is hell, where humans who have not repented from their sins and who have done evil go. Hell is the greatest punishment. Unlike heaven, those in hell are in continuous competition with each other."

"Why do we have to be like children to be saved?"

"Children are innocent. They are not corrupt, or at least not aware of corruption. They cannot conceive evil and so, cannot commit evil intentionally. You did evil, Namuh, but Jesus would not condemn you. He would have told you to repent and not to do it again. That is love."
"I never quite understood love."

"Love is without a strict definition. It is, as Jesus put it, of giving oneself to others. God is love. That means that when we love, we are giving part of us to others and being in God. Love is difficult to explain. It is something that gives endless happiness and tranquillity but sometimes it hurts. If we are committed to unconditional love, another new thing Jesus introduced, we must love without expecting to be loved. We must give ourselves to God and to others without expecting others to love us back. St. Paul, a convert to what Jesus taught, defined love beautifully:

"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

"That is why, I cannot accept the way people reacted to Jesus' new teaching."

"What exactly happened then?"

"This man, Jesus, because he taught love and friendship will be killed. Like many others before him and after him. Speaking the truth is a very dangerous thing to do it seems."

Then Namuh saw a terrible scene. Three crosses. On one he could see this same man in agony on one of the crosses. He was exhausted and seemed to be in ecstasy. At one point, he heard Jesus cry and shout to the heavens.

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani!"

Then he could see that Jesus shouted again and then stood there lifeless. He had died.

"Why did they crucify him?"

"They hated what he had said to them. We all hate to hear the truth. That is why we are sinners. The son of God, Jesus, died for us. He wanted to redeem us from our sins. Jesus preached love. That was his only commandment. If we love each other, I mean really do so - we won't need to harm each other in any way.

"But many times money, or something else, is put before God. If we do not understand Jesus we will be lost. If we don't show love and respect to each other we will become emotionless and irrational. We will become like the Nazis, we will start to look for other things. We'll start to kill each other and when we realise what we are doing we will try anything to elude ourselves. We will lie to ourselves. When that happens, all true happiness will be lost.

"Love is the solution Jesus proposed. Can we really say we love if we discard our children because of money? Can I, who say that I love, accept abortion? Can I say I accept divorce?"

"Abortion? Divorce? What are these?"

"Abortion is the rejection of a child. It's like saying to a child, 'I may choose to kill you if I want.' Is that real love? Or is it an excuse to discard responsibility? Or has human life become a nuisance to us? I'm sure that Jesus would forgive us for sinning. Jesus is always open to accept us. That is why Jesus was a revolutionary person. He did not judge the people like the priests of the synagogue did, but he forgave. He did not talk about God as if he is constantly counting the wrongs you do. To those who sought forgiveness, and the truth (light), Jesus gave them a solution. He gave them himself. There are other things he said though."

"What did he say then?'

"He told us that marriage is sacred. He taught us that the union of love between two persons is something no one should break. Jesus told us that if two persons really love each other they become one body. That means that they should live for each other. Forever."

"What does he mean by forever?"

"Till the end of time, Namuh. Jesus was telling us that if we truly love each other we must promise each other to stay unite. Unity is the key message of Christianity. If we love each other we will be united in God and God will be in us. Can you see this beautiful philosophy of love unfolding?'

He pointed at Jesus on the cross.

"That is the son of God. We are all children of the same God and must behave as His children. If we, Christians, don't live Jesus' philosophy for what reason has this man died? For nothing? The tragedy of this man is a tragedy that will repeat itself over and over again."

"What about death? And how should one live? What explanation do Christians give to that?"

"As Judaism is the mother of Christianity, those basic beliefs remain unchanged. Unlike the Jews, we recognise the Messiah and have expanded on the new pact of God with all humans: through the resurrection of Christ."

"Resurrection?"

"Yes, Christ did not die. In fact we don't really die. Christ showed us that in order to overcome death we must believe in His word. At that point we shall reach a higher point of existence. He wanted us to look beyond food and shelter, inside us. He wanted us to learn from others by helping others. He wanted us to love. And it we learn to love we'll learn many things and all problems will become challenges and all people will unite. But evil still tempts us. Humans still fall. Unless humans don't give up their craze for earthly things they will be just slaves to their commodities. True freedom is the capability of living independent of material things. True freedom is learning with love. That's why I can't tolerate this."

The air became filthy and the three crosses disappeared. Namuh knew he was in another time though he could not figure out why. He could see people of two different races. He noticed this because one race was fairer than the other and from the clothes they wore. Namuh asked himself why people wore clothes. But he did not want to interrupt the dragon.

"This is one of the most disgusting moments in history. The crusades. The fair people, as you call them, are the so-called Christians. On the other side are the Muslims, characters you shall know about later. They are fighting for their religion.

"Both of them are using God as an excuse. God, Allah, or Jesus never wanted this to happen. In fact, Jesus told us just the opposite: never hold a grudge against your brother."

A Muslim killed a Christian.

"This is what His word meant to them. Were they illiterates? Could not they see that this was Satan's word they were executing. When power and religion intermingle, corruption follows. There is no justification for this slaughter. You cannot profess that you are from the true religion of love if you are killing for it. No wonder this led to criticism. But even those who criticised should keep in mind that they too are not guiltless. God has never ordered a war, it is humans who have abused God's word. God's love was clear by giving us His son. But we want war! Bloodshed. We are influenced by that savage animal - Satan. That, though, does not absolve us of our guilt. We have the will to resist, we are not puppets.

"It is never good for humans to fight each other because of religion, or because of beliefs. Everyone must be given the right to search for truth in life but beware, there is that demon called ignorance. But if humans start to harm themselves, you would be as guilty as the troublemakers if you do nothing about it. We are not mere animals, Namuh, we can think and have thus more responsibility in front of God. We can control our actions. It was a decision we took in Eden."

Namuh cried as he saw more soldiers falling and a river of blood forming everywhere. This reminded him of the pig he had killed.

"So we are banished from Eden."

"Yes, Namuh, banished. Human life must always be given precedence over one's beliefs. Blood transfusion should be given to a dying child, even if he is a Jehovah's witness. Embryos must be saved by all means and not destroyed. That is what the religion of love tells me."

Namuh did not understand some of the things the dragon had said, but he still felt he agreed with him. He knew that this dragon was different from Juykam.

The dragon flew away and night fell. This time Namuh slept peacefully and dreamt of a world full of humans who loved each other and who shared all they have. The next day, the dragon returned and woke Namuh up.

"I need to teach you one last thing. We believe that God is three persons, or three natures, in one. They are the Father, the Son or Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the person that helps you gain enlightenment and strength. It inspires you and gives you confidence. That is why it is symbolically a flame of fire."

"Flame? What is that?"

Namuh had never seen such a thing as fire.

The dragon got a stone and began beating it against another one. Then he ordered Namuh to gather some dry grass and get some fallen branches. He continued beating until a spark formed and he placed the stone near the grass. The grass started burning.

"That is fire."

Namuh felt a pew sensation of warmth and comfort he had never felt before. He approached it and tried to touch the flame.

"Ouch!", Namuh exclaimed in pain.
"Namuh, fire is not a plaything. It hurts if left uncontrolled and it can destroy if made your master. In that way, it's not like the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will, on the contrary, make you see the truth in you and help you make the right decisions. It's like some kind of spiritual guide. Do you know what angels are?"

"No."

"They are servants of God, or of Satan, depending on who they support. They help us and protect us if we love God but if we don't we'll be at the mercy of the hell angels. So, always Namuh keep love in your heart and you'll be safe, for evil leads to insanity. You saw Auschwitz didn't you?"

"Yes, I remember."

There was nothing more to add. The dragon disappeared.

Namuh was becoming more mature and started to win over his urge to play the game. He never told him about what had happened before though he knew that the dragon had read him like a book.

All day long Namuh tried to master the skill of building a fire and experimented with his new knowledge. He managed to do so when night came and he saw, for the first time, the forest at night. He looked at the Manthar and at the river, but his exhaustion made him extinguish the flame and sleep. He was tired but happy again.

The Pig

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:53:50 PDT

Namuh woke up feeling refreshed and ready to play the new game he had learnt. He knew that he could choose any creature to play the game with. Any one would do! Juykam had suggested. Then all he had to do was to direct his strength against it. Why did Mathnak fuss so much about hate? He never told me how beneficial it could be. A shocking thought passed through Namuh's mind: Was Mathnak lying? Was all he had said untrue?

Then he began doubting about all the events Mathnak had shown him. Were they lies? All lies? Mathnak was keeping this away from me because he wanted to keep all this to himself. He wanted me not to know what I can do. I'll teach him!

He walked across his world's green meadows in search of a player. That was all he needed. A player. He had never hated anyone on his world before. He did now. Readers, this is not similar to what Namuh had felt when Future had left him. That was anger, similar to how a child feels when he feels betrayed or had a promise made to him broken. This was the real thing: pure hate! He wished that justice was done on Mathnak. He wished him bad things. Direct your strength. That's the first lesson of life he had learnt on his world.

He wished that Juykam slaughtered Mathnak. Liars should be played with. As these thoughts passed through him, Namuh shuddered. He was frightened of what he had become. Still, he tried to ignore his guilt feelings by trying to find excuses. After all, he was not the one who had lied. He had not offered anyone false truths. He was innocent. But Namuh was guilty of murder. Not that he committed any yet but the single thought Namuh had of murdering anyone was enough. If he had killed Mathnak in his heart, he will now act without a guide.

Feeling rather confused, Namuh ran. How he ran! He ran for fear of being tormented, of being tortured. Tortured! That was another word Juykam had used. You can torture your enemy. Kill! Kill! His heart started pounding hard. He heard himself cry out loud those words. It was just a game, echoed Juykam in his head. Had he won over Namuh?

Namuh sat near the river and tried to calm down. He examined what he was feeling right now. Surely, what Juykam had taught him was just a game. It was his overactive imagination that made him think these terrible thoughts. Then from where were they coming? He had to try the game. He must because he had committed himself to it. He now desired it. He could not back out now. It was too difficult. The game seemed too tempting, too good. It was after all a game. Just a game. That's what it was. Satisfied with his conclusion, he prepared himself to direct his strength against anything. A pig was drinking near the river. Surely a fine player to play with. He looked at his victim maliciously, to direct his strength towards this creature.

"Hey pig, come! Come!", he said

He slowly approached his victim.

"You weak thing! Let's play..."

The pig felt that Namuh was threatening him.

At that, Namuh charged. The pig was thrown in the river and squeaked. Namuh noticed the scars. It was an illusion of the game, he said to himself. An illusion of the game.

Namuh charged, charged and charged again until the pig bled. The pig stirred occasionally. It tried to protect itself. It knew, though, it had already lost. Its wounds were fatal. Namuh saw that he had won but continued charging until the blood leaked into the river. The grass was drenched in blood. So was Namuh. The pig looked at Namuh for the last time, and closed its eyes. The game was over.

Namuh could not take it. There was blood all over. Blood? Juykam had never mentioned blood. The pig! It had not woken up as if nothing had happened. Then he recalled what Mathnak had said. This was death. He had killed. Namuh had killed!

"Oh! Why me?", Namuh shouted at the sky desperately.

He looked at himself. All the blood! He tried to revive the pig.

"Wake up friend! Wake up!"

The pig never did. Namuh was devastated. He looked around him again. His guilt too much to bear. He started crying. He now hated himself and Juykam. A game, eh? The only thing he could see was blood all over! He looked at the lifeless body of the pig, or the player. Namuh felt he was going mad. The stress was too much for him.

He tried to think clearly and deal with his guilt. He rolled in the earth and covered himself in soil. As he was drenched in blood, the soil easily stuck to his frail being. He did not want to see his own reflection again. He had been foolish to listen to Juykam. He had sounded so convincing. Namuh desperately needed to justify himself. But he knew he could not.

All day long, Namuh stood by a tree staring at nothing. He thought about the pig, and the more he thought about it the more he felt guilty. He cried insanely at regular intervals. When he heard Juykam's voice whisper in his thoughts Hate is beneficial! You are strong! he laughed hysterically. This is all the benefit hate got. Sickness, disease and death.

Then he recalled Sinai again. The ten commandments. The law. He had broken God's law! This God is wise, he thought. I am lost. He repeated that statement all over again. By the time night fell, he had started to believe it.

Future looked down at Namuh from her mountain. She felt sorry for him but yet thought that the lesson he had learnt was necessary. It was not enough that he learnt the difference between the blue dragons and the red dragons. That was an easy task. The difficult lay in finding the truth about his origins and about human beings themselves. He had to learn the difference between good and evil in the many ways they would be presented. Today he had learnt that the consequences of the game of violence and that Juykam had lied to him. However, she also knew that there were other dragons more vicious than Juykam was. And more convincing.

Namuh could not forgive himself. For the first time, his dream world was disturbed. Instead of the usual nice dreams, the world of dreams had become corrupt. He dreamt of being the Nazi officer Mathnak had shown him. He saw himself mistreating the Jew. He also saw the pig he had killed turn into Mathnak. Mathnak looked at him for the last time. Then he closed his eyes. He was dead. Namuh felt defeated.

Love and Hate

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:52:04 PDT

Namuh woke up and noticed that Mathnak was already there, waiting for him. He turned towards him and listened to what he was going to say. Slowly, the scene around him was changing and he found himself in a bizarre environment indeed.

He identified humans easily now but could these be called humans? They were skinny, bare and lifeless. Unlike Adam they were unhealthy and overworked. He asked himself where he was.

"This is Auschwitz. All the people you see are the victims of hate. Many of them are Jews, many are awaiting their extermination. Hate is another disease you must beware of but I guess you don't know what it is.

"These people are here for no valid reason at all. They are being killed for no reason at all. Many are. Why, all this blood? Why, the Jews? Why anyone? How can humans treat themselves this way? I tell you, they do so

"What is hate, then?"

"Hate is something that destroys. It Is an irrational madness that makes people label humans as objects, things, that can be used and thrown away. These are the victims, who because of their race --ethnic emancipation, father of all ignorance! -- have been used and thrown away. You can see those lifeless bodies, those walking zombies - unguided souls! This is what humans are capable of doing. Taking away the breath of God -- and for what? Gain and power.

"They sacrificed millions of people because of an economic problem. Human life started to be exchanged as if it were raw material. Beware, the head of the devil is rising again."
"What do you mean?"

"If human life is ever priced in terms of raw material, or money, our dignity as humans will be compromised! Human organs and human beings themselves will be exchanged and experimented on. Like what happened here... Human life will become just another object. This is worse than slavery. It is the complete use of humans as means. That is unjustifiable!

"Cry, cry, oh Israel! How I loved you and how it hurts to see you slaughtered all over again... oh Israel!

"I don't want to see any more of this-."

A Nazi officer hit the Jew. The Jew's body fell down on the ground as if it was a dead branch. The officer's action was mechanical - he had no emotion. It was as if life had lost meaning and everything had gone rotten. It was Eden all over again. Even the officer was being used by this sick philosophy.

"I don't hate the people who have destroyed a large part of my people. I pity them! Don't they see what they have become? Is this the perfect world they envisaged where no sickness exists? Oh, why God?" cried Mathnak.

Namuh never saw Mathnak in such a state. Not even on Mount Sinai. Mathnak was so devastated that the scene around them slowly disappeared. When the planet re-emerged, Mathnak was gone. Instead of him, he could see a red dragon who had a familiar face. He could not place it but he felt something was not quite right. Something bad had happened.

"I am Juykam. I am here to make you see the truth."

"Where is Mathnak?"

"I must continue where he left off. Have you ever felt angry with someone -- I mean really angry?"

"Of course... yes, with Future", responded Namuh

"You know the fairy.... Right, why?"

"Because she abandoned me without giving me any explanations."

"She did it on purpose. Fairies, my friend, should not be trusted. In fact, you should fear anyone who speaks the truth!"

Namuh suspected that this was not Mathnakian philosophy. It sounded just like the opposite. Yet, he wanted to give Juykam a fair go. So he listened.

"The truth is a big lie. You must learn to fight. That is the mission Manthar bestows you. You must not know the truth - you must not see the light, for it will blind you! Then you'll see nothing! Believe me, you must fight.

"Don't you believe me? I know that you are starting to hate me! Jews deserved what they got. They were inferior. We must affirm our superiority. Chalice to the strong and doom to the weak!"

"What do you mean?"

"On your world things are so simple. I mean, look around you and what do you see? Perfection, utter perfection! Have you seen a sick person before?"

"What is sickness, Juykam?"

"You remember Auschwitz, right?"

"Yes, I could see that there was something wrong with those people. They looked different. But what is this thing, sickness, you talk about?"

"Well, your world is perfect. Beautiful. Do you wish that Earth was devoid of sickness, of imperfection, as your world is?"

"I would wish it with all my heart. I mean why all this suffering on Earth? I thought Earth was a beautiful place..."

"It is not. What if one could create a perfect race, which would not suffer any more? On Earth, nature previously selected who was going to survive or not. However, humans have destroyed this order. All the Nazis were doing was trying to reinstate this order! The human stock had been corrupted. If we follow the holy law of the survival of the fittest, we could once again renew the potential of the human race. There will be no disease, no deformities just utter perfection!"

"Why did not people do this before? I mean what has stopped the human race from doing this? I can't understand, why?" pleaded Namuh

"Because it entails a little sacrifice. Lives, naturally, must be sacrificed. But it's all in the long-term interests of the human race. The strong must triumph over the weak. Nature calls for it. We must not go against nature. You heard what Mathnak had told you, nature knows best!"

"Do you mean people must be killed? That goes against what I've been taught... so far."

"All you've been taught is rubbish! We must create a pure stock. You have an easy life here on your world! Everything is perfect. That, my friend, is all that matters! Perfection!"

"But what about the Jews..."

"They are unfortunately inferior races! They must be disposed of for the sake of purity and perfection. Can't you see that such a race is a contamination? For millions of years, humans have evolved to this stage. You must realise that in nature, those who are strong live whilst the weak perish. Nobody should go against what nature has taught us. No one. We owe it to the human race to perfect it!"

"You're talking as if humans don't matter to you. By destroying your brother aren't you destroying part of you? I've seen the look on the people at Auschwitz. An integral part of them was taken away from them. I think they lost their humanity --though I know little about such a thing... I think that being human entails more than just being strong!"

"You are a stupid Jew! You are weak! Do you believe everything the fairies have told you? Or Mathnak? Are you so sure they are not conspiring against you? How can you be so sure? The weak are a threat to the human race! Look around you again! How can you be so sure that you've been created for any other purpose but to suffer? I think that your world is not as perfect as you think it is! Look at me! The strong must triumph. Beware, for the weak are deluding you... I am strong, come and hit me if you can! You are just a nobody. You are weak! ", Juykam started laughing demonically.

That was the last straw. Namuh, with all his good intentions, charged at Juykam.

"I'll teach you!"

He hit him hard with all his energy and he began feeling warm and relieved. Then Juykam stirred him further.

"That's all you can do? Charge? All Namuh can do is charge...", teased Juykam

At that, Namuh attempted to hit Juykam again. Juykam had won over Namuh's heart. All he had to do to gain his friendship was fake his fall as a sign of defeat.

"Okay, you're strong! You're a Juykam!"

"What?"

"You've passed the test. You're part of the strong race. You have been accepted. Congratulations!"

Namuh, regardless of what Juykam had said in the past, was overwhelmed by this sense of belonging. He was part of the "strong" and felt temporarily fulfilled. He had never felt part of a group before.

"See that's all you need. Use your energy inside you against others and you'll feel much better."

"I never thought it in that way. I feel as if I've expressed what I've got inside..." he now thought

The serpent was slowly making its way into Namuh's heart. He now justified violence. Dlataz had won a point. Mathnak had lost.

"Now that you mastered this you can master another thing. This energy can be used better if your vic-", he quickly avoided the word 'victim', "-hem, player is attacked when he cannot offer resistance."

In other words, this meant that when the victim was weak Namuh should strike. It all sounded so ethical when he used player and resistance. It all was so simple, so neat.

"So I will."

Juykam then displayed a toy rifle.

"On Earth we have a nice game. It is called war. It is similar to what we did before. The first thing we must have is a disagreement. Any reason whatsoever is valid to start this game. Let's say you don't agree with my beliefs. War is the game that must be played. Namuh, my friend, nobody is hurt during this game. It is just a game that serves as a means of expression - nothing more and nothing less!"

"War is such a beautiful game. Mathnak never told me anything about this game!"

Namuh was wrong. He had. Had he forgotten Auschwitz? Could he have possibly forgotten the Nazi officer? Was he so naïve? Yes, he was.

"Every time you have a dispute, you must use this tactic. You must play the game of violence. You see, violence is the underlying thing. You direct your strength against your opponent, irrespective of what he is telling you. Then, if he doesn't give you what you want, you strike the final blow. If you want to delay all this you could torture your opponent - for the sake of good fun."

Namuh began absorbing each lesson and asking himself whether this was good. Mathnak would have opposed. Should he?

"Torture is a finer art. It requires patience and mastery. You may torture someone by using physical means. Well, playing around with your opponent. Or else you could call him names, humiliate him. Naturally, all this must be done because it gives you true satisfaction and pleasure - for this wins you points on the strength scale. The strong has the right to exert his power over the weak. Only then can the human race take a turn for the better. It is the law of nature and so must be good!"

Namuh believed all this. He could not assert himself and was powerless. He couldn't find a flaw in Juykam's reasoning. It looked as if evil worked. It was as if he had forgotten what he had said before. He had been lured by the fact of being part of the 'strong' people. He felt part of something bigger than himself. And thus, he had to abide to these new rules and regulations. Had he forgotten that he was part of the far greater and more important human race?

"Strength must always be directed, my friend. Keep that in mind. Strength is a good thing if left uncontrolled.

"One more thing, Namuh. Don't believe all the dragons tell you... especially the fairies! Remember if you suspect they're not telling you the truth, you must be the first to strike! Or else you'll show them you're weak! This is the religion of the strong. You shouldn't doubt. You must fear everyone but yourself. Bye, strong Namuh!"

Namuh had been won by Juykam's friendliness. If he doubted him at first, now he could swear by him. He will put his teachings into practice tomorrow. It was night when Juykam disappeared. That was when Namuh dreamt about the new game of war. He saw himself exchanging energy blows that caused no real harm. It was for him - just like a toy rifle - a game!

Mathnak

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:49:33 PDT

The day had begun. The sun never rose because there was no sun in his world. The day just started abruptly. Namuh, however, was in agony. The night had really been a hard one. He had suffered a terrible feeling of loneliness. That was what made it the worst night he had ever had. He still hoped to encounter his own kind, though.

He hoped that Manthar sent him a companion, or many companions, in order to converse with. One must keep in mind that Namuh was able to understand language but failed to understand concepts. He knew what "she" referred to but failed to conceive femininity, let alone understand it. Thus, he had to learn and wanted to learn. He wanted to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. He wanted to know what good and evil were, where he was, what he was and so on.

Then he noticed something peculiar. He noticed that he had found himself on the other side of the river. He noticed this because the offerings he made last night were on the opposite side. The offerings always stayed where he left them. Things do not move! That fact was sure, he had tested it on various occasions when he was exploring and experimenting.

He was in a new area and he knew that it was the work of the Manthar. She had taken him to this place! And he rejoiced. The fact that he will finally encounter forms of life like him excited him.

In his innocence, Namuh did not consider the risks he could face. What if this form of life he found aimed at destroying his paradise or security? What if this form of life was more intelligent and powerful than him and would use him for its own ends? Will he praise the Manthar then? Will he take responsibility for his choice if it were to happen?

There are some things you must know about this planet. There were many forms of life but with varying degrees of essence. The river and the earth were the inanimates. They did not possess the breath of the Manthar. They were dead but gave life. Then came the plants. They were the life-givers. They were alive and gave more life to others. Then came the animals who were the conscious beings. They used the energy of the life-givers, and of the inanimates indirectly, to live. They were different from them, though. They knew they were living and felt it. Then came Namuh. The self-conscious being. Unlike, the conscious animals he had a concept of 'I'. He could reason and affirm his individuality. He was not a mere conscious being, he identified himself. In this sense, Namuh was unique in this world. He had no evident body. Namuh had discovered from himself all this. However, there was much he still did not know.

On the top of the chain came the fairies. These were capable of being a collective entity composed of separate, yet inseparable elements. The three fairies were one and the same. In the same time, they were all unique. Their being was a paradox in itself. They were what one might call angels. The dragons were like the fairies in many ways but were divided between themselves. There were two varieties: the good dragons, and the evil dragons. These were called the archangels. They had more powers than the fairies had. Above all these ruled two spirits.

Those dragons who sided with Dlataz, were in this world to spread chaos and destruction. Dlataz supervised and gave the final blow if they won. Then came the loving Evol. This spirit wanted to keep the world innocent. Evol wanted it to be full of goodness, love end harmony. Evol's dragons spread out teaching the good life and the endless power of Evol. These were the spirits.

The Manthar was the manifestation of an omnipotent force. It knew about the world and had total control of it. Namuh too was part of the Manthar, though he did not really know. In fact, all creatures in this mysterious world were part of the Manthar and yet were distinct from the Manthar. Let's get back to Namuh now.

Namuh sat down in the shade of the nearest tree. After many hours of expectation he gave up. He felt that no one would come and talk to him. He thought that the Manthar had betrayed him. He accepted this conclusion and lost faith, for an instant, in the power of the Manthar. Then in the sky he saw an amazing thing.

A large creature hovered in the air. It was new to Namuh because he had never seen reptiles around. He noticed that its scales reflected the rays of light. The dragon had glorious features: the tail swung back and forth like a giant propeller, the scaly wings with four metres wing span each, which created a huge shadow, and the Y-shaped tongue.

His dream had come true and Namuh, overjoyed, looked on as the dragon descended slowly over the ground. No technology could match this creature's perfection. Namuh was mesmerized by the creature's features and dazzled by its sudden appearance.

The dragon did not utter a word but Namuh could see that his vision was becoming blurred and inaccurate. The scenery around him disappeared and he found himself in the most beautiful place, more beautiful than his previous world had been. It was richer in organism diversity than his own. He could see for the first time birds, elephants, fish and a dozen or more new species. At that, the dragon spoke.

"I am Mathnak, dragon of Evol. This is Eden. It is the garden where the humans will rebel against God.", hissed Mathnak.

"Rebel? What do you mean? Who is God?", squeaked Namuh rather shyly

"God is the creator. It is what the Manthar symbolizes to you. God is the creator of all creatures and He creates by His word. If He says the word, it is done."

"Humans wanted to be more than God, they wanted to know and they went against his order. Their sin was not the need to know, but the greed for power and their arrogance!"

Then came Adam and Eve. It was the first time Namuh realized how beautiful it would be to possess a body. Yet, he listened attentively to what Mathnak said.

"They thought that they could, by knowing what is good and evil, overthrow God and become their own gods. They are still doing so today." Namuh felt guilty for what he felt before. He never intended to overthrow the Manthar though.

"Why did they rebel?"

Eve was offering the apple to Adam and Adam ate. They both had sinned. Namuh caught a glimpse of the serpent moving through the grass. He never felt so threatened by a creature before.

"Because Satan tempted them.", he pointed at the serpent, "But they fell to temptation. They were responsible for their exile. They ate the fruit"
"Did they want to lose all this?'

"They wanted all. They wanted power. They were not satisfied by having gained joy. They wanted more. No, they had to control the place not just live in it.". Mathnak sounded angry.

The garden started decomposing. Animals turned to skeletons and plants died. All life began to rot. The garden soon became a hot desert. Adam and Eve had to walk in search of a shelter. What was once Eden became a lifeless desert. Namuh was shocked by what he had seen. He could not explain death, but could understand being rejected.

"What happened?"

"Death came into the world. Humans were inexperienced to gain that kind of knowledge. They would corrupt the world. That is death -- corruption of the body and finally destruction of the same body. However, the breath of life God gave Adam will never die. It will regenerate and one day join God."

"What does this breath of life mean?"

"The word of God is us. We are His word. God's plan for us is inside us. In fact, it is in every organism. It is the genetic code. This code is unique and is His language. Its evolution is a new chapter in the life of the world. Thus we all follow a plan. Humans have tampered with this word and like the apple, this will make way for their destruction. They don't have enough knowledge. They do not know enough. Yet, they experiment unscrupulously with human life."

"Are these humans that bad?"

"No, they are the image of God. They can be good but tend to fall prey to a kind of superiority disease. They think they are above nature and this attitude might destroy them and all nature."

"So, all we see around us is what was left of nature."

"Right and all this will be the birthplace of many great civilizations and desert cultures. The desert, you know, makes you hope for a better future. It makes you thirsty for an oasis."

The scene changed. Namuh saw a giant mountain and some nomads in a nearby meadow. He knew that they were intrinsically connected with Adam and Eve but was not quite sure.

"These are whom I represent. These are the Jews.", said Mathnak crying, "and this is Mount Sinai!"

Namuh could see gigantic tears flowing down Mathnak's face. It was like a river, but unlike a river, it looked alive. Namuh stood silent in this solemn moment. He waited for Mathnak to speak.

"Jews? What does that mean?"

"The Jewish people are a race. Humans tend to divide other humans in various subdivisions and not under a single human race. This leads to conflict. They say to each other 'We are a different race. We are not part of you. We don't want to mix with you.' Conflict is inevitable.

"Mount Sinai is the place where humans will deny God a second time. After having liberated them from the Egyptians - another race - he has given them a guide --Moses. He is the middle man between God and humans. He will be the pillar of Judaism."

Namuh noticed that some of these people were rejoicing and he could see clearly a figure of a strange animal all covered in a yellow substance which shined a lot. He saw people dancing and kneeling in front of this golden statue.

"When Moses failed to return back from Mount Sinai, the people rebelled. It was too much for them. They completely forgot about who had freed them from exile. They forgot about who had opened the seas for them, so that they can be free! They were not the weak slaves they were before under the Egyptians. They suffered the delusion of the strong!"

"Delusion of the strong?"

"Yes, Namuh. The delusion of the brave new world. They think that now that they are free, they do not need a God and so can do anything they want. Even destroy others. Where no law exists, civilization crumbles. And so it did. People were not free in reality. They became slaves of that golden statue. They were slaves to their own insecurity and were dependent on the statue because they had lost hope in God. When people lose God they lose happiness. They fall to egoism, hate and distrust. Who is an egoist will never be happy."

"What is egoism?"

"A powerful disease. It makes persons believe that they are their own masters, and by consequence other people suffer. One strives for his own progress alone and ignores other people's needs. That is just what egoism is. Now, back to Sinai. These people ate the fruit of distrust. Look at them, they don't believe that Moses will come down again and are glorifying the statue! This happens everyday in different ways. When will they learn?"

"What about Moses?"

Suddenly, they found themselves on top of Mount Sinai. There he could see a man meditating. He understood it was Moses. Thunder struck. On the side of the mountain, the rock began to crumble. There he could see some letters appearing. In a language he could not understand. Of course, Namuh could not understand any written word for now. He was just beginning to learn.

"Those are the ten commandments. The pact between God and humans. This is a colossal moment! God chose the Jewish race to act as an intermediary between all humans and Him. The law was the proof. The power of the written word is self-evident."

"What do those symbols mean?"

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

"You shall have no other gods before me.

"You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them -- for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who Is within your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

"Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

"You shall not kill.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

"You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbours."

Namuh was confused. Many problems started to pop up in his head on the Jewish God. His image of Him changed through the reading of the commandments. He felt angry at Him.
"What God is this? A God that is jealous and seeks vengeance?"

"No, Namuh. Be patient and understand. God here is pictured from a human point of view. We see Him as jealous and unfair but we constantly betray Him. Didn't the Jews do so when they betrayed God's trust?

"He wanted the best for His chosen people. He wanted them to respect Him for

choosing them. To guide them He gave them his laws which still echo to this day! He inspired His people to write His message. He did not want people to succumb to some stone figure, like a pagan god. He was, after all, a living God.

"God wanted to sound harsh for the people's sake. The world we are seeing is a hostile one. It was a desert, and water was difficult to obtain. Moreover, the environment tended to make one lose hope and direction. He had to give His people the strength to go on. He could not abandon these people in the desert but had to help them go on. He also did not want them to tire themselves out, and wanted them to rest for their own good.

"He wanted to make the people respect each other, young and old and keep order. Life was a difficult one and temptation was great."
"That's why he used those words then? To compel them to act in a good way not because he really was jealous."

"God lost His children-", Mathnak was interrupted

"Wait, what are children?"

"Children are the product of a unison of two people, like Adam and Eve: male and female. The male and female have differences which complement each other. But, in this sense, children is not taken as a result of the union between a male and female. It is a more complex issue. Here, God calls his creation children. This is proof of great love. You see, Namuh, humans have betrayed God. Yet, He still wants to talk to them ~n a personal way. If He were impersonal He would have used 'creatures' or inferior labels.

"As I was saying, God lost His children but never gave up on them. He continued to love them all through the years."

"What a tragic tale!"
"Let's sum up. God created everything around us -- all the creatures. But humans rebelled. Why? They wanted to be like God and even better than Him. So they sought the knowledge of evil and good -- knowledge they knew they could not handle. Satan had tempted them into doing so. Satan is the symbol of evil, not of rebellion as such but of senseless rebellion and of pride. He was the one who made Eve think that by eating the apple she would gain God's wisdom. Wisdom that would make her like God. She ate the forbidden fruit and so did Adam. When this happened evil came into the world. This corruption, through evil, made humans die. Death came into the world. We must admit that these episodes are full of strong symbols and subtle, yet powerful, messages.

"But now we must discover the constant battle between love and hate. The one every human must face."

Namuh felt he belonged in this human race. He imagined him having a body like Adam. He wished it and the thought that lingered on in his immaterial body surfaced.

"Am I a human being?"

Surprised at this banal question, Mathnak said, "Yes, you are. Haven't you realised, yet?"

That single confirmation was enough for Namuh. He began to cry with joy. He had finally found a sense of belonging. He was not lonely Namuh any more but a human being. The fact that he did not possess a body did not worry him. Not just yet, at least. He was too happy to say anything.

"Are you OK?", asked a worried Mathnak

"Yes, fine!"

"We were starting to talk about love and hate. However, it's already night and I must leave. See you tomorrow."

Today, Namuh was happy because he had discovered many things. He learnt about a loving God that protected His children and about evil, and good. He had learnt many things. He then slept and dreamt of many beautiful things.

He dreamt of a world without corruption and without evil. He dreamt that the God of the Jews was the Manthar and that it had spoken to him. He also saw himself crushing Satan the serpent and of shouting at those who glorified the golden statue. And those were all pleasant fantasies.

For the first ever time, Namuh dreamt about evil and could picture pain and death. In his overprotective world, he never could have conceived such unnatural ideas. His world was a perfect place, not like that outer world. Here, there was no real suffering but constant harmony.

But will there be now? Will Namuh's longing to meet humans forfeit that joy? Will evil corrupt the Innocent Namuh and will he be able to resist temptation? For now, he is safe. That's all I can tell you.

First Sensations

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 06:00:23 PDT

Slowly, Namuh's anger subsided and he felt his old self's optimism returning. Though he was not still quite sure who he really was, he just felt better. He wanted to experiment. He did not want to be a mere spectator in this life but an active creation, an active participator. Right now his only goal was to experience the world. He'll ponder on the questions about the meaning of his life in the future. He wanted to experience how it felt to touch and interact with the earth, its creatures and many other things.

The first thing he did was bathe in the river. He felt it was cold and refreshing. He experienced enjoyment and real freedom in the water for the first time. He felt happy! He was overwhelmed by the fluidity and simplicity of the river. This urged him to drink the water in the river. Thus he did so. It tasted good. He drank more. Never before did he conceive the river as such a beautiful creation and named it "Gyrth". That was just what a river should be called, he thought.

So, he started naming things like the first man or Adam did, the sky was called "Eisa", the green grass "Jamsel" and the trees "Kausen".

At this point, Namuh began to notice the difference between the earth, the river, plants and animals. He noticed that the earth and river were static and did not show any signs of life. The river might have flowed but it did not really change in size. The trees did, as well as the grass, because he noticed as the day progressed they grew and grew. They constantly changed.

He felt that the animals, though, were different from the trees. They could see Namuh and reacted to his presence. They escaped when they felt threatened but they accepted that occasional fruit which fell from the trees. In other words, they offered more feedback and in comparison, the trees were boring. However, trees fascinated Namuh in a different way. They did not talk but their presence filled him with awe. It might have been because the air around them rejuvenated him. Or because they burst with life and that the animals preferred to feed under them. Anyhow, trees were fascinating creatures for Namuh. However, Namuh held a special place for the animals.

Not that the animals spoke much really. He knew, though, that he was better off than them because he could communicate not just with his body but also with words. He could communicate by using language! He noticed this now.

He had no difficulty in communicating with the fairies because the fairies spoke a universal language -- one which every creature could understand. In this sense, Namuh was in an intermediate position between animals and the divine fairies. Every night, he would marvel at the dark sky above, the "Adeisa" he called it. The red streaks all over the "Adeisa", he called the "Manthar". The "Manthar" was like a giant aurora, only red.

He felt better able to describe the world around him by naming the things he saw. Now he could talk about them and define his world better -- he did not have to define what the word "Manthar" meant every time. Words captured meaning. The Manthar was the thing that fascinated him most. It made him feel as if it was the link between his creator and himself. He always sought refuge from his troubles at night by looking at the Manthar. It became his hope and an object of curiosity: What was the Manthar? He slept and dreamt about his new experiences and the insights he had gained through time.

The next morning, Namuh felt that he should try to offer something to the Manthar: to show his appreciation for existing. Inside him, though, he felt the need not just to thank the Manthar but talk to it. After all these days he had developed a new concept: the concept of God. He considered the Manthar as being his God. In a sense he was right, but the truth was much more complex. Too much.

Being abandoned in the world, Namuh felt a need to offer grass, the most beautiful flowers and his hopes and aspirations to the Manthar. He began to believe that the Manthar was the only reason why he was there and that he should thank the Manthar for being in this heaven. He suffered no hunger, thirst and fear. That is, except on certain rare occasions.

You could see Namuh every night kneeling near the river, offering the Manthar his best discoveries and ideas. He did so to win over his feelings of loneliness and to keep on living.

Thus, Namuh developed his own philosophy. He was Namuh, an entity, who is and just is in this planet. This planet was a large sphere travelling in the dark, red-streaked "Cosmos". The Manthar had prompted him to live and to it, whatever it was, he was grateful. He did not need proof for the Manthar's role in his creation. He Just felt it and believed it. That was his dogma.

Every day he would explore the world and seek forms of life that were like him. He had hope: he had encountered the fairies once. But every time he searched for his own kind, he failed. When night came, he stood In front of the river and started his nocturnal rituals all over again. This time, though, he knelt and prayed more solemnly than usual.

"Manthar, Manthar! I want to meet someone that I can relate to! What is the use of living alone in this paradise and be lonely. Is loneliness not another curse? Or is this my punishment? Manthar, I pray thee -- I want to meet someone I can talk to. Please."

Suddenly, a great sense of lethargy and nausea compelled him to rest. He started feeling tired and sleepy. Namuh fell straight into the earth. His prayers will be answered but at his own risk, thought Future.

That night, Namuh did not dream anything. It was as if, for just a moment, he ceased to be and that he had lost himself again.