 
AD INFINITUM—BOOK ONE

MASTER

of the

NINE STEPS

Published by John Northern at Smashwords

Copyright by John Northern 2010

International Standard Book Number: 0-9632439-8-4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication

Author's Note

Foreword

Preface

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two—Part One

Chapter Two—Part Two

Chapter Two—Part Three

Chapter Two—Part Four

Chapter Three—Part One

Chapter Three—Part Two

Chapter Three—Part Three

Chapter Four—Part One

Chapter Four—P art Two

Chapter Four—Part Three

Chapter Four—Part Four

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated

To all those

Who utilize time,

And

Expend energy

To promote

And spread

Love and peace

Throughout the lands

Of our beautiful

But

Troubled Earth

AUTHOR'S NOTE

In this story, the universal pronoun, 'man,' is all-inclusive for men, women, and children—searchers of the infinite—and is used in this context.

It is much simpler, less awkward sounding, and smoother to use a one syllable pronoun to express the concept of people rather than using phrases such as men/women or hers and his, or she/he, or Ms/Sir, or any other.

In essence, there is no sexism nor inequality of the sexes intended. It is, in fact, quite evident that men and women are equal upon the face of our planet, and throughout the infinite reaches of space, matter, time, and consciousness. Both are equal in the laws of infinity.

FOREWORD

The stars are endless, forever distancing in endless combinations. The planets, the solar systems, the galaxies, and more are never ending - an infinite array of space and matter forever existent. And in this existence there are forms of matter in space that cannot even be imagined in our limited sense of perception upon our insignificant planet. But where does matter begin? And where does it end?

Scientists and philosophers have been asking these questions for centuries. But space and matter are infinite - forever in and forever out. And so to ask this is to ask - where is the beginning of infinity? And where does it end? But space and matter never cease; and only the imagination can form the answer to these questions. Only the continuous presence of thought can distance far enough to yield the laws that never change, the constant laws of infinity.

And those who think in terms of beginnings and endings are those who dwell in the presence of relativity. And these are the laws of change; for so it is that they may not hold true from one Universe to the next. But always yearning and seldom learning the infinite laws are the ways of the relative thinker.

Nevertheless, and still it is that the relative mode of existence is beautiful with its opposites and alikes, and all those between; for it is, indeed, ugliness which enhances beauty and makes it desirable; and it is hate which depicts the worth of love (an infinite law); and it is war which makes us understand the beauty and love of peace (but how absurd for the intelligent man to continue to war).

And so it is that relativity is our way of life, for are we not relative beings? And we shall continue to experience this mode of being. But, for the thinker, whether scientist, philosopher, nexialist, or any of the other categories which man likes to fit himself into, it is necessary to understand not only the relative, but also the infinite point of view. But where is the truth? Where is the whole truth? Drop the cloak of relativity and see with an infinite eye. Look at the whole picture

Still, many cannot; for man is a relative being with a relative eye that clouds the vision of infinity. And relativity forms the ego, which separates one man from another and indeed from the Universe. And the ego is a powerful entity, and often dictates the actions and thoughts of man.

Down through the ages the ego of man has limited his evolution. Centering upon the self has made him unable to seek out the truth of the Universe. It has made him think of self as all-important; and dogmatism has become the pattern of his egotistic thoughts.

Progressive thinkers of the past have suffered because of the ego of others. Galileo, for example, was put under house arrest for the last eight years of his life. He had proclaimed that the Earth was not the center of the Universe.

Later, of course, it was proven that he was right. The Universe does not revolve around the Earth.

This, then, led to the belief that the Universe revolves around our sun. But that too was incorrect. Today it is known that our sun, indeed, our solar system is nothing more than an insignificant speck on the edge of the milky way galaxy. Our sun is considered only a dwarf among the millions of giant suns throughout the known Universe.

Ego, then, clouds man's reason and judgment. It wants to center everything around the man. To put aside the ego and relativity, and to look to the laws of the infinite will bring forth a perception that will act as a guide to the whole truth rather than a partial truth. Today, there are many who still let the centering limit their reality to the Earth. There are many who still believe that the Earth is the only planet which is inhabited by intelligent life.

But there is no logic in this kind of thinking. There are billions and billions of planets in the known Universe. To think that we are the only intelligent life in the infinite reaches of space and matter goes against mathematical probability.

An infinite number of intelligent life forms have come and gone before ours was even born. And still they come and go—as always they will. And ours is just one amongst the infinite.

Someday soon, this realization will come to humankind—to our thought consciousness. And the truth will be known.

And then the story in this book, which takes place on another planet, will not seem like fiction. There are even some of you now who realize that this book is based on a true story.

And, indeed, it is the truth; but where does this truth come from? Does it come from the author? Does it come from a friend? Or a child down the block? Or from a stranger passing through town? Or from a psychic of well renown? Or from the mind that sees beyond? Or is it the imagination that forms a window through which we can see the infinite truth?

But does it make a difference? For the truth is still the truth. And, logically, it is evident that it doesn't matter where in infinity truth is found nor how it is expounded; for the truth is always the truth. And this is one of the laws of infinity. And in this book there is a story of truth, and it matters not from whence the knowledge came. It only matters that those who read will understand that in truth they too can reach the spiritual heights of their desire, whether it be low or high, it will be the will that will prevail.

This, then, is the importance of the truth—deep within the reaches of infinity on another planet a man and a woman once traveled through time. Their experiences and their loves are set forth in this book to bring about a better understanding of the life within the infinite and unchanging laws. And it will be seen that if we stride forth with effort and love, we can reach that place beyond the walls of the Earth. Indeed, we can reach the Ninth Step of the Master.

PREFACE

The stars trailing paths

Through the sky—

The steppingstones of the Universe

For man

Wandering

Always searching

Macro micro cosmically

The living within the rooms of

Infinity

Lo, behold me

I am the searcher

I am every man

And this is my story . . .

PROLOGUE

Again

I was trailing the desert—

Waves of sand

Reflecting

faint lights in the night,

Stars shining,

The night was chill

And

The wind blew lightly

Swirling sands

Upon shoes

Sifting through clothes

And lying upon my hair

"Time has weathered"

I thought

As I traveled the sands

"And eons

Have passed;

But soon

Now

I will find the light

Of the rising sun"

The sand crunched

As I footed it

Below

The wind whistled

Through the starlit night

Raising fingers

From the white sands

The moon was slowly rising

And its light

Was streaming

Shadows

Upon a still sea

Of barren land

I searched the horizon

As I crested a dune

I stood upon,

Looking for another garden

Within the Universal desert

As of yet

I could see none,

But one was near

For the scent of liquid air

Filled my perception

As I searched for the garden

I thought again

Of the rising sun

"The light to make

My gardens green,

My skies blue,

And my white mountains bright;

And soon now

It comes

Rising

On the horizon -

The power in existence

To brighten

My future paths"

Gradually,

As I stood upon the crest—

My mind

In meditative thought,

As the moon

Rose

Slowly

Casting long shadows,

And as the sound of the wind

Upon wind

Whistling

And wind

Upon sand

Swirling

Grew mentally distant,

It began

Slowly

It grew louder

The sound

The ringing in my mind

The sign of Ad Infinitum

Sometimes

Like a roar—

Sometimes

Like a whisper

Spoke

The Voice,

But always

To hear it

Was like a storm in the night

I moved

A few steps forward

And sat

Upon the crest,

Legs sloping down,

And I looked at the stars

"The night becomes a silent trip"

I thought

As I watched the infinite lights

"The voice—

Like a cat on running black velvet

Ever coming

Padding softly

The silent stalk

Quiet now

And listen

Hear it"

CHAPTER ONE

I am the rising sun, the son of infinity

I am the only one who won the sea;

When your search is done, come to me

When your wisdom is none, come to see

To anyone, the sight from me

To anyone, the light is free;

So come to me, run—

Everyone

And you shall see

Wisdom is free

In the sea

Of the

Rising

Sun

The stars became visible

Again

An infinite rush,

The voice was gone

I sat

For a moment

Sifting sand and memories—

Cool in the night

I arose

Looking away from the stars

To the desert in front

And all around

I moved on

In thought

Thinking about the voice

"Riddles

As I push through the sea

Frustrating

As I track through the sand

Taunting

As I search for the sun

The voice—

Riddles that

Cry to me

As I wade through the rivers of sorrow

Sing to me

As I dance through the clouds of joy

Mourn to me

As I struggle through the oceans of hate

Bring to me wisdom

As I search for the sun

Yet—how dark my eyes

The voice—

Its shadow rises free from the deep

To fall upon this page of life

To become another scratch

In the world of infinity—

It rushes forth from the movement

Of my soul

It throws its wisdom

laughingly at the world

It rolls in its laughter

And wallows in its glory

It embraces my sorrow

And glories the more

It embraces my gladness

And glories the most

If only

I could be the poet"

I thought

As I crested another dune

"To bring forth my own failures

My own triumphs"

I stopped, a moment,

To breathe slower

I looked again

For the garden—

Through straining eyes,

All was dark but the stars

And ripples of moonlight

Upon the desert sands

"If only it were I were the poet

Instead of the pen—

The thought

Instead of the ink"

The voice

Within and without

Was always with me—

A stranger,

A poet in my soul

And my world

"You are the life and I the rock

You the wind and I the sand"

Silently,

Inwardly,

I smiled

I began walking the crest

Below

I saw a set of tracks

Dying in the sand

I slid down the crest

To follow them

"Yes-

The voice is my master

Sounding my depths

Without my will,

But

The day is near"

I thought jubilantly,

"And soon

I will be the master

Free

And truly

Of the power"

I continued on

Following,

Tracking tracks tracking the sun

I breathed out

Heavily

As I trudged up

The next dune

The tracks

Trailed to the crest, over

And out of sight

The sand slid

As I topped the crest,

In the distance

I could discern

The peaks of mountains

"So,

Here is the new garden"

I thought

I followed the tracks

Down the dune

And continued my journey

Toward the mountains

I knew that a new garden

Meant

New lands

New adventures

New cultures

New people

New friends and enemies

(The way of relativity)

But more importantly

I knew from prophecies

That this garden meant

The end of my search

In the world as I knew it

As the mountains became larger

With my approach

I could see a jungle to the right of them—

Miles of stretching green

Ominous and dark

"Yes,

Here is a jungle"

I thought

As I moved on

"A world totally of its own—

Savage

Primitive

Brutal;

Yet,

A world more honest

Than most of the worlds

Made by man

A world in which

Death

Is a means of survival

And not pleasure

Nor sadism

Nor profit

Nor any of the other reasons

That man finds it expedient

To kill another being"

I came to a stop

And scrutinized the fringe

Further down

I could see the rolling

Of the hills and plains

Continuing and composing

Completely

The horizon

I looked Back

Toward the mountains

And moved On

Soon

The dunes became smaller—

They began to level

Smoothing,

Calming to meet the jungle

Moving

Step upon step

Upon the desert sands

Became easier

As the dunes dwindled

And the sand became more firmly packed

Searching ahead

I could see

Leafy vegetation

Trees and vines

Intertwining

The ominous foliage

Forever distant

"What was that?"

I squinted my eyes

And peered further into the dark

Near the jungle—

I thought I saw

Something white

And fluttering

I,

The searcher

Stood looking

It seemed

As if

A signal,

Or perhaps

It was a white leopard

In curiosity

I turned my path

Toward the white

"I have never seen

Before

An animal of the jungle

Standing silent

Upon the fringe

Perhaps someone

Is in distress"

I moved silently,

Leaving tracks behind

As I traveled upon

The sands of time

"Being close to the sun

And knowing

The ways of the desert

Perhaps

I can help"

As I came closer

To the jungle

And the fluttering white,

As the moon rose higher

In the dark sky-

Shining beams upon beams

Upon waves and waves

Of sand and foliage,

And as the noises of the jungle—

Insects

Birds

Predator and victim

And others

Became more violent,

Finally

Before me

I could see upon the fringe

Of desert and jungle—

A woman

Merely a woman,

Beautiful

She was standing

Silent

With wind blowing hair

And swaying silk

Like rippling milk in white

I moved silently

Closer

Upon her bosoms

Long dark hair

Undulated softly

In the wind

"Catly closer," I thought

"And see the . . ."

It was then

Again

That the ringing

Intruded

Ever increasing

Silent,

Then soft

The coming of Ad Infinitum

Always present

Never ending—

But forever

The silent sound

I knew

Once again

The voice would set forth

In mental sound

(And subtly disguised)

Words of inner wisdom—

"And

Like the echoing waves of words

Whispering

Upon the oceans of time,

Resounding,

Touching

The edge

Of my mind—

The silent voice of Ad Infinitum

Quiet now

And listen

Hear it"

CHAPTER TWO

PART ONE

Beauty-

To some you are the aroma, rippling in the wind

You come from the Alpha, to the righteous or the sinned

You come to the Omega, for sadness to rescind

To some you are the sweet, dancing on the tongue

You come to those who eat, whether old or young

You come to compose a treat in a world unstrung

To some you are the sound, echoing words of cellar-door

You come to astound with a whisper or a roar

You come renowned to a world wanting you more

To some you are the touch of tingling white velvet

You come as a clutch with fingers of bluing gold sunset

You come to touch the long untouched beset

To some you are the sight of light shining through the shade

You come from all the light ever made

You come from the might that will never fade

To some you are the wisdom of mellowing thought

You come from the glorious kingdom forever sought

You come from the only freedom of infinite plot

To some you are a decreer of happiness

And we, to be the seer of gladness

To be freer of sadness,

Are the agreer

To the decreer -

Our due

Our duty

To you

Beauty

I moved toward the fringe

Where sand and jungle met

And each boasted of their power

Their danger their courage

They laughed at one another

And bragged of the tolls they had made

I moved slowly,

Patiently, yes patiently

The numbering years

It took me to learn

The meaning of that word

"But now

It is with me"

I thought

As I came to a small dune

"Patience—

A simple way of life

To give me

A grasp

On mental peace

Patience—

It has taught me through hope

That

Time is the acid that dissolves all problems"

I climbed the last dune

And there mingled the fringe

There stood the lady

White silk in the wind

Silent I stood watching,

Absorbing the moon

As it spilled from her hair

Silent I watched

Watching her watch

Slowly

I moved closer

Until

I stood

But a

short distance away

I scrutinized her being

She had fine features,

A small nose

Delicate lips

Her eyes shone, unusually

And

Through the fluttering white

Her slender figure was easy to discern

"Good evening"

I said

"I am a searcher

And

One from the desert,

I am forever traveling

And therefore know the ways

Of lost trails"

As I spoke

I waited—intent

Curious

Of her reaction

But

She was not startled

Nor did she cry out

Nor run away

In fear

Instead

She stood staring,

Silently

She watched the dunes

Her being seemed a paradox—

Radiating happiness

Yet

Her eyes

Were of a despairing gaze, laughing

"Perhaps

We could talk awhile"

I said—

Still

She was silent

I waited

And finally

With friendliness

I moved closer

"Lady of the fringe"

I asked

"Have you some plight,

And might I help?"

Silence

"Why the fringe?

Why do you stand here

Between

The two extremes of danger—

Jungle and desert?"

I thought-

"Perhaps

She is one

Of an expedition

And

Has become lost

In the night

Or

Perhaps

They are nearby

Camped

And she is merely watching

As the moon rises

Reflecting

Radiance

Upon the mountains

The meadows (further down)

The jungle

And the desert"

Still,

She said nothing

She radiated happiness

And a feeling of peace,

Tranquility

Still

She stood

Watching the desert

Then slowly

She turned her gaze

Toward the mountains;

With moisture reflecting the moon,

Shining

And

From her eye—

A laughing eye

Flowed a graceful tear

She looked

Back

To the desert

And,

As if speaking to the sands,

She said

"*Our meeting tonight

Was fated*"

She watched the sea

Of rolling sand

For a very long time,

The moonlit dunes

Rolled forever

Out of sight

Then

Without word

Or warning

She turned

And moved toward the jungle

"Just a moment"

I said

Not as easily

As she had turned

"Where are you going?"

A feeling

Undetermined

Perplexing

Came over me

And suddenly

I was afraid of losing her

I had to hurry

Trailing quickly

As she was disappearing

A dark enshrouded jungle

Engulfing

"Why not the meadows

Where only the desert can boast?"

I asked

Upon catching up

"Why not the mountains

Where only the sand can toll

As we walked along

I pointed

Down the fringe

"There are mountains and meadows

But a short distance

From here"

It seemed

Only logical

To walk a path

Of less danger

But still

She said nothing

Continuing

Walking upon

With darkness

Closing in-

Trees all around

As I watched her figure

Moving

Swaying gently

From side to side

I wondered why the fear

Of losing her -

"What has motivated me,

Why am I attracted

Following

This lady

Into an unknown jungle?"

Still

Her step

Never faltered

Nor hesitated-

She moved with sureness

"It all seems strange—"

I thought

"The lady

Of the fringe,

A paradox

Of emotions;

The jungle,

Entrance

To a new garden;

The meeting

Of silence;

And the motivation

Of attraction"

Strange

But still

I followed—

Carefully stepping,

Watching,

Listening-

Strange noises

From the dense green

In the dark

"Not too many

Have coursed

This jungle"

I thought

As I observed

The path—

It was not a path

Of bare ground

Of plains

And mountains—

Instead

Merely

An opening

Between the trees

Carpeted with grass

Providing

A way

Without crawling

Nor climbing—

A path without leisure

Silently stalking

Through the jungle

"A path

Difficult to follow—

Yet,

She moves

With confidence

Assured

And never pausing

It seems

She has traversed

This path

Many times before

And now

She finds it

Easily

By night

But why?"

I wondered

It was curious—

A mystery

In the new garden-

But

Would it help me

Toward the sun?

I could only

Follow

And find out

So I continued

On

And the dark trees

Passed

Slowly by

In the night

As we passed

Through the jungle

And

Into the shadows

Of primordial law

The moon—

A dim

And seldom seen

Light

Through the dense foliage

Was not enough

To keep me, at times, from groping

But

After awhile

And several miles

Gone—

Step after step

Twisting,

Turning,

Stumbling,

And silence, still

Upon the path—

Acute

With piercing noise;

Following

A hazy white

In a jungle

Of distinct black,

Darkness of the night

Enclosing—

She stopped

To rest—

Sitting next

To a fallen branch

A widened area

In the path

I sat down

Also to rest,

Perhaps sleep

The moon beamed

Through the widened area

Illuminating

Again

I noticed

Her physical being

"You are not

Of the desert"

I said

"Your countenance

Is too slim—

Your hair

Not black

You are not

Of the farmers

Of the plains people

You have a radiance

Of tranquility

About yourself

Therefore

Your are not

Of the coastal cities—

And that leaves

Only the mountains—

Your people

Are those of pines

And cabins

And dirt roads

Upon which

To travel

Is that

Not true?"

I waited

A reply

Long

In coming

I moved closer

The night was dark

With sudden noises

Constant

And startling

Finally

In a soft voice

She said

"*Yes,

I am

From the mountain nation*"

But

She said

No more

Her mood was sullen

Depressed

Her eyes gazed ahead

Into the depth

Of thought

Conversation

Seemed useless

Still

I talked

Awhile-

With mostly questions

But her answers

Mostly nods

Told me little more

Of her being

So,

Having nothing

To do

And

Being tired

I stretched out

Upon the path

Leaning my head

Upon the branch—

A soft pillow

Upon a soft bed

In a night

Upon hard thoughts

Pondering,

Dreaming,

Sleeping

The night passed

Without incident

And in the morning

When the sun

Forced its light

Through the dense growth

And

To the chattering

Of little furry animals

She rose—

I rose—

Stretching,

Pulling tight muscles,

Limbering

"Good morning"

I said

Waiting,

Listening

For a friendlier relationship

Than

The night before

But

Her replied 'Good morning'

Was one

With a manner

Of distance

And hope

Turned,

Waiting for patience

She looked ahead

And once again

Started

Down the path—

What else?—

I followed

Behind-

This time

Daylight

And walking was easier

Being able

To see

Without stumbling

On the darkness

Walls of trees

In light

With tentacled vines

Creeping

Leafy

And little animals

playing

And fighting

Running

Through the tops

And

Sitting on the branches

Colorful birds

With long feathers

Perched

And adding

To the jungle sound

"Truly,

A vibrant,

Joyful scene

Of life"

I thought

But I knew

In reality

That

At that moment

Danger

Could be waiting

Anywhere

Along the path

"Danger—

Coagulating the air

With

The scent of blood"

Instead of worrying

About future possibilities

However,

I continued to watch

Little animals

Swinging through trees

Running

And jumping

From branch to branch-

A way of life

For the creature

Of the habitat,

Instinctively high—

Above the trailing ways

Of preying beasts

As we walked along

A thorny bush

Protruded

Intruding

Bringing my attention

Back to the path

And the lady

In front

She swerved

And

I swerved

Staying clear

Of the needled limbs

Stepping again

Upon the path-

The flowing white

"Her white silk

(Never torn)

Is a signal for the beasts"

I thought

As I reached ahead

And let

The cool silk

Slip through my fingers

I tried to converse,

To communicate,

But still

She said little

"Why the despairing silence?"

I wondered

True—

She spoke

Now and then

But

There was a wall

Of distance

Making her words silent

When finally reaching

To communicate

"What can be gained

From this silence?"

I asked myself - stooping

As the path narrowed

And found its way

Beneath

A low hanging branch

"Nothing . . .

I remember, once

I was told

By a Wise Man of the desert

That

'Experience is the teacher of Masters'

These words

Have remained

In my memory

For many years-

Always conscious

Of other thoughts;

For

In this

And other lifetimes

Experience

Has shown me

The way

To higher truths

As even now

The experience of silence

Whispers

In my mind

The ways

Of the path

Of communication

How can a man

Live

Without it?

There is

No way,

For

All paths

Coincide

With the path

Of communication-

When treading

Upon a path,

Whether

Slowly or quickly

Whether

Backward or forward,

A man listens-

He talks-

But more importantly

He communicates

He receives

And gives

Of himself:

To all who are willing

And to all with whom he is willing;

To himself

Who questions, willingly,

In time of need

And

When paths need to be chosen;

To Nature

Who is always ready to communicate;

And

To God-

Love eternal

Who always IS

But only

When he ceases communication

Does he stop

Upon the path

And

Listening

He hears nothing"

I paused

In mental thought

A moment-

A snake

Slithered across the path

In front of the lady-

Who,

Unheeding,

Continued on

Without hesitation

"Yes,

Only man

Can stop upon the path

When

Other men

Or self

Or Nature

Or God

Speak

But how sad

To turn off

These beings composing life

How sad—

To turn to misery

For love - nonexistent

When he is unwilling

To communicate

With other men

To turn to ignorance

For answers - nonexistent

When he is unwilling

To communicate

With himself

To turn to desolation

For beauty - nonexistent

When he is unwilling

To communicate

With Nature

When he unwilling

To listen-

Touching tips

The soft noise

Of butterfly wings;

To listen-

The smell,

Sage

The desert air

In the rain;

To listen-

The taste,

The blueberry

Of the forest;

To listen-

To the sun

When

It brings him

Warmth

To turn to the void

For the nonexistent being

When he is unwilling

To communicate with God—

Yet,

How untrue

For

However slowly

Man moves

Upon the path of communication

With God-

He cannot stop

Completely

For to do so

Would make him

Nonexistent-

Everything would cease

Yes—

Communication

Is being

But

Sometimes

Communication

Is poor

Or slow

Or sometimes

When there is no desire

(By man)

There is

No communication

(Except with God)"

Again

I asked myself

"What can be gained

From the lack

Of communication?—

Nothing

Perhaps

I shall leave this lady

Once through the jungle"

My thoughts of communication

Dispersed

As the path widened

And merged

Into a jungle opening

Within

And far

To the right—

A large pool of water

"Probably

A watering hole

(Common)

For the animals"

I thought

The path

Trailed

Thirty yards to the right

Of the pool

Crossing the opening

And disappearing

Into the trees

Between the path and pool

Pointing toward the sky

The green stems

Of grass

And all around

The opening

Trees

And vines

And bushes

The sun shone

Through

Reaching ahead

I put my hand

On her shoulder-

The other hand

In gesture

Indicated

A grassy area

Next to the pool

"A relief

For weary travelers"

I said

"Let us drink

The water - life today

For the search tomorrow"

But as I said it

A mental effort

Was needed

To free the last word from my tongue,

My being became tense—

For

At that moment

A large beast of prey

Came bounding

From the underbrush

He stopped,

Becoming intent

Immediately

He perceived us

His claws

Several inches long

Dug the ground

In anticipation

His fangs gleamed

From the flow

Of saliva

His snarl

Lowered the sound

In his throat

And raised his lips

(Showing masticators)

Taut muscles

Were ready

"So,

Here is a beast

Who would bring

An end

To my jungle path

It could have ended

Back there

Or

Further ahead-

But it didn't

And it won't

Instead

It ends here"

I picked up a weapon—

The only weapon—

A large rock

Within a tight grip

Whitened my knuckles

"Quick"

I said

In a quiet, pointed voice

"Run

For that tree"

My finger indicated

A tree

Twenty yards distant—

Low hanging branches

And strong vines

Clinging

Enticing escape

But

Instead of running

And to my amazement

She continued

Indifference

As she looked

Upon the beast

"*It is not

His will

Nor ours

For the grievance

Of destruction*"

She said

As she looked back

To the path

In front

And continued

To walk

Her average gait

Upon

But

Her words

Offered no comfort

I gripped the rock

Tighter

Walking

Befuddled

Not knowing

As I stared

At the beast—

Dimness of life

Surrounded by yellow

And golden fur

Jowls slavered

And fangs

Glistening

In the sunlight

His beady eyes

Watching

Waiting

The right moment

"For the lady

A tearing and rending

Death of tears

And any time

Now

Will be the time"

I thought

The tree was then

Fifteen yards

Away—

"I will grab

The lady

And run

For the nearest branch

It should be strong

Enough—

And perhaps . . ."

But

My decision

Of action

Came too late—

The beast

Made his move

Silence in stride

Bounding

Leaping

Golden

Through the air

Sleek

Rippling strength

The power to rip

To kill

In order to live

To search

To eat the food

From the light

Of the sun

(Though

I will fight

For life—

Perhaps

Survive)

To know death

Knowing life

And living fuller

To let loose

Living

Higher

Living again

But begins the day

And birth brings

A time

Again

Within the cell

I waited

The agony of rending

The moment

Before parting-

But all

For the unexpected

And wonder

Bounding—

Not the tearing

Of death

Instead

He lay

Beside the path

Preening himself

A bass purr

Sang

From his throat

"But what is this?"

I wondered

And still

In doubt

And

Gripping

I retained my hold

On the rock

The lady

Looked over

Her shoulder,

Momentarily

"*I look

To the past

And

I see you

Searching*"

She said

Ignoring the beast

"*Searching

For an answer

To life -

Searching for the sun—

Infinite wisdom*"

She paused

Lengthy,

As we walked

And gradually

(Walking too slow)

We passed

From the jungle opening

"The beast has recently mealed

On some other victim"

I thought

As we moved

Into the crowded jungle

Green

The lady continued

"*A poet

Once wrote a poem

Which describes the life

Of the searcher:

'We are running upon the waves of time

Swimming through the sands of life

Climbing the mountain of perfection

How high

How long the climb

And oh to slip

To woe

To cry

To die

Then to struggle forward

Drudging moving tiring

Trudging pushing pulling

But look-

Beating heart

Faster,

So fast

For there it is:

The top

Now,

Move quickly—

Hurry

So close

At last

Reaching

Pulling

Climbing

Up

Upon the top

But look-

Another peak

A higher peak

(A new low

In the mind)

But don't cry

Keep moving-

Laugh and love

Have patience

For this is the life

Living

And on a day

Someday

Out of the infinite chain of mountains

Will come your mountain

The wisdom

To set you free

Again

With the infinite mode of being'*"

As she finished

She paused

For a mere moment

And turned her head—

From her twinkling eyes

She laughed,

And then moved on

"Today

We might

Truthfully

Give a little prayer of thanks"

I said

She moved

Silent

I raised

My voice

"How is it

You sound like the voice of Ad Infinitum

Speaking many truths

But telling me little?"

Silence

"How can we be friends"

I asked

"If you continue

Your silent ways?"

Still

She said nothing

As she led

Upon the path

"Even discomfort

Can be pleasant

With a joyful companion"

I thought

As I looked around

At the jungle

"Evidently, however,

Something

Has disturbed her

And she has built

A mental wall

To keep out the world

Still,

I shall wait,

In following,

Awhile longer

And if my patience

Yields no companion

Then I shall travel,

Again,

Alone

In my quest

For the sun"

We continued on

Both of us

In silence

Tiny

Next to the trees

Looming over

Twisting

Turning

Stooping limbs

And moss

Hanging down

The day was long

In passing-

Fatiguing

Sweating

And resting only

For short spaces

Of time;

Or stopping

To pluck

To eat

Small golden colored berries

Growing upon bushes

And

The seldom trod path

Continued under our feet

The shining sun

Beamed

Shining rays

Upon endless vasts of green

Two moving specks

Moved

Upon the path

There was

Green closing green

Closing in

Upon the tiny path

The path narrowed

At times

And disappeared into a myriad

Of vines

Shrubs

And grasses

Still

Her graceful figure

Always moved easily

Over the thorns

And under the moss swinging trees

Around the quicksand

And

Through the parting bushes

As I continued

To watch her

My mind passed

Into meditation

And

As we passed

Upon the path

The day passed

With part of me

Always watching

Very wary

Of the jaws

Of the moving jungle-

But the path

Wound its way

Through danger

And yielded

No more

Beasts of prey

And the sun

Traveling slow

Upon its path

Through the sky

Found its way

To the horizon

Yielding

The twilight

And dusk

Before the dark

The night came—

Uneventful

It passed

Lying upon

A bed of moss

Beneath a tree

As the jungle sounds

Communicated

Voicing

The sounds of life—

Disturbing

But sleep

Came easily

After the long day

And then

The dawn

And rising

Again

To the morning note

Of jungle birds

Chattering, furry creatures

And cry of victims;

We rose

Again

To trail

Upon the path

It seemed

The new day

Would bring

Another

Journey

With only

The excitement

Of danger

And always trudging

Through jungle ways

But soon

(Traveling not far)

Toward the end

Of the new dawn

The jungle ended-

And the path laughed its way away

"This is good"

I thought

"Now I can travel

A straighter Path

Easier-

And the sun

Is on the horizon"

CHAPTER TWO

PART TWO

From the top,

As the path

Traveled up

A small hill,

I looked back

For a moment

Watching

The miles of stretching green

"Jungles jungles running thin

Meet the meadows

Where hills begin"

I chuckled out loud

"Perhaps someday

I will be the poet"

I thought

I looked forward

Again

To the future path—

And the day

Seemed brighter

Over the hills

Two traveling travelers

The path upon

Still feet clung

Currents of wheat rippled

Swaying in the breeze

And sparkling dew

In the morning sun

No longer

Did I attempt

To converse

Merely-

I walked along

Thinking of future ways

And future days

After awhile

We turned a bend

And there ahead

The path divided

Forking

Into two

The right was graced

And I the left

To travel alone

Surprised

She looked over,

Across the division

Where I was walking slowly

Upon the path

"*Are you leaving me?*"

She asked

Stopping

I turned

And looked at her—

Dark brown hair

Spilled over her shoulders

And lay gently upon

Her breasts

"How much you liken the voice"

I said

"Always silent

Even when speaking,

Speaking silence"

She clasped her hands

In front

"*Practice patience*"

She said with a tone

Of wisdom

"How long must I practice?"

I asked

"How long

Till the truths shine?"

I looked to the fields

And outstretched a hand

Feeling for words

With fingers of thought

"I have wandered

More fields than a rainbow

More hills than a path

More stones than a river

More mountains than a cloud

I have wandered

More days than a sky

I wandered

The cities

The worlds

The stars

And yet

Still I search for the sun

So

Tell me not of patience"

"*But

We have

Talked - communicated*"

"No"

I said

"We traveled

The same path

Together

But we were separated—

A wall

Of distance

And still

It is here"

"*Come with me*"

She responded

With the tone

Of an underlying question

"*And we will . . .*"

"No"

I interrupted

"Our relationship

Has nothing to gain"

I turned

And walked

Down the path

I wasn't angry

Really,

But I felt

That nothing

Could be gained

From the information of silence—

Not friendship

Nor happiness

Nor love

Nor the light

Of the rising sun

"So,

It is best

That we part"

I thought

And with clinging feet I clung

And over hills and over hills

All alone again I traveled

"On with the fields of wheat

And I shall sow this garden

And see what grows

Before I track the desert again

Path of rolling hills

Of indifference

Sowing the garden as I go

Now is the time of the prophecies—

Take me to my sun

What matters?

Let me reap the light"

My confidence was high

As I walked along

Above

The sky was blue

And dotted with white clouds

Birds flew

Circling above and

Sailing over

Little animals

That scampered in the fields of wheat

The sun was warm

I thought again

Of the desert prophet—

Long white hair

And brown wrinkled skin

An old, old man

Near the gates of death

Yet a man of wisdom

With an inner eye

To see the paths

Of the future

The desert peoples

Traveled thousands of miles

To obtain his advice

They would listen to his prophecies

His philosophies

His teachings of life

Some would find sadness,

Others gladness

They would lay gifts

At his feet

In appreciation;

They knew that his were the words

Of truth

"Yes"

I thought

"Words of truth

Telling me of a garden—

This garden

Yielding

The light of the rising sun"

In anticipation

Perhaps eagerness

I continued

To trail

The day was slow

In passing

As I thought

About the sun

The prophet

The lady

Wild beasts and jungle

The desert

And other gardens—

"And now

The path in front—

To what future

Of reality

Does it lead?"

Like a snake

The path continued

Winding

Easy

And slow

As it moved

A Westerly route

Through the hills

Another day

Through the night

The morning

A few hours more,

Coiling the hills

And then-

Swaying, waving

Becoming sparse

Rolling from sight

The sea of wheat

Was gone

Flattening out

The hills were leveling

Up ahead

A path crossed mine

I passed it by

After walking

Nearly half a day

Finally

Looking ahead

The hills were gone

A plain plain planed

A vision of miles and miles and miles

The underside of flat

For miles and miles and miles

I continued on

For several days

Searching

The weather had changed

No clouds in the sky

No wind

Not a breeze

Not even an occasional gust

I looked ahead,

Watching—

Another path crossed mine

Upon the clinging path

I passed it by

The heat was stifling

If only for a breeze

Furthering distance

Another day

Ahead again

A path crossed mine

The sweating heat

Burning

Burning feet

Another path crossed mine

"Paths—

Tracking

And trailing the worlds

Like feet in the sand

Traveling

Seeking a goal

Each time

I pass a path

I wonder

'Where

Does it travel?

And

How would my life be changed

If I took this path

Instead of that?

Indeed

How would it be

If I could travel

All the paths

Live all the lives

Track all the tracks?'"

Several more crossed

At different angles

And I passed them by

"If I had infinite feet,

Then would mine

Be the knowledge of God—

Omniscient"

Through that day

And through that night

The sweating hot night

Furthering on

Sleep and walk

To the dawn I went

The breaking of day

Broke

To break the will

The rising sun

Shone through

The beginning light

Spread

Accompanied by birds (but not that day)

The cloudless sky

Blue and pink combining

Providing light

Dimly seen

Vaguely outlined

Gradually

The beginning day

I looked about

As the light intensed

I stopped in amazement

"Hundreds

Thousands

No—

Countless

Obscurity"

I looked behind be

"Where is the path

I have walked?—

Lost in the maze"

Paths crossing paths crossing paths

But where was mine?

"From whence did I come?

And

Whither shall I go?"

There was no way to tell

Which way

Was the way

Crossing Crisscrossing paths

Countless on barren land

In all directions

Away

Surpassing the horizon

Treeless

Plantless

Rockless ground

Not even was the desert so barren

I moved on—

What else?

"Finding the sun

Will be just as easy here

As any other place,

But the heat

Is stifling"

As the sun broiled down

I wandered aimless through the maze of paths

It was my hope

To come, eventually, to the perimeter

Of that Hades Kingdom—

"I will follow the path

Of the sun"

I thought

"The end of this

Confusion

Will come"

I wiped the sweat

From my eyes

And continued on

A day passed

And still

The paths were countless

On barren land

Still

Another day

Passed

As I followed the sun

In the field of paths

Stepping lower

Slower

Pushing through the waves of heat

Almost dragging

Stumbling upon the barren ground

I paused

For a moment

Straining my eyes

Searching ahead

I thought

I saw something

Standing

In the distance

"Is it a mirage?"

I wondered

Closer

Draggingly closer

"My eyes are undeceiving,

It is not a mirage

But a figure—

How to figure a figure

Out here

It is"

I wondered who it was

"She possibly knows

The way out

But possibly stranded

Too"

Approachingly closer

Hoping

My imagination

Began to take over

"Is it a woman?

Do I see a dress?"

Lifting my feet

Through the heat

Upon the plain of paths

I moved quicker

Closer

Dismayingly closer

"Wet sweat

Sweet sweat

Toiling

In the boiling heat

And all for naught

Not a woman

But a pole—

Tall

And wooden

"Why a pole

In the middle

Of a maze?"

Carefully

I scrutinized,

Observing

Upon

And around the pole

There appeared to be

Bloodstains

Sweat dripped from my nose

As I looked

At the pole

I sat on the ground

Leaning my back against 'The empty door'

Jutting itself insidiously

From the trailing maze

"Two days

And no water—"

I thought

As I watched

The sweat drip

I was lacking

Energy—

Too tired

To wipe away

My life's blood

"Perhaps

The old prophet

Saw into death—

Maybe I shall find

The light

Through the infinite darkness

Of my eyes"

I reached up

And unbuttoned

My sweat soaking robe

My hand

Flopped again

Down

To the ground

I sat

And waited—

For what?

Perhaps

To regain

Energy

Perhaps

For the sun

To go down

Still

I sat—

Sitting

Waiting

Suffocating

Drowsing

Tiring . . .

And then

I saw it—

At first

Merely a haze,

Coming closer

Through the night

I peered

I strained

For the sense

Of it

"Come closer

And

Let me see"

Gradually

The form

Takes shape—

Elegance

And radiance

In the rain

I call to her,

But then

She turns—

Movement in white

Graceful strides

The flowing silk

The moonlit hair

Running through the rain

Away

Far away

How beautiful

The falling rain

How beautiful

But oh the sadness

The blinding blinding rain

It has come

It has drowned the light

And the sight of your soul is gone

To see you again

Through the dark

The rain

Come

Come back again

Come, let us be together

Love together

Write together

Yes

Let us bend quills together

Let it flow

Free and rhyme

Fiction and prose

And to the world

The drowning world

The bending river shows

But ah the sadness

Reality:

You are gone

Oh my God

My God

My Man

My Greatness

My God

You are gone

And the rain is warm

Warmer

It is hot

Running hot

It is . . .

Suddenly tense

I awoke

Wet sweat

Running warmly

Dripped from my nose

Wiping the salt tears

From my face

I looked to the trailing maze

Leaning forward

I put a hand on the ground,

Again

The other wiped away water

That stings the eyes

Was I still dreaming?

I looked

No

I was awake

And they were really there

Standing in front of me

Tall

Broad

Proud

Men and women

Such big people

Rings

Bracelets

Necklaces

Spears and knives

Scalps on belts

Such little people

But where did they come from

Upon this maze

Of paths?

There were close to fifty of them

(Including children)

Most were expressing grins

Of invidious plenitude

And many seemed excitedly anxious

Anxiously waiting

"Who are you?"

I asked

But they didn't,

Couldn't

Answer,

Instead

They conversed in a strange language

One I had never before heard

It was guttural and primitive

I thought

"Perhaps they will help me"

(But somehow I didn't think so)

"Just a palm of water,

Of life

And

A finger

Pointing the way away

From this maze"

I thought

Suddenly they stopped talking

And two white men and a yellow

Came cautiously

Forward

Toward

In moments

And a brief struggle

They had me bound to the pole;

Binding with rawhide

And tearing the skin that covered my wrists;

The rawhide soaked blood

They began to dance

In a circle

Around myself and the pole

Singing

Jumping and chanting

Running

Yelling

Spinning and rolling

Such strange people

Skins of all colors

A large white man

Tore a hole

With his spear

And ripped away my clothes—

God

But for a breeze

All

Then

Became quiet

But for the large white man—

Yelling and shouting

And jumping magnificently high

He danced a dance of epilepsy

Rippling muscles surged

Taut to the bone

Dancing to a rhythm

Rippling

Quivering

Quaking

Bulging

And relaxing

For others to bulge

He continued to dance

While the others watched

They edged to the front of the crowd

Getting better positions—some sitting,

And little children peered between legs—

And the white man continued,

He danced for the sky

Face upward

Jumping

Twisting

Jumping

Chanting

Continuing

Finally

He finished—

A violent finish

Bearing down on me

With beady eyes

Twisting and turning

Showing his

Teeth

And yelling to the heavens

Heaving his spear

Up and down

Sweat rolling from his body

Such a big man

Up and down

Up and down

Such a splendid spear

Beaming reflections

Reflecting

Bright light

From the hot, cold steel point

Such a skillful spear

Accurate

Deft

Such a violent finish

With a skillful spear

He wounded my side

The spear parted skin

Easily

Being sharp

Slicing bowels

And puncturing organs—

The spear rended

And withdrew

The anguish and blood

Tearing my brain

Borning my death

When the morning

Was gone

My eyes

Would grow dark

With the night

Ah the anguish,

But the warm blood

Was cool

Running on burning skin

In the heat

Of the day

They all rose,

Again he danced

This time,

Time

A longer dance

Perhaps waiting

For the morning to pass

But

Forthwith

He drew a knife

Glinting

And came toward

He placed it to my throat

And drawing to create

A new passage—

Blood

As I looked at him

I thought

In anguish

"Merely a movement

A mere move of his arm

To send away

From this body

Forever—

A mere merely

For forever

A mere merely

To destroy

A total world"

And so,

So quick

There it was—

The end

How should I have felt

So close

To my goal?

How unfeeling

My shaded end

To end

And begin over again

"Time has turned

My wheel of life"

I thought

In the moment

Before death

"And I have traveled

Many roads—

All leading

To the same goal,

Bringing me closer

But now

It will end—

A slip backward,

A delay

In progress

Only to begin again"

I waited

For the final pull

The slicing

Of my throat

The gushing

Of blood

And the feeling

Of horror

The moment before death

I followed his eyes

As he began

To draw the blade—

But he was no longer

Looking at me

Instead

He was gazing

Behind

And

His smile downed

To a wrinkling frown

And stepping back

Carefully

With

Withdrawing the blade

Concerning

He stared behind me

Backing further,

Back to his people

They all stared

Still I waited,

The dance

The knife

The end

My body waited

The eternal wait

The dead weight

My soul would be free

Together

They huddled closer

The leader

Thrusting forth his spear

As if

A protecting threat

"Finish your ceremony"

I said

I waited—

Nothing happened,

Truly

A strange ceremony

I was feeling faint

The blood continued

From the rend

In my side

Still

They stared

Watching perhaps

Until death came

From bleeding

It was at that time,

As the strange people

Backed further

Over the barren maze,

As blood

Wound its way

From the wound

Down my side—

My leg

Dripping to the ground,

As the moisture

Rose

From the red stains

In waves of heat,

Through sweat bleary eyes—

I saw her—

The white white silk

Always cool

As she stepped beside

The lady of the fringe

"Such deathly timing

Why have you come?"

The leader

Protecting threatening

Protecting his people

Thrust his spear

Up and down

Up and down

Backing away

"Lady of deathly timing

Run away

Run for life

Or get behind

Before he throws his spear"

Up and down

Up and down

So cool

Unheeding

She raised her hands

To the cloudless sky

Bright blue

Peaceful

Over endless paths

Her fingers reached out

Pleading

"Plead you God?

Run away instead

And save your life"

She ignored

Unhearing

Looking to the sky

She spoke

And thunder answered

Roaring

And lightening shattered the mirrored day

Frightened faces

Looked to the sky—

Spears were dropped

Children were grabbed,

The huddled people scattered

Running in all directions away

Further and further

Merely specks

On the edge of the horizon

Falling hands

Thunder and lightening ceased

Reaching

Touching my hands

Untying my bonds

She put an arm around my waist,

A hand upon my wound

And from her eye

A smiling eye

Flowed a subtle tear—

A lone tear

To keep moist the heart

I was happy to see her

But I knew

That death was with me;

I wanted not

To lean too heavily

Upon her;

I staggered forward

A step

And slumped to the ground

Darkness fell heavy

Upon my world

CHAPTER TWO

PART THREE

The light beamed forth

To touch my world

Surging

Impulses

The key of consciousness

Unlocked the door

Opening

The light penetrated

My eyelids fluttered

"*You are awake*"

A voice said softly

"*Good*"

"I have had

A strange dream"

I said

As I touched my side

I felt for the wound

But

It was not there

"My dream was of savages

And their rituals

Ceremony

Spears

And my blood"

I looked up

At her as she kneeled

Beside me

"It must have been

The heat"

I said

As I stood up

She said nothing

She stood

Beside me

And

Took my hand

And I,

With the other,

Stretched it out

Toward the many paths

In question

My hand swept the horizon

"How did you get here?"

I asked

"And

How will we leave?"

As the sweeping hand

Turned my body

I saw behind—

A pole

"*Let us go

This way*"

She said

Pointing to her right

There seemed to be

Fresh stains on it

"My world still suffers

From the heat"

I said to myself

I turned back

And holding her hand

We moved off

In the direction

She indicated

"I must have been delirious"

I thought

As we walked along

"Hallucination,

Closing off consciousness

To the reality of my world

Still—

It has done no harm

For I feel

Energetic"

No longer the stumbling

The dragging

The falling

"Yes,

The restoration

Of rest"

The lady singled

A path

From the crossing of paths

One to lead us

from the maze

Time passed quickly

No longer the mental hindrance

Of slowing feet

And heavy breathing,

Sweat dripping

Companionship

Several hours

Gone

And the paths

Thinned out,

Only a few

Crossing

The plains began to roll

The wheat waved hello again

The sky was a darker blue

And rode upon the shoulders

Of white fluffy clouds

A bubbling stream gurgled

Following below

Following the path

Little animals peered

From their homes

And sailing birds

Wheeled upon the sky

Walking along

And the white white silk

Never soiling

But always light and joying

Fluttering slight

Making silent noises

Louder than her words

Days upon

And I thought she would never speak

But then one morning

As the sun rose

And shattered the darkness on the mountain

To the left

And as the birds

Began the morning note

And life emerged

From sleeping hideaways

She began to talk

A steady voice

Slow with patience

"*For many days

I have traveled

The mountains

The plains

The paths

And again the plains

The jungles

To the fringe

I left my mountain nation

Where my people live on top of the world

Though sometimes in the deepest valleys

And though my trip was a long time planned

I left with a heavy heart—*"

She paused momentarily

As we crossed

A rippling stream

"*A short time before I left,

Evil plotters rose up

And now my father is dead

A great man has died

He was a ruler

He ruled strength and power

He ruled with wisdom

Ruling love and compassion

He ruled men and women

And had a control

In love

Over all living beings in his nation

The morning I left

The nation mourned his death;

And though I am with

The infinite mode

Still

I am a relative consciousness

Unable

At times

To bring forth the happiness of the day—

A conflict,

A paradox of existence

Accompanied my journey

And when

I met you

Upon the fringe

Still

I was in conflict;

Inner thought,

Cloaked by silence,

Was my strongest weapon*"

She smiled

And I

Replied with silence

But finally

The ostensible

I said

"I'm sorry about your father,

And I know

For him - the scales are balanced,

And for those who did the deed—

The scales shall be balanced;

Still

I understand not

Why you made the journey

To the fringe?"

"*Simply,*" she answered,

"*I followed the plan

Of a dream

Sound foolish?

No-

They are messages

From the other side,

And

I know

When they must be

Fulfilled

And it is

Mostly

They come from

A high source

Of knowledge—

So,

I planned,

I journeyed

And you came,

Even

As I knew

You would

But I traveled

With a heavy heart*"

She paused

Once again

With a longing Look

But only

For a short time

And then she spoke

Of other things

Light and cheer

Words gracing life

And boasting happiness—

I could tell

She knew the meaning of today that day

And hand in hand

We continued on

The winding path

The wind blew

And dark clouds rolled

Thundering skies

In light and dark

And as we traveled the path

In storm

Upon

The night came

And there was lightening

Bright lightening

Shaking the dark

And waking the night

"Dawn

Rising dawn

Breaking the way

And comes the day

Oh sunshine

Oh rain

Oh fog—

Lifting blanket from the grass

Shine shine sunshine

How beautiful your rays

This day

Your day

Today

Path path

Walking path

To the meadows

Of running grass"

Our feet met the meadows

Of grass

Green grass

Roaming

Meadows of life

Grass and flowers

Flowers flowers

Colors all"

How beautiful were the coloring fields

Crossing streams

Feet

Bare feet

Love of life

Scenting flowers

And joy beneath the weeping willow

"*To love happiness

For all

Is true love*"

We laughed

And talked of life,

Later

She sang a song

And we enjoyed the present

For what it was

That day

We continued on

And—

A sparse barrage of trees

Shot up

Surrounding us

The meadows met the mountains

And the mountains were at our front

While the meadows flanked us

Beginning a fringe

Speaking of many topics

She spoke of war

And I agreed

With her opinion:

"*War is a useful means

Of experience (of gaining knowledge)—

The truth of sadness

And loss of those you love

Yes,

Useful for the savage,

The wild man, or the beast

All climbing the chain

(Climbing for perfection);

But for the cultured,

Knowledged man

War is useless

And serves only

The ego of governments

Or the false beliefs of religion,

And not the man

"*Yes

Cultured man too

Is climbing the chain

But by the time he is cultured

And sophisticated in mind

His need for the knowledge of war should have been fulfilled*"

As we furthered our journey

The path began to climb

The air was crisp

And smelled of pine

Little animals

Wary

Watched the travelers;

Myself

And the lady in white—

Graceful and smooth and patient

Walking

Talking

She spoke of events

To come

And the past

"*I remember a poem

Which once

I read:

I am the present I live for now

Live with me and I'll show your how

Live not with the past, a moment ago

A week, a year, a century or so

Live not with the future of future days

For the future is a means of many ways

Here then

Is a factor for happiness:

Learn from the past

Plan for the future

And live with them both for the present*"

"Maybe,"

I said

As I pondered

Her words

"But I never stop

Thinking

Of the day

When I shall find the sun"

"*It is good

Keep your ambition

And your goal

But do not live in the future—

Becoming too involved

Will destroy

A strong will*"

I said nothing

And thought

To think later

On what she had said

Ahead—

Gurgling over rocks

A mountain stream

And just below—

A pond

We approached

Hand in hand

And looking at me

She said

"*Tell me

Of you*"

We sat down

Beside the stream

Resting

Eating pine nuts

Living

Breathing the fresh pine-scented air

And watching the fish swim

"Even as you—

I am

And have been forever

Simply,

Still I am

And will be forever

I have always traveled the infinite cycle

And always will

Finding and losing my sun

Searching sometimes

Without knowing for what;

"I have had infinite experiences

Still I expect

And find new ones

An infinite more

For this is the way of life

"And now

Again

I am searching for the sun

"Perhaps

You can help

But

You must not speak in riddles

Like the voice of Ad Infinitum"

"*The voice of Ad Infinitum*"

She said thoughtfully

She paused—

"*I will help

If I can*"

She finally said

"*But being curious

Tell me of this voice*"

"The voice

Yes

The voice of mystery

That none can hear

But me,

Speaking in parables

Of multifaceted

Interpretation

"It has been with me

From the beginning of the darkest age—

A small light,

But too small"

She pondered a moment

My words

"*Then

It is your voice

Because it speaks only to you,*"

She said

"*And therefore

Can come only

From the inner existence

"*It rises from the depths

Of your soul

It comes from the very flame,

Yes,

It comes from the center,

From the very source

Of your being

"*It comes from the spark

That gives every soul

Its life

"*It comes from the infinite force,

Creating

Relating

Striving to be heard

By the soul's ear

Of every man

Yet,

So few

Can receive*"

She paused a moment,

A twinkle in her eye

"*Dear sir*"

She said

"*I think

You are closer

To your goal

Than you know,

For

What you describe

Can only be—

The voice

Of infinite wisdom*"

"Why then the mystery?"

I asked

"Why the puzzles?—

Why so taunting?"

Again

She took

My hand,

"*The voice

You hear*"

She said,

"*Comes to you

Upon the path

Of a thousand lifetimes,

Filtered with mystery,

But

Trying to teach*"

"Perhaps you are right"

I said

"But the riddles are still

Of no help"

Swirling about our toes

The water forged its way

Down the mountain

We sat silent

Again

Watching Nature

And each other

I leaned back

Upon the grass

Inflated cream puffs

The clouds

Passed lowly

Slowly

And others

Very high

Above

In the blue sky

Life stirred

The day was pleasant

And the water swirled

"*Crystal clear water

Running the stream

The fish

The frog

The snake

Running the beaver

The deer

The elk

The moose

Running the brook

The pond

The river

The ocean

Clear clear water

Running the clouds within the sky

Crystal clear water

Running the stream

Running man

Summing the energies

Focusing the mind—

The step between,

Magnification

And the sun rises*"

We splashed the water

Bathing so cool

And playing beads

Tickling trickling

Back again

Back

Falling

Fell

Again to be splashed

Ripples moved

Upon the washboard pond

Bounding rebounding

Back again back

Trees and logs

Sticks and twigs

Mud

Beautiful mud

Dam Dam

Beaver dam beaver

Beaver built

Majestically built

Splashing joyously

We splashed

Heaving

Happiness tears of the world

We rose

And crossed the stream

We bounded on

We laughed the pure laughter

We talked

We sang the song

We walked on

Into the day - that day

We passed trees and boulders

Little homes of little animals

Blue jays with cocked black hats

Flew

From tree to tree

For the joy of food

Steep

Then level

The path

Tracking many tracks

Gladly we tracked

Hand in hand

Arm in arm

Now together

Now separate

But always bound

We traveled on

Distancing

The desert away

Closer

To her home

We came

"You spoke of enforcing a goal"

I said,

As the path

Rounding a bend

Overlooked a forest meadow

(I was thinking

Of a previous

Conversation)

"*Yes

I must travel

To the coastal cities

And there attempt to bring wisdom

To the cultured savage—

This goal must be done

Before I travel on*"

As she spoke of the coastal cities

I noticed above

High above

In the sky

A huge black bird

Circling

long

and

slow

He stooped to a dive

And swooping

Swooped low

Then up again he flew

His beak shone

And so his feathers

As

Of a hole in space

"I wish my goal

Could be

So simple," I said

Stooping

He swooped again

Coming closer

"*Perhaps someday

It shall,*" she answered

The bird

Flew higher

In the sky

Became a black dot

And disappeared

We continued on

Through the forest

And eventually

Becoming narrower

The path stole its way

Away

Through a darkened woods

Crowding pines

Crowded out light

But now and then

The light broke through,

Beaming upon the path

Magnifying

Reflecting particles of dust

Many times

The light beamed upon

A dead or dying tree

Lying

Across the path

While others

Crowded in

To take its place

The turning twisting winding

Narrowing widening

Darkened and beamed upon path

Found its way

Through the living forest

Once in a while

We crossed

Through mountain meadows

(The spatial miracle of the mountains)

Where trees refuse to grow or crowd

And continually refreshing

Were streams and ponds

Clear mountain water

A sparkling force

Along the way

As we traveled

The path

The numbering days

Multiplied

Becoming weeks

Upon

And then one day

As the dawn broke

And coloring light

Fell

Upon lofty peaks and ranging woods;

While rounding a bend

Deep in the forest

And

High in the mountains

We came upon her village

Lying below

In a huge mountain valley

Unheeding the teeming life below,

Smoke spiraled forth from chimneys

Up up

It dissipated

And disappeared

Dogs barked

And children played

Men and women were not to be seen;

Not quite ready for the coming day

The streets of mountain earth

Were puddled with water

Of a recent rain

The homes were cabins

Made of logs

(Some of planks)

Some were painted

But most

Not

They stood

Like forest mansions—

Firm

In the valley

Brisk

Upon their mountain foundations

Waiting only

For the fall of time

Seeing the village

She quickened her pace

A little

The path

Sloping

Turned the bend a little more

And began the descent

Winding

Toward the village

As we approached

She took my hand in hers

And with the other

Palm up and extending

She motioned the valley and the village

"*This is one

Of the many

Of the mountain empire*"

She smiled

And kept a steady pace

Her being

Vibrated cheeriness

As we entered the village

People

Came forth

From their homes

Introductions handshaking and storytelling

Renewing of friendships

Made up

The entire day

Most of the people

Were glad

For her return

Even

A few tears were shed

For the occasion

The day progressed

From home to home

And twittering talk

And finally

With the twilight—

Shaded colors

Orange

And rose

Reflecting clouds

Mirrors

In the sky

Illuminating

The trees

In varying shades

Of the twilight

The day

Passing from sight

And slowly came the darkness

The dusk fell

And the night cracked open

Stars twinkling

Pinholes in the night

And the moon lit its light,

The dance hall opened

And a mountain party

Was given

To welcome her home

Dancing and singing

Took place

And

Merriment

Decorated the hall

While

Fiddles

Sang their tune

To the mountain night

Old men gathered

In the corners

And tales of old were told

The party lasted

On and on

Til the coming of dawn

And then

As the sun

Rose

Beaming its colored rays

Into the valley

Slowly

The celebrating ended

And the people

Trundled home

On carts and rolling stones

Having said 'farewells'

To all the people

We set out

Upon the path

Traveling toward her house

Which was set in the side of the mountain

Overlooking the village

Talking leisurely

As we walked

Upon the brown path

And breathing in

The brisk mountain air

The moon was setting

To the far end of the valley

And an owl was hooting

In the distant forest

"*My home is unlike

The others,*" she said,

"*It is made of marble

And things*"

And indeed

It was

Upon arriving

It stood before us

A stately home,

Marble pillars and walls

A marble balcony

Overlooking a fountain

Overlooking a long yard

Overlooking the village

An old man upon a huge marble porch

Taking my hand

She took me forth

Away from the house

Across the yard

Across a small garden

There

Beneath a huge oak tree

Was the grave

Of her father

It was very splendidly set—

Amidst the flowers and grass

And green trees around

A simple headstone

With nothing

But his name

Beside the grave

Stood a statue,

Impressive statue

Of a man searching

Watching

Waiting—

Silent in bronze

And in his hand he held a plaque

To cite

The words

Of the epitaph:

I, the people of his empire, of the world, dedicate

this plaque to a very great man; who left me too soon.

THE DEMISE

To be a great man you must know hell as well as heaven. You must know the sorrows as well as the joys of the people. You must be able to rise up and look down into the core of their mighty world to seek out and assuage their problems. To be a great man you must let wisdom guide your thoughts; guide them into manifestation. I look. So often I look and yet no longer do I see the greatest man in the world. Look closer. I look closer. I scrutinize. I peruse the pages of the world. "Where is he?" I cry. Then mournfully I conclude that no longer shall I read his great lines of wisdom.

Yesterday might be yesterday. Yesterday might be a week ago, a year ago, or it might be a hundred generations ago. Yesterday might know infinity. Yesterday might be

tomorrow, and tomorrow is tomorrow; and this is why; yesterday and tomorrow, all the fates (thoughts) of the world combined and rose up to take from the sight of all the greatest man in the world.

Oh God! I cry for this man. I weep for his love. I mourn his death. He was not just a man. He was not just a president. Yesterday he was the greatest man on Earth.

The statue stood hard and cold

With its hard cold message

For the world

To read

Again

I read it

And saying nothing

We turned

And crossed to the house

The old man sat hunched

In a rocking chair

Smoking a pipe

So serenely

Man old man

Upon the porch

Her father's brother,

Friend

"Greetings

To you

Sir

I am

From the desert

And still

It is

And I have a few grains

Upon my shoes"

Talking

Communicating ideas

On different subjects

But mostly

Of the man since gone

The old man,

It seemed

Always turned the subject

Until

Again

He was discussing his brother-

The lady's father

He was bitter

Discouraged

Resentful

That his brother had been taken

From life

Within the world

Yet,

I thought

The old man dwelled

Too much

On the life past

"Build

On your brother's foundation

For the future"

I thought

Without intentions

Of saying it

Perhaps

The death

Was too recent

But

Whatever the reason

It was not

The time for me

To try

To change his ways

Finally

We finished

Our talk

And rising

The lady and I

Entered the house

Within

Were colors

In mingling

Standing time

Curves

Designs upon

Lines new and old

Rising

Fabrics on fabrics

And rolling cloth

Wood on wood

Wood met metal

Schemes and patterns

Arrangements timed

How slow the world

Sparkling

Glass and crystal

Mirrors

On the wall

Colors of gold

Soft soft light

Room and room

Again

Style of splendor

To make styling shine

Low fine curves

Such lines

Running fine

Redundant

But timed

"*A simple house

For

A simple man*"

She said

Several days passed

Visiting the house

The village

The land

And the people—

The joy of warmth

Friendly

Kind

The kind of love

Of people

Loving

And being loved

(Experiencing

What mankind is possible

Of spiritually achieving)

We continued on

But came the day

Too soon

And she spoke of my sun

Sitting on a ledge

High above her home

Overlooking the valley

Down below

In the village

Little people

Dotted

Moving so far away

All around—

The woods in tune

Birds sang

And the sun shone brightly

"*The easiest path

To the sun

May be the hardest*"

"Ridiculing riddles

Again"

"*No—

I speak of the Masters

High in the mountains to the North

Far

And many days away

Upon the highest

Of all mountains

"*There

There trails a treacherous path

Hard and cold

But there you might find

The sun

"*Long ago

The Masters left their mountain

And traveled to a higher plane

But in a cave

They left a book

And in the book

For those who can

The rising sun*"

I thought

For a moment,

Then I concluded

That this was probably

The path

Of the prophecy—

An opportunity

I would not pass

"Yes" I said

"Let us go,

At the end of that cave

May be the end of my search"

She looked down

At the village

"*Perhaps,

But perhaps not*"

She said

"Yes

Perhaps not

But climbing a mountain

To search

For the sun

Will not compare

To the searching

I have already done

"Yes

We will go

And if

I find not

The sun

It will not increase

The longing

Of my search"

I waited

For her reply

Still

She gazed

Looking at the valley

(Or perhaps further)

She sat

Remaining silent for awhile

But finally

She said

"*You have worked hard

During this life;

And as hard

In lifetimes

Before

"*Your searching

Has brought you

Close to the sun

"*And your powers

Are vast—

Vaster than mine

Though your material consciousness

Does not

Yet

Realize it

"*Yes—

Your sun is near

Shining upon an easy path

Which soon

You will follow

"*But soon

May be longer

Than the mountain is high*"

We remained silent

Several minutes

Listening to the woods

Living

And watching down

Far below

The dots

Then reaching

Slowly

I took her hand

And turned to her

She looked into my eyes

And I felt the magnetism

Of her radiating self

Moving

Slowly forward

And bending down

I kissed her lips

A silent breeze stirred—

Whistling through the pines—

Soft and cool

The melody

We whiled away

The time

And soon

The sun went down

We rose

And walked down

The path

Again

To her home

There

We stayed the night

And the next morning

Rising

We went about

Making ready

For the journey—

The long, hard journey

To come

CHAPTER TWO

PART FOUR

Saying good-bye

To the village

The people and children

The old man

The statue

Searching statue and the house

The mountain valley

Teeming with life,

We left

Traveling again

Upon a mountain path

We passed many weeks

Ridging ridges of lesser mountains

The way was very long,

Many moons

Streaming beams upon the mountains

Rose and set

Many suns

Shining life upon the woods

Many ponds

Holding mountain water

Relinquished our thirst

Many were the creatures

That watched our travel

Many were the songs

For birds to sing

Many were the logs

To stay our path

And many the bounds

To cross

Many were our talks

And many our smiles

In the living woods

Before we came

To the mighty mountain—

Looming,

A dwarfing sight

We began the ascent

On the mountain

And after several days were gone,

Gone were the flowers

And mountain meadows

The way became steep—

Steeping

Inclining climbing

And cold

On and on

Step after step

And gone

Were the ponds

The brooks

Streams under glaciers of ice

Under snow

Cold cold

Dull dulling snow,

Continuing

We trekked up

Upon

The frozen path

Gone was the path of brown

Of the earth brown ground

High and higher

Day after day

And gone were the trees

Dull snow

Cold cold

Biting bitter snow

The wind—

So mild on the plain—

Became harsh

And cruel

The times

Were frequent

When

I wanted to go back

But up

We climbed

And on

Upon the steeping path

Fingers became numb

And toes and feet

And hands

Climbing

On a snow cold mountain

Still

As I watched

The lady

The white white silk

Upon the white snow

Was never stiff nor cold

Always flowing

Gently,

Smoothly

Onward up

The cold

Had no effect

But eyelashes and brows

Freezing stiff;

Upon my nose

The white frost

My ears would hardly bend

Above us

Not far

We would reach an endless layer of clouds

Grey dull clouds

Forecasting monotony

And reaching

All directions

From sight

"Wind

Painful wind,"

I whispered

Attempting to shout over its continual roaring

While breathing in

Thin and rapid

The mountain air

"Blow away these clouds

Let the sunshine

Shine—

Shine through"

I crept on

Up the wind biting

Frozen path

The snow

Was cold—

Whipping in the wind

Hordes of dull crystals

Stinging

Whipping and swirling

On and on

Monotonously boring

Swirling and swirling and swirling

Monotonously swirling

Drowsy

Drowsing snow

As we came closer

To the clouds

The wind

Died down

And finally

Was gone

We reached the clouds

And entering

She was in the lead

As we passed through

The soft misty door

The clouds were thick

The cold was hypnotizing

Becoming warm

Every step foreverness

"Only to rest,"

I thought

And resisting not,

"Resting

Lying down

For only a moment

Perhaps to sleep

A short short nap

So drowsy

So drowsy

The snow is warm

In a warm warm sle. . ."

I was lying on the mountain

In the clouds

A lump being covered

By a warm, cold blanket

Of snow—

Waiting for

Foreverness to fold upon me—

Waiting the wait of eternal weight

To start again

To search for the sun

Another time

Another way

Another place

But out

Of the grey dark

A hand-

Gliding, reaching

Touched my shoulder

Warmth surged my body

I rose

From the path

And moved on

Fingers and toes

Warm

Bending ears

Rose colored nose

And plodding feet

Still

Upon the snow

Finally

To—

Through the top

And the clouds below

The cold was still harsh,

Biting,

But not so bad

And we continued on

Climbing further up,

Looking back

We looked upon

An ocean of white capped billows,

And the world below,

The sun splashing rays

Streaming upon a sea of clouds

"How bright

The glistening snow"

Far off—to the left

And hanging from cliffs—

Icicles

Colorful icicles

Sending

From the sun

Fracting rays of color

Millions and millions of rays

Forming colors

To paint the mountain

All colors

Of the spectrum

Steeping up

We stepped on

On toward the sun

The bright, cold sphere

Traveling

Still

And the way was not easy

Slipping and sliding

And climbing again

To slip some more

But we continued on

Toward the end

Of the day—

A day

Monotonous and cold

As all the days

And looking ahead

I saw

The trail—ending

In anticipation

I searched

For the cave

Looking

Straining

Without success

"Where is the cave?"

I asked

Calmly

She said

It was further ahead

So

I plodded on

To the end

Of the path

And

We moved on,

But I

With hands and feet

And hands

On burning cold rocks

An snow

And ice

"Slipping now

Would bring down doom"

I noticed

Looking back

"How well

She has said it"

I thought

"'How high

How long the climb

And oh to slip;

To woe

To cry

To die'"

I forced myself

Forward

Up

Straining over ledges

Struggling

Pushing feet

And pulling hands

Breathing hard

Thin and cold the air

Weary days and tired body

We climbed another day

Upon the mountain

Finding

Small nooks for rest

And climbing on

But came the day

Finally

When she took my arm

And pointing

Indicating

Not far above was the cave

I quickened my climb

And

Before long

We came to the entrance

Dark

And frozen

Dreary

I lit a candle,

Small light

Forming shadows

As we entered

Hand in hand

A hundred paces

At the end

Of the cave

On a rock

Old and weathered—

The lady watched

As I reached for the book—

And then I saw it

I should-

Would have seen it

Sooner,

If not for the book,

Carved in the wall

Above the book

In large bold letters

A word

Merely a word:

INFINITY

Merely a word

But enough

Recalling the past

To the present

The voice

"You would follow be

To the end of forever"

I thought

As I continued

To look at the word

But wait!

Weight

Like the placid winds

Whispering secrets to a sailing dove—

The silent voice of Ad Infinitum

Hear it—"

CHAPTER THREE

PART ONE

I am infinity—the endlessness of time

The heaven and the sea, and everything is mine

Look to me for the answer of life

With its joy and glee, and sorrow and strife

Look to me in despair and grief

And you shall see the where of relief

Bring no fee, but come to me

And you shall see that life is free

Be with me

And you shall see

The only me

Infinity

"A circle

Circling—

Circumventing circumstances

Of the finite

"Wandering

The endless reaches

Of space

Time

Of being

"Grouping

Looping

Bounding

Rounding

Rebounding

"Trying the finite

Living the infinite

"The infinite circle

Circling

To encompass

The celestial sphere

"The infinite circle

Expanding

"Beaming

The light speed

Past galaxies

Touching the quasi

And

Flashing by

Reaching the edge

Past the Universe

Known

And on

Forever

On

"Racing

To dwarf

The macrocosm

"The infinite circle

Circling

Forever

"Infinitely out—

Expansion unbounded

To prove

The infinite theorem

Proving

Infinity exists

And contains all things

The circle

Wheeling eternity

"The Universe

Known

But a speck

To infinity

"The circle

Infinitely

Beaming

Rotating

And then

Again

Receding

"Falling through space

Through the Universe

The galaxies

The solar systems

"Falling through the world

Falling through the mind

(The symbolizing imagination

The abstracting force

To intellectualize)

To produce

The circle

"Smaller

Falling through the spheres

Passing

Sounding the depths

Of the nucleons

And through elementary particles

The smallest known Universe

"Still

Receding continuous

To yield macro

The microcosm

"Smaller

and smaller

and smaller

"To prove

Infinity exists

Even

In the smallest

Bit of space"

I paused

As we walked

Upon the path

The lady smiled

As I touched

Her arm

She knew

And I

Too

That infinity

Holds the answers

To all questions

all problems

all paradoxes—

Shows the path

To the rising sun—

Opens the eyes

To the infinite light

(The light that

Never fades)

"I know

That infinity

Holds my answer,

Somewhere

"Relativity

Comes and goes

Its laws continually change-

Slow or fast, but always changing

Yet,

The laws of infinity

Are always there

Always constant

For

They are

The laws of infinite wisdom

"And someday

I shall be one

With the laws of infinite wisdom

"And I shall see

The infinite light

"And I shall be one

With the infinite love

And

The infinite knowledge"

I turned

And looked back—

The looming mountain—

Far—

Very far behind

the cave

the book

the endless snow

"Was it all

For naught?"

I wondered

As I walked, slowly,

With my head turned

I thought

Of the decent

Down

Upon the mountain

Days on days

Toiling

And not boiling

But freezing

Biting cold

To gnaw

Unthawing flesh

Torment on torment

The soring muscles

A long, cold

Journey—

But came the day

On the mountain way

As we traveled

Down upon

And the cold

Became less

And the path not so steep

And warmth embraced

From the sun's ray

"now,

The way becomes easier"

I thought

I stopped for a moment

To watch

Behind

I noticed the path

So far away—

A frozen white hair

Upon the mountain

And high above—

The billowing puffs,

The endless clouds

Clinging to mountain

To hold it up

"No more slipping

And sliding"

I turned

To the future path

And we continued, again,

Toward the deeper forest

And as we walked along

I thought

Of the book—

The wisdom of the Masters

I began to conceptualize—

Formulations

Combining ideas

To bring forth the light

Forming the answers to seize the truth

I spoke aloud:

"Though I have not found the sun, within my mental grasp unseen

The book has sparked new concepts - old ideas emerging

With new combinations - new light to guide the way—

Illuminating - rejuvenating knowledge of old,

Newly seen upon the path

As I search

For the

Sun"

I paused

For a moment

Thinking about concepts,

Combined

"The book related ideas

Of the infinite wisdom

of the higher planes

Of the sorrow of taking

the backward step (away from

the higher planes)

or

the absurdity of the unimportant

beliefs - with no movement at all

Of the essence

the truth and the key

to enter the higher planes

"The essence in being is a knowledge, and living of infinite

Existence in love, peace, and happiness—the truth

And the key. Love is a universal law (the same

Throughout infinity), - unifying; peace is

The path, and happiness is the door

The higher planes (an easy path)

Unlocked - let me exist in

The higher planes—

Closer to

The sun

"Such is the essence

—A spring

That showers forth

From the

Infinite

Wisdom

In love

Peace

And happiness

"Here then

Is the truth and the key—

A needed lesson

For all to know

To heed

A needed lesson

To guide a man's life

To guide his decisions

His thoughts

His actions

"A needed lesson

So that man

Will attain

The higher plane

"Here then

Is the truth and the key—

How wonderful,

But oh the sadness

"In the realm of relativity there are always those

Who violate the essence—those who violate love,

Peace, and happiness. Those who understand not

The ascending importance

Of the essence—

The truth

And the

Key

"And woe unto the man who harms a child, abuses a child—

(The scales of justice will always be balanced)

For those who harm a child

Violate the essence—

His being

In love

"And woe unto the man who sacrifices others (animals or people),

For the man who sacrifices others

Violates the essence—

His being

In love

"And woe unto the man who fools himself—and tis true,

Indeed—be becomes the fool: church every week and

Prayer everyday; then he sets loose his tongue

To the most violate of deeds—gossip.

Any this or that little tit or tat

To make a fellow human being

Look bad in the eyes

Of another

"So, woe unto him who gossips

For the man who gossips

Violates the essence—

His being

In love

"And woe unto the man who seeks revenge (foolish

Satisfaction with no cure for the sorrow -

Only to run a new debt, and a step back)

For the man who seeks revenge

Violates the essence—

His being

In love

"And woe unto the man who lies, cheats, steals, adulterizes,

Murders, hoards, rapes, abuses (mental or physical),

Gorges (food, sex, money, fame, . . .);

For the man who commits these acts

Violates the essence—

His being

In love

"And woe unto the man who thinks thoughts that violate

The essence - for thoughts are the mold of the

Concrete world. And he who

Violates with thought

Violates His being

In love

"And woe unto the man, who, by any means, violates

The essence - love, peace, and happiness;

For he who violates the essence—

Violates His being

In love

"And woe unto any man who violates the essence

For he must pay in like deed—

Returned—for the scales

Of justice must

Always be

Balanced

"And woe unto any man who violates the essence

For he walks a path

Away from the

Higher

Planes"

"I stopped

A moment

And took the lady

By the hand –

We sat upon

A rock - near the path

"The book was a marvel

Piecing together

The concepts of life,

Yet

Still it was sad

Bringing forth

The faults

Of our people

"Those who wage war violate the essence. And many

Are the false reasons to war with a neighbor—

Termed enemy, a brother - termed villain,

A child - termed

The devil's

Offspring

"And most senseless of all—to fight a war in the name of God,

To fight a war because beliefs differ about God's

Universe, God's Heaven, God's Earth, and

God's children (come let us kill

Babies of the enemy—

God will be

Pleased). . . ?

"To fight a war in the name of God is a paradox of sins.

To wage a war because beliefs differ, shows

Ignorance and stupidity abounding

Amongst the fools

Who wage

The war

"So, woe unto the man who wages a war

For the man who wages a war

Violates the essence—

His being

In love"

After a short rest

We stepped again

Upon the path

And began our journey

Toward the forest

I enjoyed the warmth

Of the sun

Shining

Through the trees

Sparsely lined

"When man has learned

To cherish the essence"

I said

"And not to violate

Love, peace, and happiness;

And as he learns the truth

And the wisdom

Then

He must learn the importance

Of patience

As he travels

Toward the higher planes

"Though I have not found the sun, within my mental grasp unseen

Still will I practice patience, and still will I live

In the present, with peace of mind

As I learn for the future—

Indeed, I will not be

Hurried as I travel

Life's

Path

"Even the book spoke of patience - 'Do not hurry yourself

With the fool's reason - do not take the shortcut,'—

Sneaking through the backdoor;

For the man who would enter

through the backdoor

Is a cheat

And a

Liar!"

The lady took

My hand

As we stepped

Over

A patch of snow

"*You are closer

To the sun

Than you know*"

She said

"*The door is open,

And soon

You will be

With the infinite wisdom

"*You need only

Practice patience

A short while longer*"

"Perhaps

A short time"

I replied

I gently squeezed

The lady's hand

As we walked

Upon the path—

Warmth

Surged my being

"But while I wait"

I continued

"Patience will be

My guide

"I won't make

The same mistake

As in

Ages past—

"Many times I played

The part of a fool

To learn the meaning

Of patience

"And many were the parts

Of a fool

I played

While hurrying myself

To the higher planes

The infinite wisdom

Infinite knowledge and love—

The sun

"So many times

I tried to speed

The way

"How ridiculous

"Even the book speaks

Of vain attempts:

—To sneak through the backdoor

"The man who seeks spiritual power (psychic power to perform

Miraculous deeds; opens the centers and brings forth the

Powers—foretelling the future, speaking in tongues,

Mental telepathy, levitation, automatic writing,

Astral projection, medium ship, teleportation,

Past life remembrance . . .); without

Knowing the importance of love, is

A man who has passed through the

Backdoor and has not learned

The ascending importance

Of the truth

And the

Key

"Here then is the power, but where

Is the truth - the key

To open the gates

Of the higher

Planes?

"The man who uses psychedelic drugs to enter, without

Knowing the importance of love, is a man who has

Passed through the backdoor and has not learned

The ascending importance

Of the truth

And the

Key

"Here then is the power, but where

Is the truth - the key

To open the doors

Of the higher

Planes?

"The man who uses psychic energy from meditation for levitation

The body, the soul to new heights - soaring to enter, without

Knowing the importance of love, is a man who has passed

Through the backdoor and has not learned

The ascending importance

Of the truth

And the

Key

"Here then is the power, but where

Is the truth - the key

To open the door

To the higher

Planes?

"The man who uses hypnosis to enter, without

Knowing the importance of love, is a

Man who has passed through the

Backdoor, and has not learned

The ascending importance

Of the truth

And the

Key

"Here then is the power, but where

Is the truth - the key

To open the doors

Of the higher

Planes?

"The man who uses witchcraft, white or black \- good or evil,

To enter, without knowing the importance of love,

Is a man who has passed through

The backdoor, and has not

Learned the ascending

Importance of the

Truth and

The key

"Here then is the power, but where

Is the truth - the key

To open the door

Of the higher

Planes?

"The man who uses physical fasting to weaken the cell (freedom

From the physical bonds - slowly wasting, as upon

The barren desert, searching for power) to enter,

Without knowing the importance of love,

Is a man who has passed through the

Backdoor, and has not learned

The ascending importance

Of the truth

And the

Key

Here then is the power, but where

Is the truth - the key

To open the door

Of the higher

Planes?"

The lady

Let go of my hand,

And gracefully

Swept her hair back—

Flowing lightly

Lying upon

And swaying easily

In the gentle breeze

"*That is true*'

She said

"*The physical fast

Is useless

Without the understanding

And daily living

Of selfless love—

But

With the true knowledge

Of love

The physical fast can be a useful step—

"*A step uplifting

If used with caution

And wisdom*"

She pause a moment

In transitory thought

"*And

The same is true

Of the mental fast*"

She said

"Yes"

I agreed

"The book had compared

The two

To enlighten

And teach

"The man who uses the mental fast is truly a man of wisdom—come.

Be my guide, mental fast. Let loose the preconceived ideas - a

Future mold for unwise ways. Let loose the future plans for

Future days. Clear my mind of the physical, so that the

Spirit, closer to the infinite wisdom, may guide my

Journey to the sun. Let loose the self concept of

How it should be done. Let loose the self concept

Of what should be done. Let loose

Self-aggrandizement.

Let loose the self.

Let loose the ego.

Clear the way

And guide.

"Mental fast, guide me upon the path. Let me have love, abundant

From the source, in my heart for all. Let me come close

To the light. Let me come closer to the truth—

To the essence of life,

Let me come closer

To the infinite

Wisdom

"I know the worth of the mental fast, much worthier than that

Of the physical fast. I know the worth of the spirit guide,

Much worthier than that of the psychic power;

For many are the paths of the psychic power—

But the only path of the mental fast,

In love, is the path

Of the essence."

I paused

And I sighed

As I continued

To correlate

"The mental fast is a worthy tool—

But the physical fast without

The truth of love—

Used only to hurry

The journey

Will surely

Yield a

Futile

Trip

"The man who hurries his journey to enter the higher planes, without knowing

The importance of love, no matter by what means (psychedelic drugs,

Meditation, hypnosis, witchcraft, physical fasting,

Or any other) - this is the man who finds not

The true Kingdom. Instead, he finds it false,

Tricked by his own trickery

Barred and locked out—

Into a kingdom

As false as

His own

Tricks"

The lady nodded

Agreement,

Barely detectable

"*It is true,*"

She said

"*Many are fooled

By the mystery

Of psychic power

"*And

It is true—

Many believe

It will speed

Their journey

To the higher

planes of

Existence

"*And

It is true—

They attempt

To master psychic power

In many differing ways

"*But

They have confused

The 'gift'

With

The 'taking'

"*Stealing the power

(Without the love)

They are the fools

"*Still

I say, - for others:

"*When the essence is followed

And understood - Then the

Psychic power (that often

Follows naturally) is

Truly a gift

From the

Infinite*"

"Yes"

I agreed

"The psychic power

To be used

Good deeds - abounding

"The person

With love in his heart

For all

Can use the power

To promote

The purpose of love,

Peace, and happiness"

I stepped over

A rock in the path

As we continued

Into the forest

I thought again

About

The truth and the key

"The psychic power

Is given or taken

To be used or abused—

But

It cannot admit us—

Only

The truth and the key

Will allow us to enter"

I paused

For a breathe

Of air

And a mental breathe

Of thought

"The book states—

Violating the essence

Will step a man back;

And

Psychic power

Is unimportant for progress;

But

It also states—

Minor beliefs

Have no power upon the steps

Of life

"Most beliefs are unimportant (when compared to the most important belief)—

But fools do not realize this. They give all beliefs equal importance,

And if you do not believe the way they do, then you are

An enemy and a heretic. (Come, let us burn

That man at the stake. He does

Not believe that our planet

Is the center of

The Universe)

"Many heated disputes arise over unimportant or minor

Beliefs. Some believe in the concept of

Reincarnation. Some do not. Shall we

Argue about it?

Become angered

And perhaps

"Fight?

"No—

"Why fight over unimportant beliefs?—They are merely

The staff of unnecessary mental support upon

The path.—Keep a loose grip,

And be willing

To let go

If need

Be

"Remember—only the hand of truth

Can keep you from

Falling

"Some believe that God is infinite. Others believe

That He is a single entity with infinite

Wisdom, infinite knowledge,

Infinite power,

And an infinite

Eye.

"What difference does it make?

Another unimportant

Belief

"And when we die we will come

To the light of the truth

About our unimportant

Beliefs

"But it will not

Matter

"So, shall we fight a war over all the unimportant beliefs within

Our book of beliefs? Shall we hate others who do not

Believe our beliefs? If that is true, then every

Man shall hate his wife - his children -

His parents - his friends, for no two

People can believe every

Concept exactly

The same"

I paused

As I looked

At the beautiful forest

Around

"I love life,

In the relative mode"

I said quietly

Then

I continued

With the book

"The unimportant beliefs will not bar us

(Unless we violate the essence)

Nor enter us into

The higher

Planes

"Only the beliefs of the highest

Magnitude will allow

Us to enter"

I paused

"What are these most important beliefs?—

The laws that transcend all

Relative boundaries

"They are the infinite laws

They cannot be altered

With space, matter,

Nor time

"If you understand and stay within the bounds

Of these laws, then, in time, you

will gain the key,

"And the door to

The higher

Planes

Will

Open"

I thought, a moment,

About the most important

Law of infinity

"The book listed only one," I continued. "The most

Important belief in a person's life.—And

Why only one?

Simply because

All others will

Follow:

love all of infinity's existence (this means

your neighbor, your enemy, your life,

your supreme beings,—everything)

"(Think you this is not

The most important

Belief in a

Person's

Life?)

"(Think you this is not

The most important

Daily practice in a

Person's

Life?)

"Can you imagine it? Peace and happiness

Everywhere you go. Everyone you

Talk to - a friendly person.

A world of

Beauty"

And the world smiles—

—And I . . . .

A hopeful laugh

To think of it

"but oh

The reality of it all

"The world will not experience peace and

Tranquility, love and happiness until

After the final day—the book

Has shown the coming

Of the future

Days

"And until that day there will be men who will continue upon

Their foolish paths.—Truths are continually set

Before them—many wise men have come during

The last several thousand years—

They have taught the laws

Of Infinity

"Yet, still there are men who live as though the laws

Cannot touch them. How can a man be so ignorant?

The scales will swing back,

And then they

Must pay

"A needless debt. A needless payment.

Put down the cloak of materialism.

Take up the spiritual, the love.

Let us learn and understand

The most important

Belief

"If I have love in my heart, and happiness

In my mind, then I am walking

In the light of infinite wisdom—

Knowledge and love

Combined

"And then, no matter what happens to me in this

Physical world—I will be ready to enter

The higher planes when I pass

To the other

Side"

The lady

Took my hand

As we walked

Along

She smiled

Waiting

I thought

Back

"Once I heard the prophet of the desert speak

To a multitude, 'Love thy neighbor,' he said,

'All thy neighbors, all mankind

With all thy

Heart.'

But some cried out, 'How can we love

A man who steals from us?

Or murders? Or rapes?

Or other such

Villainous

Deeds?'

"The answer, or course, is simple: you need

Not like what a person does; you

Need only love him"

I paused

Correlating

Worldly problems

With other

Ideas

From the book

"There are many who believe

That some of the actions

Of others are evil. And

So it might be. But

It is just as evil

To have anger and

Hate in your heart

Your soul,

Your mind—

Let God be the

Judge

"It is only for us to follow the infinite laws:

Love all of the people (though we may

Not like what some of them do),

Love all of the creatures

And creation,

And also love

Thyself

"If a person commits an act which you feel is a

Sin, let the infinite, judge. Hold only love

For that person in your mind, for the scales

Will always be balanced. And if the act is

Committed against you or others around you,

Defend against it. Protect yourself

And others. And when it is done

Continue with your ways of

Love; for this is the

Mode of the

Infinite

Law

"Yes, indeed, continue with the infinite law,

The one great belief,

The most important belief—

Love is the key to the

Higher planes—

Everywhere

Present

"Let us live in peace

And happiness

Let us rid the world

Of wars

Let us love all,

Let us understand

The infinite laws

So that we might enter

An existence worthy of

Happiness"

I paused in speech

As we walked along,

And I knew I was happy—

I had progressed

Far

Up the path—

No longer

Did I violate the essence,

No longer

Was the psychic my goal,

No longer

Were the minor beliefs important

I had love in my heart

For life-

All the Universe - all of infinity

"Still,

The sun is not mine

So,

In happiness and peace

I practice patience"

The lady stopped me

Upon the path

Arm in a grip

Firmly held

She reached up

And kissed me

"*I love you*"

She said

Softly

I was startled

But

Was able to stammer

"And I

Love you"

Slowly

Composure regained,

Almost

I said

"You are

The only woman—

I have met

In this world—

Like the shining sun

Above

Bringing me light

"We could be together

Til the end - the beginning

Have children,

A family

To love

To teach

To . . ."

"*Yes,*"

She said quietly

"*Yes*"

There were

Tears

In her eyes

We embraced

For a long time

CHAPTER THREE

PART TWO

The snow

Patched

The path turning brown

Trees

Smelling of pine

Small plants growing

And soon the brooks

The streams running

And ponds blue—

The skies of the earth

Progressing forward

Slowly

But passing quickly

Hand in hand

Moving Into the forest

Giant trees

And little ones

Plants of all kind

Searching for the sun

Peeping through

For the life giving rays

And little animals

Affectionate for the lady

(Even as I)

Peering from homes

And closer

Even the big animals

Tromping through the woods

Came to look

Indeed

The woods were alive

Surrounding the trailing path

A greener forest

And thinning snow

She grasped

My hand

Tighter

And as we continued

She spoke again

Of her coming journey

"*Soon

I must leave

For the coastal cities*"

She said

"*But when

My mission is finished

We will settle down

And have

The rest of our lives

Together*"

Her voice

Carried

On the whispering winds

Through the pines

As she spoke further

I noticed

High in the sky

Above

A black dot

Growing larger

As it circled

Lower

And lower

Slow

And slower

"*I shall

Follow the plan*"

She said

"*For there

I may help a few,

Perhaps

Produce a spark

To kindle a light

For those

In the coastal cities*"

The dot grew larger

And larger

Til finally

I saw him

The huge black bird

Circling

long

and

slow

He stooped to a dive

And looping

Swooped low

Then up again he flew

This bird seemed familiar—

Had I seen him before?

"*But the days

Before I leave

I would

Stay

With you

"*Together again

In the woods—

To learn and love

To live together

To know the happy ways

Of happy days

"*And this is why

Now

We travel a new path

"*On our way

To my father's summer cabin*"

The bird

Flew higher

In the sky

Became again

A black dot

Then disappeared

"I watch in wonder -

And I know

That here

In the woods

I am out on a limb

In these

Green mansions

I feel as of

A stranger in a strange land

And I understand not

The circling of that bird

Black -

In the sky -

The raven

"But still

The woods are crisp

And fresh

They are kind to me

And I enjoy

Your mountains"

I looked about,—

The sky

(What could be seen)

Was blue—

Little white clouds

Sent fluffy messages,

The trees whistling pines

And small meadows were green

With crossing streams

With crossing butterflies

Walking on

We talked

With joy

Happiness love,

Now hand in hand

Then arm and arm

Around

And the beauty of all

The day passed quickly

And walking

Talking

She led me upon the path

Beautiful

We should spend some time

Together

We would live for a time

In the cabin

For a while

Short long

Micro macro

A day or two

A year of two

Infinity

Never-ending

And greatly

To be together

Soon came the night

Dark and light

The moon and stars

And slumbered away

And came the sun

And we traveled on

Time passed upon the path

And soon

So soon

Around a bend

Ribboning

And over a hill

Small

And down

Down

In a dell

A small meadow—

There was the cabin

Brown logs

Long

logs

Meeting to unify

For the sake of shelter

And

A steep roof

To enlighten

The weighty snow

(But not that day)

Down the path

Approaching

Easily opened the door

How grand

Simply

For a log cabin

Exploring

Finding

Few rooms

Many books

Many papers

Poems

Stories

Essays

Even blank pages

Simple

But many windows to see from

A cabin for her father

Meditating

Exploring the depths of the mind

Exploring people

Exploring life

"In this room,

In this cabin

I can see your father—

A great man"

"*Yes*"

She answered

Across her eyes

A momentary flicker of longing

Then the happy love

Again

The smile

The wisdom of life

In the cabin

Lying

Peacefully we went to sleep

Lying side by side

On the cultured rug

And the crackling

And popping

The fireplace

Devouring the wood

Smoldering carbon

And belching gases

Up the chimney

"Ah

The happy love of life

(But oh the sorrow

That man must fight wars -

Be miserable—suffering and death

To understand the worth

Of happy love)

We talked away

The day

Reading

Exploring

Running the meadow

And fell the night

But

Here we are

Now

Think not of man's sorrow

With beauty about

And the lady

Beside,

Experience and be

Yes,

The lady

And happy love

Ah yes,

The rivers

Trailing my pen

Telling a story of life

Showing the way

For those who will,

Showing the beauty of life—

The beauty

All around

Running free

The rivers of life

Curved

In lines of wisdom

Flowing

flowing ever outward

To the stars,

Bringing me to the knowledge

Of other planets

Traveling the speed

Of infinite rush

Life ever abundant

But different

Dreaming—

The mind awake

And the brain at rest

Observing

From light years away

The planet so blue

Spiraling close

And closer

The people so hurried

And worried

Material concern

While viewing through the lookingglass self

They bring me down

And compare

Of the coastal cities—

Complex societies

Complex technology

Orchestrated by primitive people

Anxieties and hatred

Outweighing happiness

And seldom seen

The essence of infinite law

War all around

Technological machines of destruction

By destruction and for destruction

The human ego rises

To bring down the material—(A paradox

Certainly

As the ego destroys that

Which the ego desires)

But there are those

Who fight the wars

With love

Seems futile,

But they ever persist—

Bring out the pen

And write the futility

Of war

Look—

A poem in the deluge

Of Earthly works:

TWO TRIPS

Trips—many trips

Bringing us to the lands of countless planets

We rise on the heels of Mercury

Without the rolling wheels and gnashing motors

We speed toward the lights of Apollo

Toward the endless rainbow of life

We thank our Godly messenger

Then we bound lightly to the colors

And slide to the stars

We play with the lights

And sift stardust through our fingers

We hide behind the galaxies

To sneak a glance of Venus

A glance of beauty

Then we hurry

We hurry back again

To catch our Earth-bound messenger

We leave behind the rainbow life

And once again drift into Earth's darkness of reality

The dull drab ungodly life of reality

To this we come back

We come back to this world

In which many friends are tripping—

Tripping across the blues and greens

Of the rolling flowing waves

Tripping across the soft felt greens

Of the rolling flowing fields

Of the rolling flowing trees

Tripping a trip where many will stay—

In the Earth of time

Tripping a trip

To the enemies' front line

What a strange poem—

Confusion swirling

In pandemonium

And the meaning is lost

On the relative thinker

Hurry, worry, and hatred

The way of life

In mind set

But rise up

And knock off

The shackles of misery

Free the mind of drudgery

Live and love

Freedom

For no shackles

Can hold the mind that loves

Sing with joy

And

Sing with love

Sing the song of freedom

Bring forth the peace

And tranquility

Bring light

To the darkness

You and you

And you

And gone

The misery

Exploded into infinite time

What matters?

Let go the antilife

And perform the chores

With love

I look down

And suddenly

I am one with them

I understand their worries

Their fears

But also

I understand

The essence of infinite law

So let us laugh the sound of peace

With you and you

And you

For gone

Our troubles—

What matters?

We have infinite time

To solve our

Relative problems

Yes,

Still I am

Within the laws of our society

I follow the morals

And practice the values

And practice the laws

Still

Will I do the dishes

(Or not, if I choose)

Will I clean the sewer

Will I fix the rocket ship

But now I understand

Happiness

Infinite, and loosing the bonds of fear

A part of me—

No matter what my circumstances,

Yes

I understand

So shall we all

And look. . .

The dawning

I see the light

The sun is closer

And the. . .

Opening,

My eyes started,

Awake

What a strange dream

I rubbed my eyes

My face

And sitting up

The lady was gone

Standing up

Still waking

"Dreams—

A way of learning—

A way of paying debts—

Enlightening"

Walking

Stretching

Through the door

Entering the sunlight

Sunlight

So warm

The lady in the fields

Among the flowers

Walking

Enjoying

Nature's life in the forest

I approached

"What a strange dream

I have had"

Closer,

Touching her hand

And feeling the sun

"I dreamed of a world

So strange to see

To be

"The people live in worry

Fear

And often they hate

"Happy love is seldom—

Lost in the maze of anxiety"

We sat down

In the grassy field

And listening

We could hear the birds sing

And squirrels chatter,

Not far away

The stream bubbled

And the wind blew lightly

Through the trees—

Life

All about us,

A chorus

"Further

In my dream

I became one of them

I felt what they felt

"Certainly a nightmare

"But gradually

I understood their worries

Fears—And then

I remembered

The truth of love

And it set me free

I lived with it

And the world seemed right—

The test seemed light

"After waking

However

I began to wonder

About the power

Of love—

Easy to bring freedom

From the lesser fears

And the lesser worries

"But

Does not the light

Of its power

Fold out

Under the cloak

Of death?"

I let go of her hand

And leaned back

I watched a squirrel

Gathering nuts

Preserving Nature

"Oftentimes

I feel you are

The teacher

To lead me straight—

"You speak

Of love and happiness

Yet,

Still I wonder—

How can one retain this love

In the midst of extreme pain

Or

In the midst of a funeral

Of one you dearly need and love?

"Then could

And would

Sadness dominate

"Ah

But saying

Ha

I have the happy love

"Still,

And nevertheless

Sadness is there

"And just when the answer is mine

I see the dawn of the sun

Coffined in blackness

"Oh mourning

Oh morning

Where is the sun?"

Watching the lady

I waited

For an answer;

I remembered

When she stood

Upon the fringe

Saddened by the death

Of her father

"*Let the pain fulfill your debt*"

She said

"*Until you owe no more,

But while it lasts

Endure

Think not on revenge

Dwell not on pain

And cry if you must

Sad

And wail

Unhappy pain

And stain away the debt

Cry the drying tear

A trail of salt

Trailing the pain

Cry and cry

But let not this

Be your way of life

The collector has collected

The scales have balanced

Be not ready

To run another debt

"*When the stain is done

Take again the happy life

Love and be loved

For you are the demander

And the infinite—

Supplies*"

She paused a moment

And then continued

"*When your loved one

Is lying

Dying

Dead

Cry shortly

And wail not

The woe of sorrow

For you are beings

Individual

With individual lives

With individual demands

And

But soon

You will be together again

For how long is long

Compared to infinite time?*"

"Yes, perhaps"

I said

I pondered her statements

For awhile

But not too long

To ponder away

In a clouded mind

When instead

A sunshine day

That day

And

Utilizing the enjoyment of Nature's warmth

Such a day—

And we talked of things

Further

Lighter

We strolled

And walked the field,

The woods—

This was a way of life

Grandiloquently simple

The day passed

Quickly

It went

Others followed

As always they will

And time passes quickly

When time is enjoyed

We learned new things

And ways

We read books of fact

And fiction (fact)

We read the forest

Tracks and the ways of animals

We explored the signs

Abundant life

We watched the trees in the night

Dim light

Sights the silhouette

The stars and moon

We listened to the wind

Within the forest

We smelled the air

Flowing in the night

We explored the scent of pines

In the paths of our minds

We tasted the honey

Found in trees

To watch the golden fluid

Drip

Dripping dripping

We felt these things—

Aspects of life

We knew these things

And an infinite more

Exist

We lived

And we loved

We continued

And experienced

For we knew

There is purpose

To life

Sometimes subtle

But there

A simple purpose

In the maze

Of existence

A simple purpose,—

But to live

"Continue

And experience"

I thought

As I picked up a book

To read

"As much as you can

For

This is life"

It was early

Morning

And she had gone

Out

"Even simplicity

For

This is life

"Your love will grow

With experience"

I picked up one

Of her father's notebooks

And within—

A poem

I read quickly

And then again

More slowly

And then again

I did not understand

The significance—

The symbolism

"Perhaps she will know"

I thought

"I shall find her"

I left the cabin

Walking the meadow

The forest

Searching

Looking

I found her

Bathing

In a crystal water pond

I approached

Coming

Closer

The lady of the fringe

"Good morning"

I said

"*A beautiful morning*"

She replied

I sat down upon the grassy edge

And waited

Patient

To show the poem

Soon

She stepped from the pond

Beautiful

And

Happiness tears of the world

Dried in the sun

She rerobed

In white

And sat down

Next to me—

Putting her hand

On my arm

"*Last night

I dreamed a dream*"

She said

"*A warning, perhaps—

But dreams

Are often difficult

To interpret*"

I looked at her

Waiting

"*I saw you

Climbing

The mountain

Of the book;

You were searching

The white peaks,

But, finally

Your body slumped

In the snow

And could not rise

"*I was frightened

For you,

I love you

And

I want nothing

To harm you*"

She put her hand

On my shoulder

"*Please stay away

From the mountain*"

I assured her

I had no reason

For returning

I put my arm

Around her

I watched the pool

Sparkling

For awhile

Then

Changed the subject

Showing her the poem

And reading

Aloud

"THE ROLLIN ROUND

"The rollin round is green

Breathing

Sloping

Rolling

Running

The rollin round is green

"Sometimes it is yellow

Sweltering

Suffocating

Staggering

Slumping

Yellow

"But then it turns colorful

Rotating on rainbows

And throwing its colors laughingly at the sky

Then diving again into a myriad of paints

Only to rise and splash

And throw its colors to the world of beauty

How wonderful

How magnificent

The rollin round

"But then it turns white

Drifting

Sifting

Shifting

Glistening

White

"How curious the rollin round

Turning

Forever turning

Never concerning

"How curious the rollin round

Turning

Forever turning

Never yearning

"How curious the rollin round, green

With its yellow

Its white

And its colors of the rainbow

"How curious

The rollin round

Of colors—

How curious they should want

To make it black"

She looked at me—

Pausing thoughtfully

For a moment,

Then she said

"*This poem

Written by my father

Written for all

To read

To heed

"*A poem of the world

A poem of the seasons

Spring the green

Summer the yellow

Fall the colorful

Winter the white

"*A poem of beauty

The world in Nature

A poem of truth—

There are those

Who would destroy the beauty

The world

The truth

Charred

Burned

Black

The symbol of death

The color of death—

Black

"*It is a poem with a message

For all—

Subtly asking

For the peace

We need*"

I sat silent

Thinking

Gazing

Asking myself

Would they really

Could they destroy

Mutilate

Rid the world

Of

The world?

I wondered

Where?

Why

The reason?

I remained in thought—

Gazing—

And

The silence was peaceful,

But not enough

For the thoughts of destruction

The day became cool

A cool breeze

Blowing

Mountain air—

Shuddering

Disguising warm rays of the sun

Brisk animals ran

Scampering,

Joy

Upon their warm fur

"Shall we browse

The fields of poetry?"

I asked

"Or the fields

Of the forest?"

My question

Brought her back from the other world

In reverie

She laid her head on my shoulder

And her voice

Merriment in the wind

"*Many days

We have been together—

Living

Being

And loving

"*Could it be

It would be forever

It would never end

"*But at last

I see it must—

For a short time

"*I will travel

To the coastal cities—

A mission to teach

Reaching

Trying to show the truth of love

To the people (and those who follow)

Who want the world

Black

"*I have accepted the plan,

But put it off

For our love

"*But

Now

I must go*"

"Simple"

I said

"And I shall accompany you

To the coastal cities—

To go

And to teach

What must be taught"

"*No*"

She said

Looking up at me

The pools of love

Were deep

"*The plan

Is for me

To go

Alone,

"*But soon

We will be together

Again—

Laughing

And living the simple life,

We will have a family*"

She looked into my eyes

And smiled

I could not return

The smile—

I was stunned,

Dismayed by the thought

Of being separated

Finally,

I answered

With sorrow cleverly hidden

"Then

I will wait for you

Here

In the valley"—

A manly voice

She agreed

That that

Would be good

We stood

And walked back

To the cabin

She did a few things

Before she left

Time passed too quickly

And soon she stood upon the path

And

Turning she kissed me farewell

"*Soon

To be together

Again*"

She said

With

The merriment twinkle

Still

And always

In her eyes

She parted

Starting up the path

Leaving

Over the hill

And

Out of sight

The lady of the fringe

Gone

How suddenly it happened

CHAPTER THREE

PART THREE

What followed

In the interim

And the long time

Waiting

In the valley

Was uneventful

And now

I think it

Hardly worth telling

How suddenly

She had gone

Redundant but true

"And should I curse the poem

For taking her?"

But still

It was

And time passed—

Many days

I browsed the fields

Of poetry and forest

Mind and earth

I waited her return

Whiling the days

The sun rose and set

So many times

So slowly

I read many books

And wrote poetry

Of life

Each day I became more anxious

For her return,

The days

Too long

Then came the time

And I began to wonder

Why so long?

Has something happened?

Perhaps I should track

To the coastal cities

To search

For the lady

"No"

I thought not

"She might be traveling

The path

Even now"

I didn't want to pass her by

On separate paths

So, I waited longer

For her return

Then one morning—

Days later

As the sun shone

And the birds sang

Chipmunks chattered

Up above

"I have a speck in my eye"

I thought

"But wait

No

Something black

Circling

Slowly circling

But far

Too far above

To signify"

I waited

Curiously

Circling

and circling

and circling

Down

Closer down

Slowly closer

"I seem

To remember. . ."

Closer

And closer

And

"Yes I see it

Now

The huge black bird

Of before"

The bird circled low

And several times

Swooped close

Not far

Above my head

The huge black bird

Ghastly

Foreboding

I could see dripping

Blood

From his beak

Drip

drip

drip

"What is this, bird?

What can it mean?"

A morbid idea

Began to grip

My mind

"I see it now

I think

Bird of doom"

Again stooping

Swooping

Blood dripping

From his beak

Like a knife

From the wound

"Why?

Bird of ill omen

What is the reason?

What is the omen?"

He swooped up

Higher and higher

Becoming a black dot

And disappeared

Into the vast reaches of the sky

Turning

I went

To the cabin

To do a few things

Putting away

Books and papers

Closing windows

I read the rollin round

Again

Then put it away

I straightened

A few things more

Then through the shutting door

I went

I trailed

Down the path

Of the forest

I hurried

But not really

I was glad

To be trailing again

"We might meet one another"

I thought

"Upon this path

Perhaps just ahead

Around that bend

She is walking now"

I continued on

Trailing

The path

The forest

Still

The same forest

Seeming

Only a shade darker

With the shadow of the bird

Hanging over

I journeyed

Toward the village

Hoping there

To hear good news

Or at least

News

At times

Pessimism

Beset me

At other times

I was optimistic

But still the path

Winding

Gnarling

Up and down

Weaving

In and out

And over

Fallen logs

On

And on

Time lapsed slowly

upon the path

And the forest

Always the same

With peering life

Skittering to and fro

But came the day

When rounding a bend

And through a forest

There stood the house

The statue

And the village

Below

I hurried on

To the house

The standing memorial

On to the house

The old man

On the porch

Her uncle

Rocking

Quietly rocking

Stepping

I came closer

To the porch

Greeting

The old man

I sat down

And curiously—anxiously

I asked

About the lady

We talked

A long while

And I asked

Many questions

He told a story

And I listened

To the words—

The light faded

As he finished

Below

The village

Silent

A few wisps of smoke

Rising from chimneys

A few dogs

Barking

In the distance

Down

A silent village

I rose

And walked away

I thought of the words,

The story

I pondered

I regressed

And I remembered

The time

And the love

She and I

Had had

Together

I reminisced

Memories

And I knew

That that

Was all

We would ever have

I climbed the path

And I walked

To the ledge

I sat upon

Where she and I

Hand in hand

Once sat

Overlooking the house

Overlooking the village

And there

I sat

Watching again

The old man's face

Telling the story

He told

Of her journey

To the most powerful

Of the coastal cities

She had met many people

And made

Many friends

They had given her

Food and shelter

She had given them

Love—

A fair trade

She had talked

On the plains,

In the halls,

Upon the beach

First

The groups were small

Then larger

Many people came

To see her

To listen

To her words

Of wisdom

Teaching love

And peace

Even the General,

Ruler of the city,

And his daughter

Had listened

To the lady

All agreed

(Except greed)

With the lady—

Peace is the path

To happiness

The General was interested,

And his daughter

Went to many

Of the talks

She became a friend of the lady

—an elegant speaker

All went well

With the lady's mission

She would stay

Awhile longer

Then

Journey back

To the mountains

But

All the while

Evil is the plot

Black plans

To form the scheme

Greed

Bleeding the soul

To bring forth

The deeds

Of avarice

Darkness of night

In the day

Dimming light

In life

And the victims

Cry in pain

"Where is the light—

Where is the peace?"

But the shadow oppresses

And the joyous mode

Gives way to suffering

Blackness enters

The world of the lady

Like a bayonet

To rend life

From the brain

Jab jab

Lunge

Thrust

From the War Corporation

Birth of arms

Death of babes

Machine guns, grenades

(Let us drop a bomb

And murder a hundred thousand people

Or a million - why not?

Men and women

And especially the babies

And children - how wonderful!)

Tanks, jets

Submarines, battle ships

Etc.

And latest

And greatest

The antigrav ship

With broad range laser destruction units

Call forth

And hire

Your shadows in the night—

The economy

Must be protected

Send forth

And destroy

The light of peace

Convince the General

To turn a deaf ear,

A blind eye

Protect the destiny

Of the War Corporation

Think not

Of life

But the purpose

And greed of death

A small group on the beach

Joy at dusk

Becomes black

And the daughter

Present

With her friend,

The lady

Oh God

Where is your light

To reverse

The shadows

Of the night?

Prey,

Two shadows stalk—

Fools,

Pray to God instead—

Know you not

The balance

Of justice?

The lady

Is killed—

Her body

Flung

To the sea

I must cry

But cannot—

She would not approve

The daughter

Wailed

And mourned her death

The people of the city

Cried

And mourned her death

The daughter

And the weeping city

Called out to the General,

They showed him the deed,

But indeed

He could not hear

He could not see

Perhaps

He wept inside

But

It is

For the good

Of his people

The economy

Will prosper

(While the people

Hide in bomb shelters

And fear

For loved ones—

Some never seen again)

The wars continue,

The clamor for peace

Dies

The city is normal

Again

"And now"

I thought

"Hers is the sceptered coffin of the sea

Of tides and pounding waves—

A dark and watery tomb"

It didn't seem possible

It didn't seem real

She had said that soon

We would be together

Again

Still

I sat

Overlooking

As darkness filled my world

But I did not torment

Nor wail

Nor moan,

It was not her way

To overreact—

'Pay the debt,

Then live on'

So,

I was not sad,

I looked

Searching

And to the heavens

To find a ray

Of light—

"I see no light"

I thought

Instead

The heavens were dark

Ominous

And foreboding

I stood up

On the ledge

And looked back to the house

The village—

Something wet and fluid

Clouded my eye

"I fear

A storm is near

Approaching

I feel something wet

Upon my cheeks

Away

Away

I shall away

My mind grows dark

And

Everything appears as shadows

Black

But where is the thunder?

Lightening?

Black

Nothing appears

Nor sees

Everything is. . .

But wait!

Weight!

Oh hear it now

Like the pallbearer

At a funeral

Whisper singing a song of leisure

The voice screams out

At me

Why now

This time of times

Oh God

The voice of Ad Infinitum

Hear it"

CHAPTER FOUR

PART ONE

Death, you are the gate from hell

From Heaven and fate as well

To some you are the taker of love

But you come from the maker above

You are the blissful taker of woe

But of woe you are a raker too slow

If only the people would know

If only to them I could show

That you are a gate of joy

But fate has made you coy

So come to me when it be

The time for thee

To set me free

And I shall know

That it is so

Oh how slow

But to go

From breath

To death

I stood

Above

Upon the ledge

From under my foot

A rock broke loose

And fell

Falling

Over the ledge

And

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

The jagged cliff

I could hear it

Clicking

Clattering

Far below

Then

No more,

The noise had ceased

From the falling down rock

The gone - gone rock

I stood upon the ledge

And

I felt

The warmth of the sun

Upon my face

Yet

Still

The sun could not penetrate

The darkness

I stood

And I looked

Straining

Yet

Nothing appeared but shadows—vague

Everything was gone

"Yes"

I thought

"Everything is gone—

Fallen into a maze

Of nothingness

Space

Forever existent

Black - gone is the color

Of life

The void

With walls around

Asquare -

Leading nowhere—

Gone is the goal

Emptiness of life

Forever,

Trailing

The dark paths—

Around the corners of no importance

And gone is the substance

Trailing,

Trailing in circles—

Trailing forever

The paths of no hope—

And the way out

Is gone

Everything is gone

Everything is gone

But the lady

Listen

Black soul!

Gone is everything

But the lady

Gone is the rain

To fall upon her shining smile

Gone the sun

The shadow of her love

Oh gone is the wind

Blowing—

Blowing her silk—

Her hair

Gone are the paths

To move her gentle feet

Gone the homes

To keep her beauty

Gone the deserts and the mountains

The gardens

To dance her soul

Gone is Nature

Gone is man

Oh life,

Bring her back

Let her be

Let her live

Let her love

But oh the darkness of life—

Reality

The winding blue tear

Trailing to my sorrow

Trailing the falling, falling heart

Falling to whence it came

Never again to rise

Trailing to the soul

To the soul

To the fallen, fallen soul

Oh God

Gone is the world

Gone is everything

Oh soul

Oh soul

Gone is God

To know

Gone is my love"

I remained

Still

Upon the ledge

Shadows

All around

And blackness of mind

The absence of color

And

The picture of nothingness

I stood upon the ledge—

Within,

And shadows without,

Surrounding

I stood

And I cried

To my world

"Where now is my life

My love

My family?

"Oh grief

Oh sorrow

I am a man

Not

A character in a book

I am relative

And not yet

The infinite

I have emotions

Like you and you

And you

And I too

Can cry a tear

"I long

I sorrow for my love

Since gone

I sorrow for everything

Gone

"I cry

And naught but nothingness

Answers—

Following

My winding blue tear

"Oh God

Gone - gone

My lady

"The painful gone

Of the one

I love

"Where are the mountains

To catch my tears?"

I asked

I stood

Silently

In deep

Black thought

"Oh death—

Let your doom

Swoop down on me

Fold out the light

From these

Mine eyes

Let your wings cover

Let your beak dash

(Instrument at hand)

Relief

My soul free

From this body

Bound to dust

"I am the man of sorrow

I am the searcher

Searching

Now—

For the lady"

I searched the shadows

And I searched the blackness

And still

I found nothing

The blackness continued

On and on

Forever

I stood searching

Pondering

Thoughts of sorrow

I pondered my love

Lost

And my sun

(For ages of eons) never found

I pondered pounding the rocks below

I pondered the fasting finish

The mighty mountain

And happiness love, too

I thought of things

And others

For a long time

Standing—

And

Into the depths of sorrow

Sinking

Through voids

Of blackness

"I shall

And to the mighty mountain

Travel

Again

To climb"

I thought

"Perhaps there

At the end of this journey

(Wherever it may end)

I shall find

My lady"

I dwelled,

A moment

(No longer)

A cool breeze

Blew the darkness

The emptiness

Chilling

"But

As I go"

I thought suddenly

"This time

The fasting finish—

Both physical

And mental—

Neither food of earth—

To strengthen my brain,

Nor food of thought—

To weaken my mind"

I paused

In sorrow

Watching the darkness

"Yes,

The fasting finish

To find my sun

Perhaps—

Perhaps yes or no

But this time

Truly to be

A finish"

I turned

Moving away

From the ledge—

Still

I could see

Only shadows

But

Tripping

Stumbling

I reached the path

"What means

This—

And

By what means

Is—

This shadow world?

"What strangeness

Envelopes my mind?"

Still

The dampness

Wet my cheeks

Where the relief?

I found a crooked branch

And began tapping my way

Away

Along the mountain path

"Even

In this land of shadows

If need be

I shall

To the mighty mountain

And climb

Again"

Over my mind

Dark thoughts

Hung

And I stumbled on

Upon the twisting path

Sorrow crowded my brain

And the black of nothingness

My mind

But stumbling on

Through the storm

Of dark shadows

Everywhere

Everything

The negative enveloper

Upon this path

I crept

A slow, stumbling man

A slow, stumbling pace

In the shadows

The time passed

And the days

And nights

Always dark

Undistinguished

Unable to measure

The amount of time

Passing

How many days had gone

Groping through eternity

Searching the sun

I could not know—

Stumbling

Groping

Sometimes falling

Over fallen logs

After awhile

The effects of fasting

Began to suffer

My being

Thousands of pricklings

Pricked

The wall of my veins,

My arteries—

Paining

A craving

Gnawed

For replenishment

To nourish my body

My limbs grew weaker

And stopping shorter distances

Easing

To rest longer rests

Still

Continuing

I fasted on

Moving slowly upon the path

All around

Always

I could hear

The life of the forest

Chattering

The squirrels would scamper

And

Bees would buzz close by

Once the bellowing of a moose

The birds became a sign

Of night and day

The chirping

And

The hooting

Life stirred,

Bringing a little

(But not a lot)

Of comfort

Upon the path

Stumbling

Blindly on

Continually—

I thought

Of the lady

I knew

She would want

Of me, living

To be happy

And love life

But mourning

Embalmed my brain

And

I struggled

Stretching slight

To reach and hold

The light of happiness

In sorrow

I continued on

Through the shadows—dark

Continuing my mourning

Increasing the time of fasting

To break down

And break away the body

"Oh prison

Dungeon,

Oh cells of my cell

—To vanquish

And let free my soul"

Still

I continued

And

Still

I thought of the lady

And happy love

"Here then"

I thought

Sullenly

"I am a hypocrite

In my mourning

Reaching

To hold the thing

I no longer believe—

The happiness love

Of the lady

Teaching

The great power

Of life

"And yet

I remember her saying

That hypocrisy is the first step

In any direction

Away

"Perhaps

She was right;

Whether good or bad

Positive or negative

Think a thought

Unbelieving

And after a time

Of constant thought

It will become a belief

And a part of your being

"Yes

Perhaps she was right

And maybe to continue

thinking of happiness in love

Then perhaps. . ."

These ideas

And others,

Contradictory

To my mood,

Stirred and agitated

My mind

As I thought of the lady—

Telling to mourn not

The death of one

Close

In sorrow

I continued

But I continued a thought

Of love

And I distanced on,

Still

Continuing

The path stumbled,

Groping under me

I climbed

With the path

Up and down

And rounding

Around

Turning bends

But always climbing

Passing

Still

I

Passed the forest life

Passing time

Still

On and on

And on

Then came the time

When there rose

A giant shadow

Piercing

The black sky

And robbing from sight

The meager light

In the world

Of vagueness—

There stood before me

The mighty mountain

"Soon now

And climbing

Will be a steep path"

I thought

I watched the mountain—

A dark shadow

Looming in the near distance

"Here I am—

The base of the mountain

"Here I am—

The base of the low emotions,

The bottom step,

Struggling to climb up

To break free

From

The sorrow

Of the heart,

The anger

Of the brain,

The hatred

Of the mind

"Enwrapped—

The light

Penetrates but slight

When the essence is violated,

And mine becomes

The world of shadows

"Now

I must climb

The mountain of life

And climb out

Of this shadow world,

Out of this mental depression,

Out of this world of depravity

"I must climb

Up

Upon the steps of life

(I must not step

Further down)

"I must use

The light of wisdom

To illuminate

To show the way

Upon the steps

"It is time

To rise up—

Leave behind

This shadow world—

Rise up

To the world of light,

To the world of colors

(Beautiful shades of light)

A step closer

To infinite knowledge"

I paused

Only

A moment longer

As I searched the shadow

Of the mighty mountain

Then

I moved on—

The steep climb

Searching

For the light

CHAPTER FOUR

PART TWO

The first few days

Upon the mountain

And struggling was my way—

Stretching within

Climbing to reach

The higher emotions,

The mental fast

And the pleading prayer

"Rise up

And break away,"

The passing of time,

The path of persistence

And finally,

Love became stronger

Embracing my mind,

The sorrow

Began to fade

Once again

I could understand—

Partly,

The happiness love

My body was weak

But my mind

Was alive

Stepping

To new heights

Love became

My teacher

And

The inner peace

Followed

My world

Within

Became brighter—

Though

My world

Without

Remained in shadows,

Still the sorrow

Of the lady's memory

Hanging over

"I shall climb this path

Til the light shines

Fully"

I said

As I continued

Upon

I thought

To climb

To the cave

And there

To meditate

To pray

To fast

And hopefully

To resolve my sorrows,

My problems

To find the light

Of the sun—

The infinite wisdom

To brighten my path

To rise out

Of the world

Of shadows

But as I climbed

My pace became slower

And slower,

The cold

And the physical fast

Became too much

And after

A short ways

And

A few days

Struggling

In the world

Of darkness

My body

Slumped

In the snow—

Soft, white comfort,

A warm blanket

Upon the mountain

"Never again

To rise"

I thought

"The cave remains

Too staggering a distance"

And as I lay in the snow

My eyes became heavy

And finally

They closed,

Shutting out

The vagueness

Around

"Never again

To open"

I thought

"And naught

But

To travel

To the lesser planes

(Beneath the Kingdom of the sun)

And there

To study,

Prepare again

For the deserts—

The gardens,

Prepare again

For the search"

("Surely

A release

From my sorrow—

Happily

I give up this plane")

I thought

As I reminisced,

The lady

I lay in the snow

Waiting—

The timeless transition

And as I waited

I thought again of happiness,

And meditation—

To bring it forth

(Surely a paradox

Of emotions—

The death of the lady

And

The happiness love of life)

And

I thought again of love;

And silence was the key

(The mental fast)

Give up the thoughts

Of the past

And then something strange

Began to happen—

Unknown sounds—music,

Beautiful to hear

And unknown feelings in my ailing body—vibrations

To raise my being from the depths

Of the shadow world

And the barriers

Of fear

Were lowered,

No longer could the material

Lock out

The world of the spirit,

The world of higher life,

And the world of truth

And love became a door

In all directions

Majestic

And golden

Before me

And love enveloped

Like an envelope

Surrounding—

Love all around

Abounding

Strength to unify

To bring together

Demander

And supply

A new sensation

Overcoming

Springing up

From the love within

New awareness of the spirit

New knowledge from the past—

"Comes now

The truth of the prophet?"

I asked in wonder

"How high

Have I climbed

Upon the mountain?"

And the body of the spirit

Moved

"The soul

Comes to life!—

"Rise up

And remember"

I urged

"Open the eye

And watch"

The light streamed forth—

And there before me,

Long and floating,

Spirals reaching up,

Magical—

The silver chord,

A two world umbilicus

Unbroken

"Rise up

And attain"

I urged

And the key opened the door

And suddenly

Stood forth

The nine steps of life

"Magnificent

In beauty"

I thought

"And colors

All"

And then

Lifted

The vagueness

Everywhere around

The white white snow

Upon the mountain,

The bright yellow sun

Above

A cloudless sky

And the green sea

Of the forest

Of the vast world

Below

"The wind blowing

Swirling

Whirling up

The soul of pandemonium

"Whirling

To whirl away

My soul

Forever gone"

And yet

There stood

The nine steps of life—

Rainbow colors

In the sky

"How high the climb"

I thought

"To find

The nine steps

To eternity"

Colorful plateaus

Enticing

Enchanting

Entrancing

"Rise up the force—

Bring forth the psychic

The infinite power,

To contact;

A gift from God

For the man

In love

"Bring forth the feet

To move upon"

Secret doors,

Locked in the desert,

Crumbled

Upon the mountain

"Knowledge

Let loose

And shine forth—

"Once

I was a Master

Of

The seven chakras"

Knowledge

To move upon

And the first seven steps

Are easy

For the Master

Of the serpent—

Coils

In the colored sky

Vibrant

Radiant

The seven steps shine

Violet

Indigo

Blue

Green

Yellow

Orange

Red

Beautiful - spiritual ascending,

But what is higher?—

I know

The eighth and ninth

Exist

Looking

Searching

Straining

But I cannot see the color

Of the eighth—

Too high,

Too lofty

So I step

Upon

To embrace the power

Of the bottom step

And as

My airy foot

Stands down

The world turns

A brilliant color

"One color of life

Falling

From the rainbow sky—

Drops

Splashing the mind

And painting the world

A million shades

Of red"

From above

The music

Of the spheres

Come to life

The ringing

Of the ears

A constant note

Another foot

Rising,

Rotating

The world of colors

To a scene of orange—

The second step of life

From below

I hear the voice

Of woe,

The physical

Still alive

The body crying out

Mental anguish

Searching for the known

But

I turn away

For the true life

Is above,

A foundation of love

Overcoming the fears

Again

I rise—

The other foot moves

To a world of yellow—

Brilliant upon

The mountain above

A beautiful yellow

Bright

The clouds

The forests

The lakes

Below

I watch the movement

Of the world in yellow

A moment

And then again

I step,

A steady pace,

A Master's pace

To blue and green

To indigo and violet

Rising upon

And the world turns

In color

Still,

I cannot see

The color

Of the eighth

And standing

Upon the seventh step

And looking about

A violet sun

In a violet sky

Above

The violet mountain

Of the violet world

Below

Still

Somewhere

In the distance

Below

A confused brain

Turmoiled in fear

Grasping in panic

Searching

A mere sense

Of it

But rise

To the power

To the spheres

Vibrations

Music of sound

Magnificent chord

A rising soul

The eighth step

"Rise not!"

Screamed my brain

Still struggling

But weaker

Surging

Through,

Pulsing

Quick

The living

The enlightened soul

A losing feeling

The flesh

Below

And surging stronger

Through a reeling brain,

Vibrations

"Yielding—

Yielding—

Now

But a loose grip

Grasping for the known life

(And the mountain

Still looks

A deep violet)"

And then

The quickening ears,

Vibrating drums

A sound

So strange

Of bells (or chimes)

And ringing constant

And the sound

Of the spheres

Music

To lighten the soul

Of the body—

Soul rising

How peaceful the mountain

Violet

Screaming

Brain,

A moment of birth

Ringing the drums

The flesh is there,

Somewhere;

And the soul

Vibrating

To life

Panic

Screaming

And crying

But

Let loose

And rise up

The unseen step

Stepping the eighth

And lofty ascent

Rising—

And the changing mountain

From violet

A world known

Leaving

Swirling

Whirling

A world known

Receding

Swirling

Whirling

Yielding up

And the changing

From violet

A formless mountain

Luminescing

The fading ways

Of the last of the changing colors

But keep

The love

Strong

The brain

Weeps

In woe

And fades away

Weeping

To the ringing

Of the drums

Ringing ringing ringing

To the changing

Of the violet world

Changing

Swirling

Blinding

Fading color

Blinding

Brightening

"Gold"

Ah gold

Shimmering

Shining

Everywhere

But,

Like black—

Blinding

Curious gold

Everywhere

To dominate

My vision

No longer the mountain

The sun

The sky

Nor the world below,

Only the gold

Patterning patterns

Swirling

Whirling

A world

Three dimensional in gold

"Everywhere gold

Permeating

Even my brain

My struggling brain

Somewhere

Struggling below

In another world

Calling faintly,

Struggling slight

I retained

The brain

A while longer

Then—

The gold

The feeling

The ringing

The music

Yielding

Gave me up

To another world

No longer the brain

The worry,

No longer the body,

Only the faint calling

Far away

To remind me

Still

Of flesh

I looked to the world

Of gold—

The eighth step

Of life

I could sense

Strange vibrations—

New

To my consciousness

My awareness grew

And the blindness

Was leaving,

Light flooding

With knowledge

"I am in the life flow

Of the infinite"

I thought

"But how?

What strange being

Is this—

Surging

Pulsating

Vibrating?"

The question—

And immediately

Again

Knowledge surged

Upon

My mind

Soon,

Answers came faster

Than the questions

It came to me—

"I am one

With the Universal love

In this world

Vibrating

And all things are mine

For I am

The power uniting

More powerful

Than any being

Existing relative

Could know

I am

The power of life

Holding the living

Together

I am the living,

Yet—

An individual

I am free of all limits

But myself—

The love

The force

The attraction

Molding all things

Together"

Still

My knowledge grew

Gaining the infinite

Of my consciousness,

No longer were there

Questions or answers—

Only the truth

Of reality

I became a living power

Growing

And knowledge—

My pure essence

Love was my being

And I supplied

All things

Throughout

The planets

The solar systems

The galaxies

And the total being

Of my Universe

With

The relative forms

Of infinite love

"I am the power

And being

In the golden world

Of infinity

I am the great of all

Of the world

Of love

And

It is nothing to boast

For

I am

All things

Forever

I am the I am

The infinite

Love

I exist

Space and time

Forever

My golden being"

Time passed

But how much?

Microseconds or eons?—(both)

How to relate time

To the infinite

And then

Slowly

Infringing upon my senses

Through

To my being

(In an infinite mode)

And gradually

Throughout my eternal gold existence

Beyond

I could sense something greater

"Something of which

I am a part

In my eternal binding"

The sensing

Stronger

Throughout

Permeating

But not touching

"How?"

Like

A closed eye

Opening

A first look

Struggling to see

To make sense

Of the existing

"Where is the knowledge

To perceive?

What is this being

To sense?

Always there

Existing

Fringing

To open

My golden eye—

To perceive the seen

The scene

And let it be known"

It was then—

Bursting through,

Streaming forth

Upon my knowledge

Fringing my world,

My ability to know

"Infinite wisdom

Omnipotent

And

Omnipresent"

The white light streamed

I knew then

I had found

The sun

Forever existent

I channeled my consciousness

Concentrating

Upon my infinite sense

"My sun

My sun

I see you now"

I thought

The infinite bright white light

Containing all colors

Containing all existence,

The infinite life

Surpassing the superlative

Here then is the supreme existence—

The infinite wisdom

The infinite love

The infinite force

And all composing all

Of existence

AD INFINITUM

"The existing of all things

Forever

And

I see the light"

Still

Existing

Still

I continued

My golden world

And

The bright white light

The infinite love

The infinite wisdom

The attraction

The unity of the Universe

The attracting force

Was drawing me forth

Yes,

Showing me the way

Struggling

My consciousness

To grasp

The white—

Existing always,

Permeating

Through thought

The soul

Grasping naught

Closer

To the infinite infinity

The sun,

To unite

With the infinite wisdom—

To shed

The relative character

Struggling,

More difficult

To touch the edge

Instantly

Knowledge grasped

And surged my being

More and more

Expanding

Perceiving

Knowledge

Was

Increasing

I began to know

Many things

A fantastic knowledge

Of being

A scope

A ken of magnanimous magnitude

And still

I gained

Knowledge bound

Onto

My golden world

On

Forever on

The infinite

"At last"

I thought

"I have found the sun—

I

The searcher come home"

I gained—

Knowledge

Perception

Consciousness

It seemed

Soon

I would unite

With the infinite power

Forever on

Knowledge

Flooded my being

Becoming

Vaster and vaster

Knowledge, but slowing

"Beaming light

Infinite

Uniting love

To unite the relative

Enclose

And enfold

Why oppose?

What force?

What blinds

My infinite eye?

Slowly

The more I knew

The more I began to know

How much I needed to know

And then too

Suddenly

I knew

I knew not enough

Then

Nor in a sooner future

To become one

With the infinite wisdom

"My being has knowledge

Now

A fantastic scope—

But not enough

For the sun to shine

Brightly

All my dark paths

Still

Now

I know too

A perceiving knowledge

A straight

Wide

And easy path

Upon the smooth planes

Bringing me home"

Mine was the world of pure love

Demanding

And supplying—

And I loved all

"I love you

(All inclusive)

In my world of gold

Swirling

I love your movement

Your knowledge

Your being

Swirling

Whirling

I love being

And

And I love all beings

Demand

Demand

And I supply you all

For

You are me

And I

You

Forever

We are the infinite love,

This plane of planes

On and on

Forever on. . ."

CHAPTER FOUR

PART THREE

I awoke

And looked up

My brain

Dim and dizzy

Befuddled

I saw above—

Nothing but sky

Blue blue

Forever on

And below

The white mountain

Cold snow white

Cold, to freeze the soul

I stood up

Slowly

I gazed below

"*Impossible*"

I thought

"*How did I get here—

The top of the mountain?*"

I found

I was standing on a pinnacle

Jutting lofty from the highest

And sheer walls

All around

To

Half a mile down

"*How?*"

I wondered

Then

Slow at first

But gaining

Back

Avalanching back:

The sorrow

The blackness

The shadow world

The journey on the mountain

The physical and mental fast

The colors of the rainbow

The nine steps of life

The golden world

The infinite love

The infinite wisdom

The sun

"*Ah yes*"

I thought

"*At last

I have found my sun—

The infinite wisdom,

So hard to find

Yet

Everywhere present*"

I thought

Of all the knowledge

Which had come to me

In the golden world

"*No—

I have retained

Only

A small of the knowledge

I had had

In the world of gold

Touching white

"*Still

I have retained enough

And now

I know

As I knew

In the world of gold

That

My path to the sun

Shall be one

Not of sand

And tripping tracks—

"*Tripping tracks

And rolling dunes. . .*"

I thought back to the desert

And

Mountains of sand

Shifting

In the wind

Sifting the dunes

I thought

Of the voice

And I realized

Then

The lady had been right:

It was my voice—

The infinite source

Deep within

Knowing

And showing the light,

It was the voice

Of Ad Infinitum

"*Leading,

Hinting

The sun

"*The voice—

A light

Showing the inner paths

Bringing forth

Knowledge from the past,

But sifting

Through lives,

Clouded

Vague intuition,

A sixth sense

"*A small light

To show the way—

No longer

Myself

Leading myself

"*The infinite being

Reaching

Teaching

From the inner depths—

Knowledge from past lives

Clings to the wings

Of the voice

Urging me

Toward the sun

And

Making me

The man

Of a thousand ancestors

"*The man

Of a thousand lives,

For a long time—searching

But now

I have unity and love

I am with the voice

I am with the knowledge,

A straight path

Traveling to the sun

"*I have found my way—

No longer wandering

Aimless

No longer shifting

Pathless

From job to job

Country to country

From spouse to spouse

Or body to body,

From life to death

To life

"*No longer the searching

For myself

No longer the boredom

And agony

Of drudgery

No longer the sadness

Of relativity—

The path is straight,

No longer a maze

"*Indeed*"

I thought

"*The future is an easy path

To see—

"*No longer blind

To vague planning—

To answer tomorrow's problems;

No longer blind

To unseen events

Waiting

To weight the shoulders

"*Now

The future is a tool

With which to shape

Tomorrow's day—

It is a tool

To clear the way

To the rising sun*"

I was not yet ready

To become one

With the infinite realm of existence

"*Still

Will I be relative

And one with the coarser matter

But now

As I stand on the lofty steps

I must not revert

And step down

For the fall from this height

Will be reprieved

But slowly*"

As I continued

To think

About the future,

Suddenly,

Knowledge form the world of infinite wisdom

(New pathways in my mind

From the touch of the light)

Surged to the surface—

To the consciousness

To bring forth

Another axiom

Another law

By which

To live the infinite plan;

To bring forth

The essence in love

In peace and in happiness;

To bring forth

The helping hand

For those who need more

Than

Just our love

"*Yes*"

I thought

"*It is time for the future

To bring to the present

The second passage

Of the essence—

"*When thou dost walk

The path of wisdom,

When thou dost love life

With all your heart

And when thou art so good

That thou dost walk

In the presence of Angels—

"*Still

That is not enough—

Wouldst you enter a higher plane—

A plane of easy paths

Without looking back?

Without reaching back a hand

To a stranger in need

Or

To a friend?—

"*And indeed,

Are not all the people

Your friends?

"*The second part of the essence

Then

Is that you shall reach out

To those around you

So that they might also

Understand the law of love

So that they too

Might enter the higher planes

"*Reach out a helping hand

—But let them choose

Whether or not

To climb from the world of possessions

(Attempt to force no one,

Let all

Be the rulers

Of their own fates)*"

I paused

"*Indeed,

Simply

Give them a message:

"*Climb out

And hold lightly

The world of possessions,—

Hold tightly

The world of love

"*Indeed,

CENTER AROUND THE WORLD

And not on self,

Center on those around you,

Take importance off of self

Put importance on those around you

And suddenly

Humankind's most invidious enemy—fear—

Will disappear—

No longer will you be worried

And have fear

About self and self possessions—

For they no longer have importance

"*Yes,

Center around the world

And fear is gone—

Love abounds'*"

I smiled with happiness—

Happy with the future

Happy with the Masters

And happy with the message

The sun beamed

Brightly,

The snow glistened,

And I turned my thoughts

To future deeds

"*And now soul—

Rise up

The body,

Let us tread lightly away

To tread lightly upon

The minds of men

"*To speed up

Even so slightly

Their trip

To the sun—

Our sun—

The infinite wisdom

Of love

And happiness

"*Let us

Complete

The plan

Of the Masters*"

I stood up

Upon the pinnacle

And looking down

I closed my eyes

To open

The eye of the mind—

Violet

Circling

Becoming larger

Expanding

Vibrant

Alive with energy

Pulsing

Encompassing the inner vision

And then

The concentration to open—

White light streaming forth

And suddenly my vision

Beholds the mountain

From far above

And all the smaller mountains

Of the ranges below

The forests, the valleys

And the villages

And then

The concentration to search—

To direct

And suddenly my vision

Beholds the house of the lady

And the statue standing

Silent

I focused my sight

Locating a position

Slowly then,

I raised my vibrations

Physically

Slowly faster

A sensation

Strange

The atoms and molecules

Ever speeding

Faster

The matter less dense

Except for another world

Vibrating

Ringing

And suddenly

I stood

In the yard

The statue

Before me—

The searcher of the past

"*Too much sorrow

Lives and thrives

Upon the lives

Of this dominion*"

I thought

I turned toward the house

And walked

To the old man on the porch—

Too old

For his age

Depressed with sorrow

Creasing the lines

And wearing

Twice the time

Still rocking

Again

I stood before him

We spoke of the past—

The brother

The lady

And memories of joy,

He wept

"*Sorrow no more*"

I said

"*To sorrow

Can bring you nothing;

Instead

Bring your mind to life

Help yourself

And those below,

Those

Of your brother's village,

And villages of the Empire

Bring forth your happiness

And your love—

Live not

In the sands

Of the desert

Of lost ways*"

Then I told him

Of my experiences—

Though

Believing is not seeing

Or hearing;

Believing

Is in the mind

His eyes began to smile

Twinkling,

He had listened, but more importantly

He had heard

I spoke of the lady

Telling him

To grieve not his loss

"*She has found

A smoother path*"

I said

"*And even now

She waits

For your return*"

We spoke further

Of happiness love,

We talked

And time passed

(As always it will)

Finally,

I knew our conversation

Was done,

Nothing but reiteration

And now

He would rise

From the rocker,

He would live

Again

To become a younger man

He would live with the people

Of the village

He would teach

And learn—

He would come closer

To the sun

I smiled

I shook his hand

And as he rose

From the chair

I closed my eyes

To open

I began searching

My mind's eye

The coastal city,

The one

The city of sorrow

Where the lady had died

I searched

Awhile

Then looking back

To the old man

"*Farewell*"

I said

"*Find your answers true—

View life

Searching

From both

The infinite and relative points of view

(Not as many—

From only the relative)"*

I looked back

To the coastal city

Searching

I saw

Overlooking,

A rocky plateau

And the city below

I focused

Again

I raised my vibrations

Whirling swirling

Ringing

The drums

Faster

The feeling again

Strange

(But known)

Suddenly

I was standing upon the plateau

Overlooking the valley

The city

The ocean—

Forever waves

In the sea of life

Blue

Blue

merging the sky

I began

Walking

Upon the shelf

Of rock

On,

Until

I came to a long

Black

Smooth

Highway

It traveled in

From

The desert

And sped to the city

I stepped upon

And began

Toward

Along the way

A few transports

Whirred by

To and from the city

Often

Those passing by

Would stare,

Turning heads to look—

A man,

Strangely garbed

I moved

Along

For several hours

And the city grew—

Coming closer

And soon

Homes and small buildings

Near by

Moving on

Without slowing

And before long

Tall buildings

Towered

And no homes

Seen

Spirals spun up

Through space

And gallant curves

Designed,

Marked progress

In buildings

Pedestrian speedways

Transports

Flying machines overhead—

The wheels of progress

Rapidly rushing

Speeding

To hurry the money

But

Not

The mind

To speed the worries

Fears,

And seldom

The happiness of love

Hurrying

And worrying

I observed the people

And I thought of the struggles

And the wars to come

"*Still lowly educated

In the infinite plan*"

I thought

"*Quick to anger

(The low emotion)

Where the mechanical being

Is thousands of years

Following

The truth,

The spirit mind*"

Looming ahead

Giantly

An entrance sign

I approached

And

Stepped upon

Grasping,

It rushed me forth—

The pedestrian speedway

I stepped into

A motion

Of moving people

And

Speeding away

I sped

Through the city

Turning

(Sloping corners)

A plastic city

From street to street

This way and that

The synthetic city

With synthetic desires

Soon

I was exiting

And there

Before my vision

The swirling sea

Rushed forth

And curled

Upon the beach

Thousands of people

Existed

Upon the white sands,

Stretching children

Reached

For a far away sun,

Reached

For the sea—

Thousands

Upon

Tripping white sands

I walked the beach

Long and lonely

But the happiness love

Permeated my being

And being

Was loving

Finally,

There it stood,

A monument in the sand:

A rock from which

I would speak—

Only five feet high

With water and rocks

To the far side

A rock

Upon which the lady

Had stood,

Teaching

To illuminate

A small

Of the wisdom

Of the Masters

Of the infinite being

"*To save a world*"

I thought

"*Yet,

She was the student

For a lesson

In death

(But all

For a further day)—

Still

They destroyed her

Even

As they destroy their world*"

I pondered

Awhile

The people

The rock

And further on

The sea of time

Then I stepped forward

To climb the rock,

To climb

The last pinnacle

Of that world

CHAPTER FOUR

PART FOUR

Facing the ocean, I topped the rock and stood, for a moment, looking at the sea. The midday sun shone brightly over calm waters, and the blue sky was cloudless to the edge of the horizon. Seagulls glided lazily, searching their hungry search—now and then one would smash into mirrored rays, splashing water and swallowing up the prize of survival.

I turned slowly to my left, and looking down the beach I could see thousands of beachers stretching for miles upon the white sands. In many places they were crowded together, blanket to blanket, head to toe, and elbow to elbow. Here and there, the bright colors of an umbrella stood upright and pointed toward the blue skies.

As I continued to turn, off to the left, I could see a wall—short in height, only five feet tall, but enough to separate the city from the beach. And beyond that, towering in the sky, there was a huge, modern building with the words 'WAR CORPORATION' written in black, metallic letters across the front.

There was a high fence surrounding the building, with armed guards at the front gate.—They allowed only those with clearance to enter the grounds.

"Hey you," one of the beachers yelled, "Are you another one of those peace preachers?"

I turned and looked down at him. He was a big man with a dark hairy chest and a black head of hair that glistened in the sunlight. A white line encircled his waist and joined his bronze skin to a bright red bathing suit.

Two more beachers walked up beside him. They stood silently watching - wondering. They stared at the man in the white, but desert dingy robe.

"What are you doing here?" one of them finally asked.

He was a man who appeared to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It showed in his eyes and his posture. It showed on his face.

He waited for an answer, but I could not give him the magical solution for which he searched. It would only come from within. The answers to all problems of mental turmoil, sadness, hate, frustration, . . . . All the problems made within can only be solved from within.

I looked over at the building of the War Corporation (a monument of death, jutting into the sky). It occurred to me that I had been sent to this city to deliver a message to all the people. So, I thought, "*This man—he is not the reason I am here; and yet,—he is.*"

So, I looked at him again, "*You must understand that searching for happiness from the material, the money, the sex, the clothes, the fame, the food, . . . , these can only bring a short time, false happiness which disappears when the material foundation of that happiness disintegrates, when money is lost or hoarded, when the sex becomes boring, when the clothes are riddled by the moth, when the fame disappears or becomes a burden, when the food becomes scarce or too abundant, . . . .

"*In truth, happiness comes only from the mind. Don't become so involved in the material. Concentrate on creating the happiness in your mind. At first, you'll find it's not easy; but keep at it, and after awhile you'll find that the material doesn't matter anymore. Then you will be at peace with yourself and the world. There will still be problems. They will always exist in the material. But they won't effect you as often.—Life will be fun."*

He nodded his head a few times. He seemed

to agree.

A few more beachers,—curious, walked up and joined the three below me. They talked amongst themselves—mostly asking questions: "Who is this man? Where does he come from? What does he want? Is he a friend of the lady?"

These questions and more were asked, but, of course, I wouldn't be answering them. I would stay only a short while, just long enough to deliver the message; and then travel on.

I raised a hand toward the sky. "*This message won't convince most of the people,*" I thought. "*but some will understand. Some of them will find the truth and will be able to use it to further their progress upon the path of life.*"

I opened my hand, palm up. I concentrated on the force. My solar plexus began to tingle. The crown chakra connected the line, and the power of the nine steps sprang to life, linking my mind with the infinite force of the Universe. The infinite force, so powerful, that none other can stand against it. So powerful that he who wields it can bring anything into life. The Master of the nine steps cannot be compromised;—but if he misuses that power the steps will crumble. And the Master will fall upon a path of pain and misery for eons of time. It is true—the higher the fall, the greater the debt. And the scales of justice will always be balanced.

The wise one never misuses the power. He uses it with caution.

I concentrated on the heavens, and then I manifested the force. Bright lightening streaked the sky in brilliance on that clear sunshine day, and thunder roared and boomed upon the people. The sound was deafening and echoed for a hundred miles around.

I lowered my hand, and the thunder and lightening ceased. The sky was blue again, and the normal sounds of the day could be heard.

Yet, the silence was shattering.

I looked at the people, but no one moved. From all directions they stared at the man upon the rock. It was as if they could not fully understand what had just happened. The impossibility of it stunned them. Their beliefs of reality had been challenged.

After a few minutes, a man from far down the beach jumped to his feet and started running toward the rock. Anyone who can perform a miracle must have the answers to life.

Slowly more of them rose to their feet. They came walking toward the rock. Some came running, digging holes in the sand with plodding bare feet. Then more began to run. It became a sea of people pounding the sands as they walked or ran toward the rock. They left their umbrellas, blankets, beach balls,—they left it all to join the crowd around the rock.

I continued to watch as they moved in closer. In general I like people. And I liked these people. They were basically a good people who had been caught up in the wheels of a fast society. They were rushed into the consequent fears and anxieties that come with the fast pace of living; and yet, they knew something better existed. Or, at least, they hoped they could achieve something better.

But the fast pace of living, and the greed of materialism had made them negative. Most of them had little fondness for their fellow human beings. It was a typical consequence of a fast, materialistic society.—Becoming too involved in the ego.

Still, I did not fault them for their lack of love. And I understood their fears and anxieties. Oh how well I understood it. I knew exactly what they were experiencing; since I had been there myself. "*But if they are to raise themselves out of the all engulfing desires for the material,*" I thought, "*then they must use the innate wisdom to make love a major part of their lives. (Indeed, we are relative, material beings, and it is not wrong to bring the material into our lives as long as it does not become all encompassing—as long as it does not rule our emotions, our thoughts, and our actions).*"

I watched the crowd as it grew larger around the rock.

I was about to raise my hand again to start the deliverance of the message, but just then I heard a transport coming—the hum of its engine was a very distinctive sound, since there were so few of them. Only the city officials and officials of the War Corporation were allowed to operate them within the city limits. The general populace used the pedestrian speedways to go to and from their destinations.

When I looked up I could see it moving at a fast clip along the port way—long and sleek. As it approached the gate in front of the War Corporation building it slowed down, and finally came to a stop.

It was obvious that the guards instantly recognized the occupants. They snapped to, and performed their duties in a precise military fashion. They both stood at attention and saluted. Then one of them marched over and opened the gate, while the other one marched into the guardhouse and made a phone call.

A ceremonial show of respect for a superior officer. "*Ages old,*" I thought.

As I continued to watch I expected the transport to move through and into the compound; but, the doors opened and three people emerged from the vehicle—two men and a woman.

At first I was unsure who they were. But as I watched them I could tell that the tall muscular man was obviously in charge. He wore a gold and brown, dress uniform; and his countenance commanded an air of authority. I knew that when he gave orders, those around obeyed.

The other man wore the same kind of uniform, but he was much smaller in physique, and, at that time, his presence was of a nervous nature. He looked like a man who had found himself in a turmoil. The huge crowd around the rock bothered him, and he kept eyeing it nervously. As he talked his hands went up and down, and his head jerked back and forth.

I looked at the woman, and I noticed in contrast to the smaller man, she was very calm about the events taking place around her. She said very little, and occasionally nodded when one of the two men addressed her. As she looked at the crowd, and then at me, she remained composed and unexcited.

I admired the colors she had chosen for her dress suit—the colors of the high chakras: indigo and white. They heightened her charisma and magnetically drew attention of those around her. I was instantly attracted to her level of spiritual understanding. The colors in her aura depicted the presence of a wise and loving soul.

She turned back and said something to one of the two men.

"*They're curious,*" I thought. "*—That's good. Let them hear the message with the others. I started to look to the crowd, but just then, as the larger man turned and pointed a finger, a glint of light caught my eye. I could see the sunlight reflecting from long strips of gold on the shoulders of his uniform. "*Yes,*" it suddenly occurred to me. "*This must be the General, ruler of the city, and his daughter.*"

As I continued to watch them, the General pointed at the crowd and said something to the smaller man, (obviously his aide). He waved his arms in gesture a couple of times; and then the three of them started toward the beach.

The General's aide was not happy. He protested a couple of times, but finally realized it was futile, and gave up. He rushed toward the crowd, and in spite of his dress uniform, he was able to move the distance between the General and the crowd in only a few seconds. He yelled something at the people standing on the steps. He motioned for them to clear the way.

"*Looks as if I am going to have company,*" I thought. I realized that this might be good. If the General had the ears with which to hear, the message might be more effective; and after all, he was the leader of the people. He was a figure of authority, and more people would listen to him.

At first, the General's aide was not having much success getting the people to clear the steps, but his persistence finally yielded the desired effect. Some of the people looked over their shoulders to see what the commotion was all about. They didn't seem too concerned about the man yelling at them, but when they saw the General and his daughter not far behind, they turned to their neighbors and began whispering in a high pitched fever.

The crowd became excited. The whispering took hold and ran from person to person, in all directions, like a chain reaction. Heads turned and people stood on tiptoes to see. Some crowded closer to get a better look. Little children were raised into the air so that they too might see the ruler of the city.

As the General's aide kept urging the crowd back, they finally departed from the stairs, and a large path opened up between the wall and the rock.

Slowly, and with dignity, the General and his daughter walked forward upon the sands, until they came to a halt but a short distance from the rock. The daughter was standing to the left of her father, and the aide to the right. They watched me intently; except for the aide, whose eyes fluttered nervously as he kept turning his head back and forth scrutinizing the crowd.

The General turned and spoke to his daughter in a voice so low that not even his aide could hear him. "Have you ever seen this man before?" he asked.

"No," she replied in a thoughtful tone. She paused for a moment as she looked me up and down. "But he is wearing the garb of the desert tribes, and the lady did say something about. . . ." She was trying to remember.

"Yes?" asked the General.

"I remember that she spoke of the coming of two men to our city before the final destruction.

One will come from the great desert of Kahlija. He will bring a message which will teach our people the essence of life.

And the second one—the incomplete one, will come later, from the fabled city of Khoomihnkahn. And his task will be different, and yet a task of great importance."

As she finished speaking, I suddenly noticed a large group of armed guards running out of the War Corporation building."*Someone must have sent the word,*" I thought. They ran down the wide marble steps, past the three figured fountain ( a beautiful work of art—each figure showered water high into the air, and vivid red lights illuminated the mist as it settled back into a clear blue pond. Each figure represented one of the three angels of peace). "*The time will come when their essence will embrace this planet,*" I realized as I watched the mist. "*But a difficult time comes before it.*"

The guards ran through the transport parking area, through the gates, and down to the beach. They formed a barricade on both sides of the General to keep the crowd a safe distance away.

I continued to watch as three officers marched to a dignified stance several feet behind the General. As they stood at attention, I paid particular notice to the one behind and slightly to the left of the General's daughter. His presence felt odd. He gave me the feeling that he would take ill advantage of any situation to enhance his station in life, and especially his station in the military ranks.

"*I should keep an eye on him,*" I thought.

The General's aide issued forth a great sigh of relief. His eyes stopped their nervous fluttering, and, for the first time, he concentrated his attention on me—the strange man in the robe.

The General, on the other hand, paid little attention to the guards or the officers. It was what he expected.

Just then one of the beachers yelled out, "General, he made thunder in the sky. It shook the beach!"

The General ignored him. The beacher obviously wanted attention. After all, everybody wanted the General's attention. And no one can make thunder in the sky.

He continued his low voice as he spoke again to his daughter. "Do you think, then, that this is the one from. . . ."

"*Yes,*" I interrupted. "*I am the one from the desert.*" I could see the startled look on the General's face. He thought that no one could hear the conversation between him and his daughter.

"*I was a friend of the lady,*" I continued with an understatement. "*Oftentimes we discussed the coming events of the world, and how they would effect your people.

The lady wanted to help the people of your city, to show them the path to peace; but the evil corruption of your society has destroyed her, and she will no longer be a light in this world.*"

The General's brow became furrowed with lines of guilt, but he never looked away, nor looked at the ground. He continued to hold my stare.

"It is unfortunate that she has died by some evil plot," he said.

"Yes," agreed his daughter. "It was the ultimate horror for me and for many of the people. She had become our friend. She shared our hospitality, our joy and our happiness. She shared our sorrow and our tears. She brought us warmth during times of distress; and she lectured us on the joys of peace. She tried to show us how to attain it, and how to make it a part of our lives.

"But it is true, she left us in a pool of tears, just as we were beginning to understand."

The daughter became silent. I watched the corners of her mouth turn down as she thought of the lady's death.

The General folded his arms and cleared his throat. He was waiting for me to say something, but my attention was still fixed on his daughter.

Here was a woman of fine features—physically, mentally, and spiritually. This woman was many steps above most of those around her. I could see that she had a deeper understanding of love and peace. There was an air of tranquility radiating from her presence. I knew she was a person who would help, whenever she could, those in need, bringing them aid and comfort. She was loved by everyone with whom she came in contact. And I knew she was especially loved by her father.

Yes, it was easy to understand how she and the lady had become such good friends.

The General shuffled his feet a couple of times and put his hands on his hips. "Come now," he said. "All this talk of the lady. That is all in the past. Tell us, sir, do you have a message? And if so, what is it? And where does it come from?"

I looked down at him, and I thought, "*The truth is the truth. It doesn't matter from whence it comes.*"

And then I said to him, "*I simply bring a message of truth.*"

I looked into his eyes. And I thought that just for a moment I would take a peek into his subconscious.—

What I found was not surprising.—He had little concern about the people and their problems. His ego was steeped in the material, and he had become a prisoner of his own desires. Indeed, he was a typical leader of a materialistic society.—

And he could not hear the cries of those who were suffering: "wars, wars, . . . too much, too often; too much killing; too many wounded; too many loved ones lost from loved ones; too many lonely people; too many children without parents; too many orphans crying to the city, 'Where are my mommy and daddy?'; and too many parents crying for their children, killed in air raids or planted bombings." Yes, too many questions and not enough answers.

I withdrew the probing from his mind. "*Yes, I come with a message,*" I said. "*But before I deliver it, let me say to you that peace comes from love. If all the people in your world understood and lived with love for all people, then peace would be everywhere present. There would be no wars.*"

"Possible," said the General. He stroked his chin a couple of times and then gestured with his hand. "Yes, I can see the logic in that," he said. "And it would be a great way to live; but there is one problem: how do you get everyone to love everyone?"

"*Sounds absurd, doesn't it?*" I replied. "*There's no doubt that that type of situation is too ideal, still, you can make the people more aware of love. You can educate them so that some will want to make it a part of their everyday lives.*"

He didn't look convinced. "But how do you do that?" he asked. It was obvious that he had mental blocks which kept him from finding the answers. Perhaps he was unable to overcome the mold of his environment; or maybe being a General had something to do with it. After all, Generals are the leaders of men who are trained to fight, to kill—the only love here is the love of death.

I sighed. I looked up at the sky. I looked down at the General. Was this a waste of time? Surely this little talk and my wonderful words of wisdom weren't going to break down his desire for the material, the glory, and all that comes with it.

"*Give talks, seminars, and speeches. Ever hear of advertising?*" I asked. "*Form organizations, have classes in your schools, teach through literature, have your religions concentrate on their basic principles, have frequent talks with other cities. Do all these things in the name of love and peace. Put forth a lot of time and energy. Wherever goes your energy, so goes success, whether fast or slow, good or evil, actions create a path.*"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I might be able to pass a bill," he said, "but it will probably meet a lot of resistance."

"*Why would anybody want to resist love and peace?*" I asked.

He didn't hesitate with an answer.—"It has always been my experience that religion and politics don't mix."

"*Ah, but that is a misconception,*" I replied. "*Love and peace are not restricted only to a religion. They can be understood and practiced by everyone; even an atheist.*"

"That may be, but I have a difficult time imagining myself becoming an ambassador for love and peace in the midst of all our worldly problems. Can you see me trying to convince a mother who hasn't enough food to feed her baby that she should love everyone and have peace in her heart?"

"*She is the last one you should convince,*" I replied. "*First, convince the food mongers—convince the rich, then you won't have mothers without food.*"

"Yes, but the problems of the people go further than just a mother trying to get enough food to feed her kids. Besides the starvation and poverty, we have other serious social problems. We have racial tension. We have problems supporting the elderly and the handicapped. We have problems with internal corruption—which in turn affects the taxing of the people. We have terrible health problems, diseases running rampant; and problems with insects and pest control. We have problems with the environment. Natural disasters are beginning to accelerate. All of this, and I haven't even mentioned the problems with the other coastal cities.

"If I try to convince the wealthy to love everyone, and start giving away their money and property for the benefit of those in need, they will think I am crazy. Giving away money is not going to solve all these other problems. People are still going to be unhappy and restless."

He paused for a moment. "Not only will the rich question my rationality," he continued, "so will the poor.

"Society has its structure. It has its balance. Everyone finds their niche in the order of it all, and climbs in. No man can change that!"

"*I understand what you are saying, and I understand the problems of your world,*" I said. "*I am not telling you to convince the wealthy to give up all their possessions. What I am saying is that if you approach love and peace with a rational mind; if you show people the logic in it—it is certainly more fun to be happy, peaceful, and loving, than it is to be woeful, angry, and hateful. It is healthier for the mind and the body. A person can understand the logic in that whether he's rich or poor. Right?

"*If you can show the people that happiness also comes from sharing, and that love and peace are a return measure; if you can show the people that it isn't just some foreigner from the desert who teaches love and peace, if you can show them that a rational man, such as yourself—one from their own world, can approach the truth about love and peace in a realistic manner, and show them that it is not the unreachable quality of a fairy tale life; then, if you enlighten only a few of the great multitudes; then all your spent energy has been well worth the effort. Your world will become a better place in which to live.

"*And even more, if you can change just some of the people; if you can replace just some of the anger, frustration, and hate in your world, with love and peace - tranquility; then you will not only help these people toward the higher planes, but you will also soften the blow of the coming destruction of the coastal cities.*"

The General raised his eyebrows. "The lady spoke of the coming destruction," he said, changing the subject. (Understandably). "What exactly is it that the two of you are talking about?"

"*I do not have the answers to that question,*" I replied. "*The one who comes later will have a message that addresses that problem. For now, my message is of a different nature; in fact, very much along the lines as I have already been telling you.*"

"Well then," said the General. He pointed toward the War Corporation building. "Come to my office and deliver your message. Too much time has already passed, and I have a busy schedule."

"*No,*" I replied, "*this message must be delivered to all who are here.*" I stretched out my arms indicating the people on the beach. "*The message will be delivered to everyone who will hear.*"

I looked away from the General and his daughter. I looked to the people upon the beach. They all waited.

I turned the key. The door opened and the force began to flow, and then I said, "*I come before you this day to show you the truth and the power of love and peace—the path to the higher kingdoms.

"*I,

but a messenger.*"

My voice was amplified many times its normal range. It carried across the multitude to the far ends of the beach. Everyone there would hear me that day, even some in the city.

Again the crowd became silent. No one moved or made a sound. The crowd stared in awe. The General and his daughter were stunned. They had never before witnessed a 'miracle.' They stared. The people stared. They didn't know what might happen. And only the babies still cried, only the little children still laughed and played, and only the dogs still ran about.

Everyone else waited, watching to see what would happen.

Finally, I was about to deliver the message and make my exit, but just then I felt an unusual intensity of anger and hate coming from someone on the beach.

And I knew where to look.

The officer behind and to the left of the General's daughter. His eyes were sharply focused on me, and his lips formed a frown.

I looked through his eyes and into his mind (another little peek). I could see what he was thinking. "The General's life is in danger. This man is using some newly discovered invention, and somewhere upon him he has a concealed weapon." Then it occurred to him that I was from the Northern Coastal City, a fierce enemy. "It's a trick," he growled in a low voice.

"This man has come to assassinate the General," he thought. "It's some sort of trick."

If he could save the General's life, he would be a hero. He would be greatly rewarded. Or, even if he only rid the city of another peace preacher, the War Corporation would be eternally grateful. Either way he couldn't lose. They would surely raise his military status in rank and privilege.

"Look out, he's got a weapon!" he yelled. He pulled his laser gun from its holster, dropped to one knee, and took careful aim. What a fool.

In the following moments of what was about to take place, I would merely be a spectator, watching a cruel play of fate. As the officer yelled, the General and his daughter turned and looked behind. When the daughter saw what was happening she cried out with terror in her voice. "No," she shrieked. She remembered the teachings of the lady—her good friend. She remembered the lady's death. And quickly she acted on instinct. She acted without thinking of herself.

She jumped in front of the man, to stop him from killing. A grand gesture of selflessness—one that would have worked; except that he was already pulling the trigger.

The red ray, bright and illuminating, struck the wrong target. Her heart was pierced, and she fell dead upon the beach. Red blood soaked her suit—pooling upon white sands. Indeed, he had killed. For the second time, upon this beach, a wonderful woman had been killed while acting in the name of love—killed by greed and violence.

The General fell to his knees beside his daughter. He pulled her to his chest, and in great sobs he cried, "Oh, no. Oh, no." He began to rock back and forth crying 'Oh, no," over and over again.

The blood from her wound flowed unto his gold and brown uniform—staining and dripping upon the sands.

He was no longer the General—well protected from the cruelty of war. I knew that at that moment he knew the full meaning of 'death.' He had lost a treasure more valuable than all the wealth on the planet. "*Now he knows what it's like when a parent loses a child,*" I thought.

The fool who shot her dropped his gun in the sand. He stood shaking with fear. "It was an accident," he said. He looked over at the other two officers. "You saw it. It was an accident," he said again. But they knew it didn't matter what he said.

"She jumped in front of me. There was nothing I could do. Absolutely nothing."

Suddenly, the full realization of his predicament started to sink in. He stuttered a few times. He looked at the General and back at the other two officers. "The whole thing is a trick," he said in a raised and trembling voice. "Can't you see that? This man is from the Northern City. He's brought a few gadgets with him, and he is duping you." He was trying to convince everyone around him. The frustration and agony were welling up inside. He was about to break. His whole life was ruined, and there was nothing he could do about it.—Surely, the hangman's noose would be the best he could expect.

His nerves were becoming frayed. His hands were shaking, and one eye began to twitch. "It's a trick," he yelled, again. "It's a trick." He was becoming irrational. He couldn't cope with the situation—a self-inflicted agony, brought on by the temptation of greed; wanting more from the material life—at someone else's expense.

He bent over and picked up his gun. "But I'll take care of the problem," he said in a low, but strange voice. He raised his gun again. He took careful aim (the scent of blood already upon his soul). He pulled the trigger, and a beautiful red trail shot forth; forward to rain blood upon the rock, to tear my life, to split the bars - prison of my soul.

"*Oh foolish man—think you guns have all the power? Know you not the true power of the infinite force?*"

At that moment the red ray struck. The crowd gasped and gaped with anticipation. Then, they gasped again.—

The ray struck not me, but only an impenetrable shield created by my newly found forces. "*Yes, bringing forth the shield,*" I thought. "*Being created and directed into reality by my thoughts.—The power of thoughts, they are as real as their manifestations. They shape the heaven and the sea and the rock upon which I stand. They shape and become the fate of all lives; as certainly as now.*"

The red ray shattered and scattered in all directions, dissipating. The crowd stood back, amazed at what they saw.

"I must have a better aim," muttered the fool with the gun. He pulled the trigger again, and again with the same results. Again he pulled the trigger, and again, and again; until finally he had exhausted the energy pack. He threw the gun in the sand. "It's a trick," he yelled. "It's a trick. It's a trick. It's a trick."

I watched as the General raised his face out of his daughter's hair. There were tears streaming down his cheeks. "Remove that fool," he yelled. "I'm tired of hearing him babble!" His voice was cracked and sobbing as he spoke.

Several guards immediately ran forth and grabbed the officer. They pulled him by the arms and shoulders. And, as they dragged him away, the heels of his boots left two furrows in the sand. He kept yelling something about tricks. At that point he was almost incoherent.

"*The greedy shall certainly not inherit much,*" I thought. I looked at the woman in the General's arms—gone. Here was a woman with friends and family—gone. Here was a woman who brought happiness into the lives of other people. Here was a woman who had interactions with other people as she came and went in her daily living—a woman who had her own ideas about the Universe, about the city in which she lived, about the people she knew. Here was a woman—an entire world revolved around her life—all destroyed in a flash. As I continued to watch, it suddenly occurred to me that there was something wrong about her death. I took several steps down upon the rock, and jumped onto the sand.

I kneeled and laid my hand on her shoulder. Here was a woman not yet ready to die. I could tell she was willing and wanted to come back.

I concentrated and the nine steps connected, and the infinite force flowed.

The wound closed and life returned.

"*How easily the lady could have done this,*" I thought.

And then I thought, "*Indeed, how easily she did do it when we were on the plain of the paths.*"

I stood up and looked down at the General's daughter. The wound in her chest was no longer visible. Only the hole in her suit, and only the blood stains, and only the blood soaking into the sands remained to remind. An act of violence had taken place that day, but the power of the infinite force had undone the wrong.

Again, the whisper, and through the crowd it became a roar upon the sea of people.

In bewilderment, the General looked down at his daughter. He was confused as to what was happening. But hope seized his heart as he noticed the absence of the wound. Could it be that this man brought forth another miracle? Could it really happen in an age when miracles do not exist? Could it be?

Her eyes fluttered for a moment, and then she opened them. She did not understand what had happened. The last thing she remembered was a flash of red. And then suddenly she was lying in the arms and lap of her father. She looked down and saw the blood stains upon her chest. "What has happened?" she asked in a confused voice.

I could see the General was in a state of disbelief. Suddenly, he became overwrought with joy. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her so long and with so much vigor as to squeeze the air from her lungs.

Finally, as she gasped for air, he sat erect and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He said to her, "A miracle has taken place—an absolute miracle." He looked up at me, and waited.

I shrugged, "*It seems some higher force is guiding us,—doesn't it?*"

The General nodded.

"*You probably have a much better understanding, however, of the bitterness and agony of war and the death that it brings.*"

He nodded again.

The daughter looked around for a moment, and then stood up. The General stood up next to her.

I climbed

again

to the top of the rock

to speak to the people.

It was time to deliver and leave.

So, I began the message.

And as I spoke my voice reached out to everyone upon the beach. "*I come to tell you to search out the truth. And when you find it, follow it, and live with it.

"*I come to tell you that the truth is simply infinite love. And this, then, is the key to the higher kingdoms.

"*Life is full of happiness and sadness, love and hate, peace and war. And materialism and ego affects all of these states of being. But you are the ruler of ego, and you are the ruler of your emotions. It is important that you rule with wisdom. Never let hate into your life. And only feel sadness when you must. When it is time, let it go. Return to the positive life. And never let materialism effect your state of mind—enjoy, but don't become obsessed and fearful for your possessions. And when the time comes let the material go, for the material always changes.

"*Always have love for the people in your world. If they do something wrong—don't judge and don't hate. The infinite force will always bring the balance. Why create a debt of your own?

"*Rise up with the truth.

Love all your neighbors, all your enemies, all the people in your world. Love your life

Love God,—

and then you will be elevated.

"*You see, love is the key.—So, strike down the prison of materialism. Let the bars of ego disappear and be friends with everyone.*"

I paused.

"*If you strive for happiness, and don't let 'stuff' get in the way, then you will reach the higher planes.*"

(The truth can sometimes be very simple.)

I watched the crowd awhile longer. The message would work in its own way. And certainly miracles are not always the answer, and some will not believe them, even when they see them; but they still get everyone's attention,—long enough to get the message across; especially, to those who are more spiritually advanced.

I knew, also, that it is impossible to live love every moment of life. We are relative beings. And there will be times when we will have sorrow or anger in our hearts and minds; but if we always go back to the path, then we know we are trying, and trying is progressing. And as we continue with the truth, the times of negative emotions will become less and less; until one day the negative emotions will no longer be a part of our lives.

"*Yes,*" I thought. "*We must strive for the ideal, and not give up.*"

I looked at the General and his daughter, and I said, "*Today's happening, has shown you the infinite power, the power that is all around us; in everything, even in ourselves—everywhere, yet subtly disguised. Indeed, the infinite consciousness is the power that holds the Universe together. And love is the essence and the foundation—steps leading up.

"*Since you are the leader of these people, you are in a better position to use your new understanding to benefit the world. Don't let this opportunity slip from your fingers."*

A little astounded by it all, the General could only nod. He wasn't saying much.

The daughter climbed the rock and touched my hand. "Thank you for coming," she said. "What you have done today will help many."

"*It is good to help when we can,*" I replied. "*There's no doubt—there are times when we can all use a little help. Nevertheless, I am just a messenger. And I am not being modest. I am just a messenger.*"

I smiled as our eyes met.

"*And now that the message has been delivered,

I will be leaving.*"

She stepped down from the rock and stood beside her

father.

"*But someday we will all be together again,*" I added.

She understood.

I raised

My vibrations

And

Disappeared

Into a higher plane

*******

The white silk was ever cool

As the lady stepped beside.

She took my hand, and a feeling of warmth

gripped my being.

She looked into my eyes, and she said,

"*I and friends of lifetimes ago have been

waiting patiently for your return. How I

am joyed, this moment, with pure happiness.

Reunited.

How I have longed merely to touch your hand,

your being.

And now we are together again.*"

I felt her warmth.

I squeezed her hand.

I felt the joy.

I experienced the love in

My heart for this woman—

A love that takes lifetimes

To become what it is.

"*The way has been long,

A difficult path,*" I said.

"*But now, the way is easy,

Beautiful,

As we travel

Hand in hand.*"

I thought a moment about the coastal city. "*There will always be those who disbelieve—even when they see and hear the miracle and the message. Factions will appear. Religions will spring up. Many scholarly works, and many heated debates will follow. But finally only those who truly live, every moment of their lives, the essence, and only those who truly search for the infinite wisdom will learn the truth of what has happened on the beach.*"

Again,

I looked before us—

A magnificent path

I put my arm

Around the lady,

And she

Around me

And arm around

And arm around

We stepped forth

Upon a new path,

Into a new, and greater

Existence

AD INFINITUM

