The Father Within by Chris P (best novels to read for beginners TXT) 📕

"Do not allow yourself to think upon life as a series of points in time that you merely take to achieve a certain goal.  Think in terms of levels of consciousness; think in terms of a circle."

The Master continued, "As we let go of old ideas, attitudes, and beliefs, we are resurrecting to new levels of awareness.  We die and are reborn every day of our physical life as we embrace new ways of thinking, believing, and perceiving.  All levels are good because the Father is Good.  If we allow ourselves to reflect for awhile, we will realize that whole of life is nothing more than One Eternal Moment, the Eternal Now.  Our learning and connecting to the Father Within our being, allows us to experience His Eternal Moment in an endless and infinite array of perspectives."

Kai could feel his clothes were dry and the wrld around him was drying ever so quickly.  Kai then looked at the beehive again as a wave of energy ran through his body.

 He got up and shouted, "Master, I know what you are talking about!  I know what you mean about thinking of life as a circle; about revisting the same moment with a new perspective.  This morning when we arrived by the lake, I did not notice there was a beehive in the tree.  It was the first thing I saw when we returned to the lake to wash our clothes.  From this vantage point, I realized for the first time there was a beehive in the tree."

The Master quickly added, "Yes, from this vantage point you realized there was a beehive in the tree and earleir you realized there was a tree.  The moment is the same but your perspective allowed you to increase your concept of the moment.  Your vantage point and return to the moment increased the moment's energy and power.  Yes, Kai, this is a wonderful example of what I am talking about.  You have learned this lesson well."

Both Kai and his teacher smiled.

The day moved along.  Both closed their eyes and allowed the afternoon sun to warm their essence.  Kai felt good about the lesson by the lake.  It made sense to him.  He decided he would take what made sense to him and move on.

As he sat in the sun's warmth, he found his mind drifting to when he was a child in a school playing with his friends.  How he missed those simple days yet he would never really want to go back to them.  He thought of various moments in his life that were profound and caught himself thinking of these times in a newer Light.  He felt good about what his Master was telling him, but could not hide the feeling that the dark one might be influencing their entire conversation.  After all, his Master spoke very little of the Great Book of Kai's religion.  It all seemed so easy and carefree and with very little guidance from the rules of his religion, or any religion for that matter.

"Tell me, Master," said Kai.  "What do you know about the dark one?"

His Master's eyes lit up as if he was waiting for this question all day.

"Come, my wonderful, young student.  The very essence of your question implies that we must continue our lesson on another part of the mountain.  Let us continue our lesson as we step into the higher parts of the mountain."

The afternoon sun watched the student and teacher continue their trek into the mountains.  They took a trail Kai was not familiar with and it seemed much drier since it was a heavily wooded area.  Massive trees created what seemed to be a whole new world.  It was just a matter of minutes before the Seekers of Truth journeyed into the darkness of the gigantic trees from the light of day.

9

Lessons in the Darkness

They walked for what seemed another hour.  Kai had never seen such massive trees before in his life.  They towered over him hundreds of feet into the air.  He learned to respect and honor all trees.  They were very important and played a major role in his religion's teachings but this whole area of the world simply made him feel uncomfortable.

The whole area was ominous and foreboding.

"Do not fear, Kai, for even fear, evil, and the darkness are a matter of perspective.  All things in the Universe are a matter of perspective."

Though Kai hear his Master's words, this area still made him fearfuil.  Why did his teacher choose such a poorly lit area to continue the day's lesson.  Kai just did not understand his old teacher at times.

"I know of a tree having an opening where we can sit and continue our lesson.  We will be there shortly.

Kai could not help himself and found himself saying, "Master, why do we not stay by the lake?  I do not like this area and felt much more comfortable basking in the sun while sitting by the lake.  Let us return for I do not liken the darkness during the day."

The Master continued walking as if nothing was said.  "You will learn that darkness and evil are temporary ways of thinking.  They are mere black clouds momentarily hiding the sun.  The Father of the Universe is Light and all of His Creations are Love and Light as well.  Be not afraid and follow me for there is a Great Lesson to be learned."

Both continued into the darkness of the wooded area.

It seemed to Kai that the trees were getting higher and the air cooler as his mind raced with ideas of evil spirits and things of this nature.

Finally, they came upon the tree.  It was massive and had a cave-like opening on one of its sides.  It seemed like a natural opening and Kai soon found himself inside the wooded hole.  There was already little light in this part of the forest and even less light inside the tree.  Kai wished he had taken the candle from the hut, but then he heard his Master say, "It is important for us to continue our lesson with very little light.  Today, in darkness, you will learn much about Light.  Do not be afraid and all will be well."

Even though Kai did not know what his Master meant, he still trusted him.  He could barely see his Master in the darkness.  He could barely see his hands before him.  He kept telling himself it was the middle of the day, but a depressing feeling filled his heart.

Finally, he could not help himself and spoke, "Master is this one of your games?  Are you amused?  Was it your intention to terrify me today?  I do not understand why we are sitting in almost total darkness inside a hole in a tree in the middle of nowhere when there is such a beautiful world awaiting us outside this tree.  I do not like or appreciate your location and am leaving."

Kai went to leave but his Master quickly said, "Until you understand the darkness of your own unconsiousness, you will lever truly see and appreciate the Light."

Those words froze Kai.  "The darkness of my own unconsciousness? What does this mean?

The Master had gotten Kai's attention once again with a simple comment and continued, "You asked me to tell you about the dark one.  On this day you will learn that he is an illusion.  He is a myth.  Much like it appears we are in darkness the reality is we are always in Light, we just do not realize.  It is our current perspective allowing us to draw the conclusion that we sit in darkness.  In Truth, darkness and evil are temporary ways of perceiving.  They are both merely an illusion;  a temporary reality based on a perspective and point of view."

The Master paused then said, "There is God or there is nothing.  There is love or there is fear.  As humans, we create the concept of darkness and Light, good and evil, right and wrong.  The dark one that your religion and countless other religions describe is a manifestation of our fears much like your fears about your current perspective in this tree.

"At this moment, you feel uncomfortable while in this wooded hole, but we both know the sun is burning brightly above the trees.  This is a temporary perspective based on your fear.  This is the same fear stunting spiritial growth and keeping men prisoners because it does not encourage increasing one's concept of the Eternal.  Under this fearful perspective, anything not written within the Great Book of one's religion is considered to be part of the dark one.  One walks through life with blinders and, in a sense, sees only what he wants to see, not what he needs to see.  A belief in a dark one is the blinders themselves that do not permit us to see other loving points of view and ways of life.  This belief in a dark one creates islands between religions as all religions truly believe they have found the way to the Father.  The Truth is:  the way to the Father is within.  One can increase his concept of the Father of the Universe by appreciating and honoring all religions and all loving ways of life."

The Master stopped and became silent as he usually does in moments like this.  Kai was about to disagree with him when he heard his Master say, "You have asked me to tell you about the dark one and I have told you he is an illusion.  The is nothing unless we freely choose to make him something; unless we choose to create him and allow him to run our life because of our fears.  Our fears are the fuel for his existence.

"Believing in the concept of a dark one serves only to keep one steeped in fear and in the darkness of one's own unconsiousness.  The concept of a dark one is nothing more than men creating a character for his fear.  The dark one is a character of illusion fueled by fear."

The Master became silent again.

Kai heard the chirping of a small bird outside the tre.  How he wished he was back by the lake.  His eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the hole and, admittedly, he could see much better than before.  This lesson was starting to feel like the discussion about Eternal Life.  His mind was refuting every word his Master was saying, but his heart sensed the Truth in this Master's words.

 He found himself drifting again about how wonderful it would be if what his Master said was Truth.  What if there realy is no dark one?  What if Eternal Life is an unconditional Gift that God as already given us?  What if God does not punish us?  Too many questions filled his mind.

Though his heart sensed the Truth in his Master's words, his mind instinctively said, "Master, what are you trying to teach me?  Our Great Book,