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

"Master, let us eat while sitting on this part of the tree."

"Very well, very well," said his Master as he shook his head in disbelief in what he was about to do.

"My head is already light from hunger and it will be lighten even more as we sit on what will feel like the edge of the world."

Kai smiled.  Though his Master had grown old, courage still filled his heart.  He helped his old teacher across the fallen bark of the tree jutting out several yards over the edge,

Both were hungry

The Master pulled out some bread and several figs from what appeared to be nowhere and the two began eating while overlooking the beautiful but dangerous cliffs before them.

"Kai, do you remember all the different colored flowers as we spoke by the meadow, earlier this morning?"

"Yes, of course," said Kai.  "The meadow was beautiful and her flowers magnificent.  Why do you ask?"

"As you venture off into your journey, think of all the different people you encounter as flowers in God's Meadow.  Each will have a different color, size, shape, and fragrance much like each flower is unique, but all are made from God and all have the Father within them."

"Yes, for the Eternal created all of us in His Image and Likenesss," added Kai.

His Master continued as he bit into a piece of bread, "The differences we see between the various flowers are because we are focussing on the external appearances of the flower.  A violet is purple and a rose red but they are both flowers.  God created both of them.  We see the differences because we are focussing on the details of the flowers.  As humans, we are Children of Detail."

Kai bit into a piece of bread and his Master continued, "Your skin is dark while my skin is a bit whiter.  As you travel, you will encounter skin color that is white, yellow, brown, and all other colors.  You will also encounter those that are much taller and shorter than you, those that speak a different language, and those that think differently than you.  All are still Children of the Eternal Father.  Do not focus on that which makes all of us different, but strive to focus on He that Created all of us;  He that is within us.  Look beyond what your eyes show you."

 "Yes, the Eternal is a Wonderful Creator," said Kai.  "He is love and His Creations are diverse, indeed."

"You speak well, Kai.  This is also why there are so many different religions in the Universe.  We are all free-thinking beings.  The Eternal, as your religions calles Him, allows us the freedom to workship Him as we choose and in ways making sense to our part of the world, our point of view, and our perspective.  He gave us free willand because of this free way of thinking, we have created countless different religions."

"But tell me Master," asked Kai.  "Of all the different religions in the Universe, which religion is truly the best religion?  Which religion do you follow?"

The Master ate his last fig.  He had eaten to his fill.

"Which flower in the meadow is the best flower, Kai?" returned his Master.

Kai, too, finished his last bite.  The bread was the best Kai had ever eaten and the figs were perfectly sweet.  He thought for a moment and then said, "You answer my question with a question."

His Master smiled at Kai's quick eye in skillfully watching the conversation as if a casual observer.

Kai continued, "Well, I might like the rose while you like the violet.  I suppose it is really all a matter of opinion."

"Yes, exactly!" exclaimed the Master. "It is all a matter of opinion.  I would rather choose the word perspective because it really depends on how one views life and how one views the Father.  As for me, silently spreading love in the world is my religion.  I respect and honor all religions, teachings, doctrines, and ways of life that are based on the Eternal Father's Divine Love.  Teach your students to embrace their religion and follow it like its Prophet would follow it.  This is my advise to you.  Do not try to convince any man or woman a certain religion is better than the one they cherish..  Do not pretend you have the Truth for then you are speaking from the standpoint of fear, not love.  Do not seek to convince, but to learn and expand your own concept of God."

"But Master," said Kai.  "What you are saying sounds easy in concept but difficult in practice.  One of the reasons I chose my religion is because Luma himself said he was the Path, the Reality, and the Eternal Life.  He said this on the Third Night of the Moon just before writing His Laws into the Fabled Tree.  He also said no traveler who seeks the Eternal could find the Eternal without going through Luma.  Our Great Book tells this wonderfuly story and it is at the core of our religion.  This is why I believe in Luma and his teachings for I can only get to the Eternal through this Great Prophet and no other way."

"Come," said the Master.  "The sun is hot and it burns our miind.  Let us find some shade and we will continuue"

 Both teacher and student walked back to the path and found a shady place to sit.  The day was hot and the shade felt good.  A soft breeze caressed the world helping to cool the travelers.

They both sat under a tree.

"What you say is true," said the Master.  "But many of the religion's Great Books also state that the only way to get to the Father is through the religion's Great Prophet whose life was a living manifestation of the Father of the Universe."

His Master stopped and pointed to his forehead then said, "But think upon this thought for a monent:  each one of the Prophet's lives can be likened to a consciousness or a way of life."

"A consciousness or way of life?" asked Kai.  "What does that mean?"

"Luma said he was the Path.  He wanted to show, through acts he performed, that the Eternal lived within him.  As you know, he was born the son of thieves and after this parents were killed spent his childhood in misery and poverty.  He suffered much throughout his life, but always had a kind word and action to offer his fellow man.  Think upon the way he lived his life as an example of how this way if life was a Path to connect to the Eternal.  This is what I believe he meant when he said he was the Path."

"You speak wonderfully," added Kai.  "Luma was truly a Child of the Eternal.  His life served as a perfect example of how to get into Paradise.  He truly was the Path."

"Yes, but he was only a Path.  There are many Paths leading to the Father for the Father lives within all of us.  There are as many paths to the Father as there are people since each of us can learn to be a path to the Father within our essence.  The Path is within because, we, too, are Children of the Eternal."

"Master, tell no one what you have just told me for to equate yourself with Luma is certain blasphemy," whispered Kai as he lowered his shoulders and secretly looked around to see if anyone had heard.

 "Kai. we are al Children of the Father for the Father lives within all of us.  Was it not Luma that said, 'For the Eternal created us and left His Divine Spark within us all so we might attend to it like one attends a fire and grow it until it becomes an Everlasting Flame.'"

"The Path Lum was tallking about was the Path within our hearts and minds for this is how we connect to the Creator of All Things."

Kai could not believe what his Master was tellling him.  He had many feelings forming inside his heart.  "Master, Luma was the Path, the Reality, and the Eternal Life.  Any man believing in this Great Prophet would live Life Eternal.  All else will die."

The Master looked into the eyes of this student.  Kai had learned the ways of his religion well, almost too well.  "Luma's prayer, like the prayer of all the Great Prophets, is to believe in the way he spread love to all of those he touched.  It is beliefby expression; expressing love in the world as he did and not by saying we believe then acting as if we do not.  Kai, reflect upon your actionsyou give the world to truly know how much you believe in what your Great Prophet represented; in what he has said.  Words and thoughts fall in the realm of intentions while true belief is in the action.  It is by giving freely to the world as our Father gives freely.  This is what the Great Prophets of all religions taught.  All else are idle words and and thoughts."

 The Master continued, "The expression of love into the world, her people, animals, Nature, and all things encountered is what Luma was talking about when he said he was the Path.  Your interpretation makes Luma out to be a man creating requirements to obtain the Father's love.  The Father's love is free.  There are no requirements."

"Though my mind disagrees with what you are saying, my heart loves your words.  It is beating in my chest as you speak because my heart is free and..."

"Kai," interrupted his Master.  "We are alll Children of the Heart sharing a Loving Father who is Divine Love.  Our mind is the domain of the Ego which hides our fears while our Heart is the domainof love.  Your heart is pounding because it is recognizing Truth whiley your mind is closing because of fear."

"What you say is how I feel," admitted Kai.  "But the Great Luma also said he was the Reality and the Eternal Life."

"As you reread your Great Book, and others reread their Great Book, think upon the life of the Great Prophet of your religion as a way of life and a consciousness.  As you read about all of his teachings and lessons, and all of his love he poured into the world, think about how he lived in humility; how from the standpoint of humility he touched the lives of others.  This Great Prophet, like all of the others, lived his in flesh mirroring our life in spirit.  The Father of the Universe, who is Eternal Spirit, is already within every single one of us.  Our search to rediscover Him within us is the reality Luma was talking about.  Their physical life is analogous to our spiritual lives that we choose to live via our physical actions.  In our own humility, we will realize Him within our essense.  This is the reality he was talking about.  Kai, the Father is within us.  Your Great Book mentions this many different times as other Great Books mention this most important lesson.  In our humble search in discovering the Eternal within us and by freely giving love into the world as the Great Prophets did, we, too, are the Path the Reality, and the Eternal Life."

The Master became silent.

Kai thought perhaps the hot sun had indeed melted the mind of his Master but his heart was pounding in his chest as if attempting to break free from the prison all the reqquirements that his religion created for him.

He wanted to believe what his Master was saying.  He wanted to believe he could be like Luma.  He wanted to believe the Eternal loved him as much as he loved Luma.  He wanted to believe the Father loved us no matter what we did, no matter how or if we believed in Him, and without a single condition.

After a few minutes, he heard himself ask, "What you say touches the depths of my soul and stirs my heart.  I can see how we