Well, after taking in some of the sights here and relaxing after a long day, it's getting late in the evening, the sum is barely above the crater’s rim, and total darkness is fast approaching. We decide to take out our hammock and tie it up on trees that are near the lakeshore. Already the birds over the lake have called it a day and we notice the nighttime insects are making their presence audibly known. Having the hammock in place, we take a few more moments to sit and watch the firefly show over the lake. After only five minutes or so, the mesmerizing effect of both the firefly show and the calming sound of the falls has taken its toll on us. Maeya and I both are nodding off and closing our eyes, just on the edge of sleep. We were getting tired before we came to the falls, and most likely have been running on adrenaline ever since. Our bodies say “this is enough”, so I put my arm around her shoulder and tell her it’s time for bed… and she offers no argument. We both just crawl into the hammock and pull the blanket over us. Maeya makes one turn in the hammock, up against me and doesn’t make another move or a sound… as the old saying goes, “she’s out like a light”. I listen for just a minute or so to the calming effect of the waterfalls and just drift off to sleep.
Morning…
My eyes slowly open to the brightness and heat of a sun that has well past risen over the rocky walls of the falls. It’s already mid-morning. Both of us must have been just dead-exhausted to have slept in so long. I nudge Maeya with a gentle elbow. She places her arm around me with closed eyes and lies still again. I just smile and let her rest against me for a while longer. I lay still and just take in the gentle cascading of the falls down the side of the rock walls. I can hear the cries of the large shore birds as they swoop over the lake in search of a meal. The sun is peeking through the tree leaf covering as a gentle breeze blows the leaves around. It makes for a shifting pattern of light and shadow on Maeya’s face, so she tries to cover her face to stay asleep. It finally gets the best of her, so she slowly opens her eyes and smiles at me. “Hey beautiful, did you get a good night’s sleep”, I tell her. She smiles again and says; I don’t even remember falling asleep, and now it’s already morning! She slowly sits up in the hammock, yawns for a few moments, wiping her eyes. I carefully exit the hammock and walk to the other side to help her. Standing alongside her, I reach around her as she lifts her legs and lowers them to the ground. I take her by the hands and she stands up tall. She lets go of my hands, then places her hands over her mouth as she yawns again. “Well Maeya, are you rested enough to eat something and then see what lies ahead for us?” Sure am! Let’s get into our backpacks and we’ll eat a bit before we go. We take a seat at the shoreline and just eat a bit from our supplies. As we’re eating, we spot other nearby trees not very far away, so we proceed to supplement our breakfast with produce from these trees… both nuts and fruits of different varieties than what we have in our backpacks.
After we have our fill of foodstuffs, we think we’ll just relax a bit on the shore… just to let our food digest a while before we start on our way. It feels great just to soak up the sun while feeling the cool breeze coming off of the lake as we take in the view of the rainbow falls.
After a half hour or so, she says; “Let's walk further along the shore, and see where the end of the incline past the lake takes us!” Picking up the backpacks, we slowly walk along the shoreline. Since the path we wish to take is on a gradual incline, we'll eventually leave the lake below us as we climb.
As we're making our way along the lakeshore, we watch small striped rodents in the trees gathering nuts and running on the ground between the trees. A number of varieties of multi-colored birds are also in the trees, occasionally diving at the rodents and causing some angry chatter between them.
We're just holding hands, walking along, taking in as much as we can of all that is taking place around us. There are so many varieties of flowers growing to the right of us along this path. They grow nearly all the way to the rim on this side of the lake. Maeya stops, bends down on her knees to look closer at a few of them and says; "Zhimm... look! ... I've never seen some of these flowers before! They must grow only at this altitude".
For several hours more, we hunt around and find a number of other species of plants, and even some animals that she's never seen before. I sense the amazement she is experiencing seeing these life forms that are new to her. She's examining them in such detail! I'm really glad we've come to this place. Just seeing the look of amazement, and sense of wonder on her face, has made me feel that all the effort to get here has been worth it all. This is one facet of what love is about... participating in the joy of life that the one I love is experiencing!
After she finishes looking at the flowers, we'll be making our way up the last leg of the incline to the mesa. She stands to her feet, takes a few steps, but abruptly stops. She has such a puzzled look on her face as she takes a long distance view of everything around us. She takes a few more steps, pauses on our way up the incline, turns to me and says; you know, ever since we've arrived here, I've felt such a strong connection to this place! It's like I've been here before, so very long ago, but of course I've never been too far from our village. It's really such a strange feeling! I tell her, There is a mystery about this land, isn't there? The old ones talk about it, and some of them say it is the place of beginnings.
After about fifteen more minutes of walking, we arrive at the end of the incline and take our first step onto the mesa. Walking out across the flat rock area, we're met with an astounding view of the land we couldn't see from where we were before. We proceed further across this mesa to get closer to the edge. Coming within about fifty feet of the edge, we take off our backpacks and set them down.
We're here gazing across hundreds of square miles of densely forested areas dotted by small lakes. I've never seen so much of her world at one time as I am seeing now. Maeya is standing speechless, with a view of her world before us that she has never seen. We've a view extending almost one hundred and eighty degrees around us. The air is, of course, crystal clear and we can literally see for so many miles right down to the tree line of the forests in the distance. Who knows how many villages are in the midst of those forests?
It's a deep sea of green... the canopy of the forests all around us, dotted with the beautiful blue lakes, and also some areas that we know are grasslands or meadows. We see so many different species of flocks of large birds flying in different directions and at different altitudes over the dense canopy, each flock having several hundreds of birds. We experience the warmth of the sun at the same time a cool gentle breeze blows over us. The snow-white billowing clouds cling to the horizon in the distance. My god... it just doesn't get any better than this! She says, would you take a blanket out of your backpack and set it out for us to sit down on? "Sure, great idea!"
Getting into the backpack, we lay the blanket down, and I take her by the hand as she sits. I place both backpacks on the edge of the blanket beside me and sit next to her, facing the view before us. She turns to look at me and says, almost in a whisper, "Zhimm, I would like to just look out around me for a while and not speak. Would you mind very much"? No Maeya, I don't mind at all. We're in no hurry to go anywhere.
Turning to get my backpack, I open it up and take out the small flowers I had placed in there previously. Setting the backpack alongside me again, I sit alongside her, holding the flowers in my hand. Turning to look at her, her eyes are welling up with tears. She isn't moving a muscle... she's so still. My first impulse is to hold and comfort her, but I hold back and don't speak. I don't want to disturb her at this time... she seems to be in deep concentration. I'm not sure she really even knows I'm with her!
Taking the flowers in my hand, I place them in my mouth, chewing them slowly as before and swallowing them. I think to myself, I'd better hold on! A couple minutes pass and it seems that nothing is happening... hmmm... Wait... a strange feeling is coming over me. I feel as if I'm starting to move upward, like I'm in an elevator! Hey, somehow my consciousness is leaving my body behind! Wooaaa! I'm looking down at myself as I'm rising. My body's just sitting down there... motionless. Now, I'm somehow present, hovering above the mesa, but not in my body! Looking down at the blanket, Maeya is lying flat on her back, eyes closed. I can see in all directions around me but I'm not in a body... I just seem to be... spirit! Am I dead? This is really weird... I should be afraid of falling, but I'm not...
Something else...
I've just concentrated my gaze at a point on the horizon, and I'm there! I mean, like instantaneously! I'm looking below me. I see a wide river flowing... swiftly moving... foaming white as it passes over and around huge rocks in the riverbed. Large fish leap out of the water and enter again with a frothy splash. I see hundreds of snow white birds gracefully gliding over the river and many are making their way into nests built into the cliffs along the river. I can make out the perimeter of a village near the rivers’ edge. Concentrating my gaze, I notice two large flat rocks jutting out from the shore… into the river with women lying on their backs, sunbathing on it … what a great place to relax!
I have an idea... in my mind I pick out a direction, look towards it and... whoa! ... I seem to be moving rapidly over the treetops of this land. It's like I'm flying! I'm not trying to concentrate on any one part of the land now, but just trying to take in a larger view of this planet. As I do, I seem to be climbing rapidly in altitude. The river is becoming just a thin meandering line of blue. I seem to be picking up speed as I fly higher over this world! Below me, I see wide areas of green grassy plains that have literally hundreds of large animals moving in herds, probably in a migration and seeking the next watering hole. Proceeding onward, the land alternates between large forests, meadows, rivers feeding lakes... more grassy plains with herds numbering in the hundreds and some in the thousands… different species grazing and resting. Now I'm so high up I can see a slight curvature of the horizon. I've seen views like this while in a jet, but what I'm seeing below me sure isn't Earth. Man, this is one beautiful life-bearing globe! Now I’m passing over long strings of snow-capped mountain ranges running through the forests, but there are also many deep blue lakes and meadows within the forested areas.
I’m watching cloud formations moving beneath me as I move along. Some clouded areas are dark, with lighting flashing from cloud to cloud. By the way, while traveling by jet on Earth, I was used to seeing the deforested patchwork on the ground from agriculture go on for untold miles... not here... Most everything is emerald green! Moving along at a very rapid pace, I leave this continent behind and see ocean beneath me. Again concentrating my gaze, I can see numerous dark shapes just under the surface traveling together. I assume these are whale pods... so many of them!
Continuing on over the ocean, I notice many island land masses as I move along. Some of these islands are quite large and have high mountainous regions that are also forested at the base with snow capped peaks. Are they inhabited? I wonder. I’m way above the cloud level… nothing above me but the brilliance of the Sun warming me as I speed along at this altitude. This is so beautiful… I wish I could capture it all with a good video camera!
Out of nowhere, I hear a voice speak ... "Jim". I respond, who is this? The female voice says; you know me Jim! Life Force! I should have known. Hey, this is absolutely amazing! I assume you planned this? Yes, I did. I wanted you to see this planet from an entirely different perspective than you had by traveling its surface. What do you think? Well Life Force, what first comes to my mind is that I'm seeing an example of what my home planet must have looked like a million or so years ago. It depresses me to think what has happened to my world...
She speaks, saying, "this is exactly what I wanted you to experience... the contrast of this world and yours, both visually and from deep within your inner being... something that no living inhabitant from your world has ever seen or experienced".
Well, now it’s time for you to return...
In a blur of motion, I'm again looking down at the mesa at the Land of the Waterfalls. I notice Maeya is still lying flat on her back, very still. I ask, what’s happening to Maeya? Is she all right? "Yes, don't worry, she's fine. I am presently conversing with her at the same time I am talking with you. I’m taking Maeya to a deeper level of comprehension of the life around her than she has known."
Jim, I wish to tell you that I'm delighted that you’ve brought Maeya to this beautiful place of beginnings, and I'm so glad that you have followed your heart and chose her to be your mate! You have brought such joy and love into that part of her that needs physical companionship to be a complete and whole being. I never intended for Maeya to travel alone, as she made her way through life. There's plenty of room in her being for both of us to love her at the same time... each loving her in our own way. I love you both so much.
Life Force, I thank you for your love towards Maeya and I, and I also thank you so much for this experience I’ve just had. This planet is incredibly beautiful, and so full of life of every form imaginable. I love this world and everything about it. If you remember, in our last meeting, you told me to observe all that takes place around me and learn, and I did as you asked. You know, after living day to day with these people, I’ve learned that I need nothing but to love, and to receive the love of all of the people around me, and to respect and care for all the other lifeforms around us. I know that as long as we embrace the Principles of Life, this life of joy and plenty will continue for countless generations to come.
Let me add this Life Force; thinking back to my mental state when I first arrived, I recall the boredom I experienced in the evenings for a couple months or so. The villagers seemed quite content, in their spare time, to listen and watch the children sing, to visit with each other after dinner, or simply walk with each other in the early evening to observe the natural world around them. I was very fidgety, and needed some sort of distraction to occupy my mind. In my world, there were so many distractions to keep me from really thinking about these simple things… the things of reality and of real love. To me, the things that the Sarn were concerned with seemed dull and boring, and I craved my technological toys and the pursuit of everything else everyone in our modern civilization chases after. I needed something to fill the hollowness that was the real me.
As time moved on, here in this world, I began to really live my life in reality instead of illusion; my old world faded away, and with it the need for all that kind of artificial mental stimulus. I finally realized that on Earth, I had lived in a mental construct created by people who become incredibly wealthy driving everyone to the next distraction that is just as empty as the one before it.
Life Force, I am so fortunate to have been given a second chance at life, here in this world. I’ve seen what life can really be like, and what it was meant to be for every living being. I’m so happy here I can’t even imagine ever returning to Earth again. Here I’ve drank water, ate food, traveled wherever and whenever I wished, and had shelter without having to pay anyone or ask permission from some “authority”.
Jim, you’ve experienced what’s called spiritual growth. So many of your fellow beings on Earth are simply “unconscious”… there’s nothing more to their lives other than what is pumped into them by the dead media culture around them. If you would remove the distractions from their minds for as little time as one minute, say for instance in solitary thought, they can’t handle it and have to find something… anything to fill the void. They simply are incapable of even contemplating their existence, their world around them, or even thinking an independent thought.
Well, let’s move on to something I know you’ve been wondering about for quite a while now. Yes, Bren's old ones were correct. It all started here! I'm going to give you the last piece of the puzzle for which you have been seeking... you’re ready for it. It's time for you to learn of...
Beginnings...
Jim, you will see, in spirit, what transpired so long ago... just as it happened...
Hey... something strange is taking place... everything visible around me seems like it is "rippling"! It's just like you would see when you are trying to look at the road up ahead that’s hot from the summer sun while driving... wait... the rippling is gone. I quickly glance at the mesa and see that Maeya and I, and our belongings have vanished. I guess I'm seeing this planet as it existed long ago! I see very little that has changed, not only in this Land of Waterfalls, but also in everything around me. The only changes that have taken place are obviously what has been changed by nature itself...
A shadow over me… My god! ... What's that above me? ... I see a large silvery triangular shaped craft descending through the clouds... slowly… silently... now it's hovering over the mesa. The craft has no windows of any kind; its surface is just seamless gleaming metal. Around the craft is a glow of energy… pulsing blue hazy light. Hmm… sort of reminds me of that strange blue sphere in my final moments in the lab… coincidence?
There's downward movement again and the craft is gently setting down on the mesa. The energy field around the craft slowly dims and extinguishes. Seams in the craft appear, and a ramp lowers to the mesa... men and women exiting slowly... they're looking all around them carefully. I can hardly believe my eyes! ... Yes... the crew is Sarn, but they're dressed in modern looking clothing! Wait... something odd... the crew doesn't seem to have the same physical stature, as well as the build of the villagers here on this planet. In fact, they're very similar to humans in their physical size. I can only assume that centuries of existence on this planet with the richer oxygen atmosphere, pure foods and pristine environment have allowed the Sarn to reach their full genetic potential.
I can see the look of astonishment on their faces, all of them are pointing at everything around them to the others. I'd bet they are experiencing the same emotions we had when Maeya and I first saw this place! Some of them are standing near the edge of the mesa, where Maeya and I will be so many centuries and generations later, looking at the far horizon. Others are making their way down the incline towards the shore of the lake. I'm amazed at this vision of the Sarn. It's like being in a time machine! I can see that the members of the crew that have made their way down the incline are pointing to the waterfowl that are swimming near the center island in the lake.
Some of them are reaching into the trees, gathering nuts, and a couple of them notice the vegetable plants around the trees. The Sarn that were looking out over the mesa are joining the others, having walked down to the lake path. Now, all of them have seated themselves under the trees and are just talking and taking in the view of the waterfalls. Looking at the expressions on their faces, they can't believe the beauty around them as they point to the waterfalls and see the many rainbows formed in the mists that the falls create.
So, these beings are Maeya's Ancient Ones... her ancestors... this is incredible! The Sarn originally came from another planet! The ripples again ... the scene before me blurs... the Sarn are gone. I assume that I am now viewing the present... yes... Maeya and I are again on the mesa.
The Life Force speaks ...
Yes Jim, the very mesa that you and Maeya are seated was where the Sarn first set their craft down when they came to this world two thousand years ago. As you saw, this Land of the Waterfalls has not changed much since then. The Sarn left all as it was, and spread out from here to the surrounding lands.
You now know the secret that was hid from the second generation of Sarn to the present...
The Sarn are not native to this world's physical existence. The Sarn came from a distant world, like you have. Their world was dying. Sarnia’s planet followed the path of technology after forsaking the Principles of Life millennia ago.
Sarnia’s inhabitants, as well as the animal and plant life suffered for several centuries following an industrial period that placed financial profits above all. The eco-system was pushed passed the breaking point by the toxins generated from technological processes around the planet that made their way into the air, farmlands, and water supplies. Later, deadly contaminants from nuclear materials entered into that world’s oceans. Numerous wars spread the same contaminants over land masses. The inhabitants suffered from these calamities, as well as from a medical system that simply couldn’t keep up with the many deadly diseases that seemingly sprung from nowhere. The inhabitants didn’t realize that the toxin levels, as well as the level of radioactivity in the environment was just too high for their bodies to maintain life. Besides the inhabitants, the higher forms of mammalian life went extinct due to the die-off of lower forms of animals in their food chain. The larger creatures in the oceans died off as well as the radiation and other forms of pollution killed off the plankton that the smaller fish lived on. Time was running out for the Sarn.
A very small group of the Sarn had secretly built a craft that would carry them beyond the confines of their world. The craft also had the capability of traversing time and space. Even though this small group was technologically minded, they did have a very rudimentary understanding of the Principles of Life, and despised everything that their world's system had done to their planet. This group numbered twenty-five beings.
After escaping the gravitational pull of their planet, they used most of the remaining power that the craft had available to generate the time-space vortex that ultimately brought them here... many millions of light-years from their home planet. Soon after their craft emerged from the vortex, they noticed this world within the range of their instrumentation. They directed their craft to hover and observe this world. They scanned it and found that there were no higher life forms such as themselves. They decided that it was exactly what they were looking for to start a new life.
I remember them standing for the first time on this soil in awe, looking in every direction at that which was before them. I saw their exhilaration as they drew their first breaths of the pure air this world provided them. They were moved to tears when they beheld the natural beauty of this world. They saw a planet teeming with an uncountable number of species... so many diverse life forms… shapes and colors... never before seen by any of them. They were amazed with the abundance of nutritious foods available, just within a short walking distance of their craft.
I watched over them as they explored this world in awe and humility, carefully treading wherever they went as to not disturb the existing systems of life. I watched them when they first discovered the sweet yellow flower that provides the path to my consciousness. I purposely made that life form very attractive to the physical senses so that I could commune with any higher life forms that may find it. As you did, they partook of the flower, and I made myself known to them... as I am making myself known to you now. I taught them the ways of Sibannac.
I embraced them in love and taught them all in much greater detail of the Principles of Life. I carefully explained to them the errors that their race of people had fallen victim to... the errors that ultimately led to the destruction of their entire world. Not only with their words, but deep in their hearts, they forsook all that would lead to Death, and embraced Life.
Shortly after their arrival, they made a pact between them to forsake all inclinations to technology and science... to never allow the fate that befell their home world to ever occur here. They realized this world had everything that they would ever need, so in a few days came to a unanimous decision to forever sever the bridge to their former world, and its way of life... (really death). They devised a plan to carry out their wishes. They would program their craft to lift off this planet unmanned and escape its gravitational pull. Once it was well beyond the moons of this planet, it would intentionally self-destruct. They set their plan in motion and watched as the craft rose silently and quickly into the heavens, out of their sight, then completely vaporize in a tiny bright flash of white light. They had nothing left from their world other than their memories and the clothing they wore.
I told them all...
Everything before you is yours. You will have all you will ever need for a long, happy and healthy life. Your descendants will prosper for millennia to come… if you embrace the Principles of Life.
I left them with a warning...
If your descendants do not choose Life, but instead follow the path of Death, they will all perish as those in your former world are now presently perishing.
And so they heeded my teaching, prospered, and spread their kind over the surface of this planet, taking with them in their hearts, the Principles of Life. You are, of course, living among their descendents at this present time.
Life Force... I hardly know what to say! I never would have guessed that the people that I now live amongst had such a profound beginning in this world!
Changing the topic, I say; now I see why Maeya and Bren couldn't tell me what I needed to know about the Sarn origins. Maeya, being from a completely native culture and mindset cannot fathom or understand the things pertaining to a technological world. "Yes, you are quite correct, and conversely there are many things that she understands about the life forms here and it's interconnection to my Life Force that you are incapable of understanding. Her mind is at least and probably more intellectually developed than yours. I can converse with her in as deep a level as I do with you. The difference between the two of you is that her mind operates in the natural realm... and yours is in the technical abstract realm.
Well Jim, it has been a pleasure talking with you. Again, you have come a long way from where you were in your life. I am so pleased with you! I wish I had better news to give you concerning your old home. I'd suggest you just move on now, forget your old dying world, and enjoy the rest of your life here.
Life Force, I thank you so much for your love of Maeya and I, and also for your wisdom! I have really enjoyed our conversation. Goodbye... for now.
With that, I hear no more words from the Life Force.
Well, I finally have the complete picture! From this land, the Sarn became a tribe of people that forsook so-called civilization and a technical lifestyle, spread out into their new world, and lived out their lives in a purely natural existence. The Sarn found the path to the Life Force that allowed them to learn and follow the path of Life.
The original twenty-five Ancient Ones kept the memory of their former way of life locked away, and never communicated that "life" to the children they bore. They let the knowledge of the path of Death die with them. They were wise enough to know that any communication of their former life to their offspring would end up contaminating this world also... eventually leading to the same results as before... the very same results that they were fleeing from.
Their complete repudiation of their former technological life gave their race a new lease on life in this new world. Their old ones in every generation would make known and pass on to the next generation the Principles of Life. They carefully taught their children to listen to those women like Maeya that the Life Force would make herself known to. Their descendants were blessed with all that this new world had to offer... a pristine environment that would allow them to achieve the maximum potential of their species... mentally, physically, and most important... spiritually. Their kind would thrive from birth to a long and healthy life filled with joy and true freedom. A physical existence here just couldn't be any better anywhere else. They lack for nothing!
One wonders, if someday in the future, that this people will forsake the Principles of Life and start the process towards destruction. Who knows? I really don't want to dwell on that idea. It's too painful for me to even consider. I know that I'll never be the one to set that process in motion. I'll carry the memories and actions of my former life to my grave. That's where they belong.
I direct my vision to the mesa and see Maeya and I, and our belongings. Hey... what's happening? ... I can feel my being starting to descend. The mesa is slowly moving up towards me. I'm moving towards my body. Oh! ... all of a sudden I feel a jolt... I am sitting next to her again, and in my body. Being back in my body now feels so very strange! Sitting here, I close my eyes for just a minute and let things settle down. Looking over at Maeya, she's flat on her back, her eyes are closed, and she's lying very still. I'll just let her be while I enjoy the view. What an incredible experience!
Just being here in this "Garden of Eden" with the one I love is fantastic, but also having another encounter with the Life Force showing me "beginnings" was over the top! My god, my life is wonderful! ... I can hear a change in her breathing... she's moving a bit... I can tell that she's waking. She whispers... "Zhimm"... I take her by the arm and slowly help her sit up. Putting her arm around me, she lays her head against mine, and says nothing for a couple of minutes, probably gathering her thoughts as I was. She gently turns my face toward hers and kisses me. "Maeya, just rest and sit with me for a while." She just smiles and rests her head against mine.
So we enjoy the rest of the evening... strolling along the lake, just watching all the life forms going about the activities of their lives. I have never felt as relaxed and at peace as I do now.