THE GODDESS RETURNS - The SAGA OF AMBERLIN Continues.
THE GODDESS RETURNS - The SAGA OF AMBERLIN Continues. In this
next year it is my intention to complete my next 'visionary
novel,' the story of Amberlin, the first 'fully enlightened
being' who comes to Earth in a female's body.
I invite your participation by reading the saga of Amberlin as
it's being written and offering constructive questions and
comments. Here's the beginning of Chapter 2 of The Goddess
Returns:
Chapter 2
"Top bunk or bottom bunk tonight?" Jonathan asked as he entered
Amberlin's room, even though he knew the answer.
"Bottom, please. The top is too high," Amberlin replied. As he
lowered her into bed, she asked, "Will you tell me a story, Papa
Jon? One of your real ones?"
He sat on the bed next to her and chuckled. How she loved his
stories, especially the "real" ones about his life growing up
that had at least a thread of truth in them. He paused for a
moment, trying to think of one he hadn't told her recently.
"How about the time I met a real spiritual sage?"
"Sure," Amberlin replied, then, "What's a spirit sage?"
"Spiritual sage," Jonathan corrected her. "That's someone who
has devoted their life to seeking a closer relationship with
God, and who often shares their spiritual journey with others."
"What was the spiritual sage's name?" Amberlin asked as she
snuggled down in her bed, preparing for the story.
"His name was Mo Zoloff, and I met him not too far from here, in
a retreat center outside of Black Mountain."
"I know where that is kinda'," Amberlin said.
"Yes, well, it's only about an hour or so drive from here, but
when I first went there I was staying even closer at my family's
summer cabin, just outside of Black Mountain. It was the summer
after I graduated from high school. I wasn't really a freelance
writer yet, but I sure thought I was, or at least I knew that's
what I wanted to be."
"How did you meet Mo?" Amberlin asked.
"Well, like I said, I heard him speak at this retreat center. I
remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was, well
let's see, close to 30 years ago."
"That's a long time, Papa Jon."
"Not really, sweetheart. It's really just a blinking of God's
eye," Jonathan replied. Closing his own eyes, he could picture
the rustic, assembly hall filled with people, awaiting the start
of Master Mo's talk.
I sat about two-thirds of the way from the front. I could have
sat closer but I felt out of my element. This was my first time
to be in the presence of an actual guru from India, least that
what I thought Master Mo was at the time. You can imagine my
surprise when a white man in his mid- to late-30s wearing a
white t-shirt and black, baggie pants strolled on stage. There
was a sturdy table sitting in the middle of the stage. He
stepped out of his sandals and climbed onto the table, where he
sat cross-legged facing the audience. The room was already about
three-fourths full, but Mo continued to sit there with his eyes
closed, meditating, I guess.
As the room filled, he continued to sit quietly, apparently lost
in his own reflection. The minutes dragged by. I began to fidget
in my chair, as did a number of other people, then we would all
grow quiet again in anticipation of Master Mo's talk.
Finally, the figure in the center of the stage opened his eyes,
and gazed around for a moment, a smile growing on his face,
before he finally broke the silence. "I'm thrilled to see so
many people gather here for a 2-hour silent meditation." There
was a moment of surprised silence as everyone glanced at each
other before realizing it was a joke, then the whole audience
burst out laughing as Master Mo joined them. As the laughter
finally died down, he spoke again. "And so we begin."
And so we did, and for the next hour I sat mesmerized by the
quiet man with the deeply moving and inspiring message. He
challenged the audience to look within themselves for their own
spark of divinity. He accused our Western culture of looking too
much to the East - to places like India and Tibet