An unforgettable summer day.

CHAPTER ONE

Jayne’s day started off as one of those heart wrenching episodes asking Why? What’s the purpose of all this crap I go through? Is so much pain and torment necessary? She ran a brush through her short brown hair, and wiped a tear from her cheek. What is the grand plan everybody keeps claiming exists? I don’t get it.

On the dining room table an album of wedding photos and signed divorce papers glaring at her still in the box wrapped in brown paper. Joe must have left it there early this morning. He didn’t even bother to ring the door bell. The suspicious package was on her porch when she went out to get the mail. He was too chicken to even ring the bell. Asshole she thought. The documents stared at her, mocking her pain from the weight of 10 years of a failed marriage.

‘I better get a move on.’ Slipping into her Jean jacket. Jayne was getting ready for a lecture at an ashram in San Fernando Valley. The lecture was about ‘Finding peace of mind in a world where everything has turned to shit,’ or something to that effect, her best friend Jessie had convinced her she needed something to snap her out of this funk and suggested a peaceful afternoon in a beautiful garden, listening to inspiring words. She willingly agreed. They hopped in Jessie’s Mercedes and drove to San Fernando.

The ashram was a beautifuly repurposed 1800’s California Mission, the labyrinth of paths meandered through exotic gardens of wild flowers and fruit trees, to the center where all the paths led, there was a myriad of red, orange, and gold marigolds planted in the shape of a bird in flight, the attention to detail was breath taking. In the distance the brassy yowl of a peacock shattered the air.

It was late September, still in the mid 80’s, but the shaded paths defied the heat, resplendent with fruit trees from all over the world. Each tree had a modest sign to depict its origins. She was already feeling the weight of the contents in that brown box fade away.

There were native orange trees and palm trees lush with ripe dates. Figs and apricots from Turkey and the Mediterranean, original old world pears from China, it kept the grounds cool and shaded, and the fragrance was mind altering. Volunteers were busy harvesting, filling woven baskets with the ripened fruit.

This was also a weekend celebration of sharing and selling the bounty as well as the lecture, all for a donation according to what you could afford. This hidden paradise was exactly what she needed. Jayne gently squeezed her friends arm in approval, silently thanking her. She had all but forgotten the gloomy state of mind that started her day. Every step on this path eased her away from that old familiar dark cloud.

Inside along the wall, a row of removed shoes, beckoned her own to be added. In the arched entry way hung an ornate wrought iron green light chandelier that splashed a pattern across the high curved ceiling. It created a heavenly ambience and led to a spacious white room replete with containers of flowers, all the doors and windows were opened to welcome the afternoon breeze, exhaling its fragrance everywhere.

The staff wore the custom loose fitting white cotton outfits distinguishing them from the guests. All who entered the spacious room were adorned with leis of marigolds, and offered up baskets of freshly picked fruit, and nuts. Jayne chose two plump majool dates, a few walnut halves, some almonds, and a fat ripe pear, she cradled them a napkin. The group of twenty five or thirty were invited to sit on cushions spread randomly around the carpeted floor. she found a nice overstuffed leather pillow next to Jessie, and sat down crossed legged careful not to spill her booty.

When everyone was seated and settled, and as if on cue a half dozen butterflies entered the open windows to flit and flutter among the flowers. At the far end of the room, a raised platform covered in white cloth and more flowers, a throne waiting for its King. Jessie ate the dates and almonds, reminding herself to purchase some on her way out. The pear was so ripe the juice flowed into her mouth and down her throat like a fountain of nectar. So this is what pears are supposed to taste like! It was a new revelation.

When all was quiet, a tall slender man, looked to be in his mid thirties blithely entered, bowed to the group, and sat down at his throne. He was wearing a double lei of marigolds over his casual uniform of white cotton. His auburn hair was shoulder length and wavy. His penetrating sky blue eyes were mesmerizing. “Welcome everyone, my name is Jerome, thank you for coming.” He said in a velvety undulating tone.

“Wow! What a handsome man” she whispered to Jessie. Jerome looked straight at her and silently mouthed “thank you”, Jayne bolted upright astonished. “Tell me he didn’t hear that.” she asked, “he‘s twenty feet away.” She felt a tingle, a shock wave of surprise ran up her spine. That was so odd, she mused.

Jerome began to speak. His voice was as soft as silk undies.

“Today I will be speaking to you about your Own Inherent Nature. Think of these words as the living truth that has been kept from you your entire life. What I am about to tell you is the truth of who you really are” He spoke slowly emphasizing the important words.

“There is only one reality, It’s called Divine Consciousness. It’s radiant, it’s love, it’s bliss, it’s truth, it is the ONLY absolute and you can’t have it”

“Wut? Was he messing with us? Is this all just a joke? Is there no grand plan? Is there even an ever after? Why do I suffer so much?” Her mind was a busy whirlwind of objections and questions. The flurry of mumbling from the audience were obviously asking the same questions. A man spoke out. “How will I know it, If I can’t have it?”

”Shh, everyone, calm yourselves… To ‘have it’ you must go beyond it, into the fully unknown. Imagine opening a door into a bright light and stepping through it, knowing you don’t know. It has to be worth the risk, you must be willing to give it up, because it is only a temporary thing.”

Jayne’s mind was spinning trying to grasp his meaning. Give up my life to what? What an incredibly stupid request. How could I anyway? All I have is my body and mind so how could I know if I can‘t understand these qualities because...

Jerome continued with more emphasis, “I am prior to mind—I am speaking as your True Source and your mind cannot understand it. The mind can only comprehend what is in its realm, it knows emotions, passions, disparities, and all your knowledge, good and bad, from small to large this is the arena of mind. Even your most awesome experiences, be it spiritual epiphanies or the beauty of Earth, the plants and animals, this is all the minds dominion. Your true self is not found in any variety of minds creations—they are all happening in you. In your true self.”

Alright now he had her attention, Jayne spoke out “but if I can’t go where my mind can’t take me how will I know when I’m there?”

Jerome’s piercing blue eyes caught hers and replied “Your true self is formless without content—seeking to find it is still limited to mind, even the most splendid spiritual experiences, as exciting as they may be, are in your mind. Speaking as your True Source--I Am--the only truth, all things come and go I do not, I am always present I do not come and go. You are radiantly spotless, perfect love. All things, including time, and space arise in you, this is who you actually are, this is your True Nature. Your Source.”

This was not easy to understand, no form? No content? This is the real me? “But…but…” Jayne stammered.

“Now pay close attention! continued Jerome, taking time to scan every face, looking deep into every pair of eyes. “To surrender—you must transcend all your imagined worlds and submit to your True Exquisitely Flawless Nature. All that rubbish you waste your life time with must be given up. All that non-sense you’re trying to make sense of, including spiritual notions must be left behind, they are just ego fantasies in your mind. Your True Nature is eternal, so being bound to anything perishable must then be cut off.”

Jayne was confused, but at the same filled with wonder, she wanted to feel this clear bright energy forever, to not let it go. It felt so right to feel this free. She wanted to know her true nature…

“I want to be happy.” she blurted out. Astonished by her own declaration! Again he looked directly in her eyes and this time deep into her heart.

“Then the question you should be asking yourself, to end all of your misery, can you transcend your own mind? Because it is your mind causing the confusion. It is useless to seek it out when all you need to do is surrender.” He went on for another several minutes saying how our true nature is one of radiant happiness, to be filled with joy was our natural state, that anything else was minds illusion. The audience was silent, dumbfounded. Then he stood up put his hand over his heart, bowed to them and fluttered out the room with the other butterflies.

The lecture was over, she felt drained, but also exhilarated. Jerome was gone—all sense of that warm glowing presence was gone. Now what? On their way out she bought a dozen pears to share with Jessie for bringing her. Her suggestion did the trick she was beaming, and felt uncharacteristically free, but still had a thousand questions. They drove home in silence, both dazed by Jerome’s words. Jessie dropped her off passing on the offer to come in for a glass of wine. They said goodbye and Jayne thanked her with half the pears and went inside.

The brown paper package was still on the table, still glaring at her, but it no longer had a hold on her emotions. The angst was gone, what she saw now was a box wrapped in brown paper filled with new possibilities. Jerome was right about trying to make sense out of non-sense. His talk was a balm to help rid her of all the rubbish she carried and used like a shield against her own happiness. She could at last open the curtain and find herself as having been the Wizard all along.

Thoughts were rushing in fast and they were all positive, she picked up a pear and with great enthusiasm took a huge bite out of it letting the juice run down her chin, I think I finally know what joy feels like...her chin wet with juice. Her eyes flooding with grateful tears. She was actually feeling happy. It was a good day.

~ Inspired by Ute Posegga-Rudel

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It’s important this story not be classified as religion, because it is not. It is not philosophy, ideology, spirituality or religion. It is a conceptual perspective on the natural state of being human. Philosophers had this knowledge 2500 years ago but it’s been deftly hidden and ignored by those in power and those who benefit from keeping it hidden.

FAMOUS QUOTES ON THE SUBJECT:

René Descartes 1650 AD ~ The mind is a thinking, non-extended thing. The body is an extended non-thinking thing. Therefore the mind is really distinct from the body and can exist without it. Irreligious people will be forced to believe in the prospect of an afterlife.

ZHUANGZI 286 BC ~ when the understanding conscienceless comes to rest in what it does not know, it has reached its utmost. If there is some controller behind it all, it is peculiarly devoid of any manifest sign. It’s ability to stop and flow makes its presence plausible, but even then it shows no definite form. That would make it a reality with no definite form. Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate thou shalt be a God immortal and incorruptible and death shall have no more dominion over thee.

PYTHAGORUS 570 - 490 BCE ~ I swear it by him who has transmitted into our souls the Sacred Quaternion the source of nature whose cause is eternal. But take courage the race of man is divine. Sacred nature reveals to them the most hidden mysteries. “No man is free who has not obtained the empire of himself.”

CONFUCIUS 551 - 479 BCE ~ If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear? The world was created for a purpose and according to a plan.

If you liked this story you can find Chapter Two HERE

Thank you for reading.