Chapter 8: Going Home

[The following is an excerpt from Chapter 8 of The Gospel of the Stone]

Within a few days, everyone in the village had heard of Shumavi’s decision to return to the Sacred Land of his birth. Many of the people expressed a desire to join him in the migration. On the last afternoon, a large crowd gathered at the grove to bid the Guardian of the Stone a final farewell and to hear his parting words of wisdom.

“Have you ever noticed all of the things we do are in a circle? That is because the Power of Creation also works in circles. This knowledge was given to us by Maasau in the beginning of the Fourth World. Everything that Great Spirit does, is done in a circle. That is why everything in the Universe tries to become a circle. The Sun and the Moon come forth and go down in a circle. Perhaps that is because they are both round. The ancient teachings tell us that the Earth is also round like the stars in the heavens. Even the changing seasons form a great circle and always come back again to where they were. The life of every Human Being is also a circle, leading from childhood to childhood, without beginning and without end.

“Everything in Creation moves in a great unbroken circle. Beginnings and endings are the invention of Man’s ignorance. As long as a person thinks that there are beginnings and endings, they will continue to experience the suffering of birth, death, and old age, over and over again. But when the individual no longer identifies their life with broken circles, they are also freed from the limitations of ignorance. For the One who knows Great Spirit, also knows the True Self—the One Reality behind all the illusions that seem to be."

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Chapter 7: The Ocean

[The following is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of The Gospel of the Stone]

“To experience the Truth of Great Spirit directly, you must look within and find the Ultimate Reality of that Self-Luminous Being that dwells within as the Power of Consciousness in all creatures and in all created things. That alone is The Pure Light of Self—The Spirit of Great Spirit—which is birthless and deathless. It is the Divine Spirit that is present in the north and the south. It is the same Spirit that is present in the east and the west. It is the Spirit of Creation. It is the Spirit that is now born in all Beings and will be born in all Beings for Eternity. It is the Great Spirit in all people, manifesting itself as the Inner-Light of Being, which faces in all directions. It is the Driving Reality beyond all the shadow forms that we may imagine.”

Shumavi paused for a moment, and then pointed towards the ocean below, saying:

“Look closely at the waves on the ocean. Each one appears as something different from the ocean. And yet when the wave subsides, the same amount of water remains, even if it’s name and form vanishes forever. As a single wave it is always limited. But when it falls back into the ocean, its power becomes limitless again. Only after it becomes One with the ocean can it express itself as a wave again—as big a wave as it chooses to be."

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Chapter 6: The Migration

[The following is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of The Gospel of the Stone]

"When you begin any migration, you must open yourself up to the new experiences you will encounter. This can be done only if you leave all of your old impressions behind and become like a newborn child entering into a new world of wonders and sensations. New migrations may be long or short .... It does not matter. Your journey may carry you over great mountains and across untrodded valleys, or perhaps it may be as short as a journey around the lodges of the village. The length of it does not matter, as long as you remember to experience the journey with your Inner Sensations. To do this, you must learn to look for Great Spirit in every tree and shadow, and to see his face in every plant and rock along the way. Listen for the silent sounds of the clouds as they slowly pass overhead and wave their billowy arms to the Earth below. Feel the breeze on your face and the Earth at your feet; and remember that you too are a part of Creation's Plan. And wherever you go, always remember to leave the best of yourself behind. Sing a Song to the Land, touch each blossom in gratitude for their blooming, and share your joy with the birds and creatures as you pass by. Build Altars of Stone or Altars of Love wherever you go, so that all who follow will know that you have walked this way before."

The sun dipped low over the western rim of the ocean, and the tree shadows lengthened far beyond the limits of the grove. Aiyana appeared at the edge of the circle with a blanket on her arm and slowly made her way to the empty space directly in back of old Shumavi. Placing one hand upon his shoulder, she bent forward and softly whispered in his ear:

"Perhaps you should rest now, my husband. It's getting late. Soon it will be the time of sunset, and I know that you will want your prayer blanket."

As she placed the blanket over his shoulder, Shumavi's hand reached up and caressed her weathered face in a gesture of love and gratitude. Slowly lifting himself, he stood by her side and held her hand as he introduced her to the new visitors in the group:

"This is Aiyana—The Eternal Bloom—who became my wife over 50 summers ago; and she is still more beautiful to me than all of the sunsets we have shared together."

Silently and respectfully, everyone gathered up their possessions and started down the trail to the cove where the campsite was located. The young man with the question was the last to leave. Hesitantly, he and his wife approached with their daughter at their side and stood silently until Shumavi turned towards them and acknowledged their presence.

"We thank you, Grandfather. Your words have renewed our strength and brought peace to our hearts."

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Chapter 5: The Search Continues

[The following is an excerpt from Chapter 5 of The Gospel of the Stone]

My experiences on the ledge of the canyon had filled me with great expectations; but initiations of any kind are not much different than receiving a diploma or an academic degree. Once the ceremony is over, the recipient suddenly realizes that they are no more enlightened than before. Initiations do not lead to instant Nirvana, nor do degrees guarantee any added wisdom. The most that any initiation can accomplish is to open doors and point the way to greater possibilities. I soon discovered that the old Blue Bird Chief was right when he predicted that I would have to make many journeys into the Sacred Lands of the Migrations before I could realize all of its Hidden Mysteries.

With the passage of time, my pilgrimages into the Sacred Lands became more and more frequent; I sometimes made as many as three trips a year. On many occasions, I would first stop at the ancient village on the Mesa in the hope of picking up a traveling companion to go along with me, but this was not always possible or desirable.

Eventually, I was told that if I traveled alone, my thoughts would be less encumbered and my senses would be more perceptive to the Ancient Messages recorded upon the Land. Following the old Chief's advice, from that day forward I traveled alone; each time returning back to the village again to verify my findings with him.

The beginning of each pilgrimage was a new experience, and they always started with the words of the Blue Bird Chief echoing in my brain:

"Each time you come to this Sacred Place, try to experience its moods and understand its forms. Try to experience it at sunrise and sunset, at noon and at midnight. Try to be there when the Sun is shining and when rain is falling. And if you can, try to experience the harmony of its changes with the four seasons. If you can see the Sacred Land in this manner, you will begin to understand that it is as alive as any Human Being. You will discover that the canyon walls grow and decay. They breathe and pulsate with life. They attract and collect all of the invisible energies from their surroundings. The canyons also create winds, and the water of the river creates clouds filled with rain that fall back upon the Land, creating a New Cycle of Life that gives shelter and food to every living creature who is lucky enough to call this Land their home. Experience its moods... and become One with it. If you can do that, you will begin to understand its Personality, and nothing will be kept hidden from you."

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Chapter 4: The Rescue

[The following is an excerpt from Chapter 4 of The Gospel of the Stone]

As the truck was being loaded for its journey back home, the old Chief came and sat beside me.

"I see you still have many questions. Be patient and do not concern yourself with when and how these things will come about. They will happen when they happen. Only Great Spirit knows when the World will be ready for a change. Perhaps it will begin tonight or tomorrow.... Who knows?.... Months.... Years.... What does it matter? It may even occur when you least expect it.

"In the meantime, you should return to this Sacred Land as often as possible, and each visit should be turned into a Vision Quest. Get to know the Land and become One with it. Most of our troubles and our blindness comes from old expectations. Therefore, forget what you think you know, and expect to see Newness everywhere. Remember also, there is no shortcut on the Road of Life. Peace and Contentment will follow you if you move slowly in unison with everything around you. For the time being, it may be best if you travel these Sacred Lands alone. When the time comes that you do bring others with you, be careful. Show them nothing and answer no questions until they prove themselves worthy to hear the Truth. In the meantime, prepare yourself for the Coming of the Great Change. Learn to read the Signs of the Four Worlds already written upon this Land. When the time is right, the Ancient Voices will speak to you loud and clear. They will show you how the Way of Peace must be taught to the People of a New World."

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Chapter 3: The Second Day

[The following is an excerpt from Chapter 3 of The Gospel of the Stone]

The stone in my hand tingled and vibrated as it conveyed pictures and events, revealing the History of Man's Migrations across the face of the Earth. It was as if the stone was filled with sounds, expressing a language I could not understand, but the pictures it conveyed were real and clear. On its surface were faces of people pleading to be heard. Amazed and puzzled, I questioned my sanity and pondered the meaning of the sights and sounds which seemed to be transcribed on the surface and recorded within the Talking Stone. What did it all mean? And why was I so sure that these symbols and the impressions were attempting to convey a message for the future?

I was so preoccupied with my imaginings that I had totally forgotten the time of day. Suddenly, I became aware that the Sun had slipped away and night was descending upon me. Remembering that this was to be the night of the full Moon, I patiently waited for it to appear above the horizon. As the great disc rose in the sky, everything in nature seemed to come alive, creating an evening festival of lights and shadows.

Again, the stone in my hand vibrated, filling me with an Extraordinary Awareness that seemed to reach beyond the present and into the dim and distant past. I envisioned places where campfires burned, and the scent of their smoke penetrated the haze of endless years to reach my nostrils. Around the campfires came the muffled voices of happy children laughing and playing.

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Chapter 2: The First Day

[The following is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of The Gospel of the Stone]

Suddenly, I heard the sound of glass striking a rock. Filled with panic, I remembered the water jug. I threw myself down near the place where I had left it and released one end of the blanket, reaching out to retrieve it. But it was not there. Opening my sand-filled eyes to a squint, I could see that it had blown over and rolled several feet away. With the blanket and the pieces of rope clutched in one hand, I crawled on all fours and quickly recovered it. Luckily, it had been stopped on its journey to oblivion by a rock directly in its path.

Feeling safer on the ground, I rewrapped the blanket around me and decided to remain in that position until the wind passed. The edges of my blanket fluttered in the breeze, and I tried tucking them in underneath my body. But even the thick blanket could not filter out the dusty smell of sand or the chilling bite of the wind. For a long time, the fierce wind blew and the sound of its movement filled my ears. Sometimes it was harsh, and sometimes it whispered a series of shrill-like tones that occasionally changed unpredictably into melodious notes of exceptional beauty. Like a caterpillar in a cocoon, I could not help but wonder what kind of a world I would face when I was finally allowed to emerge from my shelter.

It seemed like hours before the wind subsided. Slowly, I uncovered my face and looked out upon the night sky. Here and there between breaks in the clouds, I could see a few stars along with the rays of a nearly full Moon desperately trying to penetrate the thick cloud blanket. The night of the first day was upon me, and with gratitude I offered up a prayer of thankfulness for the challenges I had survived....

Before me was the promise of another day of challenges. But somehow I no longer regarded myself as a stranger to the Mystery of the Unknown. I thought to myself:

"Let tomorrow come! Tonight I am like a child preparing to sleep in the arms of the Mother, and I am filled with deep contentment."

Grateful for the day and expecting no less tomorrow, sleep came easily.

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