ECHOES OF THE SOUL

By

-Daniel-

©

And the echo of his soul
spoke...
The Christian kneels before a
cross,
The Muslim chants within his
mosque.
The Buddhist does holy incense
burn,
The Atheist to repeat his lesson
unlearned.
The Jew shall pray in yonder
synagogue,
While you walk through Life,
hand in hand with God.

-Daniel-

THE AWAKENING

It was in the flower of his youth,
that he first heard the murmuring echo of
a voice stirring the dawn to wake unto the
tender kisses of morning sunlight;
And thus bidding the eventide to fade
into the stillness of Eternity's starlit night.
And as the world slept its dreamless sleep,
he breathlessly listened to that silent voice,
calling unto him as the sandy shore beckons
the ocean's tide.

"Who are you," cried the youth, "that I should listen?"
"Where are you, that I should follow?"

And the voice spoke thus:

I am as I was, and I shall be as I am.
I am the reflection of a light unseen,
I am the echo of a voice unheard.
I dwell within the house of your soul,
where the twilight of your past and the
sunrise of your future marry and live as one.
Follow me, and I shall teach you the
living Truth of Eternity.
Ask and you shall be answered,
for I am the stillness stirring within your
own loving soul.

And the youth replied unto the winds
of the night:

"I was born with a sorrow upon my lips
and a burden within my soul.
Long have I felt the suffering of all those
persecuted in the name of Righteousness,
the hunger of those who have starved mid wheatfields unharvested,
and the anger of all who have been slain upon the battlefields,
for the glory that was never there.
I bleed from an unseen wound, for my heart
has been pierced by Sorrow's lonely sword.
There is a sadness within my soul that runs
the length of all Eternity and softly my tears fall
as snowflakes upon the earth.
If in truth you would be the voice I am to follow forevermore,
answer the questions that tear at the very heart of my being,
tormenting my nights and caging the winged spirit of my days.
Tell me, what is it that gives one man the
right to be superior to his brother?
Why is it his privilege to abuse those
who stumble across his darkened path?
And why should he knock upon the door of my soul
with hatred in his eyes and a vengeance within his heart?
Where is the justice of love,
and how long must the crucified suffer upon their
cross of silence?"

And the echo of his soul answered:

Man's destiny lies yet in the restless slumber
of a forgotten dream.
And most men continue to walk through this life
with an arrogance upon their face
and an ignorance within their heart.
They follow not the path of their deepest desire
nor are they aware of the hidden purpose to which all are born.
Few indeed, are those who visit this earth
with the unseen knowledge of their own soul's ocean tide;
That shall carry them forever forth
unto the shifting sands of humanity's shore.
Two thousand years have passed in stillness,
since your Brother of Pureness last walked this earth.
A thousand empires have risen to crumble,
unheeding of the Truth that was given unto Him to share.
Can you not hear His silent soul weep upon
the dawn of Eternity?
Can you not see His sacred tears glisten
within the morning dew?
And can you not feel of His aloneness as the world
still worships your Brother with questioning wonder;
unable to comprehend that He only saw the light
within their darkness,
and heard the voices still veiled to the deafness
of their unhearing ears?
Listen unto me, the endless song of Life,
singing upon the winds of time,
and I shall deliver thee from the clutches
of the pygmied-ones that now inhabit the earth.
The time grows short, oh beloved youth;
soon the dawn shall come crashing down upon
the righteous hypocrite and the hated tyrant.
And woe be it to those who now gleefully condemn another
unto a life sustained with only bitter bread
and quenched with naught but stagnant waters;
For he who eats the glutinous portion set upon the table of greed
and lustfully drinks from evil's goblet shall suffer the
fate of Universal Law, administered from his own soul's imaging.

And the youth replied unto the voice of Truth:

"Oh Lord, seed within my lonely soul,
forgive the anger of my Yesterdays,
protect me from the wrathful tyrants of Today;
and give unto me of Your loving patience,
that I might endure this burden till the dawning
of my Tomorrows."

THE JOURNEY

"Oh Lord, my God why?
Why am I here?
One whose spirit remains alien to this time
and to this place;
the lonely heretic who must needs disguise his pain
and drift through this life only pretending to belong.
Oh Lord, my God why?
Why am I here?
One who finds value in the discarded Truths of this world,
comfort in its gentle heroes;
and whose reason has been washed away by the
tears of compassion.
Oh Lord, my God why?
Why am I here?
One who must needs sell the freedom of his soul
that he might remain a nameless thought of an ignorant race,
only to be tortured by his dreams left unfulfilled.
Oh Lord, my God why?
Why is it mine to carry this heavy burden,
and to weep these silent tears of pain?
Oh Lord, my God why?
Why am I here?"

And his soul's echo answered:

You have yet a yearning trapped deep
within, and only the wings of your sorrow can
burst open that seed and allow your flower
to bloom.
You cried at the moment of your birth,
for you alone saw the Past and Future kiss
before your newborn eyes;
And you knew also of the pain that was
yours alone to bear.
You have come to fulfill a destiny, a burning
desire to complete that which is yours alone to do.
Come and look once more upon the valley
that contains the agony and the elation of
your spirit's heart,
and know that both must you drink in
order to attain the greatness that awaits beyond.

But the youth replied:

"I wish not for the glory of greatness,
oh voice eternal."

And the echo of his soul answered:

The greatness of which I speak is not of your choosing,
for it is a course set by the Unseen One,
for a purpose that you may not know or understand.
Nor shall this power seek out those who would wear it
as a silken garment in which to hide their naked corruption.
Do not rebuff the aura of this greatness,
but rather wear it as the humble smile of a loving soul,
whose hidden might can move mountains,
whose silent blessing heals the sick
and whose light brings hope and joy to those in despair.
Go gently forth among the people to guide those
who are lost without purpose,
to awaken those whose hearts remain yet half asleep;
And to comfort those who fearfully weep in the wake
of Death's silent shadow,
and know not that the soul is deathless.
You are needed now more than you shall ever know.
Speak unto all you should happen upon,
those tender words caught within these golden nets,
while fishing the rivers of your own soul.
And as you walk through the valleys of Darkness,
you will fear not the jackal snarling within the night's
shadowy blackness;
For you are the Light of the world and no hand
shall stay you from your destiny's path.
Cast aside your doubting thoughts of fear
my beloved son and take my hand in faith;
Leave the emptiness of Yesterday behind,
and follow me into the mountains of Tomorrow,
seeking yet a deeper Truth.
I am the wandering traveler that you have sought
upon your dreaming nights,
and you are the path I have yearned to walk in my awakening days.

And the youth replied with the passion of a heart
set aflame with burning purpose:

"Oh Spirit of my living soul,
to whom I speak with soundless words,
to whom I listen through ears of my deepest dream,
and whose presence I forever feel,
but cannot touch with aught but the fingertips of my soul;
Hold this, Your wandering son's heart.
Take command of this seafaring ship,
and sail the uncharted waters of Destiny
with Your hand resting upon my shoulders.
Let me create from the thoughts of my freer-self,
that which would enhance the lives of those shackled
with the heavy chains of despair.
Grant me the power to change darkness into light,
fear into faith, hatred into love,
and the lonely tears of sorrow into the uplifted smiles of joy.
Let me till Thy fields of souls still sleeping.
Let me become the sower of Thy seeds,
planting Truth among the furrows of fertile hearts.
Let my tears moisten the roots of Thy sacred rose,
that it may yet come to unfold its fragrant petals,
and bloom within Thy Light Eternal."

THE MIRACLES

Thus it was, in the harvest of his youth,
that he descended the lofty mountain peaks of his aloneness
to walk among the flowered meadows of his soul everlasting.
And there was a glowing serenity upon the face of this,
the Chosen One, as he moved among those who knew only
of Life's harshness and of man's angry bitterness
towards his brother.
For eleven months and eleven days,
he walked the dusty roads of despair giving faith
unto those who had naught but the joyless cup
of empty dreams,
teaching any who hungered for the sweetness of Wisdom's own song;
And comforting the ones who wept the silent tears of helplessness,
as corruption, greed and hatred reigned supreme upon the earth.
Far and wide did this youth travel,
giving unto all the sacred fruit borne of the burden
buried deep within his soul.
And much was this youthful spirit loved by the world,
for contained within him were the deepest desires of all men.
To look upon the shadow of his smile,
was to know the hidden meaning of existence.
To be touched by his hand,
was to be stilled of all fear and hatred.
And where ever he went, the multitude of humanity would follow,
begging for the sweetness of his favor,
that they might be blessed by this,
the Chosen One.
Forever was he asked to give of his prophetic vision,
that blinded souls might see the coming of the dawn.
He was asked to give of his listening ears,
that stone deaf hearts might hear the twinkling of stars
across the evening skies.
And he was asked to give of the gentleness held within his voice,
that muted lips might speak with the softness of a Spring breeze.
And always was the youth's heart overwrought with
tenderness and love for the suffering ones.
High unto the heavens would he lift his heart,
held within their hands of pain,
speaking these words aloud:

"Oh Father of my soul, Answer to all questions unspoken,
let the healing power of Thy sacred breath descend upon these,
Thy ailing children,
that they might be freed of their worldly afflictions.
Awaken them unto the pureness of their Being,
that they might rise above the trials and tribulations of this life
and come to know the glory of Thy omnipotence."

And all who suffered and all who were sick were brought before him.
And with the touch of God, through his hand,
each was made whole again.
But the assembled mass of people fell to their knees,
blessing and praising only the youth,
for these miracles performed.
And a hush fell as pounding hoofs upon the crowd,
as the forceful eyes of the youth admonished them
for their false praise.
And the Chosen One spoke unto them:

"Praise me not, for I am merely the shadow of this Day.
But you who gather here, beneath the tree of my soul,
see not the Sun shining above my branches.
And you would bow down in reverence before a shadow,
cast by the unseen Daylight.
If you deem the healing of this hour a miracle,
so be it;
But know that I was only a witness to that miracle.
I but sounded the depths of your soul's hidden fountainhead,
to stir the Truth abiding therein."

But the youth's words hung heavy upon the lips of his soul,
as he peered into the confused hearts of those who loved
and believed in him only;
And the youth knew that even now they could not understand.
And there were dark clouds of sorrow upon his face
and tears of pity rained within his voice,
as he turned and spoke unto the heavens:

"Oh Spirit unseen, beloved Brother of my soul,
does nothing ever change?
Will they never rise from this sleep of overwakefulness
to live within the reality of their dreams?
Long, over long has it been since You shook these mountains
with the might of Your Being,
and still they sleep on.
Tell me my Brother,
how then shall I wake them with but a whisper upon the wind?
To what heights must I rise from the crucifixion of this hour,
that there might be light upon a world darkened with
fear and shame?"

And gazing once more upon the crowd gathered at his feet,
he spoke:

"I would be alone now unto the silence of my soul
and I would speak unto naught save the echo that dwells therein.
Once more shall I journey into the mountains of my awareness,
which no other may now know.
For three days and three nights shall I dwell beyond the mist of time,
veiled unto your searching eyes.
But fear not, for as the fourth dawn rises,
I will appear again unto your hearts,
and I shall come singing the melody that I would
have you remember forevermore."

THE RESURRECTION

Thus it was, in the final days of his harvest,
that the youth vanished before the eyes of this world.
And search as they would, he was not to be found,
for the youth had retreated beyond their earthly abode,
into the mountains still veiled by morning mist.
For three days and three nights the earth grew
exceedingly dark with sorrow and shame,
grieving for the loss of her youthful son.
Alone were the people,
without the Light of their day,
and frightened were those who stared out into
the nothingness of starless nights.
And so it came to pass, that all the world prayed
for the darkness of despair to end,
and for the promised return of the Chosen One.
The door to each believing soul swung open
in a flood of hopeful anticipation for the coming
of that fourth and final dawn;
Every eye, every ear and every heart rode upon the wings of that morrow,
while waiting to greet the rainbow of the foretold dawn of Eternity.
And as the first slivers of sunlight kissed that newborn day,
the shining face of their youth was seen smiling within the clouds.
And the sweet nectar of his voice,
that seemed more than a voice, drifted as music upon the four winds.
And he spoke unto the ear of every heart:

Oh children of the earth,
sprouting seeds of this Garden vast,
I would speak unto you now,
for I am the voice you have longed to hear.
I am the Eternal Silence contained within the Chosen One,
as I am also the echo of your own sleeping soul.
I am the unwritten poem of your poet's heart,
the unsung song of your musician's ear.
I am the unseen sculpture of your artist's eye,
and the living Spirit of every prophet
that has ever spoken unto this world.
Listen unto the words of this day,
for they are written upon the heart of every man
who accepts God as his Father and the Earth for his Mother.
These are the living dreams of your giant-self,
that would stand naked in the sunlight and be revealed
before the eyes of your child-self.
And would that I could,
awaken your soul from this fitful slumber,
that you might walk hand in hand with the Spirit of your dreams.
But how shall I wake thee,
if you deem this life the essence of reality
and my voice naught but an illusion of a wishful desire?

You fear the silence of Eternity for you believe
it to be an end to Life.
But I say unto you that your death is not your death,
but rather only the awakening to a deeper reality.
Shall the birth of a butterfly be the death
of a sleeping caterpillar,
or only the winged fulfillment of his dreaming-self?
Shall he fear for the loss of his being,
or thankfully rejoice for his newfound freedom?
And who among you would remain a crawling caterpillar of this world,
when the wings of the butterfly bid you to soar
upon the upper airs of a greater sky?
Always have you been told that this life
is the total of your existence,
and when the briefness of your days end,
you shall be no more.
But I say unto you that your days are forever,
and that the heart of God,
dwelling within the timelessness of your soul,
shall never perish.
My children, you are but the petals of God's own rose,
and though you may wilt in the heat of the summer sun,
so shall you come again to bud and bloom in the
beauty of another spring's fullness,
Blessed be the rose,
for it is the face of God made visible.

Forever have you believed in the greatness of charlatans
who would seek control over your lives,
for you fearfully doubt the trueness of your own soul's worth.
And you who now wear the cloak of self-doubt
shall be forever miserable and cold,
for your garment was woven from the thread of fear
and fashioned upon the loom of distrust.
But this will not always be so.
One day shall you awaken unto the warmth of your own noontide
and cast off your useless apparel as will you also burn the hated loom.
For I say unto you that each soul placed upon this earth
is a beloved seed of the Eternal One;
And who among you would be greater than the Planter of all Eternity?
You are the master of your own soul,
and no appearance within the physical realm shall hold you
from your destiny, once you awaken unto the pureness of your being.

For two thousand years have you blindly waited for the return of the Messiah.
But I say unto you, that you wait for a man and wrongly do you seek;
For the Christ is not a man,
but a Spirit floating upon the upper airs of this earth,
waiting to be caught within the tender web of each loving soul.
Often it was, as I walked among you,
that I heard you call me by my Brother's name,
declaring me the return of Christ.
But I say unto you that many were the times that the Christ Entity
appeared before you and you knew it not;
For you only saw the living vessel that held His sacred wine.
And like children, you were not mindful while drinking the sweetness of His miracles,
and came away, unremembering of the Truth held therein.
The greatest Master to ever grace the earth with his presence
came to you in the form of a seemingly simple man,
a humble carpenter.
Therefore I say unto you,
treat each soul that enters your life as you would the carpenter;
For never shall you know when you stand in the shadow of Greatness.

All your days have you spent living within the shadows
of those who come to flower in the fullness of sunlight.
And always have you sought to justify your own ignorance
by declaring these blessed few to be far ahead of their time
in this world.
But I say unto you that how else could it be?
For would not the gifted of Today be lost unto the eyes of this world,
if born upon the dawn of Tomorrow?
And if you would but open the floodgates of your heart
to the windsong of Spirits unseen,
you would hunger no more for the wisdom borne of another soul.
For wisdom is naught but Truth unveiled,
and once you touch the reflection of that rainbow eternal,
you shall cease to see all else.
Verily, I say unto you leave not this day unfulfilled;
For what is Today other than the hopeful promise of Yesterday
and the cherished remembrance of Tomorrow?

For too many days have the thresholds of your houses
been barred in the bitterness of an ageless fear;
And your hearts remain chained with the harden locks of anger.
You trust not the searching eyes of the wandering stranger;
And always have you lived, tied to the possessions
that you would secretly have your neighbor covet.
But I say unto you cling not to the possessions that you have gathered,
nor be overtly proud of the worldly accomplishments
you have gained this day:
For you will lay no claim upon them tomorrow,
as you inherit the wind; And who then shall sing your songs of praise?
Tell me oh children, can your house truly be your home,
if you live in the constant dread of those who would knock upon your door?
And are the treasures you keep yours alone,
if in hearing the unknown footsteps of the night,
you deem them to be that of a thief rather than those of a friend?
And what, pray tell, is of more value:
The grains of barren desert sand that will slip through your fingers
even as you hold them close;
or the one planted seed from the mighty oak?
What is it that you would hold more precious than the golden key to your soul?
Give, lovingly give unto all who would enter that sacred place,
for there is no greater wealth to be found than to see
the world through the loving eyes of your heart.
My children, rather that you live within this wealth of generosity,
and lovingly share the little you have,
than to enslave yourselves to the hunger of Greed,
and withhold from any the abundance of God.
Open the windows of your heart,
that the Light of the world might shine therein.
Be quick in answering the gentle knock upon your door,
that those who would seek in the name of Brotherhood,
may find the warmth of love and compassion resting upon your hearth.
And forget you not, that all who enter
shall dwell within the house of your soul forevermore.

Longer than the sum of Yesterday's memories,
have you dreamed of a world filled with tranquillity and happiness.
And much, over much have the nations pondered
the elusive meaning of your peaceful dream.
But I say unto you,
that empty shall be the words upon the peacemaker's lips,
if you be not also a peacemaker in spirit
and healer of your own heart first.
For there shall never be peace upon all the earth,
if there exists but one man who would uncaringly cheat his brother,
and knowingly slay that soul with an unkind word of anger.
When you look into the eyes of another,
do you not see the reality of your reflection,
dancing within the window of his soul?
And when you speak unto his listening-self,
do you not also hear the selfsame words you speak?
My children, whatsoever you shall do,
you but do unto yourself alone.
Those who laugh at the misery of another,
shall never smile within their own joyless heart.
If you speak out of anger, then only anger shall you hear.
And if you move through this life with Hatred as your constant companion,
then only Hatred shall you have to comfort the loneliness of your nights.
And those who walk upon this darkened path are only to be pitied,
for they are naught but weakened spirits,
unable to give or to receive the gift of Love.
If thou wouldst be strong,
empty then the vengeful prison of your mind.
Release from bondage all who have wrongfully done hurt unto you;
Bless them,
and free them to continue the journey of their own soul.
Then, and only then, shall you be truly free of their sins upon you.
But you who would stand in judgement over those who live,
not as you believe;
By what sacred words shall you judge the world?
Would you silently curse the lilac wildly growing upon the hills,
and yet openly bless the grains of golden wheat
growing within your own harvest fields?
My children, you cannot judge that which is beyond your knowledge.
Therefore I say unto you,
judge not your brother by what others might say,
for only the angels shall visit the temple of his soul
and weigh his worth upon the scales of Eternity.
Judge not by the mistakes he has made,
for only he can bear the burden of his regrets
and know the hidden abyss of his shame.
Judge not by the words he may speak,
for oft times that which remains free and unspoken
reveals yet a larger and more lasting Truth.
Judge not by the depths to which he has fallen
but rather by the heights to which he will one day arise.
And judge not with righteous condemnation
but only through the tender mercy of love;
For in the eyes of God,
righteousness and love are but one and the same.

Since the birth of time's beginning,
have you sought the reason of your existence in this world.
And I would say unto you, that out of your deepest longing
were you brought forth as the dewdrops upon the dawn.
It was but yesterday that you were an echo within your Father's ear,
a twinkling smile within your Mother's eye.
And it was you that they heard calling
upon the tender breath of Love's holy thought;
Yearning to come through the misty veil of Eternity
with the voice of God upon your newborn lips.

And so my children, may this be at last the hour of your awakening,
and this melody I sing free your souls to walk
upon the sacred path of light.
But if the words I spoke unto you this day
seem clouded with the veils of mystic riddle,
leave them lie as the planted seeds of your garden's heart;
Until yet another day, when one much greater than I shall walk among you,
to reap the harvest we have but sowed this very day.

THE FINAL LESSON

And then it was twilight,
and the youth spoke his final words unto the world of sleeping souls:

Behold, my children, even now my dawn
doeth fade unto the shadows of my dusk,
and I shall not further linger upon the stars of this night.
A wandering spirit am I who dwelled among you for a moment of Eternity
before answering the call of my greater-self.
And when the wanderer within your soul awakens and bids you to follow,
fear not, for we are bound for still a greater beginning,
and larger skies than these shall fill the valleys of our souls.
Yet I cannot find it within my heart to joyously leave you,
without shedding the single teardrop of remembrance.
And know that this tear shall not fall
for the endearment of all that was,
but rather as a loving betrothal for that which is yet to be.
And I would have you remember this,
in remembering me....
That for all my days have I loved you,
and that love shall never perish through the coming lifetimes.
Come hither, and fill the cup of your soul
from the love-spring of my heart.
Drink deeply, that you might never forget;
And live within the lessons taught unto you this day,
that I may always live upon your deepest desire.
Love one another, even as you have chosen to love me;
To do less, would be to strip the pages of my life,
leaving them empty and barren of all meaning,
for I say unto you,
that you are the sons and the daughters of the living God.
Fare thee well, oh beloved children,
until the morrow doeth find a greater dawn.

And with his words thus spoken,
his smiling face faded from those earthly skies,
and his voice returned unto the bosom of his unseen God-Self.
But the single teardrop, shed of his remembrance,
remained within the hearts of all who heard and all who saw
their eternal-selves that day;
For all the world knew that each soul truly was of the Chosen One.

Song of the Mystic

The Spirit Man

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