The Old Soul

Foreword

The story described herein was originally found in the book “Ancient Peoples and Their Epics” - published by Dr. H. Wiliam Giles in 1830.

Much like the people who are said to have produced the original work, this epic, as found in Dr Giles book, was given no special distinction in regard to author or title, (titled “Poem: Unknown”); but is relayed by Dr. Giles as to have come from the ancient Jarawa people of the Andaman Archipelago, for whom, at the time of this writing, there is little evidence and even less understanding.

Dr. H. Wiliam Giles, who was less archaeologist than he was churchman, held the distinguished position of Regius Professor of Antiquities at Oxford University, England, at the time of the publication of this work. I only mention this finer point to highlight that Dr. Giles has found the abundant courage to overlay the original untitled work with some of his own semi-relevant scrawlings, which may be identified hereout by the italicized text.

Poem: Untitled

(Date: Unknown)

There is a tale which has never been put to clay or stone, yet has unfailingly been carried through the ages by the careful tongues and righteous hearts of our distinguished ancestors.

It begins: Sometime long ago there lived one very old soul, who was said to have been around from the time of the division of the first man into another.

(Giles writes:)

According to the Jarawa Elders, at the time of the original schisma, the soul itself was seated, along with many other souls, deep in the baculum of the original man.

It should be known that while the biblical account of the first (and only?) divine surgery has come to be translated as having focused on Adam’s side, having utilized Adam's rib, the evidence rather supports that Eve was organized from Adam's baculum (penis bone).

This explains why human males no longer contain such a bone within their appendage, as it was required for the formation of Eve, as well as why, in the biblical text the word “Tsela-ot” is used, which does not engender the translation of “rib” anywhere else in the bible.

Further proof may be taken that, (a) man does not contain one less rib than woman, and (b) careful inspection of the male body will reveal that man awakens to this world with a surgery scar of sorts on their appendage, known as the “perineal raphe.”

Additionally, the proposed alternative process, by which the first man was first split, may explain the Jewish ritual of circumcising their males eight days into their lives; as an homage to the primum adustione (the holy scrape).

(The poem continues)

Of the one whose tale we now unfurl, (who, at present life-time, might reside about the Mediterranean, possibly within the bounds of the sun-bleached island of Koufonisia,) the Heavens were made aware, and so began a great celestial clamor, as excited preparations were underway to welcome the old souls return.

Of the one whose tale we recount, (who, strong evidence reveals, in its present life-time perhaps was incarnated as a Greek craftsman, and at present time of this story might have been around fifty-two years of age;) a great many lives had been incarnated throughout the passing of time.

And of the one who we speak, we offer no judgment, as we know that it was always guided by connection to Our Mother Earth & perfect faith in Our Father Sky, and that by its own strong hands and careful mouth, it manifested a great many good deeds throughout all of its incarnations.

And those good works, have themselves (as good works may often do) rippled, & branched out an unspoiled hereditary goodness throughout the eons; bearing its good fruit, like children, which transmit the encoding of its original goodness, for the enjoyment and betterment of all who follow.

And so, in consideration of the one who we detail with admiration, there was a great deal of clamor and activity in the Heavens that day; as even for the angels, welcoming the return of such an old and venerated soul was a rare delight.

With final preparations underway, The Judge was enjoined & dispatched, in order that it might confer with all appropriate parties (creatures), & thereby complete its most important task, that of ensuring that the old soul was completely affirmed for its due return.

The Judgment

With no great alarum (alarm) or sounding of the eng’ombe (trumpet) The Judges inquiry began.

The Judge went first to the Ministering Angels, and when the Angels encountered The Judge they bowed their heads and averted their eyes, and The Judge spoke:

“Oh, Ministering Angels, what have you to say on this day, on behalf of this old soul?”

The Archangel Gabriel stepped forward and said:

“Oh Great Judge, it is our great pleasure & duty to proclaim that this old soul has spoken a great many blessings, and planted innumerable trees of goodness, which still bear fruit from its original incarnation & which will continue to bear fruit long after its final.”

Gabriel bowed his head and stepped back amongst the other angels & The Judge was satisfied.

The Judge next went to the Ascended Masters, a group of beings who so exemplified dharamī saparaka (righteousness) during their incarnations in the world, that the Blessed One has gifted them with simultaneous incarnations. At once, they are both forever seated within the Heart of Our Father Sky, while also maintaining a permanent distinction from the Oneness, in which they are free to create and oversee worlds of their own.

The Judge spoke:

“Oh Ascended Masters, what have you to say on this day, on behalf of this old soul?”

In unison the Ascended Masters sang:

“Oh Great Judge, it is with ecstatic joy we report that this old soul has spoken a great many blessings & planted innumerable trees of goodness, which still bear fruit from the original incarnation & which will continue to bear fruit long after the final.”

The Judge was satisfied, and so it tapped its chest thricely in a show of thanks to the Ascended Masters for their words.

With one bounding leap, and with no disturbance to Our Father Sky, The Judge entered the world. The Judge, who by its arrival, set off far stretching quivers of earthquakes, surveyed Our Mothers lands and seas, from its seat atop the Axis Mundi.

The Judge spoke:

“Oh Winds, Oh Mountains, Oh Oceans, Oh Rivers, Oh Forests, Oh Deserts, Oh precious Nature, what have you to say on this day, on behalf of this old soul?”

Our Mother, eclipsed by the shadow of The Judge, fell silent. Taking silence for insolence, The Judge scoffed and snorted forth a great stream of air, which uprooted ancient trees & spun cyclones over ocean islands.

Persuaded by The Judge's powerful animus, Our Mother Earth animated once more. Then, before all the powerful forces of nature, a small & quiet grassy hill, trembled, and spoke:

“Oh Great Judge, it is my sublime pleasure to report that this old soul has spoken a great many blessings into this world, & though it was many ages ago now whence upon I enjoyed its company, I will never forget the joyous melody it carried while I happily supported its feet.”

Scouring Our Mother Earth, The Judge located and fixed its eyes upon the small grassy hill, and the hill continued:

“Oh Great Judge, this old soul also planted the majestic fruit tree you see at my crest, which continues to bless the land, and many a weary traveler, with its bounty, to this day.”

The grassy hill quieted itself, and then, as if driven by a courage transmitted beneath the earthen rock across a great expanse, a small rippling stream on the other side of the world began to speak:

“Oh Great Judge, being favored by Our Father Sky to have known this old soul many ages ago, I too witnessed a great many blessings it spoke.”

The Judges face was fixed stone, like the Bull, Adi-natha (likely a reference to the 12th Century stone megalith Ṛṣabhadeva, (Adi) meaning ‘First’ & (nātha) meaning ‘Lord’")

The rippling stream continued:

“Oh Great Judge, for many years & with each successive dawn break, the old soul, of whom we speak, bathed in my invigorating waters. And as reliably as the return of the dawn, before entering my rippling stream, the old soul offered blessings for the day, to the world, and to myself. Gratitude for abundance was the song it carried in its heart.”

With that, the stream quieted itself, and from atop the Axis Mundi The Judge was satisfied by what it had heard, and its multi-textured face softened.

With the collection of two more accounts being the final requirements for the task at hand, The Judge fixed its omniscient gaze upon the animals of the higher order, and it spoke:

“Oh Whales, Oh Elephants, Oh Tigers, Oh all perfect creatures of the Higher Order, what have you to say on this day, on behalf of this old soul?”

And from those words erupted a great many scatterings and stampedes across the lands of Our Mother Earth, but wise Mother breathed about lavender scented winds, which calmed the herds and packs of the Higher Order, and a wise old elephant trembled, and spoke.

“Oh Great Judge, I have known this soul across many lives, both as companion and foe.”

The Judges ears perked & the wise old elephant continued:

“I have been the wild game which the old soul has fiercely hunted & we have also been great companions, finding solace and warm affection in one another, when I was embodied as a sheep-dog.”

“It is with utmost reverence that I confirm that which the Wind already knows. The soul of which we speak has itself spoken a great many blessings into this world & exemplified kindness to all creatures of the higher order.”

“Even when I was the game that it hunted for sustenance, I was slaughtered by its own hands in the most compassionate manner, that which is prescribed by the word. I was blessed by its own careful mouth, and thereupon instantly elevated into the Heavens. And as for the fruit of my body, it was first shared with the others in its company, before the old soul had nourished itself of my bounty.”

Relieved of obligation, the wise old elephant lowered its gaze to the cracked & dusty terrain, bowed its mammoth head, and stepped back amongst its pack.

The Judge acknowledged the wise old elephant's words as good, and from atop the Axis Mundi, shifted its gaze to the lower order animals, seeking the final revelation upon which judgment could be rendered.

Fine tuning its vision to the infinitesimal, The Judge spoke:

“Oh sparks of life, Oh flickers of inspiration, Oh hints of the Interminable Energy, ye perfect creatures of the Lower Order, what have you to say on this day, on behalf of this old soul?”

And there was no tremble, nor motion of any kind, from within the trees, bushes, grounds or waters of the Earth, nor from any of the dwellings which these sparks inhabit. A terrible silence, (the kind which belies a secret,) had washed over the animals of the Lower Order.

And for that infinite moment, bees and flies were suspended in the air, ants and spiders were motionless in the trees, and bushes, and on the ground. All animals of the Lower Order had become inanimate & insentient wherever they might be found.

And so from deep within the abdomen of The Judge a great compelling rumble followed, which shifted the seas, quivered the mountains, and sent a chill down the spines of the elephants, and The Judge spoke once more:

“Why have not a single spark amongst you responded to my request?”

Collapsing at the might of this bellow, as is the case with all moments, this infinite moment relented, and the Lower Order animal world understood their obligation.

Then, from the forest floor, amongst the marshes and wetlands, sprang forward the subjacent murmur of a single ant:

“Oh Judge...I...I...can also attest to what the Angels, the Ascended Masters, the Wind & the Elephants already know.”

“The old soul of whom we speak has itself spoken a great many blessings into this world, which will continue to bear fruit long after its final incarnation.”

“However, it is with great pain, truly, very much sorrow, that I must also relay the following...For all the goodness that it has sown across many life-times, the old soul has fallen short of the recognition of brotherhood with all things.”

An audible gasp could be heard across Our Mother Earth and reached the ears of The Judge atop the Axis Mundi. The Wind, despondent, whipped into a frenzy creating a vast cyclone, but The Judge ordered stillness and the Wind obliged.

The brave ant continued:

“You see, Judge, throughout all of its incarnations, the old soul of whom we speak has never failed to engender brotherhood amongst all things, that is, all except we, the minuscule flickers of life. I am sure this must be by no fault of its own, but as if by some divine ordinance, the old soul has always found at least one occasion to unjustly end the life of one of the sparks from the lower order of animals.”

Upon hearing these words, the wise old elephant wished it was within the bounds of the wetlands, so that it might find and crush the ant and end its fables, but The Judge remained transfixed upon the brave ant, and the ant continued:

“As an example...Judge, it has been relayed within the lower order, that during its last incarnation, when the old soul was about the age of five, and no doubt possibly due to following its precocious older brother, well, Judge...the old soul happened to join its older brother in sitting atop a ball and rolling over a number of innocent bumble-bees, which were collecting nectar from within the ambrosial flowers which speckled their lawn.”

And with those words, the Angels and the elephants wept rivers of tears, for they knew that such a scathing proclamation would be all that was required to inhibit the return of the old & venerated soul to the eternal oneness of Our Father Sky.

Deaf to the cries from Heaven and earth, The Judge thanked the brave ant for its wisdom. The Judge considered the solemn words of the brave ant & determined that there was only one way to apprehend whether or not the old soul had learned the indispensable lesson of brotherhood with all things.

The Test

The next morning, from within a small wooden cabin on the east side of the sun-bleached island of Koufonisia, the old soul began to prepare its breakfast.

The Judge saw this and resolved to begin the test by sending a large and frightening wasp, containing a lethal sting, through the open window of the cabin. The Judge instructed the wasp:

“Fly near and around and about the body of the old soul, for as long as you might enjoy, but heed this warning and do not join your stinger with its skin, nor release any venom within.”

At this direction, the wasp shot into the small cabin, through the narrow cabin window, which also filled the one-room cabin up with morning light. The wasp buzzed menacingly by the ear of the old soul. Without making visual contact, but by virtue of the terrible buzzing alone, the old soul jumped back in fright and expanded its gaze all around the cabin, in search of the source of the frightful sound.

Whence upon the old soul laid its eyes on the wasp, it relaxed & smiled, for in all its haste, The Judge had sent in an entrancingly supernal wasp, which shimmered like lapis lazuli (purple), & glittered and glistened pastel hues of rose and sea-green as it flew through the morning light.

The old soul observed as the wasp flew circles around its head, and after some time, the gorgeous wasp became entirely worn out by its efforts, and made its way back through the narrow cabin window it had entered. The old soul waved and said:

“Goodbye ye’ magical creature! Never have I witnessed such a magnificent flight...and to think, I could have been made dead by your sting, if such was your design. Thank you for bringing your enchanted colors into my life!”

Upon viewing this happening, The Judge was pleased, but not yet convinced, and so The Judge resolved to resume the test on the day which followed.

The next day as The Judge observed the old soul busy fashioning its lunch from what little it had, The Judge gathered and dispatched a hoard of the most fearsome fire-red ants it could find (very likely of the genus Solenopsis, evidence suggests Myrmica Rubra).

The Judge instructed the ants:

“Invade the small cabin before you and be free to gather and devour whatever you might find which pleases you. But, be mindful of the soul that dwells within this house, and do not impart of yourself any painful dispensation.”

And with that instruction, thousands of glowing red ants, with pincers and stingers in tow, poured into the small cabin, like tiny embers from a great distant fire, and instantly coated every surface where about the old soul sat with its lunch.

Amazed by the vision before it, the old soul dispensed no curses. Rather, captured by awe and wonderment it spoke gratitudes for the great fortune it felt to behold such a sight as was this red-river of ants; which appeared to snake endlessly across each fingerbreadth (inch) of space where the eyes of the old soul wandered.

The old soul watched with delight as the red-river of ants pulsed and roiled and made off with every last sliver of food in the cabin. With great wisdom the old soul exclaimed:

“Now to enjoy your bounty of bread and honey, fair beings of great multitude; won by no great courage, but instead by that which determines all things, & for as long as it is received with goodness, and is in service of the creatures of Our Mother Earth, it can only be a blessing unto the world!”

The old soul then waved goodbye to the (agglomeration of) ants, and so to, to all of its food. Upon viewing this scene, The Judge was pleased, but not yet convinced, and so The Judge resolved that, upon the morrow's dusk, it would send the old soul its final test.

Upon reaching the morning of the next day, the old soul awoke and blessed the world. Knowing that sustenance was no longer an option, the old soul resolved to sit in meditation, until the Heavens provided a sign.

And so it sat, and the minutes turned to hours, and as the sun began to set on the day of the final test, the internal calm of the old soul resembled the Garden of Eden before man became aware of the mixture of good and evil.

Seated at its small wooden table, in its small wooden cabin, somewhere on a grassy hill (on the sun-soaked island of Koufonisia), the old soul was deemed to be ready for its final test.

The Judge called out over the hills, to the surrounding waters, and beckoned a single mosquito. The Judge took care to ensure that this mosquito was quite normal & displayed no outstanding aesthetic beauty to the human eye.

And so The Judge instructed the mosquito:

“Go into the home of the old soul, making no sound, and whence it is not aware, land upon the back of its neck and feast upon its blood until ye are satisfied. Then return unto the darkness.”

Upon the conclusion of the instructions the mosquito quietly flew through the narrow cabin window & observed the old soul sitting at an empty table; and though the mosquito felt poorly for what it was about to do, as it knew it would have a feast when the old soul had nothing to eat, it was driven by, and so heeded, its divine instruction.

The mosquito then landed with great stealth upon the neck of the old soul and began to feast. It’s belly engorged with blood & it became satisfied. Gratified by the nutrients provided within the blood of the old soul, the mosquito then gently removed its appendage from about the neck and was prepared to quietly take off back toward the narrow cabin window.

However, now in an unexpectedly high state of euphoric satiety, the mosquito couldn’t help but to buzz with delight, which in an eternal moment, so stood out from the tranquility of silence and stillness, that the old soul noticed a slight tickle on its neck and became aware of what had happened.

Peering up to see the culprit, fat upon its blood, flying toward the window, and with clarity of mind that the incursion by the mosquito had caused no particular distress; in a single swift motion, perhaps thoughtless, perhaps callous, and within a boundless (sempiternal) moment of truth (verity), the hands of the old soul cut through the air and:

< - - - - > < - - - - >

{{{{CLAP}}}}

< - - - - > < - - - - >

The old soul opened its hands, and revealed, to no particular horror, a mess of blood and the smashed and contorted diminutive body parts of the mosquito.

Upon hearing the clap in Heaven, a single tear fell from the Angel Gabriel, and the wise old elephants’ pack began to trumpet their sorrow. For now they all knew that the brave ant was right. The old soul had not learned the most vital lesson of brotherhood with all things.

The Fallout

Bearing full witness to the scene, The Judge was pleased & convinced; for The Judge knew that no ambiguities remained and now righteous judgement could be executed.

And so in one great bound, which caused a sonic boom in the stratosphere, crumbling many great monoliths around the world; The Judge leapt from the Axis Mundi and entered the Heavens to render its verdict. (Jarawa tradition also attributes to this bound the cause of the “leakage” of ether into the atmosphere, bringing the colorful auroras to the northern hemisphere.)

As is its duty, The Judge began to inscribe the verdict for the venerated old soul into its Book of Judgment. The inscription was as follows:

“Our venerated old soul, who was present at the splitting of the first man into another, has sown many good deeds which will forever bear good fruit. However, it has failed to learn that which is paramount, that which we recognize as the brotherhood of all things. And so in light of this missing piece, indefinite cycles must follow, until we might once again evaluate its attainments.”

Just as The Judge was about to close the Book of Judgment and seal the fate of the old soul into eternity, a great cacophony of laments, howling inconsolable cries & simple whimpers bellowed out from the four corners of Our Mother Earth, and the many nooks and crannies of the world, piercing the ears of The Judge.

These sorrowful sounds were the combined laments of the Ministering Angels, the roiling of the seas and shifting & shaking of Our Mother Earth, the unadulterated cries of the animals of the Higher Order and the whimpers of those sparks of the Lower Order.

Judgment Reconsidered

And so it was, without words, that the sheer power of the mournful wailing of the Universe gave The Judge pause to reconsider its judgment. And in a single instant, The Judge determined it would leave the Book of Judgement open to the page of the venerated old soul, and in another great (Herculean) bound, The Judge re-entered Our Mother Earth to sit atop the Axis Mundi.

With a strange new perspective on the beings of the world, The Judge decided that it would visit the old soul in a dream that night to offer a deal. That evening, while the old soul was deep in a state of dreamless sleep, with an empty belly, and microscopic specks of blood still on its hands, The Judge fixed its gaze upon the crown of the old souls head, (possibly meaning pineal gland, which is known to the Jarawa as the seat of consciousness) and what was a void of dreamlessness turned into the full color and fantastic life of the dream realm.

The Dream

(The dream, which is the oldest recorded portion of the epic, is recorded, in fullness, as follows.)

Resting its back against an ancient fruit tree, the old soul was seated atop a small grassy hill. Sitting by its side was a beautiful but misshapen sheep-dog who showed it great affection.

As the old soul gazed out onto the horizon from atop the hill, it noticed the flowing of a distant stream and felt a great sense of warmth & peace. The place where it was felt like home.

The dusk began to set in and the colors sparkled and mesmerized the old soul. The barking of the oddly formed sheep-dog then stirred the old soul to alter its gaze from the pink-blue dreamy horizon. And whence upon the old soul peered down at its feet, it saw an army of fire-red ants begin to make their way up its legs, and in a blink, legs and arms were completely covered by the army of ants.

Shocked at the sight of its body covered by an army of red-ants, the old soul was gripped with fear, its breathing hastened and it let out a whimper; and it was in that moment that the ancient fruit tree, upon which the old soul rested, began to speak:

“Fear not, old friend, for you have done a great many good deeds in your life-time, and just as pure love has the power to create everlasting branches of good progeny, your goodness will continue to bear the fruit of your pure love for all time.”

A wave of calm and a warmth of relaxation filled up the dream body of the old soul and the fear was gone. The ancient fruit tree continued:

“Now that you are calm, heed my words. In all of your time here, you fell short of the lesson of brotherhood with all things, but because of all of your goodness, it has been deemed that you will be returned to Our Father Sky & eternal oneness, but not until after one final imperative life experience.”

The old souls' eyes grew wide in anticipation & excitement pulsed through its being, for it knew that eternity was beckoning.

“The judgment which has been consecrated for your next life is that you must live as many months as you have had lifetimes, and you will have to do so with incompleteness of body.”

(I presume here that the words “incompleteness of body” echoed through the old souls' guts, and sat there ringing, as the statement itself was devoid of context and must have conjured up great anxieties associated with unknowing.)

“Once you have passed all the time which is required of you, in the perfect incompleteness of your final incarnation, your many journeys within this world will be made done, and to the great pleasure of all things, you will return to Our Father Sky.

Now listen closely and take heed, this incompleteness of body of which I speak is not punitive, but is ordained as a great gift to you, given by the Ascended Masters. This gift will ensure that your circle is completed, and you are returned to Our Father Sky.”

The old soul, whose arms and legs were still completely beset by the army of ants, heard the ancient tree's words, and while it did not know what lay ahead, it carried no fear.

The old soul thanked the tree for its words & then watched, with no great horror, as the ants ate through the flesh, bone and sinew of the old souls arms and legs, in entirety and to completion.

And with that, the old soul knew that its current incarnation in this world was nearly finished. Gazing fondly upon its sheep-dog companion, who licked its face with love from a tongue which seemed to protrude from its shaggy chin, and then out over the horizon, whose colors of dusk were made more magical by the unboundedness of the dream world, and then, back into time-space, in its bed, in its cabin, (on the sun-scorched island of Koufonisia,) the old soul quietly died in its sleep.

The Final Incarnation

Eschewing all usual rituals & requirements for transitioning between worlds, the old soul was immediately transported from its previous body, which lay with a frozen smile in a small cabin atop a grassy hill, through a portal dancing with fractals, pulsing color and swimming with frequencies which emanated pure love. The soul had moved into a new time, a new place, and a new body, returning to Our Mother Earth for its final incarnation.

Shock & Horror

To the shock & horror of the parents of the newly born child who just arrived into this world, it had arrived in a most rarefied, and some might consider abominable manifestation. The beautiful new baby arrived in a body which was entirely missing its arms & legs. (quadrimembral amelia).

Though the parents were distraught at the sight of their otherwise perfect child, this circumstance was the revelation of the most meaningful gift from the Ascended Masters, which was promised to the old soul in a dream by the ancient fruit tree.

This gift of limblessness would ensure that the newly incarnated life could never kill anything from the Lower Order of animals in its lifetime, and thereby upon completion of its final incarnation, return to Our Father Sky.

And so it was that for many years this beautiful child was cared for by its family, who came to appreciate its condition and the depth of meaning it had brought into their lives.

And the new child, being of ancient wisdom, having been in attendance during the splitting of the first man into another, carried itself with sublime kindness and exuded compassion for all others during this final incarnation.

And though at the time of its limbless incarnation, the child was completely unaware of its past lives; it sowed even more goodness, which surely would continue to bear good fruit until the stoppage of time itself.

And the months passed, and the years passed, and the Heavens watched with great anticipation as the destined time of return grew nearer.

And with the passing of as many months as life-times lived, the Heavens began to clamor and spring with exuberant activity, for it was known across the dimensions that the time was upon them & the child would be imminently returning to Our Father Sky and forever unto the bliss of eternal oneness.

The Final Goodbye

Precisely twelve years to the day of the birth of the perfect limbless child; the child was sitting outside in the front yard of the family cottage, watching the bumble-bees search the fragrant flowers for pollen, and the child understood that this tiny bee, buzzing with creation, moved the world.

The family all gathered around the child & they all raised their eyes towards the sky and watched the glorious movements of a flock of birds above the horizon, and a great feeling of peace befell them all.

And as together they watched the swooping motions of those regal black birds, which rivaled the best choreographed dances of the day; the infinite dance of nature, pitched against the backdrop of the sunset and sky, which was now turning to cool blue-grey dusk; the child, while busy counting its blessings, thanking the world for the family it loved. And it was while the child gave gratitude for that very moment, that it was stung on the back of the neck by a wayward bumble-bee who mistook its fragrance for a divine flower.

In that instant, and without an audible sound, the child passed away. And to the great exuberance and revelation of the Heavens, of Our Mother Earth and Our Father Sky, the Angels began to sing as the old soul reached the apex of all things.