asima III

Readers: This is the third sketch of four, of a "novel" I've been dreaming up, as a response to the life and death of Aaron Swartz, the idea of freedom of information - and the various and many other sundry going's on, of course. You can read one and two, if you haven't seen them. If you're in New Hampshire today, -85F, stay warm. Here grandmother has just joined her grandchild in the hokum hole. :) 

"Hello, grandmother!"

"Hello, grandchild. Thank you for staying close."

"But what does it matter, grandmother, if I stay close or not? It is our hokum hole. It is safe here, isn't it? You can travel anywhere in it, however you want to, right?"

"Yes, it is, very secure, and I can travel from here to anywhere in the hokum, in the instant; but then if you had gone far, I would have had to walk you back, since you cannot yet travel as you like, yet. The twilight is different also, notice. It seems to dim the interface between the hokum and the stream - the closer to the core you remain then, the safer you are. Otherwise, you know how we have told you conditions change depending on the moon; and the hokum is like energy streaming out, weakest at the very edge, just like the sun and the heliosphere, keeping inter-solar space out; just like the sphere the galaxy makes, that keeps inter-galactic space from harming us. Which if you walk toward that edge of our hokum, eventually you'll find a vast wasteland. To keep the little ones from venturing so far as to put themselves in danger; and to keep danger out."

"Tell me more about the Hokum, Grandmother!"

"The Hokum is the thing emanating out from the room you and I are sitting in now, that we become like one with, that projects our consciousness into this space, into asima. The hokum is a dual construction of mine, and your grandfather's, like both our character, and combined understanding, of both the waking world and asima. You and I know we are sitting in the hokum room, in the waking world; though we are here talking now, on this seeming living-plant platform, where we have studied so much together; the creek, the woods, the insects, the wind, the smell of flowers, are like a combined projection of our Hokum, and a union with asima, and all that asima contains. It is how we seem to know things here, everything about the thing, whatever it is, merely by looking at it, exploring each thing more deeply by touching it; which even as we seem to know everything about that tree there, or this stone, or that fish jumping out of the water, even that insect that lands on your skin, you learn about it to the degree that you are open to it, the degree that you are capable of understanding. You will find that there is no limit to understanding, which is to say, there is far more than we can know, by infinitudes. Though what we know now is more than what they knew then, by infinitudes, in the old Aeons of Imperial rule.

Do you notice how different the Hokum hole is, when I am here with you, or you with grandfather, or all of us together?"

"It is more like waking life, grandmother. More like a mirror, when it is only you and I together. Grandfather makes it...weird."

"(laughing) That is something to call it, surely. Trickster, is another way to say it."

"It's always warm though. I like it best when we're all together."

"That it is; and me too. Anyway, the Hokum you and I are standing in is one of the most mysterious of constructions anywhere on this earth, which is how your grandfather and I like it; which makes it one of the safest of Hokum holes  anywhere, perhaps the safest. A destination for many Knowing. This place, Bella Forge, where we live was one of the first, in fact, going back many, many generations. But such is the paradox of existence, nothing in this world or that or any world, is not in flux - which is a way of saying it without scaring you, about what's out there. Just don't wander into the wasteland, is all you need to be concerned about now. Someday, though, you will cross that wasteland, alone.

There are all kinds of hokum holes, of every character imaginable, some safe, some not, some designed as schools, others as spiritual sanctuaries, others as dens of various addictions. Hokums like labyrinths not for getting lost in. Others have never been seen from the inside, but by their builders. Each projected into asima, many accessible from the stream, if you are skilled enough to travel. Which means I can go and talk like this with anyone, in just about any hokum, anywhere in the world. Other Hokums are not accessible, some not so easy to see at all, when travelling through asima, as if they do not exist; like this one - others, because things go on there the builders do not want the world to see. Which is some of what your grandfather and I do, keeping an eye on Hokum holes.

Not so many people are capable of travelling, actually. Some never leave the world of hokum holes, fully into asima, others never know any hokum, but maybe one, others never enter one hokum their entire life; some live mostly as humans always have, going WAY back. The buffalo roam again, you know, and people hunt them with bows and arrows, from horses, following the herd - you could choose to live like that, if you wan't to; many who do, live like that always, just like they used to. Others have been asima travelers, or hokum holers, but have given it up for reasons of their own. Most people, it is safe to say, use it as an entertainment."

"Entertainment, grandmother?"

"Almost everything conceivable, is accessible through asima. At some point long ago, the connections had grown so strong in the network, so intertwined, so energetic, that Gaia began to speak through that signal, to people. After that, construction of the thing expanded, such that the consciousness of Gaia is now available to anyone who wishes to know it. In fact, even to enter a Hokum hole, is to be influenced by it, even if you aren't aware of it, I think. Consciousness is such now that it envelopes the earth. Even the Sun now, even the moon, and all the planets, each with their own consciousness, their own resonance, are somehow connected. Even, as I said earlier, the Galaxy; but all these take courage to face, and expertise and strength besides, and sufficient access; and there is a force in this world that would separate us from that, which access together your grandfather and I and the honor/bound and most of the people of the world now endeavor to protect. Because the thing we know indisputably, is like a thing that used to be said by an old religion about the fruit of the Tree of Life, that we are immortal. And this life is like a way station, truly a garden, and freedom is unlimited, if we have the courage to cultivate and maintain it. Lacking courage, we risk enslavement.

Which you asked about entertainment. Most people prefer simple enjoyments. Most people prefer preoccupation with the daily affairs and dramas of waking life, than to take time to understand deeper realities, about waking life or asima, that is my judgement. People are easily distracted, and forget the world of daily life needs the work of caring, dedicated hands.

During the Aeons of empire, they had things they called machines which "made" food and "made" clothes, which did the work of people. Many were idle, gorged of entertainments; mischief abounded and the world was brought to the brink of devastation - business as usual, is what that was called. We of course could make such machines now, but people don't, mostly, because most people know now, people need something to do, and there is dignity in making things well, by hand, growing food - following buffalo. So now most things are made by people, with simple hand tools. What machines exist are small, simple; or small and complex, necessary for maintenance to the hardware of the network, mostly. There's technology enough that no one goes without. Everyone who wants access has it. Besides, if someone were building something Gaia didn't want, the honor/bound would know it, I expect.

The network now is like a living thing almost, powering itself mostly, even fixing itself, we're not sure how. She is a wise one, quite mysterious and not all-revealing. No human soul could comprehend All any planet knows, by definition. What plan She has not even the honor/bound know. Or perhaps they do which is why they are so...focused."

"I feel like I can do anything here in the hokum hole!"

"You think so? Come here, stand beside me. That's right, hold my hand."

"Grandmother!"

"Stay still! Hold to the wall; the Hokum now is far below. There is this stone ledge, our teaching platform far, far below - see it! - nothing but sky and rock wall above, the furious wind and the biting cold! It is twilight!"

"Grandmother! I'm cold! What is happening. This mountain was not here before!"

"Look at me now. That's right, look me in the eyes. Do you feel the wind? Do you feel that it is warm."

"It is grandmother! It is warm now, but the wind is strong and it's a long way down!"

"See now, how I am kneeling, how I hold this stone wall with one hand, how I lean out away from the ledge; now I'm changing hands and turning. Can you climb on my back?"

"Grandmother, I'm afraid!"

"Child, climb on my back now. This is not waking consciousness. I will catch you if you fall. Climb on to my back now. That's right. You are very strong. Now hold on tight...but don't strangle me. Now we're standing up together, leaning out,"

"Grandmother no!"

"Does this feel like gravity child, that we are falling!"

"Grandmother!"

"What do you feel child!"

"Grandmother!"

What do you feel child! The trees grow closer! Look how fast the rock wall passes by, our hair pointing to the sky, we have to yell to hear each other!"

"Fly Grandmother! Fly!"

"What does that feel like now child!"

"We're Flying grandmother! We're flying. The river, look!"

"Can you feel it, child!"

"What, grandmother?!"

"Can you feel all of this! Can you fly?"

"I can't, grandmother!"

"That's ok, child. Remember it. I think now we will perch right there, in that tree on that big limb, at the river's edge, there by the confluence.

Wait, here we are again, on our teaching platform."

"Grandmother, that was awesome! Can we do it again!"

"Not tonight, child. It's late and it's time for bed."

"Grandmother!"

"Hush child. Bother your grandfather about it tomorrow."

"Are you crazy! If you can do that, no way am I doing that with grandfather! He'll fly me through some crazy place I've never seen before and freak me out! Show me a PLANET or something!"

"Well, my guess is, child, if he wants to teach you that Way, he will, whatever you think about it. Just remember, when he does, because he'll do it when you least expect it, remember he will not put you in any harm; and you are your own consciousness, your own prime actor. You decide how you respond, ok. Be strong. Now, off to bed."

"Grandmother..."(They go together)

"Good night, child."

"Good night, grandmother. And thanks, that was awesome!"

"Good night, grandchild." (he said)

"Good night, grandfather! We flew tonight! Grandmother and I flew together!"

"Yes, I can smell it on your grandmother!"

"What do you mean, grandfather?"

"She stinks!"

"Grandfather!"

"Grandfather, (she said). Good night again, grandchild.

"Goodnight! Wait, grandmother? How come you said you would have to walk me back from wherever I was, if I had gone too far, in the hokum before you got there - if we can fly like that together?"

"That's right child. Now you are beginning to understand. Goodnight. Try dreaming like that." 

(On the patio, surrounded by summer flowers, a calm, warm evening of many stars)

"You went flying, woman."

"I did, man. Make sure sometime you surprise the child, when it's time, btw, and fly through a landscape appropriate to "freak" the child out."

"OK. Meanwhile."

"My glass is nearly empty." (smile)