A point of view.  © 1996
An encounter of the strangest kind.
By Paul V. Montesino, PhD
  

I write non-fiction to describe what is and fiction to describe what it should be.

This spirit had just left its bodily housing and was being catapulted into the outer fringes of the universe. As it traveled freely amongst space dust, meteors, comets, planets and bright stars, it saw another spirit going in the opposite direction.

“Where are you heading?” asked the parting spirit using spirited language.

“I am going to planet earth to be born,” responded the incoming spirit with alacrity, “where do you come from?”

“Same place. I just ended my brief journey there.”

“You did?”

“Yes. Have you ever been there?”

“No, I reckon I never have.”

“Well, you are going to be surprised.”

“I will? Is there anything you can tell me about life on planet earth?

“We don’t have much time at this speed. We must keep going. I can only give you a few facts.”

“Please do.”

“Well, they speak with each other in different tongues. It is very hard to communicate with each other.”

“Is that a fact?”

“Yes, and they love to play with balls.”

“Balls?”

“Yes. They play with all kinds of balls all the time. I even thought at one point that playing with balls was a sacred ritual because they touch some of them and avoid others, I don't know why. Some small white balls they hit with a stick and chase them all over the ground while people applaud; other bigger balls they hit with longer sticks inside big parks while running around and around in circles and going nowhere, the idea being to hit the ball outside the park with the stick and there is a bigger applause if you do that; still other bigger balls they kick from one side of the ground to the other and there are pointed shaped balls that the players grab from each other violently and then run with the ball in their hands chased by the other players until they get to the end of the field, everybody stops and the crowd goes wild. There are many others that would take too long to describe, but you get the picture.”

“I certainly do. Interesting place; Sounds like fun.”

"Well, it is fun as long as the balls they throw at you are not filled with an explosive called gun powder."

"Ugh!"

“But that is not all. Many people have ideas as well that are called religions and are supposed to earn them a place in heaven forever for following those ideas. Many have been known to kill others for not believing in what they do to get to heaven. The energies they should be investing trying to speak the same language with each other trying to improve communication is wasted instead trying to convince each other to believe as they do.”

“That bad, uh?

“Oh yes. And, this is very important, particularly for you on the way in. There are two genders: men and women. You will be born inside the body of one or the other.”

“I will?”

‘Yes. You will. There is no choice. And there is much controversy about who is better among them.”

“You mean I don’t decide?”

“No, you don’t have any more control there than you do about the color of the skin you are going to wear as dress all your life on earth, a fact that many others may even attack you for using your color in a place where others use a different color.”

“That does not sound right. And what were you on earth, man or woman? And what color was your dress?

“Me?... Hmmm… I was a… I was a… I wore a skin dress colored a… You know, it is really funny, I actually don’t remember. I spent my entire life being proud of one or the other and in the end… I just don’t remember. Well, it does not matter now, does it?”

“No, I guess it doesn’t. Have a good trip to infinity.”

“You too!”

And the spirits continued on their trip to their space destination.

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A mini-lesson in Buddhism

A newly born baby clings to its mother’s breast craving for food. If it needs or misses it then the baby suffers and cries. If it does not get it, the baby dies.

That is, of course, the first lesson we get in life: cling and crave for what we need and want, become attached to it. The lesson is learned and then we go on clinging to new attachments forever even though we are a baby no more.

We crave affection, friendship and love, or what we think they are. But we also cling to wealth, recognition, fame, beauty, and eternal youth. If we don’t get it we don’t die, but even though we don’t know what dying feels like, we suffer and feel as though we did.

Life does not end until all clinging and craving ceases and attachments become detached, but clinging can also cease so we can continue to live in peace with ourselves and the world. And that may be called time without end.