Whispers From Beyond

THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN

And the jewel in the crown shown brightly from the young man's head. And he walked with the golden light of heaven shining around him even on the darkest days, and his feet were guided by his feet. And he walked the path of luxury, paved with golden stones.

Before long he came to a wide river that interrupted the path. And the river was deep, and too fast to cross. So he sat on its banks and he looked down into the water and saw his destiny in the light of an emerald, shining from the depths.

And against his parents' wishes, he would not move from the bank. And he decried his inheritance in order to spend all of his time meditating there.

Eventually people heard about him and they came to see him. People from all walks of life brought him food when he needed it and clothing when he needed it, because they knew that one day he would show them the way to happiness.

And he grew old gracefully on the banks of the river, waiting for the answer, and he grew peaceful in the waiting. And in his very old age, he had friends to bathe him and look after his health. And after a life devoted to the search for the answer through meditation, through opening to the word of God, opening to enlightenment, he passed from the world, and he fell from the banks of the river head first into the deepest part of the water.

And the last thing he saw was the shining green light of the emerald and his spirit entered the emerald and his body became part of the life of the river, and he emerged in the arms of God.

And the people gathered on the banks and were amazed. And to this day, those banks are occupied by seekers of truth and it is assured that if they sit there quietly in the presence of the one who went before them that they shall find happiness, that they shall be received into the arms of the Lord in the heaven they imagined.