Paul acknowledged the group’s sympathy.
“I think your wife understands,” said Lemu. Again, Paul noticed the strange and unsettling expression in the Nepali’s eyes. “This is an extremely comfortable hotel if she has to stay while you come withus.”
“How high do we climb?” asked one of the Germans.
“This is not a mountaineering expedition,” explained Lemu. “We will reach around four thousand meters on the Annapurna Sanctuary. There will be excellent views of the Annapurna range and of Machhapuchhre, the holy mountain, also known as fish tail.”
The group was beginning to forge that peculiar and temporary bond that forms on occasions such as these. Paul felt a warmth building within the group and chatted briefly with the nurses and the Londoners. The German and Dutch couple both spoke reasonable English.
Lemu seemed to sink into a meditative trance at this point, seemingly fading into the background. Paul still had an odd feeling about the man. Paul felt he could not leave Kate much longer and stood up. Lemu immediately sparked into life.
Paul told him that if he was not here packed and ready to roll by seven-thirty they should leave without him. Lemu smiled enigmatically and just nodded. As Paul made his way across the lobby the doctor was coming the other way. He explained to Paul that he had given Kate an injection and that she had a severely bruised muscle. She would need to rest for several days and he would look in on her. He would leave his details with the hotel reception. Paul thanked him and hurried back to their room.
They had a room service dinner that evening and Kate was quite insistent that Paul went on the trek. She would come to no harm and if she was up and about in a couple of days there were plenty of shops in Kathmandu to check out. She seemed entirely relaxed about the situation so Paul spent one hour packing for the early start and went to the bar for a few beers.
Next morning early Paul awoke feeling excited. He kissed a sleepy Kate goodbye and went to meet the group.
The flight to Pokhara was a short hop and the bus ride to their starting point was potholed and bumpy. The Nepalese, Paul decided, were a happy people judging by the smiles and waves they received as they bounced through small villages set in an expanse of elephant grass and neatly planted crop fields.
The porters met them, chattering amongst themselves and set off carrying immense loads on their backs supported only by a headband. They nearly all wore flip-flops or open sandals on their feet. The whole group was astonished at the strength and speed of the porters. They had soon vanished out of sight after climbing a seemingly endless stretch of stone steps up which the group followed. The trek started to stretch out with the younger ones striding ahead. Paul stayed somewhere in the middle.
Lemu acted as the good leader, dropping back to make sure the back markers were all right and chatting with everyone. Paul found him suddenly appearing at his side.
“Uphill little steps on toes,” he advised. “Downhill walk on heels.”
“I’ll remember,” said Paul.
“First time in Nepal?” asked Lemu.
They were walking along a track on the one side of which was dense woodland and on the other more open country.
“Yes,” said Paul. “It’s stunning here, magnificent.”
“We think so,” Lemu smiled.
“Are you from Kathmandu?” Paul asked him.
“I am from a small village to the East,” he replied. “I teach in Kathmandu.”
“You’re a Buddhist, of course?”
“Yes. Most Nepalese are Hindu or Buddhist and there is a form of Tantric Buddhism here. I am a Lama, that is my caste.”
“That is a high caste?”
“Yes,” said Lemu. He paused for a moment. “You have the mark upon you.”
“The mark?” Paul felt a familiar but uncomfortable feeling beginning to throb inside.
“It is something you can sense. We will talk about it later.” Then he suddenly moved ahead at a pace Paul could not match.
The day passed amid magnificent scenery, mainly forests of Sal trees and more elephant grass.
They had lunch with a view of a magnificent valley and Paul, for the first time, began to loosen up and allow himself to feel the energy of this place. The porters were astonishing, conjuring up a delicious lunch of hot puris and chicken rice before packing up again and setting off in advance to set up the first night’s camp.
That night, with the tents erected and supper on the table, plenty of beer and wine was consumed and everyone took turns singing songs. There was a truly happy atmosphere in this group the like of which Paul had seldom experienced. Kate would have loved it.
The air had become thinner but no one was suffering from altitude sickness just yet. He found Lemu sitting next to him at one point with that strange look in his eye, almost of recognition.
The days that followed saw them ascend through rough forest trails, stumbling over tree roots and rocky outcrops. It was tough going for some of the group. Paul was fairly fit but even he was beginning to puff and pant and to sweat.
They trooped through mountain villages perched on the slopes of steep hillsides with crops planted in neat terraces that resembled a Roman amphitheatre but vibrant with colour, verdant and redolent with tantalizing scents and perfumes. Notable were the wild cannabis bushes growing to around twelve or fifteen feet. If leaves and twigs were pulled off, crushed and inhaled it didn’t result in a drug-induced high but more a pleasant feeling of energy and euphoria.
Deep in the valley could be seen glimpses of the Seti River, flecked with white as it tumbled down its deep gorge. Paul could swear he could see fluctuating rays of light emanating from many of the trees and plants and felt a oneness with creation and with the energy fields upon which all life and all existence depended.
All of this time, Paul was convinced that Lemu wanted to say something important to him. Was he another cog in the angelic chain? He knew it would only be matter of time before Lemu spoke openly to him.
It was on the third day that Paul’s intuition was proved to be correct. And it wasn’t just any day. It coincided with one of the most awe inspiring sights Paul had ever seen.
They had rounded a bluff after struggling for hours through rough vegetation, rhododendron forests and a barely navigable path near the village of Santai when, with the evening sun about set, their tents erected and the aroma of a spicy curry drifting through the air, they had their first clear views of Machhapuchhre and Annapurna two and five.
No one spoke for a good minute. Paul stood and stared at the immensity of the snow filled mountain peaks, painted deep yellow and pink from the dying sun. Paul could understand now why people who lived in regions of the Earth like this regarded mountains as the home of the Gods. The air was thin but clean and seemed to cut through and remove years of pollution and grime from the lungs leaving them rejuvenated.
“It is beautiful, no?” whispered Lemu, who had the unnerving habit of appearing by your side suddenly, as though he was a ghost.
“Absolutely mind blowing,” said Paul.
“Would you like to meditate with me?”
Paul glanced at him. His expression was unreadable, inscrutable.
“Yes,” he replied. “I would.”
Saying nothing, Lemu walked off around the edge of the camp and Paul followed. Soon they came to a small clearing with an even more perfect view of the mountains. Lemu gestured Paul sit down alongside him and went immediately into a trance-like state. Paul did likewise, using the mantra he had been taught at his transcendental meditation classes. Oddly enough, although the mantra worked, it appeared to be a sound that fell short of matching the magnificence of the location and the spirituality of the moment. He heard Lemu droning a Buddhist chant very quietly and allowed his mind to let thoughts enter and leave as they pleased aware that he, the real he, was observing them rather than being part of them. Moments came when thoughts ceased and he could remain perfectly still in the present moment.
This seeme
d to last for an eternity until he heard Lemu address him.
“I have seen them,” he said.
“Them?”
“You might call them angels, I might call them departed Bodhisattvas. But, they are the watchers in the universe. We are all part of a development that will transform the human race, not overnight, but over a period of time. It has been coming since always. I had a dream a man would come to Nepal. Like anyone else I questioned it. Was it just imagination or was it predestined? And now you are here.”
“How do you know I’m the one?”
“I know.” He sounded certain. Paul was filled with doubt, excitement, fear and trepidation. He understood then some important factors in all this. Firstly, he knew that he understood almost nothing. He had skipped through Kathmandu like a tourist and had just imbibed the overall atmosphere. Secondly, he was now totally confused about events of the past and those to come.
“Your confusion will pass,” Lemu informed him. “You must try to practice a particular method of burning off all the rubbish and shit that everyone accumulates. You must sit still and visualize fire and light pouring from your fingertips. To actually see what appear to be real flames will take a long time but you must persevere. Play with the light energy and you will find with much practice that many of your fears and confusions will be burnt away like dust.”
“It sounds incredibly difficult and all too easy,” said Paul. “I do sometimes see what look like flames emerging from trees and plants and sometimes from people, but it lasts a fraction of a second, before I can really take it on board.”
He laughed in a bright bell like voice. “You have time. Tell me everything.”
Before Paul could apply the brake to his own thoughts, emotions and fears, he found himself recounting his experiences, his real fears that some kind of negative force or evil would do him serious harm, drive him insane or even cause his death and his struggle with conflicting beliefs that what he had been told would actually take place and was real – in the normally accepted sense of the word – or indicate some kind of mental instability, even schizophrenia.
It all poured out, the emotions, the terror, the joy, the disbelief, much to his utter astonishment. He had never expressed all this to anyone else in this way, even to Malone. The concept of the Light of the World being alive on Earth today who would unify religions, beliefs, peoples, countries, politics was truly awesome. Even more staggering was the effect on the human species. We would develop our innate faculties. We would understand the energy flow of the universe, both visible and occult or hidden. We would move to a higher plane of existence. And every human being would feel this individually whether they were dealmakers in Hollywood, drug dealers in Bangkok or peasant farmers in Bangladesh.
Paul was half aware of Lemu. He was etched against the mountain like a carved statue. The light was fading rapidly and an empty blackness was sliding up from the valley like a cloak.
When Paul had finished his outpouring, Lemu said nothing at first. In the background the sounds of supper being prepared could just be heard.
“This is part of your preparation,” said Lemu. “It was necessary for you to be here in the birth country of the Buddha as it has been for you to learn and understand truths as we know them as human beings. I know that I have to give you a message. We can discuss many things together on this trip but time is short. You must listen carefully and understand.
“All of human development has been conditioned and influenced by vibratory impulses from the oneness we are all part of. Some people will call this oneness God. Others will place their beliefs in this oneness principle by focusing on an individual or a saint or a master who has been on the Earth to guide humanity into its next evolutionary phase.
The Himalayas were the focal point for the absorption of these impulses and from this landscape in the Eastern hemisphere emerged great religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, all destined in their essential essences to influence mankind and spread throughout the world.
“The wisdom tells us that the Himalayas were the focal point for masculine vibrations and the Andes for female vibrations. Until now, the masculine vibration has predominated. Asia is now spiritually bankrupt and I do not need to tell you about global terrorism or the secret groups of world leaders plotting against us or of the dark age of the soul that has overcome large sections of the world’s population. This is one of the reasons we are experiencing so many wars and terrorist attacks. It is the tail end of an era.
“The Earth has been embraced by this, for want of better description, galactic beam or spiritual impulse, for many thousands of years. Now, the focal point for the new age of mankind is shifting to the Western hemisphere, to the Andes and to the feminine.”
“What?” Paul was genuinely surprised.
“You are thinking my English is very good for a poor Nepalese teacher,” he giggled. “I spent three years teaching in England and in the United States so that will explain it to you.”
“I was thinking that,” said Paul.
“In Peru,” said Lemu, “there is the legend of a secret valley within which are giant manmade figures similar to those found on Christmas Island. The Incas used prayer discs of gold and there was one very special disc that was suspended at Santo Domingo, or Coricancha, in Cuzco. This disc is said to have powerful spiritual powers including that of transmutation. A group was formed in antiquity called the Brotherhood of the Seven Rays to preserve the divine truths and this group presented the great solar disc to the Incas to help unite the Quechua Indian tribes into one nation. This sun disc is no ordinary object. When used in conjunction with other mirrors of beaten gold it can heal any disease. It can also act as a spiritual gateway to other dimensions.
“The Brotherhood, which traces its ancestry back through time to earlier races that, it is said, lived on Earth, founded an abbey in this valley north of Lake Titicaca to await the arrival of the time of change, the time when the impulses shifted from East to West, from one mountain range to another. The Brotherhood also protects knowledge and information that is in advance of any other mystery, occult or spiritual wisdom we are aware of.
“The Incas had heard about this abbey but could not find it. The abbey is said to be home to many adepts and others dedicated to preserving these truths yet to be revealed to us. Eventually, the Brotherhood presented the sun disc to the Incas for their church at Corincancha, which was built on the site of an ancient holy place, and the Incas then copied the sun disc until there were many hundreds of them situated throughout their empire. When the Spanish invaded Peru, the Brotherhood reclaimed the disc to prevent it falling into the hands of the Conquistadors and a story was planted, I think that is the word, that a soldier won the disc in a gambling session and it was never seen again.”
“Extraordinary,” said Paul. “This whole business gets weirder and weirder.”
“This will be your next journey and your next experience on the way to being ready to fulfill your part in this adventure. You are here in the Himalayas because you need to absorb the masculine vibrations here before moving to experience fully those in the Andes. I cannot tell you when this will happen. I can only tell you that it will.
“I cannot tell you what importance or knowledge you have to gain from this next step on your voyage but there is something you have to be taught or to understand.”
Lemu turned and placed his hand on Paul’s arm. “This has been the most exciting episode of my life. Ever since the dream I have been watching and waiting, like you, half believing it was all nonsense. But I am from a different culture than you. Events like these seem natural, believable.
“Now, it is dark and time to eat. We should rejoin the others. Think on all I have said. There may be more I can tell you. It is a lot to take on board and even more to understand and accept.”
He rose to his feet and Paul did likewise. He really did not know what to think. These insights were remarkable and with every revelation his so-called destiny app
eared to gather a form of solidity. He couldn’t think of anything to say, although his mind was buzzing with questions. Slowly he followed Lemu back to the camp, where a bonfire was blazing and the others had started to sing whilst standing in its blazing radiance.
That night Paul could hardly sleep: a Brotherhood in Peru protecting a magical disc and a knowledge that would prepare him to meet Ru-Ah? It was just too much for an ordinary man like him to comprehend. His instinct was to dismiss it all as more impossible to prove spiritual babble , that is, until he recalled the quantum philosophy aspects and tried to put two and two together. He knew that he would never fully understand. He had to keep himself straight and sane and normal in order to live his life because it was when he allowed the full impact of events and forecasts to take hold that his own hold on his sanity started to waver. This is partly why he needed to keep telling himself that it might all be some kind of weird aberration and one he could not fully understand.
He spent as much time as he could with Lemu over the rest of the trek, which saw them begin their descent through fertile fields with views of the mountains constantly in background. It was clear that Lemu had experienced something similar to him. Lemu’s task was not to discuss the finer points of Buddhism and its history. The only comment he made regarding this was to re-state what the Buddha had actually said when asked what exactly he was. The Buddha had said simply, ‘I am awake’. That kind of summed up the whole religion for Paul. You didn’t need to know the history of every Buddhist school or the legends and stories of masters and gurus. These were plentiful. But the words, ‘I am awake’, said everything you needed to know about anything. Every religion had simple truths like this, despite the huge mountain of extraneous and often misleading window dressing and ritual created by human beings that surrounded these simple truths.
Lemu revealed other small snippets of information as they came back to his memory. He told Paul that the shift to South America from Asia would act like a magnet, drawing people into its history and culture and its revelatory powers. Lemu also felt, as Paul did, that the word ‘spiritual’ would come to be used in everyday speech as just a practical description of the human condition and be regarded as part of the whole human experience. Children would study and learn spiritually in the same way as they would learn languages and number and science. It would lose its wacky, alternative, connotations. How and when this would happen was anyone’s guess.
An Angel on My Shoulder Page 24