by Unknown
Those people who had a more philosophical approach could more easily compromise and accept their fate. There were many, however, who couldn’t, and would blame their luck for not being born later in time so that they could have the chance to see what’s coming. They believed that “he, who dies in these times, dies a thousand times”. They considered it a great loss to miss the coming of such an immediate future reality. In the end, they found consolation in the thought that at least their children would have a serious chance of being present when it happens and that they’d see the great days of the future through their eyes.
Indeed, a few decades later, the promised flourishing of culture finally came. It first influenced the European nations, which for fourteen hundred years had fallen into obscurity, caught in between warring giants. And the reason why this new wave of spiritual civilisation hit Europe first was the establishment of Norfor as a spiritual centre of the world already since the year 450 (circa 2850 AD), and of course the establishment of the Valley of the Roses.
In terms of duration, this boom in arts, letters and intellect had many similarities with the old “Greek miracle”, but in terms of space, this new European spirit did not stay localised in one place. Its initial outbreak may have been in Europe, but it rapidly spread across the whole world.
Dozens of names of cities and regions and of great figures of the new civilisation are listed in the history pages: great, wise men, spiritual leaders, artists, educators, philosophers, researchers, heroes of the human intellect and apostles of humanism, who worked and taught generation after generation, during those unforgettable sixty to seventy years in Gran Torneo and Gled, in the Gate of Lesley and Blomsterfor, in Ossen and Vikingegnist, in Leag-Aud and New Upsala, in Roselukin and, especially, in the Valley of Roses.
Their current history says that particular era—their 9th century—was the first one in the entire history of humankind that managed to depict so precisely people’s ideas and dreams and make them come alive. They told me that it was as if a divine spell was cast upon earth while those two blessed generations lived on it. Those years seemed like a dream to the world population of the time: countless immortal and everlasting artworks, secrets of the physical universe decoded, unique pieces of writing, new unheard ideas, musical harmonies that exceeded those of the ancient, for them, Germans.
But regardless of the vast differences in style and character from those of ancient Greece, the common aesthetic consciousness had risen to a level similar to that of Classical Athens. Except then the population was 10,000 and now it is millions…
THE GIANTS OF ART: LARSEN AND VALMANDEL
I remember the names of a few artworks. I hope I’m spelling them correctly: Melsam’s Marble Braids, up on the hill of Spring, the famous painting by Dora Vilen Back to the Old Path, and another highly mentioned artwork, Among the Roses by Svansen. But the true gods of art were two: Larsen and Valmandel: their equivalents to Homer and Beethoven.
Larsen, the “Homer of lyric poetry”, who with his magical lyre made the “masterpiece of poetic creation of all ages” and who left this world in 857 in Skanes, passing into immortality, showered with endless fame and deep love from his fellow citizens. Two and a half million people stood around his scented, hexagonal pyre—I saw pictures of the mournful ceremony myself on the Reigen-Swage. I remember that when the body was burnt and the ashes gathered, the crowd spontaneously broke out into endless cheers, crying full of gratitude “Larsen, Larsen,” in unison.
And three years later, on one of the first days of the summer, during a concert in the Garden of Lilies of Valmandel’s oratorio Prayer Among the Stars’ Golden Spheres, something unexpected and unprecedented in the history of symphonic music took place—something that no one had ever thought would happen: the music of leading figures such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Wagner was surpassed!
Unfortunately, I can remember only a few of the names, events, ideas and works of art that changed the history of human culture. I seriously should sit down one day and put everything I remember on paper. I’ll rack my brain in order to remember, I promise!
COMPARISONS WITH THE 20th CENTURY
Stefan told me something else that made me rejoice: that they accepted that this incredible spiritual and intellectual creation was not solely a product of the past few decades. The foundations were set by our ancestors four and a half thousand years ago! At first in the Mediterranean and then all around the world, in every corner of the world, every generation made its contribution, whether small or big, depending on their strength and capabilities, to this incomparable achievement that the human race now considers as its most valuable ornament. From the self-sacrifice of leader-heroes and the unparalleled preaching of Christ to the millions of humble and anonymous hearts within which lived the spirit of selflessness and altruism: they all contributed to this miracle! That’s what they believe.
Nowadays, the great majority of those people who don’t possess the gift of creation in any specific field find their life purpose in feeling and experiencing as intensely as possible the most important cultural acquisitions of their times. They want to make it their own and are extremely obsessed with self-cultivation.
Naturally, they have elevated their values and ideals to a great extent. They literally adore them: religion, the planet, freedom, family, humanity, education and justice echo in their hearts like the trumpets of the Revelation! And along with the old ones, they have their own, new ethical systems as well: the current perception of beauty, the spiritual sermons of the past centuries, the new waves of ideas, their institutions, their new meritocratic beliefs and their amazing achievements in the field of humanism. All these make them very sensitive and I think that’s how they have earned the faith, loyalty and trust of their fellow men.
I’m positive that every each and one of them would gladly give their lives in order to defend the global brotherhood and protect the coherence of the Universal Commonwealth. I believe that the Volkic idea and the new and wonderful meaning they have given to the deeply human moral saying: “All this pain cannot and will not go to waste, but will be justified sooner or later,” are the basis of their mentality.
They “live” the joy of nature, the joys of travel, love, music and dance, of kindness, friendship and the thrill of beholding the aesthetic. They enjoy the unimaginable, for our times, pleasure of working on what they really want, on what their souls desire, without anyone pressuring them! In this way, their inner world becomes enriched. They say that when you follow your inclinations, the aversion to evil is created automatically inside you. And the more you climb this spiritual mountain, the clearer you see life.
If one is to accept what Stefan says, it seems that this high level of inner superiority that these people have reached through their exquisite civilisation may even justify the childlike cheerfulness I have written about so many times.
They say that there is nothing simpler and easier than this happiness. Life is full of it. Creation has generously spread it everywhere: in the sunbeam that emerges after the storm, in the colour and the odour of the flowers, in the whiteness of the clouds, in the purity of thought, in the singing of the birds, in noble intentions, in good deeds… Life is a priceless, divine gift! And every aspect of our existence overflows with unadulterated joy and grace.
“Who’s blame is it that you tore your souls apart with you own hands?” Stefan asked me.
I think I just now realise how wrong the road that we had chosen was, how different from the real, simple and straight road that leads to happiness. The conditions of our lives in the 20th century were coming back to haunt me in the form of a dirge that echoed in my mind. The everyday activities and chores that killed the spirit, the routine that blackened our mood, the selfish thirst for profit, the struggle for supremacy, the eternal fear of an upcoming disaster, enemies, worries, deprivations and this whole economic, political and social anarchy that prevailed. How they harmed us! They ended up constantly poisoning our soul until they made
it atrophy and gradually become disabled. And thus we stopped enjoying the treasures of the heart.
Stefan continued. “As the years went by, you bitterly regretted it, but it was already too late. The reflections of the Great Reality, of the Samith, had definitively ceased to exist in your life. They had fallen into oblivion. Your nerves were frayed by the everyday anxieties and by suppressing the finest things you had in you for so many years you allowed your inner world to run dry.
I told him that there was also a good side to our spirited temperament and personality, all the rivalry and the war for supremacy because they were the only way for a new day to come, the only way for a step forward, for a better life. “There was creation in those battles too, not only blood and pain”, I told him. He wouldn’t even hear me out…
“Progress and improvement in your narrow living environment, yes, maybe there was, but in the context of the Samith, there wasn’t,” was the answer. “Creation sees life as an alternation between creative work, joy, inspiration and love. Life is a journey among winsome and joyful travellers.”
They don’t feel like we felt; that “you only live once”. They don’t feel that repetition makes impressions fade. “New day-new joys” is their motto. They rejoice with everything, every little thing, without expecting to gain anything from it. A simple chat with clever and pleasant people is enough to make them happy.
I remember one morning, about two months ago, when they organised a dance of thousands of people up in the mountains, just because it was the summer solstice. And I'm not talking about farmers or small children. Hordes of serious men and women started out at dawn from the villas and Orta, Varez, Arona, Streza and Luino, dressed in antiquated, traditional costumes that they had dug out from God knows where especially for that day: red socks and colourful head ribbons for the girls, embroidered waistcoats, loose white shirts and shoes with coloured laces for the boys. I saw them setting up poles adorned with garlands of fresh flowers and then dancing around them to the rhythm of their ancient, ancestral songs, celebrating the sun and the good weather, as if it were something rare on the Mediterranean coast.
I was even told that there were people who, before they died, thanked God for giving them the chance to spend the nights of May walking through the Roads of Jasmine under the stars, something that I did myself in Norfor and I have to admit was wonderful.
I think that our youth would look very old in soul and spirit compared to their mature adults. Here, even if you’re elderly, you’re still considered young. People here, along with keeping up with the serious aspects of their lives, also achieve a remarkable preservation of their child psyche. This is their secret. And it is no coincidence that one of the fundamental principles of their psychological life is summarised in the phrase: "Back to the early joys of our childhood!”
If you talk to them about resting, they’ll laugh at you! You see them feel like that and you can’t help but think: haven’t they learnt yet? Haven’t they realised the falsity of the world yet? Do they still live in a pink little bubble? Haven’t the years that have passed opened their eyes? Constant eagerness and excitement to live and travel, hopes and childhood dreams as if they’re still fifteen years old. And yet, yes; their enthusiasm is permanent and lasting! Age for them doesn’t matter. The anticipation of the end does not cause them bitterness or sorrow.
I remember seeing the new Planetarium being built, not long ago, in New Göteborg, an entire state in the forest. They said that upon entering what would be the largest of its kind in the world, you would be able to travel to infinity, so far from our solar system that it would make our sun look like a star. In special Reigen-Swage you would be able to see real landscapes of other worlds, with double and triple orange, blue and greenish suns. I heard a lot more talk like this about this future, magical state, for which the name planetarium wasn’t suitable anymore, but was still used as a figure of speech. It was being built mainly for educational purposes, for both children and adults, and it would be ready in about 20 years. A colossal project!
On the occasion of the Planetarium, I came to the conclusion that, along with the adolescents of twelve to fifteen, who were looking forward to the day they’d see it finished, the same joy was shared by the old people who had no chance whatsoever of making it to that day; a carefree, genuine joy, as if they had never grown old.
Jaeger and Stefan attribute this new mentality and temperament mainly to Volkic preaching and not as much to the material prosperity of their times since, as they told me, during the Eldere, all their economic problems had already been solved and yet, happiness was not at all secured. The youth of the era used to rush to grab what they thought of as an opportunity for happiness very early in life, and then they realised that, what they had ended up with was not what they were looking for. For true happiness cannot exist without basic, moral values that operate as the base for a person’s inner balance and give life meaning and a higher purpose. Jaeger and Stefan likened Eldere to a long, thousand-year-old era, waiting to find its saviour—its own Confucius, Christ or Socrates—which eventually found him at the Aidersen Institute.
A UNIQUE CONCERT
Majorca, 13-XII
Silvia and I went to Majorca for Olaf Ledestrem’s concert, the great maestro of New Loria, who came all the way from Norfor for this express purpose. It is scheduled for tomorrow night at the Temple of Idea, at midnight, when the whole state will be asleep.
Seven thousand loving couples came from all the surrounding Mediterranean coasts to hear this exquisite maestro. Many are already here, but there are still many more coming. In fact, Hilda and Stefan will join us as well.
I heard that Ledestrem had chosen to perform the second part—the shortest one—of Ruthemir’s glorious Mass and Beethoven’s entire Ninth Symphony.
Meanwhile, Silvia and I wandered around the whole state with its characteristic floral gardens high up on the roofs and the ornate railings on the balconies which, for some unknown reason, made me rejoice. The flowers here, however, are much less than the ones I saw in the coastal towns along the Bay of Biscay, on the west coast of France, from old Biarritz up north to the regions of Bordeaux. But what truly moved me and left me speechless was neither the flowers nor the crowds, but the existence of horse-drawn carriages, visibly different from ours, but still horse-drawn! You get on one of them and the partners of this romantic transport consortium take you on a tour to the beautiful parts of the island with the palm trees, beaches and orange groves as if nothing had changed from the times of my youth.
SILVIA’S WORLD VIEW
13-XII Again
(Late at night)
Silvia told me how lucky we are that our planet, an insignificant stone in the crown of the universe, happened to be hosting species endowed with the element of spirituality. When I told her that beauty does not exist without life, she replied that I was wrong because today they knew that only a few planets are inhabited, but all of them are beautiful...
She said that it’s not only about the existence of life on a planet, but that a percentage of that, a minimal percentage where organic life exists in the universe, evolves at more advanced stages of biological evolution and spiritual growth. And at some point of this stage of evolution, the “thirst of the soul” emerges and manifests itself through the tendency to reach and achieve things that are “incredible, inexistent and unfeasible” for many. “Then,” she said, “comes the most significant turning point in the history of spiritual culture of any kind. In the old days we thought of them as creations of the human spirit, but we now know that these manifestations stem from elsewhere and would exist elsewhere—possibly in different forms—regardless of human habitation on the planet. Similar types of psychic life would have made their appearance on other planets apart from our own. ”
She also said that one of the features of this turning point is that it generates a “common conscience and faith for the purpose of individual life”, which escapes the constraints of prosaic, rational rea
lity. She spoke to me about sensitivity, selflessness, sentimentality and voluntary sacrifice, about the inclination of the soul that can go so far as biological self-destruction, which is not a human creation. She completed her phrase by saying, “Before, the Volkic dimension of depth eluded man as a receiver.”
What she was trying to tell me was more or less what Stefan and Jaeger were trying to explain to me all the time. When I asked, she admitted that of course she didn’t know the ultimate, overall purpose of life, but that, in her view, the immediate purpose of life for every biological species with spirituality is to build, during their lifetime, the highest possible personal culture. And that’s what gives value to the lives of our own humanity. “Truly,” she said, “it's worth being born human. First we had to go through all these tests, of course, but I think that, ultimately, they were worth going through.”
It seems to me that her sole purpose was to impress me, make me pay more attention to her and maybe even to prove how fresh in her mind everything she had learned at school still was. Besides, I already knew from Stefan that that’s what they learn about at school: moral perfection rather than material prosperity, and not only in terms of the individual, but in terms of the race overall. Ultimately reaching one’s destination had nothing to do with gaining power over nature, unlocking its secrets or enslaving it, nor with technological evolution, riches and assured prosperity. They claim that those are the means, not the ends.
Sylvia added that they are aware that humankind won’t live forever, that it will be erased at some point or another. And they believe that only if our species chooses “a path towards the Samith” will we not have lived in vain.