hands up with a stubborn look on their faces. The Lion managed to say
the same thing, and his Ticklemonsters stopped, too. With that, the
Ticklemonsters abruptly turned and left, muttering to themselves,
"Trying to tell us what to do. What nerve!"
After the Ticklemonsters had gone, everyone picked himself up and headed
quickly for the border. When they reached it, they all heaved a sigh of
relief. "Thank goodness that's over," said the Lion. "It's a good thing
we knew about them not liking to be told what to do."
*
Chapter Fifteen:
Elfland
*
"Well, what next?" asked Dorothy.
"Let's look at the map," said the Tin Woodman. "Ah, of course, Elfland.
That is the last country shown on the map. The rest says, /largely
unexplored/ Maybe the Elves can tell us something of the land beyond
their border."
As they entered Elfland, Dorothy remembered the Conciencez and wondered
if the Elves were similar.
As if in answer to her question, she felt a tug on her shoelace and
heard a little voice squeaking, "Excuse me, but you're standing on my foot."
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," exclaimed Dorothy. "I didn't see you," she
said, as she bent down to pick the little fellow up. He was about
four-and-a-half inches tall and was clothed in a tightly fitted
one-piece garment of a brownish color; he had large hands and feet, too
large for the size of his body. His legs were thin and spindly, and his
large ears were pointed, as was his nose. When Dorothy picked him up, he
said, "I was sitting on my friend the rock. We were so deep in
conversation that I didn't hear you coming."
"Excuse me," said Dorothy, "but did I hear you correctly? You were
sitting on your friend the rock, having a conversation with him?"
The Elf replied, rather tartly, "You mortals are really something.
You're practically deaf, dumb, and blind. In fact, a real deaf or blind
mortal probably hears and sees more than a so-called normal one. Most
mortals are so caught up with the gaudy sights and loud sounds around
them that they do not see or hear the more subtle sights and sounds of
nature. A whole words exists of which they are totally unaware."
"Are you saying that rocks are alive?" interceded Dorothy.
The little Elf shook his head in disbelief. "All of creation is alive.
There is no such thing as being /not alive/. If something was dead, it
couldn't exist."
"What about a dead animal?" said Dorothy. "Or fish? I had a goldfish
that I loved very much and, when he died, I was very sad."
"You shouldn't have been so sad," said the Elf. "All of creation is
pulsating vibrant life energy of which the outer forms are constantly
undergoing change, but not one tiny atom of that living energy can be
destroyed. Ask any of your scientists if this is not true."
"But my goldfish did die," insisted Dorothy. "Any scientist would
testify to that."
"Of course," replied the Elf. "However, a scientist's understanding of
life energy ends with the physical death of the entity under study. The
outer appearance of your goldfish would indicate to him that the
goldfish had died. But appearances can be deceiving. The scientist knows
that the atoms of the goldfish's /dead/ body are still in motion, and
will gradually formulate individual chemicals, gases, and minerals as
the body decays and returns to the earth. These atoms, you see, will
eventually become part of some other living thing, perhaps or a flower
or a tree."
"Is that what you mean when you say my goldfish is not really dead?"
asked Dorothy. "That the atoms of its body are still in motion and will
become a part of some other living thing?"
"No," replied the Elf. "That's not what I mean, although what you say is
true; the atoms of one's body will always be alive somewhere. But these
atoms are not any more you than they are a flower or any other thing.
They are just the building blocks....
"Your feelings and your emotions -- your capacity to love, to hate: this
is all you. And this personality that is you can never die. It is not
dependent on atoms for its existence. It just borrows them to make a
garment so that it can function in the physical world, and while in that
garment it will interact with other personalities and have the
opportunity to learn and to grow through mutual experiences. The degree
to which it learns and grows will, of course, depend on the inner
desire. That inner desire for advancement is very strong in some -- yet
totally nonexistent in others. It is the responsibility of those more
advanced to assist those that are lagging behind, for it is most
important that each person's short excursion into the physical-mortal
realm not be wasted, for these are precious opportunities indeed."
"That is most interesting," replied Dorothy, "although I'm not sure that
I have understood all that you have said."
"You will in time," replied the Elf, kindly. "Now, regarding your
goldfish: as I said before, he did not die. You only assumed that he did
because his body was motionless. He is, in fact, quite alive."
"If he is alive, then where is he?" inquired Dorothy, looking rather
puzzled.
"Ah, now, that is a good question," said the Elf. "But, before I can
answer it, let me explain about the rock, and about the other living
things. All of the atoms which make up the physical world have a
counterpart which cannot be seen. This counterpart takes up the same
position in space as the atom, but extends slightly beyond it. The name
of this duplicate atom is 'ANIM.' I believe Princess Saari told you
about this."
Dorothy nodded.
"Your scientists are as yet unable to observe the ANIM, for their
instruments are not sensitive enough. However, they have observed the
effects of the ANIM through their study of anti-matter. Anti-matter is
exactly as the name implies -- the opposite of matter, and is the
substance of which infinite worlds are made, worlds which are normally
unseen by people because of the fineness of their vibratory rate. The
ultra-high frequencies of the ANIM world are simply unobservable by your
scientists, although some of your people who have very sensitive natures
have caught glimpses of these hidden worlds from time to time. All
people on earth are merely visiting the atom world. Their normal
residence is the ANIM world, but they have to enter into the dense atom
world for experiences that can only be obtained in such an environment.
"Now, when the atoms of your body began to form into molecules and cells
prior to your birth, the counterpart atoms called the ANIMs took their
place first to form the various nuclei. These were the blueprints, so to
speak. The entire process is extremely delicate and, surprisingly,
usually comes out perfect. However, sometimes outside electrical
influences are brought into the process, one such example is the
ingestion of certain toxic chemicals by the host organism -- the mother.
This can result in electrical interference. Remember, the whole process
is electrical to begin with, so it doesn't take too much to upset the
apple-cart. You may ask what directs the atoms to the various parts of
the body to form the molecules that make up the different cells that
will form the heart, the liver, kidneys, ears, eyes, teeth, bones, hair,
arms, legs, and so on; and what puts them all in their right places? And
how did each cell of the body, as it reproduced, know that it was to be
a liver cell, heart cell, et cetera? Scientists refer to this built-in
intelligence as genetic and, indeed, this is true. The genes determine
the physical makeup, the color of the eyes and hair, skin color, general
build, et cetera. But what force controls the overall process - the way
in which this genetic information is put together in the first place and
then passed on from generation to generation? What is the nature of this
living energy that appears to have an intelligence all its own? All
forms of life are dependent on this life energy. Were it suddenly to
withdraw, all life on earth would withdraw and traverse to the ANIM
world. The nature of this energy is pure light -- and it is what sustains
life on earth. Indeed, it sustains and directs life throughout the
entire universe. Another name for this universal energy is 'Love.' Yet
another name is 'God.' For us, here in Oz, it is the Great Wizard."
"My goodness," said Dorothy. "I have never heard God explained in that
way before."
"I'm afraid that the general understanding of the Universal Intelligence
is very limited," sighed the Elf. "The American Indians were one people
who had a great understanding of this Great Spirit, for they were very
close to Him through their deep awareness of the laws of nature. They
were also highly evolved spiritually, that is before the white man tried
to convert them to a religion which they themselves did not practice.
"However, to continue.... The atoms of your goldfish's body returned to
the earth, as you know. But, before that, the counterpart atoms were, in
effect, the counterpart body of your goldfish. When it was determined by
the soul of your goldfish that the physical body would no longer sustain
life, it severed the silver cord. The silver cord is the connecting link
between the two, and its primary function (other than to direct the
vital life energy to the physical body) is to allow the ANIM body to
travel away from the physical during sleep. But, once this cord is
broken, the physical body is cut off from its source of life energy and
dies immediately. No power in heaven or earth can reconnect this silver
cord once it is severed.
"Well, all you knew, of course, was that your goldfish died and you felt
a great sadness. Had you known that he was alive and well in another
dimension, you would not have been quite so sad. Especially if, during
sleep, you could have visited him. Remember, your ANIM body functions on
the same level as his does, so, just before going to sleep at night, you
could ask your soul to take you to visit him. It takes a little practice
at first, especially to entrench the memory of these meetings into the
memory region of the physical brain, but it can be done. You can meet
with anyone you like this way. It just takes determination and practice
and a conscious effort to remember the excursion upon awakening. Once
you learn to do this, you will find yourself visiting with people you
have never met before. Many beautiful experiences await those who become
aware of this other existence during sleep. Sleep is not just all dreams
and rest for the body -- although both are very necessary for physical
and mental health."
"Are you saying we live two lives simultaneously -- one on earth during
the day, and one on the ANIM level at night?"
"That is true," replied the Elf. "There is no limit to what you might be
doing at night -- visiting people you love; attending schools,
universities, lectures, and concerts; helping people such as the sick or
those on lower levels of development. Swimming, horseback riding, or
playing any number of sports; as I say, anything you can think of, you
can do. There is no awareness of these activities, because they occur
during the very deep levels of sleep and, as one approaches the
shallower levels of sleep, the activities blend into dreams. So, if
anything is remembered, it is only little bits and pieces intermingled
with fragments of half-remembered dreams."
"How fascinating," said Dorothy.
"Yes, but also sad," said the Elf. "Mortals are basically mesmerized by
the material world. So much so that they have become about ninety-nine
percent unconscious of reality. The material world is not true reality,
but is a shadow world created by the collective minds of the inhabitants
so they could experience a denseness and a harshness not found on the
higher levels. Now earth's inhabitants are trapped into an endless cycle
of physical rebirth. And, until they can generate a genuine desire for a
higher spiritual existence, they are doomed to eternal pain and anguish.
It is so sad."
The Elf shook his head. "Why mortals continue to endure a physical
existence is beyond my comprehension. I suppose, because they have lived
in the physical realm for so long, they have forgotten about the higher
life completely. Even though people from higher levels have endured
re-birth to remind them. People like Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed, just
to mention a few. Oh, a few people listened to their words with their
hearts and changed their lives, but, for the most part, what was said
fell on deaf ears; and then, through the centuries, the message brought
by these masters became distorted. And now, very few people really
understand what was said. They have twisted the true meaning to fit
whatever philosophies please them. Especially philosophies that do not
require them to work hard in order to grow spiritually, or to sacrifice
their mortal pleasure and greed, or to dedicate their lives to the
service of their fellows. Yes, it is sad indeed. Some even believe that
all they have to do is to believe certain things and they will be saved
from their mortal sins. But then they continue in the same old way,
their hearts still filled with envy, resentment, greed, and jealousy.
They use the spoken word in an unkind fashion to their fellow mortals on
a daily basis. They are inconsiderate. They harbor dark thoughts. Yet,
because they confess their sins and believe in one person as
representing God, they think they are saved. My! How they have blinded
themselves to reality. Meanwhile, various members of other religions (or
no religion, even) who have made a concentrated effort to improve their
mortal ways have earned the right to no longer have to return to the
mortal realm.
"You see, /'By your works you shall be known'/ is a true statement. This
means far more than is realized. Well, I'm afraid that I am getting far
too serious for you, my sweet young lady," said the Elf with a smile.
"Oh, no, that's all right," replied Dorothy. "I like to listen to you."
"Then perhaps one final thought on the subject," continued the Elf. "If
your fellow mortals would listen to the wisdom as given by people like
the man Jesus, and if they were to follow the directives to do good; to
express love and forgiveness; to be kind and gentle and understanding of
one another; To serve their fellows with compassion, and to love their
God (and/or Good) more than themselves, what a different place your
world would be!"
The Elf fell silent for a moment as though contemplating all he had
said... Suddenly, his face lit up as he focused his attention on Dorothy
again. "Would you like to see your little goldfish?"
"Oh, would I!" said Dorothy excitedly.
"Well, follow me, then," the Elf said as he jumped up off the rock. He
motioned everyone to be quiet as he parted some branches of a bush. He
then indicated them to walk through. They found themselves in a
clearing. It was a very busy scene, with lots of little Elves hurrying
and scurrying to and fro' between their cute little houses nestled
between an assortment of pretty trees and flowers. A beautiful fish pond
occupied the center of the clearing, and a waterfall cascaded down over
the rocks. Around the many beautiful lilies floating in the pond swam
fish of every description, including, of course, several goldfish. The
Elf motioned Dorothy to put one finger into the water. As she did so, a
little goldfish swam up to her finger and nibbled gently on it.
"It's my fish! It's my fish!" exclaimed Dorothy.
"Ssh, not so loud," hushed the Elf. "You won't scare the fish, for they
are not afraid here, but I don't want to attract the other Elves'
attention just yet, or everything will come to a standstill around here."
So far, the other Elves had not noticed them. Everyone was so intent in
his occupation.
"We don't want them to get behind with their work, you know," said the
Elf. "Your little goldfish did recognized you, didn't he?"
"Oh, yes, he did," said Dorothy. "He certainly did. I will never be sad
anymore over him."
"That's good," said the Elf. "You should try not to be so sad if someone
you love dies, because they will feel your sadness. Of course, they feel
the pain of separation too. But they know that one day you will be
together again, and they don't want you to mourn, but to be happy that
they've gone on to a better life."
"You see," the elf continued, "all forms of life are in a state of
evolution; not only physically, but spiritually, too. Unfortunately, not
all evolve as fast spiritually as they do physically. Many of your
people have advanced greatly in science and knowledge, but that
advancement is not balanced by spiritual knowledge. And so a great deal
of unnecessary suffering exists. But, to get back to your little friend
the goldfish: he is evolving, too, and no form of life can advance very
much in one short lifetime, so, after that quite short, often difficult
life spent on the mortal realm, everyone comes to a place like this for
a long rest. Well, it's usually long, but can be short, too, depending
on the need. Then they must return for another round of experiences.
Finally, one day, if their lessons are learned, they earn the right to
live in a place like our world forever, and no longer have to return to
that harsh land of yours."
"Oh, that would be wonderful!" cried Dorothy. "May I come to Elfland
when I die?"
"Of course," replied the Elf. "But you must try to live as long as you
can first, and try to overcome all of the difficulties presented to you,
and that overcoming will make you strong and will earn you a place in
this beautiful land of ours.
"Some people, unfortunately, cannot bear the difficulties that the
mortal life presents, and may, by their own hand, cut their lives short
to try to escape. But there is no real escape, for eventually, except in
rare instances, they will have to face that which they have sought to
avoid. So why prolong the agony? Learn your lessons well -- and accept
gracefully all that happens. Be positive through the bad as well as the
good. No more than this is expected of you. Now, not to change the
subject, exactly. But would you like to look around?"
"Yes, we'd love to," replied Dorothy.
"All right," said the Elf. "But no talking to anyone until his work is
done."
"When will that be?" inquired Dorothy.
"Well ... actually ... never, but they'll be having a little break
soon," replied the Elf, with a grin. "As you can see, we work very hard
here."
"Everyone seems so happy as they work," said Dorothy.
"It wasn't always this way," replied the Elf. "We used to be ruled by a
wicked king who used us as slave labor, but we broke away from that
wicked king and came here and started a new land. Now that we are free
to live as we wish, we pool our labor for the benefit of all."
"Are you the leader?" asked Dorothy.
"We don't have one," answered the Elf. "We do not allow any person or
any group of people absolute power over the rest of us."
"How are things decided, then?" asked the Tin Woodman, who had been
listening very intently.
"Well, we are not a big country," replied the Elf, "so we don't need a
full-time government."
"You do have a government, then?" said the Scarecrow.
"Oh, yes," replied the Elf. "We do, but they don't have the power over
the people like other governments. Let me explain: any group of people
called a government is only as good as the sum total of all the
individuals who make up that group. So, if the majority of these
individuals are dedicated to the good of all, then the people will have
a good government. If, however, the majority of these individuals are
dedicated only to the good of themselves and their own special
interests, then the people are short-changed and the country is
weakened. When a major decision has to be made which affects all of us,
everyone's name is thrown into a hat, then twelve of those names are
drawn. These twelve are then given the task of formulating the plan. All
of the rest of us vote on this plan. If it passes by at least eighty
percent of the vote, we assume that, since eighty or more out of a
hundred Elves want it, it will probably be good for all of us. If it
doesn't pass, we urge all who voted 'no' to carefully restudy the
proposal; then only these people vote again. Usually it passes this
time. If it doesn't, we ask those who voted 'no' again to write down
their objections; then we rewrite the proposal and everyone votes again.
The proposal very rarely fails this time. If any proposal fails by a
very large margin, we just throw it out until a better plan is
formulated. Usually everyone joins in with suggestions."
"It sounds quite simple," said Dorothy.
"It is," replied the Elf. "Our government is only in operation for one
thing at a time, so they don't try to think up new ways to control the
people, and they don't act like an all-knowing parent and treat the rest
of us like little children and say /'You can't do this'/ or /'You can't
do that'/ or /'You must do this'/ or /'You must do that/.' Since most of
us have voted '/yes'/ on everything, we ourselves have chosen to do this
or that, so we are happy to abide by the law, for we know it is for the
good of all us. We don't have that situation
where the few gain special concessions at the expense of the many."
"Well, it all sounds like a very fine arrangement," said Dorothy. "But
I'm afraid our society is far too complex for the same kind of arrangement."
"Only because you make it so," replied the Elf. "Too much mortal thought
and not enough spiritual thought is the main problem with your system.
By the way," he said, "we do not use money here. But we once did. And,
when we did, we all paid ten percent of our earnings in taxes. In other
words, we all paid an equal portion of our income, and no one was
allowed any deductions. Of course, now we don't use money anymore, so we
are required to give ten percent of our goods or services. However,
nobody abides by it because we all give more voluntarily. We have no
greed here, so we don't hoard vast amounts of goods and property. We
just take what we need for today, for that's all anybody needs. If
someone should feel he needs more -- our community warehouses are full.
But, since there is plenty for everyone, nobody bothers to acquire a
whole lot, or, if anyone does, he soon tires of it."
"What if someone is not content with one of these little houses you
have," asked Dorothy, "but wants to build a great big house on top of
the hill?"
"No problem," replied the Elf. "He just makes his wishes known on the
bulletin board in the town square, and everybody stops what he's doing
and runs to help build the house. But most Elves like to live close
together (we're very friendly). We enjoy each other's company, and are
very considerate of one another. We don't like to isolate ourselves from
our neighbors."
"Well, as I said, everyone seems so very happy," said Dorothy.
"Oh, yes," replied the Elf. "We work harder for each other than we do
for ourselves. There is great joy in helping someone else. People who
only live to take from others have very heavy hearts and sad lives.
Well, I must get back to work," said the Elf briskly. "It's been very
nice meeting you all, and I do hope you will return again to see us."
"Thank you," said Dorothy.
"You've been very kind, and we enjoyed hearing your philosophy," said
the Scarecrow.
"Well, thank you," said the Elf. "We try to keep life simple; if it gets
too complicated, too many problems start appearing."
"Oh, before you go," said Dorothy, "can you tell us about
Thoughtformland and Americanindianland?"