View source for Holos/The Enlightenment of Galeo

Blessed is one who reads these words and gains Knowledge.<br />
May this testimony be a sign of great things to come<br />
That bring the immortal race of perfect humanity<br />
Into full being with the Whole.<br />
<br />
I, Galeo, who also am your brother,<br />
Sat in repose in my chamber<br />
Contemplating the end of my life.<br />
My mind was troubled<br />
My spirit was shadowed<br />
My body was tired unto death.<br />
<br />
As I reached for a dagger to spill my life's blood,<br />
I heard a noise like a great trumpet<br />
Though there was no sound<br />
And my chamber was willed with a blinding Light.<br />
<br />
I was afraid, and yet<br />
Behold!<br />
<br />
The Light wrapped me in healing Power<br />
And the a mighty Voice spoke to me, saying,<br />
'''"You are a prisoner wishing to be free.'''<br />
'''You have been imprisoned all your life'''<br />
'''Never to walk in the true world,'''<br />
'''You have been blind'''<br />
'''Never to see the Light that is true Light."'''<br />
<br />
I asked the Voice,<br />
"Where is my prison?<br />
And how may I leave it?"<br />
The voice replied,<br />
'''"Come, and see."'''<br />
<br />
A bright light flashed around me, and then<br />
Behold!<br />
<br />
I saw myself in a large cave deep within the earth.<br />
All around me were prisoners<br />
Shackled hand and foot with heavy chains.<br />
Their heads were bound also<br />
So that they could not look from side to side<br />
And they could not see the cave around them;<br />
They could only look<br />
Ahead<br />
At one wall in front of them.<br />
<br />
Behind the prisoners a large fire burned<br />
Lighting the cave.<br />
In front of the fire many objects were made to move;<br />
Objects of stone,<br />
Wood,<br />
Metal,<br />
Clay,<br />
Objects that had the shape of men,<br />
Trees,<br />
Animals,<br />
Birds,<br />
So that shadows were cast on the wall<br />
For all of the prisoners to watch.<br />
<br />
When one object passed in front of the fire<br />
That had the shape of a horse,<br />
The prisoners said, "It is a horse."<br />
And when another object passed in front of the fire<br />
That had the shape of a crow,<br />
The prisoners said, "It is a crow."<br />
And when one prisoner could correctly guess<br />
Which shape would follow another,<br />
The others would praise his wisdom<br />
And marvel at his understanding of the world.<br />
<br />
I asked the Voice,<br />
"Why do they not see that these are only shadows?"<br />
The Voice replied,<br />
'''"They have been imprisoned here all their lives'''<br />
'''And they believe the shadows to be Reality'''<br />
'''For the shadows are all that they have ever known."'''<br />
<br />
Suddenly there came a loud crack of breaking metal<br />
And the shackles fell away from one of the prisoners.<br />
He stood up and began to move around the cave.<br />
<br />
He came to the place where the objects move<br />
Between the fire and the wall<br />
But he could not recognize the objects that had made the shadows.<br />
He returned to the place where he had been sitting<br />
And went back to watching the shadows.<br />
<br />
And the Voice said,<br />
'''"Here are the ones who find true Knowledge'''<br />
'''But do not recognize it.'''<br />
'''They will not leave the cave'''<br />
'''For they believe the shadows on the wall to be more Real'''<br />
'''Than what they see for themselves."'''<br />
<br />
Again there came a loud crack<br />
And the shackles fell away from another prisoner.<br />
He stood up and began to move around the cave.<br />
<br />
He came to the place where the fire burns<br />
But when he looked into it,<br />
He was dazzled and blinded by the flames.<br />
He returned to the place where he had been sitting<br />
And went back to watching the shadows.<br />
<br />
And the Voice said,<br />
'''"Here are those who see the true Light'''<br />
'''But can not bear the sight of it.'''<br />
'''They will not leave the cave'''<br />
'''For they would rather watch what they can see clearly'''<br />
'''And hold to be Real."'''<br />
<br />
A third time there came a loud crack<br />
And the shackles fell away from another prisoner.<br />
He stood up and began to move around the cave.<br />
<br />
He moved around the cave for a long time<br />
Until at last he found a hidden passage in the rock.<br />
He crawled along the passage<br />
And disappeared from my sight.<br />
<br />
I asked the Voice,<br />
"Where will this one go?"<br />
The Voice answered,<br />
'''"Here are those who will find their way to the surface.'''<br />
'''They will leave the cave and walk in the sun.'''<br />
'''They will be blinded by Light'''<br />
'''And burned by heat'''<br />
'''And lashed by winds'''<br />
'''But soon they will grow used to these.'''<br />
'''They will see more and more things around them,'''<br />
'''The cause of seasons,'''<br />
'''The motions of the stars,'''<br />
'''And the nature of all things truly Real."'''<br />
<br />
Now it seemed I heard another Voice<br />
And the second Voice cried,<br />
'''"Woe to those who are still imprisoned!'''<br />
'''Woe to those who have never seen the Light!'''<br />
'''One must go and bring them up from their bondage!'''<br />
'''But who will go for us?'''<br />
'''And who shall we send?"'''<br />
<br />
And I said,<br />
"Here I am. Send me!"<br />
<br />
The first Voice spoke again,<br />
'''"Once you have seen the Light'''<br />
'''You will lose sight of the shadows.'''<br />
'''You will remember what had passed for wisdom among the prisoners'''<br />
'''And you will disdain it.'''<br />
'''You will play their game of guessing which shadow will come next'''<br />
'''And you will do badly at it.'''<br />
'''They will say that your eyes are corrupted'''<br />
'''And that it is not worth trying to go up'''<br />
'''And if they can get their hands on you'''<br />
'''They will kill you."'''<br />
<br />
And I was deeply afraid<br />
But the second Voice called out,<br />
'''"Fear not!'''<br />
'''For you will gather to you those of the immortal race of perfect humanity.'''<br />
'''You will share your Knowledge with them'''<br />
'''And bring them up beside you.'''<br />
'''This is what you are for.'''<br />
'''And when you have left the cave'''<br />
'''You will never again be imprisoned'''<br />
'''But you will return to the Light'''<br />
'''To live in perfect Whole'''<br />
'''Forever."'''<br />
<br />
Immediately I woke in my chamber<br />
Alone<br />
And began to write all that I have now told.<br />
Let the Whole who is Light be praised<br />
And let all who would Know<br />
'''''Come, and see.'''''<br />