Tales translated by Magda Polkowska

Isis

Isis. We entered the world of Mother Isis while meditating on her card. We closed our eyes and we called her in.  I saw a calm sea and a boat drifting across it towards us. As it reached the shore, I understood this was our boat. We got in, and it floated, carrying us in an unknown direction.

We arrived at a place covered with rainbow mist; and as the boat passed through the cloud of rainbow lights, in front of our eyes magnificent land appeared. Its beauty of this landscape, yet magnified the feeling peace, that could be sensed all around. Immediately it began to fill me. Right then a woman appeared, and looking at us introduced herself.

-         I am Isis, what do you wish from me?

How beautiful she is! – I thought to myself.

Isis kept looking at Ishi with her eyes full of care, compassion and motherly love. It is so good to see you, and to be able to tell you this. So many times I saw you,  your painful loneliness, your despair, your nakedness and the harshness of  your life.

-I looked, and I suffered with you, but I could not do anything to ease your pain. All this suffering was for your good- you will understand it! Or maybe you already understand? My son, have I then wiped off the tears from your face, you would have never reached me today. You would have not arrived with your wife, to stand here in  my presence. Today I wish to embrace you, and soothe your heart, hold you close, so you might feel my hands on your strong shoulders. I wish to tell you that from today on you are taking off the crown of thorns, instead I am replacing it with a crown of gold, and I am covering your naked body with a warm coat woven with colors of golden autumn. Sit down please, and leave your entire past behind you, live in the “now” and I will anoint your entire self. Know that the crown I am placing on your head is invisible to people, even though from the planet earth it is visible throughout the whole Universe. It shines like a star in the sky, because this is who you are to me- to us- all those who love you and  are looking at your life from above.

Ishi, deeply moved, asks Isis for a similar gift for his wife Oshi. Isis answers:

-You love each other with pure love, you are one- one mind, one body.

In this moment I feel myself shrinking, I am becoming very small and I slip underneath Ishi’s coat. I permeate his body: my hand becomes his hand, my arms seeps into his arm, I fill his body with myself, but he is also within me. I felt the oneness of our bodies, and I heard the voice of Isis.

-Ishi, please do not hold back the tears that wish to flow, let them out.  They are so precious to you that you do not allow them to stream down your face- why? Know that they have magical power. They have the power of  life, they have the power to awaken dead human souls. Please allow me to collect them from your beautiful face into this tiny flask, and I will use them to sprinkle onto sad frozen hearts.

Still carrying me within his body, Ishi gracefully lifts himself up ready to walk away. The Goddess is gazing at him with her magnetic eyes.

-Mother, may I say good bye to you? – Ishi asks.

-Yes, Ishi – Isis answers holding him tenderly in her arms. From today on your body will remember my touch, a trace of my energy. You are a child of a goddess, and her power protects you. Do not fear, return to your world. Know that I am always beside you- in clouds and flowers, that you look at, I am in the air that you breathe, I am the earth that you walk upon. Know that I am your mother and I am always with you, you are never alone. Remember this!

We walked on, joined into one being. Strong Ishi carried me within his body. Together we passed through the rainbow mist- the border, which separates two worlds. We sat in the boat separately now, as my own body was given back to me. The boat flowed calmly,  carried by the sea waves. I rested my head on the knees of my beautiful Ishi. Gently he was touching my hair. His eyes still reflected the image of the Mother Isis.



Eurynome

To reveal her world, Eurynome says: meditate on your body, just on one part of your body; and let the other ones disappear, let them fade away with each breath. When only that one chosen part of the body remains in your awareness, you will soon realize, that with the next breath, even that one is taken away from you. Eurynome, reminds us that with each breath we are nearing the end.

Beautiful figures of many colors and amazing shapes, like in a kaleidoscope, appeared in front of my eyes. I admired their perfection. I was near reaching a feeling of ecstasy, when the figures all of a sudden disappeared. In the center of my mind’s eye I saw a moth. Large, black, pollen covered wings. ‘What an ugly sight’ I thought. I feel quite a resentment towards these creatures. I have always associated them with death. Why? I could not understand the connection between the beauty of the ecstasy I have just nearly experienced and the moth which has always given me a sense of fear. Could it be that Eurynome was trying to show me that death could be ecstatic?

As I am asking this question, Eurynome answers by taking me to an autumn park. It is late fall. Not one leaf remains on the trees. Dried out grasses. This picture is supposed to be gloomy and depressing, but somehow I do not perceive it as such. I remain calm, even though the park appears empty, as if all of its beauty has been stolen.  I feel a strong wish to stay here. I walk down an alley, in silence, fully accepting the passing of seasons, people, situations. I notice worms crawling out of the ground. Graciously they hold up their heads up above the surface, each wearing a little hat. They bow with dignity. Could it be they are bowing to me? I ask myself with surprise.

Bow  back to them - I hear Ishi’s voice.

My dear, you are here!

We are in the autumn park of our lives. And you are here with me. I am so happy! Do you know that Eurynome brought us here, to show us the ecstasy of dying? Is it possible that death can be ecstatic? The worms are saying something to us. We sit on the ground, right next to them, and we listen to their story- the story of how they make passageways through and across the soil, and how they listen to everything that happens on the earth’s surface. They hear the fast pace of human affairs and the meaningless conversations about nothing.

Why do people waste their time so much? Us, worms, we always work, drilling the labyrinths of underground corridors. These are pathways for our children and wives, for the weaker ones. In our nation we do not think in terms of “I”, we see everything in terms of “we”, “us”. That is how we know that in the next life we will continue to evolve, since we are free of egoism,  and of “I” notion. Of course, we can dream to….  Please tell us, what do you long for, what do worms dream for?  What could anyone wish for, when knowing that the moment of their death has come, when knowing that this is the last time they are seeing the world?  We simply accept it. Some worms, when still young, dreamed of becoming snakes. Our powerful cousins  are sneaky and dangerous. Or to become birds. We are afraid of birds, they are danger to our lives. So the young ones dream of becoming someone, that others are scared of. For those young ones, those not so aware yet, this could be quite an exciting concept. But from today’s perspective, I can tell you honestly that now we do not wish to become anything else. It is known that we have this, and no other, form; and no matter how long we would digest the thought about something that could have been, we still cannot change who we are, so it is much better and easier to simply see oneself as one is. To see the self, the only self that one should ever change and improve on the path to perfection. Today the day of transformation has come. Today we give away our lives.  Whom will we become next? We would only wish to keep our awareness, but even if that is not our destiny, oh well… We are at peace. I see this peace, in their movement and in their words. I am deeply touched. The oldest worm takes off the hat and bows down in a greeting gesture. They are bidding us farewell. I feel they are asking of us to leave them now, they wish to remain alone and depart from this world fully aware. I am moved by their calmness and wisdom. Together with Ishi we continue on.

A birdsong breaks the silence of our reflection. Right above us, there are two gray sparrows flying. Beautiful. They wish to sing for us so many messages, they wish to show us so much. But  with each moment they are becoming more weary, even though it is their hearts’ wish to keep flying, chirping, and playing in the air - but they are loosing their strength! Yet till the very end they keep on moving their tired wings with elegance.

Ishi they are dying! How can we help them? They are not ready. They are fighting with themselves,they want to keep singing, to show something. Their bodies are still young, but their hearts are slowly dying – why

Because they have not sang all of their songs yet.  They will continue singing in the next form- Ishi assures me calmly.

At the sound of his words, from high above, two dead bodies of little birds fall down on the ground at our feet. These little creatures only a moment ago had so much to tell us. Tears flow down my face. I kneel down and place one of the birds in my hands. Ishi takes the other one. Pain fills my heart, when all of a sudden their dead bodies transform into two flower buds. I touch the delicate flower petals, not even silk comes close to their softness. How beautiful! We continue walking, holding on to the flowers. We pass by a rushing stream.

Ishi, let’s put  these flowers into  the stream! At the very moment of touching the water, they take on yet a different form. They become two strong, healthy salmon. My heart is amazed. Ishi, our birds did not die, they are alive, is this what transformation is? Is that why you always told me not to be afraid of death; that dying and being born is one thing, while we, the numerous beings, are in the continues wheel of samsara, until the moment we achieve liberation, when our karma is completely burned off, and we free ourselves from incarnating again? Is this when we feel ecstasy? – Ishi, am I understanding this correctly?

Yes, my dear.

He embraced me  and said - Do you hear what the fish are talking about?  They are speaking!

These human beings are such strange creatures. Why don’t they kill fish. Why do they let us back into the river, saving our lives? What strange beings!- the fish proclaims, with her mouth visible above the water.

We smile to each other.

An old tree, growing nearby, dry and without leaves, bows down to us and invites to sit down underneath it. It has a very sad voice.

Every year I experience the tragedy of loosing my children. They die and leave me. Each year I hold on to them stronger, they grow into me with their gentle leaves, begging me: mother, please do not let us leave, hold on to us, we are scared. And I keep holding them by night and day. Me, the tragic mother, that keeps loosing her children throughout all her life. In my helplessness and pain I still hold them. But when their time comes, they go. Neither I am ready for this, nor they are ready.  (Neither one is ready for this). The drama of loosing my children fills  me completely. That is why, when the wind blows, my cry is heard, a mother’s despair. All my sister trees are crying with me. And the sky is crying, too. The falling rain drops are sky’s way of saying good bye to our children. So the autumn is the time of mourning for life that has passed, but it also reminds us that nothing is forever. No matter how tight we might hold on to life, the end will come.  Valleys of sorrow and helplessness are carved in the hearts of those who stay behind.  We were not able to bring any comfort to the tragedy of this mother. There were no words to soothe her pain. We could only embrace her wide trunk, and simply hug her. We stood motionless like this for a moment. I understood in that one instant how important it is to simply be. Sometimes we do not know what to do, but really no one expects anything to be done. We do not know what to say, but no one expects our words. Sometimes close presence, touch, silence is all that we can give, and that is a lot.

Oshi, let’s go my dear, let’s leave this mother in her pain. As long as she lives, from the bottom of her bleeding heart she will sing her sad song. When you hear the humming of trees, know it is their song, a mother’s lament for the lost life of her child.

Look, Ishi, there are green frogs by the stream. But…, why are they afraid of us? They are hiding from us. We can only their fearful eyes. But we do not wish to harm them. Why do they feel scared?

Oshi, they are not afraid of you. They are afraid of me. Long time ago, I used to kill frogs. I have it written in my conscience, and they know it, and that is why they are hiding away from me. But how could they know that?

What do you mean ‘how could they know it’?  There is a big toad, sitting on a rock. She is old. She is covered with warts. What do you mean ‘how’? – impatiently asks Oshi – Don’t you know that before you leave this world, you will witness everything that you have done in this place? Both good and bad will be accompanying you into the next, better or worse, world.

Yes, I know that- answers Ishi. That is why for many years now I am trying to live mindfully, I am trying to see and feel more. But I know that nothing could justify why I have taken the lives of frogs.

Hm… Ishi, what are you talking about! – abruptly said the toad. Exactly, what life, you human beings, can take away? You are not the who gives life nor the one who takes it away. Today you see the eyes of frogs that once were your victims. There are many of them, you yourself know how many. But they are alive! You can see them, can’t you? You never took their lives away. Just for some time they changed their form and turned into your guilt.  It has accompanied you now for years. Maybe that is why you came back exactly to this spot. This is how it was supposed to be, please accept it and appreciate it. Ishi you are wise, uniquely wise, and you know how to respect what is given to you.  I wish to pass my wisdom to you; and since you and your Oshi are one being, please, you both receive my gift.

We kneeled down before the frog, humbly titling our heads. She touched our faces with her little paws. A shining ball of light rose up from her head, then divided into two parts, and hovered above our heads. After a while the lights descended into us. Then the toad, placed her paws upon our hearts, explaining that she was making them more sensitive. You are connected for ages. Even if in your human foolishness you were to separate, know that you will die together anyway -  even if there should be physical distance between you - because distance is does not to oneness. The toad said that her life was nearing the end. Just as she wanted to, she has passed down her most precious treasure to us: her wisdom, and now she could leave this world.  She also told us that we are the last beings she was seeing, and she would bring the memory of us into the next world. You will already be there, even though you are not there yet. As she was saying these words, she began to shrink, becoming smaller and smaller, until finally she disappeared completely. Together with Ishi, we cried.

The wisdom of that old toad will live on as long as there will be people with who we will continue to share it. In the moment of death we will not be holding on to anything within us. Before death comes, we wish to pass down to others everything that is inside, just like the old wise frog has done. The old wise frog who left so aware of her freedom and readiness.

We see a rock;  beyond it an empty river bed appears. It has been dry for some time now. It is impassible for to look at it this way. With the eyes of my imagination I am trying to bring back the time when this river was pulsating with life, when it flowed so majestically, when everyone was astonished with its power. I cannot resist to think that this dry river bed symbolizes a human body, a body of a dearly loved person who is preparing to die. Slowly its strengths are leaving one by one, and finally the body dries up. For those witnessing the process, it could seem unattractive, but in loving eyes this person forever remains a mighty flowing river.

Ishi, can you see me like this in my old age. When the body will not be so beautiful, soft and delicate anymore, when my face will be covered by wrinkles? What will you feel when you look at me? Will you be able to still desire such a body?

Yes, my love –you will always be the most beautiful to me.

And I, Ishi, when your time will be coming to an end, I will only see a young man in front of me– the young man that you will always be to me.  Lovingly I will be touch your aging body, and I will only remember the strength and the sense of security that it has always given me. I know, Ishi, that true strength does not come from the body but from the mind. Your mind is beautiful, and it will remain this way forever. Look, there is an old couple sitting on the park bench.  Broken off branches spread on the ground nearby. That is us. They are holding hands . They are looking into each others’ eyes, and even though they have two bodies, they are one. Look, the branches wish to become useful. Perhaps they wish to bring warmth to those two old people. Let’s make a fire, let’s warm them.

When Ishi started the fire, in front of our eyes, the branches transformed into bones, human bones.

I feel these are bones of the two elders we have just seen- Oshi said amazed.

The sound of a quiet sigh echoes all around. In that very moment Eurynome appears, and gently blows air on the fire. Her presence announces that a crossing to the other, better world, is taking place now. She arrived to assist.

Seeing all of this, I realized that my vision has showed me our death. The death will come, when we are ready. Without fear we will ask for it, and then Eurynome will arrive, and she will lead us through the fire of liberation.