Once upon a time

Once Upon a Time ...

Once Upon a Time, there was a civilisation living on a planet.

They lived in harmony, and peace, with their beautiful planet. They wore white robes, and created divine art and music. The children played in paradise, and laughed and learned. The adults devoted their time to scholarship, art, and building homes and dwellings that did not hurt the planet. Each morning, they would awaken early, and go to the sea-shore, and watch the sun rise, breathing in the crystal-clear air, filling their bodies with the air of the dawn.

They would feast on nuts and fruit, for breakfast, and spend time in the forest, before undertaking their daily activities. There were teachers, and healers, and writers, and engineers, and artists, and farmers. Each person had a place in the community, and a role to play.

At the end of the day, they would gather at the sea-shore, to walk on the beach, meditate, and watch the sun go down. Then, they would have supper together, as a community, and play music, and dance, and celebrate the moon and the stars with celestial music. Couples would make love, children would swim in the moonlit ocean, and the guardians would protect them against any danger.

Then, one day, the Others came. Large space-crafts, bearing thousands of people from another civilisation. This race was proud, and wanted to conquer and rule the people. They wanted power, and authority and discipline. They wanted to mine the planet for its natural resources, and use the people as a labour force. They cut down the forests for fire-wood, and the Guardians were powerless to do anything against the superior technology of the Others.

For decades, the others ruled the planet, and decimated its natural resources. The people remembered what they had had, and started plotting to overthrow their oppressors. Many wanted a violent and bloody overthrow of the Others. Many wanted to follow the pattern of so many other civilisations over the eons, as they conquered, then overthrew each other.

But a small group had a vision. "No," they said, "There is another way". They described a way of showing their oppressors the error of their ways, of persistently and repeated instructing them of the ways of the Universe, of what it meant to live in harmony with the Whole Universe. The cynics snorted, and left in disgust, to plot their revolution, with arms and weapons. For years, a guerilla warfare existed, while the Healers (as they now called themselves) demonstrated the incredible power and force of Love. One by one, individual, by individual, they began playing their music, creating their art, and showing their oppressors that there was no need to Fear.

And then, one day, a great Council was held. The oppressors, the guerillas, and the healers, and their children, all held council on how to live together. And they chartered an agreement whereby they could all share the planet, and learn from each other. The Others would share their technology, the healers would ensure that the Universal Laws would be followed, the Guerillas would lay down their weapons and use their energy to build and repair the planet, and the children would have hope and laughter again. The Universe smiled, and the celestial stars twinkled in delight.

The end.

Kim Baker

15 Jun 1995