This combined narrative dialogue and play is about the uncreated, unborn and undying transcendent Self of God-consciousness and Buddha-nature. It describes an odyssey of transcendent Consciousness Awakening and Remembrance, as viewed from transpersonal and primarily post-metaphysical Onliness Way of Enlightenment perspective.
The conversational interaction between the two characters of this book, which concerns their shared journey of transcendental Nondual Spirit-as-Spirit Consciousness Realization, is primarily intended to be read as a narrative dialogue. However, it is also created and structured in play format, and is intended to be presented to an audience as a play. And herein lies a formidable presentation problem.
As a play, it almost certainly has a very limited audience appeal. In relation to the current content tastes of people of a general audience, the play has no scenes of violence, gun-play, murder, fighting, battles, sex scenes, yelling, screaming, car chases, flying saucers, and no bad guys versus good guys, monsters, vampires, aliens or cyborgs. The play simply involves the quiet dialogue between two characters over a sixteen year period, set in various scenic locations.
So, speaking from the more cynical and pessimistic side of egoic self, I would say, to borrow the phrase of the burly “Mr. T” of the old TV series called “The A Team”, “I pity the fool” who tries to present this play to a general audience. This would almost certainly be a disaster. On the other hand, I suspect that there is a small, or should I say very small, and select audience of people who would variously enjoy and appreciate this play, and derive useful meaning and insight from it.
So, speaking from the more optimistic and supportive side of egoic self, I would praise and encourage anyone, any producer, director, cast and crew, who had the courage, chutzpah, and theatrical nerve and skills to present this play to any audience, selective or otherwise.
Excerpt:
Act 1, Scene 1
A man and a woman slowly walk alone, along a path together through the rolling wooded hills of mostly large oak and maple trees in southwest Wisconsin’s uplands area. They appear to be quietly talking and gesturing as they walk. It is a pleasantly warm and mostly sunny day with scattered white clouds floating high above. The quiet songs and sounds of birds are in the air. They are walking along the side of one of these steep and heavily wooded hills. In awhile they stop at a rocky out-cropping along the hill, in a small and fairly level area within the secluded woods. Each sits down upon the ground on the dry leaves and grass, resting their backs on the trunks of two adjacent trees. The audience views these two face-on within this setting. The man, a teacher and professor here and there, now and then, a kind of vagabond scholar speaks:
Vagabond Scholar (VS): Supposed sage, I've come to you to see if you have anything of worth to say to me. My learned friend tells me that you do. He says that he has spoken with you many times. But I’m wondering who and what it is you claim to be?
Sage: No one special or apart.
VS: What kind of counsel and advice can I expect to hear from you? And how can it be of any value or practical use to me?
Sage: There is nothing to be gained or achieved in what I say to you. Nothing to be sought or attained.
VS: That doesn't sound very helpful to me. What then is the purpose of your particular counsel and advice?
Sage: It has neither purpose nor goal to be accomplished. And I have no special counsel or advice to offer you.
VS: That's a hell of a note! Of what worth to me then is any of what you have to say?
Sage: What I speak of is not easily understood, and is of itself fundamentally worthless without the ordeal of transcendent Recognition and Transformation so as to Reveal the transpersonal transcendental Self of which I speak. Be Aware of the Way in which I Teach, and how I Am with You. Pay close attention.
VS: None of this encourages me. You're said to be a sage, but I'm skeptical about such pretentious words and designations. Being a sage; what kind of ego-trip is that? And anyway, I doubt you are a sage.
Sage: What I am or am not is not important. Why is it you come to me?
(Vagabond Scholar hesitates and is silent for a moment)
VS: More and more, my life seems empty and meaningless to me. I come to you down-hearted and discouraged; full of heartache and trouble. What I seek from you is a new and better direction, a greater and more noble goal in life to which I can aspire.
Sage: If your despair is focused within the realm-wave consciousness of personal egoic suffering in life, seek psychological counseling and psychotherapy. Find a trusted and insightful psychotherapist, an ego-psychologic counselor. In this way, you can began to consciously acknowledge, re-own and re-integrate into your egoic self-structure the pre-personal and personal based neurotic shadow dimensions of self that, primarily due to experiences of emotional trauma, pain, dread and/or fear, you’ve become alienated from, and have subconsciously suppressed, denied, repressed or perhaps projected onto others. And unless such per-personal and personal subconscious shadow qualities of self can be consciously recognized, acknowledged and re-integrated into self, they can subsequently reverberate within, and pathologically disrupt, further transpersonal transformational spiritual development as well. But if it is transformative transcendental spiritual counsel and guidance you seek, then first you need to know that such seeking and pursuing is itself the problem. What exactly is it you want from me?
VS: Primarily, I need your guidance and direction toward transcendent spiritual Enlightenment. And now you say my seeking such direction is the problem. You're supposed to be the sage and teacher here, so teach me.
Sage: You seek that which You already fully are and have always been, and will always be. What you actually seek from me is not direction and guidance toward , but evasion of and escape from transcendent Realization of Enlightenment. This is your self deception.
VS: That’s crazy. But if what you say were so, what then would you suggest I do? How in the world would I go about achieving what is called Enlightenment?
Sage: First, fully recognize that your pursuit to achieve and attain Enlightenment is your way of avoiding it.
VS: I see. Do you claim to be an Enlightened person?
Sage: No.
VS: This is not too reassuring. But if you should become my spiritual teacher and guide, how can I know, and be sure, that you will be there for me when I need you? How can I trust and depend on you in this way?
Sage: Here I Am. The Way I teach is the Way of Onliness Awakening to Enlightenment. If you want to learn, I Am with You as Your teacher at any time and always.
VS: That’s a strange way to put it. Tell me, are you a spiritual guide and teacher to other people also?
