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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

No More Turning Away

In celebration of my upcoming graduation this Sunday, I've decided to post something a little different than what I normally do - something a bit "fun". This is a creative writing piece I wrote for my Judaism class (2/9/2014). It's not about Judaism in the least, but is about how a group of people might create a religion from some text (or other media) that people find after a major (world-wide) catastrophe. In my piece, I chose the album, "Momentary Lapse of Reason" by Pink Floyd as the "sacred text". Enjoy!

To our most honored elders,
I am writing to tell you of our most important discovery in the old city, one which we think will help with understanding our past and assist with organizing our future.
We uncovered an ancient text in the ruins of the old city, but it is more than just a text, it seems to be lyrics set to music. From what we can tell, this ancient volume was written by a man named Pink Floyd. We don’t know anything about this man, as we only have his writings and the music left behind. We were able to find a way to listen to the large black disk that someone in our group believes is called an “album”. The music was very interesting and the words gave us much to ponder. We spent many hours listening to this album, trying to decipher its meaning. Not all of us agreed as to the meaning of the words, but we were able to come to a general consensus. Once we reached our consensus, it became clear to us that this album holds the key to establishing order in our community and will lead our people to live fundamentally good lives. Herein you will find our interpretation of the words and how we believe they will help us to rebuild our nation on the foundation of our ancestors.
The album discusses what life is like when we turn away from each other, whether from hate, anger, greed, control, or simple apathy. The world that arises from such dysfunction toward our human brethren is the kind that led to our ancestor’s destruction. “Dogs of War” are warned against:
“Dogs of war and men of hate
With no cause, we don't discriminate
Discovery is to be disowned
Our currency is flesh and bone

Hell opened up and put on sale
Gather 'round and haggle
For hard cash, we will lie and deceive
Even our masters don't know the webs we weave”

These Dogs refer not to our canine companions, but greedy individuals that think only of themselves and care not how they treat their fellow man or the earth we live on. I have no doubt it is because of these Dogs that we are still digging out of the ruins of past wars and environmental anguish. Rather than be such Dogs, we are told to avoid turning away from the problems of others. We are told to end apathy and ignorance and reach out and help our fellow man and to live together in a sustainable world that we must share:
“No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away from the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?”
            In order to accomplish such a peaceful existence, we must believe in our oneness – with our Master, with our Earth, and with each other, as it says in the album, “One world, one soul.” We must also create a life for our people that will help them to recognize this oneness and focus on it, lest they forget and become Dogs. This life must include meditation upon the music and lyrics of the hymns of this album. They must reflect on the words and what has happened before us when men became Dogs of war. They should meditate on the meanings of these words at least once a day, so as to not forget the message, as it says in the album:
“The sweet smell of a great sorrow lies over the land
Plumes of smoke rise and merge into the leaden sky
A man lies and dreams of green fields and rivers
But awakes to a morning with no reason for waking
He's haunted by the memory of a lost paradise.”

We will disseminate copies of the words of the album as soon as we can ready them, first to neighborhood leaders, and later to householders. Until we can replicate the music on the album, we will play it in the main hall of our city throughout the day for any who wish to meditate and or sing to the music (how much better to memorize the words than by learning to sing them?), which is the preferred method. Once copies of the music have been made or musicians have been trained to play, we will send them out among the neighborhoods for the good of our people. We will ask that the people contribute to this effort by helping feed and house the wandering musicians and to send those from their households to learn from this council.
Ritual of meditation will not be enough. Our people must also put the message of love, compassion, and oneness into action. Once a week, we will enjoy community meals together to bring us closer as a people. People should bring what they can to share with their neighbors. Of course we will ask that their actions be voluntary, but we will provide laws in an effort to prevent any from transgressing.
Laws will attempt to prevent Dogs from gaining strength in our nation. The ideal that will back these laws is: do no harm. Anyone who purposely harms their fellow man or the earth will be penalized, so as to discourage this kind of cruelty. If they become greedy, they will lose what they gained through their manipulations. They will be humbled and sentenced to care for others and/or the earth. They will be humbled and brought back to oneness through this system. Greed is the root to many evils. Quenching desire is not an easy task. But with guidance from our Master, we will teach the people of our nation to put goodwill first and desire instead of self-reward, self-constraint. We want our people to understand it only takes only one slip to start becoming a Dog of war, as it says in the album,
“Then drowned in desire, our souls on fire
I lead the way to the funeral pyre
And without a thought of the consequence
I gave in to my decadence.”

Speaking of our Master, it is right and good that we reorient our attention to the sky, as it is apparent our ancestors did before us. We need a Navigator to help guide us. We don’t want to be like the person talked about in the hymn, “Learning to Fly” by forgetting our Master, thinking we know it all and don’t need his help. Perhaps in addition to meditating on the hymns of this album, we need to help our people get in touch with the Navigator of our lives, our Master, again. We need to teach them to spend time in wonder of the skies and help them to get in touch with the eternal one we share a soul with. We should set aside time at the hall to begin teaching about the Master and help the people to understand how our ancestors came to their ruin by thinking they didn’t need the Navigator anymore.
Lastly, and I saved this part for last because it is what we feel is very important, as it is from the words at the very beginning of the album. We must look to our children to understand how we should be viewing the world, lest we fall back into the ways that led to the wars of ruin:
“When the child like view of the world went,
Nothing replaced it... Nothing replaced it... Nothing replaced it...
Other people replaced it.
I do not like being asked to... I do not like being asked to... I do not like being asked to...
Other people replaced it,
Someone who knows what's right.”

We believe this is prophecy that speaks of how our ancestors would forgot to maintain a childlike view of the world, one of wonder, of love, of oneness, and fall into ruin because greed and hate would take over. Yet one day, our Master would guide a people – us – to set things right, even if it seems difficult. We believe it is our duty to keep peace and oneness in the world and by the words of this album and with help from our Navigator, we will succeed.
May the Master Navigator guide us.
Elizabeth and the Council for Peace