| A Simple Tale For Bedtime: The Lez Witch Parable. And the Lez Witch said: "Here is Mr. Average Man---his life has been a series of events---thus: Sometimes the pain was so intense that he wanted to die…. Sometimes it was so agonizing that he was sure he would…. And sometimes… Only sometimes… There was no pain at all. And he called those days "Good" --- and the others he called "Bad." For he dwelt in a world of opposites and it came naturally to him to divide things into categories like black and white, positive and negative, long and short, male and female; and to express a preference for one aspect over another. And to the things that gave him pleasurable sensations he gave the designation "Good"--while the things that gave him no pleasure he labeled "Bad". And he endured much suffering in that he refused to accept the Law of Dualities. In worlds governed by the Law of Dualities (you must understand) nothing can exist without its opposite. There cannot be light without a corresponding darkness. Positive without Negative cannot be known. The Male does not flourish apart from the Female. Pleasure is unknown to those who have not experienced pain. The good is recognized against the backdrop of that which is called bad.And by this is the fallacy of duality clearly perceived. For since pain and hate and disease and death are the means whereby pleasure and love and health and life can be seen and known the Wise Observer soon recognizes that even those qualities called bad are so only on a very subjective level. For, if that which is called "Good" cannot be made manifest apart from that which is called "Bad" then that which is called "Bad" must also be "Good". At this point the Wise Observer smiles and places his finger against his lips in the position of the God Harpocrates for if this realization were ever to become widely accepted the World of Opposites with all of its terrors and its strange beauties would at once cease to exist and the Play called "Man" would be over.And there be very few inhabitants of the World of Opposites who would seriously desire this consequence. For why? For this cause: an existence without opposites seems pallid, and grey---lukewarm and tasteless—to those who have known the agonies and ecstasies of the Realm of Dualities---and so they shun it, plunging themselves ever more deeply into that world where the Pairs of Opposites season existence, like adding spice to a soup. And so most people are born into this World where they live for a season knowing joy and sorrow, agony and ecstasy, love and hate---and when death at last cometh for them their chief sensation is one of regret at leaving this world and so their natural inclination is to be born into it again…much as one returns again and again to an amusement park despite the jostling crowds and the long lines and the endless walking from one attraction to the next---because the pleasure that one gets from the attraction makes the travail of getting to it acceptable. Or, at least, endurable. So it is that very few ever turn their backs on it. So mourn not overmuch at his passing---as though you will not see him again---for it is more than likely that you will as you both continue your sojourn in this Cosmic Disney World." And she laughed. and, lighting a cigarette, she turned to her beloved and said "Same time next incarnation?" And her beloved Stephanie smiled and said "I'll keep my calendar free." And they twain laughed and laughed but their disciples were troubled and their countenances were darkened for each thought that the Lez Witch meant that this "World of Opposites" was somehow less "real" or less "valid" than a World without Dualities. And the Lez Witch and her beloved laughed all the harder. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear," said the Lez Witch. "Why do you trouble yourselves in your hearts comparing this existence which you know to one which you know not? In a World of Unity concepts like "real" or "valid" are without meaning for there is nothing "unreal" or "invalid" with which to contrast them This World without Dualities that some have called "Nirvana" and others "Heaven" is neither better nor worse than this world that you know for in that world such concepts are meaningless." And then the faces of the disciples cleared and they seemed pleased. Then Stephanie winked at the Lez Witch and said "Of course you understand that the World without Dualities cannot exist apart from a World of Dualities with which it can be compared and by contrast with which it can be recognized. " And the Disciples were troubled again, for they thought that this meant that the World without Dualities did not exist at all.And the Lez Witch smiled lovingly upon them and said "Remember, chelas, there is no existence without nonexistence. So there could be no World of Dualities without a World of Non-Dualities." And it came to pass that the disciples all clutched their heads moaning painfully and Stephanie and Cassandra passed among them comforting them... and selling them aspirin at five bucks a pill. Cassandra Morrison Copyright ©2002 Cassandra Anne Morrison |
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