Chapter1ReturntoEarth

        AfterDimitri’sfleshbodydisappearedmysteriouslyintothinair,aminusculeshredofhisconsciousness,invisibletothenakedeye,floatedinthevastuniverse.Sometimeshefeltasifhisbodycouldextendindefinitelyandmergewiththeuniverse,thoughactuallyatthatmomentitwasnomore.Atothertimes,hefeltthathisbodycouldcontractatwilluntilitwassmallerthanthetiniestparticleofdust.Thus,Dimitriroamedfreelyintheuniverse,neitherhappynorsad,justfloatingincessantly,unrestrainedlyandspontaneously.Forhim,timehadnocontinuitywithnobeginningandnoendandspace,too,wasofnoconsequence.Dimitrirealizedthathewasattheveryoriginalspotoftheuniverse.

        Dimitri’sconsciousnessloiteredattheoriginalspotoftheuniverse.Hewastiredofwanderinganddidnotwanttodriftaimlesslyaroundanymore.Hefeltasenseofpeace.Hewasalsotired.Thesestrangesensations,hazyandobvious,weremixedwithamildfeelingofjoy.Butno,itcouldnotbecalledjoybecauseifitwasjoy,itsopposingfeelingofsadnesswouldbesuretoexist.Norwasitafeelingofcomfortandeasebecauseitscontrastingsensationwouldbepainandworry.No,itwasaneutralfeeling,seeminglytherebutnotreallythere,existingyetnon-existent.Ithadnonegativeorcontrastingsensations.Dimitriwasnotwillingtothinkfurtheroranalyzethequestionrationally.Hehadgivenuponthoughtandimmersedhimselfcompletelyinenjoyment,fullysavoringthisstrange,warmfeeling.

        Dimitri’sshredofconsciousnessthatnon-materialsubstance,restedcalmlyattheoriginalspotoftheuniverse.Tiredofroaming,hewasnotwillingtodriftaboutanymore.Suddenlyapicturepoppedintohisconsciousness.Apairofnakedloverswasasleep,claspedcomfortablyineachother’sarms.Theyseemedtobesleepingsosoundlythatitseemedasifnothingcouldeverwakethemup.Themanwashandsomeandmuscularandthewomanwasslenderandbeautifulasaflower.Dimitri’sheartlurched.“Aren’ttheymyfaithfulservantsCreativityandImagination?”Hehopedtheywouldsleeponforeverandneverwakeupbecauseiftheydo,themanCreativitywouldworktirelesslyonandthewomanImaginationwouldrackherbrainsfuriously.“Theywoulddestroytheperfectequilibriumofhispresentstateofmind,sopeaceful,brightandbeautiful”hethought.

        ButDimitriwasdisappointed.Imagination’sslim,delicatefingersmovedandcaressedCreativity’sbroadchest.Creativityblinkedopenedhissleepyeyes.Standinguphestretchedhissculpturedlimbslazily.Extendinghishandtohisbeautiful,curvaceousanddelicatecompanionwhowasstillrecliningonthesoftgrasshecarefullyhelpedherup.Thetwoofthemthenwalkedintothewoods,towardsastreamofclearandpure,waterasyetuncontaminatedbyhumans.Theyscoopedupthecoldcrystalclearwaterwiththeirhandsandsprayedtheirheadsandfaceswithit.Thenlaughingjoyouslytheydivedinandswamaroundhappily.Theyfrolickedlight-heartedlyinthewatersplashingeachotherinfun.ImaginationthrewherselfintoCreativity’sarmsandthetwoembracedandkissedeachother.

        “Look!Howbeautifulthegalaxyis!”shesaid,lookingatthemyriadsofstarstwinklinginthenightsky,feelinghappyandsatisfied.“Ourearthtooshouldbeoneofthosebrilliantcelestialbodies,buthumanshaveusedupalmostalloftheearth’sresourcesandhavebroughtdestruction,pollutionandcontaminationeverywheretheywent.Onceearthbecomesunfitasahumanhabitatweneedtofindasafehavensomewhereelseintheuniverseandleadthemtoit.Tosomeotherplanetperhaps?Buttheenvironmenttheremaynotbesuitableforhumans.ThatisaproblemIhavebeentryingtosolveforalongtimebuthavefailedtofindadesirablesolution.”Creativitywassilentashetoohadnogoodanswertoherquestion.SuddenlyImaginationjumpedupandclappedherhandshappilylikeachildandsaid,

        “Yes.Yes.Whydon’tweourselvescreateanotherplanetsuitableforhumanstoliveandrelocatethemthere?Whatdoyouthink?”

        “Goodidea!Goodidea!”exclaimedCreativity;hiseyesalightashegraspedthepossibilitiesofhersuggestion.“IcanimitateGod’smightandpowerthatheusedincreatingtheuniverseandcreateanotherplanetsuitableforhumans,withlight,heat,air,oceans,landandallkindsoflife.Theclimatewouldbewarmandcomfortable,suitableforpeopletoliveandprocreate.Goodidea!Averygoodidea!”Thetwoofthemdancedhappilyinthestream.“Whydon’twebegintheworkrightaway?”hesaid.Handinhandthetwoofthemwalkedoutofthewaterontoland.

        Suddenlyahuge,eye-blindinglybrilliantballoflightappearedinthedarksky.Afigurecouldbeseeninthatballoflight,whospokeinaloud,solemnvoice,“Youtwomiserable,ignoranthumanbeing!IdroveyououtoftheGardenofEdenbecauseyouhadacquiredknowledgeandthought.Nowyouhavetheaudacitytothinkofcopyingmycreationoftheuniverseanddaretothinkofcreatingaplanetofyourown?IamtheCreatoroftheuniverse.IandIalonecontrolit.Itoperatesonmyordersaccordingtomyplan.Howdarethetwoofyouchallengeme?Stopyourcreativityandimaginationatonceoryouwillincurthewrathofheaven.”CreativityandImaginationkneltontheground,cowed,flustered,andpanic-strickenbecausetheyknewtheyhadangeredGodhimself.Thebrilliantballoflightdisappearedandblurryandindistinctdarknessonceagainreignedintheuniverse.

        “Waitaminute.Waitaminute”shoutedDimitri,raisinghisheadtowardsthegraypre-dawnskies.“That’snotfair!Yousaidmanwasmadetoyourownimageandlikeness.Thatmeanstherearehumanelementsinyouanddivineelementsinman;thereforetherearepartsofyouinmeandmeinyou.YouarepartofmeandIampartofyou.Tobeperfectlyfair,itcouldbesaidthatyouandthehumansyoucreatedhavemuchincommonandarecreatedmutually.Manshouldhavetherighttomakehisowndecisionsandnotbeyourvassal.”Thegrayskiesdidnotanswerhim,butwassomberandsilentasusual.

        Dimitriwokefromhisreverieandfoundhimselfsittingonabenchbythelake,hisshouldersandhatcoveredwithdew.Hisdilapidatedjacketandlooseblackslackswerealsowetfromthefogandmist.Hewasdeeplyshockedtorealizethathehadbeensittingtherethewholenight,hismindfranticallyimaginingthings.Hesuddenlyrecalledthathisfleshbodyhaddisappearedintothinairandhisminusculeshredofconsciousnessloiteredattheoriginalspotoftheuniverse,savoringsensationsofpeaceandtranquility.Howcomehewasbackonearthagain?Whatwasthereonthisearththathecouldnotrelinquish?Hewasapennilesshomelesspersonandblindintothebargain.Whatcausedhimtoclingsotenaciouslytothismundaneworld,unwillingtodepart?Ah!Itcouldonlybebecausehevaluedthispreciousfleshbodyandtreasuredlifeitself,sohecouldnotgivethemupsolightlyandcasually.

        Daybroke.Thefirstlightofdaygraduallybrightenedtheskiesdispersingtheblurryandindistinctpre-dawnbleakness.Afewcarsdrovepastswiftly.Dimitriwaspuzzledastowhythestreetslookedsodesertedandemptyasnormallytheywouldbecrowdedwithtrafficbythistime.ThenherealizeditwasSundayandmostpeoplewereinchurch,sothereweren’tasmanypeopleonthestreetsandalsofewercarsontheroad.Herememberedthatinhisreverie,heelevatedthepositionofmantothesamelevelasGodandthoughtthatwaspresumptuousself-glorificationonhispartandreallysacrilegious.“IhadbetterleavethequestionofrelationshipbetweenGodandmantophilosophersandwisermenthanItosolve.WhymakesuchadoaboutnothingandrackmybrainsoverthisinsolvableGordianknot?

        Justthen,theenticingaromaoffreshFrenchfriesandpastrywaftedoverfromtheshopsacrossthestreetandDimitri’sstomachgrowled.“Ihavereallyover-estimatedthepowerofman”hethought.“Takemeforinstance.IamsohungrybutthereisnothingIcandoaboutit.Ican’tevensolvetheproblemofmyemptystomach.Yes,I’dratherbeaninsignificantman.Well,IsupposeIhadbetterpluckmyselfupandrummagethroughthegarbagecansaroundheretoseeifIcanfindleft-overspeoplethrewawaysoIcanfillmystomach”saidDimitriwithahelpless,wryexpressiononhisface.Theimageofalargehamburgercameintohismind.“HowIwouldreallyenjoyitifIhadalargehamburgerlikethat”hethought.“Iwouldchewandsavoreverybitebeforeswallowingit.Thefeelingofafullstomachwouldbereallymarvelous!”

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