High in the mountains of the Peruvian Andes lived a great Oracle by the name of Angelica Luna. Each day, many hundreds of seekers pilgrimaged five miles from the fertile valley to her humble mountain abode to ask her questions about their future. The substance of the pilgrims’ fateful inquiries mostly centred on such worldly themes as romantic prospects, familial ties and business pursuits.
Always, the Oracle of Mistico Mountain (as she was known to the locals) would listen attentively to each pilgrim’s questions. Then, when they were finished talking, she’d confer with the various Gods and Goddesses with whom she remained in constant communion, and tell their future.
Angelica Luna, herself, hailed from a long line of Peruvian mystics. Her own father, Fernandez Inti, was a revered prophet-sage who counselled the poor and wealthy alike on their life problems and helped guide them to self-mastery. Her maternal grandmother, Alessandra Rosa Garcia, had been the best-known medicine woman in the surrounding villages, and she was highly regarded by the locals as a saint for her many miraculous healings.
A most unusual pilgrim
One day, a most unusual pilgrim by the name of Carlos arrived at the Oracle’s door. Angelica Luna let the ruggedly handsome young man into her abode, and as was her custom, offered him a sacred herbal tea. The old mystic then asked Carlos to extend his left hand. The young pilgrim pushed back his long, dark hair and then placed his hand in hers, palm up. As she’d done with countless pilgrims before him, she began to examine the lines on his palm for an akashic record of his soul.
Within moments, the oracle fell into a deep trance. After five minutes of communing with her ancestor spirits, she came back to a waking state and smiled in deep acknowledgment of the young pilgrim seated before her. Still holding his palm in her hand, Angelica Luna proceeded to silently read his fortune. When she finished, she stared into his soulful brown eyes and asked him the reason for his visit.
Carlos stared back at her with such sincerity that it caused the hairs on her neck to stand up straight. The young pilgrim then spoke:
“Time has run out on your quest to become self-realized. For in exactly three days, it’s fated that you shall die.”
“Esteemed elder. Venerable sage. Divine Channeller. I come before you with only one question on my mind. And it’s this: will I achieve self-realization in my lifetime? That’s the only thing I desire. Already, I’ve forgone all the worldly pleasures of life.
“I’ve turned my back on a lucrative medical career and have given away all my possessions. I renounced home and family and became a wandering nomad. I’ve meditated and prayed with saints in the forest, gained illumination from the flesh of the Gods and have selflessly served as counsel to the sick and dying.
“Yet, despite all my seeking, I know I still haven’t merged with the infinite. I’m now beginning to question if this, indeed, is my fate. Oh, revered prophet of truth and compassion, please cast some light onto my question.”
Angelica Luna gently let go of Carlos’ palm, and then solemnly replied, “My dear seeker, I’m quite afraid that time has run out on your quest to become self-realized. For in exactly three days, it’s fated that you shall die.”
Stunned at hearing this news, Carlos stared at the mystic in disbelief and said, “But how can this be? I’m both young and strong. I’m not yet even 30! Why must my life be cut so short?”
The oracle waved her left hand in the air and answered, “The best thing you can do now is to prepare to drop your body. Go and return to your family. Make peace with your own death and remember to merge when you see the light. Don’t get distracted. The circumstances of your future birth will depend on how quickly you surrender to the light. Now, be gone with you!”
A 10-foot-long reptile
Carlos rose slowly to his feet, turned and then headed back down the mountain to his dwelling in the valley below. As he walked, Carlos was so lost in thought about his impending death that he barely noticed when a very large snake suddenly appeared in his path. Terrified at seeing the 10-foot-long reptile slithering right in front of him, the young seeker took two quick steps backward.
Carlos then focused his eyes on the snake for a long moment and admired its giant pointed head and scaly skin. To his surprise, the primal fear he initially felt began to fall away. Now filled with curious wonder, Carlos continued to stare at this mighty being whose commanding presence captured his attention.
The snake rose straight up and began to move its body from side to side, as if it was performing a cosmic dance for him. It locked eyes with the young seeker for a few moments, and then, incredibly, it spoke to him. In a calm and measured tone, it said:
“Venerable seeker, if you wish to achieve self-realization, you must overcome your fear of death. The next 72 hours will go a long way towards determining the nature of your next birth. Will you remain lost in the jungle of birth and death, or will you become enlightened at last? The choice is entirely up to you.”
Entranced by the snake’s psychic power, Carlos laid flat on his stomach before the mighty being. He pressed his face into the ground and extended both his arms forward, until his hands were touching the snake’s rough and scaly skin. He then replied, “Please, all-knowing master serpent, teach me the way to enlightenment. Show me how to die with peace and equanimity so that my soul might be liberated.”
After a long silence, the snake agreed to accept Carlos as its disciple. As fate would dictate, the young but hungry seeker absorbed himself in his new master’s teachings for the remaining days of his short life on Earth. The infinitely wise snake taught him everything it knew from the inside out.
Through inducing several mystical visions, it revealed for Carlos the breathtaking beauty that was to come in the astral realms. It taught him about the mysterious cycle of reincarnation and showed him how to meditate upon your own death. This serpent sage also taught Carlos certain shamanic rituals and exercises that would help him remain fully conscious when the moment of his death arrived.
Finally, the snake instructed Carlos to fast until his death. It seemed to place a great emphasis on this point. This practice, the snake said, would help cleanse his mind, body and spirit of any impurities as he prepared for his passage beyond form.
Finally, after three days of intense spiritual practice, the hour of Carlos’ death arrived. In preparation for this crucial event, the master serpent led its now radiant disciple to a nearby cave, where many seekers before had achieved their enlightenments. When they arrived at the natural dwelling, Carlos sat down on the ground cross-legged. The serpent sage locked eyes with him and asked, “How do you feel about your own impending death?”
Carlos drew a long, deep breath and then replied:
“I feel as ready as I’ve ever been, oh wise one. I look upon the hour of my passing in the same way I’d greet any other approaching moment. After all, what is death but just another moment in the eternity of being? Up until three days ago, the thought of dropping my body filled me with nothing but fear and trepidation. But now I stand eager to get on with this next stage of my journey. For now, I know that I’m a deathless spirit. We all are deathless spirits.”
A stunning transformation
Pleased with Carlos’ answer, the holy snake grinned widely, and then miraculously transformed into the Oracle of Mystico Mountain! In response to the miracle, Carlos exclaimed, “Oh, wise Angelica! So, it was you all along. You’re my serpent sage!”
A mischievous smile broke out on the Oracle’s face as she owned up to her deceptive act:
“When I first read your palm, the spirits told me you’d achieve enlightenment in this lifetime. But only if a dramatic event pushed you to seek it. So, I asked the spirits’ permission to make you believe you were dying in only three days. And they obliged. You see, your ancestors and I thought that your imminent death would be the grist for the mill of your enlightenment. It’s not your time to die. In fact, the same spirits tell me you’ll live to a very old age… perhaps past 100 years. Please, venerable seeker, forgive me for deceiving you.”
Having achieved self-mastery, Carlos flashed a smile of gratitude. Like he did before, he laid flat down on his stomach, pressed his face into the ground, extended both his arms forward and then touched the oracle’s feet with his hands in a show of heartfelt devotion to her. For a few moments, time seemed to stand still like a frozen lake in winter.
Carlos looked back up at Angelica, and what he saw was the face of his beloved serpent sage staring back at him, with eyes of loving awareness.
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image 1: Forrest Rivers; image 2: Pixabay
