\u201cBy definition, we will know only about his failures\u201d, Azazel noted. \u201cIf he managed to acquire someone\u2019s soul, that person will not arrive here to tell us about it\u201d. The war council was more chaotic than usual this time, since the threat description was the most vague they ever faced. \u201cThis means we need to find out his success ratio, to begin with\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what\u2019s the actual point of this? Why does he need souls? Is he trying to absorb them into himself? Use their energy to fix some degenerative issue he is facing?\u201d, Zina shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I have a good enough idea of what he\u2019s doing, although I\u2019m not so certain about why\u201d, Shakti took the word.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me, how do you catch a mouse?\u201d, she smiled at Zina.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you make a trap, and then put a piece of something mice like to eat inside it, so that he would be attracted inside, and couldn\u2019t come out later\u201d, Zina smiled back.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly. But what happens when you leave the trap unattended for a while?\u201d, Shakti proceeded with her argument.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will find a trap full of half-eaten mice and mouse skeletons inside, with maybe one live mouse, if you came soon enough, because as they won\u2019t be able to come out, they will starve and resort to cannibalism\u201d, Zina frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd let\u2019s say the bait is of some kind that can\u2019t be consumed, and remains attractive forever. Let\u2019s say it\u2019s a sound that attracts deer, of the kind hunters will use to lure them into the kill zone. And let\u2019s say the sound keeps making itself, powered by wind or water, so that you don\u2019t need a man there to make it. And let\u2019s say a kill zone is something like a cliff masked by natural fog, where the deer will come and fall to their deaths\u201d, Shakti nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would have a perpetual, automatic killing machine\u201d, Azazel commented. \u201cSo that\u2019s what you meant by attractors. You think he\u2019s using the powerful souls as an energy source that will serve as bait for some trap he will use in order to lure souls into something fatal\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why? Isn\u2019t his world itself enough of a fatal trap? Souls are already being caught in a reincarnation loop there, thinking they\u2019ll do better the next time, correct their errors, pay for their sins, acquire something that they failed to acquire before and so on. If he wanted to cause harm and show that most souls are foolish and are in heaven merely by accident, because nothing really tested them before, then mission accomplished. Making it more lethal would contribute very little to what he already has, while exposing him to possible karmic repercussions if he goes too far\u201d, Zina countered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would certainly be the case for the world as he initially made it, the extremely spiritually deadly kind you were exposed to in your earthly life\u201d, Lord Shiva joined the discussion. \u201cHowever, we\u2019ve been making moves of our own. We introduced transcendence and hope where there used to be nothing but darkness and despair. We introduced sources that were converted into actual knowledge down there. Lord Buddha started the process. It was developed upon by Lord Vishnu who sent Jesus down there, and introduced sources of eternal light. They have a Church that teaches things that are true enough to really lead to salvation. They have Hindu scriptures that actually tell true things about actual Gods. They have access to puja<\/i> and bhakti<\/i>, which are similar enough to what we practice ourselves. At this point, the world consists of his darkness, and genuine sources of light that lead to salvation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he wants to introduce sources of light of his own \u2013 not false light that could easily be dismissed, but true spiritual light; only leading onto perilous paths that cause ruin\u201d, Azazel nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly\u201d, his father smiled. \u201cAs things stand now, any source of light you find will lead you to salvation. The mission is simple: find spiritual light, hold on to it, wait until you die and you are saved. What he seems to be up to is introducing alternatives, where the light is real, but if you follow it you are ruined\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the result will be either much reduced effectiveness of everything we\u2019ve done so far, or people will stop following spiritual light of any kind, because of the great probability that it is ruinous\u201d, Shakti nodded at her husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he won\u2019t have to lift a finger. He will just arm the trap and let the mice eat each other, each thinking that the prior victims were losers and he himself will do better, probably due to some intoxicating effect of the bait\u201d, Zina joined in.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo we have anything specific? I mean, it\u2019s good to understand the general idea, but I\u2019d like to see what he actually did, so that we can develop countermeasures\u201d, Azazel looked at his mother questioningly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to figure it out from the outside, because we don\u2019t actually have access to the things the Jewel is doing in there, so we are forced to draw conjecture based on whatever evidence manages to find its way out, which is doubly difficult because if his traps work, the victims don\u2019t come out\u201d, Shakti shrugged. \u201cHowever, Lord Buddha has found a pattern in some of his recent \u2018patients\u2019, so I\u2019ll let him explain\u201d, she smiled to Shakyamuni.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey call themselves \u2018good men\u2019 and \u2018good women\u2019, \u2018the pure ones\u2019, \u2018the ones favoured by God\u2019. The Christians call them the Cathari, which means \u2018the pure ones\u2019 in Greek. The origins of the philosophy seem to be Zoroastrian, like the Manicheans that were around during the late Roman period. They teach that there are two opposed Gods in action \u2013 one evil one that created the material world with all the evil and suffering, and the good one that created the spiritual world, with souls, angels and Jesus. They think the souls get trapped into a reincarnation cycle on Earth because they are attracted by the material world and what it has to offer, and the solution is to let go and purify oneself from all the material desires and inclinations\u201d, Buddha raised his eyebrows significantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis looks pretty much spot on\u201d, Kay remarked. \u201cIt\u2019s actually more accurate than what the Church teaches, and among the most technically accurate theologies I\u2019ve ever seen developed down there\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is, but it only goes to say that theological accuracy isn\u2019t all that you would expect it to be. Because, you see, they have one major flaw\u201d, he sighed. \u201cTheir moral teaching is incredibly bad. They essentially say that in order to get purified from the world, you need to accept a vow of extreme renunciation that is in essence suicide by starvation. But if you don\u2019t aspire to perfection, it\u2019s enough to not take things seriously. Know that the world is not important. It doesn\u2019t matter what you do, because it\u2019s just matter, an opposite to the spirit which is pure. There is no truth in the world, so it doesn\u2019t matter if you say the truth or not. It doesn\u2019t matter whether you steal, rape or murder, because it\u2019s just matter, and if you kill people you free them from the physical so you\u2019re actually helping them. If you steal their things, it\u2019s fine because they were attached to things and shouldn\u2019t be, and everybody should have access to them anyway, because all men are equal. Do you now see the problem?\u201d, he asked nobody in particular.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all the exact opposite of what you need to do in order to be a good person and not destroy your soul with evil\u201d, the Love of God nodded. \u201cYou don\u2019t hold on to truth and do good because physical matter is important, but because speaking the truth and doing good is what makes your soul good and true. You need to act as if everything matters even if you\u2019re under an illusion, because by doing so, you become the one who matters. If you act as if nothing matters, your soul will be lost\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly\u201d, her husband nodded in assent. \u201cWhat I noticed in the memories of the victims of the Cathari, who ended up being my patients, is how the Cathari acted. They were like beasts that were let out of a cage, filled with self-righteousness of the ones who are on the right path and who know the true light. They looked as if under influence of some drug that caused arrogance and hubris; they thought they were fighting the evil oppressors and fighting for what is right, for equality and emancipation from the yoke of the Church and the feudal system and so on\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis sounds very familiar\u201d, Azazel\u2019s eyes were wide. \u201cIt\u2019s as if I\u2019m listening to Sanat Kumar again, in his deranged madness\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for that information, my friend, for it confirms my guesses. Sanat Kumar created some kind of a script, powered by genuine spiritual sources, that amplifies mental patterns that resemble his own, and in direct proportion to the similarity. I don\u2019t think he created the Cathari to oppose the Church; that would be too simplistic, and also too specific. I think he\u2019s trying to turn souls into copies of himself, as they aggregate around the attractors like moths around the flame\u201d, Buddha finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is giving me flashes of memories, and not of the kind I would prefer to have\u201d, Azazel nodded grimly. \u201cIt fits his pattern exactly \u2013 he speaks of emancipation of souls, but what he means is turning them into lesser copies of himself, over which he will reign supreme. He also couldn\u2019t stop talking about conspiracies of the ruling elite, which in his case meant the Gods, to whom he attributed all sorts of invented nonsense, and different each day as he rambled on. I think he will empower this mentality in others, make them drunk with hubris, make them overthrow any system in power the way he wanted to overthrow the Gods and the system of dharma<\/i>, and the Cathari are merely a specific case of this madness, and likely a lesser one, as his attractors grow in power. And I would also expect the souls that fall under the influence of the attractors to basically be destroyed after death and join the power of the attractor, because it was what they chose as their destiny\u201d, he concluded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the worst thing about it is, I have no idea how to counter it effectively, other than by dismantling the attractors themselves, breaking down their power source to the level of kalapas<\/i> and spending it all\u201d, Shiva shrugged grimly. \u201cIt\u2019s an incredibly elegant design\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there evidence that the attractors absorb their victims and thus grow the size of the \u2018bait\u2019?\u201d, Azazel asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me run the equations\u201d, the Mind of God nodded. \u201cYes. The souls choose that light source as their spiritual direction, and end up belonging to it. It thus grows bigger. However, since all the impurities and evils also join it, the source grows more corrupted and less pure as it grows in size. It eventually ends up looking like a terrible abomination, and, as such, loses attractiveness and becomes more easily discernible as evil by the souls that seek the way out\u201d, she nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there a way we can oppose this?\u201d, Lady Zina asked her husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot really\u201d, he shrugged. \u201cAny direct opposition would feed it, as it would be interpreted as darkness trying to extinguish their true light. It can\u2019t be dismantled from the outside. We also can\u2019t blame Sanat Kumar for any of it since he\u2019s doing what he said he would initially \u2013 provide alternatives. He\u2019s certainly doing that. He\u2019s also not forcing anyone to choose\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we at least stop his soul-purchasing? He\u2019s claiming to offer deals. Is there evidence that he\u2019s holding up to his side of the bargain?\u201d, Lord Jesus scratched his chin.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be in his long-term interest to uphold his part, especially since it\u2019s usually quite easy for him\u201d, Lord Buddha answered. \u201cIf he\u2019s cheating, it brings him minor benefits at the cost of the whole project failing. Thus, self interest will motivate him to be fair\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, in a direct sense, where you will get what you agreed for in exchange for your soul. However, he\u2019s likely to cause the problem he offers to solve, in the first place\u201d, Azazel noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow immediate is this problem?\u201d, Zina looked at everybody.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a slow rolling avalanche. He will need centuries to build momentum, as he needs quite a bit of power to get anywhere close to the level of attractiveness of what we installed through our labours\u201d, Lord Vishnu offered. \u201cHowever, as I see it, he will approach equal attraction within a few centuries, with the curve starting to grow exponentially after that. At some point, he will completely overwhelm and dwarf our efforts\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mean, he is going to win?\u201d, Mary of Magdala voiced her incredulity.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo\u201d, he waved decisively. \u201cAll he\u2019s doing is inherently self-defeating. He\u2019s creating one hysterical mania after another \u2013 all kinds of revolutionary and \u2018liberation\u2019 movements one after another, that will throw men and women into a furnace, but all the \u2018victories\u2019 he can achieve will be illusory and eventually cautionary. He will demonstrate that all the paths alternative to the one we are showing end up in pools of blood and terrible misery. And, as he will exhaust his attempts, he will also run out of time\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut until he does, he will cause terrible harm. As he powers his conspiracy theories with those genuine spiritual sources, he will convince the souls of all kinds of terribly harmful ideas that will keep having consequences long after he is gone\u201d, Azazel spoke out his despondency. \u201cI\u2019ve heard enough of his nonsense to know how insidious it is, how it affects your thinking patterns and how it turns you into a resentful, self-sabotaging mess\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will keep losing souls at an increasing pace, and damage to the survivors will be such that we might have to quarantine them indefinitely, because they could otherwise harm others with their madness\u201d, Buddha conceded. \u201cSo far, the damage we had to contend with was caused mostly by suffering and loss, and, rarely, by the willing acceptance of evil. With all those attractors he is about to install, he will cause true deviations from the spiritual path, of the kind where people genuinely believe them to be the actual path of emancipation and a greater truth. Satan resented souls that were greater than him. He might cause everybody to resent any form of greatness and power, interpreting it as injustice and abuse. He will encourage hubris, arrogance and defiance. He will portray love as weakness, service as humiliation, and satisfaction as a sign of inferiority. The level to which this can be destructive can\u2019t even be predicted. Sure, I expect his first trial runs, such as the Cathari, to be wiped out. But eventually, something of that sort is going to actually take hold, and then hell is going to reign on Earth\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHell reigns on Earth where Islam reigns, or where the Cathari currently reign, or where the Mongols pass. The only places where hell doesn\u2019t reign are where our tears touched the Earth, or where our light has broken through, and he did everything he could to splatter mud all over those places, to keep them inconspicuous. While he is in power, hell reigns on Earth, period, and we are merely treating the casualties. But eventually, we\u2019ll have to finish this in some way that will end this disaster, and hopefully in a good way, right?\u201d, Lady Lakshmi asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes\u201d, Lord Shiva nodded decisively. \u201cMy wife and I will deal with this ourselves, as the end approaches. But until then, we must contend with limiting the damage on an individual basis. Inspire the good, help those who suffer, shine the light that will bring them home safely. And considering the amount of spiritual damage he is about to inflict, dealing with the aftermath is not going to be a picnic\u201d, he smiled as if he ate a lemon.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we\u2019re about to have an age of enlightenment, with all the light he will be shining, generous and good soul that he is\u201d, Kay grinned mischievously. \u201cOh joy, oh splendour\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBy definition, we will know only about his failures\u201d, Azazel noted. \u201cIf he managed to acquire someone\u2019s soul, that person will not arrive here to tell us about it\u201d. The war council was more chaotic than usual this time, since … Continue reading