Thread: Steadygain's Groove and Trip Pad

They stood on a large flat rock that rose about a foot over the ocean. On either side the sandy beech extended out as far as the eye could see and behind them the sandy dudes stretched out to the other horizon. Steady pointed at the silver/blue light in the distant horizon and said, "That's where we're going." Cornellia looked at him surprized, "You have to be kidding me, how on earth would we ever get over there"? Steady pointed to the water and said, "You see how calm the water is and how clearly you can see through it. This is like no body of water you've ever seen before because it is untouched by the moon's influence and has never in anyway been contaminated by the elements above. This is what we call "the Ultra Pure" (he stressed with hand quotes) and only through it's cleaning can we approach that light." "But Steady look how far it is, how would we ever make it"? Smiling gently, Steady said in his typical calm, assured demeanor, "You need to realize that your beliefs do not neccessarily match reality. You are convinced if we go under the water we will not be able to breathe, but this is far from the truth. It is only by going under the water that we can go anywhere worthwhile. This will be hard for you to really accept - so I will show you how easy it is and then you can know it is safe and everything is exactly as it needs to be. Once we are under the water the Meralins will come to help us." "Meralins", Cornellia said with shock, "What the heck are Meralins"? Steady chuckled slightly and told her about the Meralins; how they resembled dolphins but had more of a seal's face, and spoke our language. They were needed for transportation through the water and have handles built into their sides to grab onto. It all sounded so strange that Cornellia wondered if he was just teasing. She pondered on everything Steady said and looked out over the water.

Steady then stepped into the water onto what appeared to be a rock stairway going deep into the ocean, turned around and told Cornellia, "This water is much different from anything you've known on the surface up above. It goes right through you so you never feel wet and because of that it always stays exactly where it is, in otherwords, no matter what you do you can't splash it or disturb it." Cornellia watched as Steady walked down deeper in the water and swung his hand just under the surface and watched it rise back up without the slightest disturbance. Not a ripple or anything. It was like Steady was invisable or a spirit. Steady went on to explain because of it's quality it could never impair your breathing, yet when you're under you're as light as if it's the water you're use to. He went on down until his forehead was over the surface and stood there watching Cornellia, who stood on the platform completely amazed. It was hard to believe what she had just seen and Steady just stayed there with his eyes above the water as cozy as could be as if his mouth and nose were above the water. Steady motioned for her to join him. She stepped in the water and it was the strangest thing because she didn't feel wet. The water went right through her as if she were a special screen but the sensation of pureness was overwhelming - like her feet and ankles were washed with something that made her feel pure in everyway, she didn't know how else to describe it. As she walked deeper the same sensation went right through her - every little cell within her. She was now up to her shoulders and took one more step which put her eyes barely above the water. She instinctively took in a breath just before her last step but let it out as soon as her face was under because it felt just like air. She was amazed no bubbles appeared, not the slightest disturbance of the water - just this incredible pure feeling. So they walked down several more steps and smiled at each other. It was such a cool feeling - just no way to describe it. Steady asked how she felt and Cornellia was so excited, "Steady, I've never felt better in my life - it's like the purest sensation I could ever imagine. It that how you feel?" Steady smiled at her and said, "Please know I hate it when people answer a question with a question, but did you realize we're having a conversation under water?" At that thought Cornellia's eyes opened wide, her expression was priceless, and she let out a little scream. "Wow Steady, that is amazing, that is absolutely the coolest thing I could imagine." "Yeal, I agree, and that feeling of pureness is something that's impossible to miss if you're not from this world." He covered his mouth as if shouting out to someone and screamed as loud as he could, lowered his hands and looked at Cornellia. "What was that all about? I've never seen you scream before." "I'm calling the Meralins."

From a distance they appeared like brilliant specks of gold, with a radiance that made them shine. As they approached their beauty intensified. They were every bit as big as dolphins and that is the best way to describe their bodies but they more resembled gold fish except for a much brighter radiance which was like brightly polished pure gold with an underlying bright light. Their faces looked like seals, eyes beaming with a happy delightful expression. They were beautiful and genuinely warm and loving. "Welcome my wonderful friends where may we take you", said the first Meralin to arrive; and immediately many more joined him. Cornellia was speachless. She looked at the Meralins in dismay and was so taken by their beauty and charm. Steady glanced over at her and said, "Where do you want to go, Cornellia?" Half embarrassed and half annoyed Cornellia gave Steady a loving punch on his chest and said, "Stop, you know I have no idea where we are." The Meralin was delighted and responded with a beautiful smile, "So this is your first time here?" "Yes it is, and it's beautiful, I've never felt more pure or alive; this place is so amazing." All the Meralins were so excited because nothing could honor them more than greeting a first time visitor and in turn they did their ritualistic dances. Here you need to realize that what is "ritual" for a Meralin is nothing like what is ritual for us. Often our rituals become nothing more than meaningless habits. The breaking of the bread, saying grace, and many other things that were meant to enrich our lives become a custom lacking any value. Even attending church is often to avoid giving a bad impression and lacks the inward thrist. But the Meralins are fully genuine and everything they do is with the richest sincerity. They began their celebration by making circles with 7 Meralins forming hundreds of rings. As the minutes passed the rings expanded far out throughout the ocean. There were millions of Meralins, with everyone of them dancing and celebrating Cornellia's arrival. Somehow each circle knew exactly what to do; some swam lower and some swam higher and every little bit they varried. Cornellia saw thousands of strands of what looked like gold necklaces stretched out and moving like waves in the most beautiful rhymic motions. Her eyes began to water because she knew all of this was for her, everyone of them thrilled to pieces she had come to their world. As she watched the celebration she began to cry and once that started she kept crying and crying because she had never experienced anything like this before. At first she wondered how can they treat me this way when they know nothing about me, and felt so unworthy. A sense of shame brought her eyes to water up, but now she felt more wonderful than ever before and these were tears of joy - the joy of being alive and full of gratitude for being exactly who she was. The celebration continued with the deepest happiness she ever experienced.

As the celebration was comming to an end Steady motioned to the closest circle of Meralins and immediately the 7 arrived. "Thank you! That was truely beautiful and all of you witnessed and felt the tears of joy. As this is her first time please make it smooth and slow so she can take it all in and take us to Norvatai." "That's a wonderful idea", said the Meralin who initially greeted them. Immediately he was next to Cornellia explaining the handles built into his side and assured her he would make the trip smooth and exciting. Cornellia looked over at Steady, who grasped his handle and the Meralin took him out into the ocean. She instantly grabbed her handle and the Meralin joined Steady on their way to Norvatai. The ocean was beautiful and the water was so clear it was like being on land. She and Steady were side by side looking in various directions at all the beauty, then at each other with wonderful expressions, and back out at the views. They hardly said a word the whole way but their expressions said much more than words could ever convey. Cornellia would sigh - whereas Steady would humm - but they both expressed the exact same appreciation. Then Steady slightly chuckled and smiled over at Cornellia. "What"?, she said with a curious expression. "I was thinking about how beautiful the celebration was and the way you responded. Did you know your nose gets red when you cry"?, Steady asked with a delightful grin. "Steady, I've done that my whole life, of course I know that. It makes it hard for everyone who knows me because even when the tears don't show my nose is red, so they can tell I've been crying." Steady looked at her tenderly and said, "That is a beautiful thing Cornellia - very beautiful - it is nothing to be embarrassed about". Cornellia saw his expression and decided not to argue because he was so sincere, and honestly he was right - it truely was not anything to be awkward about. But on the surface things were so different and often it's hard to be tranparent and open.

They came to an area that looked like a large bucket pushed down in the ocean floor. Sheer cliffs went down about 30 feet and it was at least 100 feet across, but the most striking aspect was the sandy bottom that glistened like gold and was perfectly flat. "This is Norvatai," Steady said. "It's time to let go". Cornellia let go of the handle and both of them went to the bottom. It felt like they were floating because there movements were so light and graceful. Once they touched the bottom Steady told Cornellia, "It's time to have some fun". He then stood on his hands and started walking along the bottom. Cornellia watched him for a minute and quickly joined him and they walked and walked along the bottom laughing and having fun. It was so unusual because their arms didn't get tired and the longer they did it the more natural it felt, but it was funny because they could carry on normal conversations and when they glanced over at each other's expression they often burst in laughter because it looked so funny seeing one another upside down. They seemed so in touch with each other, it was just amazing. Both of them did a summersault in mid air and landed on their feet at the same time. "Shall we dance, my dear" Steady said as he put his arm around her waist and held out her hand. "Why certainly, my sweet" Cornellia said with a delightful expression and they waltzed and danced from one end to the other. Then Steady told her to pretend she's a bird and held her up with one hand while spinning slowly around in circles. Cornellia arched her back and stretched out her arms and it was wonderful. Steady moved his arm up and down slowly to give a wave sensation, then held her by the feet and spun her over his head, then he pulled her down and held her waist with their faces inches apart. Both of them had the same expression, the same hunger, the same desire and their mouths met as they held each other tight. It was the highest high either had ever known and lastest for what felt like forever. When the kiss ended Cornellia looked at Steady and said slightly, and to her dismay, "Your a Meralin". His eyes were the same and his expression was unchanged but his face was like a seal and his body was like a dolphin. She was stunned by this change but she didn't care because it was Steady through and through. Steady smiled at her with such a beautiful smile and said, "So are you". "What do ya mean Steady"? "Sweetheart, you are also a Meralin". With that Cornellia looked down at herself and back up at Steady. "Wow this is wonderful, this is just unbelievable", Cornellia said excitedly. Then she let out a scream and started swimming through the ocean at lightening speeds. Steady took off after her and tried to keep up and they went all over the place. Then Steady said, "I'll race you to the rock" and they were off and gaining speed. Cornellia is the worst one to challenge because she knows nothing else than 110% and that extra 10% got her to the rock a split second before Steady.

As Meralins, life was so much different. "You see the silver/blue light in the horizon. How long do you think it would take us to get there?" Cornellia looked and thought for a few seconds and confidently said, "Probably about 3 minutes". Steady laughed and reminded her of her previous reaction when he mentioned that as their destination shortly before getting in the ocean. "What's over there Steady, and why did we become Meralins"? "That is the TRUE INNER CIRCLE we need to strive to obtain. Remember the inner circle where the electric sticker bushes were? That is just a shadow of the TRUE INNER CIRCLE, but yet the angels guarded any break in the circle and it always remains pure. THE INNER CIRCLE is the original source of all pureness, there is nothing more holy or sacred. We had to become Meralins in order to approach THE INNER CIRCLE because our previous bodies would not allow us entry. The ocean is the only thing that could cleanse us thoroughly and make us worthy. This is why you felt so pure, and the change was so wonderful, but even with that you lacked the proper mindset. Then the Meralins brought you to "the tears of joy" (Steady using his hand quotations) and that is the moment when you acquired the needed mindset. It was at that moment you saw yourself as worthy - pure - complete; and though it started with awkwardness it ended with the most fullest happiness you'd ever known. Those tears were felt by every Meralin in the ocean; it is the highest experience they could ever know. Now you were ready for completeness and this led us to Norvatai, where you could both GIVE and RECEIVE the love neccessary to become a Meralin. For it is in Giving that we fully Receive. It is ultimately in letting go and giving everything over in love to the highest degree possible that you and I became Meralins. This is what we did for one another and now it is time to move on". Cornellia reflected on all this and said, "But I love it here Steady and I love being a Meralin, can't we just stay?" Steady was quiet for a minute collecting his thoughts. "This is what many refer to as a "mountain top experience" (the hand quotations) and it is the most Spiritually enriching event obtainable, but it is only meant to prepare us for the valley. The valley is where we belong, it is where many are craving for what we have to offer and if we stay on top of the mountain then we serve only ourselves." Steady seemed to know exactly the right things to say and Cornellia had such a huge heart for the less fortunate and strived to reach out to the needy - it was the most defining aspect of her life. After Steady gave the explanation she was more than ready to meet the challenge and said, "Let's go to THE INNER CIRCLE"; and with that they took off.

Huge tree trunks surrounded THE INNER CIRCLE from the ocean and the trunks had holes for the Meralins to swim through. Cornellia told Steady she'd follow him and he went into the nearest hole at the fastest speed he could. The tunnel in the trunk was like a spiral stairway that made about 10 circles before dropping out on dry land. It was formed in such a way to make sure the Meralins landed on their back fin - which served like feet. As soon as Steady landed he wobbled down the trail and Cornellia landed where he was just a second prior. She wobbled towards him and was surprized at how much harder it was to move on land. "Yeal, Meralins are definately made for the water and we're a lot heavier on land". Steady went down the trail a little ways and waited for Cornellia. Her walking was awkward at first but she quickly developed a comfortable pattern and was soon walking every bit as good as him. Steady pointed down the trail and said, "Right down this way" and let her go on. Cornellia felt him watching her and felt half embarrassed and half awkward and knew exactly what he was watching. "Are you enjoying yourself, Steady"? she said a little scornfully. "Very much so", Steady happily said and in another minute Cornellia insisted that he go first.

Steady asked Cornellia if she could feel something different in the air. "Yeal, it's very strong and seems even stronger the further we go". Steady explained, "As you approach THE INNER CIRCLE the electrical sensations become more powerful and you all the more sense the presense, which makes it increasingly difficult to go further. We will need to drink the beverage", Steady said with concern. He reached behind a rock, got 2 glasses and gave 1 to her. "May this give us the strength we need", Steady said with a smile. Then he toasted her glass and drank his down. Cornellia was amazed. "Steady, that's the first time I've ever seen you drink the beverage". "This is the only place I really need to. From here on it gets so intense that without it you can't get nearly as far". He went back to the rock and got another 2 glasses. Cornellia drank hers down and he handed her another. "We need to drink as much as we can because the further we get the greater the reward". They drank 2 more glasses and proceeded down the trail. The first set of guards were the same size as the Meralins but bulkier and had a white radiance. As they approached the guards stepped aside and they went on down the trail. "Who are they", Cornellia asked? "They are guards of THE INNER CIRCLE. We will past many along the way but as you get closer it gets harder. They can sense your level of worship and will not let you pass until it's obtained." The feeling of electricity got increasingly stronger and the next 5 set of guards stepped aside as they went on. The guards got progressively bigger and their radiance grew brighter and brighter. Now the guards remainded in place blocking the trail and Steady bent over praying with all his might. After a minute the guards stepped aside and they went on.

Steady and Cornellia could now see the radiance of THE INNER CIRCLE which had a brilliant Silver/Blue glow. It was so bright it was almost blinding and the electricity in the air was so strong it felt like any further you would get shocked. Many large Meralins surronded THE INNER CIRCLE frequently bowing and moving in circles around it. Their glow was so bright they looked like giant lightbulbs and their expressions were full of reverance and worship. "There is nothing in the universe that could ever be more beautiful than that", Steady said. Cornellia nodded her head in agreement, she was thinking that very same thing.

Only 8 sets of guards were left to THE INNER CIRCLE. Steady prayed harder and harder and when he was almost to the point of weeping the guards stepped aside and they passed through. As hard as he tried he could not get the next set of guards to move, and looked at Cornellia with a resigned and exhausted appearance. "Let me try, Steady" Cornellia said approaching the guards and they quickly stood aside as she advanced, letting them through. Cornellia now took the lead and no one could ever look at anything other than THE INNER CIRCLE once you got this far. She heard a wimper and turned to see Steady crying. "Oh Baby, what's the matter", Cornellia asked with deep concern. "I'm just so amazed with your strength and the level of your faith and love. It's overwhelming how wonderful you are and I feel unworthy - very humbled to be in your presense." Cornellia walked over with her face just inches from Steady and said, "Steady it's only because of your love and everything about you that I have anywhere near the faith I do have. Please don't ever feel humbled by me and tears began to stream down her face." Steady rubbed his face against hers in the most tender manner and he whispered, "Please know I have never known anyone greater than you and have never been more honored to be a part of your life." That warmed Cornellia's heart like never before and she turned and was able to walk past the next 2 sets of guards. Now they could go no further, she tried to pray with every shread of her being but could not get the guards to move. Steady walked up and held her lovingly and said, "Let's try together". After several minutes the guards stepped aside and they were only 3 sets from THE INNER CIRCLE.

When they got to the 3rd set of guards they could go no further, but Steady was overwhelmed in delight because he never made it this far before. Shortly afterwards the guards carried them through the wall of fire - which was 34 miles wide - and dropped them off at the path. The wall of fire was a transforming experience in many ways: 1) It was here that any impurity left was burned away and no baggage was left whatsoever. 2) It is through this process the rewards are fully received and therefore the highest level of preperation is obtained for future service. 3) It is only through this process that the body can be changed to accomodate the service at hand. 4) The higher the level the greater the empowering and a level 3 was very rarely achieved. The guards asked if there was any particular service they desired and Cornellia told Steady to choose whatever he wanted. Steady asked the guards for a large center to serve the Vietnamese and Cambodians and the guards confirmed its approval. When Steady and Cornellia were taken to the path they had their original bodies back and the bank was empty. The bolder that served as a door was no longer there. They reflected on everything that had happended and made their way back to the circle.