D_M Prompt: Round 7
(( D_M Prompt 7: Combination 3 ("But that was then and this is now.") with a side of 4. Spoily? Maybe? ))
Om Mani Padme Hum Om Mani Padme Hum Om Mani Padme Hum Om Mani Padme Hum
The ancient script blurred in the sunlight and reflected in his glasses. David tried to imagine the syllables in the sound of the turning prayer wheels; maybe the mantra was spilling out into the air and dissipating like invisible smoke.
And a part of him couldn't help but feel pretentious, standing there with several other oggling foreigners; like this ritual was far bigger than any of them. These wheels -- in one form or another -- had been spinning into antiquity, and his were just one of thousands of fingertips to assist its revolutions.
Om mani padme hum. Invoking the embodiment of compassion. David had read a number of the 14th Dalai Lama's writings; mostly those that toned down the more esoteric Buddhist aspects for the benefit of science-minded Western readers. That was before he went abroad, and only after he'd traveled the earth did he unavoidably begin to feel some of the bond with humanity that the holy man encouraged. Even though he was plunged into foreign countries, he never felt alone.
David witnessed all the nuances of human existence; from misery and hostility to happiness and peace. Despair was just as likely to manifest in the corporate skyscrapers of New York as it was in the slums of Mexico City. But regardless of context, one thing was consistent.
Everyone just wanted to be happy. That was all that mattered. That was universal. David, in his very small way, was trying to help his species reach that goal. Even if, for now, it meant spinning this wheel and sending out an appeal for invisible compassion.
------
Nirvana was the objective. This was a place of great happiness, but what was this "happiness"?
According to the Karma Temple, happiness was only to be attained by devouring one's enemies. This was logical; the Atma required sustenance to function at top capacity. The more enemies one devoured, the stronger the Atma would become, thus ensuring victory, and by extension, the "happiness" of Nirvana.
Gale mulled over the term "happiness" for a very long time. Was happiness an object? If so, what kind? A powerful weapon? He consulted the dissemination machine, and his query produced no results for "happiness". Furthermore, asking others about the word prompted a baffling range of response.
"I think it's...feeling good," one of the Embryon's soldiers replied tentatively, trying to decide why the strategist was asking this question in the first place.
Gale blinked his grey eyes, evaluating this response. "'Feeling' is the sensation of touch. You have attached the word 'good' to this concept of 'feeling'. Define 'good' in this context."
"I don't mean 'feeling' as touching things, I mean it as a . . . as a . . . an emotion. And...'good' is . . . I don't know. Not being in pain. Being comfortable."
"What is 'emotion'?"
"Uh. Being afraid? Being happy? Sad?"
"You use the word 'being' extensively. To 'be' is a state of existence. An emotion is an altered state of existence?"
"Yeah. When you feel an emotion, you're kind of a different person, I guess."
There were many similar inquiries, and all of them produced a baffling new diction that, prior to now, did not exist. Happiness, sadness, anger, love, hatred. Gale determined that this was a highly inefficient expansion of the language, as these words had no definite meanings. They could only be classified as 'emotion', which also had no concrete definition.
However, of all the people Gale consulted, there seemed to be a consensus that being 'happy' was a desirable state. Gale only knew that Nirvana and its happiness were the objective, and he would formulate a plan for its successful attainment.
Om Mani Padme Hum Om Mani Padme Hum Om Mani Padme Hum Om Mani Padme Hum
The ancient script blurred in the sunlight and reflected in his glasses. David tried to imagine the syllables in the sound of the turning prayer wheels; maybe the mantra was spilling out into the air and dissipating like invisible smoke.
And a part of him couldn't help but feel pretentious, standing there with several other oggling foreigners; like this ritual was far bigger than any of them. These wheels -- in one form or another -- had been spinning into antiquity, and his were just one of thousands of fingertips to assist its revolutions.
Om mani padme hum. Invoking the embodiment of compassion. David had read a number of the 14th Dalai Lama's writings; mostly those that toned down the more esoteric Buddhist aspects for the benefit of science-minded Western readers. That was before he went abroad, and only after he'd traveled the earth did he unavoidably begin to feel some of the bond with humanity that the holy man encouraged. Even though he was plunged into foreign countries, he never felt alone.
David witnessed all the nuances of human existence; from misery and hostility to happiness and peace. Despair was just as likely to manifest in the corporate skyscrapers of New York as it was in the slums of Mexico City. But regardless of context, one thing was consistent.
Everyone just wanted to be happy. That was all that mattered. That was universal. David, in his very small way, was trying to help his species reach that goal. Even if, for now, it meant spinning this wheel and sending out an appeal for invisible compassion.
------
Nirvana was the objective. This was a place of great happiness, but what was this "happiness"?
According to the Karma Temple, happiness was only to be attained by devouring one's enemies. This was logical; the Atma required sustenance to function at top capacity. The more enemies one devoured, the stronger the Atma would become, thus ensuring victory, and by extension, the "happiness" of Nirvana.
Gale mulled over the term "happiness" for a very long time. Was happiness an object? If so, what kind? A powerful weapon? He consulted the dissemination machine, and his query produced no results for "happiness". Furthermore, asking others about the word prompted a baffling range of response.
"I think it's...feeling good," one of the Embryon's soldiers replied tentatively, trying to decide why the strategist was asking this question in the first place.
Gale blinked his grey eyes, evaluating this response. "'Feeling' is the sensation of touch. You have attached the word 'good' to this concept of 'feeling'. Define 'good' in this context."
"I don't mean 'feeling' as touching things, I mean it as a . . . as a . . . an emotion. And...'good' is . . . I don't know. Not being in pain. Being comfortable."
"What is 'emotion'?"
"Uh. Being afraid? Being happy? Sad?"
"You use the word 'being' extensively. To 'be' is a state of existence. An emotion is an altered state of existence?"
"Yeah. When you feel an emotion, you're kind of a different person, I guess."
There were many similar inquiries, and all of them produced a baffling new diction that, prior to now, did not exist. Happiness, sadness, anger, love, hatred. Gale determined that this was a highly inefficient expansion of the language, as these words had no definite meanings. They could only be classified as 'emotion', which also had no concrete definition.
However, of all the people Gale consulted, there seemed to be a consensus that being 'happy' was a desirable state. Gale only knew that Nirvana and its happiness were the objective, and he would formulate a plan for its successful attainment.