copyright 2003, all rights reserved.
first performed 6/21/03
In the darkness around you there is silence. Then softly, you begin to hear crickets chirping. The song of the crickets forms a gentle melody in the background of this dark place.
In the distance a light appears, and begins moving toward you. There is a gentle rustling of bells with the light as it begins to get closer. Soon you can make out that the light is a lantern. And the bells are on the robes of a hooded figure who is slowly approaching you. The person moves slowly toward you until he arrives in your dark place.
You may try to speak to this figure, but the person does not answer you. The figure simply points a finger in the direction from which they came, and gestures for you to follow down the path.
The hooded figure turns and begins walking down the path. You follow. The lantern is the only source of light here, and soon you can no longer see the place where you began this journey.
The crickets and other night creatures continue making music in the darkess as you walk along. Perhaps other voices join them. Perhaps you can hear a drum or two, and maybe some people chanting along. Perhaps you feel like humming or singing as well.
Your journey along this dark path continues for a good distance. The music around you is mysterious, but strangely comforting. And the walk is warm.
Ahead of you, now, appears to be a rockface, perhaps a mountain. Your guide is moving you directly toward it. As the glow from the lantern illuminates the surface, you see an entrance hewn into the side of the mountain.
This entrance is very large, and has been painstakingly cut into the mountainside. It is a huge doorway, carved with the writings of a language you do not recognize. As you look at the doorway, you notice that it is adorned with gold and precious jewels.
The strong scent of an earthy incense now grabs your attention. It wafts past your nose from the room within the mountain.
The guide beckons you to enter. And the dim glow of the light begins to shine on the walls inside the dark passageway. Many more writings and painted myths now appear on the walls. Yet the lantern light is too dim to make them out plainly.
It is impossible to see the ceiling in this dim passage. But the walls open out into a much larger chamber. Soon, there is simply darkness all around you and your guide. And you walk for a time, as the smell of the incense grows much stronger.
There is something ahead of you: something very large. It appears to be a giant. But as you get closer you see that it is a huge statue made out of gold. The statue is a gigantic man with many arms and legs, dancing in an immense circle of fire. In the dim flickering light you can make out that each arm and leg is in a different position in the dance, and that he is carrying different things in each hand. But you cannot make out what those things may be.
Your guide stops here, and you see that there is a large fire pit before the statue, filled with wood. Your guide now lights the fire and the dancing flames shoot up, bathing the entire chamber with light.
You discover that the walls of this room are also filled with drawings and writings. And there are many other figures carved in them as well. But the immense statue before you steals your focus. There are flowers and jewels lying before the statue. And your gaze is transfixed upon the immense dancing figure.
The firelight flickers and causes the shadows of the statue to begin dancing against the walls. You notice the arms and legs of the mighty one moving to the music you heard earlier. And you notice the song becoming louder, as the smell of incense flows throughout this stone temple.
You can see that this is the statue of the mighty God Shiva, dancing with the world. And you begin dancing too, as the music fills the room and warms your soul.
The firelight flickers quite a bit now. And soon mighty Shiva, himself, appears to move with the music. You watch as his upper right hand ticks away the seconds with a small drum. And you feel yourself ticking away the seconds of time as well. His upper left hand is filled with fire: burning away the illusions of the material world. And soon you understand the many things we create in our lives which blind us to the important things of living.
You watch as his lower right hand is raised, palm outward. And, in this manner, he lets you know that there is nothing to fear. You understand that he is not simply letting you know not to fear him, but not to fear the things you do not understand in life. Now, his lower left hand moves down, and begins imitating the trunk of an elephant. This is a symbol of strength. And you understand that a lack of fear can be a strength in life. You also understand that elephants are among the wisest of creatures.
Shiva’s right foot rests on the back of a dwarf named “Forgetfulness”. And he is the keeper who binds all people to the pains of their many lives. But Shiva’s left foot is raised to indicate release from those bonds. Then, you see that the fiery circle around the dancing God is a fiery serpent: who helps bind us all to the illusions of the world.
Shiva’s head is level and balanced all throughout this dance. His earrings are those of both men and women, for he transcends both. And his yogic braids fly in the flurry of the dance: a symbol of his wisdom.
In his dance you see life, living, death, and rebirth. And you dance with Shiva through the many phases of living. You feel the seconds of time ticking away. You feel the veil of unimportant things burn away. You do not fear in a wise gesture of your own strength of spirit. You feel drawn to the veil of earthly life, yet you understand the need to be released from its ignorance. And the dance goes on, through the wheel of time… dancing… turning… growing… learning…
Finally, your guide returns with a wooden pail of water. The water is poured onto the fire in a smoky, misty curtain of thick steam. The light dims and the music fades. And before long, you are again in your dark clearing where you first began this journey.
Created by Guides Chandonn, Hypatia X, and Sophia X Pharou
Last modified: 06/20/2009