He saw his audience clearly, despite the darkness and the tears. The tears he felt and saw were not of grief or loss, but joy, an emotion not always respected in the world of humans.
“Many people,” he said, “will consciously accept the avatar for what it is. Others will first know, then reject what they know; to them, only the physical is real. They will fully accept only after a powerful and traumatic physical event, a concurrence that can hardly be explained as coincidental. For the Tao will also manifest as a major geophysical event at the time of the avatar’s death, or immediately afterward.
“For this body standing before you will die. It will be murdered, and the manner of its death will make the reality more dramatic, more compelling.”
Ngunda chuckled. “When I’ve been asked if I am the Messiah-to-be, I have neither admitted nor denied it. Perhaps the avatar itself will not, but it will be apparent. At some level, conscious or subliminal, it will be clear to even the most resistive.
“Even then a percentage will deny it, because they will be deeply frightened. And the backwash of that fear will manifest as violence. A violence mostly brief, but you will need to protect yourselves for a while. Some of you know the preparations made for that.
“And now about your task to come.” Again he paused, literally feeling their attention. “After the geophysical event, new religious sects will arise. Some will hew rather closely to my teachings, and to those of other deeply inspired sources whose teachings are, or will be, basically consistent with my own. Other sects, particularly religions already established, will deviate to substantial degrees, or will preach doctrines resembling my teachings only superficially.”
He paused for several seconds, to underline what would follow.
“It is important . . . important . . . important—to realize that each of those teachings will have its own validity. Each will have its own validity for its adherents. There are still hundreds of millions of infant and fledgling souls literally unable to grasp or accept what I have taught. But they will believe. They will believe in the visitation—the avatar, messiah, mahdi, Maitreya . . . whatever they term it. They will believe more fervently than many young souls—and create or accept doctrines quite foreign to my teaching. And . . .”
Once more he paused for emphasis. “And at their level of evolution, they will benefit from those doctrines.
“Young souls will also create their own doctrines, from which they will benefit, and these will be more or less accepted by billions. While the doctrines created and accepted by the billions of mature souls, and the many millions of old souls, will differ from my teachings in diverse but relatively minor ways. All this is inevitable, in accordance with the Tao.”
Again Ngunda paused.
“Now about you. When the Infinite Soul assumes this body, you will find yourselves more powerful than ever. Spiritually powerful. You will know with a fullness of knowing rare among humans. Yet even your knowing will be limited, as mine is, and that is not a flaw, nor a thing to regret, for it will be more than enough. You will retain your humanity, yet excel in spiritual love, honesty, and wisdom. You will have the power to heal bodies, minds, and souls. In some respects, you will be more powerful than I have been.
“And your role will be to teach what I have taught—to do what you have learned to do—without creating a church or orthodoxy. Without creating a church or orthodoxy. Do not, do not, do not criticize the doctrines others will propagate. Simply teach, heal, and be spiritual examples.”
* * *
Watching, listening, Bar Stool became aware that he was no longer inside his body, nor outside it as he’d occasionally been. Rather he contained his body, instead of the other way around. He felt himself expanding, contacting and interacting with the souls of those around him. He felt their feelings with his own, in a chorale of love. Heard Ngunda Aran’s words, and beyond the words, felt the concepts flow into him, into all of them.