LAST WILL : "CREMATION, GIVE MY ASHES TO THE OCEAN, INTERRELIGIOUS FUNERAL *185

GUESTS with different religious beliefs entered the cremation chapel where the body of the deceased was in a white coffin. One friend was called Psyche since she started to study psychology. Passing the entrance doordid she see a picture of a nude girl looking as risen from her grave. Psyche did not believe in a bodily rising from death and shook her head. She thought that such art may represent the "defence mechanism" which her teachers of psychology had mentioned as, "a desire to fly from reality to illusions as eternal bodily life"

OFFICIATING was an old clergyman who was hired by the relatives as he was known for tolerance but even for obedience to his church. He was coloured by work in a garrison: with war psychosis and pastoral cure and military hospitals and funerals. He started in his customary way to look on the sword which was onthe coffin and think on how fear for death was less among those soldiers who believe in happy resurrectionsome time after death of the body or after some time in a purifying heavenly washing machine of God.

THE MAJORITY of relatives had in democratic order decided to ask for a "common ritual for funeral"

though they knew that the deceased and many friends had different religious beliefs. There was a "guard

of honour" from an interreligious Gnostic order. It had a banner with a picture of a serpent forming a circle

as it did bite in its own tail. And it had the words of Jesus : "Be wise as serpents"

The clergyman looked resigned on that banner. He knew that Mose had a bronze

serpent and that a Christian Order of Knight Templars had a serpent as a symbol for

the highest true God and that many religions had pictures of gods as heavenly serpents

A FUNERAL MARCH by Chopin was heard from the organ. The clergyman bowed

and begun such a talk which was appreciated in his garrison: "We are gathered at the

bier of a fallen warrior". He was interrupted by a child who said something as "OMEN".

He looked punishing on the disturbing child but decided to continue with the "omen".

He said: "It must NOT be an event of bad omen that we are gathered at the bier of

a fallen warrior. Saint Paul writes about how "death has been swallowed up in victory".

This warrior was victorious already in this life. Look on the decorations of honour on

His coffin.. The child disturbed now again by saying with louder voice: "I said that it

IS A WOMEN" The clergyman looked murdering on the child but remembered in

the next moment that he had beforehand got some information that the deceased one

was a WOMAN with a ceremonial sword which she had used in her Gnostic order.

He tried to simulate that it was just what he had said. He did therefore continue

by saying: "As I said we are gathered at the bier o f a FALLEN WOMAN"

The disturbing child did now rise and exclaim: "She was NOT FALLEN"

The clergyman did finally understand that his words had not been fitting. He hoped

that few had heard his slip of tongue. He knew that people at funerals do not hear

well as they often use sedatives. He asked all to contemplate that we shall die. Earth

to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. He finished with traditional prayers that God

may forgive sins and let us resurrect at the last day. Psyche smiled sceptical

RELATIVES and friends did now come forward expressing gratitude to the deceased. Some hoped that

time in the cold grave or purification states should not be too long. A priestess of the Gnostics expressed

gratitude for the information given by the deceased about reincarnation which Jesus mentioned in the PistisSophia Gospel. She mentioned that some members believe that a secret of heaven is that Christ lived beforeAbram and was Krishna reborn and that the Christ-Krishna-nature is the innermost Self in all . . She finished by blessing the deceased one "Receive the sacrament of absolution, Requiem+aeternam". Some unrest was now among those of traditional beliefs so the clergyman said comforting: "Christ has never reincarnated".

Psyche did now step forward and thanked for psychoanalytic lessons which the deceased one had given. She mentioned that Freud had said that Buddha had much self-knowledge and that even Jesus had talked about self-knowledge in the Gospel of Thomas. Psyche stressed that "defence mechanism" hinders self-knowledge and catches us in illusory dreams about eternal physical resurrection. She believed that self-knowledge is to understand that everything created is mortal and only the uncreated can be eternal as Buddha intimated.

AT COFFEE-TIME after the funeral did the child crying ask the clergyman to forgive all its disturbing corrections. Its mother had threaten with failing weekly pocket-money. The child served cakes which "the dead one herself had baked". The child showed that it was now the happy owner of the sword which it had swift-footed taken from the coffin as it had heard that people even steal dental gold from the dead as Israel

had stolen gold from those which they murdered in Jericho. The child asked how that could happen

when God had first forbidden killing and stealing. The clergyman tried in vain to explain that the

Jericho-story was not literally true but a parable that the religious man from God gets miraculous help to

win victories within his soul. "Your sword can be a symbol for the sword of the spirit of God within you which can kill hindrances. But you must forgive that I said "fallen woman" The child served more cakes

which the dead one had baked herself and answered that its mother had read in a bible that we are all gods

but shall all FALL and die" (Psalms 82.6, John 10.34)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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