Читать книгу The First Boomerang - Paul Bryden - Страница 13

The days Rob and the Elder spent together evolved their own easy rhythm. Sunrise and sunset varied the vibrations of each day without completely interrupting them. Around the men was a quiet, wise energy interwoven with daily activities and they sometimes lost track of time, the linear time measured by man-made clocks.

Another early morning saw them loading up the 4WD with enough supplies for a few days and heading out of town as the first birds acknowledged first light. The Elder felt alive in the fresh flush of morning and started their first conversation while tying a pair of mulga wood hunting boomerangs (ulperrenye) together with thick string.

“We’re going to a very special area, a hidden gorge hardly ever visited even in the old days. You’ll be the first whitefella to see it!”

The Elder emphasised his last sentence like he rarely had before, and Rob was stunned.

“What?” He almost shouted, as much to the Universe as the Elder, sensing that this day and the next couple were going to be profoundly memorable.

“You know the importance of sites, so you’re ready for deeper information. In life we have blood family and interact with many other people, but each person lives a unique spiritual journey. You and I have special roles this lifetime because we were connected before, but I’ll talk more later. There’s a lot in front of us today.”

They turned off the bitumen road on to a dirt and gravel track and the desert oaks and mulga trees began thinning out. After reaching a rocky outcrop at the end of a ridge that angled off the West MacDonnells, the track narrowed. Rob eased the 4WD over increasingly sandy country, negotiating sections of bull dust, the powder-fine soil that can bog a vehicle, while the Elder rested the hunting boomerangs across his thighs and said...

“The hidden gorge can’t be seen from local roads or tracks. It’s even hard for helicopters to find. About thirty minutes further along we’ll park then walk for about an hour. There’s fresh water, plenty of overhangs to camp under, and we’ve got swags and enough tucker. You’ll see what the boomerangs are for later.”

Rob was intrigued about going into the unknown and as his excitement increased, the Elder continued.

“The gorge was created by the Ancestors and it has a cave gallery of paintings that materialised long, long ago. Only two people alive know they’re here – you and I. We’ll stay for three days and nights to receive the full cosmic vibrations that make it sacred.

Our individual frequencies pick up vibrations from people and places – positive and negative – but in the hidden gorge our frequency will rise because the energies are highly spiritual. As we walk, feel at One with all things, and we’ll stop a couple of times for a rest. Don’t feel obliged to speak, just absorb the energies of nature where no white man has ever been before!”

No one had ever said that to Rob because adventurers have been everywhere: crossing the driest deserts, climbing the highest mountains, even trekking the freezing snowscapes of the North and South Poles. To be the first white man to see any part of the planet first would be incredible, and Rob was bursting with anticipation.

As the men walked along in happy silence the bush aromas became sweeter, the sun’s warmth evaporating the last pockets of morning dew. The bird life was plentiful and in excellent song, and although there was no track, the tireless Western Aranda elder knew exactly where he was going.

At the first short break neither of them spoke, but at the second, just forty minutes after leaving the vehicle, numerous thoughts and feelings had built up in Rob.

“It’s such a privilege to be here. It’s hard in New York and other cities to keep grounded. My thoughts and spirit just keep flying everywhere. But here, I’m balanced. I’m at home in the Dreamtime landscape. Why’s it taken me so long to come back?”

Rob had not asked a direct question for a while, but the Elder was not surprised. Clarity on all levels was vital.

“We’ve got to be ready for our next step and reach certain spiritual levels before rising to higher ones. You’ve lived a lot and developed a lot of awareness. You wrote about the Outback while overseas and created a thought-pathway. Because your connection started in the mind, you’ve been here many times before arriving physically! So it’s not long in terms of spiritual readiness. You’re actually right on time.”

“Yeah. That feels right,” Rob agreed.

“Remember you mentioned Cosmic Timing?” the Elder continued. “This is it in practice. Your inner cosmos is on time because it’s part of the larger cosmos. That’s why you’re sitting under a tree in the middle of Australia. Your journey’s already partly written in the stars and partly etched in life’s landscapes. You’re the co-author, and the Universe, Ancestors and I are guiding you to fulfil this part of it.”

Rob was not surprised by the profound and beautifully balanced explanation. This was the wise way of his guide and mentor. Now it was obvious he was destined to learn about much more than sacred tjurunga, although he would definitely help the Elder try and find the old, stolen ones.

Their second stop had been long enough for bananas, mixed nuts and refreshing drinks of water, and then, according to the Elder, they only had about twenty minutes to go.

“The sun will be at a certain angle when we get there, that’s why the day’s unfolding like it is,” the Elder explained. “We must find a particular rectangular rock face when the sun’s shining precisely onto it. We’ll thank the Ancestors in advance for the opportunity to see the paintings, and be grateful for the information received. These affirmations will form thought-connections to the paintings before we locate them. We’ll create a positive future, by creating a positive now.”

Feeling invigorated after their break and snack both men stood up, ready for the last part of the hike. With rolled swags and full daypacks of supplies and cameras slung over rested shoulders, and the Elder carrying the two hunting boomerangs, they set off. Soon after, they came to a dry, sandy watercourse flanked by lush vegetation. For the first time they saw palm trees and another plant with strong, green fronds sprouting near the orange-red rocks.

“They’re palms aren’t they?” Rob wondered out loud.

“They’re Red Cabbage Palm, and we call them Rrankweye,” the Elder replied. “And that other fella is dinosaur tucker.”

“What?” Rob cut in.

“It’s the cycad. We call it Tywekekwerle.”

“But what do you mean by ‘dinosaur tucker’?”

“Botanists call it a ‘living fossil’ because it survived the Ice Ages.” Rob heard what the Elder said but realised there must be a local story. “They’re Dreamtime Ancestors that became plants. Meaning, spirit lives beyond the limiting beliefs of science. Time’s not a long line from start to finish. It’s inter-dimensional and embodies past, present and future. The palms and cycads are in three time dimensions at the same time.”

The Elder paused for a few mouthfuls of cool water.

“That’s the essence of the Dreamtime and it’s a challenging concept. Yet more and more will understand as personal awareness grows and consciousness develops.”

“As you say it’s step by step, and everyone’s steps are always on time.” Rob added as he stood beside a palm tree whose age was incomprehensible to him. The explanation that it was in the past and the present “at the same time” resonated positively. He was open to higher levels of understanding as they came closer to the hidden gorge.

The sandy watercourse that sometimes ran as a creek, actually led from the gorge and only flowed after storms drenched the area, but the palms and cycads were fed by permanent underground water and replenished by fresh run-off. This dry watercourse was the men’s route into the gorge, and after turning a slight bend they saw a pile of large rocks, moulded by the spirit hands of the Ancestors.

Now the destination was close and their intention had to be communicated.

“Like before, near the empty cave storehouse I’ll speak in old Aranda so the spirits of the hidden gorge and the paintings know we’re coming. The old language is purer and opens up channels of communication much faster than later dialects. After I’ve finished you can speak from your truth.”

The Elder cupped a hand on either side of his mouth and spoke fluently to the sky. His words and phrases like music on the breeze, seemingly penetrating the leaves and branches of the guardian trees and palms. His language was in harmony with nature, vibrating in all dimensions of life.

In this reverent atmosphere, Rob then offered his words. “Great Ancestors and Universe, I come respectfully and acknowledge the traditional creators of the Law. To be guided to this sacred place is a rare and unforgettable privilege. I come with honour and gratitude in my heart, and am open to greater spiritual understanding.”

Knowing the spirits had been alerted, both men walked faster, more eager than ever. Around another bend a grove of cycads and tall palms blocked the watercourse, but the men pushed through the ancient beings, only temporarily slowing down. Within minutes they found their way through them and walked into the gorge.

Rising on each side of the bone dry creek bed, tan-brown walls of time-weathered quartzite confirmed they had found it. Just ahead of where Rob was standing the gorge opened out to about fifty metres wide, but he could not see far enough to estimate its length. However, he definitely felt that the temperature was higher.

The Elder made a quick mental survey and found that his memory of the area was surprisingly clear.

“There’s an old rock fall we need to find first. It’s not far along so let’s get moving. I’ve been waiting a long time to come back. I was only twelve or thirteen when I was here before. My first initiation was over, and the elders allowed me to see the sacred paintings. I strongly remember the men chanting and chanting and clack, clack, clacking their boomerangs together. It was a big experience for a young boy.”

He was there. Rob could feel the Elder was there. He was in the vivid depths of his memories and imagination, and already with the paintings. But imagination would not be needed for much longer.

They reached the fallen rock and the Elder looked for a certain boulder to indicate how close they were to their goal. Midday had just passed and the sun’s rays beamed downward at a slight angle, hitting the heaped rocks. Several had angular sides, some were tall and wide, yet one showed a complete rectangle to the sun, and the Elder pointed excitedly.

“That’s it. That’s the rock. The light’s nearly there!”

Only partial shadow remained on it and they stared intently, wanting the sun to speed up. But it only took about three minutes for the big rock’s rectangular face to be completely covered with sunlight.

“It’s there. Push the rock. Push the rock,” the Elder urgently instructed. “Go within Rob, focus your energy. Push hard.”

Taking a balanced stance and using his hands and right shoulder, Rob pushed, easing the rock forward until it over-balanced, falling sideways and sliding out of the way. Dust exploded into the air, then as it cleared and to Rob’s amazement, several rock steps appeared.

“There,” he said, sucking in a quick breath.

“We’ve found it!” Exclaimed the Elder.

Both men knew they were being shown the way, but there was no need to say so. Rob gestured to the Elder to go first and they descended into an underground cave, walking carefully and expectantly without speaking. At first it was semi dark, but as they gradually turned left and walked on for about twenty metres, the cave became lighter and larger.

Suddenly, images began taking shape before their re-focussing eyes. On the cave wall in front of them a gallery of painted figures appeared. Was the Dreamtime staring them in the face?

“Wow. Wow,” Rob repeated, instantly overcome. He fell silent, allowing his eyes and other senses to perceive the ancient art. Mesmerised and speechless, he eased down onto the stone floor. Words could not describe what he was feeling.

The Elder was immediately affected and tears moistened his eyes.

“I remember paintings here from childhood, but I’m not sure about these images. Yet the energies are empowering and I’m filling with love. My inner being is opening up and I’m at One with all life. I belong to the whole Universe.”

The Elder’s eyes closed as he flowed with his spiritual recharge. After waiting for most of his life to return, and despite feeling puzzled by the paintings, he understood why he felt completely at One. He was being profoundly renewed on all levels because he was connecting to the Spiritual Source.

Rob was in bliss, flooded by loving energy radiating from the sacred art. Fortunately, the Elder had prepared him for a spiritual leap because he was barely coping with the higher vibrational frequency. However, he continued sitting and absorbing the immense personal experience until gradually drifting back into the conscious present.

* * *

Other levels may have absorbed Rob a few immeasurable moments earlier, but now totally revitalised he felt moved to describe the surprising discovery. His voice was purposeful, like the proud leader of a successful archaeological dig making an announcement to the world.

“In a sacred cave in the heart of Australia we’ve discovered paintings of Krishna, Jesus, Buddha and Sathya Sai Baba with black afro hair and an orange robe. Impossible. Unprecedented. What are paintings of great spiritual masters doing in the Outback? Who created them? Why are they here in the hidden gorge?”

Rob’s mind raced through possibility after possibility. Then he noticed something else. Just near the orange-robed figure where the high cave wall angled away to the right, he could see part of a symbol. Quickly stepping forward he made another ‘impossible’ discovery, staring in disbelief.

“It’s the star of David and a crescent moon and star, side by side, plus other symbols, one I’ve seen before, it’s the Om sign – and next to them’s a brown-skinned man with a black beard in a white robe! He’s painted smaller than the large figures on the main wall, and I have a memory of his image too.’’

The Elder could almost hear Rob’s mind over-working in the confines of the cave and before he could respond further, had to comment.

“I’m astonished. I thought I knew what was here! They’re different than I remember, but we’re meant to see them now. I don’t have all the answers but the Universe and the Ancestors will guide us, I know that.”

The Elder was not as confident as usual, because he was very, very surprised by the subjects of the paintings. Were they the same ones he saw as a boy? Had his mind played tricks on him over the years?

* * *

Later, both men were sitting under an overhang with dry twigs and branches piled together for their campfire. Dusk was settling on the day and with it the tangible quietness only found in remote places. For the next couple of days the hidden gorge would be their sanctuary.

After darkness fell they stared into the orange flames, comfortable in each other’s presence, yet neither man had spoken a word since leaving the cave. On this momentous day the Ancestors provided a perfect, still evening for them to reflect upon the paintings and their feelings. But their minds were not fully relaxed under the sparkling night sky, and as the fire burned Rob simply said, “Totally unbelievable!”

The Elder nodded in agreement, then introduced the next morning.

“We’ll sit near the painted images before sunrise to experience first light awakening the spirits. I’ll build a small fire for warmth, and we’ll simply Be. Be in the moment. Be our Spiritual or Higher selves. I’ll perform a ceremony with the boomerangs which I know you’ve been wondering about.”

He did not say anything about the paintings, apparently needing more inner space to reconcile what he believed he had seen as a boy.

* * *

Crisp, fresh air greeted both men as they rolled out of their swags. The early morning was cold because Winter temperatures drop markedly overnight in the Outback. They did not eat but only drank cool water, both feeling it was best to be empty of food to fully receive the potent spiritual energies in the cave.

After walking to the uncovered stone steps they descended carefully, passing through the left-turning part of the cave before arriving at the paintings. Instantly, a sense of awe and wonder engulfed Rob and the Elder again, filling their hearts and souls as they stared at the figures. Without a word they sat down a few metres away. The Elder had carried the boomerangs, Rob the water bottles, and they were on time because the sun was yet to rise. It was cold, but referring to his words the night before, the Elder said.

“I won’t make the fire because smoke could damage the paintings. Let’s keep warm by breathing deeply and rubbing our hands together briskly. Take full conscious breaths. Visualise oxygen reaching every cell in your arms, hands, legs, feet, toes and fingers. That will help you feel warmer.”

Questions about the paintings began to rise again, also distracting their thoughts from the cold. The Elder was leader and mentor, but he too was hearing the obvious questions. The biggest being ‘why?’ Why were portraits of spiritual masters and symbols of religions painted in a hidden gorge in the Outback? Neither Rob or the Elder had speculated aloud. Shared silence was a direct response to the shock of seeing figures far beyond their cultural and geographical origins. But the images were in the cave and the Elder was first to speak.

“I’m feeling at One, and the paintings are about Oneness. Major faiths of the world share the walls of a cave in Aboriginal country and no-one else knows they’re here! It’s totally amazing. I thought they were my Ancestors! The elders must have thought they were important when they showed me. But did they change over the years? I don’t remember the exact figures and symbols, but what’s here is here. They’re spiritual beacons for all of us.”

Rob inhaled audibly, fully realising what they were seeing.

“This is real spirituality, the unity of all people, faiths and religions. I feel it deeply and feel so blessed to see them.”

“Yes, me too Rob,” the Elder responded, before standing up and stepping closer to the paintings. He stretched his arms wide to confirm one figure’s width, then held his right hand close to its hands to compare size. The spiritual masters had been shown great respect. Their painted hands on the sacred cave wall were twice as large as his!

Rob got up, equally impressed by their size and height. He was over six feet tall, but they towered above him. Painted in deep red and orange-red ochre, white pipe clay and charcoal black, the artwork was pristine, life-like, compelling. The artists had known their subjects well! Rob stared even harder as he went closer, seeing details he had not noticed the day before.

Questions flooded his mind. Were the paintings connected to the original people of the area? Were they painted by man’s hand? Why had they been re-discovered now? Rob knew intuition was needed to find the answers, but his busy brain was overworking.

* * *

As Rob refocused his thoughts the Elder indicated with hand gestures, similar to traditional Aranda sign language, to sit and face the paintings again. Each man was experiencing a deeper spiritual reality in his own personal way, but the Elder wanted to change the energy.

“These ulperrenye hunting boomerangs embody spirit that came in the Dreamtime according to the old storytellers. Spirit lives on in the boomerang, and to keep both strong I’ll perform a ceremony to honour them.”

He made a similar introduction in old Aranda, one of the earth’s first languages. Rob could not understand the fast moving sentences, but he felt totally comfortable with their sounds and rhythms.

The Elder tuned into his intuition, finding the words and melody of the chant he had not heard for sixty years. Holding the boomerangs vertically he began tapping a steady background rhythm, their clacking sound echoing around the cave. By changing angles different sounds leapt from the boomerang clapsticks, captivating Rob with variations in tempo and volume. Now flowing, the Elder started chanting the sacred words of his elders, singing the boomerang and enlivening the spirits. Drawn in by the repeated chanting and clacking Rob’s whole being resonated with the vibrations. Clapping the boomerangs faster and faster, the Elder increased the intensity, the side of his right foot tapping in time on the rock floor, the huge painted figures looking down as if they could hear.

Suddenly, tapping sounds beyond the Elder’s tapping beats echoed in the cave. He stopped abruptly, yet the echo continued! But was it echo? Rob heard it too, and they looked straight at each other.

“Hear that?” Rob asked, looking confused.

“Definitely,” the surprised Elder confirmed.

Speculation flooded Rob’s mind as the rhythmical tapping flowed on and on. But after a long two minutes the Elder was smiling.

“Ceremony re-empowers places and people so they reconnect with the Source. The cave’s pure spiritual energy accelerated the process, and I performed enough of the boomerang ceremony to honour them! The Universe and Ancestors enabled us to hear the boomerang percussion continue and sound exactly the same, on a level of spirit!” The Elder explained.

“Like another dimension?” Rob queried.

“Exactly,” the Elder confirmed.

Both men were profoundly moved. The Elder’s eyes filled with delight, Rob’s face flushed with awe. Still seated, Rob adjusted his cross-legged posture and the Elder placed the now silent boomerangs on the sandstone floor. On personal inner levels they absorbed the unexpected experience. They were being re-empowered by Universal Love Energy.

After a while they got up and walked back to the steps and out of the cave. The sun was directly overhead and they were surprised in one way, but not in another, because the life of spirit is timeless. Back at their camp the Elder lit twigs and broken branches, waited for them to burn well, then placed a billy of water on to boil. Rob reflected on the morning’s events and half-asked, half-stated to the Elder.

“It’s going to be interesting telling people that traditional hunting boomerangs are alive!” He suggested, raising his eyebrows. Then with a quick look into the future he reinforced his words. “Imagine the reactions, back in the urban never, never!”

Rob seemed to have some doubt, so as the Elder threw loose black tea leaves into the billy, he offered insightful words.

“You know I regard all things as One, and believe all things are interconnected. Most of our mobs say all objects and beings embody the same spirit, and that’s common knowledge in other cultures and spiritual groups world-wide. But what does it mean? Who understands what’s really being said?”

“I’m on that sort of wavelength,” Rob responded.

“You are, but many aren’t,” the Elder said.

Rob sensed there was more to come and waited attentively as the Elder stirred the boiling tea in the billy with a long, thin eucalyptus stick. There was an art to making this traditional whitefella brew and the Elder was good at it.

“More will get it when they know our beliefs. See those mulga trees across the gorge? If we go closer we’ll see which part of the slender trunk would make a good boomerang. In terms of spirit the boomerang’s already there, and has been since the tree was a sacred seed. After we cut a section and make the boomerang it becomes another entity, physically separate from the tree. But it’s still part of the whole, in spirit. Some may call the tree inanimate, but to us it’s a living being. Same applies to the boomerang. He runs, he walks, he flies: why wouldn’t he be alive!”

There was a twinkle in the Elder’s eye as he described the living boomerang. His voice was animated as his mind filled with images of boomerangs in flight, spinning fast through the air. He was reliving youthful, more energetic days. The Elder had performed the ceremony and given clear explanations so Rob could speak about the spirit of the boomerang.

* * *

The Elder poured the hot, black tea into thick plastic mugs and sat down.

“Let me show you something.” He placed his right thumb and index finger on one of his top, front teeth and applied pressure. Suddenly he was holding a partial denture with one tooth. “My original tooth was knocked out during first initiation...”

“Ouch, sounds bloody painful.” Rob sympathised.

“It sure was, and I’ve had different part-plates ever since.”

“Yeah? I hadn’t even noticed,” Rob responded.

“That’s right,” the Elder confirmed. “It was uncomfortable in the early days, but it’s been good for years now.”

“And it’s a better look professionally,” Rob said.

“Exactly,” the Elder agreed as he replaced it. Then Rob introduced a new topic.

“Do you think the Ancestors show us signs, back in what seems like the spiritually starved world?”

Sipping his tea then placing the three quarter-full mug on a rock, the Elder picked up one of the clapstick boomerangs.

“Let’s not think too much,” he replied with conviction. “Thinking blocks our connection to Ancestors, Spiritual Masters and the Source. It’s over-used. But the world’s not spiritually starved. If it was, we wouldn’t be here! Positive vibes keep the world more than half in the light.”

“Yeah. Agreed. I see your point,” Rob acknowledged.

“And universal signs are always available. If we’re ready spiritually we see them. First recognise, then interpret correctly. Interpretation is tricky, but when they’re obvious it’s simple and everything flows.

Intuition interprets signs quickest and truest. Then the battle between intuition and intellect rises because mind wants to dominate. But as we grow spiritually it’s easier to recognise signs and messages because our connection to the Source becomes deeper.”

As soon as he finished his last word the Elder put the boomerang down, emptied the remains of his now cool tea in the sand, stood up, and beckoned Rob to follow.

“Let’s go, there’s another stand of palms further along, and I want to show you some rare bush tucker.”