Chapter 1:  The City of Nouseum

Once upon a time, long ago, thousands of universes back, a storyteller traveled through an unknown country and came upon a Grand City. It was beautiful, built of gold, silver, and jewels. Everywhere, the inlaid cut diamonds sparkled in changing, brilliant hues as the sunlight refracted off their facets. Flowering and fruit trees provided shade and delicious treats. Exquisite fragrances of rose, gardenia, and osmanthus perfumed the City’s air. The storyteller had never seen such a sight nor heard of such an imperial City.

Entering through the main city-gate, he notices no gates to close to keep enemies out. Many people greet the Traveler, shaking his hand and offering fruit, tea, coffee, cake, pastry, and other lovely things. Everyone is singing, laughing, and working happily. Nowhere does he see poverty, sickness, meanness, or greed. All the people wore silk finery and jewels. But no one seems vain or proud.

It surprises him as none of the doors to the houses have locks. Finally, arriving at the city center, he meets a jolly old man with a beard reaching almost to the ground.

The old man says to the Traveler, “Greetings, Friend. I see your heart brought you to our fair City, even to the portals of the House of our beloved Prince and Princess.”

The Traveler doesn’t know what to say.

The old man chuckles, saying, “I see that you do not understand why you are here, do you?”

The Traveler’s tongue still cannot find any words.

The old man continues, “No one visits our City unless they have received an invitation from our beloved Prince and Princess.”

The Traveler stands there, confused. Before he knew what happened, he is in a beautiful garden full of fragrant flowers and refreshing fountains. Standing in front of him is a young man and woman dressed in simple clothes without jewels or other ornamentation.

The old man introduces the Traveler to the Prince and the Princess. They all sit down.

The Prince of the City radiated confident intelligence. His hair is long, curly, and blond. His eyes are deep blue. When the Prince’s eyes met the Traveler’s, the Traveler felt the Prince’s gaze penetrating his heart.

The Traveler sees into the very center of his being, seeing himself as he is for the first time in this life. Two forces, angelic-goodness and demonic-selfishness, are at war with each other; one an angel and the other a hideous, selfish, self-aggrandizing demonic human ego created by natural biological evolution. He sees his mind as an enormous battlefield upon which wages an epic battle between egoism and altruism, evil and good. The Traveler is overwhelmed because of his conflicting feelings and thoughts, the beautiful overcome by the ugly.

Suddenly, the Traveler experiences the deep pains of the world. Copious tears fall from his eyes, for he grieves with every man, woman, and child. His sorrow rapidly increasing until it becomes unbearable. The Traveler realizes the great gulf between who he really could be and how he had behaved in the past.

At this moment of most profound grief, the beautiful Princess, with her long, raven-black hair and green eyes, looks deeply into his eyes. All the sorrow and pain vanishing, replaced with new feelings of peace, security, and joy as he experiences the Kingdom of God Within.

The Traveler realizes that forgiveness is possible, even for those failing to live life skillfully or wholesomely. All one needs to do is face the Guardian of the Threshold with courage and honesty.

So, he prays, “Come onto me, Guardian, Messenger of True Conscience. Show me how to be born a second time to become a helper in the Work of the Creator-Absolute.”

The Guardian appears before the Traveler in a flash of light. Lowering his fearsome sword, the Guardian asks, “Do you wish in your Heart of Hearts to change from selfishness to altruism? Will you make an essence promise to listen to the angel within and assume the mantel of a helper of God? If you sincerely see your past life errors and are strong enough to swear an essence promise, forgiveness is yours. Godspeed, new friend.”

The Traveler’s vision clears, and he saw a soft violet light surrounding the Prince and Princess.

He asks them, “Is it true? Am I truly forgiven? Am I now a helper of God?”

The Prince replies, “Yes, Traveler. Your psychic heart is now living within our One heart.”

The Princess adds, “Friend, before we get to the reasons we invited you to our beautiful City, I think we should tell you a bit about who we are and where you are.

“In the past, others hearing about our City called it by many names. In your world, people call it Shangri-La, Shambala, Avalon, Quivira, and Cibola. All these names and stories about our City are not accurate. The proper name of our Grand City is Nouseum, after our City’s inherent nature. We know the people you have seen and met as Those Whose Understanding is Always.

“You can think of our City as the Holy Conduit between the Love of the Creator-Absolute and the Kingdom of Heaven within.”

The Traveler still had not got his bearings.

The Princess continued, “Traveler, we invited you into our home to share an incredible teaching tale. A story you must learn and tell all the children of your world. And, one day, you must teach it to another storyteller. A tale meant for children-in-age and those becoming children once again in their Hearts as taught by Lord Yeshua. I am sure you all remember what Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew when speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven and God Within:

            ‘Matthew 18: 1–6. At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him amid them. Verily, I say unto you, except ye see conversion, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whosoever humbles himself as this little child becomes the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoso receives one such little child in my name, receives me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones who trust implicitly in me; would be better off with a millstone hung about his neck and drowning in the sea’s depth.’

“We ask this favor of you, as we have asked innumerable travelers dwelling in other places and other times. Only you can decide if you will help us help humanity.”

The Prince says, “Friend, the story we are asking you to retell is how the Princess and I came to Nouseum. It is the story of why we come into every universe created by the Creator-Absolute. For our story is the story meant for every man and woman possessing a noble heart and a rational mind. What say you?”

The Traveler still finds no words. As he sits within this serene garden in silence, he discovers that he hears the story whispered into his inner ears. The story’s events are as musical notes, each melodiously linked to those proceeding and following.

As he listens, he feels that he is within the single Heart of the Prince and Princess. He understands that this story is the first and the last Chapters in the spiritual completion of humankind. This story is the never-ending saga.

            The Prince reaches out and places his right hand upon the shoulder of the Traveler, grinning a broad and compassionate smile, saying, “If your heart had not agreed to our request, our teaching tale would not be living there now. Go, dear Friend, tell the world about God’s Greatest Miracle: A Tale of Two Little Angels.  And someday, in the distant future, you will return to live in our fair City. As this time approaches, watch for other excellent souls and direct them to our City. If they are ready, they will hear our call.”

The Princess stood up and lightly kissed the Traveler on the cheek, saying, “Go, Child, tell the story so others may find the path to our fair land.”

As her lips left his cheek, the Traveler finds himself no longer in the Great City of the Prince and Princess, but on the outskirts of a city he knew. He enters through the gates, goes into the marketplace, and begins telling his wondrous tale. Soon children surround him; their Ears and Hearts open to the angels within.

So, boys and girls, this is how our story begins.