Prometheus 6

Direct Pointing
by Earl Dunovant
Copyright © 1995

"I will speak plainly. If you understand my words, you may stay. If not, you must go.

"To begin with, I am discussing both the planet and the world. The planet is real, vast, and you are but a single element of it. . . a mote, composed of motes, on a mote of a planet circling one of a vast number of starts in one of a vast number of galaxies in what may be one of a vast number of universes. The world, on the other hand, is internal to you. It's the network of laws and expectations that defines the future, intersecting the network of memory and explanation that defines the past, and the perceptions made relative to these networks. Our bodies live on the planet; we are creatures of the world. Do you understand?"

The crowd looked at each other uneasily. They had not expected to be tested until the lesson was complete.

Some said "I do not understand," stood and left. These had but one more rebirth to undergo. Some said, "I don't understand, but I'm sure I will when I hear more," and stayed. These had five more rebirths to undergo. Some said, "After all the work I've done, I can't let these people think I don't understand," and stayed. These had ten more rebirths to undergo. Some understood and left, thinking they had heard enough. These had 15 more rebirths to undergo. Some understood and left to teach this lesson before seeing it through to the end. These had 20 more rebirths to undergo. Some understood and stayed. These were reborn. In all, one sixth of them left before the end.