In this mid-segment of the year, breezed by the rainy month of June, I would like to start this blog-post by telling you all a little story for the ease of human ennui.
But the Huasai had not all allies but some powerful foes too, for their dominance and power had surfaced as arrogance to a faraway desert kingdom, their most rigorous rival; the dangerous and evil army of demons called Alladia.
Now scroll up, re-read the story with the altered names and words and tell me if this ancient epic, which I am revealing to the world for the first time is actually unknown or well known?
Would the story still seem and sound like an ancient epic equivalent to any religious holy tale which speaks of how evil was killed by the good? Or even better, how many of you would even sneer or simply laugh at the sound of Barack Obama being a God and Osama bin Laden an evil villain? Would it still sound like an ancient epic or some news you watch being televised, which may also later lead to many conspiracies and fickle doubts of whether or not the mastermind behind 9/11 is truly dead or if this is some new cover-up?
The point is… If one would be so intelligent and suspicious in questioning the facts and events of the current world, how is that one crumble and fall dumb, believing the epics and holy religious words of so many religion, dividing humanity, which was presented to us in the remote corners of uncertainty throughout the world history?
Like how George Carlin once quoted - "Tell people there's an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet and they have to touch it to be sure."
‘Cargo cult,’ have you ever heard of this cult? A form of religion, worshiping and believing their own beliefs about God, spirits, ancestors and even rituals and practices that are no different than those religious stigmas, breeding an unending life, surviving on its main source; all those well-known religions around the world?
During World War 2, the Japanese forces and also the Allied forces had sworn to invade and control all, if not most of the islands spread near the Pacific Ocean. First the Japanese, and later the Allied soldiers stormed and made their mark in those untouched isles, such as the Melanesian islands. They were so isolated and remote that the tribal people living there witnessed that which they had never witnessed before. With the planes airdropping desperate cargo and supplies to the soldiers such as manufactured clothes, packed processed foods, weapons, tents, medical supplies, and all possible everyday needs, to the tribal natives it surely seemed like godly gifts sent from paradise.
For the indigenous tribal population such as the Melanesians, their island, or even the far-stretching mountain ranges were the ends of the Earth. They simply did not comprehend that there was anything beyond those mountains of their valley but paradise. They worshiped this imaginary paradise and the Gods living there as their saviors and protectors, who send them precious cargo filled with all kind of riches through the plane for the tribal people. They also further believed that the ‘foreigners’ or the ‘white men’ who flew these planes and distributed these goods to them were simply violating, and were pirates who were seizing the goods that the Gods and their ancestors had sent solely for the indigenous population. Because for them, who so strongly believed in their beliefs, thought that anything that came from beyond the mountain ranges was simply coming from paradise, which the tribal people worshiped. Some even received personal gifts from some soldiers in exchange for precious information about the island and also for being a host or guide. This eventually forced the tribal natives to worship these soldiers as Gods, since they strongly believed that only Gods can produce and offer such goods, which to them didn’t exist.
But soon the World War ended; the soldiers retreated and abandoned the islands. The tribal population suddenly felt a blow on their lifestyle as they believed that their Gods suddenly abandoned them from all their wealth and riches, taking away their good times. Soon the tribal leaders and chiefs forced their tribes into believing that the Gods were oblivious that their wealth and goods send to the indigenous were violated and seized by the ‘foreigners,’ thus rituals and practices were needed in pleasing the Gods to send them some more goods.
Fake landing strips were paved, and dummy control towers built. Fake torches blazed, mimicking the runway lights. They even built life-size models of airplanes, made of bamboos and sticks, to mimic the cargo planes and its landing on the airstrip. March-pasts were conducted and the tribal men mimicked the soldiers, holding wooden sticks representing like guns and painting their bodies with flags, only thinking that these were ritual practices the ‘foreigners’ did to acquire God’s rewards. Their naive and strong belief was that by doing the rituals that the ‘foreigners’ did, it might eventually earn them God’s attention in sending them more and more cargo of riches. Thus was born the ‘Cargo Cult.’
We have heard of stories, read storybooks as young children, and even pride the religious epics; the pious doctrine we so firmly believe and follow. The story I am about to tell you all is one of such kind, which the world is yet to be acknowledged. And when you read it wholly, you will, as you should understand my point.
In a mystical, powerful and prosperous land of Huasai, the kingdom of Ark was dominantly progressing in its prime times of opulence. This kingdom, the favorite gem in the eyes of all the Huasai’s rulers and their chief king boasted two large and tall pillars that stood like the gate, welcoming visitors into the kingdom valley. These two pillars were known to have possessed the powers of unknown mystical energy, which controlled the wealth and riches of the whole of Huasai. The people of Ark believed that the two pillars contained and offered such vital powers to their kingdom that as long as the pillars stood, so did the kingdom’s dominance.
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The two mystical pillars of Ark kingdom.
(As one might imagine, while reading the epic)
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But the Huasai had not all allies but some powerful foes too, for their dominance and power had surfaced as arrogance to a faraway desert kingdom, their most rigorous rival; the dangerous and evil army of demons called Alladia.
With the tension building and rising in the heated fumes of rigid hatred, the Alladia army guided by their sin demon leader called Samadin launched a ferocious surprise attack on the kingdom of Ark. With his army storming the valley and particularly attacking the two pillars of wealth and riches, the Ark kingdom lost the mystical pillars, tumbling to the earth with great despair of loss and sorrow. These events lead to thousands of innocent lives lost and the Arkers to witness the hatred and terror of the demons that were heaved towards them.
But the rulers of Huasai were furious, for they did not accept these unprovoked and cowardly attacks of the Alladia army. The hunt for this army and its leaders began with an all-time exigency to search and destroy this evil demon army once and for all.
Years after years they searched, but with little signs of ending this war which swore not to end until the termination of the evil Samadin. But soon the Ark kingdom changed, and so did the whole land of Huasai as they welcomed a new king called Bak Ama.
The king Bak Ama, along with his trusted team furiously assembled and formed a final preparation to end the evil Samadin, who was responsible for the loss of thousands of innocent lives and the destruction of the mystical pillars. With all the energy and the spiritual knowledge the lands of Huasai possessed, it was finally able to pick and select the best of the best warriors, forming a knighthood of six super-human knights who were destined to kill this evil villain Samadin for good.
The six knights, known as the ‘Shell Knights’ finally found the evil Samadin, concealed and secured in a fortress in the far abandoned land of complete isolation. The knights killed Samadin and brought back his heart, ripped away from his ribs, a testimony to the king and its kingdom that the evildoer was killed for his sins, thus bringing peace and harmony to the Ark kingdom all over again.
This was the epic the people of Huasai and the Ark kingdom told generations after generations, priding on the historic epic of how the demon villain Samadin was killed by a king, a God called Bak Ama and his six knights of true bravery.
Now, with the completion of this little fairy-tale sort of story which carried the usual theme of the victory of good over the bad, any religion could be easily formed or even adapt this story as their holy epic to teach their followers about good vs. bad. And since I was the creator of this story, which as a writer I wholly believed and hoped that it would entertain and please my readers, I would, however, push this a little further but letting you alter few names and words in my story, which I am sure will astonish you with my actual intent. Here it goes…
What if the word Huasai was altered to the U.S.A?
What if the Ark was altered to New York?
What if the two pillars of wealth and riches were altered to the two twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York?
What if the word Alladia was altered to al-Qaeda?
What if the name Samadin was altered to Osama bin Laden?
What if the king’s name Bak Ama was altered to Barack Obama?
And what if the six Shell Knights were altered to team-six SEAL navy combatants?
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The ‘SEAL Team Six’ on the night of Osama bin Laden raid.
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Now scroll up, re-read the story with the altered names and words and tell me if this ancient epic, which I am revealing to the world for the first time is actually unknown or well known?
Would the story still seem and sound like an ancient epic equivalent to any religious holy tale which speaks of how evil was killed by the good? Or even better, how many of you would even sneer or simply laugh at the sound of Barack Obama being a God and Osama bin Laden an evil villain? Would it still sound like an ancient epic or some news you watch being televised, which may also later lead to many conspiracies and fickle doubts of whether or not the mastermind behind 9/11 is truly dead or if this is some new cover-up?
The point is… If one would be so intelligent and suspicious in questioning the facts and events of the current world, how is that one crumble and fall dumb, believing the epics and holy religious words of so many religion, dividing humanity, which was presented to us in the remote corners of uncertainty throughout the world history?
Like how George Carlin once quoted - "Tell people there's an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet and they have to touch it to be sure."
‘Cargo cult,’ have you ever heard of this cult? A form of religion, worshiping and believing their own beliefs about God, spirits, ancestors and even rituals and practices that are no different than those religious stigmas, breeding an unending life, surviving on its main source; all those well-known religions around the world?
During World War 2, the Japanese forces and also the Allied forces had sworn to invade and control all, if not most of the islands spread near the Pacific Ocean. First the Japanese, and later the Allied soldiers stormed and made their mark in those untouched isles, such as the Melanesian islands. They were so isolated and remote that the tribal people living there witnessed that which they had never witnessed before. With the planes airdropping desperate cargo and supplies to the soldiers such as manufactured clothes, packed processed foods, weapons, tents, medical supplies, and all possible everyday needs, to the tribal natives it surely seemed like godly gifts sent from paradise.
For the indigenous tribal population such as the Melanesians, their island, or even the far-stretching mountain ranges were the ends of the Earth. They simply did not comprehend that there was anything beyond those mountains of their valley but paradise. They worshiped this imaginary paradise and the Gods living there as their saviors and protectors, who send them precious cargo filled with all kind of riches through the plane for the tribal people. They also further believed that the ‘foreigners’ or the ‘white men’ who flew these planes and distributed these goods to them were simply violating, and were pirates who were seizing the goods that the Gods and their ancestors had sent solely for the indigenous population. Because for them, who so strongly believed in their beliefs, thought that anything that came from beyond the mountain ranges was simply coming from paradise, which the tribal people worshiped. Some even received personal gifts from some soldiers in exchange for precious information about the island and also for being a host or guide. This eventually forced the tribal natives to worship these soldiers as Gods, since they strongly believed that only Gods can produce and offer such goods, which to them didn’t exist.
But soon the World War ended; the soldiers retreated and abandoned the islands. The tribal population suddenly felt a blow on their lifestyle as they believed that their Gods suddenly abandoned them from all their wealth and riches, taking away their good times. Soon the tribal leaders and chiefs forced their tribes into believing that the Gods were oblivious that their wealth and goods send to the indigenous were violated and seized by the ‘foreigners,’ thus rituals and practices were needed in pleasing the Gods to send them some more goods.
Fake landing strips were paved, and dummy control towers built. Fake torches blazed, mimicking the runway lights. They even built life-size models of airplanes, made of bamboos and sticks, to mimic the cargo planes and its landing on the airstrip. March-pasts were conducted and the tribal men mimicked the soldiers, holding wooden sticks representing like guns and painting their bodies with flags, only thinking that these were ritual practices the ‘foreigners’ did to acquire God’s rewards. Their naive and strong belief was that by doing the rituals that the ‘foreigners’ did, it might eventually earn them God’s attention in sending them more and more cargo of riches. Thus was born the ‘Cargo Cult.’
A short, ‘Cargo Cult’ documentary film.
Now, I personally don’t see much difference between the beliefs of the indigenous people of Melanesia’s ‘Cargo Cult’ and the widely practiced beliefs of the vast verity of religions around the world. What if every time we fight for or against a particular religion, barking the ever-debatable slogan “My God is better than your God,” we actually sound and seem very much similar to the indigenous tribesmen in the above video, who simply lack the mental capacity to understand that the wealth and the cargo were simply coming from well-civilized nations and cities? It makes me wonder if we too are in someway blindly believing in a paradise, just like the Melanesians who are rigid and adamant in even letting go of the false belief that nothing exists beyond the mountain ranges, but paradise. Maybe we are civilized enough to be realized that beyond the mountains exist many other nations with an advanced civilization. But still, being in a different degree, what if we too are yet uncivilized and in no way different than the ‘Cargo Cult’ way of life?
Although a fair possibility, I am not implying that advanced aliens or UFOs might have had the same effect on us; we being the much indigenous race compared to them. But when the world is so ripped apart by dividing beliefs, gods, religions, race, culture, nations, casts or even skin color, one must contemplate our level of understanding the universe and beyond. Maybe the Earth’s layer of atmosphere is our mountain ranges which we are not yet capable to look beyond; not necessarily visually, but spiritually.
I personally believe that everyone and anyone’s perception and faith about their image of God and their religious beliefs are in no harm to the world or any other living being until one sees the necessity to forcibly imply his or her beliefs through hypocrisy or harm. And while some foolhardy racists assume and presume that their skin color or the place they come from is better than some other, one must wonder what if suddenly some extra-terrestrial, advanced alien race invades Earth and thinks the same on humans because we are less intelligent and less superior to them? And what if to these advanced aliens, eating the flesh out and chewing on the dull brains of these same racists, radicals and religious promoters were the favorite pass time to do? Would you still think racism or religious violence is acceptable?
- Girish Rathna
