Stephen's Secure Blog #180
These stories about Stephen began was when he was 10 years old, and
moving to a new part of the country to attend a special school for
gifted students, in the 1950's. This was from a time before computers
would fit on a desk, and when people communicated with friends in other
countries by actual letters sent through the postal service. He wrote
225 of them to a friend. He stopped writing to his penpal, but found he
still wanted to record his life, in case he lost his memory again, and
wrote 30 entries in his first logbook. Then he wrote to an artificial
intelligence called Geenee, in the master computer in his school for
gifted students, which he started attending in 2016. Now it's after
2018, and he's continuing to save his memories in a secure blog.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
Stephen is 16 in this story, in the Summer after year 6 of his special
school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #180 "Srinoy's Temple"
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We drove back into town, and had lunch in a restaurant. I was offered
fried rice with chopped up rice bugs in it. They are big flat insects.
Some people eat them alive. I don't eat them in any state of being. In
fact, I decided right then to never eat any part of an animal ever
again. If it's in something I'm served, I'll remove it, or replace it
with an elemental copy, which I would try to do so it won't be noticed.
I didn't tell them. While we were eating, Srinoy asked me, "What do you
think of my Temple?" His mother said, "But he hasn't seen it yet." He
grinned. His father said, "Ah! He looked it over already. He would."
Srinoy grinned wider, and said, "When?" That made him think. He said
"When he asked where it was?" I nodded. I said to Srinoy, "I don't have
an opinion about it yet. I will, when I see how they are to you." His
parents nodded in approval. He said "Are you going to give them
something?" I said "I might. It depends on how I feel. I give when and
were I like to, and not because it's expected. Things don't mean
anything to me. Only the act itself has meaning, and that is love.
Those bowls were just containers for my love. They will feel it when
they touch them."
I said "There is going to be trouble outside. Two gangs are getting
ready to fight each other. Unusual to do that out in the open in
daylight. It's over a girl, so it's personal. A boy stole her from
another boy of a different gang. It doesn't occur to them that the girl
should have some say in that. Srinoy, if you could do all that I could
do, and you actually can, by the way, what would you do about that?" He
nodded and said, "It is a doing, not a telling." He got up and went
outside. I pushed to him all the info I had about the situation, and
the command voice technique, and some disguises he could use if he
wanted to. His mother was about to stop him, when his father restrained
her. I said "Right. A learning situation. Some things can only be
learned by doing in the developing situation. Remember, he can't be
hurt. There is no danger to him. There is to the gang members and
bystanders if he fails. He can't make the situation any worse, though.
I know you want to be with him, but you shouldn't. Not even to watch.
I'm recording it, so we can review it later. Alright?" His father asked
me, "What will he be learning from this?" I said "A good question.
Courage to do what should be done, and confidence that he can do it
well. There are other things, which you should already know. This is
his first solo mission. I have no doubt he will do well." They were
almost happy with that. Twenty minutes later, he came back in, and sat
down. I said to him, "They don't know. I think we should save it for
the review at home later." He nodded, and then gave them a big grin, so
they knew it was alright.
We finished eating, and we walked to the Temple. His father said to
Srinoy, "Won't some people recognize you from the gang war, and make
trouble for us?" Srinoy and I grinned. His father looked at me, and I
said, "To them, it wasn't him. And stop trying to spoil the telling."
He laughed. We hugged. I said "Hmm, somebody might have called ahead
and told them they were going to have some guests." His parents grinned
and nodded. I said "They already knew about me, when your son was sent
to the school. In fact, it was they who had alerted us to his
potential. One of their Senior Monks knows me from my last
incarnation." Srinoy said with a big grin, "You are going to be REALLY
embarrassed." I growled and made tiger hands at him, and he screeched,
and ran to hide behind his mother, and said, "Oh, please save from that
horrible monster!" She said to him, "Come out and take it like a man!"
He was really surprised, and we all laughed, and then hugged each
other. I said "They had monks out to scout for us. They ran ahead to
tell them we were on the way. Oh, Srinoy. They saw what you did. You
are going to be REALLY embarrassed." He tried to growl, but only
coughed while making tiger hands at me. I ran behind his father, but
couldn't repeat what he had said, because I was laughing. We all hugged
and kissed each other.
There were lines of Senior Monks leading to the main entrance to the
very large Temple complex. We got to the start of the line, and Srinoy
and I, in front of the parents, bowed to the monks, while they were
bowing very deeply to us. We went past them, into the Temple. There, an
Advanced Senior Monk, the one I knew, led us to a very big room, to a
private meeting with the Abbot. He stayed with us. The chairs were all
on one level. We all bowed to each other, and we were asked to sit. We
were all served Thai tea, which is black tea with coconut milk. I love
it. We exchanged polite things. I said "We at the school, and the
entire world, owe you a lot for making Srinoy your gift to us. I think
you may have heard how well he has learned from your teachings, and
ours." He said "We have, and are impressed. Srinoy, you were a joy to
us while you were here, and I celebrate your new skills and maturity.
What you did was better than anybody could have hoped for. Chiang Mai
will be a better place because of your work." Srinoy was really
embarrassed. I grinned at him, and said, "And you thought I was going
to be the one who was going to be embarrassed." We hugged. I said to
the Abbot, "This is something we have to learn to accept, within non
harmful limits. We do good things. We have to let people appreciate
that when they need to, for their own well being." He said "For some of
your own embarrassment, you are wise." We grinned at each other.
I said to the Abbot, "May I ask a favor of you?" He said "Please. If
I could make that a requirement, I would." I laughed and said, "Good
one, I like that." He said "I was er, warned about your humor. I too,
appreciate it." I looked at the Monk next to me and said, "Panchang,
you told! How could you!" He said "Because I wanted to. Want to fight
about it?" I said "Actually, that was part of the thing I was going to
ask about." Everybody was interested. I said "I am to make something
for the museum in Bangkok. Swords on a shield. Something like this." I
projected the image. I said "You teach sword skills here. I would like
to see some of that, and how the swords are constructed, and learn
something of their use." The Abbot said, "We will be very pleased to
help you. We will schedule that for tomorrow morning. Now, please allow
Panchang to show you our home." We all stood and bowed, and I went to
the Abbot and said, "Please. May I give you something of me?" I reached
out to hug him, and he accepted. I gave him all my love, and a lot of
directed healing energy. Srinoy helped him to sit down. We left the
room. I said to Panchang, "The Abbot will be feeling better soon." He
dripped tears, and bowed deeply to me, and said, "Thank you Master." I
hugged him, and said, "None of that, old friend. Please." He said
"Sure." I said "Really?" He said "Probably not." We grinned at each
other. I told them why I didn't like being called Master, and that
Tomba and I changed it to Master Teacher. They all hugged me.
We went on the tour. I greeted each monk we met, and inquired about
what they did. They all treated me with a lot of awed respect. They
treated Srinoy with respect, too, but with a lot of affection and love.
He knew I really liked that. We came upon some monks who were trying to
move a stone to repair part of the building. I saw it was going to fall
on them. I ran to the stone just as it started to fall, and held it up
for them to brace it in position. Then they bowed low to me in extreme
awe. Well, it was a big and very heavy stone. I said "Please be
careful. I value your lives and health." I wrapped my love around them.
They had interesting reactions. In their hearing, I said to Panchang,
"I don't want to lose any single person I can give my love to. I'm very
selfish that way." He said, trying not to grin, "I see. Not that I'm
complaining."
We moved on. Near the end of the tour, I said, "I've been looking for
something, but I haven't seen it." He said "What is that?" I said
"Well, I've seen a lot of statues of The Buddha, but no really big one
like they have in some other Temples." He said "Ah, yes. It is our
misfortune that we have not had the material or the skill to make a
suitable one. Nor do we have the money to have somebody do it for us."
I said "And they would not be one of your own." He said "That, too, is
important." I said "If you had one, where would you put it?" We went
back to that room. I checked it out, and said, "Good. This stone floor
is strong enough. Now, if you did have it here, what do you think it
should be made of?" He tried to suppress his excitement, and with false
calm, said, "Are there choices? I said "ALL choices. Absolutely no
limit. But you should consider the risks of having something so
precious you would be a target of dangerous thieves. But then,
something really big and heavy isn't going to fit easily in a pocket."
He laughed. I hugged Srinoy to me, and said, "I wouldn't mind having an
assistant on such a project." He was absolutely astounded, and
speechless. Panchang was VERY pleased to have one of their own involved
in making it. I said to him, "You might also consider what position The
Buddha should be in, and how clothed. Personally, I would be pleased if
it wasn't an exact copy of something already made." He nodded, almost
speechless, himself.
He led us back to the front entrance, and we bowed to each other. I
raised my palms out to the Temple, and gave everybody in the building
my love.
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Grant
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