Stephen's Secure Blog #259
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, after the Winter holidays of year 7 of his
special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #259 "Third Concert in Thailand"
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An hour before showtime, I spoke with the hotel manager. I said "Are
things going well, for the show setup? Any problems?" He said, "There
are no problems at all." I said "Good. Performing artists, and their
performances, can be disturbed by any interruptions or changes in what
they rehearsed for, even if it doesn't affect them directly, like a
timing change. If even one performer in the orchestra, or the lead, is
distracted by something unplanned for, they could have a disastrous
time, and ruin the whole concert for everybody. That's why the
orchestra didn't play the anthem last time, remember? The conductor was
very concerned about that." He looked really worried, then. I said
"Your reaction tells me you did something which might cause a problem."
He started to deny it, and I grinned. He said, "Yes, there is
something. The Prime Minister wants to say something after the
intermission." I said "I was serious about what I said. You should have
told me about that before the last rehearsal. Fortunately, the
orchestra isn't scheduled to play right after that, so it might not
bother them too much. Rose, Hawk, and I will be playing. They can take
the stress. If I get too emotional before that, I don't know about me.
I guess we will just have to see what happens. Can't kick the PM out. I
can play with his guards, though." He almost laughed, and then left in
a hurry. I gave my memory of that conversation to Chad, and he almost
strangled trying not to laugh. I said to him in contact, +I wanted to
see if I could get him to tell the PM to make it less of a deal than
they probably planned. My concern is real. If I tell them it might kill
me, they won't believe that.+ He said +Don't die."+ I said, dryly,
+Thanks.+ He almost laughed again.
I sat at the piano, playing some Bach, when the people started coming
in. Then the PM's guards started coming in. One couldn't get through
the door. His CO demanded the weapon, and passed it to another guard
who would be outside the room. Then he came in the room. A few minutes
later some other man couldn't get in the door. I said, after I went up
to him, "Weapons are not allowed here." He said "I don't have any!" I
said "I don't allow lies, either. You have a 14 shot Glock model 23 in
a shoulder holster. If you want to enter this room, you must remove
it." He drew the gun, and pointed it at me. I grabbed his arm and hand
with invisible 4th hands, and pointed the gun toward the ceiling, and
held it, and his arm and hand, in place. I said "Did you plan to shoot
somebody here? I see you did. Is your target somebody famous? I see it
is. Is it the PM? No? His assistant? Is it me? Oh. Well, you sure
didn't do your homework! I can't be harmed." He said "Yes you can! You
are a fake!" I said "Is that I am holding your arm motionless, a fake?"
He said "It's a trick!" I said "What you want to call it doesn't
matter. It won't move until I let it. Why do you think I am a fake?" He
said "You are not a Bodhisattva!"
I said "Did you ever hear me, or hear anybody say they heard me say I
was?" He looked surprised. I said "And, why do you care? You are
obviously not a Buddhist." He said "Yes I am a Buddhist!" I said "It is
you who are the fake. A real Buddhist cannot kill." He still struggled.
I said in my special command mode, "You will hear me and obey! You will
never lie in this life. You will never try to harm anybody, even if you
are attacked. You have lost that right. You will not speak against any
Buddhist Monk, such as myself. I am the Abbot of my Temple. When I
release you, you will immediately go to the nearest Buddhist Monastery,
and tell those who are there what you tried to do here, and why, and
what I have commanded you to do. You will learn to be a REAL Buddhist.
You will stay there until the Abbot there allows you to leave, and you
will obey as any other student Monk must. If you understand all that I
have said, say yes." He struggled, and did say it. I said "So I have
commanded, so you will obey!" I took the gun from him, and removed the
clip, and the round in the chamber. I ported them away, right in front
of him. I crushed the gun in my hands, to an almost unrecognizable
ball. Then I ported a stainless steel rod to me, and bent it around his
neck, and attached the crushed gun to it. I said "You put innocent
people here in danger. This is to remind you of your crime. You may
go." I released him, and he staggered away.
I went back to playing the piano, as if nothing had happened. Some of
the witnesses were in shock. Hawk was struggling not to laugh. The PM
nodded to me, and I nodded back with a smile. He tried not to smile in
return, and didn't quite succeed. The museum director and his wife came
in, with the case for the shield in tow. I ignored him, and he figured
out why, and was embarrassed. The musicians were all in place, and were
tuning their instruments. I helped with some of that. Srinoy warmed up
on the piano. Then the hotel manager signaled me, and closed the doors.
I moved to the center of the stage, and said in Thai and English, "I
will be speaking in the language of Thailand, and will sing in another
language, but all of you will understand my words in the language most
known to you, whatever that may be. If you do not, please tell me, and
I will include that language in this process." Silence. I introduced
Srinoy as the guest soloist. He came to me and bowed to me and to them.
I said "This is his debut. Prior to his concert performance, he will
sing the National Anthem of Thailand for us, with the Siam Hotel Dance
Band. All please rise!" Because it was in the program which they had
received with the tickets when they had bought them, and was available
at the door, they weren't surprised this time, and rose. I went to the
dance band, and raised my baton. I looked at Srinoy, and he nodded. I
started the band, and Srinoy sang beautifully, and with pride. When it
was over, the audience applauded, and I bowed to him. The audience sat.
I announced, "For our next selection, we will play the 'Flight of the
Bumblebee', an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
for his opera, 'The Tale of Tsar Saltan'. Hawk RedCloud will play the
piano, and I will play the flute, for this arrangement I made for this
piece. If you would like to know why, it's because Srinoy likes it a
lot. If he looks surprised, it could be because I didn't tell him that,
before." I grinned at him, and he laughed. So did some in the audience.
Hawk and I played it well, and we earned a lot of applause. I
announced, "Now Srinoy will play the Grieg Piano Concerto for you. I
will conduct." I took the podium. I looked at Srinoy, and he nodded. I
raised my baton, and the orchestra readied their instruments, I started
the timpani, and off we went. Srinoy was magnificent. The orchestra was
better than I expected. Actually really good. After it was over, he
received a standing ovation. After he bowed a few times, he motioned to
me, and I bowed. Then I motioned to the orchestra to rise and bow, and
they did. I announced, "I have to say this myself. In my opinion,
Srinoy was magnificent. And this orchestra, who had such a short time
to practice with a new conductor, which is er, me, was also great. I
couldn't have asked for anything better. Now there will be a fifteen
minute intermission." I bowed, and went to congratulate Srinoy on his
performance, with the orchestra's regular conductor. He was almost
glowing with happiness, and so were his parents. Even more, when the PM
came to do the same. I grinned at that.
I stopped grinning when the PM came to me. He said "You know." I said
"The signs added up, yes. The hotel manager couldn't hide his reactions
to the usual key words I always have for him. I didn't make the shield
as a portable display. It's here for a purpose other than just to show
it. Your reactions at the last show, and logic, tell me what is
intended." He said "You are just too intelligent." I said "So I've been
told, by people who wanted to surprise me. But then, I've been told a
lot worse, by those who wanted to surprise me with weapons." He laughed
and said, "I can imagine!" I said "So, how are we going to manage this?
You do the talking, and I do the surviving?" He laughed, and said,
"Something like that." I said "It would be helpful if I didn't have to
stumble through it blindly." He said, taking a paper out of his pocket,
"This might help." I glanced at it, and said, "Do you want it back?" He
said "You already read it?" I said "Actually, I read it as soon as it
was obvious you wanted me to. I used my eyes so it wouldn't look like I
ignored it. I can read any document in this room instantly, without
using my organic vision. All memorized, too." He said "Wow!" I said "I
think I've heard that before." He laughed. He said "What you did to
that man. Those commands. Are they permanent?" I said "Until he dies,
or I remove them, yes. It would be so even if he were an Adept and an
Abbot. Some have not been immune to doing wrong. But there must be
proper justification, after they are given the opportunity to correct
themselves, and I do not punish, only correct, prevent, and educate.
Most who I have done that to, have eventually thanked me for it. Some
might consider what I did to that man today a punishment. If that were
true, I would be living the life of punishment, myself. I just told him
to do what I do and did."
He looked very surprised, and then thoughtful. He said "Things aren't
always what they seem to be." I said "Always. Seeming is not what they
are." He looked interested. I said "Most of us go through life only
glancing at things, comparing their general appearance to what we are
familiar with, and then assuming them to be those already familiar
things, automatically. That inaccuracy carries forward into our
reasoning about them and with them. That man showed us some basic
assumptions about himself, Buddhism, and me, which were far from being
correct. They stayed with him, despite things which would disprove
them, because his pride could not accept that he could be wrong.
Ironically, those who have that habit of pride, are the most wrong
people in the world. Those who become more enlightened, are more free
of those inaccuracies and assumptions. Their minds are not prejudiced
in favor of their past assumptions and reasonings. Such people are
never really surprised, because they did not have expectations which
could be challenged by unforeseen change. My schools teach that. So do
many Buddhist Monasteries. My unusual abilities would not be usable if
my mind were not clear and in control." He said "I did not learn that
as a student Monk." I said "Telling it as I did, takes little time.
Learning and doing it, takes years, even with the modern teaching
methods we have developed. Many never become good at it." I said with a
grin, "That's what we have the next life for." He had to smile. Then he
said, "Thank you. I have learned things. Unexpectedly." We grinned at
each other, and bowed.
He said "You will announce that I have an announcement?" I nodded. We
waited. After the hotel manager signaled, I said to the newly returned
audience, "The Prime Minister of Thailand has asked me to say that he
would like to make an announcement. He has not told me what it is." I
stood aside, and he spoke. He said "Stephen, as he wishes to be called
and Master of Abbots, and other advanced titles. He has said he loves
our country, our people, even our elephants. I have to tell you, from
the unusual reports I've had about that, many of our people do love
him, and the elephants love him, too. He has shown his love for us by
making and giving to us this shield, which is usually on display at the
museum." While he was saying that, the museum director was bring the
case up to the front, and opening it. He lifted it out of the case. It
was heavy, so he struggled with it. Then he lost his grip, and he
dropped it a little, and one of the sword tips stabbed him in the
thigh. He fell down, with the shield on top of him. I was there in a
flash, and lifted it off of him, and put it back in the case.
His thigh was bleeding quite freely. Some people rushed to help him,
and somebody called for a doctor. I said, in an authoritative voice,
"Stand back! Everybody please stand back. I will insure that he will
recover. Doctor, please come here and witness. I have established an
asepsis field around us. I have given him a tetanus shot. I do these
things with invisible force fields, so you can't see that. I'm
spreading the cloth. I have already numbed the leg, and sterilized the
area and inside the wound. There are some minor blood vessels which are
still bleeding. I am sending healing energy to them, while I hold the
ends of them together. They are now healed. Now I will repair the
muscle, facia, subcutaneous fat layer, and then the dermis, in that
order, including any severed nerves. The wound is closed, and is all
healed, and without a scar. I'm removing the blood. As you have
witnessed, the patient will not need further care." I said to the
museum director, "I'm not much of a taylor, so you will have to live
with the hole in your trousers for a little while. I did warn you the
shield was heavy, and the swords sharp. You should have left it in the
museum, where it was intended to be." I was helping him stand up, while
I was telling him all that. He nodded, and said, "Thank you." I said,
"No problem. Anytime you stab yourself in the leg, call me." He laughed
in reaction.
I picked up the shield, and hung it in the air. I went back to the
PM, and said in a casual way, "You were saying?" He was all wide eyed
in amazement. We bowed to each other. He faced the audience, and said,
"I think we all know now, those are real swords. In fact, Stephen
learned to use them, just so he could make them the right way. He also
learned our kickboxing, and healed some of our elephants. He learned
our language. He has taught in our Temples. He has taught our young
Master Srinoy. He had given us these concerts, when he could have
chosen to do that in any other country. He has made The Shield for us,
with who we are, on it, which he has done for no other country. He has
truly become one of us in all but citizenship. Now I will remove that
last thing which separates us. By unanimous vote of our National
Assembly, I am requested to grant and award Stephen full citizenship in
our country, The Kingdom of Thailand. Now his country." His assistant
came up to him and gave him a framed certificate, which he presented to
me. My tears were flowing. I accept it. I said "I don't know how to
thank you for this great honor. Thank you isn't enough. All I can
really do, is give you who I am. Love." I hung the certificate in the
air next to the shield, and glowed, and raised my arms, and gave my
love to all of Thailand, very strongly. Then we bowed to each other,
and he went back to his seat.
I said, after porting a tissue to me, and wiping my face with it, and
making it vanish, "I apologize for the interruption. If any of you have
a complaint about that, please discuss it with the Prime Minister. It's
all his fault. Not that I would think anything bad of it. Now back to
the concert." I told them about Rose and Hawk, and their charity, and
thanked them for their contributions to it, and my desire for a Free
Tibet. I said "Next, Rose, Hawk, and I, will play our interpretation of
'When the Saints Go Marching In'. We created this while we were waiting
for the last concert here to begin, and as fun thing. We would like to
share that fun with you now." Rose had been keeping the reed wet, and
she handed the clarinet to me, and went to the piano. Hawk went to the
drums. We played it. It was terrific, even if I say so myself. We
received a standing ovation. I made Rose and Hawk bow a lot. Then I
announced, "Next, I will conduct I symphony I wrote, I call, 'Path to
Thailand'. This will be it's premiere." They applauded. I said "Well,
that went by fast." They laughed. I said "Oh, we haven't played it yet.
raised my baton, and when they were ready, we began. They played better
then I had expected, but still not good enough for a album. After we
finished, there was silence. Then thunderous applause. Then a standing
ovation. We bowed a lot.
I said "Now for something extra. I would like to introduce my friends
from the Sera Monastery in Tibet. They are the Abbots of the five
schools there." They came from the rear entrance, and lined up on the
stage. They bowed deeply to me, and the people noticed I didn't bow as
deeply, where even the PM would have bowed much lower. I announced
their names. The audience was restless. Rhamcha said in Thai, "I sense
your feelings. You think Stephen was impolite to us, for not bowing
lower." We could see they agreed with that. Rhamcha said "It would have
been dishonest of him to do that. Yes, his status is higher than ours.
Much higher. We are Abbots because he presided at our election. He has
done that for other Abbots, even the leader of an entire Tradition. He
is an Abbot of his own Temple, and the Master of Abbots, our Master and
Teacher, and The Master Teacher for all of Buddhism and the world.
Stephen is one of the two holiest people in all Buddhism. He was not
impolite to us at all. It is the opposite, because he didn't know I was
going to say this, and so couldn't tell me not to. We have been told by
his friends that it is our responsibility and privilege to embarrass
him, just like they do." I sighed, very dramatically. There were some
chuckles, mixed in with their surprise and awe.
because if I had used his title, he would have replied with my titles,
and we REALLY don't have time for such a long list of them. Ramcha,
there are a lot of things I didn't tell you not to do, such as 'don't
turn into a chicken and fly away', yet I don't see you doing that." He
said "This close to a food establishment, I would be reluctant to do
that." Laughter. Another Abbot said, "Stephen has shown us that humor
is a good thing." I said "I can make mistakes, too." More laughter. I
said to the audience, "I invited them here so you can put faces on what
Tibet is to you. These five Abbots are part of the soul of Tibet, now,
and very much of the free Tibet to be. They learned the Thai language
for this visit. Please thank them for their visit." They rose and
applauded, and bowed. The Abbots bowed to them, and bowed to me, which
I returned, and they went back to where they had come from. When things
had settled down, I grabbed my heart, and said, "I don't know if I can
take any more embarrassments today." Some laughter. "I said "No, that
is NOT an invitation to try it." More laughter. I said "But the show
must go on. For our last selection, I will sing a song which sings to
me words I wish I could have written myself. It is 'The Impossible
Dream', from the musical play, 'Man of la Mancha'. I hope the message
in it is as powerful to you, as it is to me." I bowed, and the
conductor went to the podium. He started the intro, and I sang it with
as much power and feeling as I could.
When we stopped, there was a lot of applause, and then a standing
ovation. I bowed, and asked the conductor to bow, and he asked the
orchestra to bow, and I bowed again, and they still applauded. I walked
off the stage, and they didn't stop. I walked back, and Rose brought my
violin to me. We bowed to each other. The audience knew what that
meant, and so settled down. I bowed, and said "One very last thing." I
played my usual encore, with all my heart. I was glowing by the time I
finished, and wrapping them in my love. Rose took my violin, and I
raised my arms, and said in a strange and powerful voice, "May all you
believe is holy, bless you with their love and care. Thank you for
allowing me to give you some moments of pleasure, and my love.
Farewell, my friends, till we meet again." I bowed, and when I
straightened up, I made my silvery disappearance act, porting to the
staging room, and then let my love die down. I remotely put the Shield
back into its case, and ported the Award of Citizenship to me.
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Grant
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