Astonishing the Gods Read Online Free PDF
Author: Ben Okri
he realised that the pure fire of the city was burning parts of him away, burning away something within him. He breathed in the fire, and began to see things differently.
He saw an illuminated world, a world that was a living painting. In the animated painting he saw blue houses, yellow trees, black flowers, golden farmers in their diamond fields, a blue and yellow and red earth, yellow riders on blue and yellow horses, aquamarine birds, and an emerald dawn.
The world was aflame with colour. The world was drunk on colour. He became quite colour-mad.
The street was now of burnt sienna. The statues were of vermilion hue. The fountains spouted twinkling water that seemed to smile. The stars were green. The earth became topaz. And the air was oceanic blue.
He breathed in the colours, amazed at the cities hidden within the city.
8
And as he breathed in deeply the changing colours of the air, he noticed that the glow that was his guide seemed to be floating.
âWhat is the first law of this place?â he asked his floating guide.
âThe first law of our cityâ, the guide said, with that almost ironic smile in the voice, âis that what you think is what becomes real.â
He pondered this as he walked past fountains and alongside the fields of dancing colours that he had already passed before.
âDoes that mean if I think I have passed the same place twice it too becomes real?â
âYes.â
âBut what if I pass it twice before I think it?â
âThat means you were not aware of it the first time. Anything you are not aware of you have to experience again.â
âWhy?â
âBecause if you werenât aware of it, you didnât pass it. You didnât experience it.â
âBut what if I am aware of the second time?â
âThen you experienced it once. The law is simple. Every experience is repeated or suffered till you experience it properly and fully the first time.â
âWhy is this so?â
âIt is one of the foundations of our civilisation. At the beginning of our history there was great suffering. Our sages learnt that we tend to repeat our suffering if we have not learnt fully all that can be learnt from it. And so we had to experience our suffering completely while it happened so it would be so deeply lodged in our memory and in our desire for a higher life that we would never want to experience the suffering again, in any form. Hence the law. Anyone who sleeps through their experiences would have to undergo them for as many times as it takes to wake them up and make them feel the uniqueness or the horror of their experiences for the first time. This law is the basis of our civilisation, a permanent sense of wonder at the stillness of time.â
âIs time still?â
âDoes time move?â
âYes.â
âWhere to?â
âI donât know.â
âHave you seen it move?â
âYes.â
âWhere?â
âOn a sundial.â
âThat is the measurement of a motion. Time itself is invisible. It is not a river. While you are in time all time is still. As in a painting.â
âBut day turns into night.â
âYes.â
âSo time moves.â
âNo. The planet moves. Time is still.â
âI donât understand.â
âThatâs because you move your mind too much.â
âWhat then is the second law of this place?â
âWhen you need to know it you will find out.â
âYou are a difficult guide.â
âWait till you meet the others.â
With this remark, his guide fell silent again.
9
He had been walking, had been listening to his guide, been listening to the colours in the air, but he hadnât been paying much attention to the world about him. He hadnât noticed that scenes he was passing were ones he had already passed without being aware of the repetition. The journey seemed endless.
He saw the apple-green
He saw an illuminated world, a world that was a living painting. In the animated painting he saw blue houses, yellow trees, black flowers, golden farmers in their diamond fields, a blue and yellow and red earth, yellow riders on blue and yellow horses, aquamarine birds, and an emerald dawn.
The world was aflame with colour. The world was drunk on colour. He became quite colour-mad.
The street was now of burnt sienna. The statues were of vermilion hue. The fountains spouted twinkling water that seemed to smile. The stars were green. The earth became topaz. And the air was oceanic blue.
He breathed in the colours, amazed at the cities hidden within the city.
8
And as he breathed in deeply the changing colours of the air, he noticed that the glow that was his guide seemed to be floating.
âWhat is the first law of this place?â he asked his floating guide.
âThe first law of our cityâ, the guide said, with that almost ironic smile in the voice, âis that what you think is what becomes real.â
He pondered this as he walked past fountains and alongside the fields of dancing colours that he had already passed before.
âDoes that mean if I think I have passed the same place twice it too becomes real?â
âYes.â
âBut what if I pass it twice before I think it?â
âThat means you were not aware of it the first time. Anything you are not aware of you have to experience again.â
âWhy?â
âBecause if you werenât aware of it, you didnât pass it. You didnât experience it.â
âBut what if I am aware of the second time?â
âThen you experienced it once. The law is simple. Every experience is repeated or suffered till you experience it properly and fully the first time.â
âWhy is this so?â
âIt is one of the foundations of our civilisation. At the beginning of our history there was great suffering. Our sages learnt that we tend to repeat our suffering if we have not learnt fully all that can be learnt from it. And so we had to experience our suffering completely while it happened so it would be so deeply lodged in our memory and in our desire for a higher life that we would never want to experience the suffering again, in any form. Hence the law. Anyone who sleeps through their experiences would have to undergo them for as many times as it takes to wake them up and make them feel the uniqueness or the horror of their experiences for the first time. This law is the basis of our civilisation, a permanent sense of wonder at the stillness of time.â
âIs time still?â
âDoes time move?â
âYes.â
âWhere to?â
âI donât know.â
âHave you seen it move?â
âYes.â
âWhere?â
âOn a sundial.â
âThat is the measurement of a motion. Time itself is invisible. It is not a river. While you are in time all time is still. As in a painting.â
âBut day turns into night.â
âYes.â
âSo time moves.â
âNo. The planet moves. Time is still.â
âI donât understand.â
âThatâs because you move your mind too much.â
âWhat then is the second law of this place?â
âWhen you need to know it you will find out.â
âYou are a difficult guide.â
âWait till you meet the others.â
With this remark, his guide fell silent again.
9
He had been walking, had been listening to his guide, been listening to the colours in the air, but he hadnât been paying much attention to the world about him. He hadnât noticed that scenes he was passing were ones he had already passed without being aware of the repetition. The journey seemed endless.
He saw the apple-green