American Book of the Dead

OBLIGATORY READERS INVOCATION

To the divine silence of unrech!le endlessness"
To the divine silence of #erfected $no%led&e"
To the divine silence of the soundless voice"
To the divine silence of the 'ert of the L!(rinth"
To the divine silence of the ncient )ind"
To the divine silence of the un!orn &uide"
To the divine silence of the unseen &uide*
#rotector of ll sentient life"
To the divine silence of those of #erfected $no%led&e"
To the divine silence of hu)n #ri)te incrntion"
To the divine silence of the l!(rinth &uides
%ho scrifice their li!ertion for those
%ho hve not (et %$ened to the truth"
To the divine silence of the Lord of Deth*
the eternl un!orn resident of the l!(rinth
%ho hs scrificed his o%n rede)#tion
for the rede)#tion of ll vo(&ers ever(%here"
To the divine silence of the #ri)ordil !ein&"
To the divine silence of the &ret scrifice"
+e offer ho)&e* love nd ho#e"
But !ove ll* %e &ive our &rtitude,
American Book of the Dead
READING -./The S()#to)s
+itin& to #ss throu&h trnsition* I )$e the effort to relese )(self fro) the )ind* h!its nd
identit( of the hu)n #ri)te* re)e)!erin& )(self s vo(&er* se#rtin& )(self fro)
identifiction %ith the hu)n #ri)te %ithin %hich I hve !een vo(&in& throu&hout its lifeti)e,
As vo(&er* I relese )(self fro) the fee!le &ri# of hu)n #ri)te consciousness" I feel )(self
revertin& to )( ntive stte* the #erfect shinin& void* endless li&ht in infinite e0#nsion" no #st*
#resent or future* ll e0#eriences dissolvin& into the dee#* shinin& eternl voidness of the void*
relesin& )(self fro) the identit( nd environ)ent of the hu)n #ri)te, I %ill enu)erte the
s()#to)s of trnsition1
., Erth sin$in& into %ter, A dee# incessnt senstion of slo%l( incresin& #ressure* of !ein&
ine0or!l( dr%n do%n%rd into #ool of )ercur( or led* of )eltin& into the erth,
2, +ter sin$in& into fire, A senstion of cl))( coldness s thou&h one hd !een suddenl(
i))ersed in ice%ter/it !e&ins %ith uncontroll!le shiverin&* &rdull( )er&in& into
un!reth!l( hot* o##ressivel( still t)os#here,
3, 4ire sin$in& into ir, A senstion of !ein& 5ust on the ver&e of e0#losion* &ivin& %( to totl
dis#ersl of self,
6, Air into Cler Li&ht, A feelin& of !ein& utterl( t #ece* utterl( lone* co)#letel( outside s#ce
nd ti)e* free of ll necessit(" sudden* #o%erful nd thrillin& sense of dee#* ironic $no%led&e
s%ee#s throu&h the self* !ut this &ret* #rofound* s%ee#in&* ll7enco)#ssin& $no%led&e
doesnt see) to refer to n(thin& in #rticulr,