The Dharma Revelation

Epilogue

The arrival back at Osiris was filled with joy and celebration. Aaron hugged his daughter for a long time without letting go. He joked that if he did, she may disappear again.

Daniel, Petra, and Vincent had already begun plans to document Dharma's message. There was still much work to do. Dharma insisted that her teaching be passed around in an inclusive manner, not with rules and consequences. She equated it to passing around a candle flame, from one candle to the next, "The truth burns brightly," she said.

They began by sharing her message with the Osiris staff; to Aaron, Nasir, and Kushan in particular. Kushan returned to Osiris, but only briefly. He had left Osiris days ago, because Dharma asked him to, and it turned out he arrived home just in time to receive a job offer. Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India offered Kushan a position as a professor. Kushan happily accepted the offer and agreed to move his family back to his home country. In the weeks that followed, he learned as much as he could from Dharma, before returning to India.

Daniel spent a lot of time rereading the Bible, especially the Gospels. He was curious if Biblical fact held up in light of Dharma's teaching. He found himself wishing that Biblical scholars could have analyzed the Scriptures while considering the connection between the mind and evil. It seemed evident in many of the books in the Bible, and when cross referenced with other religions such as Buddhism, it appeared that the challenges of the mind were part of the natural design of things.

Daniel and Petra were in the Israfil gardens, when Laura came to visit. Petra's sister had recovered from a serious injury, an acute subdural hematoma. After going through a craniotomy and a miraculous recovery, she was out of the hospital and even back to work.

Laura had a much different sense of fashion than Petra. She wore a very light pink t-shirt, with an oversized untucked, unbuttoned flannel shirt. She also wore a baseball cap, which effectively hid her partially shaved scalp.

The two women embraced, and Petra introduced Daniel. As Laura and Petra caught up, they were careful to include Daniel in the conversation. He learned that Laura was a percussionist in a band, and she worked part time as a bartender. Despite her accident, she was still able to play with her band. In fact, it seemed as if she suffered no ill effects whatsoever.

Nobody had received any word from Heller or Cavanaugh. The Chaos Wave had indeed retreated into the shadows, although several stories about the group began breaking in the news. Despite numerous attempts to contact Cavanaugh, nobody could get through to him.

Vincent spent a lot of time with Eric and other government officials, discussing the details of Plato, from its inception to its shutdown. Their investigation revealed that there was never a computer virus, which didn't surprise many people. It also revealed information on the death of Gerald Rickman. Gerald was a friend and colleague of Vincent's back at Johns Hopkins. He was also a reporter covering the Plato story. While covering the story he was killed in a car accident. However, the investigation revealed that it was not an accident. There were two bicyclists first on the scene, who called 911. Those bicyclists had ties to the Chaos Wave.

When the questioning was finished, Vincent spent a lot of time with Daniel and Petra. The ordeal they endured had brought them close together, and they felt there was still so much to learn. Daniel had decided to stay with the Catholic Church, heart and soul, but to leave the priesthood. He leaned heavily on Vincent to help him through the process. Daniel was broken-hearted over the decision, but he felt he owed it to everyone—including himself—to be honest. He intended to continue learning from Dharma, to complete the process of dissecting her message, and to teach and minster to others. And he could think of no better partner to have at his side, to face life's trials, to both challenge and balance him, than Petra.

Dharma told Daniel, and everyone, that the best way to make tough choices—those important, life changing decisions—is to simply meditate. She explained that the mind creates the concept of past and future. There really is no past, since it's gone. The future exists, but it's undecided. Only the present is real, and when you immerse yourself in the present, when you free yourself of your mind, you can tap into your own spiritual presence and feel joy. Becoming "present" is a way to recognize the gift of life, that you own this moment, in the Now, and that the moment was given to you, specifically.

Blessed are those whoseek to know and understand God. Regardlessof how long it takes, he will be waiting for you with open arms.