From The Spiritual Teaching in The Silent Flute
The Silent Flute was written in the theme of a Martial-Arts movie, but in reality it contains many of the teachings of The Holy Scriptures. It symbolically shows some of the various trials we encounter as we travel along the path towards Enlightenment, (i.e. the meaning of life on Earth and its purpose) and how to defend ourselves from the attacks that the Evil-one throws at us to take us off the path.
The movie begins with a karate competition, which symbolizes all of the various religions and cult organisations, fighting amongst themselves, to try to prove who is right and wrong, and who should have the right to go and confront Zetan, the guardian of The Book of Enlightenment. Cord, a seeker of The Truth, comes to the competition and defeats all of the other competitors but is disqualified because he didn't follow the 'rules' that they had made-up, and doesn't belong to any group (religion). They choose to send Morthon (Dead-one), a representative of one of the religions instead, so Cord storms out vowing to find and defeat Zetan and see what is in The Book.
The next day Morthon sets out to find Zetan and Cord follows him. They stop at a well to rest and notice what appears to them to be a blind man, going into a castle nearby.
The blind man represents 'The Word'* of God or The Truth, contained in all of The Holy Scriptures and Divinely Inspired Teachings. When Cord and Morthon hear 'The Word' being attacked in the castle, Morthon takes the quick and easy path and runs away. Cord goes to help 'The Word' but soon learns that 'The Word' is more than capable of defending itself.
** John 1:1 In the Beginning was the Word (Truth - in Hebrew is Nazir), and the Truth was with God (NOT with Lucifer/Satan the Devil), and the Word was God.*
The next day, Cord is guided to 'The Word' by the sound of a Flute that 'The Word' plays. 'The Word' passes Cord a piece of fruit, which represents the fruit from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and shows Cord how to separate the good half from the bad. Cord doesn't know the difference between the two and ends up mashing up the fruit and eating the whole thing - the bad as well as the good. Cord asks who and what 'The Word' is and 'The Word' answers saying "Whatever you think I am, or want me to be, I am." Which is to say that 'The Word' of God is constantly twisted and mis-interpreted by various religions and cult-groups, for their own material gains, but in reality, it has only one interpretation, which is easily found by studying 'The Word' without any pre-conceived ideas (I AM THAT I AM*) and doing what it says.
** Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, "I AM" hath sent me unto you.*
Cord starts to follow and learn from 'The Word' (The Truth). 'The Word' shows him how to defend himself from the Monkeys, who symbolize the people that Satan uses to try to mock, undermine and confuse those who are on the Path towards Enlightenment, to bring them off the Path or impede their progress and make them turn back, if possible.
"The way of the Monkey is to play the fool, while you laugh at his antics he bites you from behind. Unmask his ego and you expose a coward disguised as a monkey."
'The Word' then prods Cord and tells him that he already imitates their chattering perfectly, in order to test his ego and see if he can arouse it. Cord's "Self"-ish human nature is aroused; offended and takes him over and he arrogantly thinks he knows better and insults his teacher by telling him that the lesson has no value. 'The Word' replies "One is taught in accordance to one's fitness to learn." Which is to say that a student who has an ego and thinks he knows as much as, or more than the teacher, can not be taught anything.
Because Cord's selfish and arrogant human nature took him over, he (the being) became spiritually blind and lost sight of 'The Word', he then meets-up with Morthon who had just failed the first test, which was, of course, against the Monkey. Cord goes to confront the Monkeys and remembers what 'The Word' taught him about the Monkey's antics, realising that 'The Word' was right.
The Monkey tries to find out what school (religion) Cord has come from and where his begging-bowl is, because all of the different religions have some form of begging-bowl to extract money from the people. Cord says he is not there to beg and tells him he's looking for Zetan. The Monkey is surprised that he hasn't got a begging-bowl and doesn't come from any religion and tries to find out what style of fighting (beliefs) he has. Cord tells him he has his own style and the Monkey becomes afraid because he doesn't know how to fight him, but says if he wants to find Zetan he must pass him, so Cord fights and defeats the Monkey by doing what 'The Word' taught him and doesn't allow himself to be distracted by the Monkey's antics. The Monkey then tells him where to go to continue his quest to find Zetan. Cord lets his ego ("Self") get the better of him and laughs and mocks the monkey and runs off to face the next trial.
The Flute that 'The Word' plays represents the good voice in our head (our telepathic connection with God) that shows us right from wrong and guides us in the right direction in life (The Comforter or The Holy Spirit - John 14:26*). Cord hears the Flute playing when he is on his way to the next trial, (preparing him for it) but doesn't understand what it is or where it is coming from, yet. He also meets a man in a barrel of oil who, although he himself is trying to control his own human selfish lusts in the wrong way, warns Cord about the trials that lie ahead of him. Cord chooses to just brush-off what the man tells him and thinks he is mentally disturbed.
** John 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.*
Cord then goes to the world (wilderness), seeking the rose the Monkey told him about, and meets Chang Shah (Change king) who symbolises the Babylonian market-system which exists in all of the 'developed' countries today. Chang Shah tells Cord that it is his wish to provide everything that is needed (i.e. create a false need for something and then supply that need at a price) and asks Cord to tell him what he needs, so he can find happiness (make money) in providing it.
The Black Man symbolises the Third-World countries which are being ripped-off by the market-system. He wishes to fight against the market-system because he is sick and tired of being told by the 'developed' world that he needs to buy all of the modern-conveniences of life that the market-system is trying to push on him and his people, and is conned into buying these things from the market-system that his people don't really need; can't afford and are destroying the environment. He is defeated by the market-system because he is distracted by all of the glitz; glamour and hype that is associated with modern Western culture and can't see that it is all just an illusion and distraction, designed to impoverish him; get him into debt; enslave and kill him.
Cord then asks when he can fight Chang Shah and Chang Shah tells him that they will fight the next day, after they sleep. That night Chang Shah sends one of his wives, Tara (Torah) to Cord and Cord gives in to temptation and allows himself to be seduced by her. The next day Cord wakes up to find himself all alone and finds Tara crucified for her sins (Adultery carries the death penalty in The Torah, which is the Hebrew name for The Five Books of God's Law, contained in The Bible, which were given to Moses at Sinai, and is THE ONLY LAW that applies on Earth in the eyes of God). The crucifixion of Tara symbolises that he has broken The Torah/Tara - The Law.
The next night, Cord is visited by Death and defeats him by not being afraid of him, and invites Death to come any time, telling him that he is a welcome guest. By inviting Death, Cord proves that he is truly repentant for committing adultery and the next day, after he is cleansed in the Water of Life, 'The Word' (the blind man) comes back to him again. 'The Word' then tells him that he can't step twice on the same piece of water, which means that if you do something wrong, you can't go back and undo it and do it right the second time (what's done is done). Therefore you have to do it right the first time.
'The Word' goes on to say that a fish (symbol of Christ's Teachings) saved his life once, by eating it (digesting them). Cord has another 'human attack' and tells 'The Word' that talking to him is like talking to a wall and 'The Word' replies, "Buddha sat before a wall and when he arose he was enlightened." Cord asks if he is comparing himself with Buddha and 'The Word' says, "No, only to the wall" (He is The Writing on the wall, The Truth that Buddha learned from and became enlightened by).
'The Word' then asks Cord about his second trial and Cord contradicts him again and says it was not a trial but a lesson, because if it was a trial he would have to admit that he failed it. His ego could not possibly do that and therefore it had to deceive him into believing it was a lesson instead of a trial. 'The Word' asks him to teach it to him, to see if he has learned any lesson from the trial that he failed, and tells Cord that each morning when he awakens, like a scholar at his first class, he prepares a blank mind, for the day to write upon.
Cord's ego starts to smirk and rebuild itself by convincing him that what he did wasn't really wrong because we are born to love and that he broke his vow and committed adultery gladly. Then Cord tells him what happened with Tara from his "Self's" point of view. 'The Word' explains to him that while he is on the Path towards Enlightenment, he is constantly changing; growing (and so must be constantly pruned if he is to grow up straight) and that he does not, can not possess even himself, so how can he hope to possess anyone or anything else. (Tie two birds together, although they have four wings, they can not fly.)
Cord then asks if he can learn from 'The Word' again but 'The Word' tells him that he will teach him only on the condition that he doesn't ask questions about anything that happens until such time that 'The Word' gives him the answer (Koran, Sura. 18:60-82*). Cord agrees and they continue on their way.
** Sura18:66. Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?"*
18:67. (The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me!"
18:68. "And how can thou have patience about things about which thy understanding is not complete?"
18:69. Moses said: "Thou wilt find me, if "I AM" so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in anything."
18:70. The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me, ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it."
18:71. So they both proceeded: until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled it. Said Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done!"
18:72. He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"
18:73. Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case."
18:74. Then they proceeded: until, when they met a young man, he slew him. Moses said: "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard of) thing hast thou done!"
18:75. He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"
18:76. (Moses) said: "If ever I ask thee about anything after this, keep me not in thy company: then wouldst thou have received (full) excuse from my side."
18:77. Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely thou couldst have exacted some payment for it!"
18:78. He answered: "This is the parting between me and thee: now will I tell thee the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.
18:79. "As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire need: they worked on the water: I only wished to render it unserviceable, for there was a certain king after them, who seized every boat by force.
18:80. "As for the youth, his parents were people of Faith, and We feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to "I AM" and man).
18:81. "So We desired that their Lord would give them, in exchange, (a son) better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection.
18:82. "As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans, in the Town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled: their father had been a righteous man: so thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure - a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience." PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MORE OF THIS EXCERPT
After what Cord had seen as a strange series of events including attack from all of the different armies of the world (symbolically), 'The Word' tells Cord to learn to listen to that which is not spoken (the Flute), which is to say that the good messages and warnings that we telepathically receive from God are not spoken, they come as Knowledge (when you all of a sudden know something, that you didn't know before). The spoken words in our head come from the Evil-voice (Satan) and we must learn to not listen to him and to follow only the unspoken Knowledge and Guidance that we receive from God.
Cord again loses control of his 'Self' and arrogantly demands an explanation why 'The Word' did all of the things that he did and wants to know how he knew to do them. As soon as he genuinely asks how, the Flute (that which is not spoken) explained how he knew and Cord, 'all of a sudden' understood how 'The Word' knew all those things. 'The Word' slaps Cord and asks him "how many times?" before walking away from Cord. The "how many times?" refers to how many times Cord would have to go through that place before he got it right and did everything The Way that he was instructed to, by the Flute. The answer to that question would of course be enough times for him to learn how to get it right and then he would move on to the next lesson.
Cord then goes back to the world to confront Chang Shah again, having learnt from 'The Word' a bit more humility; "self" control and where he went wrong the last time. Chang Shah tries to tempt Cord into joining him in his world where he will find no night or day (where you can drink, party and take drugs all day and all night, avoiding reality completely), but Cord is determined to find Enlightenment and insists on fighting Chang Shah.
When they meet in the ring, Chang Shah uses all of his worldly pleasures and distractions to try to take Cord's mind off what he is doing. Cord becomes afraid and starts losing control, as memories of his previous failures in similar situations come back to haunt him, but the Flute comes in at exactly the right moment and helps him to regain his control, see his desired direction - forwards without looking back and defend himself from Chang Shah. When Chang Shah sees that he can't defeat Cord he sends him away from the world, to an island that symbolises all of the monasteries of all of the various religions of the world, where he is no longer a threat to Chang Shah and can't show others how to defeat the market-system and become free from the slavery to material possessions that the market system creates.
When he arrives at the island, he sees that the people in the religions are just hiding away from the world, instead of fighting to make it a better place, and sees that the answers do not lie in the religions. He asks to see Zetan and is led to him. After discovering that he doesn't have to fight Zetan, Cord asks to see the Book of Enlightenment.
Zetan takes him to see the book, but firstly asks him to sit in the Seat of Harmony (become at peace) before he looks at the book. When Cord (the being) looks into the book while he is at peace, he sees the reflection of his human 'Self' as it really is (Thomas 12:7 Jesus said: Whoever knows the All but fails to know himself lacks everything.), and learns that True Enlightenment is the knowledge of who and what we really are (Spiritual Beings or Souls, locked inside of human animal bodies - human+Beings) and sees that his real enemy is his human self and selfish human nature. He then understands what our True life purpose is (to crucify the human 'Self' and 'Self'-will daily for the benefit and good of everybody and to become the Being all of the time, in complete control of the human "Self" - "born again of the spirit", John 3:5*)
Luke 9:23 And he (Jesus) said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
** John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water (human) and then is born (later) from above as his spirit-"Being" (his REAL self which is NOT human), he can NOT enter into the Kingdom of God (Who is a Spirit-"Being").*
3:6 That which is born of the flesh is human; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (a spirit-"Being") - (a human+Being). PLEASE CLICK HERE TO EXPAND ON THIS SUBJECT.
Cord then goes back to 'The Word' of God and 'The Word' can tell, just from looking at him, that he has looked at the book and asks Cord what he saw when he looked in the book. Cord answers "Everything!" because now that he has seen his 'Self' and the truly horrible arrogant nature and ego of the 'Self', he can see and understand everything, including and especially why it is necessary to overcome the 'Self' by daily crucifying it.
With what Cord has now learned about his 'Self' he realizes that 'The Word' has infinitely more Knowledge and Wisdom than himself and with that understanding he then becomes a fit student for The Master to teach and the real learning then begins. At that point, with his spiritual eyes that are no longer blinded by his ego, he truly sees; loves and hugs his Master that his human "Self" with its human eyesight cannot ever see and resents; scorns and vastly underestimates.
'The Word' congratulates him, gives him the Flute to play and gets up to dance to the harmony of the Flute. . .
The Little Buddha
The True Teachings of Buddha are in perfect harmony with those contained in "The Silent Flute" and in The Holy Scriptures. An extract from the end of the movie "The Little Buddha" briefly describes these teachings and an explanation of that extract follows.
Sedata (the sedated one) had found the middle way (The Way - The Laws of God in The Torah) and restored his body to health.
Then the five (seven really) deceptively innocent looking daughters of Marah, the lord of darkness:- Pride (Arrogance); Greed (Avarice); Fear (or Hate or Anger); Ignorance (of the real truth about your "self") and Desire (Lust or Covetousness) (the other two are Sloth and Gluttony) - "The Seven Deadly Sins" came to tempt Sedata away from his search, but Sedata overcame them.
Marah (Satan) had tried to tempt Sedata in the cleverest of ways, by disguising the temptations in the simplest of forms. But Sedata was looking beyond form, beyond the present and did not give in to the temptations of the flesh (human - 'Self'). Marah was enraged and tried to scare Sedata by sending all of the armies of the world against him.
Sedata knew that all Marah did was pure illusion and stayed calm and at peace through it all. Because he didn't become afraid, all of their attacks could not harm him because he was protected by a shield of Love, which he had established through his faith in God and His Protection (Eph. 6:16*).
** 6:16 Above all, taking the Shield of Faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.*
It seemed as if Marah had been defeated, but Marah had not yet given up the battle. He attacked Sedata again through his human "Self's" ego.
Sedata saw through the illusion, as he did the others and told Marah, who was controlling Sedata's human 'Self' through its ego, that it is pure illusion and does not exist and that the earth is his witness to prove it (Gen 2:7*). When Marah saw that he had been defeated he showed himself to prove that he had been controlling Sedata's human 'Self'-ishness and ego, then vanished.
** Gen. 2:7 And the "I AM" God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became alive and was given a soul [spirit Being] (human+being).*
Sedata won the battle against Satan through the 'Force' of God's Love and the great compassion he had found. Then he achieved the Great Calm that proceeds from detachment from human emotions and the knowledge that he was not 'only human', but a human+Being. He had reached beyond his human 'Self', he was beyond happiness or pain, separated from judgment. Able to remember all his previous lives (incarnations). He remembered his first birth (incarnation) and the thousands he had had afterwards (re-incarnations), he could see beyond the universe (this world).
Sedata had seen the ultimate reality of all things. He understood that every movement in the Universe was an effect provoked by a cause. He knew that there was no salvation without compassion for every other Being. From that time on Sedata was known as the Buddha, the Awakened or Enlightened and Anointed One (see film, Dune)......which means exactly the same as the word Christ, whose True Teaching is identical to that of Buddha's true teaching. . .
If you can see the Truth of it, perhaps you're ready for the real Book of Enlightenment. "The Way home or face The Fire" by JAH is the ONLY guide to finding The Truth about why we are actually here on this planet and what each and every one of us has to do to get it right.
