Uncle Pachyderm's Experiences in the Afterlife

As you know, my elephant body died in the year 1277. Many other elephants, many other horses, and hundreds of men died on that extensive battlefield as well.

If you had been one of the few who survived, you would continue to see my elephant corpse beginning to smell, covered with insects and vermin, and eventually, beginning to rot. But as for me, my elephant soul or spirit, I began to identify myself with that disintegrating body less and less.

As I infiltrate your memory banks, I would liken this to your recent move to the small town of Mosheim in Tennessee. Less than one year ago, you were fully entrenched in your long-term life lived in Knoxville, Tennessee. All you could see and envision for yourself was a continued life living in Knoxville. Then, circumstances changed. In November of 2008, you moved to a log cabin out in the country. Currently, you no longer feel a sense of belonging to the life you lived before. When you have occasion to return to your once-familiar haunts, you have no sense of either homecoming or nostalgia. That is how I currently feel. My life on the Earth plane is no more. The elephant family of which I was once a part no longer has the same pull. I have moved on.

The only real tragedy is that since I was so traumatized by the circumstances of my untimely death, I did not feel prepared to go straight to Elephant Heaven.

Once again, pulling from your memory banks, I did not feel free to even go to the outskirts of Elephant Heaven. I am not like your friend, Sorrow Bear who chose to make her new home on the outskirts of Bear Heaven. I'm not diminishing her suffering. She lost her life. She witnessed her two cubs losing their lives. Her suffering was intense indeed. It's just that my suffering was so intense in another way that I felt the need to enter the only other option there is. For want to another word, you can call it Purgatory.

Okay, I hear your internal question. Is there an additional option as well, the place that many of you humans call Hell? I would say to you as I say to all - of course there is no such place. The closest equivalent there is to such a place was the last two days of my life. That was the most hellish experience that anyone would want to imagine. Hell is more a state of mind. But as far as I have been informed, there is no such location called Hell in the afterlife. There is only Heaven, the outskirts of Heaven, and Purgatory.

To answer another one of your internal questions, I had total free will to enter any of those three places.

I'm going to pull from your memory banks again to help you and your readers really understand. You will recall that you could have earned your driver's license when you turned sixteen. Your parents were willing. You had received driver's education training. You simply did not feel emotionally equipped to take on that extra responsibility. You did not feel ready when you turned seventeen either. It was not until you turned eighteen and had graduated from high school that you finally felt ready to get your driver's license. You felt totally comfortable behind the wheel after that.

Do you understand my analogy? No one was directing you or denying you or depriving you of that experience that is a Heaven-On-Earth experience for most American teenagers. You were the one that followed your internal guidance that you were not yet emotionally ready for that next stage of your development.

I will give you another analogy to consider so you can fully understand why I personally did not yet feel ready to avail myself of the opportunity to live in any region of Heaven. Do you recall the phrase, "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly"? I was not ready to take myself and my recent trauma lightly. I wanted and needed to wallow in the tragic tale of which I was a part. You probably know of some people, yourself included at times, who sometimes wish to wallow in self-pity and whining and gnashing of teeth rather than reaching for the positive aspects that go with most any experience you could name.

I was especially feeling the need to protest the circumstances of my death. It was not a good death. Normally, elephants gather around the dying elephant. They touch and stroke and give their love and support to the elephant who is soon to die. This allows that dying elephant to make his or her transition in a state of grace. I did not have that. The elephants who might have gathered around my soon-to-be deceased body were either already dead, dying themselves, back in Burma with the herd of elephants the Burmese people did not choose to bring along, or in the process of being kidnapped by the Mongol army. The elephants I would have stood around to give my love and support to as they made their transition were out of my reach. There was only one other elephant in relatively easy reach to my pain-wracked body. She was not an elephant I knew; however, she was at least, of my species. As we both lay dying, she became sister, aunt, daughter, mother, friend. She reached out her trunk to me. I reached out my trunk to her. There was perhaps two inches that separated her trunk from mine. Even though we were not able to touch each other, we could feel intermittent waves of love and support. That was the one positive aspect I could cling to that brought one small tidbit of Heaven to an otherwise true hell of an experience.

But then, several hours before I died, she died. After that, there were no more positive aspects to cling to. I was alone. I was so very lonely. I felt totally deserted and betrayed and bereft.

After her death, this nearly constant refrain went through my head: "Please end my pain. Please let me die." I just want to go ... where? Where was it I would go once my elephant body died? Was this life I lived, deprived of having a mate and children, forced to fight in battles that had nothing to do with me and my elephant comrades, trapped in never-ending captivity from the time I was small, ..., was this it? What was the point of living such a life? Was there supposed to be a point? Somewhere, from deep down inside, the conviction rose that yes, there was supposed to be a point and purpose to my life. I just had no clue what this should or could be.

Eventually, my elephant body did die. One moment, I felt heavy and dense and weighted down. The next moment, I felt somewhat uplifted. I mean those words literally. I, the real elephant I, began to rise from that tattered and torn carcass. It was a bit confusing at first. I felt myself get up from a lying-down position. I thought, "How did I do that? Where did I get the strength to actually stand?" I looked to the location where I had been all those many hours. What? I am still there, lying on the ground. But how can that be? Are there two of me? There is the elephant that looks battered and dead. And here is the elephant who is currently doing the thinking. I wondered what this new me looked like. There was no mirror available, of course. There was no pool that I could look in to see my reflection. All I could do was glance at my trunk and my front legs. They looked undamaged and strong and fine. I tried walking. I could walk with ease. Any sense of being starved and parched was gone. In other words, I did not hunger nor did I thirst.

I walked around for a while. I saw horrible sights. Death was all around me. Like I mentioned before, there were dead elephants, dead horses, and hundreds of dead men. Suddenly, I longed to escape all of this. I took off running. I did not know where I was running to. I just knew I wanted to run away.

I ran and ran for what felt like hours. Suddenly, I became aware that there were men up ahead leading some chained-up elephants. I felt rage pouring through me - murderous rage. I trumpeted my rage. I stampeded toward those men. They never stopped. They never turned. They betrayed no sense of fear. No matter. I had every intention of running them down. I failed to notice that those chained-up elephants did not seem to be aware of my presence either. I ran and ran until I was almost within reach of those kidnappers. Suddenly I was on top of them. I trampled them. I stomped them. I reached out my trunk to grab the man holding the chain with the intention of picking him up with my trunk and hurling him to the ground with a killing-force. Can you imagine my shocked surprise when my trunk went right through that man's body? Can you picture my even greater surprise to see those men still walking upright and unharmed? I looked at the ground, expecting to see their mangled forms. But nothing was there. I was so confused.

I thought I would try an experiment. I ran and got several feet in front of them. I turned myself sideways. I lay down on the ground, intending to block their forward passage. I was utterly shocked when those men walked right through my body as if I was not even there. The elephants too walked through my body. Why could they not see me, smell me, or sense me? Why?

This was utterly bewildering. What was I supposed to do now? Was I doomed to walk around forever, invisible to men and elephants alike?

Suddenly, I felt inspired to re-join my other elephant body. I thought, "True, there was no one to stand vigil with me as I died. But since I am apparently separate from that damaged body, I can at least stand vigil with my former self."

You may not believe it when I tell you that I suddenly found myself standing next to that body. That was truly amazing! I did not have to walk there. I simply had to think myself there, and I was there. With that sudden realization, I felt a bit lighter.

First, I found myself glancing at that female elephant who shared communion with me as we both lay dying. I reached out my trunk to her and stroked her head, her ears, her trunk, and her back. I felt a sense of love filling my very being and literally pouring out of my very pores. There was no urge to hurry. There was no sense of time. I remained at this task until I felt a sense of closure and completeness.

Next, I turned my attention to my former elephant form. With my trunk, I reached out and touched each wound. I stroked and soothed and poured out my love and support to the elephant that I was. That outpouring of love made me feel lighter and lighter yet.

Can you imagine my surprise when I saw other trunks reaching out to stroke my former elephant body? I quickly looked up and felt almost blinded by how light-filled and radiant they appeared. They met my gaze, eyes filled with limpid love. I felt almost buoyant after that.

We stood vigil over my former elephant body for I do not know how long. Gradually, those other elephants transferred their trunk to my new elephant body. They gathered around me, stroking me, touching me, soothing me with their love and healing energy. I was overwhelmed. I closed my eyes to savor the wonder of the feeling of their unconditional love surrounding and filling me. When I again opened my eyes, I was in a new location where I had never been. And yet, it felt somewhat familiar. Could I have been in this beautiful place before?

I saw a pool of water. Or at least, I think it was water. It might have been a pool of light. I felt inspired to lay myself down in this pool. Those elephants surrounded me in that pool and continued to stroke and soothe me. This went on and on. There was no sense of hurry. These elephants remained with me, continuing to minister unto my battered soul. I did not feel better all at once. Sometimes, I seemed to re-live my bad death. I trumpeted my distress. Those elephants poured even more love in my direction, bathing me in those healing waters and healing light.

I hear your internal question asking if they were elephant angels. I posed that same question to them. They confirmed that we could call them Angel Pachyderms. Doesn't that very name give you a feeling of goose bumps or rightness? I know it does me.

At one point, I heard an elephant trumpeting his distress. I lifted my head and looked around. As far as my eye could see, there were healing pools of radiant water and light, an elephant like me lying in that pool, and a circle of ministering Angel Pachyderms surrounding him or her.

I turned to my group of angels and inquired, "Where am I? Is this Elephant Heaven?"

One of the Angel Pachyderms looked at me and said, "You are In-Between."

Puzzled, I asked, "In-between where?"

She smiled in amusement and said, "You are in-between Heaven and Earth. One day, you will use the word Purgatory for this place. That name will do as well."

I thought for a while. Then I asked, "Why aren't I in Heaven?"

The Angel Pachyderm replied, "You are still too heavy. When you get light enough, you will suddenly find yourself there."

I asked, "Light enough? You mean, I have to lose weight?"

My group of Angel Pachyderms laughed indulgently. Another one of them replied, "Nothing of the sort. Once you no longer feel weighted-down with anger, rage, fear, and sadness, you will be so buoyant that you will have no need of this place and us any longer. You will float up and out, straight to Heaven."

I nodded in understanding.

Days passed. Or perhaps it was years that passed. Or perhaps it was centuries that passed as you say it is now 2009. You got out your calculator and discovered that 732 years have passed since that time that my former elephant body died.

It feels like telling you this story is the final task I need to accomplish before I will be light enough to enter Heaven.

I hear your last internal question. You want to know if there is something in particular I hope to accomplish by making certain my story was shared. I say, "Yes, indeed. One day, after spending some time in Heaven, I probably will feel the inclination to once again live another Elephant Life on your Earth plane. However . . .

I want to make certain that conditions have improved for elephants everywhere before I take such a risk. You saw an elephant at the Knoxville Zoo playing kickball and catch and dancing. You surmised that he probably was once a circus elephant. He appeared so happy that you did not feel he was one of the abused ones. But you discovered several descriptions of the abuse visited upon elephants that were a part of the Barnum and Bailey Circus and the Ringling Brothers Circus. So, no, I do not wish to become a Circus Elephant.Although the Knoxville Zoo looks like they provide a fairly large place for their elephants to roam, you found an example of some zoos that had ridiculously-small areas for the elephants. So, no, I do not wish to become a Zoo Elephant.You found some Elephant Preserves where conditions are very good for elephants. Though your impression is that the elephants who live there came from abused backgrounds before coming to live there. I don't want to have to be abused first before I would be sent to live there. So unless I could be born there in the first place, I don't want to live in an Elephant Preserve either.I certainly don't want to be part of an Elephant Trekking Business. I also don't want to have to be part of a business where elephants are forced to ferry tourists. After having to wear those wooden towers on my back carrying 12 to 16 men, I have had enough carrying anybody on my back to last several elephant lifetimes.

I also do not want to be a Logging Elephant. That seems, to use one of your words, inhumane as well.

Then, you read about Elephants used for begging in Thailand. I do not want to be subjected to that indignity either.So, what's left? I want to be born free. I want to live free and in the wild. My second choice would be to live on a huge nature preserve; however, I do not wish to suffer abuse prior to being sent to live there. Those are the only two options I would be willing to experience. So if people would change their ways and improve the lives of elephants everywhere, then I would choose, someday, to once again live an elephant life on Earth.

To read the story of Uncle Pachyderm's final days, please click: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1944132/uncle_pachyderm.html?cat=44

To further understand the dynamics of what the men and horses and elephants experienced, read my article called The 1277 Battle Between King Narathihapato of Burma and the Mongolian Kublai Khan at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1936958/the_1277_battle_between_king_narathihapato.html?cat=37

To read about Sorrow Bear and Brother and Sister Bear Cubs who lost their lives at Shumate Hollow in West Virginia due to strip-mining and mountaintop removal, please select:

Sorrow Bear at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1944168/sorrow_bear.html

Brother and Sister Cub Lose Their Lives at Shumate Hollow at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1947894/brother_and_sister_cub_lose_their_lives.html

Bear Heaven at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1950336/bear_heaven_.html

Circus Elephants Links:

Elephant abuse under the big top at Ringling Brothers circus at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CKxNpnP5pM

Circus Elephant Abuse at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ulw7RtZoao

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDolPQa6JEM

PETA: Ringling Bros. Baby Killers at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZVlDfI1hkg

10 Cruel Things Ringling Does To Its Elephants at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG9GP074mLg

Small Zoo Elephant Links:

Central Florida Zoo Elephant Prison at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J4xxFmmYKI

Elephants in Beijing Zoo - 1 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thwCxf8bfG8

sad elephant at taipai zoo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k60q4CZGuho

Sad Eyes & Empty Lives at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuMy_hTYXOU

Elephant Preserves Links:

More Elephant goodness in Kerala at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIGFlQjMPo0

Elephant Nature Park. Thailand. at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iozdf5EvUBM

Elephants at Nature Haven at http://www.naturehaven.com/elephant.html

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee at http://www.elephants.com/index.php

Elephant Nature Park at http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/

Elephants Used in Trekking Businesses and To Ferry Tourists Links:

Tourists Who Support Elephant Abuse The Beating Torturing Of Animals with several video clips showing abuse at http://ferenc.biz/articles/tourists-support-elephant-trekking-animal-abuse-torture-cruelty/

Ban Elephant Rides In Amber Fort: NGOs at http://www.newspostindia.com/report-34592

Elephants at Amber Fort weighed down by tourists at http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_elephants-at-amber-fort-weighed-down-by-tourists_1204980

Logging Elephants Links:

The 2050 Project.com at http://the2050project.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=417&Itemid=59

Logging keeps Asian elephants in business ... for now at http://www.grist.org/article/hile/

Elephants at Work at http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/elephants_at_work.html

The Sordid Underbelly of the Elephant World at http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/safari/elephant/thaielephants/thaielephants2.html

Elephants Used for Begging Links:

The Sordid Underbelly of the Elephant World at http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/safari/elephant/thaielephants/thaielephants2.html

Elephants captured and used for begging at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXnFaaBf6_E

City life 'too cruel' for Mumbai's elephants at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/city-life-too-cruel-for-mumbais-elephants-459651.html

Elephants yearn for freedom at http://kalingatimes.com/views/news_20090522_Elephants_yearn_for_freedom.htm

Resources:

Mongol invasion of Burma at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_invasion_of_Burma

Great Mongol victories! at http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t109307.html

Battle of Ngasaunggyan at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ngasaunggyan

The Mongols in South-East Asia at http://medieval2.heavengames.com/m2tw/history/events/mongol_invasion_seasia/index.shtml

Battles & maps at http://home.tiscali.nl/~t543201/web-mongol/mongol-battles.htm

Fighting Techniques of the Oriental World AD 1200-1860 at http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article.asp?a=4160

The Mongols, A History by Jeremiah Curtin, copyright 1908 at http://www.archive.org/stream/mongolshistory00curtuoft/mongolshistory00curtuoft_djvu.txt

Pagan Kingdom at http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pagan_Kingdom