Steamy Worms
"The biggest burden which the living planet has inherited, is the accumulation of excess Yang energy," stated the suave teacher. "The cost and violence brought about by this male dominated type of energy in the last 50 years has come mostly at the hands of corporations."
"But how is Yang energy related to something like the Bopal disaster?," asked Derby, who referred to the world's single worst industrial catastrophe, in which hundreds of thousands of people died or suffered severe personal injury.
"I mean, I understand," continued the Derb Meister, "that it was terrible for those poor people of India. But how was that accident, which was not deliberate and resulted by the leakage of an inert gas, a result of energy of any kind? It was probably equipment failure, or some other industrial type of accident."
"Every act, every effort by our organs, for instance of our lungs to breathe or our heart to pump blood, requires energy," explained Fredalnte.
"Of course," accepted Derby, easily.
"Therefore, compound behavior," continued the teacher, "which starts with a breath drawn by the lungs, and then requires a motion by a hand or finger to pull a lever or flip a switch, is always energy at play."
"Are you suggesting then," questioned Derby, "that this Yang behavior...let me see, which you have been teaching me about with this white marble..." (here he opened his right hand to reveal the marbles, white and black), "has somehow accumulated and is wreaking havoc on people and planet?"
"Well let me ask you my boy," began Fred. "What do you suppose is the cost to people and planet of corporate behavior, which has only one logical definition--CRIMINAL? What do you suppose has been the accumulated result and manifestation of this energy?"
"I'm not sure," answered Derby. "I don't think it is appropriate to attach a "cost" to loss of life. How do you pay someone back for immeasurable pain and suffering, not to mention loss of income and family support, by the loss of a loved one?"
"Yes, you have observed the deep significance of such an accident," continued Fred. "But let me help you understand the full picture. Trees, soil and waterways were murdered with near-total loss-of-life in some nearby environments. Human population of over one half million people was affected."
Derby listened closely and let the numbers be digested.
"Nearly half of those humans were children under 15 years old, many of them who died or were crippled for life," expounded Muscovito. "About 30,000 died, the rest have suffered immeasurably, many by blindness, infertility, severe neurological disorders, or other quality-of-life crippling circumstances."
"Yes," persisted Derby, "but how has all that loss and suffering been the result of excess Yang energy? I mean, even if it was as simple as a "switch" being thrown, meaning that human behavior was at play...how or why do you classify that as Yang behavior? I don't think you can point a finger at any one individual for corporate actions. And the person causing the accident may have been a woman!"
"Surely my friend," asserted Fredalnte, "you can see that decisions were made, which resulted in gas escaping."
"Granted," conceded Derby, "that certain individuals, acting under orders, committed acts or an act which would be classified by the courts as negligent, but clearly none of the "energy" was malicious!"
"Derby, my man. Again I repeat," asserted Fred. "This is about energy in the universe, particularly human energy. I'm implicating a force, a paradigm, a type of learned behavior. This behavior is the compound result of 5,000 years of a male dominated world, where war and violence have been the solutions to economic problems, and greed and power have been the driving force of the modern economy.
"Still, with that fact being hard to dispute, my purpose to explain these things is not to judge people as good or bad, and in particular not a sole individual or the male gender. My purpose is simply to help you understand the danger you face. I'm here now as your helper."
"Let me get this straight," reasoned Derby. "You and Umpa and Shrinegold, and even Jeninqua have been trying to train me about my own energy and also energy which threatens my own safety? And this dangerous energy is Yang energy?"
"Not exactly," answered Fredalnte Muscovito. "Everything is both Yin and Yang. Yin is not more good than Yang. Yang is not more potent than Yin. What has become dangerous is a learned, paradigmatic behavior which results from the accumulation of EXCESS YANG ENERGY."
"I think I'm starting to follow what you're saying," reasoned Derby, shaking his head in the affirmative as he tried to penetrate the ground with his vision.
"Do you know what the fine was for the criminal behavior, which Union Carbide was eventually convicted of?" probed Fredalnte.
"Well no," answered Derby, "but as I said, I find it difficult to believe that any individual could be held accountable."
"That is precisely the problem to the planet my man!," emphasized Fredalnte. "But the corporation is legally considered an individual. And we've attached a kind of "curtain of protection" to the corporate individual. It can pretty much do what it wants, facing very little consequence."
"Well then tell me," asked Derby. "What was the fine?"
"The corporate sentence was to pay an average of approximately $800 for anything less than death," answered Derby's instructor. "This was to cover the inconvenience of loss of limbs, blindness, being totally crippled or other neurological disorder, birth defects and female infertility. For death the fine was approximately $2,000. Eventually two executives were prosecuted and served two years in a "luxury" prison and were fined approximately $2,000 each."
"But who can be blamed for this now?," asked Derby after considering the accident that happened 27 years ago in India.
"It isn't a question of blame at all. None of us want to "punish" individuals, necessarily," answered Fred.
"But that was one isolated example," expounded Fred. "Two thirds of the top corporations and 300 of the largest manufacturers have been found guilty of federal and international crimes. The damage by this irresponsible behavior runs in the trillions of dollars to people and planet, not to mention expenses which can't be quantified in dollars, but the average fine to the corporations for their horrible violations is about $1,000!"
"That's all?," the amazed Derby asked, disgusted.
"Yes, and what I'm trying to explain,," elaborated Fredalnte, "is that series of "forgiven" consequences is also a result of a male dominated world. What is granting this power of turmoil, violence and devastation to culture, people and planet is a force which "brokers" this excess Yang energy!"
"And what danger do I face?" asked Derby, finally, after considering the implications of what Fred had suggested.
"Your story, Children of Zol," explained the confident teacher, "has many clues and hints about where this excess Yang energy resides. In other words, you have pointed a finger at a small group of people, who are the power brokers of this malicious and dangerous aberrant energy."
"Come on Fred!," exclaimed Derby to the handsome monk. "You don't expect me to believe that my little story has torn the fabric of the universe, and now an evil power will come descending down upon my head?"
Just as Derby finished asking the question, a two inch wide bolt of electricity blew out the eyes of Fredalnte. After the top of his head was blown off, steam seemed to rise from the remains of the worm like material of his brain.
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