Department of Compassionate Services

By Merlin Turtle

A brief time ago, in a land not unlike this one, there lived a bear named Nod. Bears are compassionate animals, and Nod was a most compassionate bear. Unlike most animals that have some empathy for others, bears have the active desire to alleviate another beings suffering. Bears express their social altruism in the golden rule, the first rule of bears, Do for others as you would wish them to do for you.

Not all animals follow the golden rule, but all animals suppose that they do. Over time the golden rule has become the basis of the social and ethical laws by which all animals live. Accordingly, the rule creates an illusion of cooperation and freedom for all where none exists.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Sep 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543402698

Merlin Turtle

Merlin was born in Sydney, Australia in 1960. This was a time when owning a scooter made you a social outcast. He grew up on the edge of the Kuringgai Chase National Park, north of Sydney. He attended a small school in bushland on the edge of Middle Cove. After finishing school in 1977, he attempted to find work in the city. But his heart belonged to the bush. Soon after moving to the country, he attended a rural University as a mature-age student, completing; a Bachelor of Social Science, double major in psychology; Graduate Diploma of Counselling, family counselling; Bachelor of Social Science (Honours), major in forensic psychology; and a Master of Social Science (Honours), major in children’s reading disorders. Previously, he had also been awarded a Doctorate in Divinity (Honorary) by the Order of St. Basil; and an Order of Merlin, first class by OBOD (Aust). While working for the NSW government in 2004, Merlin was diagnosed with PTSD and clinical depression from a workplace injury. To aid in his long-term recovery, he started writing. In the ninth book, he concludes the Trilogy of Nod. A tale of bear with PTSD.

Book preview

AN UNFINISHED BEAR’S TALE

In darken wood in hues of green, among the mottled trees; a bear did wander upon the path; paws stirring fallen leaves. And as he moved along the path, he sang a simple song; of bears born bold, brave and old with tails straight and long.

In darken wood a stream did walk, by the path of stone; and as the bear moved right by two, the stream left the bear alone. The stream became a pond of black on which a duck did float; and as the bear watched transfixed he saw a little boat.

In darken wood upon a pond a small boat moved toward the light. In the boat, a ball of twine and a cat with eyes like fire ember bright. The bear climbed into the boat …

NOTE:   All characters are fictional and any resemblance to animals alive or dead is purely coincidental.

CHAPTER ONE

THE GOLDEN RULE

A brief time ago in a land not unlike this one, lived a bear named Nod. Bears are compassionate animals and Nod was a most compassionate bear.

Unlike most animals that have some empathy for others, bears have the active desire to alleviate another’s suffering. Bears express their social altruism in the Golden Rule, the first rule of bears, Do for others, as you would wish them to do for you.

Not all animals follow the Golden Rule, but all animals suppose that they do.

Over time the Golden Rule has become the basis of the social and ethical laws by which all animals live. Accordingly, the Rule creates an illusion of cooperation and freedom for all, where none exists.

Like all young animals, Nod went to school; he learnt that six times six is thirty-six, that when water is solid it floats (the significance of which is not at first apparent), and of course he learnt the Golden Rule. Nod became an excellent member of his community, the true product of a good education.

It is a widely held and common belief that the intention of school is to educate and teach small animals to become productive individuals. However, education is only a by-product of the purpose of school. The true purpose is to mould small animals into uniform citizens; to shape their minds with uniform ideas and uniform beliefs about the society they live in. Nod lived up to his promise; he followed the Golden Rule and he believed his lessons. But Nod was not a good student. He often wondered why, regarding the facts taught to him, and he wondered why, others did not wonder why.

Though most animals understand that education is essential for any society to function; only a very few animals understand why. These few animals recognize the purpose of school is to slow an animals’ potential to control and manage its behaviour.

Nod felt independent, strong and confident with his understanding of the world. Like Nod, ducks also felt independent, strong and confident with their understanding of the world. What a duck understands about the world and what a bear understands about the world are two very different things.

Ducks have their own Rules; the first of which is Imagination is the enemy of order. In school, ducks label small animals with imagination, as trouble makers and put additional methods of control in place. Of course, the best part of any hegemony is that is not apparent to those within it. All animals so celebrate their individuality that they never really notice how they are being uniformly shaped, by the unseen Rules of the society around them.

The last Rule of ducks is Control is not always effective with bears.

CHAPTER TWO

COMPASSION

Compassion above all else sets animals apart from plants. Yet compassion above all else, is the one thing a duck cannot abide. Ducks have an inability to empathize with other animals, feel guilt, or show loyalty to anyone but themselves. Of course, the best ducks are those that display distinguishing characteristics, such as deceitfulness, impulsivity and a lack of remorse. Such ducks often have a superficial charm, which they exercise ruthlessly to get what they want.

The conflict of basic philosophy between the stories and images of a society’s song and the ducks’ enforcement of their own music, inevitably leads to a need for the training of animals in the melodies of ducks. Bears know that the song of life embodies compassion within it; and though ducks can hum the tune, the intent of the words is beyond their comprehension.

The second rule of ducks is Compassion can be shaped by the control of stories and images. Any society saturated with the sufficient shock of its animals suffering, begins to decontextualize the images of distress from the stories of it; and in doing so becomes cynical. Animals employed in professions that purport to care about others may experience compassion fatigue; when stories and images of suffering saturate their every day. Such compassion fatigue may even make animals resistant to help others.

For ducks the gradual lessening of an animal’s compassion over time, represents the gradual training of a professional detachment. However, for bears this may also lead to hopelessness and anxiety. Though this of course is detrimental to a bear, producing a decrease in productivity, the inability to focus, the development of feelings of self-doubt and incompetency; the benefits to any duck is that a bear can be managed and controlled more easily.

Compassion of course arises through the specific application of the Golden Rule; in the alleviation of the suffering of others. Nod knew that a simple act of kindness, as simple as a smile or a kind word could ease the suffering of another.

Each morning Nod greeted the day with thanks for another day of life; and took a few moments to think of the animals around him, wish them well and to wish all animals’ peace and joy. Nod believed that all animals were one, not simply in purpose, but in each other. All animals crave attention, recognition, affection and happiness; and the differences if any did not change these commonalities.

Each night Nod meditated on the words of the Dalai Bear, practice compassion, love and kindness; and gave thanks for his day.

CHAPTER THREE

DUCKS AND PONDS

The duck is a social predator, they are callous, remorseless and self-centred. A duck is fully aware of what they do to other animals and the consequences of their actions; but they never feel that there