The Church of Elvis

Ok, as promised, here are the eleven commandments according to the church of Elvis:

1) Follow that dream
If there is one thing that we learn from The King, it is that no dream is beyond possibility. As Elvis states, 'Every dream I have ever had has come true a thousand times'. A sharecroppers child from Tupelo dreamed of changing the course of history. Even though it would have been hard to find anyone who thought Elvis' dream was possible, The King didn't let anything stand in the way - and neither should we. Elvis is the King of dreams, and King of dreamers.

2) Don't be cruel
Cruelty is any wnton and willful act of violence, regardless of form. From a cigarette butt tossed on the ground to race hatred to nuclear warfare, it's all the same. And as we all know, violence is not cool, and begets only fear, which leads to more violence. Elvis is the perfect example of nonviolence, a bottomless well of benevolence and love. The King is never one to cause pain, take advantage, or look the other way. Elvis's example should inspire us all to eradicate cruelty from ourselves and from the Universe around us.

3) Love me Tender
Love is the universal constant that is the linchpin of human existance, and the basis of all community. All of us want love, and all of us need it, even as we grow inside our mother. Elvis tells us that while the concept of love in the abstract is simple and easy to profess, the real challenge we face is to love with tenderness. Elvis is King of love, and King of tenderness. This plea serves to remind us always to accept and to convey the love embrace of the Universe in all its destiny.

4) Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Don't hold yourself back! Feel the rhythm of the cosmos within you and around you. It is omnipresent and incessant. Let your heart pulse to the rhythm and pump it through your blood. When we let ourselves go, we feel its pervasive essence. It shakes our preconceptions, rattles our minds. It rolls another number for the road. Elvis wants us all to know our part in the rhythm, so that we can continue The King's vital Work. Though the rhythm is powerful beyond our comprehension, we must not be afraid--all of us must one day join it.

5) Do the Clam
Elvis urges us to be ever more aware of all of our cousins of all species. Don't just see the clam. Don't just think the clam. Don't just know the clam. Don't just be the clam. DO the clam. DO the clam (or the moss, or the prairie dog, or the homeless person). Only when we become fully aware of our interdependence can we be fully aware of ourselves, and only then can we E-volve to a better state of being. The King's most heartfelt desire is fullness of life for all.

6) Treat Me Nice
Elvis knows that it may not be easy to pass through life without inflicting harm on others--but that's not even half the job! The real effort is in helping others E-volve along with us, and we can only do that through deliberate effort to make life better for all our cousins. Just as cruelty breeds fear, niceness begets kindness. The simplest way to improve our Universe is through plain, genuine niceness. King of nice, Elvis always illustrates how best to treat others.

7) Don't
Are you damned if you do? Are you damned if you don't? No, and no. Fact is, you're not damned at all. Ever. As Elvis says, "As long as we have the strength to dream, we can redeem our souls and fly." But you still have to take responsibility for all that you are and all that you do. So on this monkey-see-monkey-do journey, try to see only the monkey you want to do. In the meantime, given that Saturn always returns, if you get a chance to do something you might have to come back later and undo, DON'T.

8) It's Now or Never
Each moment is precious and irreplaceable, and every moment is rife with what seem to be innumerable choices and options. Of course, we want to make the best decisions we can, but we shouldn't let that stand in the way of living Kingly lives. Elvis reminds us that once this moment passes, it lapses into "never," and we won't see it again. The King reminds us that the life continues on even if we cease, and that we must always strive to live every moment in rhythm and harmony with the Universe.

9) Return to Sender
Elvis is King of life cycles and gyrations. Elvis wants us always to be aware that there is a beginning and an end to everything, and to remember that what goes around comes around. Everything eventually goes back to where it came from, and The King's desire for sustainability makes it our obligation to assist the process in a peaceful and loving manner. So whether it's an old container (that could be you) or some major bad karma, love-tap a little extra postage on it as it passes, to help make sure it gets where it needs to go.

10) Viva Las Vegas!
By definition, life in human form is a gamble. Every decision entails risk. In the desert, even a pit stop at the oasis means taking a chance because that is where the predators lie in wait. Does that mean we should stay away? No! We need it, and all our cousins (be they animal, mineral, or vegetable), need it as well. The King wants us to take the risk--to go there and protect our precious havens from waste, pollution, radiation, and anything else that makes our vital resources unavailable. Long live The King! Long live our cousins! Long live the oases!

11) Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
We should never be afraid to let anyone know how we feel about The King. Odds are, they feel the same way. We should always be proud of who we are, and of how we do The King's Work. One thing we can count on is that just the mention of Elvis's name seems to karate-kick doors open. When we face the world, we should never try to dim our inner Elvis. Let it shine through! The more Elvis we show, and the more Elvis we see, the better our little corner of the Universe will be.

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Which just goes to show, you can make a religious text out of just about anything! :o)