“The Sun Prince Gana was never surpassed by any other shara. His wisdom, compassion, strength, mastery of every branch of knowledge, generosity, humility, and nobility were never equaled and are not likely ever to be.  But at this point when I joined his personal history, even though he was unexcelled in knowledge and power by any among his peers, his growth was incomplete. His mind had not yet remembered that it encompassed everything of creation, that it was a part of the perfection of the Source Universe Para, the One, the Ascendant, the root of all that is. Therefore, Gana did not understand that his life was necessarily flawless, composed of unending joy. And therefore, this Sun Prince was not free from the potential for doubt and fear.”(Second Thunder, p. 18-19).”

The Thunder books have many layers and dimensions with characters incarnating across time and space.  But, these are all united in the character Gana, who represents the collective consciousness of humanity; the immortal father of the human race. Sometimes aware of his universal status, sometimes not, Gana moves through various lives and life experiences in the attempt to transform the lower aspects of his nature and evolve to a higher state of consciousness.  Because Gana represents humanity, his struggles to master his own limitations and judgments have the effect of transforming everyone else. This energy is that of the Supreme Destroyer, destroying ignorance so that awareness of pure love can dawn. This has been called other names in other times and places: Rudra, Shiva, Isha, Christ (Second Thunder, p. 184).  

Gana’s task is to return each of the seven chakras, the seven centers of life, to their proper functioning.  When they contain false judgements and beliefs, these chakras are spinning and multicolored.  Gana must re-learn the correct use of each center and transform the false limitations, returning the mind to its unbounded status. When the chakras are functioning properly, they burn still and clear. When this is achieved, infinite energy can rise through the central thread of the nervous system that connects each of the chakras so that thehighest and most expanded levels of the Self are experienced.  The symbol of the healing arts, the caduceus, represents this process (Second Thunder, p. 202). 

This is the path of enlightenment that all must walk, if one so chooses to do so. And, as we read these books, we can learn from Gana’s struggles and apply them to our own lives.  Second Thunder in particular, portrays the story of Ganaquite welland his journey through the first five chakrasquite well.  In this book, one lesson to learn is the power that our thoughts and beliefs have in the outer world. His false judgements and beliefs have been accepted for so long, they have gained enough strength that they exist in the external, in the form of his enemies. Though they originally are rooted in his own mind, they are powerful enough now to enslave him.  These are the illusions of Emptiness and judgments of good and evil,and are out pictured in the Emperor Valin, the Asurs and the Raskshasas (p. 202).  We have all permitted these a place in our own hearts.  Our beliefs and judgements project outward and come back to us in how we experience the world. Since we are all responsible for our own creation, we can change these at any time.  In the midst of a battle, an Oathmaster asks one of the characters to refrain from doubt, as this will only increase his attachments to the Raskhasas, and decrease his bond to the celestials. He encourages him to stay fast to the One. “Be still in your heart, Naisan, and know that all things ultimately work to further Narain’s Dreams of perfection. There can be no alternative to the One; sooner or later this will be proven to every entity throughout this Universe”(p. 381-382)”.  This shows us that we can,and must,detach from our illusions and connect to the greater truth Truth in the present moment. The different levels of reality that are in Second Thunder can help us to recognize that, we are choosing our own worlds in each moment. 

All of the characters in the Thunder books – both negative and positive-–are Gana’s internal world projected outward into the external.  And, this occurs within and across many lifetimes. He incarnates into many characters, each one unique in that it out-pictures parts of himself that need tomustbe resolved and brought to the light.  Gana’s story helps us to see that we, too, are evolving not only in our individual life but through multiple lives.  In a telling scene in Second Thunder, Gana is reviewing his many lives with one of his guides, Maitreya, who is helping him to understand that he has created these lives in order to evolve. “’You mean the lifetimes I lived after Gana were simply to learn to love myself?’ asked the shara.  ’Exactly! And the out-picturings have been numerous.  The more extreme the better, for then you could the more easily see them and master them.  The furthest limit of your repressed energy created the Rakshasa Bala …’ Gana states, ’But Bala! He was so inexpressibly evil! A Rakshasa, Maitreya!’ Gana didn’t want to accept that kind of responsibility. ’Everyone does this, shara! All people everywhere repress the largest parts of themselves. But what is pushed down here, pops up over there --–life is resilient, and denial is never possible in the Universe. Everyone’s dream world is populated with repressed sub-personalities...…And very little else,’ he added with a deep laugh”(p. 194).”Therefore, all of the people in this life and across all of our lives, including the one we are playing at any given time,are tailor-made to help us resolve aspects of ourselves and to grow to complete realization. 
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Gana’s journey also illustrates the collective journey of humanity to achieve a stable and upwardly directed civilization (p. 5). As he resolves and clears his chakras, so, too, is humanity healed.  At the end of the Second Thunder, Almira asks the Grandfather for more time to assist the ‘Sphere’ of Earth. She states, “The seven primary perfections are on the verge of being achievable by any human, due solely to his [Gana’s] selfless dedication. If we are permitted to continue, I have not the faintest doubt all the Seven will be available throughout that Sphere, at any and every space-time moment”(p. 378).”  Whether taken literally, or not, MSI no doubt draws parallels to our own lives and times,and we can take as much or as little from these books as we desire.  The character of Gana is very skillfully written and engages our minds in a way that is unique to each of us. This is the power and potential of these books! They stimulate inspiration, understandings, memories, etc. that aid us oin our own path of awakening.  

Surya Ishaya

”With your time-withered hand holding the serpent to my neck? Thank you, but no. You see how meager your victory! Next time, or the time after -- in some other space, some future or past age -- I shall succeed! This Sphere has grown too weak to withstand me. I shall rule all!” 
 
Valin is the epitome of evil in the Thunder series, the clearest depiction of the egoic worldview that is possible. He is the opposition that wars inside each of us as long as we give space for duality and the belief in separation from the Source. 
 
Valin is telling us in this quote that if we choose to give space for the belief in suffering, there he will be, ready to dominate and rule all. Perhaps you did make a choice once to let go and let God, but if you are not consistent with pursuing what is Real, then the opposition will use that against you.
 
Valin does have quite a bit of faith in himself; and there certainly seems to be a big commitment to play his part in the equation of the game of duality. If we want there to be a duality of good and evil, then there must be equal strength in the opposites, logically. Hence, the creation of good and evil can never be overcome at the level where it has been created.
 
Valin wants us to believe in his reality and his power so that the war can continue. Every ounce of energy given to fight him is actually adding to the false reality of fear. That is his greatest asset; that is his weapon of choice. Without our support there is no war, there is no Valin.
 
Like any good salesman, he is putting up a convincing show of how powerful he is. Even at the moment of defeat he still comes up with a spiel like this where he promises to come back over and over again… if there ever is a moment of weakness .
 
You could also see him as the most perfect sparring partner. One who says, “I will give you the challenge and I will push you to the limits of who you think you are so that you will move beyond those limits.”
 
Is it a friend or foe that comes to us with that kind of conviction? 
 
Nataraja

​This character from Second Thunder is one of my favorite faeries. She is in one scene, and it is very endearing.  She is portrayed as very shy, never venturing beyond her simple duties of tending to the buttercup and clover blossoms. But, she finds the courage upon meeting Almira to step out of her familiar surroundings and deliver an important message. As the story goes, Gana and Joab were sitting in a room talking about how they can find Almira, who had suddenly disappeared.  As they were talking, there was a tap on the window. They opened it, and three wood elves entered, flying in a tight triangle carrying something in the middle. As the elves separated and wandered off, they revealed a tiny, yellow flower fay.  “‘Do not be afraid my pretty lady,’ Gana said gently: he deeply loved the simplicity and beauty of the flower elementals. ‘Do you have something to tell me?’” (p. 232).  
The flower faerie preambles the message by saying to Gana that she is “a very small being” and has very simple tasks that she enjoys and tries to do her best. But, she heard the message from the High Lord of the Fays that any who has seen the adaran Almira needed to stop their work and immediately find the adan Gana.  She then describes to Gana how she happened upon her in the woods: “And the Great One, dressed like an adaran, all in whites and pretty yellows with a beautiful golden crown of fairest filigree stopped before me! And as I curtsied most carefully to her, she touched me on my head so it grew larger inside somehow and then she said that when he requested memories I should find the adan! and that scared me, but she said again that I should go to the adan when he requested memories and tell him, ‘Our world retains the record of all times and places, hidden in the Guardian Mountains’; and she made me repeat it seven times! Just to make quite sure I had it just right.” (p. 233).  She tells Gana that when she heard the High Fay’s message, she remembered this meeting. She then asked the wise old tree who knew three wood elves who knew where to find him.  
Gana then replies to her: “’Little sharan, I am very grateful to you,’ said Gana. Bowing low to her, he took her tiny hand and kissed it. ‘You have helped your adan more than you could ever have dreamed.’ At this, she turned very, very scarlet and folded her wings back about her so closely that only the smallest part of one eye was visible.’” (p. 233)
This flower fay is a delightful being that showed up at the exact moment when Gana needed this information to move further in his own task. She is so shy and timid, but also very big in heart and in courage! It is no wonder that Almira seeks her out for this important role. 
Surya Ishaya