Their education is a community system, from what we have been able to learn. Both children and elders learn alike. It seems that learning never ceases, for their temples are also their schools. Out of the equivalent of every twenty-four hours of our day, they worship for one hour, then they give one hour to study and schooling, as we could make out, and they give three hours of service as a community, for the community, which includes agriculture and all service necessary to fill every need of all the inhabitants. After this is done, they do as they desire for themselves.
At what we would call sunset on Earth, they all gather in the community square and give thanks for the day. This is done every day. The individual whom we would call the spiritual leader appears in a very, very humble way, far more humble than anything we know on Earth in the way of humbleness. Their sincerity of worship or their thanksgiving every day can be felt even by the most skeptical person.
We have tried to find out who they were worshipping, if it was a God like we on Earth worship, or what. But the best we can learn is what we assume from their sign language with which they tried to answer us, that they are worshipping some sort of a Supreme Intelligence, but the name of It we cannot get, for the sound of their language is very hard to grasp as to what it might mean. At times it sounds like it could be a partial Sanskrit, yet Dr. Johnston knows Sanskrit and he says their speech isn't Sanskrit. Yet their sign language to us is as good as any we have ever known.
They seem to be getting our desires well. As we make statements they understand them as to meaning, so we figure that they must be getting it from an inner feeling from us. For when we speak they keep very quiet as though they are getting a vibration from our bodies, which would be a feeling as to what we are saying or what we want to know. If we had been schooled better in recognizing our feelings and going by them instead of the mind, I believe we would be able to understand better everything they want to tell us, and they do want to tell us a lot, from what we can see.
We have stayed in the village two full days with them. The chieftain made us understand that we did not have to worry about the ship, he had directed the dark ones to keep watch over it. With this assurance we have been able to thoroughly enjoy every minute of our visit and to learn much of the joyous freedom in which the Moonalites live.
During our second day here an elderly man passed away and when this happened the whole community turned out. The big platform on which we had stood the first day was rolled out again and they brought this body upon the platform and placed it on a structure that looked something like we have been picturing the Ark of the Covenant. They placed the body naturally, in a lying position. Then twelve men and twelve women stepped up and took positions along each side, standing one man and one woman, six men on one side and six women, the same on the other side. The spiritual leader stood at the foot of the corpse while the chieftain stood at the head and both of these mumbled something for about fifteen minutes. Then the twenty-four people, twelve on each side, raised the body with the Covenant into the air and then lowered it. They did this three times while all the people gathered about. Each time that the body with the Covenant was raised, the people gave out a shout, sort of song-like, very melodious. With each shout there was an expression of tremendous joy on the part of the people. After this they took the body off of the Covenant and wrapped it in a beautiful cloth that had been made of the fiber we have previously spoken of.
We have been made to understand that the whole ceremony was a very joyful one for one of their brothers was now going Home, and they rejoice over that. That rejoicing can really be felt for it is so intense that even a dead man would have to feel it. Yes, the chieftain made us understand the best he could, that this individual has been glorified by being allowed to return to the Home from which he came.
The body belonged to the Moon so it will be given back to the Moon, which we consider burial, and thanks for it will be given the next day. That is, thanks is given to the Moon for loaning material for the body for the time which this individual had the use of it, which has served him and the community well.
This part we will not see since we are leaving today.
On returning to our ship, we are accompanied by six guides, natives of this village who have been chosen by the chieftain to assist us in every way possible during our stay here on the Moon.