Silent Fields
Instead of succumbing to sadness, one may dance until the time comes to move on. One may experience silence, like a plant or stone. Great things can be accomplished quietly…
Warriors of Transcendence, Part 29
Silence prevailed. The scattered leaves, which had cast a purple-yellow hue on the ground, were losing color from day to day. Ulu recalled the last song he had heard from the departing Transparent Ones, “Loneliness is not always pain to behold.”
But his intense loneliness at Sea Point, his yearning for home and family continued, nonetheless, to cause him deep and constant pain.
The extreme elevation of the lookout and its panoramic view which, at first, had been amazing to behold, had now become loathsome.
Sometimes one must listen deeply to the echoes of his own heart, assured the song of the Transparent Ones, but the Man of Borders felt incapable of tuning in to the echoes of his numbed heart. He tried to listen deeply and purely to his heart, but it was blocked. He heard only the insistent rustle of the windblown trees, the sound of falling leaves and the distant cries of the forest animals.
Many days passed. Deer gathered nearby, but to Ulu’s chagrin, the animals seemed to be afraid of approaching him. Ulu’s heart yearned for companionship, even the company of an animal. He remembered the reassuring words of the Transparent Master, All waiting shall be fulfilled.
How long? He wondered. The mystery of his task and the uncertainty of his future caused him to become depressed and anxious. The forest and its clearing had become his home, but his heart was elsewhere, in a place of warm companionship. He attempted, unsuccessfully, to sing in order to cheer himself. He tried to recall happy times he had experienced, but eventually his thoughts wandered to distant and confusing memories.
One evening Ulu sat at the edge of the cliff peering into the distance, towards King’s Sea, shrouded in fog. He wondered, What are the higher factors, the essential things? Where are my fellow warriors? What was the purpose of my training as a warrior? Was it all in vain?
In desperation, overcome with frustration, he shook his raised fists vigorously.
“I must act,” he said.
“And why now?” he implored. “The Land of the Ancient Progeny is at war and I am stranded in this strange and desolate place. Why?”
A sudden wind swept through a cluster of weeds nearby. Ulu closely observed a simple weed, one of many, focusing on its intricate details. The weed appeared to be very plain, lacking distinction. Green tendrils sprung from its blossom-filled crown. The delicate plant swayed serenely, submissively, in the breeze as if in sync with a peaceful rhythm.
Every tree and stone beholds a unique song, Ulu recalled the words of the Transparent Ones.
He wondered about the unique song of this simple, unadorned weed, just one of so many.
Before whom does it bow its head in grace, for whom does it sway in motion?
“Where are the essential things?” he asked.
This simple weed, which surrenders entirely to the forces of the wind- is it not an essential thing? Is its dance not part of the great war?
The song of surrender was the song of the green plant that swayed in the evening breeze.
Before whom must I surrender? wondered Ulu, as he attempted to understand how his surrender would aid the victory of the Master of Transcendence.
A Warrior of Transcendence exchanges his fears for light, he recalled learning in the White Desert.
Maybe sadness and loneliness could be exchanged as well? Ulu continued studying the plant. Night began conquering the sky, and the outline of the cliff became blurred. New ideas began to form in his mind. Underlying the concept of the higher essential things was the necessity to do the right thing. To live and act flawlessly in each and every moment, just like the slender weed.
Nothing is useless or meaningless, not even waiting idly in anticipation of a sign or indication. Even plants wait. They patiently and powerlessly await water and light. While waiting, they seem to dance and smile to the world. In time, the sun will shine upon them, the winds will sway them and the rain will quench their thirsty roots. They cannot be expected to change their dwelling place. They wait patiently and with great faith for their needs to be fulfilled in the proper hour.
“All waiting shall be fulfilled,” again, the words of the Transparent Ones rolled over his lips, and a smile illuminated his face. Instead of succumbing to sadness and desolation, one may dance until the time comes to move on. One may experience silence, like a plant or stone. Great things can be accomplished quietly, without movement, even if the only thing stirring is the wind.
Ulu arose and extended his hands toward the imminent darkness.
“My dear little brother,” he whispered to the small weed swaying in the quiet night, “you have taught me how to transform sadness into light.”
He began his first dance for the Transcendor. The deer now began to venture closer to him, as they watched him dance. They were happy to befriend one who surrendered his life to the spirit of the Transcendor.
That night, the Master of Transcendence appeared to Ulu, a broad smile on his face.
“You have won the battle,” he said, “and you have liberated many prisoners from the depths of pain.”
Ulu was perplexed.
“When?” he asked. “Where did the battle take place?”
“Right here, in these silent fields,” answered the Master of Transcendence. “And in all the distant lands.”
“But I did nothing, and saw no prisoners!”
“You did not see them because they are hidden from the eye. They are trapped, like you, in silent barren lands, struggling through the grayness of lost glory. Look…”
Ulu looked at a great big rock, cold and gray. It seemed that it was devoid of life and motion, and a chill ran down his spine.
“You were trapped in this rock, and you have been liberated, along with many others, from the silent swamps of desperation,” said the Master of Transcendence.
They were both silent as he disappeared, leaving only the image of his glance.
In any case, even if it takes time, and even if loneliness increases, you are not alone, his eyes implored. Never allow yourself to remain trapped inside a rock, no matter how immense it may be. Remember that.
To be continued.
***
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