An Initiation Discussion

Warriors of Transcendence, Part 45
 
During Tzalaii’s healing process, prescribed by the Master of Transcendence, two slender Transparent Ones arrived at the small cave, to invite Mahn to participate in an initiation discussion. Mahn had been with Tzalaii and Sihara for a few days and the revolution that began in his heart was now reaching completion.  The magical surroundings and the recent events dissipated his fear that the Emperors would seek revenge.   Sihara captivated his heart with her disclosures about the Chamber of Changing Colors and the Master of Transcendence.  But time was of the essence. There was so much to be learned in preparation for joining the Warriors of Transcendence.
 
Mahn enjoyed an awesome meditative, silent stroll with his new friends. Soon they reached a large illuminated cave. Chilled air cooled the interior and sounds were heard with great clarity. Mahn admired the decorative blue stone pillars found inside, so different from the gray and dismal scenes to which he had become accustomed. In the center of the room, on a floor constructed of thin, flat stones, sat twenty men awaiting his arrival. They made room for him, and as Mahn took his place, he felt a deep and satisfying feeling of belonging.
 
This exact spot is uniquely mine. This is where I belong! he thought. 
 
“Friends,” began one of the men, and Mahn took note of the embroidery work on his white cloak, sewn with ultra-thin blue thread.   “Let us welcome our friend, Mahn.” The men whispered to each other, and as their voices grew louder, Mahn noticed that they were singing a tune; he was able to hear the words: “You are the heart of the world.”
 
Like flowing water, the words washed over him, dissolving and cleansing him of all impurities and barriers, all flaws and fractures. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to be transported by the tune. The flowing water in his mind transformed into tears that rolled down his cheeks.   Soon, the tune was completed, and the men remained silent for a while in the clear atmosphere.
 
“Warriors of Transcendence,” said the man in the white cloak, addressing the men. Mahn felt exhilarated by his inclusion in this special group.   The men began to converse with each other and the richness of their well-chosen precious words, so full of meaning, was as satisfying as the most wonderful feast.  Mahn was moved by so many memories and feelings arising in him as he listened. The men summarized their encounters with the enemy succinctly and clearly. One by one, they related events, but with such modesty!   Never before had Mahn encountered people of such humility.  He understood that all were the disciples of the man in the white cloak, who observed them carefully, taking note of every word they uttered.   Mahn wondered if other groups of this kind existed.  He was impressed by the great respect given to this teacher of twenty men.   How awesome must be the honor shown to the Master of Transcendence!  Respect beyond comparison!”
 
The warriors discussed their skills and actions in simple terms, without bombast, as if they were not matters of life and death. They seemed to be fearless, confronting challenges during their missions for the Master of Transcendence with bravery.
 
How is it possible that they have no fear in their hearts? He wondered, amazed, they are but human beings, flesh and blood!
 
As the discussion continued and broadened, Mahn, no stranger to methods of warfare, suddenly discovered a new and intriguing world.  He was amazed by the techniques employed by the Warriors of Transcendence. They were skilled in transforming darkness into light and in radiating fear upon their enemies. They were trained to concentrate great powers into a tiny movement, becoming vessels for the Light of the Transcendor to pass through. Listening to their words, he realized that their abilities depended upon their proximity to the Master of Transcendence, their leader. The closer they feel to him, the more powerful and accessible their Memory Shields became, in times of need.
 
Relinquishing their natural understanding helps them to accept and apply the profound and wise principles they acquire in their training, he learned.   Each battle debriefing was followed by the warrior’s summary of the knowledge he had gained from his experience. The leader of the group, exceptionally alert, continued to listen intently to each man’s words. The first warrior to summarize had closed his eyes for some time, finally saying: “Water will extinguish the fire.”
 
He used simple words known to all, but his method of speaking was unusual.  He conveyed total simplicity, like an innocent child explaining something clearly known.  The speaker opened his eyes, viewing his teacher’s radiant and satisfied visage.   Mahn intuited that this summation was some form of test.
 
The next warrior closed his eyes and thought deeply before summarizing.
 
“All waiting shall be fulfilled,” he finally said.
 
His words carried a message of hope and calmed the hearts of all, the significance of his words conveying the thought that everything is destined to return to its proper place. Each warrior chose a summarizing statement in which he truly believed, and therefore all the spoken words entered the hearts of the listeners like solid truth, lucid and absolute.
 
The eleventh warrior hesitated for a long time before speaking. He seemed to be embroiled in an inner war inside of himself.  Finally he opened his mouth and said simply: “The Shadows are multiplying more than ever!”
 
Silence descended upon the cave, and no one spoke. The words were absorbed silently, awaiting resolution. The warriors looked expectantly to their teacher, but he only nodded. He seemed distant and remote.
 
 An unexpected noise was heard and a side door opened all at once. Two weary warriors staggered inside, their rag-tag appearance conveying distress and grief.
 
“The Shadows are multiplying more than ever!” said one, his voice trembling. “The battle to protect the opening to the Tunnels of Time at Fire Mountain has failed. Dozens of our warriors have been lost and disguised Shadows wait to strengthen their accomplices and enable them to break through the passage. Even the attempt to transfer a message to the warriors in the eastern tunnels has failed! Three of our men were taken captive, and the message was not received.  Any Transparent One that goes out through Fire Mountain shall be captured, and every warrior arriving from the east shall be trapped! We are the only survivors, as we went through the forest and were able to come from the south.”
 
Mahn sensed different pathways crossing through the united circle of men that now included the two surviving warriors. They were joined in a comforting unity that eliminated some of the pain of this fresh loss. All awaited a solution; all eyes were turned to the teacher, as he began to speak: “Warriors of Transcendence.”
 
He paused, as though these words were intended to remind them, on a deep level, of their identity and of their mission.
 
“Sadness is a delicacy for the Shadows. Sadness cannot spread in the heart of the Warrior of Transcendence if he is precise. If you are precise- you are protected.”
 
“And the warriors that were lost. Were they not precise?” Mahn asked, unable to control himself.
 
The teacher gazed at him steadily and said: “The Transcendor and his great messenger know what has been done. We see only a narrow shard of time and place. It is written in the ancient scrolls that the entrance to Fire Mountain will be blocked prior to the end of the battles, and that those who block the entrance shall be trapped. All those responsible for the activity in the Tunnels of Time knew about the changes even before they occurred. It is no disaster; it is part of the plan.”
 
“And our fellow warriors?” asked one of the survivors, his voice trembling.
 
“Your friends have performed the tasks of the mission for the Master of Transcendence, and their selflessness shall have a great impact on the final battle. Do not be deceived by appearances.”
 
The teacher arose and approached the eleventh warrior who had mentioned the multiplying Shadows. The two newly- arrived survivors stood on either side of the eleventh warrior. Kneeling in front of the three warriors, covering his face with his hands, the teacher began to cry bitterly. The sound of his cries, though wordless, was more precise and illuminating than the words of the warriors, and on a higher level. His cries contained elements of certainty, but Mahn was unable to grasp the meaning and significance. The eyes of all his disciples were shut, but only three of the warriors wept. The intensity of the display caused Mahn’s entire body to tremble. The circle of pain, healing and comfort, all combined in complete unity, protective, supportive and abundant with love.
 
Finally, the crying ceased, and the teacher spoke softly: “Transcendor,” he said, as though He were by his side.
 
Mahn was unaware that the teacher was performing Unification, in front of many spectators; a rare talent that few could duplicate.
 
“The Shadows are multiplying more than ever before. Our warriors are few and our strengths scarce. Without You, we don’t stand a chance. Evil armies are washing over the earth. But,” he said, his voice rising and becoming determined, “the Master of Transcendence has taught us that Your strength exceeds everything. Without You we are lost. With You, we shall overcome all obstacles.”
 
“Transcendor”, he said pleadingly, “Enter our hearts! Flow through the blood in our veins! Accompany our steps, for you have chosen us to be your messengers, to carry out your word. Remove from us all sadness; enable us to carry your light, reveal yourself in our midst in all of your glory.”
 
He then ended with one sentence, as sharp and clear as a diamond, piercing through hearts, adorned with splendor and clarifying humility. 
 
“Do it- for your sake.”
 
The silence now was so deep, even the water droplets descending from the blue stalactites into the pools in the depths of the Tunnels of Time did not make a sound. The leader now returned to his place. All eyes focused on Mahn, the survivor from the Tower.  What would he add to their words? The leader of the group extended his hand to Mahn, inviting him to speak and granting him strength to do so. Mahn felt so small, so insignificant.
  
The teacher spoke to him: “Warrior of Transcendence, you have heard everything. The light has touched your heart as well.”
   
But the teacher made no formal request, speaking as if to himself: “Precisely because you have come from there, precisely because the seeds of retribution have been planted in you, and you crushed them into dust out of the agonies of your soul- you may join our warriors. There is a part of your soul that is protected and shielded from even the darkest Shadows.”
 
Mahn arose, approached the outstretched hand of the teacher, and touched it.
 
“Speak,” instructed the teacher with a glimmer in his eyes.
 
Words flooded Mahn’s heart, words that now seemed black and morose. He was unable to imagine ever uttering them again, especially not in such a sacred place:
 
The steel-strengthening fire shall strengthen your spirit and melt its locks. To ascend as fire, higher and higher, to the peak of the Towered City.
 
The mark of the shadows still bubbled in Mahn, deep within, and was now becoming exposed. But Mahn listened to the words, and managed to oppose them with an inner cry that remained internal: “The Fire of the Tower did not strengthen my spirit, and did not melt its locks! I have no desire to serve the forces of darkness! I have no desire to rise to the peak of the Towered City!”
 
 For a terrifying moment, Mahn felt that he had lost all desire.   Like a driven leaf, tossed into an abyss, his soul felt empty. He gazed helplessly at the Warriors of Transcendence. A moment later he was relieved, as though a layer had peeled off of him, a sealed, heavy layer that had enveloped him for years without his knowledge. Now a new desire surfaced. Although it was only the seed of desire, soft as a sprout, small as a blossom, it was full of certainty and everlasting joy. It was the desire to serve the Master of Transcendence. A desire that embraced him the way a mother embraces her only child, who returns her love, always.
 
 Mahn gathered all of his strength and searched within his soul for his deepest certainty: The words he had first heard upon arrival: You are the heart of the world. Honor and adoration were evident in the Warriors’ faces, and the teacher nodded his head approvingly, as though he had already known what Mahn would say.
 
This was Mahn’s first Memory Shield. 
                 
To be continued.
 

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