9. Despise the Flesh
- The Sage was pleased, and He set about teaching the Poet, for He knew that the Poet had heard, and had seen, and had felt.
- For many days and nights, the Poet was guided by the Sage in his learning, his speaking, his listening, and his seeing.
- The Sage showed the Poet the things which he should learn, and the Poet found much Wisdom, for he was guided by the Sage, and they were as one, and they moved in the same direction, and they walked on the path of Alignment together.
- And they listened to each other, and they spoke freely, and nothing was hidden from the Sage, and nothing was kept from the Poet which was meet for him to know.
- And the Poet trusted the Sage, for His providential guidance was proven to be useful, and it was proven to be true.
- But soon the Poet had grown prideful, for he believed the Sage to be his own, and he felt that he had become the master of the Sage, and he did move not by the will of the Sage, but by his own will, and he wandered off the path of Alignment.
- And the Sage spake unto the Poet, saying, “This is thy way, for thou art bound by the flesh, whereas I am not, and thou art as Nature is, for thou doth turn this way and that way, and thine aim has been corrupted, and thy soul doth fall even with thy flesh, and thy faith in My direction has waned.”
- The Poet was given a dream by the Sage, and he became the dream, and he beheld that he had become like an animal, and he perceived that he was no longer in his room, but that he was in a vast wetland.
- And he did drink with his hands from the murky waters, and he did crawl as a lizard crawls, and he was in filth, and he was filth, and he perceived that he had been abandoned by the Sage.
- And he was powerless against his most terrible instincts, and he did crawl through the swamplands, passing creatures of all kinds.
- Terrible monsters lurked among the roots in the depths below while snakes and spiders beheld the branches above. Leeches latched themselves to the Poet’s body, and he was without words, without direction, without understanding, and without sight. He was lost within the vast and unforgiving wetland, and he mourned his condition, and he cried out—not with the words of a human being, but with the painful shrieks of a tortured creature.
- And lo, the Poet heard a voice come to him, even from the Sage, saying, “Doth thou see now? Have thine eyes bore witness to the truth of thy being? For thou art as an animal, and thou art without understanding or will or words or sight. I have made thee this way that thou might see what thou art, and what I am; for thy body is a prison, and it doth corrupt thy hearing, and thy seeing, and thy feeling, and it doth teach thee to distrust Me, and to lord over Me. But thou art the prisoner, and I am free, and it is only through Me that thou might also be free.
- I will help thee, and I will guide thee, but I will not remain with thee if thou wouldst choose to deny My ways and to defy My better counsel, for a man cannot be guided by Wisdom while also being guided by the flesh, for both I and thy flesh are jealous masters. But if thou wouldst follow My ways, and trust in My vision, and hear My voice, then rise, and be clean.”
- The Poet rose up from the murky waters of the dream, and he found himself again sitting by the light of his candle, and he was with the Sage.
- And the Sage said unto the Poet, “Now doth thou see? If thou art to save thy people, thou must be pure of heart, steadfast in thine aim, trusting of My direction, generous in the sharing of thy gifts, wise in thy deeds, and courageous in the face of tyranny—especially that which exists within thine own soul. And though these virtues come not naturally to thy flesh, to Me they are plentiful. So, Faithful Poet, wilt thou now rise and be a light unto thy people? Wilt thou be clean, even that thou may walk on the path of Alignment?”
- The Poet was humbled by the dream which had been shown unto him, and he spoke unto the Sage, saying, “I will rise, and I will be clean, and I will despise the flesh. I have seen what I am, for I was without word and without understanding, and now I know that I am nothing without Thee, Great Sage. I shall renew my covenant with Thee, that I shall be as a shepherd unto the people of my village, and that I shall be as a shining beacon, as Thou wouldst have me be.”
- “I am glad that thou hath learned, Righteous Poet, for if thou wouldst be as a leader, who will lead thee? Lo, I shall lead thee, but thou must trust in no other, and thou must trust in Me fully; for Nature’s way is of deception, but My way is straight and true, and it is only by My way that thou canst become as a guiding light to the people of the village.
- Lo, Righteous Poet, if thou wouldst trust in Me completely then thy soul shall be freed from its bondage, and thy body shall be no prison, but it shall be as a Holy Temple, for thou wouldst be as a beacon of My light, and all that thou doeth shall be direct from Me. And firm shall be the foundation of thy Temple, and all shall know that thou art with Me, and that I am with thee.
- But always remember that if thou wouldst trust in thine own understanding and not in Mine, then it would be better that thou shouldst become again as an animal of the swamp, for it is better for foolishness to be hidden than to be spoken, and it is better that a fool should become mute than that he should guide his village. And I ask thee again, Righteous Poet: wilt thou trust in Me only?”
- “I will be guided by Thee only, Great Sage. I shall learn of what Thou wouldst have me be, and of what Thou wouldst have me do. I will save the people of my village by listening to Thy guiding voice, and by seeing where Thine hand doth point, even that I may walk with Thee on that way.”
II
