The Key (A Fairytale) — Chapter 3: Broken Wings (Part 6)

"Now King, I'll ease your curiosity a bit. Listen closely. The Great Weapons you will master through this inner work are three: A concentrated mind, an investigative mind, and an insightful mind. Concentration is your sword. Investigation is the skill of wielding the sword. Insight is the ability to find the dragon.

"Only by mastering these three can you ever hope to prepare yourself for the inevitable battle to the death to extract your key."

"So, Sorcerer, where do I begin? You say this is an internal battle?"

"Of course it is, and your first mission will be to sharpen your sword of Concentration. Now, how will you know when it is razor sharp? When you attai
Eight Great Calms, that's when."

"Calms?"

"Yes, there are four material and four immaterial Great Calms. And you must also open the Seven Centers of the Source that dwell deep inside of you - but be very careful of the centers; I can see danger here."

"Wait a minute, Sorcerer. Three weapons, eight calms, seven centers. I'm lost."

"The great king is lost? Relax. You'll have plenty of time to become quiet acquainted with all of this. For now, just listen and remember what you can.

"Your second mission; Investigation, will teach you how to wield your sword that has been sharpened to a razor's edge by Concentration. You must discover how to investigate your entire body and mind so that you will not worry about either of them when the time comes to wield your sharp sword during the bloody fight that is certain to come.

"Your final assignment will be to master the skills of Insight. This requires unremitting mindfulness of every waking moment, and gives you incredible power. Enough power to locate this clever and dangerous dragon that conceals itself so well in his secretive den.

"Be forewa
ed, however, that only a sharp sword and excellent skills will slay this monster. The Dragon of Atta is the most powerful being of all the worlds. You must work harder than you have ever thought possible, and train hard, for when you finally face the dragon, there will be no time to come back and learn, at least not in this lifetime."

"Sorcerer, you know me better than that! I do not train haphazardly and face battles unprepared! I was the most feared warrior on the battlefield, and I will be no less than that now! This poor dragon's days are numbered!"

"Good. And since you were always smart enough not to underestimate your enemy, don't be foolish and start now. You have no idea what you are facing.

"And another thing; don't be surprised when you are called stupid and useless, and sco
ed by people of every walk of life. They do not understand this extraordinary inward quest. Do not inform those that ridicule, particularly the ones who think their way is the only way. Those kinds are the most confused and will hate you. They will call you rude and strange, and want to kill you because you will be a threat to their beliefs.

"This way of the key requires insight and introspection, not beliefs, but few understand this. Only warriors can understand, sheep cannot. But do not argue with those that ridicule. Let them believe, as they will. Others, who are more open-minded and don't believe blindly, will merely laugh and consider you an ignorant fool. And then there are the few whose eyes are closed but slightly, and are almost ready to see. They are the ones who will understand."

"Your words ring true, sorcerer. I was pained when Maradin's fiancé ridiculed me for being a key ‘faker,' and it was even more agonizing when I found myself at a loss to explain what I was feeling in my heart for these last five years. I simply did not have the skills to communicate with him, or perhaps, as you say, nothing can be said to some."

"Your heart will break for those who will not listen, King. You can do little for them. You will know the suffering they will be faced with in their future lifetimes, and be helpless to do anything about it. Be consoled that your contact with them will help in spite of themselves, no matter the circumstances, and that someday every being will search for his or her key when their time is right.

"Never look back, never look forward; the key is not there. It is nowhere to be found except in this very moment. Do you understand, King? Because this very moment is ete
al, and far beyond your understanding at this point.

"And be wary of any paths, for they all lead to an objective, and an objective is an ending. The key cannot be found in such a place, for the key is only found in the moment which is a place beyond constant motion and a place that can never end."

"But my quest for the key is a path! The key is my goal! You are talking in riddles, Sorcerer, as usual."

"Are you prepared to sacrifice everything, King, especially your thoughts and opinions? These will be more difficult for you to surrender than your kingdom, for they identify who you are, and if you give them up, you renounce your identity as well as yourself. But don't you see? They all must go.

"Do not underestimate the power of your mind's logic and reason to interfere with your quest. Logic and reason hang on to opinions like a dog with a crippled rabbit. It's how they protect the body. And you must, of course, utilize logic and reason for your physical and mental well-being, but be careful; they have caused you much heartache in the past by confusing and enslaving you, keeping you in human form with its inherent tragedies for untold ages. Logic and reason have used you. It is now time for you to use them."

"Sure, I have strong opinions. How could I have led armies without them."

"But where did they get you, my great king? Was it logic and opinions that turned you to the key, or was it something else, when your logic and opinion had no answers?

"Be careful of your opinions as you move here; travel there. At all times follow your heart and your intuition no matter how persuasively your logic and reason attempt to dissuade you. But whatever happens, always carry on. The inner work will expose you to direct insight and wisdom, but beware; logic and reason will attempt to take control of these direct insights and build beliefs, abducting you from the moment and imprisoning you in the lifeless pit of knowledge.

"Be wary of this danger, for it is most insidious. It will stop you dead in your tracks, and result in many lifetimes of constructing false spiritual empires built on the unstable sands of ego. Then you will be cursed with merely the ashes of truth. You'll be filled with self-righteous opinions and arguments which have precipitated humanity's greatest conflicts. Far removed will you find yourself, not only from this precious moment and the Source, but from greater insights as well."

"I'm sure that what you are saying, Sorcerer, will help me someday, but right now, it's all beyond me."

"Don't conce
yourself with these things now, and just feel fortunate for the opportunity of hardship in this lifetime. You see, this is a special kind of hardship, one that you will struggle with now, but when looked back upon, you will cherish, because it promises a permanent cure instead of an ocean of tears for countless lifetimes.

"Someday you will understand all that has just been said, but until then, you will have mountains of silence to climb, rivers of tears to cross, jungles of confusion to wade through, and dry, arid deserts ahead. You will travel a very difficult road, my king, but if you persevere, you can be certain of one thing; that you will finally meet yourself on the trail someday. When that happens, self-experiencing will end. But in the meantime, good luck, my friend. Oh, and beware of the temple!"

And the sorcerer disappeared. (To be continued)nn <hr> nn