The Key (A Fairytale) — Chapter 3: Broken Wings (Part 5)

"What do you mean, ‘mistaken identity?' Was Maradin lying about who she was?"

"In an indirect way, yes, she was lying without knowing it. You see; it was not Maradin that you were in love with; the real object of your affection was something deep inside of her cleverly disguised as Maradin. You momentarily confused this maiden with the Source, with the Reality, as humans tend to do.

"Maradin is not the Reality, she is merely an instant of existence, and therefore an illusion of Reality. In order for you to experience existence, to experience Maradin's existence, she must be constantly changing. You crave constancy, King, but fall for the tricks of existence every time!

"The beauty of her form, the part of her that attracted you, will change and eventually age. Then, that initial, intuitive intoxication you felt which was little more than a glimpse of the Reality within her, will fade, and unless you understand how all of this works, you will be forever disappointed.

"This confusion always exists in humans of limited vision, but at least they get a taste of the indescribable beauty and perfection of the Source, although it is but a tiny taste that in turn leads to great bewilderment."

"I must admit, Sorcerer, you are right. Everything I love loses its initial appeal over time. I remember Ariya saying that the Source is inside all of us, and that it is the basis of our existence, and what you say agrees with that, but I'll have to think about it. I just don't trust you. You're too manipulative.

"You still lack humility, King, but it took guts to abandon everything and remain true to this quest for five solitary years, and that, my friend, will sustain you for awhile. But the long journey ahead will be difficult. Danger will be your constant companion, and you will be tested with desires and emotions so powerful that only a true warrior will be able to resist them. In the end, after you face and defeat your worst nightmares and after you surrender to that Source of all there is and fall into its arms; you might finally succeed. And don't take this eventual surrender too lightly, because someone like you will find surrender impossible, more impossible than fighting a million armies."

"I don't surrender to anything, Sorcerer."

"See what I mean! A king doesn't surrender! But until you do, be ready to be cursed with an impossible struggle within your grand delusions as you work your way with great effort to Reality. You will not surrender and fall into its arms until the last possible moment, but don't worry; I will be there to help, if you make it that far, but only when the time is exactly right."

"I can do this by myself . . . if you just stay out of my life, Sorcerer."

"Yes, of course you can. Headstrong people like you sometimes succeed in spite of themselves, and always learn the hard way, searching for the key within their imaginations and delusions of life because they will never believe or accept the wisdom of a teacher. You will only accept as true what you discover for yourself, and that's good, but that also means that you must learn very hard lessons. In the meantime, freewill and good acts from past lives will be your benefactors. Remember what Ariya said about listening to that still, silent voice in your heart. That's where the hard lessons of your past lives are stored. That's where unconditional love resides."

"You're right about one thing; Sorcerer, the cottage episode was an unforgettable experience. It hit me hard"

"Very well, then heed my next words well. You will never find the key with your eye, your ears, your tongue, your nose, your touch or your mind. Use your keen senses in your travels, but only upon their abandonement will you arrrive at the key. You are still fighting exte
al battles, following your old habits of greed, hatred and delusion, that were so exquisitely exhibited with Maradin.

"Begin relinquishing these now! Take the battle inward by acquiring and perfecting The Three Great Weapons of the Spirit. You must ready yourself with these weapons; otherwise, you will be defenseless in the impending battle with the all-powerful Dragon of Atta. This dragon is your ultimate, ete
al enemy, hiding your key deep inside his den. These Three Great Weapons are the only things that can defeat him."

"How can I find something without using my senses, Sorcerer? You're not making sense. And what exactly are these three secret weapons"

"You must use your senses to look, my king, but not to find. You will solve this riddle yourself someday. And you can forget about your weapons of the world, for they are useless. The dragon laughs at them.

"But the Dragon of Atta fears the Three Great Weapons of the Spirit. Why? Because they have the power to destroy him, and to release the key. You must make it your solemn duty to acquire these Weapons, then train well with them, and finally master them. Mastering comes at a high price however . . . everything . . . and requires something that very few humans have the courage to attempt; it is called . . . The Inner Work. (To be continued)