Sapling

The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and hold words, so that is root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.

-Baha'u'llah



Taking root, satiated no longer, the rotten stump has finally released its burden and we realize the ontological bankruptcy. There is no more power that can be willed without a heavy dose of nausea. But here we are, every moment is a potential foundation for something.



The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous system-the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.

-Baha'u'llah



Something is happening in the world right now that is being overlooked by the news media and its obsession with the snarky politics born of a lower nature. It is being missed because it is taking root in the hearts and minds of the most vulnerable, receptive, and pure hearted among us, slowly maneuvering through the forgotten soil of forgotten potential, gaining strength in a process which is a reflection of the original divine impulse. It cannot be, will not be belittled, will not be disregarded as we disregard our corrupted leaders. Of what would be perceived as a threat to the decomposing heroes of world order, it is just beneath the surface.



A new life is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth; and yet none hath discovered its cause or perceived its motive...O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny. Suffer not your labors to be wasted through the vain imaginations which certain hearts have devised. Ye are the stars of the heaven of understanding, the breeze that stirreth as at the break of day, the soft-flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all men, the letters inscribed upon His sacred scroll. With the utmost unity, and in a spirit of perfect fellowship, exert yourselves, that ye may be enabled to achieve that which beseemth this Day of God. Verily I say, strife and dissension, and whatsoever the mind of man abhorreth are entirely unworthy of his station. Center your energies in the propagation of the Faith of God. Whoso is worthy of so high a calling, let him arise and promote it. Whoso is unable, it is his duty to appoint him who will, in his stead, proclaim this Revelation, whose power hath cased the foundations of the mightiest structures to quake, every mountain to be crushed in to dust, and every soul to be dumbfounded. Should the greatness of this Day be revealed in its fullness, every man would forsake a myriad of lives in his longing to partake, though it be for one moment, of its great glory-how much more this world and its corruptible treasures!

-Baha'u'llah



There are no news cameras in the room where hearts are met, where intentions among enclaves are woven with the divine spirit into collective action. There are no cameras in the world that will capture the groundswell until it is sudden and shocking. The trust of God is in our hands, and as we build so shall we become the trust of God.

I fear that we will forget and lose our sight...

The sun is setting and we chase the Kingdom's shadow.

Night Terrors (I'm not sure about the formatting)

I am terrified, O my Lord!

I fear that should desire over-
take me I will loose my hold
on Thy Reality
and that bereft of truthfulness,
I will be dragged into the clay,
forever unable to return
to Thee.

Let not the weeds of lesser loves
deprive the rose of Thy Love
the vivifying waters of Thy Bestowal and Grace.
I dedicate the garden of my heart to Thee,
O my Lord!
Enable me to tend it as is pleasing unto Thee,
O my God and my Beloved!

My cup is small, O Provider.
With but a dewdrop from Thee
it becometh as the billowing ocean.
Unleash the floods of Thy Mercy
and cleanse my whole being,
so that, safe and secure,
I may reside within the Ark of Thy Salvation.

O God!
Grant that I may become like unto
a swift-flowing spring,
drawing upon Thy Ocean,
and pouring forth unto
Thy creatures, Thy loved ones,
and those who are near unto Thee.

Thou art above all else,
independent of thy creation,
and beyond all recognition.

Thou art powerful and kind.
Thou art the Omnipotent,
the Compassionate,
the Just and Merciful.
In Whose Hands are the hearts of all men.

-jalal m

This has nothing to do with the current project. Just something I wrote the other night.
Please comment.

The Chianvakst Nation

Lucium,

I am glad that you have not veiled your condescension, it is quite revealing to witness it in full bloom. The heyday of your reasoning thus far has been to marginalize my belief system as a fancy at one point and now as a chimera, without giving any explanation as to why exactly. You should know that this is a typical stunt of the Auren elders, and frankly I expected more from you. It is clear to me you are not interested in a reasonable discussion and I am quite weary now of explaining myself further, so I will move on to other matters. Let us consider this argument closed.

As representative of this continent on my council, I consider it my responsibility to inform you of some news. Take it as you will. As you were away, the Arbora and the whole continent of Altia for that matter has fallen under grave danger. I fear that the Arbora can no longer rely upon the goodwill of its neighbors to maintain its fragil stability, as it appears that the Kyrzeri's are engaged in secret discussions with the rapidly growing and hostile Chianvakst Nation. Ever since the Arboran government imposed the prohibitive salt, seafood, and seatree pulp tariffs a year ago, the economic tension has spilled over into political rivalry. The reports that I have recieved from some of my contacts inside the Kyrzerian council seem to suggest that they are planning to abandon strategic and economic ties with the Arbora, leaving it exposed on a number of fronts.

I have spent a considerable amount of time within the Chianvakst Nation, both before and after the revolution. This recent revolution has produced a political system which is very different than what we are used to, namely an elaborate network of patronage and tradition. They ephatically consider themselves a post-traditional, post religious society, almost dogmatically so. It would be admirable if it wasn't so seductive, intolerant, and dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that their entire ideology has been fabricated and is being imposed upon its people, smothering their once vibrant culture and traditions. I hope you know that the Forming rejects dogmatism of all sorts, both religious and secular. In this matter we stand with the Arbora, a society which despite its flaws, is intrinsically tied to the land and its people.

I wish you well Lucium

Lam

Lam,

I have returned home and united our grandfather's grave with the fruits of my quest.

As children under our grandfather's guidance, I had always assumed you the wiser and more able one to grasp his teachings of the Way, the will of the gods and the traditions of our ancestors. You always had much to say and an insightful opinion about every mote of knowledge delivered to us. I know that you were the more intelligent and eloquent between us, but that same intellect which served you well as a student now binds you to the chimera of your own ideas.

I have not left the Auren, for I just as well as leave my tribe or the blood that runs in my veins.

I have veiled nothing, least of all condescension.

Lucium

Fear

Davood,

 

I should be returning to the Arbora before the third sunset following this letter.

 

There is little that I can do to stop death when it comes for us.  Do not be afraid of it, for it is the final and absolute consecration of a life.  I do not know what it is to have children nor wives, but I imagine it is difficult to escape this fear for them.  You must choose, before the final hour, as all must; are you an Auren? Father? Husband? or are you a follower of the Way, subject to its turns and endings?  When this time comes, and I hope that it will come soon for you, may you choose that which will set your feet aright and guide our people back to the solace and liberty of that which was given to them as a bounty and privelidge from the gods and the Life Tree.   Remember the words of my grandfather whose life reflected eloquently the pulse and breath of an unfettered voyager, spanning the limitless course created by feet tread unswerving, toward that guiding light which captures every wanderer, "Rely not upon the fruits of others, rather bear forth your own and do not taste of your own fruit, rather savor the fruit of others, for their's will be that much sweeter."

 

I have just received word from Lam.  He has attached his heart fully on that deluded creed by which he constructed in defiance of the ancestors and the gods.  I am praying for the wisdom and insight to see him through this but perhaps he must step through this delirium on his own.

 

Lucium

Familty Ties, Pt. 3

Lucium,

It is good that we understand each other. I am relieved that you have acknowledged the dogmas of the Auren order, which is maybe why you have chosen to leave it in pursuance of a personal salvation. I am sure you have communicated with Davood, who despite his courage and conviction is struggling to revive the Tree of Life. Could you not delay your own absorption into The Way long enough to save your people from accelerated entropy and war? Recall the stories of His Holiness Rabina the Krishana. As you are aware, the tradition states that although he was seated upon the throne of immortality, he chose to manifest himself in human form and suffer the indignities of the flesh on behalf of a stricken humanity. Are you willing to don the wayfarers wonderment once again and recommit to the task of collective salvation?

I suppose that your veiled condescension is only a natural reaction to my equally confrontational stance, which I apologize for.

I remember the old days very well, a memory born where the the land ends and the sea begins. It was such a beautiful interplay of celestial rhythms that defined our upbringing. But where you gleaned the lessons of our forefathers, namely conflict and submission, sacrifice and death, I chose to let the rhythms of the world define themselves. I gave myself the freedom to also define, and redefine my reality, according to the limits of my nature which by nature cannot be defined. I feel that I must correct some of the assumptions that are driving your judgements of me.

I too have lived a hard life. While you have hastened forth with sure footing, I have had to redefine the very foundation from which I was born into. It is expected of the Auren to rely on such unquestioned assurances as everlasting life. Is this not an easy crutch to rely upon? Tell me, who embodies a greater luxury? Imagine opening your eyes to a world with no assurances, only the reality of this eternal moment. I do not deny the existence of greater spiritual realities, I am just willing to seize every opportunity along the way. While you see beauty in the process of struggle and detachment, I see it in the spirit of joy and engagement. I am not of the elect my friend. The elect are those everywhere who recognize the game early and without question, and pursue the sycophantic paths to advancement with the frantic vigor of the army ant. Army ants who declare absurd wars over treasure in the name of belief, leaving us in the precarious position we are today.

I left the Auren as an outcast and for 10 years eeked out a life as a lowly and ridiculed vagabond wherever I went. The only thing I could rely upon was continual derision and banishment to the most desolate of places, with only the beasts of the field to keep my company. In every tribe, every civilization that I happened upon, the only goal in life for most people was to escape into a horizon more pure than what surrounded them, and to contest others who's fossils of belief and symbolism differed from their own.

Yet in every place I visited, there were those who could see through the veil of their forefathers. Those who yearned for life and reason just as ardently as I did. After some time I returned to these places and chose a small group to join me in my journey. Eventually the council of 7 was elected, representing all 7 continents within the 3 spheres of influence, and The Forming was born. Yes we have carved out a privileged life for ourselves, but we have earned it. With greater diversity and modernity comes a resilience and synergy not heard of since the Savolian tribesmen took over the Heidin empire. This "luxury" is available to anybody who chooses to reconsider the clogging artery of their perception.

On your final point that we of The Forming speak much and do nothing, it is true that ever since we colonized the Habolin valley, we have avoided the bitter politics that have brought upon this imminent war. Most of our engagement has been limited to recruitment and various mercantile pursuits. Our goal has been to form within ourselves a community that embraces all progressive and open minded currents. We understand that the current orders cannot be reformed; the only thing we can do is to build and strengthen the template for a new global civilization which will gradually take precedence as the entropic process of history reaches it's culmination.

In whatever course of action that you decide upon, I am certain you will make the honorable choice according to the true wishes of our late grandfather, who in his own way has determined the destiny of us both.

Lam

Family Ties, Pt. 2

Lam,

I am deeply moved by your concern for our cousin. You're efforts toward his well-being come as no surprise to me. Though you both are seen rarely among the Auren, for me, your affection has never been in doubt.

I would counsel you to take care with our cousin. His path is not your path. Yet, in truth the goal is the same. My prayer is that by walking different paths, you may together aid each the other more than were you walking together, as the fish, the birds, the flowers and fruit each give sustenance to the Arbora.

I am glad that you have such faith in my ability to lead. I do not. The question of who should lead is still undecided. Although many among out tribe feel that I would be the most qualified, there are others, myself included, who would consider Lucium to be the one our grandfather preferred. However, this may not be. I have yet to discuss the matter with him. I am sure that of all people, he would have been trusted with our grandfather's last instructions for us; just as he was told to undertake his current quest. When he returns, he will no doubt guide us to the right path.

He will however need help. Since the passing of our grandfather, many leaders of the Auren have sought to take for themselves some portion of his power. Some outsiders have even tried to be named Patriarch of the Tribe. Master Airst and a few other allies have secured for me this temporary position, while we try to discern the successor. None know that we are awaiting Lucium's return.

As you no doubt realize this information is dangerous to communicate. I have sent this letter by a messenger I trust. I await your reply from the same spirit. Please destroy this letter after that.

Likewise, keep your love of Lucium, myself and the Auren secret. We may soon find ourselves and our allies beset with corruption on all sides. I cannot speak of it for certain, but Lucium will need all the allies he can get.

your cousin,
Davood

 

Lucium,

How I envy you your pilgrimage to the sacred isle. In my youth I dreamed of setting my feet upon the land and meditating upon its eerie stillness. I had fantasized about bringing back motes of sacred dust to honor the trees which shelter and care for us. But ultimately I am a child of the trees, bound to them and my family as I am bound to my own limbs.

I pray you quest has met fruition. Since your absence the Tree of Life, has given no water. Her vessels have run dry. At first I feared her soul was withering. She would not respond to my prayers, except to ask of you. Large growths soon appeared across her branches. These have varied in color and have begun to bloom as flowers. I do not know what to think. Such a thing has never happened before. All the while her spirit weakens. If you do not return soon, I fear we will all die.

In that vein, your family also needs you. Airst has succeeded in convincing the Counsel of Auren to accept me as a temporary. I pray that soon we can name our grandfather's heir.

your cousin,
Davood