The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 29

Chapter 29 - Philosophical Discipline 

Finding philosophers was the next part of the Journey for Huo. He had been taught in the ways of the Tao. His connection with nature had seen it become a teaching in itself. Everywhere he went he would rise before dawn and wash himself in the water of a river or lake to refresh himself with the life giving waters of the Tao. Then he would meditate for about twenty four minutes; one for each hour of the day. It was important to stay in a balance and not spend all day meditating, like some monks, which was out of a balance. It may have made the practitioner more spirit than human but also it had a way of disconnecting him from other humans and Huo understood that his life's mission was to inspire others through his stories and he could not do that meditating in a cave.

The next year of his life he dedicated to studying other philosophers and philosophies. It was not that he wanted to move away from his Taoist practices; it was that he wanted to understand what it was to be human and in each of the philosophies he came into contact with, there was an element or kernel of truth that he may not have come across in Taoism.

It was a strange and wonderful time. Strange because, he once again became the student rather than the teacher, but in reality whenever he taught or told his stories he was ever the student, learning as much from his stories, as any of the participants in his ever growing audience. But for a year he chose not to teach at all but become the student. It was wonderful because he learnt so much in a number of ways. Of course he learnt from the great philosophers, but he also learnt from those who were listening to the teachings and the questions they asked. Because he could also see their auras he understood what they were saying at a deeper level than the mere words themselves. He also learnt a great deal from his reactions to the teachers, both from an intellectual and also a feeling level. Occasionally when he did not agree with what was being said, his ego would want to speak up and show how special he was.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

Tikal Part and the Fire Element.

Tikal

As I walked into Tikal I realized that after all these years that I was walking the path of the 33rd Sage. I was immediately overcome by feelings of great joy and I was brought to tears by the sheer emotion of it. I had come to complete what was my initiation. Is there any wonder that since I booked on the Maya trip that the Legend of the 33rd Sage had begun to materialize; for it was my story. In the story I was the young Huo who had been badly disfigured and paralyzed by being molested as a child. It was only through studying with the old chinese sage that this disfigurement and paralysis on many levels has disappeared.

It was standing in front of group G and the mouth of the Dragon that I realized why I was not able to finish the book. I had not stepped in through the mouth of the dragon and into myself. It was just like the character in my book I had to step through the dragon's mouth and this mouth just happened to be in Tikal. It was in the mouth of the dragon where I would come face to face with the other me; the me that I was to become.

I was drawn to the Maya trip because I knew that the Elements would allow me and those in the group to go through all of them and release the negative aspects of each of the emotions. In Palenque it had been easy as I must have done the Water Element in many previous incarnations. Standing in the monsoonal rain for hours while we did a number of ceremonies it was easy to allow the water to wash over me and clear me of any emotions of frustration.

If Water was easy the next day at Yaxchillan was more difficult but not greatly so. We arrived at the Earth Element site only to be greeted by the sound of Howler Monkeys. For those not fortunate enough to have heard their sound, it is like the sound of whaling banshees or the devil. For those who were Earth and dealing with the element of fear there were scared shitless. Then on top of that we had to walk through a dark tunnel which we later found out was called the Labyrinth. For the Earth Elements they had to led go of the need to control and step into the dark. It was not easy for some and even for me the first couple seconds there was a momentary panic before I gave over to spirit and walked in the total blackness. When I appeared out the other side I felt free of the need to be in control.

If Yaxchillan was a challenge then Tikal just blew me away. We arrive at group 4 and there before us was the mouth of the dragon. I immediately began to shake as I felt this was to be an Important moment in my life. I knew why I had not been able to finish the final three chapters of the legend of the 33rd Sage. I had to walk into the mouth of the dragon and experience myself. When I came out through the other side I was changed forever. It was in that moments that I realized that the legend of the 33 rd Sage was all about me. I was the young boy Huo in my story. Twenty eight years of living and working with the Elements and much of that time on the path of the Initiate. Tears began to run from my eyes and I was sighing and gently sobbing as I realized that the story was always about me. The essence of the 33rd sage is something that we can all tap into; for the 33 sages of the plum Red Robe exist within all of us.

Later on I was meditating standing in front of the Jaguar Temple when all of a sudden the heads which I had seen in visions and meditations over the last few days rushed at me again, only this time it was only one head and it was the head of the king of the Jaguar Temple and immediately he began downloading information to me. Information that was all too much and I spaced at completely. Although physically I was okay, I was mentally exhausted. Who knows what the future will bring. All I know is I have to finish the Legend of the 33rd Sage.

 

Yaxchillan and the Earth Element

Yaxchillan is such a cool place. It is much smaller than the sites like Tikal or Chchen Itza, but of those who have the eyes to see and the ears to heart and the heart to feel it is an amazing place.

We made the trip up the river in groups of ten in small boats which we navigated expertly by one of the locals. Every now and again he deliberately spin the boat a little out of control; he had to have his fun and it was wonderful to feel that little bit out of control; especially for an Earth Element whose main challenge is to let go of the need to control.

When we reached Yaxchillan we were greeted by the Howler Monkeys, who wailed like a banshee and the faces on some of the group showed fear. The monkeys were challenging us to go beyond our fears. If you have ever heard them you will know what I mean, they are damn loud, but there is a beauty underneath their howling, it is the essence of the monkey and it is almost melodic and touched me very deeply.

After our wonderful welcome we had to move through what we learned later which was called the Labrinth. It was dark, no light at all could enter the Labrinth and the group had to let Geof the need to control and be open to the experience. It was interesting to watch those who were of the Earth Element persuasion as they had the most difficulty letting go of control. For me it was just another teaching in how important it was for the Earth Elements to give up the need to control the situation.

As we wandered through the rest of the site I felt that my own Earth Aspect seemed now to be at peace and I look foward Tikal where I am sure the Element of Fire has more in store for me.

Love to All

Once I finish this trip and reflect on what teachings I am receiving I will share longer and deeper posts, but for now I am in and loving the experience.

Blessings and Peace 

Geof

Palenque Part 2 - Pacal and the Elements

Hello all,
21/12/2012 was nothing to fear but a wondrous time for everyone to make changes in themselves and move into a different space and time. Over the next few days just be open to the little voices that spirit shares with you. These voices can come from anywhere; a whisper in your mind, the word from a friend or even the sign on the side of a bus. As we move through the end of 2012 be open. For those in the Northern Hemisphere it is the time allow the potential in the winter to build within you. If you need to, go back to my thirty or so postings on the Elements of Man and by getting touch with the elements you can begin to understand yourself, others and nature it is the most wonderful teaching that I have received.


In the Mayan cities of light we meet and have the opportunity to get in touch with the Elements. I will attempt to share some of this when while I am in the Mayan lands, but of course that depends on the availablity of wifi in the resorts I am staying at.

On the 21st in Palenque we were with the Element of Water and it was amazing to see how much of the element there was around us. The more ceremonies we did the more it rained. The rain was so torrential that after a few hours every part of us was wet and in my case I now have a passport where my face has disappeared. It should make it an interesting challenge to cross over the borders in the coming days, but as my old teacher said, "It is what it is." it is a teaching that has kept me in good stead over many years.

The negative Element of Water was there to be seen as people everywhere seemed to be getting frustrated with the amount of water. The more ceremonies we performed the stronger the rain became; it was wonderful. The positive aspect of water is about nurturance and growth and it was wonderful to see the group come together even though the rain was non stop for many hours.

As the rain continued to fall it created a wonderful mist around Palenque and many waterfalls as the water cascaded off the pyramids and temples.

The next stop on our journey is Yaxchillan which is the Earth City of the Five cities of Light. It will be interesting to see what happens as my own element will be active over the next few sites as we connect with Earth then Fire. The negative emotion of Earth is Fear and I am sure spirit will have something special for us. Then we move onto Tikal which is Fire.

So bye for now.
The IPad is doing some strange things with the energies and what I am writing may appear different to you from what I meant, but enjoy the ride.

Blessings & Peace 
Geof 

Palenque Part 1

Today was our first day in Palenque. We were guided on our tour by archaeologist Dr Ed Barnard who knows Palenque like the back of his hand, having spent many years on the site and he was involved in many parts of the excavations, but more importantly in the xtensive mapping of the site. It was a fascinating day looking at the temples and the pyramids. One of the highlights for me was the C group of ruins or temples, not so much for what they looked like for they were pretty rundown. It was more the energy in the area. First we crossed over a bridge into the area and there in the water was a young hippy dressed in what could only be described as the clothes of Wendy from Peter Pan. With her arms raised I felt like we were being welcomed into the group of temples.

Once over the bridge the energy increased and one felt immediately calm and peaceful. One of the ruins looked like it was a magical fairy house or something out of the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. The architecture paled into insignificance compared with the Temple of Inscriptions, the palace or what is known as the cross group, but for energy it could not be beaten. There was an area where a gnarly old tree stood in the centre of the c group. It was amazing and seemed to cuddle people who came towards it in its roots which lived above the ground. Two of us just sat with our backs to the tree and we were immediately taken to a calmer simpler place. As we sat there it was as if the jungle came to life as there was movement everywhere, but when you looked with your eyes there was nothing their, but as soon as you used your peripheral vision the movement was there again, but my meditative state wasn't clear enough the see what was moving quickly between the trees.

It made me remember the Vision that I experienced the night before as I lay down to sleep. Just before my mind drifted into a deep sleep I could see visions of old stone heads rushing towards me. It was exciting and also a little scary as I felt that they were trying to tell me something, but I did not have the ears to here. I fell asleep with the feeling that they were welcoming. Who knows what it meant but there are lots of energies active in this site and my ability to see and feel the energies is obviously being helped by the energies of the site. It should be interesting to see what happens over the next few days. No signs of the end of the world.

Sitting here with a black Mexican beer by the pool and contemplating. My luggage seems to have been lost somewhere between LA and Huoston and yet I am in such a nice state that I am not that worried. I have what I need via some great people in the group.

Bye for now
Speak to you again in a day or so.
Love Geof

Have fun on the solstice and enjoy the extra energy that is available

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 28

Chapter 28 Mental Discipline

Judgement was the one emotion that the sage had the most difficulty giving up. As he wandered from village to village he always wondered why some people seemed to have so much and why others had so little. It was in these situations that he sometimes allowed anger to cloud his thinking.

There were many things he had learnt on his journey and one was that if you judge something then you don't understand it. For him it had always been an intellectual concept rather than a true feeling; he understood that the reason he was still judging poverty and the difference between the rich and poor was because there was something about poverty that he did not like about himself.

As he sat in the middle of the village and was surrounded by children he started to realize what it was. The picture of the children took him back to the village of his childhood. He was just like these children, barefoot and poor, but it was his disability that made him feel less than the other children. It really had nothing to do with the poverty. What he really wanted were guarantees. Seeing himself as disabled and disfigured he thought he was less than the other children and he wanted a life of guarantees as all he could see in his future was a life of suffering and judgement; the same judgement that he now proffered on others.

Now he understood, the Tao did not give guarantees. With the benefit of hindsight he could see that it was these difficulties in his earlier life which had given him the experiences and set him up to be the person he would become. It was difficult to watch suffering but with his perception he could see that it was what people needed to grow.
It was difficult to explain to others because they always made the same comment, 'But I would never have chosen that or no one would choose that.' The longer he walked the silent path of the Initiate the less he would come from logic; for logic was often blinkered by the ego and the more he came out of feelings; for it was in feelings that the higher self dwelled.

A young boy in ragged clothes, covered in dirt and snot running from each nostril approached the sage. In the background some of the adults yelled for the boy to leave the sage alone. As the sage looked towards them he could feel that they were embarrassed by the child; for he was from the poorest family in the village, a family so poor that they had no food, or land or even a place to call their own.

The young boy whose name was Quang sat down before the sage. For the longest time the sage did not say anything, preferring to watch the boy and wait for him to speak. The young boy did not know he was poor, only that his parents did not have things to give him like the other children received. To him it did not matter; he was always happy and playful even though he was bullied by the other children and I am sad to say some of the adults. But it mattered not to the young boy. He sat fascinated by the old sage, fascinated by his energy, for the one thing the young boy could feel was energy.

Quang smiled as the energy of the old sage enveloped him. It gave him a warm inner glow. "Tell me a story," asked the young boy his green eyes opened to whatever the sage had to say. The sage looked deeply into the boys jade green eyes and the impression which he received in that moment would last with him forever. He could see a soul that was far older than his, a soul in need of redemption. In a previous lifetime Quang had been a great Emperor who misused his power and the money of his people. He had treated his people without any regard for their needs, taxing them more than any other Emperor in the history of China. In that lifetime he had everything and he was here to redress the imbalance by having nothing in this lifetime.

It is for this very reason that when the soul incarnates that it comes as an empty book, as the good or bad deeds of a previous life, if remembered, would influence what we would become in this lifetime. Anyone with this knowledge may have judged the young boy and wished he suffered like he had made the others suffer in that past lifetime, but not the sage for he could see beyond the one or two lifetimes and what he saw was an eternal, immortal and infinite being who had incarnated at this time to learn lessons that only he and his higher self understood.

The sage smiled to himself; there was no higher or lower only infinite expressions of the Tao.

The sage told him the story of a young by who had been disfigured in a fire and whose disabilities made him the embarrassment of his village. And how one day a great sage came into the village and began to tell him stories and then the young boy became the apprentice to the sage and they travelled all over the country sharing in many adventures.

"Will that ever happen to me," said Quang?
"Who knows said the old sage. If you believe in something enough then anything is possible.

From that day forward the young boy would come and listen to the words and stories of the sage. One morning he arrived wearing clean clothes, they were not new but in much better condition than the old tatty clothes he normally wore. The next day he arrived with a pair of old sandals, but even stranger he arrived with two other young boys who wanted to listen to the old sage. Evidently the young boy had been sharing what he remembered of the Sage's stories with some of the children and for his kindness they shared some of their old clothes with him.

A few more weeks and many of the children from the village were coming to hear the stories and words of the sage. Stories which were shared with the adults by the children around the dinner table. Little did the sage know that these stories were having an effect like the ripples on a pond, directly into the hearts of anyone who heard them.
It was about this time that Quang's father gained work in one of the shops in the village and another person gave him a small house on his farm while he earned enough to rent or buy a place of his own.

The children and now some adults came to hear the old sage's stories. Many stories which were modeled on the many experiences he had as he traversed the land. Over the months that followed the young Quang started to tell stories of his own; mystical stories of dragons and Emperors. The more Quang stepped forward, the more the old sage stepped back. It was as it should be. His original stories had awakened the hearts of the people in the village and Quang was learning about kindness and through his stories he would educate millions of children in the future. He would never become a rich man, but in the way of the Tao, all his needs were met as he wandered the countryside to become one of a handful of legendary storytellers who lived in Ancient China. Stories filled with such heart and tenderness that they have become well known as parables even in our current day.

Stories which take us on the greatest journey that we will ever take, the journey from the head to our heart.

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The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 27

Chapter 27 - Emotional Discipline

It was during a late afternoon meditation that his thoughts turned to Love. It was not the kind of love that he felt for his parents or even the kind of love that he felt towards Qing; even though he had not seen her in many years, his love for her was still strong. The love he was feeling was not those kinds of love, but a love deeper than any emotional love. Emotional love was attached to something but the love he was experiencing in the meditation had no attachments.

The thoughts soon disappeared and were replaced with the feelings of love. He put his attention into his heart and the feeling became stronger and deeper. Something told him to open his eyes and as the sun was setting he saw it for the first time. He had always been able to see auras around people, animals and even plants but this energy was nothing like this. He continued to watch as great swathes of energy, purple in colour were emanating from his heart and connecting with everything around him. He watched as the purple energy first connected with the trees, then the animals and then to the mountains beyond. It was surreal, the purple energy which was emanating from his heart was also returning from the beings who had felt it from his heart; there was a real connection between all things.

In a matter of minutes he was surrounded by the animals of the forest, there were birds of every description, badgers, field mice and a whole feast of insects, but it was the color and magic of the butterflies and the dragonflies, surrounding him, which took his breath away.

Nature had come alive for him. It was nothing he could tell anyone; in his silence he could only experience the beauty of a love that connected all things.

The more he went on his journey the more silent he had become. It was a strange and wonderful thing. The more he knew the less he physically shared it with people and yet by internalizing it, more people received his teaching than if he had shouted it from the mountain tops.

His life had become about detachment, which is a little weird when you consider he was more connected with everything than he had ever been in his life. This was not about a detachment from life, it was about being detachment from the ego's emotions, so he could see the world as it was rather than the ego's limited perspective.

To others he would have seemed like he was on drugs or having a mental episode, but he had never been more present because he was seeing and experiencing the energy behind the form. He held a butterfly in his hand and just by his inner perception he could see every lifetime this butterfly had experienced; he was surprised to see that it had experienced over fifty lifetimes as light. He opened up to the butterfly and she allowed him to experience those lifetimes of light. Huo felt humble in the presence of the butterfly, a being who had experienced so many lifetimes on the earth plane. It was then that he understood that there was nothing higher or lower than him in the universe, they were just different expressions of the same energy, that some would call the Godforce and others would call the Tao. Even by naming it people had tried to capture its essence but no words could describe the 'all that there is.'

It was by going beyond his emotions that Huo was able to peek into the Tao. He did not try to understand it logically, as he knew that could not be done. Even experiencing it for a moment could never be explained; for as soon as he started to explain what he had experienced he knew that it would be his ego explaining it and trying to hold on to the experience in the hope it could make itself more important.
The beauty of the Tao was in the experience of it.
It would soon be time for the sage to come down off the mountain. There was a point in the experience of the 'all there is' meditations that the ego would start to see him as special and that was when it was time to move and change to another discipline.
The way of the initiate was all about silent power and discipline.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 26

Chapter 26 - Physical Discipline

The sage continued his journey; each day he would get up well before the sun rose, practice his martial arts, which he had never used, and meditate before allowing his inner spirit to guide him on where he would go for the day. Each day was filled with new adventures and new people to meet.

After a couple of months on the road he felt fitter than he had in all his life. The walking up and down mountains, through forests and around lakes had been physically demanding and his body was the better for it. He had begun to feel muscles in places where he never thought he could get muscles. His diet was very spartan and apart from the odd egg, it was mainly vegetarian, which helped inform the lightness of being that he now expressed.

As well as diet, exercise and meditation the sage had received a copy of the 'The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic,' from a Taoist healer that he had met and treated along the way. Each day for about an hour before the sun would go down Huo would open the text and read along as the discourse occurred between the Yellow Emperor and his trusted ministers. He would read for the hour and then after dinner he would sit and contemplate on what he had just red. For the most part the information aligned to the teachings he had received from the old sage Chung Fu. He reveled in the beauty and simplicity within the text and he could see it was littered with Taoist principles.

It was only when he read about the five elements that he realized the classic must have been copied from an earlier document and changed to suit the writer. For in the beginning the Taoist monks of the Plum Red Robe spoke and taught of the four elements; elements which aligned to the seasons. The five element theory although brilliant was a misunderstanding of the mixtures of the four elements. What the writer saw as metal, Huo knew to be a combination of Fire over Earth and what was called wood was a  combination of Air over Earth.
The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic was a great starting point but for any healer it was more important to practice the art of going within and allowing the higher self to come forward, to allow the healing to occur.

He no longer read the Inner Classic preferring to use that time in meditation and connecting with nature and his own higher self.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Mayan Cities of Light

The Mayan Cities of Light

In a weeks time I will be off on a trip to the five cities of light in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. These five cities of light which include the famous sites of Palenque, Tikal, and Copan are the setting for my next book the The 33rd Sage and the Ancient Ones. It is the final book in the 33rd Sage trilogy, stories based on the teachings I received from my old Chinese teacher and later by other members of an ancient brotherhood.

The trip to Central America will be the culmination of a teaching that I have been receiving, bit by bit, for almost thirty years. Sometimes I wonder why they could not have just given me the teaching in one foul swoop, rather than having to follow the little messages they have left for me all over this and other worlds. I understand that we are all eternal, immortal and infinite and it should not matter how long or over how many lifetimes the searching or the journey takes, but my ego self would like to have all the information and get on with life. But as the higher self understands, that is the life that I have chosen to live this time. To others I would seem like a wanderer, as I have constantly changed jobs only to reach a certain level of success before once again, there is that little nagging from the inner worlds and I am drawn again into another quest in a different country.

The five Mayan Cities of Light have been whispering to me for a while to come and play and it seems like a good time to do it as the Mayan Calendar comes to a close. It is not as some believe to be the end of the world, although if you have any perception at all you will have felt the quickening that has taken place over the last twenty years. A quickening which could lead to amazing changes on the inner level of our consciousness. Some have called it Ascension and others transcendence. One of my old teachers called it the quickening. Whatever you label it, there is something happening at many levels across the worlds, both inner and outer, and many of us can get caught up in others egos or we can make a choice and listen to our own inner being. It is difficult to believe that we have the answer, when we are unsure of ourselves or our egos and the ego's of others are telling us that it is the end of the world or that we are all going to ascend; or even worse some are saying that we should follow their teachings if we want to ascend. If Ascension is real then I believe it is an inner process that we all take. It is the journey from the head to the heart and from the outer being to the inner being. It is only a short journey in terms of distance but a monumental quest that we all have to take at some stage in our various incarnations. It is the point where we become more spirit than a physical being. It is when we start to see the energy behind the form. When we see what is real.

Your individual journey is your individual journey and should never be done at the beck and call of another. If someone tells you they know the way, then run like hell for they have no clue. Your journey is a sacred thing and only comes through YOU getting in touch with who you are and then following your inner guide to where it shows you where to go.

When I write my books I am sharing some of my journey through the characters that inhabit my mind. It is no one else's journey but mine. Sure you can follow some of the teachings that I share in my stories or blog posts; teachings which have been taught for thousands of years, but ultimately you have to start to follow your own inner teachings and become your own silent spirit warrior, a silent warrior who is on the path of your own initiation or whatever word you would call it.  There is a point in all great adventures when the protagonist has to go deep within themselves to find the answers. On the early stages of this great adventure it is okay to follow a teacher or teaching because that helps us to turn within, but the final leap into the unknown has to be done on our own.

Find a teacher or a teaching that empowers you and gets you going on the greatest adventure that you will ever experience, the journey to your higher self and the keys to the kingdom. On the way be gentle to yourself and others. Have a lightness of being and be benevolent to your fellow man or woman. Respect where they are on their journey and don't infringe, don't judge and do not get angry. There is a point where you will have to detach from your ego and your emotions because they only separate you from others. Strangely it is only through detachment that we can become connected. We are all aspects of the one energy, all on our own journey, a journey which is different from anyone you will ever meet, so be kind to them and allow them to walk on their own path. If they ask for your help give them what you can, but don't hold them up or make them follow your teachings for they may not be ready, and in many cases what they have to learn in this lifetime is completely different from what you have to learn.

We are all like books in a library, each one has a different story, but ultimately no book is any more special than another.

Hopefully, while I am in the lands of the Maya I will find a wireless connection here and there, so I can share some of my experiences.

Have a lightness of being and reach down inside yourself for your own answer. In life there are no guarantees; the key is to trust in the process. Stuie Wilde one of my old teachers and a wonderful scallywag has written a beautiful article on Trust and I have included a link here.

http://www.stuartwilde.com/2012/12/trust/

Blessings and Peace
Geof

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

If you or a friend is just starting off on your spiritual journey I would recommend my first book The 33rd Sage or one of Stuart Wilde's early books as a great introduction. The teaching in both comes from a similar energy. For those who are well down the path I hope you have been reading the Legend of the 33rd Sage in my blog posts, although it is only a first draft, it has a wealth of information within the story. If you like me learn well from story I would also recommend Plum Red by Stuart Wilde. I believe it is the best book he has ever written; a number of Taoist tales from Old China and it is perfect for reading to your children at bed time.

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 25

Chapter 25 - The Teacher, Teaches by Example

It was during the final month of their third year together that the prince no longer came to the Forest of K'an. The sage had waited, but deep down he knew that the prince was no longer his student. There was a genuine sadness as the sage had enjoyed teaching the prince about this spiritual aspects of man, but now it was up to the young prince to become his own teacher and it was time for the sage to move on. It was time for him to refresh himself and live in the spontaneity of the Tao.

He woke before the sun and gathered his small pack and walked out the door of the home that had been his for the last three years. He did not look back for the energy of the house was no longer there. He walked past the Lake of Li but even she had lost her glow. He walked out the Forest without another thought. The Tao had given and now it had taken  away.

He came to a fork in the road. Many years ago he had chosen the road that seemed the brightest, but now as he looked down both roads there seemed little to distinguish them. With no clear feeling on which way to go the sage sat under a plum tree and enjoyed the warmth provided by the early morning sun. He sat and watched as travelers passed by, most increasing their pace when they came near him, but the occasional one would stop and sit for a while. Some would talk to the sage but most just rested awhile under the shade of the plum tree. Those who stopped and sat under the plum tree with the sage, noticed that they soon became energized and were again ready to begin their travels.

The sage went into a meditation to ask his higher self what his next step was to be. After a long meditation he was none the wiser; it seemed like the Tao had forgotten him. Of course he knew better than that and if the feelings did not change he would just sit and enjoy his rest under the plum tree. When he opened his eyes he noticed that travelers had left food and some of their wares for him.

It seemed like he had received his answer. For now he would sit under the plum tree and be in the moment. He had never been so abundant in all his life. In a matter of days he had more of anything than you could think of; more than he would ever use in a hundred lifetimes.

The sage was at a loss to understand why?

When another traveler left more goods and food for him the sage said, "Why do you leave these wondrous gifts?"

The woman who left them replied, "Sage it is to thank you for healing our son. The other day we were on our way to a great healer and my son who was very ill needed a break from the travel; so we sat with you under the plum tree and when we were ready to leave he was completely healed. So this is our gift of thanks." With that said the woman bowed to the sage and walked away and back to her village.

Over the next few days others recounted similar healing stories but most who came and sat with the sage, just seemed to feel better, more refreshed from just sitting under the plum tree and listening to the stories that he had begun to tell the children.

The children themselves started coming in their hundreds as they heard of the sage and his wonderful stories. Each day in the early afternoon the children would arrive and sit around the sage in a circle under the shade of the plum tree and he would tell them a story. After which they were free to take one of any of the gifts that were left behind.

Over time the stores of the goods left for the sage did not diminish as you would think but grew and grew. It seemed like everyone in the village and the surrounding villages were stopping, to add to his ever growing supply of food and handmade goods.

And so began the legend; each night while all the villagers were asleep the sage would walk into town carrying armfuls of food and other gifts that he had received under the plum tree. He would stop at each house; send a molecule of his being into the house to understand the needs of each person and when they awoke each person would find what it was they needed to aid them on their own journey.

This continued on for many months and when some of the villages realized what the old sage was doing they would come to plum tree late at night and help the old sage distribute the goods. This happened every night and in the morning the right gift was there for the right person, whether they were just hungry or on a spiritual journey; it was if the Tao knew what they wanted and delivered it at the most appropriate time. Even the villagers who helped Huo would wake to find food and gifts left at their houses. It was wonder that people never got used to.

The day came when it was time for the sage to leave. Never had he seen such abundance. It was as if in the giving that people received more. This years harvest had been the best the countryside had ever seen.

In the days that followed children continued to come to the plum tree to listen to the sage tell his stories and even though he was no longer there, one of the adults or the children themselves would tell stories that the sage had taught them. Occasionally they would make up stories about where the old sage had gone and who he was helping now; for the legend continued to grow.

People still left their excess goods and come nightfall some of the adults from the village would come and distribute out what had been received. It was in the giving that everyone received. Without knowing it everyone was giving and receiving as they should, out of their abundance in line with the teachings of the Tao.

Of course the best teachers never teach they just do and the example of the sage continues to this day in many villages around the land even though people could not tell you why they are doing it.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 24

Chapter 24 - The Lightness of Being

The young prince had been coming to the Forest of K'an for almost two years and his paintings were becoming renowned throughout the kingdom. The sage had noticed in the last couple of months, that as his fame grew, so also did the young man's arrogance. It seemed that whenever they spoke the prince thought he knew more about everything than the sage. The sage did not judge the arrogance, but he did wonder what was underneath; for he knew that arrogance often came out of fear.

It was no longer appropriate for him to tell the young man what to do, for he had come to that point in the teachings when it was important for the prince to take control of his own teaching and to open up to his Higher Self. The sage knew that could never happen while he was arrogant; for to be able to connect with the Higher Self you needed a lightness of being, with the ego no longer blocking the way.

What was the sage to do?

In the end he left it to the Tao to handle; for he knew that by opening to the wisdom of the Tao, an opportunity would arise from which they both could grow.
It was late summer when the Tao sent forward them the opportunity. The sage would welcome the opportunity; he understood that his life was alway about new beginnings. I cannot say the same for the Prince who was now resisting any new experiences or any new teachings. He thought because he could see the life in things through his painting, he had reached the ultimate teaching, but that was merely his ego, which had become comfortable with the recognition it was receiving.

This day the prince wanted to go deeper in the forest to paint.
The sage could feel in an inner part of himself that it was not a good idea, for the weather, the heat and the wind were giving him signs that were not positive. He tried to talk the young prince out of going on, what he knew would be foolhardy, but the prince would hear none of it and ordered the sage to come with him.
In the end the sage agreed, 'It would be as it would be," he thought to himself.
They were deep in the woods and the prince was congratulating himself on capturing the essence of the forest in his painting. He had even painted himself into the picture and against the Taoist tradition his portrait took up more than a third of the landscape. His arrogance was getting more and more out of control.

The sage heard a crackling sound and immediately knew that his element, the element of fire was very active. For a moment he drew deep within himself, fearing his own  lack of balance had drawn the fire to them, just like it had done to his parents in the past. He need not have worried. When he went deep within, all he saw was the smiling and proud faces of his parents. He nodded to them and then came back into the outer world. By this time the crackling had become louder and the smell of smoke surrounded them.
He looked to the prince who seemed oblivious to what was happening. He called out to him and got no response. He called louder and still nothing. He struck the young man across the back with his walking stick. The young prince turned with a look of anger on his face, the like of which the sage had never seen. Heng was about to strike the sage when he smelt the smoke and heard the flames which had almost reached them. His anger turned to fear and he started to tremble.

The sage surveyed the area and could see they were surrounded by a ring of fire. They only had seconds to make a decision as the fire rushed towards them.
"Let's make a run for it," said the prince his fears clouding his thinking.
The sage touched him gently on the arm but you would think he had been stuck by a spear; so much energy had been transferred to him. The prince took a deep breath and began to relax. He could still see no way out, but at least he was back in control of his mind.

The sage went deep within and he could see them walking through the fire, not one lick of the flame touching their bodies. The sage knew with his conscious mind it was impossible and his ego was already telling him that he was mad and would die in the flames. He turned to the prince. "We have to close our eyes and walk through the flames. If we align to the element of fire then we will not be killed by it or because of it."
"Your mad," said the prince, "If we close our eyes and walk through the fire we will surely die."

"If you can let go of your fear of death and embrace life. If you can respect the elements and become the element of fire then you will be safe. Trust me."

The young prince did not know what to believe, was this a trick by the sage to punish him or was it a plan that had been hatched by someone who wanted his throne. All manner of thoughts passed through his mind; they were all fears, fear of death, fear of loss and the fear of being burnt. Just as his mind was about to go into overwhelm he took a deep breath and stilled himself for a moment. The sage had never harmed him; in fact everything the sage had done for him had only increased in him the person he was becoming. It wasn't the sage that was trying to trick him, it was his own ego.
He did as the sage suggested. He closed his eyes and imagined becoming one with the element of fire. At first nothing happened, but when he gave thanks to the fire for its teaching everything began to change. He could see himself becoming the fire, not as an intellectual exercise; he could feel the element of fire rising up from within him. He knew in that moment that the fire would not hurt him. With his eyes still closed he reached out and took the hand of the sage and walked into the flames.

He could feel the warmth of the fire brush his face as he moved through the flames. Twenty meters further on and he experienced a whisp of cooler air caress his cheeks. He opened his eyes to see they had gone beyond the fire. He looked down at his clothes and apart from one small burnt patch, neither his clothes or his body had been burnt in the fire.

He looked into the eyes of the sage, "I am sorry that I let my ego take control of me. I had forgotten for a moment that you were a gift from the Tao; a gift that the Tao could have just as easily taken away from me." Heng hugged the old sage. It was the hug of one friend for another; they had become for the first time equals. It was a defining moment in the young prince's life; the moment when his ego was no longer in charge. He was now free to become the person he was destined to become.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 23

Chapter 23 - The Cycle of Life

Heng was excited when he arrived at the Sage's house. He wanted to tell him about meeting and studying in the inner worlds with Master Chang, but of course the sage was not there. The young prince was coming from ego and the how special he was, rather than from the spontaneous sense of connection with the Tao.

Heng's ego took it as a personal affront that the sage was not waiting for him when he arrived. In a bluster he walked from the house to the Lake of Li. Surely the sage would be waiting for the prince by the lake. He waived away his royal carriage and took his paint, brushes and canvas to the lake. When he arrived the sage was nowhere to be seen.

Angry, the prince sat on his log waiting impatiently for his teacher to appear. It had only been minutes but in his mind it had seemed like hours. Why was the sage treating a prince in such a way; surely he would have to be punished for his disrespect? The prince was working himself up into such an agitated state, when all of a sudden he saw the sage on a small boat in the middle of the lake.

Heng looked across the lake to the sage and noticed how small he looked in comparison to the Lake and the Forest which surrounded him. It reminded him of what Master Chang had told him about landscape painting, 'No lordly position should be given to humans in a landscape painting, because it is in nature that we find symbolic values and universally harmony. A human is no more important than a blade of grass or a tree, they are only a part of what makes up the Great Tao; so they should never overwhelm the image.'

With the sun shining down on the lake and the sage bobbling on its surface the young prince dropped his anger and looked deeper into the picture before him. Nature had come alive for him. The forest around the lake moved under the influence of the air as it was warmed and moved by the sun. The lake itself never stopped moving and it was teeming with life. At first he watched the fish swimming around the edges and then he could see the wind stirring up the water and creating small waves which were driving the sage's boat forward. The boat was at the mercy of the seasons, but the sage did not seem to mind and reveled in the freedom that nature provided.

Off in the distance Heng looked towards the Great Mountains standing above the Forest of K'an, like sentinels protecting its family underneath. Heng sent his feelings into the mountains and what returned was such a mystical understanding of nature and the millions of years that the mountains had been there. His only reaction was to cry as he was so overwhelmed by the feelings of love which was returned from the mountains. He felt like the mountains were honored by him for painting them.

He reached for a brush and began to paint; his brush flowing in weird lines across the surface of the canvas. Had he set out to copy the vista before him he would have painted a small section at a time, but here he was with longer more flowing brushstrokes which seemed to encompass the whole canvass. His ego wanted to pull back and paint in small sections; it was afraid of the unknown, but the real Heng, the eternal, immortal and infinite being was reveling in the freedom his inner creative self was allowing him. It did not matter what the painting looked like; for it was an expression of his inner self's connection with the Tao of nature. He was not even really look at the painting, but rather allowing the brush to follow the feelings which were coming from deep within.

He had not even noticed that the sage had pulled his boat up onto the bank and was walking towards him, so engrossed was he in the painting.

The sage stood behind Heng and watched as he painted. The young prince was almost in a trance as his brush danced across the canvas in concert with his inner feelings and pictures. It was a beauty to behold; for a moment the sage allowed jealousy to exist in his being; it was only for a moment, as the Sage's ego did not understand that his own creativity had nothing to do with painting, but the ego hates to lose in anything.

Huo waited while the Heng completed his painting. He was immediately struck by the sense of life in the painting. It was a little naive, in technique, when compared to some of the great works had seen on his journey, but Huo could not help but to be drawn into its honesty. The painting was alive with the Tao, the force and beauty of nature showing through in the colors and the brush strokes.

The beauty of the Tao as reflected in the painting sent Huo deeper into himself; so deep that his own creativity came through the words that followed as once again became the teacher. "Watch nature it is your greatest teacher; it moves and flows and moves again. Watch as the seasons change; there is much movement and such a wonderful array of changing colors. To learn about the Tao you need to watch nature. Just as you did with the painting, you need to look below the surface to see what is happening. In winter when everything appears to be stuck and frozen, you only have to look beyond the surface to see the potential of things to come. For it is in the winter that nature readies itself for the spring. Winter may seem harsh but underneath there is much beauty. In the spring when the snow thaws you will begin to see the livingness of things and the abundance of growth. As the season changes to summer we begin to see the harvest and with it the warmth and the summer storms. This in turn gives way to the autumn when what is no longer required falls away ready to begin the cycle again. Nature is your greatest teacher. Because it does not fear death it can be itself in all it's glory, without having to worry about the future.

"Within everything there is a cycle of life. If your life seems to be getting a little stale or you are losing energy over something then return to nature and you will see that nothing ever stays the same. After spending time within nature, many times what was seeming stuck or boring will often seem reenergized. If not then it may be time to walk away, but before doing so, look underneath the surface to find that it is not your ego that is scared to go deeper or you may find yourself always at the beginning."

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 22

Today's chapter is all about creativity; which I believe is the single most important reason we have incarnated into the earthplane at this time. In some of my other blogs I talk about how to create, but I want to talk for a moment about why it is so important.

Each one of us is an individual expression of the God Force and as such it is our role to express that uniqueness in our own special way. Not everyone of us will be artists, writers or inventors, but each one of us has inside ourselves something unique that we need to express. Your challenge is to find that one thing that for you is an expression of your creativity. Don't stop until you find it, it will be worth the journey. Some of us find that early in life and if you were so blessed, good luck to you. For many it will be something that will have expressed itself in our childhood but for many it was crushed by a word or two from people who did not understand our need to create.

For me it has taken many years to discover that I love to tell stories. With the benefit of hindsight it is easy to see what I loved doing, but living through it was more difficult. I wrote my first stories at about about ten and eleven and then I was molested and overnight I became quite dyslexic and for the next twenty years had great difficulty with reading and writing. Don't feel sorry for me because it was this trauma that forced me to be more creative in the way I lived. It forced me to improve as a verbal communicator and the only way I could share informations was through stories or the use of my voice. It was not until my thirties that I could read and thank goodness for computers which have allowed me to write. Even today when I write by hand my brain switches off and I cannot remember what I was trying to say, but with a computer I can write and share my love of the world and my stories.

I hope each and everyone of you can find that within you that creative aspect that is crying out for nurturing. As Joseph Campbell said, "Follow your bliss.'

Chapter  22 - The Gift

"What are you going to create my son?" They were weird words to use, to start one of their teaching sessions. Firstly because it was unusual for anyone other than the Emperor to call Heng, my son and secondly the young man would usually sit and listen to a teaching. This was a change in the dynamic between them.

Heng did not know what to say. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment and then expelled it slowly, allowing the many thoughts in his brain the space to disappear. There when they were all gone, was one thought, or feeling, he was not quite sure which would not fall away. He looked deeper into the thought/feeling only to discover that it was a vision of him painting in the form of the Taoist Artist. He watched his inner self as it sat before nature staring at the mountains in the distance. He sat there, appearing to just be looking, but Heng could feel the inner painter was doing far more than that. As he sat with the feelings he could sense that the inner painter was becoming one with the elements of nature that surrounded him. He had not bothered to pick up his brush because he knew the brush would only be used once he connected with the spirit of nature that sat beautifully before him. Even when he connected with nature he would still not paint, because to paint what he saw was only copying nature and she was much deeper than that. It was only when his own inner truth came forward that he would even bother to pick up his brush and then it could be an hour or more before any paint would touch the canvas and when it did there would a flow about it; there was no hurry, for the artist's truth would show itself in the simplicity and the beauty of the painting his real self created.

He watched in his mind's eye as the future Heng created beautiful landscapes; landscapes which were filled with the essence of the Tao. He went into the mind of the future Heng and he noticed there was great emptiness; not an emptiness from a life not well lived but an emptiness from someone who had learned detachment. The future Heng  was empty because he was open to what life had to offer; he was open to the spontaneity of life.

Heng withdrew from his inner world and turned his attention towards the sage. He was not capable of words and was overcome by the experience. He continued to stare vacantly at the sage in the hope that he could help him.

Huo was surprised that the young prince had been able to go so deep when he asked what he was going to create. The young prince was obviously very in touch with his inner truth and it would be easy to instruct him in the ways of Taoist painting. Huo was not a painter but he understood the Tao; he also understood that the energy from past painters was still available and by learning to model geniuses from the past Heng could not only learn to paint but also learn how to go deep within and see the essence of what he was painting.
"Master how do I go from where I am now to what I saw in my meditation. I can barely hold a brush and at best only copy what I see.

"Heng, just like you were able to go into a meditation and connect with your future self, you are also able to go within and connect with all the great artists. All their genius is still available. When you go back to the palace find a painting that you like, then find out as much as you can about the artist and his techniques. Take time to look into his heart and see what feelings they bring up in you; start to experience what the artist experienced. After you have an understanding of the artist then go into a meditation and ask the artist to share his or her knowledge with you. Then go and find something to paint and allow the inner subtle feelings to be your guide."

"But I can't. I do not have the skills of a master painter."
"Heng that is just your ego speaking. All of us come here to learn how to be creative. It is the greatest gift that we are given by the Tao or the Godforce; the ability to create something unique. It is uncomfortable to go beyond the ego's laziness and fears, but to create you need to discipline yourself and move beyond the ego. If you want to be like the painter you saw in your meditation you must discipline yourself. It will take time and many of your early paintings will just be copies of what you see, but with openness and discipline and trust in the inner self, you will see a spark of your own creativity begin to come alive in the paintings.
"Creativity is not about perfection; creativity is about finding the truth within you. Don't copy what you see - paint the essence - when you model a master don't copy what they did but find the essence that is in you and paint that."
And so the discipline began; each morning in the palace Heng would rise early from his bed and go and sit in front of one of the many beautiful paintings that adorned the palace walls. In the beginning it felt foolish sitting in front of these master paintings, because many times nothing happened, but then one morning in the third week of the discipline he was sure he heard something. It was like a voice other than his was whispering into his ears. He listened very deeply. At first it sounded like the words being transported by water which was distorting what he was hearing. He immediately understood that it was his own ego that was getting in the way, so he closed his eyes and went deep within himself.
In his minds eye a picture began to appear, but it was more than a picture, it was like another world existed in his inner being. There in this other world was Heng and the painter Master Chang. Heng bowed to the Master and said, "Teach me."

Master Chang sat in a lotus position in front of a canvas. Off in the distance were mountains surrounded by valleys filled with forests and a magical lake. When Heng looked deeper he understood that the master had taken him to the Forest of K'an and the lake was the Magical Lake of Li.
For a long time Master Chang sat there enjoying the view of the landscape before him. Then he began to paint. Heng watched as the master's brush almost skipped over the canvas and each brush stroke that was left behind seemed to have a life of its own; each stroke giving life to the landscape that stood before them. Master Chang continued to paint, but then a separate part of him began to communicate with Heng. "The landscape painting is one which evokes a feeling of peace, harmony and a mystical union with nature. The artist is looking to connect with the landscape and allow it to give up some of its secrets, expressing the movement of animals, the majesty of the mountains and the ethereal nature of the water. Great art occurs when the artist is in some way a co-creator of life with the Great Tao. When you are painting become the mountain; send an aspect of yourself in the mountain and become the mountain; feel it's feelings and share its story. Then and only then begin to paint the story; the story that you and the mountain have created together. The key is to allow the inner you the space to create from your own truth. In this was way you create something unique; something that adds to the greatness of the infinite Tao."

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 21

Hello everyone,

We are almost two thirds of the way through the 'Legend of the 33rd Sage and the Way of the Initiate.' I would like to thank a few of my readers who have asked me questions through my facebook page for the 33rd Sage and also through the contact button on my websites. Also I would love to know if people are finding the concept in each chapter easy to understand or would you like more information. I have tried to explain all the concepts through the story while at the same time simplifying them. The road to the Initiate although not easy should not be complex. It starts with a lightness of being, a kindness towards others and the realization that we are all Eternal, Immortal and Infinite. I have been lucky to have some amazing teachers along the way and I hoped that by sharing some of these teachings in a story format that it can resonate deeply within your being. I would recommend that once you have read through all the chapters that you may want to start from the beginning again as it will seem almost like the teachings have change, but the truth is that you have changed. It is the part that I love the most. In my first novel 'The 33rd Sage,' a story about nature and the Elements I cannot count how many times readers said that the story was different each time they read it. Anyway if there is anything you want me to explain further, just leave me a comment.
The comments I have received and will receive will determine where I go with the story in my second, third and future drafts.
Thanks again for reading.
Blessings and Peace and may your life be illuminated.

Chapter  21 - The Sacred Way

"Master," said Heng, "What is it that makes the Lake of Li and the Forest of K'an sacred. When we walk through the forest you walk as if you are in a Pagoda and when  you sit by the lake you do it with such great reverence for its water. It is like you are looking  at a god."

Huo crossed the fingers of both hands over each other and took what could only be described as reverential pose. "My son everything in life is sacred. But to answer your question; we make something sacred by focusing our attention on it. The Lake of Li has been revered for many years by the people and the animals of the forest because it is what has given them life, one generation after another. The monks of my order revere it because for them water is the closest thing they have on earth that is representative of the Tao. Of course the Tao is in everything. It is just that water seems to represent the concepts in many of the Taoist teachings. To make something sacred is to put your focused attention on it."

"But why Master, why do we need to make things sacred?"
That was the second time the young man had called Huo Master. It was a strange way to be addressed by the son of the Emperor; who at any moment could have him thrown him in prison or had him beheaded. Although Huo did not think of such things he understood that life is what it is; there was no bad or good only actions of lesser and greater energy. He took the title of master as a sign of respect from the young man who had changed greatly in their time together. Occasionally when the higher self allowed it he saw picture of the future when the young man would become a mighty leader and loved by all his people. It was still a way off and their was still much he needed to teach him in their time together.
He thought for a while about Heng's question; he knew what he wanted to say but the words were not forthcoming. He stilled himself for a moment and looked within, imagining that the old sage was still teaching him. What would he have said? What words and thoughts would he have to offer.

"Out of sacredness and humility comes gratitude and out of gratitudes comes the keys to the kingdom. For he that is grateful more will be given," were the words that fell from his lips.

The young man understood; the words passed his intellectual mind and touched him deeply in his heart. As the student he had made these teachings sacred. Before coming to the Forest of K'an, each month, to learn and listen to the teachings by the magical Lake of Li, the young man gave blessings to the Tao for what he was about to receive from the sage. When he first came he was the son of the Emperor, but now he saw himself as the student of a wise man. By treating every action and word that the sage had shared with him as sacred, he gave it power and it enlightened his own life when he came back into the palace. There was not a day that went by when one of the teachings would not come to help him in his daily life. He originally came to the forest to please his father, but now he was beginning to understand why his father wanted him to spend a week a month outside the luxury of the palace; it was not to toughen him up for the future that was to come. It was for him to understand his people and to be a leader who would put his people before himself when he made decisions.

He had been privileged to be born the son of the Emperor but to him that was given much, much was expected. He was humbled before the teachings he was receiving from the sage; humbled and grateful. What he did not expect was the wave of emotions that were now overcoming him. He looked towards his master who just smiled, for he knew what was happening, but he would say nothing as this feeling could only be experienced; there were no words for when one was truly connected to the Tao. In the first instance he knew the young man would be overcome with a wave of emotions, but that would soon change and more would be given; for the young man understood that sacredness was the way to the Tao.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 20

Chapter  20 - Wu Wei

"Today my prince we are going to talk about Wu Wei or as some would call it the Action of non-action. Wu Wei is a simple state of being in which your actions are quite effortless and are aligned to flow of the elemental cycles in nature. It is about going with the flow; so that without even trying, you are able to respond to whatever situations you find yourself in.

"Lao Tzu through the Tao Te Ching introduced us to his ideal of the enlightened leader, who, by embodying the principles of Wu Wei, is able to rule in a way that creates happiness and prosperity for his country's inhabitants. That is one of the reasons your father the Emperor sent you to me, so that one day when you are the Emperor that you can be an enlightened leader."

"But what of you sage, you understand these teachings and yet you are not a leader but have chosen to live in the forest?"
"That is a good question, but there is more than one way to practice Wu Wei. Because of who you chose to be born to you chose life one way and I chose another. I have chosen to withdraw from society to live the life of a hermit, wandering through the meadows and forests, meditating and learning the ways of nature so that I can have deeper understanding of the Tao.

"Lao Tzu called the practice of Wu Wei as the highest form of Virtue. It is a practice that is not premeditated, but arises spontaneously. In verse 38 of the Tao Te Ching he tells us:
'The highest virtue is to act without a sense of self
The highest kindness is to give without a condition
The highest justice is to see without a preference'

'When Tao is lost one must learn the rules of Virtue
When virtue is lost, the rules of Kindness
When kindness is lost, the rules of Justice
When justice is lost, the rules of Conduct'
(Translated by Jonathan Star)

"As you find your alignment with the Tao, with the rhythms of the elements inside and outside of yourself, your actions will quite naturally be of the highest benefit of all concerned. You will have become the embodiment of Wu Wei, the Action of non-action, as well as Wu Nien, the Thought of non-thought and Wu Hsin, the Mind of non-mind. You will have realized your place in the universe and your connection to the Tao. Knowing this connection, you will offer thoughts, words and actions that do no harm, do not infringe on others and that are spontaneously virtuous."

The young man now understood why the Emperor had made a peace pact with the people's of the north. His father was wiser than he ever gave him credit for. He had listened to the dissenters within the court, who had said he was weak to give into them, but of course none of them had the courage to say these things within earshot of the Emperor.

The young man understood that the Emperor had used to concept of Wu Wei in dealing with his problems. The young prince went deep within himself to see what was the next steep that he should take. In his mind's he saw himself hugging his father, something he had not done of late, now that he was young man. It was something that he would remedy when he arrived back at the palace.

The sage smiled to himself. His own practice of Wu Wei had not only led to the teaching of the Emperor, the Empress and their son, it had also led to a better life for many thousands of people. He gave thanks to the Tao before hugging the young man and sending him back to the palace.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 19

Chapter 19 - The Eternal Power

After twelve months, one full cycle of the seasons, the carriage arrived as normal. The Emperor's son rushed out of the carriage and over to Huo who was waiting outside his house. He went straight to Huo and wrapped his arms around the Sage's neck and gave him a hug. Looking from the carriage the Emperor's wife Empress Li was shocked at the informality.  Stepping down from the carriage she was about to make a comment when she recognized that Huo was the young man who had saved the life of her son years before. Any thought of punishment or reprimand fell away as she knew that her son was in the safest of hands.

The boy rushed into the old house to get his writing implements to start his days study, not even caring to say goodbye to his mother.

Huo smiled and gave a short bow to the Empress.
"It should me bowing to you," she said, "For not only did you save the life of my son Heng, but now you are teaching him things I could only dream about. In the year he has been coming to you he has come back a calmer and kinder person."
"The boy has done all the work himself empress, I have been there only to guide him on his way. He has learnt very quickly to connect with his own inner power and when the day comes he will make a great leader."

The boy returned with his writing implements. "I am ready."
His excitement was palpable, which made the Empress and Huo both laugh.
"Heng, said the Empress, "Go and wait my son the sage will be with you in a moment."

The young boy walked the short distance to the Lake of Li and waited for the sage to appear. While he waited he practiced the martial art techniques that the sage had given him; techniques which were never meant to be used in anger, but techniques which would increase the connection to the boy's inner self and allow the power stored there to come up from within.

While he was waiting Huo and the Empress talked like old friends, discussing the training of her son, matters of the court and the beauty of nature. It was Huo who brought up the beauty of nature because he could see in the Empress a deep sadness and he hoped, looking at and talking about the beauty of the natural world would allow her some beauty in her own life.

The young sage sent a molecule into the Empress, not as an infringement, but to try an understand more about her sadness. He was not going to infringe by asking her directly, but if the beauty of nature allowed a space where she could open up to him then he would help her in anyway he could. He was going to teach her son about using his internal power, so it seemed only natural for the Tao to offer him an opportunity to practice connecting with his own inner power; so that he could speak from a sense of knowing.

When the molecule of feeling returned he could sense that there was trouble with the Emperor. What the trouble was he did not pry further. It was enough that she had difficulty. He turned slightly using only his peripheral vision and he could see that her aura was all over the place and it some areas it looked quite grimy and dark. He immediately sent her energy from within himself; not to fix her problem, but to offer extra energy for a moment to help her deal with it. He understood the wonderful energy of the Tao was not about pushing yourself onto others but allowing them a space to pull them towards you. Although the word pull was not correct; it was more that as your energy grew others were drawn to it.

The Empress sighed very deeply. A sigh so deep that it could be heard and felt by the animals and other beings in the forest. Huo looked around to see energy coming from the trees, plants, animals and unseen beings of the forest into the heart of the Empress.

Huo led the Empress next to an old tree and asked her to sit with her back against it. She gave him a confused look, but trusted him enough to follow his instructions.

The moment her back touched the tree she sensed a rush of energy race through her body and in a few seconds she was calmer and could see more clearly than she had in years.
The sage sat quietly with her as she allowed the tears to escape from her eyes. Next came the sobs as her heart opened to the energy it had received from the Forest of K'an. While her heart was open she could see the problems with the Emperor; they were nothing to do with his love for her which was as strong as ever. The problem lay in the Empire itself, for the Emperor had to decide whether to fight with the people of the north or agree to a peace pact, which would not only see his power diminished, but also cost his people financially.

The sage could see all this. He could also see both futures through his own inner feelings as each future had an energy to it. He sent the light of the Tao from his own heart directly into the heart of the Empress. She experienced another great rush of energy and in that moment she saw the answer to the Emperor's problems. She knew that she could not tell her husband what to do, but a women has ways of influencing that a man will never know. Being closer to the Tao a woman finds it easier to connect with her own inner power, the power to pull to you what you need.

Huo watched as her aura changed from dark and grimy to clear and tighter around her body. She no longer needed the power from him and the forest and these were withdrawn without a change in her energy. Her energy was no longer blocked and she was naturally drawing her energy from that place deep within where it is available for anyone who is open to it.

After a little encouragement from his wife to meditate on his problems the Emperor went within and visualized the problem, only to discover that it was not a problem but a greater opportunity for his people and the generations to come. By not going with the thoughts of the Ego, but by going deep into his inner-self he allowed his higher self to show him the opportunity that lay before him.

History may not be kind to him but his dynasty lasted over a thousand years and his people were well fed and well educated; he made changes only a wise man could have made, for he understood the power of non-action. A power that most men never get to understand, but a power of infinite energy.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/