It had nearly been a week, and Gromar was yet to connect with his Inner Light. Every day, he had routinely made attempts, but alas was met with no success. And so, on the seventh day, he approached Avi whilst the two were out gathering edible plants and berries.
“Avi” he called “why is it that I am still burdened by nightmares, and why is it that the Inner Light still lies out of reach?”
The monk hesitated, taking a momentary respite to collect his thoughts. After pondering on the question, he then took a seat upon a fallen log. After all, although sheltered by the towering forest trees, it was nonetheless a hot afternoon.
“Sit” he replied, gesturing with his hand for Gromar to join him. “Truly, these nightmares you reference are mere obstacles that must be overcome… I know this, for they have obstructed thy meditation on numerous occasions. In such trials, the spirit of evil who manifests himself through visions diverts thee from the Inner light.”
Clearly, his words had proved confusing, as indicated by Gromar’s raised brow. But, in his infinite wisdom, Avi had been prepared for such a bewildered response, and he proceeded to swiftly employ a relevant parable.
“The lotus, you must know, represents purity and cleanliness, for although born amongst the mud, the little flower emerges unsullied by its surrounding. And so, I say to you, my small friend, be like the lotus that is never tainted. Do not run from the nightmares but confront them and allow the Inner Light to guide thee, so that you may bloom out from the darkness.”
“Wait…. Go back to this whole ‘spirit of evil’ thing” Gromar retorted after a momentary pause, “Is that another parable like the lotus? Or… ummm… a real thing within me?”
The seated monk could not help but respond firstly with a chuckle. Then, with a cheerful grin on his face, he appropriately replied with another lesson:
“Yes, it is real. The spirit I speak of hates and envies all that is good, and so it implores to deceive and distract. It whispers deceit, and in instances such as yours, whispers remembrance of what once was… so as to invoke aspirations of revenge and turn thee further from thy Inner Light. But fear not, for this malicious entity exists within all, sparing not even myself. Truly, I have faced this spirit directly”.
Undeniably, the words were true and wise. But for Gromar, they presented what in his heart felt like an impossible reality. Surely, the spirit of evil was once again behind these thoughts and feelings. With such sinister thoughts pervading his mind, the Goblin anxiously jittered his leg.
This Inner Light is supposed to get rid of my nightmares….
This is an impossible task being asked of me. I cannot face those memoires again, they are too raw…. And this whole spirit of evil thing….
Avi noticed this but did not immediately react. Rather, he stroked his long beard and pondered his next action. Like Gromar, he for a brief moment jittered his leg, before grasping his staff and arising. Then, after closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, he relented and spoke the words he knew Gromar had long desired to hear.
‘If it would benefit thee, then I will relinquish my own past and detail how I came to overcome the spirit of evil”.
Avi, you must know, had not always been a Forest brother. Rather, before donning the withered robes often associated with the brotherhood, he had once been a Pharosian slave born amongst the lowest caste. Indeed, for context it ought to be highlighted that Pharo, although purporting the supremacy of Man, was not above subjugating its own kin; with Pharosian society being predicated on a rigid hierarchy prioritizing the ruling nobility and being particularly unforgiving to those entrapped in indentured servitude. Hence, Avi had been condemned to his involuntary service for no reason other than that his parents before him had been ensnared in the vicious system of debt bondage: which, by the time of their deaths, had become his debt to fulfill.
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Accordingly, during his early life he was confined to the estate of a local lord, wherein he was fated to toil the land and soil indefinitely. Expectedly, this period was subsequently marked by suffering and great hardships, with his spirit utterly devoid of hope. And in taking advantage of these perilous circumstances, the spirit of evil found amongst his torment and anguish a sustainable abode.
And so powerful was this insidious spirit hidden within, that one day it compelled him to commit a most evil deed. It was during the night when Avi, overcome by his inner turmoil and appalling circumstances, entered his Master’s luxurious manor with a gardening hoe and struck him down. Then, after fleeing under the guise of darkness into the wilderness, he spent many months living a vagabond existence.
But the Divine Creator must have been guiding each of his steps with purpose, as after a period of aimless wondering, the self-emancipated slave eventually stumbled upon an isolated and humble monastery hidden away from broader civilization. By this point, it should be known that Avi deeply regretted the recourse he had taken, with his evil deed only deepening his anguish. And so, for a whole night, he wept outside their doors, pleading for the mysterious monks hidden within to allow him inside. Eventually, after a week of similar behavior, during which his sincerity was validated, a lone monk existed and reached out a merciful hand.
In seeking to rectify his sin and cast out the evil spirit, Avi became a dutiful and obedient disciple to the monks, who’s tranquil and peaceful existence provided much needed inspiration. For the first time, his soul had experienced compassion, which in turn gave him purpose. But the spirit of evil did not like this, and so it tried to remind him of his years in bandage and attempted more wickedly to justify the murder he had committed.
Yet, having already once fallen for the malicious whispers, Avi sought to never again succumb to its lies. And so, under the tutelage of the small Forest Brother monastery, he strengthened his faith and firmed his resolve dutifully. In aiding their pupil, they taught him of the locus parable and implored him to truly find his Inner Light: as only through doing this would the spirit of evil truly be overpowered. Then, when he deemed himself ready, he left the monks for a short period to connect with the Inner Light and vanquish the ever-lurking evil. Spending a few nights alone in the forests, he meditated ceaselessly until finally confronting his nightmares directly and allowing the Inner Light within to persevere. Indeed, the shadows could not withstand the Light, and for the first time Avi had attained true peace. And upon allowing the inner Light to vanquish his fears, a loud booming voice called out from within.
“Set forth” it decreed authoritatively, “So that the brilliance of thy Inner Light may be like a lantern unto others, for just as the bee dutifully makes honey wherever it goes, likewise the monk dutifully carries out the will of his Divine Creator wherever he goes”.
And so, for many years the newly anointed Forest Brother would heed this decree and, after emerging from the forests, would travel around Pharo, teaching others how to set themselves free via connecting with the Inner Light.
“The Divine Creator dwells not in temples made with hands” he would teach to all that would listen. And just like many other Forest Brother’s, he was be met with great disdain by the established Church: which it must be known held much influence and power within Pharo, with the priestly class being afforded many luxuries and legal loopholes not permitted to others. But the true purpose behind the decree would not become apparent until two decades later when stumbling upon Gromar. This individual, Avi figured, was the reason he had been sent forth as a preacher. Gromar, he had determined, was the individual he was predestined to stumble upon, consol, and teach in accordance with a mysterious divine plan. In his own rationalization, everything had let up to this specific moment in time. All this backstory and more Avi told to his Goblin companion, who could only listen intently. And just like Avi before him, Gromar was reinvigorated and received newfound purpose in this lecture.