***

Kunkhen heard Karma Wangmo’s congratulation. Before thinking anything about what she said, Kunkhen immediately searched for her. A deep sense of satisfaction and gratitude ran through his body as he did. After all, all of this, all of the progress he felt like he was having, the knowledge he was gaining, was because of her. As he reflected on the kindness of Karma Wangmo, he remembered something that he had promised himself to do.

Kunkhen quickly turned towards Karma Wangmo, or at least the her that was in the turquoise stone, and bowed. The bow was not too deep nor too straight, but it felt just right to Kunkhen. “Thank you. Thank you very much, Karma Wangmo. I realise that I haven’t said these words nearly enough to you. I haven’t shown you any gratitude for all your help and support. We could be called strangers but you have saved me from peril, time and time again. All this kindness, I will etch it in my heart. I have nothing to offer now and I am weak and powerless but I will surely repay this gratitude. This is my promise.”

Kunkhen felt a strange sort of nervousness dawn upon him as he spoke. And as he promised, his heart tightened a little, like a string binding around his heart. This was the second time he felt this way, a promise he felt he had to keep no matter what.

A moment of silence dawned after Kunkhen spoke. Right as the silence became tense, Karma Wangmo pierced through it as she softly said. “Kunkhen…I accept your thanks but know that we are not strangers. One way and the other, I know you and you have known me. Also, I am grateful that you have promised to help me but know this even more, a Turner, a Great Law practitioner should never promise lightly. Promises are sacred rituals, rituals of agreement that the Great Law oversees. That’s why, whether they be for good ends or not, promises need to be upheld once they are made. And for Turners, who are closer to the Great Law than regular mortals, a promise broken is disrespect of the highest order, one that has high consequences. That’s why, Kunkhen, you should never make a promise lightly.”

Kunkhen, who had straightened himself from his bow, listened carefully as Karma Wangmo spoke. He could feel lots of different emotions colouring her voice as she spoke and there were many details in her speech that made him curious. Kunkhen wanted to ask, he wanted to ask what she meant by saying that they were not strangers, and that they had known each other. He wanted to ask how that could be possible. But most of all, he wanted to ask why she had such a regretful tone while she said those words. But Kunkhen stopped himself. As much as he wanted to know the answers to these questions, this was not the time. And even if he asked, something told him that Karma Wangmo wouldn’t reply properly.

After suppressing his initial burst of curiosities, Kunkhen proceeded as normally as he could as he said. “ Promises are not to be made lightly, I think I understand that. I felt it, you see, a tightening around my heart once I gave my word. I know that’s the weight of the promise I made. I felt that, I still feel it now, in my heart. But I haven’t given that promise lightly. Even if time rewinds itself or the Great Law offers me a chance to rescind my promise, I would still promise you, all the same, to repay this gratitude. And if anything, the weight of this promise has made it all the more sacred. So please don’t worry. ”

After hearing Kunkhen’s resolution, Karma Wangmo took a deep sigh before she very softly said. “ I see…”A brief moment of silence followed. Kunkhen waited, wondering if Karma Wangmo would speak more. But when it became clear that she had no more to say, Kunkhen cleared his throat, trying to ease into the quietness and asked.

“ In any case, I have another question.You said that I have reached some stage now.…Dhang-rlung stage, was it?…As in First-rlung?…May you explain what that means? ” “Of course, I will. But first, you tell me. What did you do or what did you plan to do when you started turning? What changes do you see inside of you now?” Karma Wangmo responded without any hesitation. Kunkhen thought for a moment thinking how he could answer this. He also wasn’t entirely sure why he did what he did but nonetheless, he tried explaining.

“ When you were telling me about the mysteries of Great Law and how that ties into the practice of turning, I had a sudden realisation about the Great Law. I don’t think it’s a profound insight by any means, but in that very moment, I felt as if I was struck by lightning. I started to meditate on that insight and started turning. I kept repeating in mind the quote that sparked my understanding and kept Turning. I don’t know why I did that but it just felt right, maybe it was the Great Law guiding me, maybe some other reason but it felt like my body knew what to do even if my mind didn’t.

“ I am not sure if I am making any sense but that is what it was really like. And as I kept turning, my core rotated faster and faster but it also started to hurt. It felt like the pain you get when you are running at your limit, but magnified tremendously. It was painful, very painful. But I heard your voice in my head, you told me to keep turning and so I did.

“The entire thing felt like a musical piece, you know, like when a music approaches a climactic crescendo, that’s what it was like, only it was the music of pain and turning. But as soon as I broke through that crescendo, it was like I had received a second wind in Turning, like I had hit a runner’s high. The pain subsided and my body felt rejuvenated. And now, I can feel my core with much more clarity. My core has become light black and greyish in its colour. And it rotates much faster than before, so I can turn a lot faster. I also feel that the energy it holds has increased. I feel like that power is calling on me to use it. I also feel like my body has become stronger and more powerful. I don’t know. That’s my experience. ”

“Very astute observation.” Karma Wangmo quickly added as Kunkhen finished his explanation. “ It is nice to explain to someone who is so keen and can observe to such a high level. This makes it easy for me. Alright, as you noticed. You made what Turners call a Breakthrough. In the art of Turning and in the practice of Great Law, there are as many paths and routes and specialisations as there are stars under governance of the great Law. You will see that for yourself as you progress in your practice.

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“But remember, mastery of Rlung still remains the backbone of every path that you choose. Therefore every Turner starts with Rlung practice and keeps at it. As I have said, Rlung energy is the most versatile, most universal and most friendly of all three energies. And there are 10 known stages of Rlung Mastery. Some call them the 10 foundations of Rlung Practice. Everyone, whether they know it or not, has been at stage zero. That is the stage you were at earlier, at this stage you are unconsciously turning whether you know it or not, but you won’t be able to use the rlung energy that you are turning for anything other than basic sustenance of your body. In that stage, your core is Dark black in colour, because of the impurities of your body and spirit, and it rotates slowly.

“But some people, either by luck, guidance or lineage, manage to pass from that zeroth stage to the first stage. This first one, the starting stage, the ground stage is called Dhang-rlung. It literally means the first-rlung or the principle-rlung. That is where a Turner starts their real journey. As you noticed, your core gets lighter with each stage you process. But it also gets faster, and denser. And you can start using the rlung energy to manifest and manipulate in the outside world. For that reason, your body also becomes stronger in order to withstand the pressures of the increasing energies. After Dhang-rlung, you have 9 more stages but each stage has 3 sub-stages of breakthrough. These sub-stages progress as Mha-rig, Kyil-rig, and Tho-rig, meaning Low-grade, Middle-Grade, and High-Grade.

“Each breakthrough comes with training, practice, insight, environmental influence, external blessings, natural sources of Principle Energies and elements, and so on. The one you had right now was driven by a singular insight. But insight comes few and far between and insights are never extracted by oneself alone. But then it also depends on the capability of a Turner to understand the insights; someone’s insight might just be useless garbage to another But nonetheless, Turners frequently battle for insights and methods from great Turners from the past, and for resources and so on. So you have to prepare your heart and harden your will because struggle and bloodshed are some of the things that are ever-present in a turner’s life.

Kunkhen listened intently to the exposition that Karma Wangmo gave. A smile of willfulness and excitement increasingly grew on his face. A visage of excitement, hope and expectations was plastered on his face. It was really as he thought. He really had made some breakthrough. Now he can really start Turning and doing the magical arts. He might be able to start manipulating elements. And so Kunkhen asked, excitedly “You mentioned 9 more stages after Dhang-rlung. Can I know what they are?”

“A little expectant, are we?” Karma Wangmo lightly jabbed at Kunkhen. Kunkhen smiled and turned his head in an embarrassed way. “But it’s good. As they say, a vision for far guides your actions for near. So it’s good if you are aware of the heights of the Turning practice but you must also remember to not let that excitement or despair - because some are driven to despair as well- muddle your determination in the here and now. I hope you keep that in mind.

“Now to your question, the 10 stages of Rlung mastery are Dhang-rlung(first-rlung), Lhu-rlung( Naga’s-rlung), Sey-rlung (Prince’s-rlung), Gyal-rlung(King’s-rlung), Sar-rlung (New-rlung), Lha-rlung (god’s rlung), Jhang-rlung( Bodhi-rlung), Gye-rlung (Complete-rlung), and finally, Kunkhen-rlung( All-knowing rlung)” The world rumbled gently as the final Rlung stage was announced by Karma Wangmo.

“And that’s the 10 stages of rlung mastery. Although the 10 stages are known, Turners in the last two stages are very few to be found. In the world of High-Earth, there are not many known and recorded Turners in the Gye-rlung and Lha-rlung, only some with legendary and mythical stature. Each stage of progression is much harder than the last. It is not known what stages lie beyond the 10th one. What happens to that Turner who goes beyond? We don’t know. But if you keep true to cultivating in the mystical arts of Great Law, who knows, you might be able to touch the pinnacle of Turning. ” Karma Wangmo ended her explanation with an open question.

Kunkhen looked at her. He was still processing all the things he had just heard. It was a lot. Different strands of thoughts were running through his mind. But something was strange, strange enough that even Kunkhen didn’t notice it himself. It was the fact that he, as Kunkhen, a boy who had lived in a very normal world for a very long time, seemed to be adjusting to the life of magic and mystery, maybe a bit too fast. But Kunkhen himself didn’t notice this. He was just swept away in excitement and determination.

Quickly, Kunkhen said “ I have many more questions to ask, but I think we should leave this Dark Prison first. We have been here for a long time and many things have happened. I still have many questions to ask and answers that I need. But I need to see my parents again. I need to talk to them.”

He then said, “ Do you know how we can leave this place? ” Karma Wangmo responded “ Yes, I do but I won’t be able to lead us out of here. That is something which you will have to do for us.” Kunkhen responded in a polite tone. “ But I am afraid I don’t know how to do it. ” “That is fine. I will help you.”

Kunkhen stood silently as he heard what Karma Wangmo said. He wondered internally as to the reason why Karma Wangmo didn’t break him out of this world on her own. ‘Maybe this is a test for me, a trial,’ Kunkhen thought, as he inquired about the designs behind Karma Wangmo’s words. What Kunkhen didn’t realise about himself was how easily he wore this thought on his face, something that Karma Wangmo noticed and so she said. “ Are you wondering why I tasked you to lead us out of here, and why I didn’t just do it myself?”

Kunkhen quickly steadied himself as he heard Karma Wangmo calling him out. He said “I am sorry. Please don’t take this the wrong way. I will do what I can and what I must, of every word you say. I am just curious for the reason behind your decision. I wonder if this is a trial for me, to test me in ways that I don’t fully understand. After all, I can’t think of anything that I can do that would help us out of this. This is what I was thinking.”

“It’s alright. You don’t need to apologise. I understand your concerns. But no, I didn’t ask you to do this as a test. Though in some ways, it is a trial but not one I am setting for you. I am afraid but I really can’t break out of this world by myself, at least in the form I am now, I am not able to do so. I am still recovering and I need to save every energy I can. So you will have to break us out of here. Of course, I will help you do it but the last step, you will have to make it by yourself. Do you understand?”

Kunkhen understood what she meant to say. So he closed his eyes, and took a long and deep breath, hardening his will, before opening them back. “ I understand.” Kunkhen said, his determination resonating in his voice.