What is the first truth of this world?

That mind and body are one at the foundation.

And what conclusion can we draw from that?

That they have a common origin point but diverged.

And what can we draw from that?

That all things were one, not just mind and body but all minds and all bodies.

And what can we draw from that?

That the forces of creation, being multiple, could not have been the first beings. There must have been a singular above them and the divergence came before them.

Navigator Kaza nodded. You are progressing fast.

I had a good guiding light to illuminate the foundations for me. I have learned to see my mental body even while awake.

Now a smile appeared on her face she could not suppress. You are beginning to realize the will, just like you realized awareness.

Lirran tried to remember when he had managed to do this before. What do you mean?

His Navigator pointed to the moonlight island in the middle of the bay. When you managed to fall asleep but stay aware, hold yourself actively in that suspension, you realized awareness. Your old master probably never called it that because he didn’t know there was something beyond that. Once you are able to become aware of the mental realm without falling asleep at all, without turning away and leaving the material realm, then your realization of awareness will be complete. Awareness is the basis of all thought and action. Even the lesser thought of animals that are not aware of the self are aware of the world they are acted on by and act on. The beings that are sentient are aware of themselves. The people that are called sages or gurus or mystics are aware of the mental realm and now you are becoming aware of the unity of body and mind at all times. You are applying the rules of the mental realm to the material realm.

Lirran began to understand his own understanding. You talked about the rules we take with use beyond the threshold, what binds us and frees us.

Correct.

And I guess I should be able to apply the rules of the material realm to the mental realm.

The first step to that was your idol. Now we can build on a more active part of it. And action requires will, the second stage of all thought. From will arises direction, motion, all outward aimed things. And because you reached the connection of will and awareness, you are not just aware of your will, but also able to suppress it, split it and reunite it. Right now, it is just your will you can see, soon, you shall see other’s will too.

Predict their movements and read their thoughts?

Predict their movements, yes, insofar as their will is slightly faster than their body, but you need to form a stronger connection to the mental realm first, externalize your awareness so that you can grasp it at any time. Reading their thoughts? I do not know if that is possible, thoughts consist of far more than awareness and will. And you will meet people who have learned how to hide their will, make movements without even being aware of them or perform actions so fast even you won’t be able to react to them in time.

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So, more meditations?

Yes and no. Kaza conjured from her mind that bone and stone tool she used to work shell. You still need to learn. This is a great time to learn the shell script. You will be able to read the writings I have pondered on, but more than that, you will learn to impose meaning on the blankness of the shell.

Lirran did not know what that meant, but he also knew asking was pointless, Navigator Kaza was a Navigator, he was the helmsman. He was to walk the road and learn the lessons himself. I understand, my Navigator.

As for the next step, I want you to answer me this question: What is the difference between darkness and shadow? With these words, the figure of seafoam before him disintegrated into the winds of the bay and Lirran was left alone.

What is the difference between darkness and shadow? Well, a shadow is a thing cast by a light. But the darkness is banished by the light.

Lirran imagined a candle in a dark room dancing in the breeze before him. Its soft glow touched the floor and faded into the darkness of the room, but he cast from him a shadow.

A shadow has a shape, dependent on the object casting it, with hard lines. But the darkness is formless, a constant gradient that fades from the light. But both are absence of light.

Lirran had to think for a moment and imagine his candle a little more.

Are they? If a shadow is a shape, but the darkness is shapeless, then a shadow cannot exist without a light casting it. But the darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. Therefore... all light must bring with it shadow. Can a light not eradicate a shadow? Not the shadow it itself casts, it is hidden by the object.

Lirran observed his imagined candle some more. It danced left and right in a breeze, so the shadow he cast danced right and left.

A single light cannot extinguish a shadow, only create it. You need two lights, but even then, the shadow is only weakened, another weakened shadow is cast. Two weak shadows or one strong one. If both shadow and darkness are absence of light, then the difference cannot be one of substance but one of shape. If every shadow has a shape, can shapeless things cast shadows?

Lirran thought of his own shadow he cast in the light of the candle. It had a head and shoulders and even a chest. When he moved, it moved; but it also moved when the light moved.

Does the mind have a shape? Mind and body are one and the body has a shape. Does the mind have the shape of the body? My mental image has the shape of my body, but Kaza’s doesn’t. The mind must have a shape, it has an end, therefore it has a border, therefore it has a hard line. Mind and body are only one at the foundation. So whatever this foundation is must have a shadow. What is that shadow? The shadow of the foundation. What darkness does it hold? Does the darkness hold all shadows or none? It could be hiding any number of shapes or none. A shadow cannot exist without light and something to be its shape. Therefore, a shadow is a borrowed shape, an imitation of something real.

Lirran felt as if he was getting closer to something.

Does the world have a shape? Then it has a shadow? Or as many shadows as there are lights. Therefore, shadows of this world exist. Do the forces of creation have a shape? What do their shadows do? What casts the light upon them?

In his imagination, Lirran looked back, his shadow stretched far into the fading light like a breach, eventually merging with the darkness.

The darkness will always have an ingress into me through the pathway that is my shadow. I can never be as aware of my shadow as I am aware of my light. The light can drive away the dark, but it can never extinguish my shadow completely. I must take care.

He felt as if he was turning in circles. A pressing feeling came down upon his awareness.

What is the shadow of the world? What are the shadows of the forces of creation? The shadows of the gods?

And uneasy feeling rose in Lirran. He felt as if he was not yet ready to ponder on such questions, in his mind, he saw himself faced with an abyss yawning before him and the bridge across was still missing enough boards for him to make it across. He shook those thoughts away. I am being attracted to the dark again before I can shine a light strong enough. And even one light will not be enough. I am still reliant on my Navigator, for her I must find out how to wield this light.

But no matter how much he tried to let go of the enticement of dark, it remained. He had dared to turn his mind to shadows so large they were indistinguishable from the whole darkness itself, now those shadows had found purchase, a reflection of their shape in his mind, like an attacker reflects in the eyes of its prey just as it is about to strike.