There was no body. There was no mind. Not even a soul or a spirit. There was only emptiness. Ever encompassing. It permeated the world. The wind in the willows. The snake slithering in the thicket. The flower growing in the crevice. Though varied in form and expression, these overt manifestations were empty. This emptiness was difficult to grasp because it was not an idea. It was not a feeling either. It just was.

Such thoughts swirled in Lou’s mind as he sat cross-legged on his meditation mat, perched on the cliffs of the Hawk’s Nest, where the monastery overlooked the range of the Great Eastern Mountains.

He tried not to become attached to his thoughts. For his thoughts did not exist either. They were but impermanent clusters of meaning that he could use if needed. But he understood that thoughts could also gain control of us by giving us the illusions of our body, our mind, and our soul. None of which were real in the sense of the word. Magical illusion was a better term- itself a concept and therefore unreal.

The soft sound of the bowl being struck entered his awareness. He brought himself from the depths of the meditation and heard brother Jao’s voice.

“Young Lou- The Oracle wishes to speak with you.”

Lou opened his eyes and stared across the sky, where the clouds rolled across the valley in wispy tendrils, and the mighty river flowed into the bright horizon.

A butterfly came fluttering over the cliff and landed on the single flower that grew between the rocks.

“You will do us proud and represent our order to the best of your capacity,” the Keeper of the Keys said, his hands on Lou’s shoulders.

A carriage had arrived to take Lou away from the place he had called home for nearly ten years. As an apprentice, he began with menial tasks around the monastery, but soon, through hard work and diligent study, he had excelled above all other apprentices and rose to the rank of guardian invictus- sworn to protect all beings from the harms of ignorance and illusion.

As custom had it, once a student had completed his studies, he could then proceed to enter the last steps towards Magistry. To reach this stage, a student needed to come under the guidance of a magister, who would teach the student not only administrative knowledge but also how to transcend to the higher realms of awareness. Magisters were notoriously choosy, and for this reason, most students never reached this stage. Those who reached this status had to wait until middle age, when years of study and contemplation were said to be in harmonious balance. So, imagine young Lou’s surprise when he heard the oracle’s words.

You will travel to the Yellow Tower beside the Sea of Peace. There you will complete the last stages of your transcendence under the guidance of a magister. This is what I see.

So, as surely as the seasons turn, the time had come for the student to depart and become a magister.

“I will miss you, Dan’da,” Lou said to the Keeper of the Keys, calling him by his affectionate nickname- wise owl.

“Come now,” said the old man. “We must not become attached to emotions and feelings. They cause turmoil and confusion in the mind. Never forget. That’s the key. You carry it in your own mind.”

“But mind is only an illusion, Keeper.”

The old man laughed. “Go now, clever pants.”

Lou nodded and bowing to the Keeper, he climbed the carriage and was soon traveling down the mountain path towards his new destiny on the Yellow Tower beside the Sea of Peace.

The light of the moon shimmered on the water below. Other lights shimmered too. On the bay, on the mountains, on the sky beyond the great bridge.

“So you’ve never ridden a hover-craft before?” said the shuttle driver.

“No,” said Lou. “This is the first time I visit the city.”

“Ah man!” the driver said laughing and slapping the navigation board. “You’re gonna have a good time in this city! You’re a good looking guy and your accent is awesome. Chicks dig that. You’ll have to lose the robes though and get a new set of clothes. You’ll be smack in the middle of downtown, so you'll have no problems finding some good stores. What a lucky fella! Just look at all those towers! O yass! Welcome to Neo-Victoria, son! Number one city in the world!”

Lou looked out the window at the tall towers looming above him. They shone bright and yellow as they rose towards the flickering cityscape. Gone were the sounds of gurgling streams, replaced by beeping cars, and the hypnotizing hum of crowds. The vibrant colors of the flowers were a distant memory in the glare of artificial lights and flashing images. No more fluttering butterflies either, only a steady stream of hover-crafts and drones. And in the myriad scents of the city, gone was the fresh mountain air.

Every sense organ was stimulated and aroused.

A soft smile crossed his lips.

Back up in the mountain, the world of illusion was just another abstraction. Not real. Sure, you could tangle yourself up in knots about what was and wasn’t illusory. Draw ever more complex theories and systems. But to be thrown into this maelstrom of the senses was another matter. This world of illusion could have very real consequences. It was tangible like a second skin. Dangerous. One could not imagine or wish it away. Keep it at bay with abstractions and mediation. It was an overwhelming sensual storm, and he was now smack in the middle of it.

Image by @litguru