The Stance of Long Suffering: Part 3

Gonyaul grunted as his muscles quivered with effort. <This leads us to feel called upon to chart a course through the many potential paths. To select from among all possibilities that which we choose to bring into being and then work to actually bring them into being. And we also recognize and treat others like this, that the quality of what is brought into being ... as a consequence ... is directly dependent on the ethical integrity with which we conducted ourselves while making those choices.>

Alwetis did not affirm or denounce anything he had yet said. Instead she tapped him again and he groaned trying to hold the stance. Gonyaul was sweating and noticeably shaking at this point. She was aware that the "stance of long-suffering" was a no-win scenario. It would last until he physically could go no longer; failure was inevitable. <Please explain your last words with an example.>

Gonyaul panted and his voice was wavering as he fought to hold the position with every ounce of his reserve strength. <Like when we can wake up in the middle of the night and berate ourselves for having made a mess of the previous day, week, or month of our lives. Because we understand that we strayed from the appropriate path and we call ourselves out on it.>

Alwetis waited patiently for Gonyaul to sink lower and lower. She kept tapping him as he lost his form and he kept correcting it to the best of his ability. Eventually though no amount of self-correction, to compensate in the correct direction, was possible due to fatigue and lowered further still. His bum was just an inch above the ground before she snapped and released him from his discipline. Every muscle was on fire.

Gonyaul collapsed to the ground gasping. His entire body felt like mush.

Alwetis gave him a few seconds before snapping again. Gonyaul felt like he was crawling through tar as he crawled into a seated meditative position to face the Orohc.

Alwetis smiled. It was a beautiful smile that made Gonyaul return a tired one reflexively. <Dear Gonyaul. You have contributed well to the discourse and I applaud your thoughts. You have a brilliant and creative mind little one; however, until you learn discipline and self-control you will find that those gifts can cause you to deviate from your 'appropriate path' as you stated. Please put more value on these things, practice them well and consistently, and you will find that they will aid you greatly moving forward. In this way kagim will flow through you to improve your spheres of influence.> She paused and then added. <Collect yourself, then make haste and go tend to your chores before your next class session with the others.>

Gonyaul bowed in his seated position. <Thank you very much for the discipline and the lesson.>

Alwetis bowed in return, signed several words of endearment, and then turned to leave. When she was out of sight, Gonyaul collapsed flat on his back; he had been holding the stance for almost half an hour.

As he looked up at the sky peaking through the branches of the emergent and canopy layers, he had a thought pop up in his mind. ~I wonder if I could fly if I had a big enough leaf?~