by Randal Sloan
The assistant monk bowed to the Master, assistant to master. “It will be so, Master.” Turning to Julie, he said, “I am Master John. Please follow me.” He led her down a path, being careful to not go too fast, noting that Julie sometimes had difficulty navigating her transport. They quickly passed within the trees. The slight breeze made it feel very pleasant. It was like taking a nature walk, but Julie knew this walk was serious.
They soon reached the monk compound, containing a mixture of buildings. Most of them were comparatively large and built of stone. Master John was quick to offer explanation. “This is where you will spend much of your time during the day. The nearest building is used for dining, and the various other buildings nearby are all used in the training of our students: dormitories for the monks, training areas, and the armory. The one at the far end is Admin, where we will go in a few minutes. But first I will show you the rest of the main compound and the cottage where you will be staying with Mama Kash. We won’t go to any of the areas used for training outside the compound, but you should expect to visit many of them during your time here with us.”
Julie knew she was looking around in all directions like a tourist, but she couldn’t help it. She saw a few monks moving about, all of them wearing the robes of their order. Most moved with a purpose and were careful not to stare at her. A few, however, did just that, stopping whatever they were doing to stare at her. From some of them, she felt a definite chill in that stare.
Master John led her down another path, which led away from the compound. Julie could see a number of smaller buildings up ahead. “These are our cottages. They are for the monks and their families that have decided to live permanently on the island, and are contributing at a level to earn that privilege.”
As they came closer, Julie could tell the buildings were constructed from rough lumber and most were really small. Even so, she thought, it wouldn’t be a bad way to live. The path split into two just before they reached the buildings, so John stopped at that point.
“Most cottages are on the path to the left. The path to the right leads to Mama Kash’s cottage where you will be staying. If you continue past her cottage the path turns back toward the compound, and that is where the Master’s cottage and gardens are located. If you stay on that path, eventually you will come back into the compound.”
He led her off the path to an area that appeared to be used for teaching students. A few stones had been arranged there to be used for seating. Choosing one that let him sit but left him close to Julie’s eye level, John gave her a smile and began a lecture tailored just for her. His teaching style was easy to listen to.
“The Master wanted me to give you some information about us. I know that you have been given some of our history or you wouldn’t be here. We are called ‘The Order of the Dark Star’ and we have been in existence for centuries. Although, we are not a religious order, we call ourselves monks since that is the closest in your culture to describe us. Until a number of years ago, we were based in the Tibetan Mountains of China, but our then current Master bought the island and moved us here. As an order, we work towards that which is good and right in the world, and fight that which we consider evil. Obviously both of those are subjective definitions, but I believe you will find our interpretation to agree with yours.
“We don’t consider technology evil, although we don’t use a lot on the island, something some people mistakenly think is the same thing. A lot of our members still speak a Tibetan dialect, but when we moved here, the Master who was then in charge changed our official language to English and started recruiting much more broadly.
“You probably noticed as we passed them, the monks are wearing various color robes and belts. I’m sure that you’ve already figured out what that means. Beginning monk candidates, which is how you are currently considered, wear the white robe and gray belt. You will be expected to wear them everywhere outside of Mama Kash’s cottage. Normally we accept potential candidates every six months, but if we find a strong enough candidate, they can start mid-cycle and go into accelerated training. You are such a candidate, and will therefore work with a very small group of students for most of your training. In your case, that is probably a good thing.
“In a few weeks, we will have the competition for acceptance to full monk status. Monk candidates have to successfully complete a certain level of training to be allowed to compete. You will have to successfully achieve a certain degree of meditation. You also will have to be certified by our weapons master in at least two weapons. If you get to that point, three trials or tests must be completed successfully, all of which will be explained later if you are allowed to attempt them. Any failed test requires a week before it can be retried. Because of the accelerated training, this path is very difficult, but the Master believes you have the capability of completing it.
“If you successfully complete all the requirements and are allowed to compete in the competition, you have to win at least half of your matches with the other beginner monk candidates. At that point you are considered a true monk from then on as long as you maintain our standards. You can be removed, of course, if you don’t maintain those standards, although that has seldom been necessary. The monks you have been seeing who are wearing the brown robes are at that level.
“After the beginner monk trials, the next step is to defeat at least one full monk in competition. Beginning monks wear the grey belts when accepted, but once someone wins in the second competition, they are entitled to wear the red belt. Tassels are added to the belt based on the number the monk is able to defeat. The more the tassels, the higher the monk’s ranking.
“The next level that can be achieved is master level monk, whereby you must defeat at least one master monk or above. Those are the monks who wear the red robes like I am wearing. We don’t add the tassels because there are so few of us that it doesn’t matter. We also are entitled to be addressed as Master except when we are in the presence of Master Kash.
John stopped a minute. “Do you have any questions?” When Julie shook her head, he went on. “There are only two higher levels. Both are very difficult to obtain. To get to the level of high monk, you must complete a difficult task which very few accomplish.”
Julie suspected she knew what the task was to be. She wondered what it used to be before they came to the island. As difficult as she believed the task was now, somehow she suspected it had been much harder in the past.
Unaware of her thoughts, John continued, “To successfully complete the task, you must swim across the channel between the islands. It is very difficult and dangerous, even with all the precautions we take, and it can only be completed at certain times of the year.” He must have seen a reaction in Julie’s eyes, because he stopped.
Julie answered his unspoken question. “I had a vision about that swim as I flew to the island. I don’t know what it means, but I’m somewhat terrified to think it means that I have to attempt it. But please, just continue for now.”
John’s eyes widened at the revelation, but he nodded. “We have only a very few that have reached this level and only three of them are currently on the island. They wear the robes with the deep violet color. As you can see from my robe, I have not yet obtained this level, although I plan to attempt it someday soon.”
He paused a moment, giving her time to consider his words. “Finally to attain the highest level, highest monk, you must defeat the highest monk, currently my Master, and he is the only one at that level. As you know, he wears a black robe. Do you have any questions?”
Julie shook her head. “No, I think I’ve got it.”
“If you do, either myself or any of the higher monks should be able to answer them. Just flag one of us down. But for now, let’s go get you processed, and then you can get settled at Mama Kash’s cottage.”
He retraced their steps along the last path, eventually making it back to the monk compound. There he turned toward the Admin building. They finally arrived at a small sitting area outs
ide the building. Up close Julie could see that the building was made entirely of stone, except for a thatched roof. Master John gave her a thoughtful look. “It’s probably best that you wait here, as I expect there will be some discussion.”
“I understand,” Julie told him. “The Master told me I will cause more than one ripple in the pond.”
“More like giant waves is my expectation. Unfortunately, for the ones here that are nearly sight blind, they do not have enough understanding to prepare.” He smiled at her.
“But I must be about my task. We will talk more in the morning as I will to be your meditation instructor tomorrow. By the way, you should call me Master John when in class but please call me Brother John or just John if we are alone.” John gave her a bow, the bow of proposed friendship, which Julie quickly returned in surprise. Smiling at her reaction, he went into the building.
Julie really liked this monk. She was glad he was going to be one of her instructors. After he entered the building, she waited patiently. While she waited, she tried to remember the feeling she had felt in the little dharma centre. She expected it would be a good start to her coming tasks. She used her perfect, vivid recall to imagine she was once again standing in the carpet of grass, feeling the joys of nature around her. It appeared to work as she felt herself at peace once again.
It was some time before the door opened again, and a very sullen monk came out. He apparently could not see her garden. A pity. “Follow me,” was his only comment, and without waiting on a response, he started away. Since he did not bow or offer any kindness, she gave him nothing in return, nor did she speak.
When the monk realized that she was following without complaint, he launched into a dissertation, his sullen mood etching into his voice. A thick accent just made his demeanor that much worse. “You are a beginner here, no matter what you think you know. You should have left with the helicopter as only one in five pass, and you stand no chance with the group that came in yesterday. You will be lucky if you leave in one piece.”
He led her once again down the path to the cottages, taking the path to the right, continuing until they came to a small cottage. Finally, he attempted to give her a smile. It didn’t improve him much. “You are staying with Elder Kash. She is the mother of the Master and I warn you, she will tolerate little foolishness, so you had better stay on your toes.” He knocked on the door and waited.
Julie was surprised when a teenage girl opened the door, instead of the elderly woman she expected to see. The girl was really pretty, with long black hair that she had tied back. Julie could see a slight resemblance to Master Kash, and she suspected the girl was the Master’s niece that Uncle Ted had told her about. In that case, she was a couple of years younger than Julie, about sixteen. Julie noticed that the girl was in normal clothes instead of a monk-like robe. She suspected that her jeans were knockoff designer jeans.
Julie had carefully stepped off of her transport, so when the monk bowed to the girl, the bow of greeting, Julie was able to bow also. Julie could tell the monk was surprised that she knew the bows, but she remained focused.
Unlike the monk who had led Julie there, the girl spoke with a very clear English accent, although she spoke quite rapidly in her excitement. “You must be Julie. I was told that you would be coming. Elder Kash is my grandmother. I am staying with her for the summer to assist her with her needs. Come in and I will get you settled.” She turned to the monk and gave him a bow of dismissal. “Thank you, Brother Soren. I will handle everything from here.” Returning her bow, the monk left. He still had his sullen look, but at least it was a little improved after the exchange.
Leading Julie across the main room in the cottage, the girl was still quite excited. “I am Loraine. It is a pleasure to meet you. Elder Kash, although all of us who are close to her call her Mama Kash, has been expecting you and has told me much about you.” She started down a hallway and opened the door to one of the rooms. “This is your room. I am right across the hall from you and Mama Kash is in the room at the end of the hall. She is currently resting, but you will be able to see her at dinner, which will be ready in approximately an hour.” With a sparkle of laughter in her eyes, she told Julie, “It will be great to have someone else a little closer to my age staying here. You and I will train together in the mornings along with Mama Kash’s other students, who are all family members of monks living on the island.”
Julie bowed the short bow of acceptance to Loraine. “I will look forward to spending time together with you then. I hope that we can become friends. As you say, there aren’t very many of our age around here.”
Loraine responded with her own appropriate bow, the simple bow of acknowledgement. “I would like that. I really love my grandmother, but it has not been easy having no one to talk with. For now, I am sure you are feeling somewhat jet-lagged, so I suggest you unpack and then rest awhile before dinner.”
Julie laughed. “It won’t take me long to unpack. Most of the room in my back pack is taken up with batteries for my portable VR system. I understand that I will be wearing robes most of the time that I am here.”
Loraine gave her an understanding look. “Yeah, whenever I go outside, that’s what I have to wear too. You get used to it, but it’s nothing like jeans and a t-shirt. Not very feminine either, but that doesn’t matter much around here.” She started toward the door. “I will see you in a little while.”
Looking around the small room, Julie laid out the meager belongings she had brought and the VR equipment. Other than the small bunk-sized bed, the only other piece of furniture was a small chest of drawers under the window that doubled as a bench seat. Because the room was quite small, her transport took up a lot of the available open space. She finally decided to collapse it into storage mode and leave it in the corner of the room. She would try to get by without it as much as possible. She set up the VR system and quickly scanned her messages. Nothing there really required her attention, so she sat on the bench seat, looking out the window, and wondering what she had gotten herself into.
Julie thought that she would get along with Loraine just fine. She wasn’t sure about her grandmother, but she thought she would be ok too. She expected that as an elder, the woman would have to be strong and at times stern. But based on her discussion with Uncle Ted, Julie understood that she had a softer side too. Julie hoped she could get off to a good start with her, and they could have a good relationship.
Julie wondered just how much the Elder Kash knew about her. From Loraine’s comments, it sounded like a lot. Julie wondered how much of that information was from the woman’s second sight. Uncle Ted had explained to Julie that her visions were very strong. Of course, he also called her Mama Kash.
Uncle Ted had talked quite a bit about Mama Kash. Mama Kash had been the one who had arranged the original meeting of Ted and her son, who was a high monk candidate at the time. She must have contacted Julie’s mother to do that. Julie knew Uncle Ted had lived with Mama Kash while he was the staying with the monks, and she had treated him much as she would have an adopted son. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had been friends with her mother too, since she knew that her mother had sometimes worked with others who had the ability to see visions. Somehow her mother had known to send the gold coin.
Julie felt really good about that part of it. Unfortunately, it had been one thing to contemplate from a distance studying with a very exclusive group that might not welcome her, but seeing it all up close, despite her reception from John and the Master, and the easy feeling she got from Loraine, she knew it was going to be an arduous task. She would just have to do her best and be careful. That, and work very, very hard on her control.
#
Deep in thought, Julie was surprised at the passage of time when Loraine knocked on her door. She carefully got to her feet, crossing the small room to open the door.
Loraine bowed to her and said, “Dinner is ready if you will join us. It is but a simple meal, but it suffices for us. I hope it will
be acceptable to you.”
Julie returned her bow with a careful bow of her own, the bow of thankful guest. “I appreciate your hospitality. I’m sure it will be quite acceptable.”
Julie carefully followed Loraine to the eating area. She had decided to go without her transport, and she made it, albeit a little slowly. When they reached the table, they both stopped, waiting beside their chairs in respect for the Elder Kash, so that she could be seated first. It was part of the dinner ritual, but Julie strongly approved of it. She strongly believed that younger people should respect their elders and those in a position of teaching them, something modern society seemed to have lost.
They didn’t have to wait very long. Mama Kash came slowly down the hallway, tapping with her cane as she walked. She moved relatively fast for someone of her age and physical condition. From her uncle, Julie knew that Mama Kash was probably in her nineties. Her face and hands were wrinkled and her gait slow, but Julie felt a strong sense of energy flowing around her and through her. Loraine quickly moved to help her to her seat, her concern for her grandmother obvious. She then indicated a chair to Julie by inclining her head and the two took their seats.
“So you are the one,” Mama Kash said. “Teddy said you were coming, but it is good to meet you. I have only seen you in visions before now. As I knew, the two personalities that make you up are bubbling just beneath the surface when I look at you. We will have to deal with that very soon. And with the fear and anger. But I also see the touch of others in your life, including my precious Teddy.”
Julie thought about the happy memories Uncle Ted had shared about Mama Kash. She could see why he cared so much for her and why they had shown such complex emotions. She smiled, telling her, “Uncle Ted told me quite a lot about you. I think he feels you sort of adopted him, and he still has quite fond memories of living with you in your little cottage in the mountains. He also told me how much he respected you. Even when he was with you all those years ago, you were quite the force to be reckoned with. I know the second sight was very strong in you then, and I suspect it has grown even stronger.”