It was hard for him to tell how many hours had passed since the incident at the library, but his ego still felt the sting as vibrantly as if it were mere moments ago. The anger remained, accompanied with thoughts about what he could have done differently. In some ways, he wish he had blown up and wrecked the library or fought or something...His cheek had only recently stopped bleeding, as it turned out the edge of the book that was thrown at his face dug deeper than he had thought. Not to mention that he now knew he couldn't go back to the library, his favorite place, because of some girl who claimed to be adopted by some soul eating beast. No...Because of himself, he should have minded his own business, and never gotten involved in the first place.
He had spent a majority of the evening laying on his rooftop, looking at the clouds as they would roll by across the blue sky. Though, once the sun had begun to set he knew it was time to go seek out his Granduncle once more. That would be the highlight of the youth's terrible day. For Tensai, there was very little else in the world that could uplift his mood like learning about a truly interesting topic. In his earlier slump, the boy hadn't given himself the opportunity to contemplate the depths of the Svadhishthana Chakra. As such, he had begun working it out while he lost himself in the clouds, and would continue to do so on the way to the old man's shack.
"Well, the Svadhishthana Chakra, from what I've worked out-" He would begin, sitting across from the old man within what might be considered his new sanctuary. "Is that the connection between itself and the water element, if I'm not overreaching, is that it's the basis for human existence. In the same way that we wouldn't exist without water, our feelings and desires separate us from that which is not human. It's the same Chakra that gives us a sense of self, ambition, creativity...I'd like to think it's what gives us the motivation to move forward, or do anything at all. What makes a person feel the need to accomplish anything at all, because of that want we have within us for whatever it is we want or don't want. It's the reason why we might want to make someone proud, or the reason we love and hate."
"With it being linked with the sense of touch, that further shows a form of connecting, and feeling in not just the emotional sense, but down to the very literal meaning of the word. Like the waves of the ocean, it's what gives us that 'ebb and flow', the fluidity of life. I think when channeled correctly, it can help one us to overcome the patterns of our unconscious mind...I think it's safe to say, that without it, not even imagination would exist. You wouldn't even want food, because the desire for self-preservation wouldn't even exist." As the boy spoke, he seemed to look at the ground and think over each word, still working it all out in his head. He didn't seem particularly sure, but went along with what he was feeling was right...Thus, in a sense, already letting his Svadhisthana guide him in that very same instant. The old man remained silent for a while, nodding and then smiled. "You're well on your way pup, and to be honest I can't say I expected you to understand the concepts so quickly. By now I should know better than to underestimate that little brain of your's when it comes to figuring things out." The old man seemed quite pleased with the overall situation, laughing heartily before taking a shot of rum.
They'd go over a a few more details about the Svadishthana, and while there were was a wealth of knowledge to go over for every single Chakra, the old man was simply there to teach Tensai the basics of each. Moving on to the third, he cleared his throat and snapped his fingers to make sure all attention was sent his way. "The Manipura is our third Chakra, Manipura roughly means 'City of the Jewel' or "Lustrous Gem'. The orientation of this energy is based upon self-definition, with its primary purpose being that of transformation. Closely associated with energy, activity, individuation, will, self-esteem, proactivity, and power. Think of choice, action, vitality...Its element is fire. It's basic right is that of being able to act, and being able to stay true to yourself." Giving a short pause, the old man busied himself with a globe nearby, lightly spinning it and looking at the miniature world with intrigue.
"The color that represents this is yellow. In an environment that narrowly defines behavior patterns, one's right to act will be impaired through fear of punishment and the enforcement of blind obedience. Most people follow in the footsteps of others, too afraid to innovate, too afraid to be free. When the right to act is restricted, will and spontaneity go with it and our vitality will likewise diminish. This doesn't mean that the Manipura profits from senseless acts, but that we need freedom to develop our inner authority. A conscience of our own, thus the Manipura is bound to freedom. This is the flame in your gut that challenges obstacles, and battles against fear." With that being said, the old man would rise to his feet and walk over towards the fireplace, stoking the flames calmly...Watching the embers flutter about before dissipating into the air.
"The Manipura is what helps us to realize that we are separate entities, with the power to choose our own actions and accept the consequences that come with them. This is the ego identity. We are what we do. When we do something right or achieve some great feat, we feel good about ourselves. When we make mistakes or fail, then we feel negatively about ourselves. We feel that what we do is a statement about who we are as a whole, and I believe that to be quite true on numerous levels. This ego identity emerges from both the emotional and physical aspects of ourselves, the inner executive, as it executes our intentions. Most often it is this identity that is in charge, but we must never forget, that it is only a middle-man." Suddenly, the old man would cough a few times. Each cough sounded quite harsh, and drew Tensai's attention away from scribbling his notes. All he could see was the old man's back, and he knew that his Granduncle wouldn't want to be shown any excessive concern or pity. Frowning a little, Tensai worried about the old man's health but carried on...
The average youth would have wondered what use all this seemingly purely philosophical information had, but Tensai felt that it was right. He knew deep within himself that everything he learned from this old man would play a big role in his life, even if he didn't know exactly how just yet. Tensai parted his lips to speak, as he felt a few questions had been left unanswerd, but without turning around or waiting to for the boy's words the old man would respond. "Old age really is getting the better of me it seems, but you're ever aware of the details, what details are there and which ones are missing...The location of the Manipura is the Solar Plexus. The sense of sight rules this Chakra, and the force created by it is that of combustion." The boy smiled, completely surprised and impressed at the old man's ability to predict his words in advance, and answer appropriately. As the night carried on, he would bury the memory of the traumatic library experience, and look to move forward. All this knowledge had a purpose, and he would find it one day.
He had spent a majority of the evening laying on his rooftop, looking at the clouds as they would roll by across the blue sky. Though, once the sun had begun to set he knew it was time to go seek out his Granduncle once more. That would be the highlight of the youth's terrible day. For Tensai, there was very little else in the world that could uplift his mood like learning about a truly interesting topic. In his earlier slump, the boy hadn't given himself the opportunity to contemplate the depths of the Svadhishthana Chakra. As such, he had begun working it out while he lost himself in the clouds, and would continue to do so on the way to the old man's shack.
"Well, the Svadhishthana Chakra, from what I've worked out-" He would begin, sitting across from the old man within what might be considered his new sanctuary. "Is that the connection between itself and the water element, if I'm not overreaching, is that it's the basis for human existence. In the same way that we wouldn't exist without water, our feelings and desires separate us from that which is not human. It's the same Chakra that gives us a sense of self, ambition, creativity...I'd like to think it's what gives us the motivation to move forward, or do anything at all. What makes a person feel the need to accomplish anything at all, because of that want we have within us for whatever it is we want or don't want. It's the reason why we might want to make someone proud, or the reason we love and hate."
"With it being linked with the sense of touch, that further shows a form of connecting, and feeling in not just the emotional sense, but down to the very literal meaning of the word. Like the waves of the ocean, it's what gives us that 'ebb and flow', the fluidity of life. I think when channeled correctly, it can help one us to overcome the patterns of our unconscious mind...I think it's safe to say, that without it, not even imagination would exist. You wouldn't even want food, because the desire for self-preservation wouldn't even exist." As the boy spoke, he seemed to look at the ground and think over each word, still working it all out in his head. He didn't seem particularly sure, but went along with what he was feeling was right...Thus, in a sense, already letting his Svadhisthana guide him in that very same instant. The old man remained silent for a while, nodding and then smiled. "You're well on your way pup, and to be honest I can't say I expected you to understand the concepts so quickly. By now I should know better than to underestimate that little brain of your's when it comes to figuring things out." The old man seemed quite pleased with the overall situation, laughing heartily before taking a shot of rum.
They'd go over a a few more details about the Svadishthana, and while there were was a wealth of knowledge to go over for every single Chakra, the old man was simply there to teach Tensai the basics of each. Moving on to the third, he cleared his throat and snapped his fingers to make sure all attention was sent his way. "The Manipura is our third Chakra, Manipura roughly means 'City of the Jewel' or "Lustrous Gem'. The orientation of this energy is based upon self-definition, with its primary purpose being that of transformation. Closely associated with energy, activity, individuation, will, self-esteem, proactivity, and power. Think of choice, action, vitality...Its element is fire. It's basic right is that of being able to act, and being able to stay true to yourself." Giving a short pause, the old man busied himself with a globe nearby, lightly spinning it and looking at the miniature world with intrigue.
"The color that represents this is yellow. In an environment that narrowly defines behavior patterns, one's right to act will be impaired through fear of punishment and the enforcement of blind obedience. Most people follow in the footsteps of others, too afraid to innovate, too afraid to be free. When the right to act is restricted, will and spontaneity go with it and our vitality will likewise diminish. This doesn't mean that the Manipura profits from senseless acts, but that we need freedom to develop our inner authority. A conscience of our own, thus the Manipura is bound to freedom. This is the flame in your gut that challenges obstacles, and battles against fear." With that being said, the old man would rise to his feet and walk over towards the fireplace, stoking the flames calmly...Watching the embers flutter about before dissipating into the air.
"The Manipura is what helps us to realize that we are separate entities, with the power to choose our own actions and accept the consequences that come with them. This is the ego identity. We are what we do. When we do something right or achieve some great feat, we feel good about ourselves. When we make mistakes or fail, then we feel negatively about ourselves. We feel that what we do is a statement about who we are as a whole, and I believe that to be quite true on numerous levels. This ego identity emerges from both the emotional and physical aspects of ourselves, the inner executive, as it executes our intentions. Most often it is this identity that is in charge, but we must never forget, that it is only a middle-man." Suddenly, the old man would cough a few times. Each cough sounded quite harsh, and drew Tensai's attention away from scribbling his notes. All he could see was the old man's back, and he knew that his Granduncle wouldn't want to be shown any excessive concern or pity. Frowning a little, Tensai worried about the old man's health but carried on...
The average youth would have wondered what use all this seemingly purely philosophical information had, but Tensai felt that it was right. He knew deep within himself that everything he learned from this old man would play a big role in his life, even if he didn't know exactly how just yet. Tensai parted his lips to speak, as he felt a few questions had been left unanswerd, but without turning around or waiting to for the boy's words the old man would respond. "Old age really is getting the better of me it seems, but you're ever aware of the details, what details are there and which ones are missing...The location of the Manipura is the Solar Plexus. The sense of sight rules this Chakra, and the force created by it is that of combustion." The boy smiled, completely surprised and impressed at the old man's ability to predict his words in advance, and answer appropriately. As the night carried on, he would bury the memory of the traumatic library experience, and look to move forward. All this knowledge had a purpose, and he would find it one day.
[WC: 1315]