The Highwayman

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Queequeg
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Re: The Highwayman

Post by Queequeg »

Cool! :smile:
I'll give it a go.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
narhwal90
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Re: The Highwayman

Post by narhwal90 »

Chapter 18
===============================

"Seize Him!" came the yell behind us, on the way to the foundry. I
turned quickly but Private Anjing was faster. In the space of a thought
he grabbed one of the men reaching for Sesal and tossed him bodily into
the air with the barest twitch of his shoulders. As the man fell to the
pavement like a tumbling sack of grain, Anjing stood straight and still,
placing one hand on the hilt of his dagger. The other three men halted
midstep and carefully backed away, the morning crowd around us vanished.

A corpulent man pushed between the three men. "Hand over the prisoner,
I arrest him in the name of the King! I will have your skin for
impeding justice. Men, seize him now!" the last delivered red-faced and
spittle frothing from his slack mouth.

Private Anjing made no move, the three men looked to one another and
backed away another step. "Identify yourself please, sir" said Private
Anjing.

"You may not ask me anything soldier- I do not answer to you. Deliver
that man to me now or I will take him myself". Anjing continued to
stand entirely still. "Sir, I only take commmands from my superiors.
If this is official business, please tell me its nature or I will end
this conversation now."

The man grimaced, looked at Sesal and then Anjing. He cursed loudly,
turned and walked laboriously away puffing at each step. Anjing looked
to the three henchmen, who silently moved over to their forth who was
groaning on the ground and helped him to his feet. Private Anjing
watched them depart into the crowd and turned to me.

"Master Smith," he said, "I suggest we return to the Guards buildings
and report. Those were likely private agents of the secret police.
Something is happening." I nodded in response. "Please preceed me so I
may follow behind" he said, and we walked back along the sunlit street
now somehow different and threatening.
narhwal90
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Re: The Highwayman

Post by narhwal90 »

Chapter 19
===============================

"Sir", said Private Anjing, "the man was corpulent, red-faced and spat
foam when he spoke." Commandant Zishen nodded and asked, "Describe his
clothing."

"Shabby and stained cloth, rumpled. He wore closed toe shoes and an old
apron, as if he came from working in a kitchen."

"Ah, " said the commandant with frown, "you were accosted by the
'Cockroach'. That name is not an insult, he actually takes pride in
being known as such. He is a loathsome relic of the old kingdom, a
hired thief-taker. His passion for justice is equal to what he is paid,
as is his rapacity. You cost him a large bounty Private, well done.
Why is he interested in the Monk Sesal and who is paying him?"

Sesal looked at me, I nodded in return.

He began, "Commandant, if I may speak?"

"Do so" said he.

"My past, before being accepted as a Dawn monk, may be relevant. Sir, I
was a bandit on the plains."

Commandant Zishen and Captain Tong both froze, looking at Sesal
speculatively. He swallowed, and continued. "Part of the master
accepting me as a monk included uncovering and ordering what details of
my past we could find, so if a day like this came I could give the best
account as is due to my victims. I am prepared to do so and accept
whatever consequences arise."

The commandant held up a hand, "Pause for a moment- Bring in the
clerks!" he said to the secretary who vanished through the door.
narhwal90
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Re: The Highwayman

Post by narhwal90 »

Chapter 20
===============================

"Monk Sesal, stand now for the Kings Justice" intoned the adjuticator.
"You are found guilty of banditry; murder, rape, thievery by evidence
given us and confirmed by your own testimony given freely. The penalty
is death. Do you reply?"

Sesal, standing, looked directly at the judge. "I accept the verdict.
I ask for no pardon, no clemency."

The judge was suprised, taken aback but recollected himself and turned
to me. "As his Master, what say you?"

I stood and replied, "Judge, I also accept the verdict as given. But
please permit me to speak briefly on his behalf."

One of the clerks leaned towards the judge and whispered in his ear.
The judge nodded and looked back to me, "Proceed."

"I witnessed Sesal's arrival at the plains temple several years ago and
was assigned by the master to work with him since. I cannot speak to
his attitude and demeanor in the days before, however since he joined us
I have never seen a monk more committed to service. He is the first to
enter a plague house or addicts den when we reach out into the city. He
raises up all around him. If he must be executed we will all lose some
of the light that reaches into the darkest places."

A clerk approached his desk and handed the adjudicator a folded paper,
he read it and turned to confer with others. He nodded and returned to
us, "Monk Sesal, the sentence is given. No banditry is tolerated by the
King's unchallenged order, therefore you are to be marked as is the
practice and are exiled from this kingdom. You are ordered by the King
to carry the creed of your school to the frontiers and ply it there for
the benefit of the people. Return, and your life is forfeit. While
your group remains in the capital you are remanded to the custody of the
Queens Guards, as prisoner."
narhwal90
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Re: The Highwayman

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Chapter 21
===============================

Sesal was branded on the right arm in the courtyard of the Queens
Guards, by the order of Captain Tong, witnessed by his full company. I
shall never forget the wicked hiss of the yellow hot iron against his
arm, and Sesal's silence. Not even a whimper as they led him to us for
the salves.

I visited him in the cells every day after our work in the foundry, to
check his bandages and see how he did. Though his door was not locked
and they did not chain him, Sesal stayed in his cell while the others
were imprisoned in theirs. He only came out when the doors were
unlocked for meals and the daily exercise period, during which he cared
for the other prisoners, cleaning their sores, scrubbing floors and
changing straw on the bed pallets.

It did not take long before the creed of our temple began to take
effect; somehow the example of the branded monk serving all around him
began to change the prison's eternal squalor. Sesal only served, he
never preached or instructed, and rarely spoke. First one then another
of the prisoners would join in his cleaning instead of indolently
looking out through the barred windows. Perhaps it was simple diversion
at first, but I like many others have found that taking up such tasks as
service changes the mind.

The jailer was disturbed and spoke to me once- "They are too quiet.
They sit at their tables, clean the floors, utensils are accounted for
after the meals. Some are reading, we find nothing when searching the
cells." I bowed and said only "We serve."
narhwal90
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Re: The Highwayman

Post by narhwal90 »

Chapter 22
===============================

Eventually the statues neared completion, the endless filing and stoning
and polishing wound to a close. Presentations and ceremonies came and
went. There came a day when a wagon carrying the statues, horses on the
traces, was parked in the Guard's courtyard, Captain Tong's full company
arrayed ahead and behind. The three of us were clothed for walking
behind the first squad. Sesal was escorted from the prison, all eyes on
him.

"Welcome Monk Sesal" I gave the formal greeting and bow, and handed him
the wide straw hat we use to keep the sun from our eyes. "Master, thank
you" he replied, and he took his place in our order.

"Company! March!" came the call and so we began the journey home. The
streets around the headquarters were lined with people, but eerily
silent as we passed- whispers followed along like a breeze, some pointed
to him, children peeking between the legs of their parents.

Once out of the city, along the coastal road it became apparent we had a
train of people behind us, much to Captain Tong's exasperation.
"Civilians underfoot!" he exclaimed to me one evening under the wheeling
gulls, at the roadside camp while the sun set across the ocean. "They
will intrude into our camp to see your monk. We have to set action
watches as if on campaign. My sentries have been offered money to allow
them to pass."

"Captain, I have spoken to several of them. Sesal has provided
inspiration where others have not. We record similar instances in the
past, it is unusual but with care there is no lasting harm. May I
suggest that we delay our departure tomorrow so he may meet and talk
with them?"

He looked at me skeptically, "Do you mean to create a saint?"

"No captain, we are only monks in our order, it is not permitted to have
followers. We find they are often caught up in fanciful ideas, few are
motivated to transform themselves. We may not be distractions to
others."
narhwal90
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Re: The Highwayman

Post by narhwal90 »

Chapter 23
===============================

Next morning after the services, I spoke to him. "Sesal, you have seen
the followers?"

"Yes, Master" said he and I continued, "Their presence is disturbing for
the soldiers who are always concerned about security, and you know the
rule about followers."

"I will speak with them" he said, I bowed to which he responded. He
rose and collected his staff and donned the hat, walking alone past the
soldiers' picket line and into the small crowd.

We three remained in meditation, listening carefully, joined I think by
all the soldiers.

He removed his hat and bowed, then began "Brothers and Sisters, I am a
Dawn Monk and accept what happened in the city as the result of my past
actions. I am not pardoned or freed, the terms of my release are the
King's mark on my arm and his order directing me to the frontier for the
rest of my life. I cannot be your guide, but if you are called to
service, join me there in the spring. The Dawn Monks have a temple in
the city, others like me work daily there. If my example is of value to
you, joining them is payment in full. The Dawn Monks took me in as a
ghost wasted by greed and violence. Because of them I yet live even
under the King's death sentence; it is more than I deserve. Consider my
example and choose compassion."

He bowed to them again and continued, "Please return to your homes and
forsake no beings."

He donned the hat again, looking every inch a monk, unseen and
unremarked deep under its shade. After a short pause he turned and
walked back toward us. The squad leaders began calling their men into
formation, Captain Tong on his horse towering over us all.
narhwal90
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Re: The Highwayman

Post by narhwal90 »

Chapter 24
===============================

The afternoon before Sesal was to leave, he and I walked into the city
to look at the statues. He spoke after a time, "Master, I note a change
of mind since being branded. There is no more fear of discovery, of
failure, of pain or of the unknown. I have lived under a cloud of it
all for many years. My instruction here before made its presence clear
but the city removed it, I am free. I will live with my actions for the
rest of my life, but I can make every day an amends- truly my life does
not belong to me."

I watched the sparrows flitting among the trees we passed. "I saw you
change when they pressed the brand to your arm. I have never seen the
like, perhaps a poet could express it better. During my visits to the
prison, I watched the other prisoners around you and listened to their
gossip. They were in awe of your silence, the brand made you relevant
to them. The story was instantly known in and out of the Guards
compound, we were noticed by people all over the city."

"Master, it was nothing I chose. The pain was.. impossible.. and days
passed before I could sleep or speak. I could only accept it and keep
to the practices from minute to minute. The branding was just, to cry
out would be to betray all those I've harmed."

"Ah, Sesal, this is authenticity. To accept and keep to the practices
is the essence of our rule. Those men would have noticed any artifice
on your part. It is often said the world may be changed by transforming
yourself. In the space of a week those hardened thieves and brigands,
some bound for the headsman, changed. I saw them join you cleaning the
rooms, mirror your behavior."

"As the pain receded, I saw the thoughts and desires and views to be
equally transient and equally empty. The only way forward was service,
further grasping at anything was no longer possible."

I bowed my head, silent now as we walked, instructed.

# end
narhwal90
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Re: The Highwayman

Post by narhwal90 »

Epilogue
===============================

Master Smith's memorial service was held in the temple's main meditation hall, for lack of a larger space. The lineages of his students arrayed on one side, and the resident monks, invited guests and notable personages on the other, all a collection of jewels brought there by his life. I had just been introduced to him before the onset of his sudden decline- but he died as he had lived, among us. Our new abbot was very strict about dress and manners, so assigned me the task of ensuring the assortment of cloaks and shoes, boots, sandals, hats and staffs in the antechamber were kept from descent into chaos. I could only look into the hall occasionally as I checked and re-checked the list, matching names to articles, counting and ordering the closely arrayed personal effects to perhaps avoid at least some of the confusion when the guests departed. Being preoccupied, at first I didn't observe the monk standing against a column, well in its shadow, apparently looking into the hall. He was fully attired, staff and hat, sandals and robe so I was instantly relieved that nothing new had been added to the collection of items, and a place to be found for them.

He must have seen me notice him for he turned his head slightly and held a finger up to his lips and bowed to me, then straightened and resumed his stillness. Since he made no move to enter further, I hurried on, bringing my totals to the housekeeper and praying I would keep track of everything. I was gone for only a few minutes, but upon return the monk was gone and Master Smith's senior students were leading the procession out of the hall.

Later that evening the abbot held a meeting to organize the account of the service for the temple history. I presented the lists, thankfully no items misplaced or confused. Concluding, I said "In my final pass through the anteroom with the totals, I noticed a monk in full dress standing in the shadow of that first large column. He did not move, or give any sign of desiring entry to the meditation hall. Since he made no move to enter I did not approach to offer to take his hat and staff, he was apparently content to watch from there. When I returned from the giving the counts to housekeeping, he had disappeared. We cross-checked our lists with those of the gatekeepers but none of us have a record of his entry or departure, nor is he staying in a guest lodge."

The abbot looked up from the paper onto which he was transcribing my report, and glanced over to the librarian who at that moment gave a brief, quiet sigh. "I wondered..", he said returning the abbot's gaze. "Could you describe him in greater detail?" asked the abbot of me.

"Master, I'm sorry no- when I noticed him, he signed silence and bowed. So I assumed he was content to stand there, and I had to hurry with the list. He was of middle height, fully dressed for travel- the sandals were not new, same with the hat. His robe was full length despite the warm day- I could not see his face."

"Too bad" he replied, "so we will count him as our sole unnamed guest. Novice, it is an old tale these days, but perhaps you have heard the story of the Highwayman?"
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