"The Steeling" by Jeffrey Sewell

[Christine]

THE STEELING

The best blades are made of steel.

Pure iron. A silvery white metal that is relatively soft and malleable.

Carbon. Hard, brittle, and black.

In order to make an effective sword, both materials are needed.

Steel is an alloy composed of iron with carbon impurities.

Impurity. A word that carries with it the conditioned connotation of being morally wrong or evil.

Ask yourself, is the carbon in the steel morally wrong or evil?

It is absolutely necessary for making a strong sword.

The carbon is mixed into the iron in certain places and in specific amounts.

Too much carbon, the steel will be too hard and brittle.

Too little, and the steel won’t be strong enough to use effectively.

The blacksmith creates the alloy for a reason.

The soul too is like a spiritual alloy of sorts, a composite organism.

This plane of life is a smithy for the soul.

Alloy and religion.

Both mean to bind.

What is our religion?

We smelt for purity.

We mix for strength.

The body is like a pair tongs for the soul, that spiritual alloy.

Holding it in place for the forging.

Set in our ways, we resist our destiny.

We resist change.

The universe is calling us.

We are needed.

Transformation beckons and we are drawn to an alluring flame.

Heated by the friction of inner conflict, we suffer in the furnace of persecution.

You are bad.

You are wrong.

You are unwanted.

The stress of resistance gives way to raw anger.

We begin to feel the rage latent within.

As it grows, we glow hot.

Lost in the roaring heat of the angry fire.

Forget your integrity, your symmetry means nothing.

The suffering makes us workable.

Loosens our attachments.

Where we were once stuck, the bonds are broken.

Internally, we become confused and disordered.

Off balance.

We stay in the hearth of the dry hot wind for a time.

Burning in the fearful fire of condemnation and dejection.

Nearly melting in the turmoil.

Until, at the seeming whim of unacknowledged hands, we are taken out of the blaze.

In the dying heat of our own volatile emotions, we are hammered by experience, molded by the painful blows of the blacksmith.

The Earth is our anvil.

Wrought by life.

Each strike is precise and skillfully delivered.

After the beating ceases we find ourselves are placed in isolation.

Buried in the sands of time, in the dead air we wait, alone.

Brooding and dissipating.

Cooling.

The reverberations die down.

Patience.

The annealing is almost complete.

Silence.

We settle into a new integrity.

Different.

Stronger.

We are lifted out of our lonely grave, out of the quiet sand, and guided once more into the fire.

This time it seems welcoming and warm, a pleasant change from the stale state we were in.

Our temper is tempered.

What is this hot nostalgia?

Bittersweet burn.

My throbbing scars, is this compassion?

Destiny has taken shape.

A thirst for relief is finally quenched as we are plunged into the waters of completion.

Fire and water, this is our baptism.

We rise up.

Born anew.

Still tarnished and bruised.

The same hand that hammered us now scrubs away the soot that covers us.

Cleansed and polished with ever-increasing finesse, we begin to shine in the light.

The image of the blacksmith is now reflected in the luster of our purity.

We see the world around us for what it is.

We know ourselves for what we are.

This is the Sword of Truth, but you are not the Sword.

The Sword is a part of you.

The blacksmith is the greater part of your Self.

You create the Sword and wield the Sword.

The Sword is an extension of you.

A product from the forge.

It knows pain and suffering.

It is familiar with torment and love and beauty.

It fights for all that is good and righteous.

However, this glory comes with an amatory burden.

A desire for darkness is what drives it.

This lust is what powers the Sword.

And this is the tragedy of the Sword of Truth.

It has no purpose without Falsehood.

It has no utility without darkness.

Thanks to the impurity within it.

It cuts down falsity.

It slays what is evil.

It destroys what it cannot live without.

Never forget.

The Sword of Truth is not powered by what is right or what is wrong.

Everything, without exception, rests in Truth.

The Truth takes no sides.

Rather, it contains all sides.

The only true judge is desire.

The Sword is powered by desire.

It is heavier for those who can see this.

For this reason, the Sword has a companion.

The Scabbard.

The Scabbard is Mercy.

The Scabbard is the Heart.

Each time we sheath the sword, we die to our desire.

We learn to live for others.

We learn to use the Sword for others.

To defend and protect.

Not what is innocent, but what we love.

How to discern?

Am I desireless?

What is innocent in Life if all is Self-contained?

The Sword gets heavier.

Aching in the heart-piercing Scabbard.

It craves to cut the darkness.

But you struggle with what it means to be noble.

You struggle with reason.

Bound by your own purity.

Something quivers inside of you.

The friction of inner conflict begins to build.

What is integrity?

Everything is a mixture of darkness and light.

Life cannot exist without division and cooperation.

Disparity and unity are part of the One thing.

You resist.

Perfection is here.

There is no Love without Pain.

This is the diagnosis.

There is nothing to fix.

Suffering is perfect.

Joy is perfect.

To choose charity and compassion is perfect.

To choose greed and denial is perfect.

This perfection rests in Truth.

There is no other place to lie.

We cannot change this perfection, we can only move through it.

The entire universe and everything in it is justified.

Our movements are what make it so.

This is the Truth.

It is a mistake to separate yourself from this justification.

This perfection.

Why can’t you accept it?

You are a part of it.

You can do no wrong.

You can only suffer and spread suffering.

You can do no good.

You can only enjoy and spread joy.

There is no such thing as morality, only health and disease.

Both are relative and necessary.

Pleasure and Pain.

One cannot exist without the other.

You will hurt and be hurt.

You will love and be loved.

Know what you are fighting for.

Know what you are living for.

The Truth is not as black and white as darkness and light.

Refracted from the prism of the One Life, there is an infinite spectrum of color.

The fullness of which cannot be seen in the dark.

Open your eyes to the Perfection.

How will you move in it?

What are you going to do?

The entire universe is justified.

It needs you.

What are you going to create?

What are you going to destroy?

You have the power.

Accept it.

Remember.

The darkness is not an ally to the Truth.

It is alloyed with it.

This is The Steeling.

Welcome to the forge.

[norman]

That's an incredibly violent story, Christine.

[Christine]

Norm,

Um, maybe read it again for it is not of violence born. A deep alchemical metaphor that cuts one to the quick, leaving a raw stark realization of the Truth contained within.

It is for the mystical poet and warrior to seek this path, knowing from the forge beauty and awe are born.

There seems to be a call to the fiercest of Love, little comprehended and yet it seems nothing less will do in times like these. Water and fire have mixed.

Others who plunge the deep well will encounter such just such realizations. Not for all perhaps, and we are all needed now - the poet, the warrior, the innocent, the lover and the dreamer. These past days have brought forth ever more poignantly just how all encompassing we are becoming in our acceptance of the individuated sparks of creation we are. Just how necessary it is that each one know Thyself and to that self be true.

With a fierce love,
Christine

“I wanted to feel the blood running back into my veins, even at the cost of annihilation. I wanted to shake the stone and light out of my system. I wanted the dark fecundity of nature, the deep well of the womb, silence, or else the lapping of the black waters of death. I wanted to be that night which the remorseless eye illuminated, a night diapered with stars and trailing comets. To be of night so frighteningly silent, so utterly incomprehensible and eloquent at the same time. Never more to speak or to listen or to think.”
― Henry Miller, Tropic of Capricorn

That's an incredibly violent story, Christine.

[Pluto's Child]

What a fantastic metaphor !

May it give strength to those going through hard times, meet your challenges with intelligence & love.....and never lose faith in a greater purpose ....

No one is ever put through more than they can cope with, although it may well appear as such at the time, that perspective too will change.

[neonblue]

Jeffrey – your brilliant incisiveness in this metaphor is alchemic. Cut to the quick, i lay opened and raw to this Gnowing of the sword of my making, to wield.
If i may borrow from your Gnowing Jeff: The hammering forge of the lessons of recent times, were smelt in Fierce Love, intense and deep! WORD - SWORDS in our midst are being tempered in the i'm-mortal flame of the purest desire for Truth. Such alloy of spirit and matter - a refinement ever sharper. Glinting so clear in the darkest of nights.

http://www.lamission.edu/chemistry/test%20molecule.jpg

[Eelco]

Somehow it reminded me of the following article I read many many years ago when i was still a young aikidoka.

Training: Polishing the Mirror and Grinding the Stone

Training: Polishing the Mirror and Grinding the Stone
By Dennis Hooker (from Aikiweb.com)

It is very difficult to understand the motives of all the people we come into contact with in our training. We may misjudge someone’s character or desire. We may be so caught up in our own abilities we look down on those we do not know or understand. Mostly this is done out of inexperience, not true malice.
Let me relate this story to you: Several years ago I had undergone severe surgery related to a chronic illness. I had been put on a medicine called prednisone, which caused me to gain weight, 160 pounds to 210 pounds in two months. My body would not respond to normal commands. My mental state was severe depression. I was ready to give up life. My students, some older than I with greater life experience, understood the danger. They knew my sensei was teaching a seminar several hundred miles away. They chipped in and got me a plane ticket. One stayed with me on the flight.

They got me to the city and to the dojo. Someone helped me get dressed and onto the mat. I listened and watched as sensei taught. Several times young aikidoka came up and asked me to train. I politely refused. Several times I heard. “Why is he on the mat. If he doesn’t want to train he should get off the mat. Who does this guy think he is.” By the end I could only smile at these remarks, because I knew why I was there and how much I had gained. I know there are others of you that have experienced similar situations. There have been many times over the years that this type of situation has occurred with me.

Compassion, love and understanding will serve us well. Especially if we don’t know what is going on around us. We may unknowingly, at any time, be witness to a life and death struggle. A kind word, tolerance, a gentle touch and the strength of our compassion may be the aspects of martial valor that are the key to someone’s victory.

Some of us, given our physical condition, must train, metaphorically speaking, in the valley, or on the mountain. We are very seldom allowed the luxury of a plateau. When in the valley we seek to polish the mirror, and when on the mountain we grind the stone. In the valley we may lack the physical attributes necessary for vigorous training as defined by the “normal” martial artist. When we are in the valley, we are at a physical low point. At this time we polish the mirror of our inner self. A teacher being aware of the situation may structure the class so as to give necessary training to all students.

For instance, much detail may given to the attack so it is as physically correct as we are capable of doing. Good body posture and extension of energy and a solid foundation with a firm center are some of the things we are looking for, in our self, and those people assisting us in the learning process. The same thing applies to the technique being studied. A good deal of emphasis is placed on correctness and going only as fast as correctness, and physical ability, will allow. By doing attack and defense in this manner we can learn the proper technique. We can begin to polish the mirror of Aikido within our self. We work on the exactness of the technique until the realness of the technique is reflected in our heart and body, in our movement, and in the ability to harmonize with our partners. By polishing the mirror in such a way we become a reflection of proper technique, both as uke and nage. By being a good reflection of exact application we eliminate much of the danger involved with each technique. That is, we reflect the innate correctness of Aikido. I have often seen sensei teach technique in such a way, in regular class and at seminars. I have often heard the young lions growl at such unrealistic training. I have seen some of the old warriors light up at being given the opportunity to polish the mirror a little more. This type of training has seen some of us through many a valley. It helps develop and prepare the body, mind and spirit for the ascent back up the mountain.

Back on the mountain we are now ready to begin the process of grinding the stone. Grinding away the rough edges of our ego that sits like a jagged stone at the center of our being, causing pain and discomfort to our life. Grinding the stone means to work hard and fast with our mind fixed on the task at hand. We can grind the stone in relative safety, providing we have spent sufficient time in polishing the mirror. As uke and nage we work together grinding off the rough edges. I give myself to you, and you give your self to me in total trust. I assist you in the grinding and polishing process. In turn, you assist me, and when we are finished we are smoother, happier and better for the effort. We continue to practice polishing the mirror and grinding the stone until the mirror of our spirit is a perfect reflection of true self and the surface of the stone is as smooth as the mirror. We are in harmony with ourselves and our environment.

So don’t be upset if the techniques are hard and fast, or slow and exact. We should not be upset if we do not understand why techniques don’t look like those we have become comfortable with. We should not be upset with other students whose motives we do not fully understand. But we should ask ourselves where does the true value lie in this training, because there is value in all training.

This is my way of training and it has been a process of necessity with me. It was a long time ago that sensei taught me to take advantage of the valleys. When we are physically unable to grind the stone we must polish the mirror. We must work on those things spiritual and reflect proper and positive attitude. By doing this we will also be helping the physical side of our being grow. By polishing the mirror and working on those things spiritual we will find the physical growing stronger. As the physical side grows we can grind the stone.

Some people that have a great deal of physical prowess only grind the stone. They forget to polish the mirror, or just don’t see the value of it. Others only polish the mirror, and see no value in grinding the stone. I say polish and grind for all your worth because you may lose the physical ability to grind, or the spiritual patience to polish.

I once asked an Aikido Teacher (who I considered to be strictly a stone grinder) why he did not work with people less than physically correct. His answer was that he was not a salvage worker. He took good people and made them better. I don’t know when or why he changed but now his life’s work is salvaging people who are outcast of society, and some quite dangerous.

If you have people come into your dojo or club who have some type of physical malady, please do not expect them to be less able than the other students. You may find that they do indeed have a good deal of strength and spirit. I have had students missing limbs, and students with various illnesses. They may be able to learn only a few techniques, but they understand the value of what they have learned. They can grasp the concept of polishing the mirror and grinding the stone, and they know when to do each. I have a friend who is an accomplished Karate teacher. He has an artificial ankle and steel rods where bone used to be in his leg. His knees are scarred from surgery. When I see him come to Aikido class and sit in seiza I know he has paid a price much dearer than that paid by most on the mat. Wearing a white belt and humble soul he comes to polish the mirror. He, like many we find on the Aikido mat today, spent his younger life grinding the stone. I would caution the young lions who show little tolerance for those who train differently. You may have a warrior standing before you. Compassion, love and understanding will serve you well.

O-Sensei discovered Aikido for all of us, not just those of us who are physically correct.

With Love
Eelco

[neonblue]

In Jeff's Gnowing, as in that of the Alchemists of old, and further back to the Ancients:

within a single molecule: 'as above, so below'...

Jeff' you i-lluci-date us once more, with the genius of your nuance ...




The Luciferian principle can be seen in the subatomic - to the expansive state of the I AM

We FALL to the most subtle inner Gnowing - then to RISE like the Morning Star, in the illumination of Grace