The Frustrated Wizard
Jasant was the most incredibly talented young wizard in the mystery school on the planet of Mer that the masters had ever seen. He held the hope of the whole of earth. His mother had recognized his talents when he was still a babe and brought him before the high council, which ruled earth at that time.
The council recognized his incredible potential and after much deliberation chose him to travel to Mer to attend the most prestigious mystery school in the Universe. Their hope was that he would realize his potential and return home to bring peace to the constant conflict, that the people of earth were experiencing.
Mezant was the mystery school, which lay hidden many light years from earth in the center of a galaxy, which most other worlds knew nothing about. The masters who taught there had lived thousands of lives on many planets and had assembled there to teach from the experiences and wisdom that they had gained.
There were masters of weaving, who could combine the energies of many different things to create something, which had not existed before. Their teachings were in great demand on the planets, which had become depleted of their mineral stores or whose fertile valleys had degenerated to deserts. There were masters, who could by the sheer force of the power of rubbing their hands together produce the heat of the sun.
These masters were called to dying planets to restore the vitality of the sun and warm the animals and plants back to life. There were masters, who could breathe the breath of life and these were called to create new worlds where none had existed before. There were peacemakers, who could still the violence in an entire race of people with a single glance. And there were masters who were judges and these were the most revered. Their talent was to know the balance of the Universe and to maintain that balance in the face of all change. Every single decision made through the school lay in their hands. They were the only ones who had the ability to see the Universe in its entirety and to know what changes could be made in any quadrant of it without destroying the balance of the whole. It was the masters of this group, which was called Jamal, who watched Jasant.
Jasant remained with his mother until he was seven and was then transported to the school. For the next seven years he studied with various masters and learned the theories and practicalities of magic. He was now fourteen. It was at this age, that his apprenticeship would begin. Now was the time for him to put into practice all that the masters had taught him.
Jasant was full of confidence and that is what worried the Jamal. In their experience, a little humility went a long way. They knew that Jasant had a good heart and pure intention, but they also knew that he was capable of destroying the balance of the entire Universe with a touch of his hand and a little too much enthusiasm. So, they decided to put him to a test.
On the day of his initiation Jasant awoke to a beautiful meteoric shower and the gorgeous birth of a million stars. He was full of his usual confidence and eager to show the masters what he had learned. He ate a good breakfast and ran with excitement to the amphitheater where the demonstrations of mastery were to be held. He watched as many other students from many other planers demonstrated to the Jamal what they had learned. Jasant watched carefully, always alert to catch any possible mistake that he could avoid.
Soon, it was his turn. The masters of the Jamal warmly welcomed him and invited him to demonstrate what he had learned. Jasant leapt to the stage. The other students were quiet as they watched a master roll a large stone in place in front of Jasant. The master explained to him that this test was one of transformation. Jasant was to bring forth water from the stone. Using his own intuition and the knowledge gained in his studies Jasant would perform this miracle. Jasant smiled to himself, this was an easy test. To bring water from stone, he knew he must use his right hand to melt the stone to liquid and his left to cool the steam of the boiling liquid to just the right temperature to extract the water.
He reached out his right hand and concentrated on the heat from his belly, allowing it to flow to his hand. Nothing happened. He closed his eyes in an effort to improve his concentration. Again, he willed the pool of heat in his belly to move into his right hand and again nothing happened. The other students began to squirm in their seats and whisper to each other. What was taking Jasant so long, this was a simple test. Jasant couldn’t imagine what was wrong. He rubbed his belly, but could feel no heat there. In fact, he began to feel cold all over and a little faint. He willed himself to stay present and upright. It took all of his strength and will to accomplish even that.
He felt confused and dazed. It was as if he held no power at all, no will at all. His arms refused to respond to his thoughts. His hands remained at his sides and he could do nothing but stand absolutely still with a most shocked look on his face. His shock grew to horror. The members of the Jamal motioned the other students to be quiet and the room was locked in silence. Still, Jasant could do nothing but stand. The more he willed himself to move in any way the weaker and dizzier he became. He began to panic. He knew the power of the Jamal and knew that it was not beyond them to allow a death to prove a point. He started to pray. He prayed to the spirit of his mother. He prayed silently to his teachers, but could feel no response and still no strength.
Then, to his horror he began to feel the vital chi or Life Force in his body begin to leave through his feet and his lower legs began to buckle. He fell to his knees. His life was slipping away and he knew it. He began to pray to it. He prayed with all his might, begged, and wept. He was face to face with the power that controlled his life and he begged it to support him. Slowly the strength began to return to his knees and feet.
He could feel a warmth and light begin to move through his body and heat begin to gather in his belly. This heat gathered there and burned its way to his hands and the stone indeed began to melt. His left hand rose in the air with a power of its own and the steam of the stone began to condense and a pool of water formed at his feet. The students and the masters rose to their feet and began to applaud the miracle of Jasant.
The masters of the Jamal nodded to each other. Jasant had performed his miracle and had understood the first and most powerful law of magic. Absolutely nothing is ever done without the permission of the source of all things. No change is ever manifested.
Jasant stumbled from the stage, and ran dazed to his room. He could still feel the vital chi effecting powerful changes within him. He lay down on his bed and tried to relax, all the while begging for mercy. He was being consumed by the power, which ran the Universe and while he recognized the wisdom of it, the changes it was effecting in his body were intense. It took Jasant three days to assimilate the transformation. When it was complete he was no longer the same person. His arrogance was replaced with humility. His eagerness was replaced with wisdom. His vanity was replaced with respect. Outwardly, his eyes had changed to deep pools, which reflected the Universe in its entirety and his demeanor became calm and still with an unspeakable power radiating from it. Jasant had completed the test of transformation. He had surrendered to the chi within himself and so had become it, with all of its wisdom and compassion.
In the council chambers of the Jamal, the masters there smiled secretly to themselves. Another soul had been born, another powerful wizard successfully made.