The Awakening

A dark night vanished with the first ray of the sun. Shinji, being familiar with the hermit's waking time, got up with him. They first began their day by making their bed, washing their faces, brushing their teeth, and going out to meditate under the warmth of the sun. The hermit said to Shinji, "We will do something new today, so follow me." 

They walked into the forest. Roshi brought Shinji to a secluded clearing. A small stream bubbled nearby, and the air was thick with the scent of pine. Roshi sat cross-legged on the grass and motioned for Shinji to do the same. "Today, we begin something new," Roshi said once again, his voice calm but firm. "Your mind may not yet be ready, but your mind is the strongest weapon you will ever wield. Meditation will help you master it." Shinji, annoyed by the noise of the whistling wind, the running water, and the sound of birds, could not concentrate. He shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms. "How is sitting around supposed to help me fight back? I need strength, not silence." The hermit, ever so wise, responded, "The strongest tree stands tall because its roots run deep. Today we learn to focus, to control the mind during a restless stage, and to maintain calm. After a while, "I can't do this," Shinji snapped, standing abruptly. "It's useless!" The hermit replied, "Remember Shinji when I said, A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor? Persevere, child, and listen to my instructions. This is the restless mind—where most begin. It is like a stormy sea, but every storm passes. Return to your breath, even if the waves feel too strong."

Though skeptical, Shinji tried again. His breathing was uneven, but Roshi's words made him persist. Hermit began chanting Amitabha, and Shinji followed. The storm of his thoughts didn't vanish, but he could sit within it, observing from a distance. The bandits, his mother's final moments, his pain—they all appeared before him like shadows, haunting but no longer overwhelming. The hermit realized it.

"You're learning to be the observer," Roshi said. "You cannot change the past, but you can choose how it lives within you. Let the memories come and go, like clouds passing over the mountains." Shinji got rid of the past memories, but his mind was still distracted by his present state. The rustling leaves, distant birds, and the gentle rush of the stream. Roshi, watching quietly, spoke. "Shinji, you are not the noise. The world around you is not your enemy. You don't need to block it out; just accept it."

Roshi's voice came, steady. "Imagine yourself as part of the world. The wind moves the trees; the stream flows around rocks. Neither resists the other—they simply are. You must learn to be the same. Be one with them with harmony and balance." 

Shinji focused on his breath, trying to relax. Slowly, the tension in his body began to ease. The sounds of the world no longer felt like obstacles, but a part of him—like the rhythm of nature he could move with. The wind, though strong, didn't overwhelm him. The birds' calls became a gentle tune. The stream, once loud and chaotic, now felt like a tune that harmonizes with the bird's call.

"Now," Roshi said softly, "focus on the space between your thoughts. The quiet, serene moments. That's where peace lies. That's where you shall find harmony."

With another deep breath, Shinji felt more relaxed now being one with nature. The hermit said, "This is just the beginning; you must find harmony even in the deepest of despair and darkest of places. Shinji opened his eyes. The world was still the same, but he had changed. The chaos no longer overwhelmed him. For the first time in a long while, he felt at peace. 

The hermit said, "This is a new Shinji forged by you from the old you. You have achieved harmony with yourself and with nature and have become one with it."

Shinji, feeling a weight he hadn't noticed before, lifted from his shoulders. The world seemed quieter now, not because it had changed, but because he had changed.

The hermit added, "Now we leave, we shall continue this later on.

Shinji and the hermit went to the woods to collect herbs and hunt deer for their food. The hermit said. "We will need a lot of food from now on. Get as much as you can. The hermit caught 10 deer, whereas Shinji managed to get one. The hermit also brought along lots of herbs and berries. Shinji was curious and thought, "Are people coming over.??"

The hermit said, "We shall begin your martial arts training tomorrow, and you will need as many nutrients as you can get. You must be tall, healthy, and strong."

The hermit began by teaching Shinji about stances while fighting unarmed with swords, spears, and bows. He trained him well, and Shinji, being a fast learner, matched up to the hermit pace of training. Shinji's body had grown stronger over the months under Roshi's tutelage. The hermit's teachings, though simple, were potent in their effect. THE HERMIT teaching of simplicity and balances was ingrained into Shinji. Shinji began to find a rhythm. His arms, once weak and trembling, started to hold firm. His steps became more deliberate, his strikes sharper, though not yet fast enough to match Roshi's fluid grace. 

The hermit and Shinji went to hunt again. The hermit said to Shinji,You have one hour, and you must hunt five deer and collect one basket of herbs and return. Use the teachings of mine." "You're ready,?" Roshi said, stepping back and watching Shinji with a proud, though distant, look."

Shinji stood tall, his chest rising and falling with his breath. There was no fanfare, no grand moment of realization. He was simply ready. Shinji returned an hour and a half later. The hermit congratulated him.

Shinji took off faster and stronger than before. Shinji practiced meditation in the morning and martial arts in the afternoons, and during the evening he learned about different subjects. The hermit taught Shinji about poisons and traps. 

Every morning, before the sun fully rose, he practiced his stances and strikes, his body growing stronger with each passing day. Roshi, always patient, guided him with both words and actions, teaching him more than just physical skills. The hermit emphasized the importance of alignment and fluidity, showing him how to maintain balance even during the fiercest of strikes. 

"This is the first step," Roshi said. "The sword isn't just a weapon; it's an extension of the self. It teaches you focus and precision."

Shinji gripped the hilt, awkward at first, his movements clumsy and unrefined. But with Roshi's steady guidance, Shinji learned rapidly. The sword taught him more than how to strike; it taught him how to wait, to feel the pulse of the world around him. 

Now, a spear. The spear, with its long reach, demanded a new set of skills. Shinji learned that while the sword was about precision and quickness, the spear was about control and distance. He learned to wield it with fluidity, to thrust and parry in ways that would give him an advantage in a fight. Maintaining distance and striking when the time's right ingrained into him.

Then came the bow. The bow was different from both the sword and the spear being a long-ranged weapon. It required patience, concentration, and timing. The bow taught Shinji to listen—to the wind, to the rustle of the trees, to the sound of his breath as it came in and out of his chest. His first attempts were disastrous. Arrows flew wide of their targets, missing by several feet and his fingers bleeding. But Roshi didn't scold him. Instead, he simply said, "Feel the tension of the string. Let the arrow go, not with force, but with understanding." 

Over time, Shinji's understanding of martial arts expanded beyond weapons. Roshi also taught him the importance of physical conditioning. They practiced agility drills, balance exercises, and stamina-building routines. Shinji ran up steep hills, carried heavy stones, and learned to use his body in ways he'd never imagined. But it was never just about strength—it was about control. Control over the body, the mind, and the soul.

The months passed quickly. Shinji grew stronger, both in body and mind, under Roshi's tutelage. The hermit was a silent figure in his life, always offering wisdom when needed but never rushing his student's growth. In time, the once-weak child became more capable, still far from the warrior he hoped to become but no longer the broken boy who had first arrived. 

One fine day the hermit said to Shinji, "It's been three years now you have become a teen, and it's time we leave. You have learned what you can here. The world beyond awaits."

With that, the two of them began their journey down from the mountains, leaving the quiet peace of the Sinwar Valley behind.