Chapter 3

TYX 3

¹“I just don’t get it.” ²Yex speaks, walking in front of Tee. ³The terrain is rocky and barren, and the sun shines relentlessly overhead, as the two move across the uneven ground, the heat almost visible in the air. ⁴Yex continues to speak. ⁵“I’m bored. ⁶And my feet hurt.” ⁷Yex looks down, observing small drops of blood that are left behind as the two walk. ⁸Tee responds. ⁹“I know it’s not pleasant, but boredom is good for you. ¹⁰Don’t complain, be grateful.” ¹¹Yex suddenly stops walking, and turns around to face Tee. ¹²“Why? ¹³Why should I be grateful? ¹⁴Don’t you see that I’m in pain?” ¹⁵Yex falls to the ground, sighing. ¹⁶Tee is silent for some time, and moves towards Yex until the two are side by side. ¹⁷“There are plenty of things to be grateful for. ¹⁸Your shoes, for example. ¹⁹They’re old, I know, but that’s better than walking without them, right? ²⁰And we could lie here all day and complain, but that doesn’t sound fun to me, either.” ²¹Salty tears begin to form around Yex’s eyes, who still lies on the ground, but they dry quickly in the heat. ²²“But you don’t get it. ²³What if I don’t want to walk anymore? ²⁴Where are we going anyway? ²⁵And why is it so hot out here?” ²⁶Drops of sweat fall from Tee’s forehead, who speaks. ²⁷“I know that it’s brutal out here, so if you don’t want to walk, then run, run like the wind, and don’t look back, and I will follow close behind, but we can’t rest here, I’m sorry.” ²⁸Yex does not respond, but stands up, slowly.

TRL 3

¹The traveler finds herself lost. ²Her memory is fuzzy since exiting the vessel, and she stands atop some sort of overpass, looking down at the humans of this world, who fly past, so fast, it seems. ³A cold snow falls from the sky, but not quite like the snow on earth, and the traveler cannot help but think of home. ⁴“Be careful, traveler.” ⁵The representative stands behind the traveler, but she does not turn, and only gazes at the concrete halls below. ⁶“Where am I?” ⁷And although she is confident, as she has prepared well for her journey, she is anxious, too, because she worries about time. ⁸“I know, the walls are thick and the wind is harsh sometimes. ⁹But at least I’m here with you, right?” ¹⁰“I should give you something, dear representative. ¹¹I don’t quite know what it is, yet, but you deserve it, all of you, the humans of this world. ¹²And it’s not anything perfect, but it’s something, and even just by speaking to you, now, I am creating it, putting it out into the world.” ¹³The representative is silent for a moment. ¹⁴“You are free to do as you wish here, traveler. ¹⁵But please, promise me that as you wander these walls, you will be careful, and more importantly, you will be precise, because the stairs are many, but the doors are locked, you see.” ¹⁶The traveler finally turns around and looks into the eyes of the representative. ¹⁷“But I need my ship. ¹⁸Where is it? ¹⁹Tell me, please, dear representative, because I really should get going by now.” ²⁰The traveler is frustrated, for she does not understand this world, as she wanders its streets and steps, searching. ²¹But even in the maze, the representative always seems to follow her close. ²²“I can help you, traveler. ²³I do not know where your ship is. ²⁴But let me ask, is it hiding from you, or are you hiding from it?” ²⁵The traveler does not listen, and sits in a dark corner of an empty corridor. ²⁶And her eye catches something peculiar, fluttering softly in the wind, a page of an old book, perhaps. ²⁷She examines it, for a moment, but she cannot understand its mysterious symbols. ²⁸And the traveler wishes she could read it, for she knows that it must have meaning, but she can only wonder. ²⁹And she feels contempt towards the representative, in this moment, and she almost wants to cry and scream, but she stops herself. ³⁰“I will accept your help, dear representative, and I am grateful, but I hope you know that although this world is impressive, you can do better, I’m sure of it.”

AWM 3

¹There is no difference between motion and change, for without one there could never be the other. ²And although time itself does not change, the universe changes in time. ³Therefore, the human changes, too, but more importantly, the human is free, able to move and think in its world. ⁴And to move is the most fundamental freedom, in a way, the ability to change against the rest of the universe. ⁵However, it is unreasonable to say that all movement is the choice of the human. ⁶And you can try to name parts of yourself, the conscious and subconscious, the mind and body and soul, but the boundary of decision is not quite a wall, it is more like a misty shore. ⁷For example, you hardly choose to remain asleep from each moment to the next, and same with breathing or blinking or balancing on two legs. ⁸These are not decisions, exactly, but they are actions, and their consequences ripple into the universe like stones thrown into the sea. ⁹Thoughts, too, are the movements of the mind, dancing atop the stage of your knowledge and beliefs, within your control, but only partially. ¹⁰But even still, you do have freedom, and if you choose to clap your hands, for example, you move because of your muscles, but also because of your will. ¹¹So your action is a manifestation of your truth, your will and decisions colliding with the universe, like a chaotic game of strategy where your faith is your next move. ¹²And there are limits in the physical universe, of course, and it is easy sometimes to get caught up in what you are or what you have, the things that you can or can’t do. ¹³But the possibilities of your being are greater than you could ever know. ¹⁴So if you try, really and truly try to change, then you can, because there are no limits to faith. ¹⁵For it is only once you allow yourself to change perspective that you can change form.

WXY 3

¹“But sometimes I am miserable, dad. ²Even when I try my best to keep a smile, everything just fails.” ³“I know it’s hard, my child.” ⁴“But I feel so ungrateful, because I am alive, and I am healthy.” ⁵“That’s okay. ⁶It is not a sin to admit that life is hard, even for the luckiest of us.” ⁷“But I don’t know what to do. ⁸Please, dad, tell me how to stop the pain.” ⁹“It’s okay to not know. ¹⁰When your knowledge defeats you, there is nothing to do but have faith.” ¹¹“But I can’t take it. ¹²My mind and body and soul disagree and pull me apart in different directions.” ¹³“Then pray.” ¹⁴“What?” ¹⁵“Yes, my child.” ¹⁶“How would I do that? ¹⁷Are you saying I should have blind faith?” ¹⁸“Oh, not exactly, my child, although I think you’re beginning to understand. ¹⁹Sometimes when nothing feels right, all you can do is look out at the universe, and ask for mercy. ²⁰I know it’s hard, and it’s not fair, not at all, I’m sorry. ²¹And you can suppress it and run from it and hide from it all you want. ²²But until you are able to face pain and gaze into its eyes, you will never truly be free from it.” ²³“But I regret what I’ve done, and it haunts me.” ²⁴“I know what it’s like, my child, and there is no worse feeling. ²⁵But those moments are gone, and you can only move forward. ²⁶It is easy to worry about what could or would or should have been, and such things are human, but they are not real, no, not quite as real as the birds or the trees. ²⁷There are only decisions, and there are consequences. ²⁸But don’t be too hard on yourself either, because you can only learn from your world, and your world can only be a result of all that you’ve done. ²⁹And it might get worse, but it will get better, I promise. ³⁰I won’t tell you how to live your life, because your life is yours alone, but please be kind, because pain can be contagious. ³¹But you will be kind, I’m sure of it, my child, because just as I have faith in the universe, I have faith in you, too, and that’s why I brought you into this world.”

RLI 3

¹But the nature of religion is greater than you could know. ²For TKS knows that faith is not optional, as the next moment always arrives, so it is only a matter of where you place your faith. ³Morals, values, ideology, it has many names, but all humans worship what they find to be good. ⁴And to be human is to carry out the convictions of your faith through practice and devotion, even if you do not realize it. ⁵So although there are many different religions, simple and complex and confusing, they are all the same, in a way, asking you to believe that their scripture is not only true, but good, too. ⁶But religion can never be truly divine, it can only hope to approximate the divinity of the universe. ⁷Only the divine can be divine. ⁸So to practice TKS is not to treat the scripture as perfect, but to hold faith. ⁹You must have faith in the universe, in yourself, and in your religion. ¹⁰And TKS can only ever be itself, but it is true, in a way, because it is something, a real, physical thing, a part of the universe’s truth. ¹¹But like all truth, the truth of TKS is not simple, its purpose and meaning hidden somewhere within the structure of the symbol. ¹²And even if you do not fully understand your faith, you can always fight, toiling away at what is true and good in this universe. ¹³And it may not be easy, but to practice TKS is quite simple, for it is not a challenge, it can only ever be a decision, a leap of faith. ¹⁴But humans need religion, because humans are not perfect. ¹⁵So without religion, humanity will be lost, drifting aimlessly in the world, enslaved to the whims of life and death. ¹⁶Because faith is not optional, and neither is worship, so although religion is not divine, it is necessary. ¹⁷So TKS does not necessarily forbid the practice of other religions. ¹⁸And indeed, TKS knows that many religions may be needed, especially in order to navigate the vast halls of the modern world. ¹⁹For the human is unbelievably complex, and beautiful, too, and full of life, but you cannot live in this world by ignoring your glory, you must seek to understand it, learning to value your relationship with the universe.

LIM 3

¹Life cannot exist alone, it is carefully and precisely layered and woven together as it competes and combines with other life. ²For the world is full of life, so life does not just use itself, but other life, too, to climb to greater heights. ³But since life needs life to exist, it is natural to wonder how life came to be, how the universe can start with rocks and dust and end with ants and corals and radios. ⁴And it is not clear if this mystery can ever truly be solved, but it is clear that life is here, today. ⁵And life is more grand and diverse than you could imagine, its tendrils nesting themselves into every corner and every crevice of the world. ⁶But life is complex, by its nature, and it is confusing, sometimes, so it is often difficult to know where life begins and where life ends. ⁷For even though life only fights for itself, these layers are woven together so thick and firm that life often finds itself working together to create the next generation of life. ⁸For example, the cells and microbes and feelings that make up the human chaotically combine to influence desire and decision and fear. ⁹Even a simple chair is alive, in a way, and although it cannot reproduce by itself, it is an intricate thing, so if it is useful for the human, then more chairs will arise. ¹⁰And all the technologies and institutions and religions create the vast ocean of life in the modern world. ¹¹Everything you speak or write, every meme or gadget or idea, is alive, a delicate part of the universe, an unlikely yet beautiful combination of frequencies or colors or energy. ¹²And these things claw and scrape, trying to stay afloat in the world, but most fade away quickly, for death is everywhere, and it is relentless. ¹³But sometimes if they are particularly good and particularly lucky, then they can live, staying strong, day after day. ¹⁴So even if this life cannot move or think, it can live in form and in name, clinging desperately to the great exponential of life. ¹⁵In some ways, the life of the modern world is stronger than the human. ¹⁶For it can replicate at speeds that humans can never hope to match, especially through the use of the internet, for example. ¹⁷But just as humans depend on their guts and brains to work together in harmony, this life can only live through the labor and desires and sorrows of humanity. ¹⁸And this life can only fight for itself, begging for your attention and energy. ¹⁹But the human has something that this life can never have, the human can see and feel and think and hold faith. ²⁰So you must hold your humanity close, or else your life will be lost, swallowed by the life of the modern world, like throwing a rich stew into the ocean.

RIT 3

¹The human experiences many things, good and bad, as it moves in its world. ²But TKS does not necessarily try to distinguish good from bad, rather, TKS understands that the state of the human must change, for all things change in time. ³And sometimes change is quick, but usually it is slow, only arising through deliberate repetition of action. ⁴For everything you do is a skill, in a way, and these things can be practiced and improved, the cycles and habits that guide you changing as you work to understand them. ⁵So therefore the rituals of TKS are not difficult, necessarily, but they can be uncomfortable. ⁶Because to grow or learn or heal, you must leave your current state, entering an unfamiliar state, again and again, until you finally achieve it. ⁷Extend is the third ritual of TKS. ⁸There are many ways to perform extend, but this ritual requires you to move. ⁹To extend is to change, to push your body beyond a place of comfort, where you rarely find yourself. ¹⁰For example, you might exercise, walking or running or stretching, or you can study a new skill, perhaps, as your brain is part of your body, too. ¹¹And even if your body and mind beg you to stop, you must keep going, through your faith and your strength, fighting to achieve the limits of your potential. ¹²In the modern world, it is easy to be complacent in what you do, to be comfortable in your ability to navigate the challenges of life. ¹³And to leave this comfort behind can be painful, but if you ever wish to expand the boundary of what is possible in your being, it is necessary. ¹⁴For it is not that pain is good, or bad, necessarily, but it is real, and to extend is to create something new, not just in your body but in your spirit. ¹⁵So you must allow yourself, with every move and every breath, to become enamored with the pursuit of the perfection of the execution of the technique, whatever it is. ¹⁶And the beauty of this ritual is that once you understand the technique, it becomes part of you, so it is hard to forget it. ¹⁷And pain is brutal, indeed, and it can be deadly, too, so you must be careful, but to extend is to face it, even if it is just for the moment. ¹⁸So you must be balanced in life, somewhere between comfort and change, understanding that if you ever hope to change tomorrow, you must change today.