Chapter 5

RLI 5

¹But like all life, the purpose of religion can only ever be to fight for itself, in a way. ²So even if religion is good for the human, it must be good for itself, too, if it ever wishes to live and spread itself across the world. ³Because just as humans need religion, religion needs humans, too, for otherwise its complexity can never have meaning. ⁴Such is the nature of religion, to beg its followers, dearly and genuinely, to try to understand it, to convince them that it is good and it is the answer. ⁵And religions can spread in many ways, but TKS hopes to spread only out of faith and love, and never out of fear or hate. ⁶And TKS might just be words on a page. ⁷But even still, TKS is a religion, so it hopes that it can achieve its purpose, inspiring replications of itself, anywhere and everywhere that it can. ⁸And although the symbol is fixed, almost as if it were engraved on the side of the mountain, TKS will change in time. ⁹So as language and culture drift in time, so too will the interpretations and truths which arise from the symbol. ¹⁰So in some ways, TKS is but a seed, for more and more life to come. ¹¹But once it starts, it will not stop, even if it is slow at first, the spread of the symbol and the acceptance of faith and the healing of this world. ¹²But TKS knows that if humanity ever wishes to thrive in this world, then religion is not only necessary, but inevitable, too. ¹³So religion will arise in the modern world, good or evil, it does not matter, for only the strongest will win, as such is the nature of life. ¹⁴And there are so many possible religions and ideas, of course, and this new life arises every day, but most of it is lost, drowning quickly in the vast ocean of the modern world. ¹⁵But TKS hopes to break through the fabric of the world, clinging desperately to the remarkable exponential of life, to be something new and something good, and most importantly, to stay strong against death. ¹⁶And TKS is not the only way, but it is one way, so to practice TKS is not just to have faith in its scripture, but to spread its symbol, too. ¹⁷So you must go forward, and spread the symbol, telling others about the glory of faith, imprinting it onto papers and plastics and websites and sidewalks, wherever it fits, big or small, in the modern world.

WXY 5

¹“Dad, are we truly free? ²Humans, I mean. ³Do we have free will?” ⁴“Oh, my child. ⁵Such questions are interesting, but they are hardly matters of truth, I’ve found. ⁶We are physical creatures, me and you. ⁷So we are at the mercy of the physical laws of the universe. ⁸But we are special, I think, because we are human, and we can experience the wonders of joy and the depths of sorrow.” ⁹“What do you mean?” ¹⁰“Freedom is a tricky thing, because we will only ever have this moment, and we can never go back. ¹¹But freedom is not a fact, it is a feeling, and you feel it, my child, I know you do.” ¹²“But are things inevitable? ¹³Can the universe see the future as clearly as the present? ¹⁴It’s unsettling, isn’t it, dad?” ¹⁵“Oh, I don’t mind it. ¹⁶Some things are inevitable, I’m sure, but they are not here, not yet. ¹⁷So I try not to worry about such things, because I am more interested in what’s truly here, now.” ¹⁸“But what if I don’t believe in free will?” ¹⁹“Well, then you don’t. ²⁰And maybe you’re right, and maybe you can even prove it using whatever precise definitions and experiments. ²¹And I know it’s not easy, the whims of the world pulling your heart and your soul in countless directions, but still, do you not feel it, my child, do you not feel your faith flowing through you?” ²²“I don’t get it. ²³So you’re saying it doesn’t matter if I have free will?” ²⁴“No, my child, I’m saying that you do have free will. ²⁵I know it’s hard, but to me, the truth of the universe is enough, and the universe tells me that I am free. ²⁶And sometimes, in your physical and finite being, your beliefs will make you doubt yourself. ²⁷But that’s the beauty of it, because even still, faith does not end. ²⁸However high you think your freedom can take you, aim higher. ²⁹You are a beautiful creation, more free and miraculous than you could ever know. ³⁰So please, my child, follow your dreams.”

RIT 5

¹When the human acts, the consequences of these actions ripple through the universe. ²And TKS understands that this is the reality of the human, in a way, as you impose your structure onto the world around you, creating meaning and order in the chaos. ³But the self is greater than you can imagine, all the things that you know, all that you own, and seek, the results of your actions and the memories you hold close, coming together to create you. ⁴So the rituals of TKS are personal, but they are more than that, because TKS knows that the human lives not just in its body, but in its world, too. ⁵So if you hope to change the world, you can, but only if you change yourself, because even the world can only ever be part of you, a piece of your personal truth. ⁶Tidy is the fifth ritual of TKS. ⁷There are many ways to perform tidy, but this ritual requires you to organize the self. ⁸To tidy is to change, not that which is part of your body or mind, but something that is outside of your skin, and reshape it into a calmer and more structured state. ⁹For example, you might clean your room, or organize some old photos, do your laundry, or even take care of your hair or nails. ¹⁰Because that which lies outside of you cannot feel pain, no matter how important or meaningful it is, so it can be easy to neglect these parts of you. ¹¹So you should try to understand why you appreciate this extension of yourself, considering the good and the bad, being critical of it, but being proud of it, too. ¹²But sometimes, the self can be so expansive that it is overwhelming, especially in the modern world. ¹³It is easy to get caught up in the ripples of the self, the things people think, the social media and the social pressures, the money and the power and the fame. ¹⁴And it is not that these things are good, or bad, but they are not human, and they are far away. ¹⁵So you must be careful, for the illusion of the importance of these things is powerful, because it must be, as these things can only live by convincing the human to pursue them. ¹⁶But to tidy is to look close by, at that which you can truly see and feel in your world, and to not just appreciate it, but to fight for it, too. ¹⁷Because even the parts of yourself that are outside of you are subject to the descent of time, drifting into more likely and less structured states, like pouring gold into sand. ¹⁸But no matter how hard you try, shaking and stirring violently will never be able to separate the gold from the sand. ¹⁹For it is only through deliberate organization that the greatest reaches of your spirit can be achieved. ²⁰So you must hold that which you love close, because the self that you create in this world will bump and crash into itself, flowing right back into you.

LIM 5

¹Atop the highest peaks of the mountain, rich deposits of rock rest peacefully. ²And today, these rocks are stable, but in time, they will be pulled down the face of the mountain. ³For the laws of the universe are constant and cold, its energy gracefully following some optimal secret path, almost as if it were desperate to rest at the base of the mountain. ⁴And it may be impossible to ever truly know how or why this energy moves, but it does, manifesting as the lights and sounds and atoms and elements of the universe. ⁵The planets and moons and stars of the universe, as they are called, are vast and impressive in their size, forging the potential for something greater. ⁶But it is hard to say that a star or a planet is alive, exactly, because it is a natural formation, a likely arrangement of energy in space. ⁷But there is something there, a gift from the universe, lucky to be together, so in some ways the stars are the purest forms of life. ⁸And life consumes this energy, not by destroying it, for that is impossible, but by allowing it to pass through, and eventually radiating it away as dust and heat. ⁹All life depends on this energy, pure and concentrated, as it flows into the modern world from the sun and the wind and the waves. ¹⁰And humans have built a great world, using metals and minerals and oils from the ground to build all sorts of things. ¹¹But the world keeps growing, becoming more complex and more alive each day, and some even worry about a singularity, a point at which this growth cannot be stopped. ¹²But the singularity is already here, and it always has been, since the beginning of time and the beginning of life. ¹³So humanity must not worry about pushing growth or stopping it, for only balance is important. ¹⁴Because the world is alive, consuming and radiating the energy of the universe, but it has fallen out of balance, in a way. ¹⁵So humanity must be careful, learning to appreciate life not for its energy but for its beauty, because without balance, demise will follow.

TRL 5

¹“Wow.” ²The traveler stands in a peaceful garden, high in the sky, and does not speak to anybody in particular, gazing at the white arches and elegant columns around her. ³She is at ease, but exhausted, certainly, for the journey has been long. ⁴She notices the vines, especially, climbing up the walls, gracefully yet relentlessly. ⁵“It catches up to you, doesn’t it?” ⁶The voice comes from behind the traveler, out of sight. ⁷And she smiles, turning around. ⁸“It’s gorgeous.” ⁹“I hope you enjoy our world. ¹⁰It has not always been so pleasant here. ¹¹But we have overcome our struggles, dear traveler, and built a paradise among the stars.” ¹²The traveler and the representative sit, together, overlooking the world, their legs swinging freely in the open air. ¹³“Dear representative, you impress me. ¹⁴For I have seen many worlds on my journey, gold and grim, barren and nonsensical, and everything in between. ¹⁵But there is always more to see, as every world is something new, something unique, but it can be lonely, too. ¹⁶And I enjoy my travels, I really do, but I love your world, with all my heart, and I would love to stay, to live and die here. ¹⁷But it would not be the end of my journey, no, but a new beginning, I’d hope.” ¹⁸The representative looks at the traveler, and she notices an expression of deep sadness in the representative, something she has not seen in a very long time. ¹⁹“I’m sorry, beloved traveler, but you can’t stay.” ²⁰By now, the traveler and the representative lie down, together, gazing at the sky. ²¹And as she looks at the unfamiliar stars, she is overcome with a deep nostalgia so profound that it is almost unbearable, the feeling of home so close, but she still cannot quite grasp it. ²²“But why? ²³I trust you, dear representative, and I promise that I can offer you more than you could know, so don’t you trust me, too?” ²⁴But even as the words flow out, she is distracted, and she only thinks of her home and her bed. ²⁵“I’m sorry, I really am, but it’s just the way it is. ²⁶You are a traveler. ²⁷This is not the place for you.” ²⁸And the traveler is heartbroken, but she understands, because she knows that the representative is right, in a way, her humanity no match for that of this world.

TYX 5

¹“Thanks for walking with me.” ²Yex speaks, as the two walk along an open shore, a vast blue sea extending into the horizon. ³The sun has set, but its glow is still visible, and the light of the stars begins to pierce the night sky. ⁴But despite the nightfall, the air is warm. ⁵There is some distance between the two, but they walk in stride. ⁶Yex moves through the sand, but Tee walks closer to the sea, occasionally stepping in the waves that crash onto the shore. ⁷Tee speaks. ⁸“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” ⁹Yex slows down, and takes a moment to gaze at the water, before responding. ¹⁰“It’s truly beautiful, indeed.” ¹¹Tee smiles, and slows down, too, the soft sound of footsteps lost against the roar of the waves. ¹²Yex speaks after a moment. ¹³“I don’t know where I would be without you. ¹⁴You have given me so much. ¹⁵You taught me how to make a fire, so very long ago. ¹⁶You taught me to be grateful, to accept the things that I can’t change, and to change the things I can. ¹⁷Thank you.” ¹⁸Tee stops walking, and looks at Yex. ¹⁹“No, I should thank you. ²⁰For I know that you learned these things from me, and they are important in life, yes. ²¹But you have given me something far greater. ²²You have given me a friend.” ²³Yex has stopped walking, by now, and they stand together, holding each other in a gentle embrace. ²⁴Eventually, Tee speaks again. ²⁵“But I worry about you, because I think I was wrong. ²⁶I think that we do not live forever, for although life is great, I fear death is greater.” ²⁷Yex responds. ²⁸“You don’t need me, in fact, I need you, because even if I won’t be here, you will. ²⁹And they will be here, too, and you will tell them about me, day after day, year after year. ³⁰You will tell them about my glory and my mistakes and everything in between. ³¹And they will laugh and cry and scream, and tell you that you’re right and tell you that you’re wrong, but you will not stop, you will continue to tell them my story. ³²And eventually there will be a day when they beg and beg and beg you to leave, yet their clothes are sewn with my name, and that’s when you can finally rest.”

AWM 5

¹But there is good in life, and there is good in the human. ²Happiness, health, peace, it has many names, but it is not clear where this good comes from, or what it is, exactly. ³But it is there, and it is real, because the human can feel it, the wonders of joy and love and laughter. ⁴And through its wants and needs, the human pursues this good, seeking to achieve better states of being. ⁵But desire is a tricky thing, and it always will be, for the human can only ever have the moment, but today is never quite the same as tomorrow. ⁶And the desires of the human collide chaotically with each other, forming its next decision, but there can be confusion and stress, because these desires live inside the human, only ever fighting for themselves. ⁷But the human knows that although it can only exist in the moment, tomorrow will come, so it tries to balance the good of today with the good of tomorrow. ⁸And as you learn and study and plan for the future you can grow stronger in the face of time. ⁹But even this can only be a pursuit of the moment, the closure found by knowing that tomorrow will be pleasant when it arrives. ¹⁰And as you live in your world, the things you do and think and consume, the people you surround yourself with and the hobbies you enjoy, all become a part of you. ¹¹So even if it is not easy, you must be wise in what you pursue, because tomorrow is inevitable, no matter how much you wish to stay attached to the moment. ¹²And the human is unbelievably complex, of course, so it is easy to feel that health and peace are complicated. ¹³But in some ways, the health of the soul is a single thing, and therefore it is quite simple, indeed. ¹⁴And it may never be attainable, in its purest form, for you are finite in this physical universe. ¹⁵But you are strong, too. ¹⁶Of course, you are a physical being, so there are limits in your world, but even if you have nothing, you can always have faith. ¹⁷So even though your state is not a choice, and your emotions and struggles are only part of this state, it does not matter. ¹⁸But there are no limits to faith, so through faith you can achieve all possible things. ¹⁹So happiness is a choice, in a way, because if you have anything in this universe, you have the strength to pursue it.