The Kingdom of Roses

16

The Twenty-Fifth Realm

It was the day of the Great Assembly, and everyone had gathered for the banquet the Bride had prepared for them. There were whispers of something special this time and no one knew exactly what it was. The excitement was palpable.

The Bride sensed their curiosity. Rising, she addressed the King, ‘It is time. Shall we begin?’

The King smiled and replied, ‘Yes.’ Then he looked at all those gathered and said, ‘We will create a new realm this day and allow all of you to witness its birthing. It is a little microcosm of our realms and for those who have eyes to see and ears to listen, it is a lesson for life.’

There was a hushed silence in the assembly as everyone watched with bated breath.

The King and his beloved held hands and the power of omnipotence went forth from them like a mighty sword downwards so that the new realm was located directly below and at the center of the foundational mountains of the heavenly twenty-four realms. The latter floated above these three mountains but were all connected to one another. The new realm now appeared as another foundation below the heavenly one albeit far smaller. In fact, it was more like a footstool of the throne on Dàshān.

The blue and golden flames of power from the King and his beloved opened a portal and expanded it like a vast balloon full of air and suspended particles. Within its depths there was a sea of darkness with nothing, but an empty void of a wilderness held in place by strong forces creating a near-perfect vacuum. Thus, the Morning and Evening Stars birthed the new realm.

The Bride announced, ‘Behold, the mortal earth realm!’

The living beings discussed this, ‘Mortal? What is mortal? Are we not immortals? Does that mean it will not exist forever? It is such a wild place, chaotic looking! Surely it is a wilderness. It is designed to end!’ As they watched, the King and Bride hovered over the vast, dark void they had just made, examining it.

They spoke together, saying, ‘Light, be!’ and from their cores light shot into the balloon-like earth realm. As it entered the void with fierce force, there was a great sound. Together, the light and sound set everything within the void in paths of motion, some linear, some elliptical, some spherical, all vibrating as if they were dancing in excitement. They acted like an ignition key that had started a great engine of a sleeping machine.

‘Oh!’ the assembly muttered in awe as the realm lit up with a mixture of ambient light and inherent darkness.

From this point onwards, the Makers created things in the order in which they had made the heavenly realms, subtly planting trail markers for their own memory for a later time. They entered the twenty-fifth realm and danced as they did when they first created the heavens.

In the first twirl, they separated the ambient light from the protective shadow of its accompanying darkness. They did something different though. They connected the dimension of time to the path of light. The darkness remained a reservoir of dark matter that gathered energy and birthed stars when it was filled in specific locations. The dark matter was also made of tiny prism-like specs like its counterpart in the heavens. In addition, they created pathways for some of the ambient light making it distinct from the surrounding darkness. These became the revolving arms of numerous galaxies.

In their second twirl, they found the perfect spot for life to thrive in one of the galaxies. There they spoke and created a thin sphere which was like a fine sheet of metal that was beaten to form the shape. This sphere separated the waters under it from the gassy, layered sea above it. While their forms were different, these ‘waters’ had similar elements. Together, they formed the sky. The sphere was the protective shield and boundary of the planet that would form within it. It kept dangerous things out and held in moisture and breathable air.

In the third twirl, they spoke and the waters under the sphere came together with great pressure, forming three layers as the foundation of the earth just like the three mountains hold up the twenty-four realms. The difference was that these three layers were spherical with the center most being the hottest and smallest, the outer core being fiery but bringing forth crystals, and the mantle being the one which bore water and gardens upon its crust. They did this to remind themselves that the throne of Dàshān and the twenty-four realms would remain hidden from the eyes of this world. Then, the ruler of Huǒrè de bǎolěi would come first, followed by the ruler of Méiguī shān who will come last in the history of mortals.

The force with which these three spheres were formed pushed the waters to the surface. The Makers spoke and caused dry land to appear in the midst of the gathered waters called the sea. A fine mist enveloped the earth and its richness ensured there was no need for rain. The land mass was not divided at that time.

Then the King and the Bride gathered some red dust that was on the ground. They expertly formed it into the shape of a mortal being who was in their image in terms of appearance. Externally, this being looked like a man but within, he carried the substance that would be used to make a woman. In his making, the King and his beloved enacted their own state of unity as the Great Fire. At this point, the man they sculpted was still lifeless though he had a form.

Then in the sight of all, the Makers took the Blood Stone in which the white, living stone was embedded and they used it to make the heart of the mortal. Rightly one can say that the being was stone-hearted at first. Both of them breathed into his nostrils and a double portion of their spirit bearing the wind element entered him. Thus, the spark of life enlivened the mortal and within him, he carried the breath needed for the woman who would come afterwards.

The man’s heart began to beat as he drew the first breath of life. The Makers clothed him in a skin of light that shone magnificently. They named this first mortal made of red earth as Zhì Rén. They were proud of him and regarded Zhì Rén as their true son just like they regarded everyone else in the heavens as their children. Zhì Rén looked upon his heavenly parents in a daze of wonder and innocence.

In the heavens, everyone was awe-struck. The brothers were keenly observing all these things.

Xióng Zhǎn excitedly declared, ‘Look! It is the Blood Stone! This being is a mortal living stone with a form!’ He had perceived what was hidden within the Blood Stone when the King and the Bride showed it to him in the past.

Jiàn Shēng who failed to perceive the depts of the Blood Stone looked puzzled. ‘Why would they create a living stone such as this? It is inferior in every way. It is red, the lowest power of all the stones! They could have picked purple at least. It is nothing but a jiāngshī of mud that is animated by their breath, a mindless puppet. Pathetic!’

After this, as the heavenly audience and Zhì Rén watched, the Makers spoke. At their word, streams, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and all kinds of flowering and fruiting plants, shrubs and trees grew forth. The King and his beloved formed a beautiful garden in the eastern lands that resembled the secluded heights of Méiguī shān, the mountain of the Bride. It was large in scale and had its own valleys and cliffs. They led Zhì Rén into the garden.

‘This will be your home. We will be here with you and teach you all that you must know about the world you live in,’ they told him. He understood them and nodded his head in agreement.

In the center of the garden the Makers brought out a mighty river which had its source underground. This river bubbled forth southwards before it split into four directions that encircled the undivided land mass even beyond the boundaries of the garden. It bore life wherever it went. It was a trail marker that would carry the memory of Shēngmìng zhī hé and the core element within the Bride which was water.

On either side of the source of the river, a tree sprung up. It was just one tree with a shared root system, but it looked like two because it grew on either side of the river’s banks. It was the trail marker to remind the Makers of Shēngmìng zhī shù and the core element of the King which was a rose of pure light. However, there was a difference. The part of the tree on the right bank bore beautiful rose-like flowers and fruit as well as a brilliant golden glow of iridescence. The one on the left bank looked ordinary though it also bore flowers and fruit of red hue. It lacked any signs of power or brilliance.

The Makers addressed Zhì Rén who was keenly observing them and everything they were doing, ‘Zhì Rén, care for all that is in this garden. Till it and guard it well. Look, you can eat freely and without fear from any of the trees in this garden. However, do not eat of the tree on the left bank of the river’s source which bears red flowers and fruit. The day on which you eat it, you will consume death and know through experience all the pain and suffering it will bring into this world. The end of it will be your own death.’

‘What is death?’ Zhì Rén asked.

‘We hope you will never learn what it is, but when that day comes, you will learn it for yourself,’ they taught him.

The ones in heaven who witnessed these things and rejoiced when Zhì Rén was created, now stayed silently wondering what death was. Heaven knew nothing of death or its horrors at that time. All they knew was that mortals would not go on living forever like immortals. The mortal realm was already a teacher to the heavenly beings more than they realized.

The King and his beloved twirled a fourth time, and the heavy mist that clouded the sky lifted and Zhì Rén’s eyes gained clarity to see what they had hidden from view. It was morning and the sun light shone brightly, dancing off the emerald leaves and blue waters. Zhì Rén hid his eyes at the glare for his eyes were not yet accustomed to the brightness that was hidden behind the mist.

‘What is it? It hurts my eyes!’ he said as he looked at his heavenly parents for an answer.

‘It is the great light that will rule your days and help you understand time when it begins to matter in this world. It is called the sun,’ they taught him.

At night, Zhì Rén lay on the grass and looked into the beautiful dark sky. The moon had risen in all her brightness and the light from distant stars danced in the velvety, black background.

‘That is not the sun. What is it?’ he asked the Makers.

‘It is the moon, the lesser light that rules the night and guides the tides and winds,’ they told him.

‘It is beautiful. I love its soft glow,’ Zhì Rén said and then added, ‘How about those little lights that are so small? Are they suns or moons?’

The Makers smiled, ‘They are suns and moons, as well as other things that are far away from your home. Many of them are balls of fire and brimstone.’

Then the Bride spoke seriously to Zhì Rén, ‘Son, listen carefully now to what we are telling you. The sun, moon and stars are all signs. They mark your time but more than that, they signal for appointed meetings.’

‘What are signs and appointed meetings?’ he asked in innocence.

‘Signs of a true pledge or covenant that will not be broken. The sun, moon and other heavenly bodies move through appointed paths in the heavens, but at appointed times they will meet and align. This will go on and mark days, weeks, months, years, and even ages because their appointed separation and eventual meetings are all destined. They will not fail to meet,’ they told a rather bewildered Zhì Rén who was trying to grasp all the workings and wonders of this new world.

‘I do not understand all of that,’ he mumbled.

‘It does not matter Zhì Rén, it is more important that you remember what we told you and then tell it to the ones like you who will come later on,’ the Bride replied.

These were trail markers of when the King and the Bride had determined to meet in the mortal realm far into the future.

‘Now sleep,’ she said as she sang a lullaby for her son.

As the new day dawned, Zhì Rén watched the King and Bride dance a fifth twirl and life gushed through the waters first and then the skies. It was the blue life force of the Bride that breathed life into them as in the heavenly realms. All kinds of graceful, majestic and mighty creatures filled these habitats and reflected the shapes, forms, colors, and iridescence of the beings in the northern realms of heaven.

Zhì Rén looked in amazement and spent the day diving and chasing after them in futility but with enthusiasm and great joy. The Makers laughed along with him.

‘What are these?’ he asked.

‘They are fish, insects, and birds of various kinds. We will teach you about each of them,’ they told him as he continued in his quest of chase and catch.

The next day, the Makers danced a sixth twirl and the King’s life force entered the land. From it rose all kinds of life forms small and large, adept at climbing trees and running through forests or plains. There were herd and pack creatures that sought to live as families just like their counterparts in the eastern and western realms of heaven.

‘These are living souls just like the ones in the water and air,’ the Makers told Zhì Rén as he petted some of the creatures that approached them. ‘They can all feel, think and learn to smaller or greater levels but they are all to be treated with honor. Harming them is not permitted,’ they taught him, and he learnt these principles carefully.

The King and his beloved noticed Zhì Rén looking a little forlorn and confused. ‘What is the matter Zhì Rén?’ they asked.

‘I cannot find someone just like me,’ he said.

‘Oh? Indeed, it is not good for you to be alone. Have you looked everywhere?’ they asked him. ‘Let us look again,’ they added.

The Makers allowed Zhì Rén to look at all the living souls on land, including the birds and fish. They allowed him to name them as he saw fit. ‘What do you think?’ they asked him.

‘They are all good friends of mine but not one of them is just like me. Not one is an equal who can share my thoughts, feelings, and life in this beautiful world. I still feel alone,’ he answered honestly.

‘Very well, we will give you an equal. Someone who will be a mirror to your soul. An equal but an opposite. One who will protect you reciprocally with her life, a guardian who will share in the responsibility of serving and working in this garden,’ they told him as a deep sleep came upon Zhì Rén.

The Makers took flesh from his side and from within and under his ribs they drew the breath of the Bride out of him. They formed a female made of his own substance and enlivened her. Zhì Rén lay on the ground with his beautiful guardian by his side. They were just like the King and his Bride when they chose to be separate as the Fire and the Flame, taking shape and form in the solitude of Méiguī shān.

Zhì Rén’s bride was just like him in substance, yet his opposite in every way, a perfect counterpart. By now, the Makers had already sealed Zhì Rén’s side with flesh, and it was healed before he awoke from his deep slumber. The Makers called her Yīn-er.

When Zhì Rén awakened, the first one he saw was Yīn-er who was clothed in light just like himself. He was so mesmerized that he could not break his gaze. The same was true of her as she looked at him tenderly and smiled. Seeing that she was just like him yet different, he exclaimed, ‘This is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones. I will call her a woman and I will call myself a man for she was taken from me.’

The King and his Bride smiled and nodded in agreement as they told the mortals, ‘You both will be one flesh.’ The mortals did not understand what this meant but the Makers had planted another trail marker of their love story in this entire process of creating a man and a woman in the image of their Makers, first the united being on the third day, and later the gender differentiation on the sixth day.

Addressing the mortals once again they instructed them, ‘You will represent our rule in this realm. Be a true representation of our love and justice to all the living creatures. Serve them as good stewards and ensure they are loved and cared for regardless of how small or great they are. Thus, you shall rule over all the living souls that have filled the water, sky and land. We have ordered life to multiply after its own kind so that through this act, all that lives can overcome mortality. Son and daughter, you too shall multiply and fill this earth. You will eat of the fruit of the plants and trees just like all the other living souls.’

At the seventh twirl, the Makers called for a Great Assembly in the mortal realm and told Zhì Rén and Yīn-er, ‘Every seventh day of the week, there will be a great assembly and you as well as all the other living souls shall gather at the center of the garden to meet with us. On this day you will rest and enjoy what it means to live in a community of love and peace.’

Time was steadily passing in the mortal realm, but it was not yet being reckoned for death had not yet entered it. Likewise, the time to multiply had not yet come. Zhì Rén and Yīn-er were still innocent and were more like friends than lovers in those days. Their life was simple, and their days were full. All life thrived, and the living souls knew no fear. Friendship and peace filled the whole land within and outside the garden.

Only a short time had passed in the heavenly realms as the King and his beloved journeyed out of the mortal realm back into their home where the Great Assembly was still in progress. Everyone present burst out in celebration and cheering, declaring the splendor of the twenty-fifth realm. They were also glad to have mortal siblings, both human and other life forms.

Jiàn Shēng felt a deep discomfort that he could not explain. He did not like what he saw. He was distrustful of the mortals, especially because they appeared to be weak, red, living stones yet were filled with the breath of their Makers.

‘I would keep my eyes wide open – these things cannot be loved or trusted it seems,’ he thought to himself, ‘When permitted, I will visit these Jiāngshī and teach them their proper place.’

On earth, in the garden, the innocent Zhì Rén and Yīn-er slept soundly in each other’s embrace. How could they know they were going to be the main characters of a plot that was already set in motion? How could they grasp that the little blue, watery world they called home, was the center stage of an unfolding and decisive drama even as it quietly span through the expanse of the lonely wilderness around it?