S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 5 - 2 Fa l l 2 0 1 9 6 9 Petr Pavlík Chapter One Those who want to get there, they just dream about it. Those who woke up there, they are at home there. Both Astera and Celestin then rested happily for a long time in celestial love, which was even deeper than before because it had reached wisdom. It was Astera, who woke up first from that sweet dream: “Celestin, wake up, you’ve been visiting us too long.” “You said before, I am at home here,” Celestin said. “All I said was that your real home is here, but you are still not home here. We must not be together like this anymore.” Celestin paused, reluctantly putting on his helmet. What soldier would want from the conquered land! Nowhere was he as wonderful as here in heaven together with all the stars, and again it should not be the end of his journey. “But how do I wake up? Is this all around just I’m dreaming about?” “You guessed it.” “But it’s all so incredibly genuine!” “You guessed a second time. This heaven is so real to you that you refuse to wake up. And until you wake up from this dream, you will never know your true home.” “But you are not only in my dream! How could we love each other so much?” Astera shook her head and the brightly coloured rays from her crown ran across the celestial vault: “This dream is real only through the magic power of our love.” “And what would happen if we gave up that dreaming?” “Then you would really be home with me! And could you stand it, my dear?” “For you, my lady, I will do anything. I’m ready.” “Even leave the heaven of eternal love and continue to wander alone?” “Yes, my lady,” he said sadly, yet bravely. “And would you be willing to die for me there?” “Yes, my lady,” he replied quietly, his throat tight. “Then you will go and conquer the kingdom of heaven!” exclaimed Astera powerfully, and her crown blazed with such a terrible heat that it burned the whole heaven in a single mighty fire. Everything fell through, and nowhere was anything left – neither light nor dark, as if the old time had come to an end, and at the same moment a new time has begun. Chapter Two What was the hardest thing for the knight? As he eagerly coveted the kingdom of heaven, his hands began to tremble. The knight again had his old sword at his waist, and his spear was scuffed and broken at the tip. His shield was also leaky from the countless wounds he had suffered on his way to heaven. His horse was stepping in place, for the knight didn’t even know where to drive him. Gone is all shine and glitter, gone is the flickering beauty of the mysterious game of light, gone is all joy and happiness. “What do I have left? Only poverty, it is faithful even in need, but nobody wants it,” he told himself. From his happy days, he had only a few memories left. As he recalled them, the tip of his sword began to carve something into the inside of his wooden shield. It hurt him as if the sword had been carving into him deeply, for he recognized the image of the lady of his heart, though simple, yet amazingly faithful. But even in
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