38
FEARLESS
[I as Kalki doesn't need of the teaching of Vedas, I would remember the text of Shruti. I would arrive on the earth for certain purpose for that I requires that type of teaching. It is only possible by a worrier to teach me. And in meantime, I would find a worrier who would teach me what I need for my purpose.]
Five more days have gone – completely disappeared from the calendar. My teacher says that time and tide of the ocean is uncontrollable- no one can control it, not even the creator. He is right.
That day I’m the last one to reach practice ground. When I step into the ground the sun is shining brightly at the horizon. The earth is fresh with last night’s due.i inhale the smell of the surrounding forest and it reminds me about Padhma. The occasional chirping of birds is sweet to my ears.
“What’s this?” I ask as I reach near Tarun. Arrows in his hand have no tips they are blunt and made of rubber, the material I know as the same material is used in the sole of my working boot.
“These are a blunt arrow,” Tarun says and looks at Teena and says, “Now everyone is on the practice ground. Let’s give them a demo.”
Teena walks more than twenty steps to where we have put targets made of wood. She reaches near a scarecrow made of grass and looks at us, “I’m ready.” She yells.
“Okay, now everybody. Pay attention,” Tarun says.
As every eye turns to him he continues, “I’ll hit that scarecrow with an arrow but Teena will save it.”
No one understands how she will save it but all head nod.
Tarun unplugs his bow and nocks an arrow to it. It’s the arrow without a sharp tip. It’s of rubber and blunt at the tip. I see the point of arrow swimming in and out of focus as he centers it on the scarecrow. He is in the same position as he has taught us, crouched. I stop breathing- I know why - to estimate the current of the air. Next second he inhales a deep puff of salty air and releases string. The arrow is shot in one fluid motion as he always says it should be. I’ve learned much about archery.
I don’t care about hearing the dull thrum of the bowstring instead my eyes travel with arrow till it’s about to hit the target. But… it doesn’t.
Teena springs and her sword moves in invisible motion. The next moment arrow is cut into two. Both parts fall to the ground. She has cut it exactly from half.
She bends and picks up both pieces, “both are same in length.”
“Okay,” Tarun says, “now come back.”
As Teena comes back Tarun looks at Daxa and says, “You go there and save the target.”
Daxa does as he says.
Tarun hits the target five times. Each time Daxa tries to cut the arrow but her sword misses it.
“You should cut at least an arrow,” Tarun shouts, “at least by mistake.”
“I can’t,” Daxa shouts.
“You know why?” Tarun asks.
“Don’t know.”
“But I know,” Tarun’s voice is too loud. “you miss every time because you don’t care about the target. Now I’ll hit you be ready.”
Tarun doesn’t wait for her reply. He shoots another arrow but before it hits Daxa she runs away.
“You are breaking rules,” Tarun roars,
“I can’t stand as a target.” Daxa says, “It’s impossible to stand while an arrow is coming to hit you.”
“Okay,” Tarun says, “come back.”
Daxa comes back and says, “I’m sorry but I can.”
“Why?”
“I feel fear.”
“everyone feels fear,” Tarun says, his voice calm but strong "every time you feel fear you must remember that at the same time there is a fearless inside you too." he looks over everyone, "Every time you fear there is part of you that is unaffected of that. The part that keeps your heart pumping and your blood running. Why you don't die with fear?"
No one answers.
"you don't die with fear because just some part of you feels fear not all of you." he continues, "like,
every time you are happy there is a corner in your heart where sadness is lingering and every time you are sad there is a happiness secretly hiding in your heart that gives you the power to overcome your sorrow."
Now Teena speaks, "don't think that Nirbhayas never feel fear. They feel fear but they never give up against that fear." she continues, "This is so important to know. Use your fear as your weapon - fear can't make you offline it brings you online. Keep this in mind and fear will never overtake you. Whenever you feel fear get control over it and use it and know you can be fearless."
Daxa stammers, "But we can' as we are born Sunya not fearless like you."
"Born Sunya..." Tarun laughs, "no one is born with his nature. Nature depends on your upbringing. Have you heard about the lion?"
Everyone nods as we have heard before Pralaya in the area named Gir in Gujrat lion existed. They were fearless and that's why every fearless soldier keeps tattoo of lion-face over his chest.
"My grandfather had told me," Tarun goes on, "before Pralaya people have kept a young one of lion with lambs and when it grew up it even feared of goats and dogs and cats." he clears his throat, "So the point is we are all born with a dual nature. It is our upbringing that brings out one of our nature. If you have been raised under fear it brings your lower nature that gives you emotions such as fear but never forget you still have a higher nature that is above all of that." he clenches his first. "Never, ever, ever say you are coward or Sunya or anything stupid. Even when you are feeling the greatest fear of your life some part inside you is always fearless. You just need to focus on that part." he pauses a while, "and I'm here to teach you how to focus on that fearless inside you."
I remember words of my teacher - Knowledge is power. He says the first step to being brave is knowledge.
“Remember, if you believe that a part of you is always fearless you will have the courage to overcome anything. If you believe that there is a friend in you that can be with you when you are in need of him.” Tarun continues, his eyes moving over every face on the practice field, “just you have to Imagine that there is a fearless in your heart, the same way you feel there is a conversant in your mind and whenever you experience something fearful your heart will present that fearless ahead to face it. It is the fearless inside us that pushes fear away from us.”
He takes a deep breath, “have you seen a child afraid of a little darkness?”
“Yes,” Daxa nods.
“Did you fear of darkness when you were small?”
“Yes,”
“And now?”
“I don’t fear it.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“But I know.” Tarun says, “When you were small you were completely unaware of how to get the help of the fearless inside you but now you’ve grown up and you can get the help of the fearless inside you. Problem is that you are still unaware that you have overcome the fear of darkness so you can also overcome your other fears.”
“So, we can overcome any fear?” Atul dares to ask.
“Yes, you can,” Tarun says, “when I was the child I’d my fears. As I grew up my father taught me how to overcome them and today I’ve no fear. There isn’t a fear landscape on this earth for me.” he spreads his hand, “soon you to won’t have any fear but for it, you need to create a fearless in your heart. This fearless will be like a store hut from where you can collect courage when you need it. Whenever you experience fear you can go to your heart and get courage.”
“I’ll cut it,” Daxa walks towards the scarecrow, “let the arrow come.” her each step is firm and she sounds determined.
I can’t believe my eyes. How powerful the words are even spoken words. Tarun says about how to be fearless and it makes us feel someone fearless in our heart. I wish we would have got such spoken words from our childhood.
Daxa and Tarun start to practice and the rest also start the same practice of cutting arrow in the air – in our groups.
That day Daxa misses fifteen arrows. She tries to block the arrow but she can’t do it till sixteenth arrow and still, it hit her. She doesn’t success till evening.
“I’m sorry.” She says to Tarun at in the way back to home after the day ends.
“For what?” Tarun asks.
“I can’t cut a single arrow.”
“Forget about sorry,” he smiles, “have you noticed anything?
“About what?” she asks.
We all are listening to them talking.
“What did you do today?”
“What I did,” she says, “nothing. Just try till evening and couldn’t cut a single arrow, too.”
“But you have done something else.” He says, “But you are unaware of it.”
“What have I done?” she asks, “any mistake?”
“No,” he smiles again, “a great work.”
“What?”
“When you went to the scarecrow and stood as a target. You showed a great bravery that no one in the wall has shown before. Your bravery filled the heart of other trainees with courage and once they saw you standing as a target and trying to cut arrows they got courage. They believed that if one of us can do we can do it too,” he continues, “and they all did, they all dared to stand in front of flying arrow. You don’t know but the courage they had for the whole day had come from your heart.”
“Tarun is right,” Atul says, “I was not ready for it until you dared.”
“I was also feared when I thought I needed to be the target of flying arrow but when you did my fear melted,” Karna says.
“So to start being fearless.” Tarun speaks again, “and you can be fearless. During the battle against Nirbhayas, you need this courage.” He looks at Daxa. “But the thing you did is most important on the battleground.”
We are about to enter are of huts.
“On battleground always you see a moment when you lose your heart. You feel fear. Your mind can think nothing but about the power and strength of the enemy. Your knees feel weak against the sound of horse hoofs.” He continues, “That is the time when you need someone who dares to show courage first. If one of your sides shows cowardice and flee the battleground remaining also get fear of his heart but if one from your army shows courage to jump over the curved sword of the enemy without fear of death his courage fills other hearts with strength and bravery and they can think nothing except fight.”
Daxa nods.
Next fifteen minutes Tarun gave us knowledge about bravery and courage and then we separate. Tarun and Teena turn toward teacher’s hut. The rest turn towards their own huts.
Ten more days and half of the trainees are able to cut flying arrows in mid-air as Teena had cut, into two pieces.
***
to be continue...
