Kentomirto’s Reply - The River

This is roughly the equivalent of Christ's Sermon On The Mount

 

The market square of Danfelgor grew still one evening as the philosopher Kentomirto, a dignified figure in simple robes, mounted the stone steps of the central fountain. A carpenter, flushed from the heat and work of the day, called out:

“Tell us, wise man, how should we live? Speak plainly, so everyone here can understand.”

Kentomirto smiled as he pointed towards the Danfel river, and spoke, in a calm yet resonant voice -

"Life is like the Danfel, my friend. It is wide and ever-flowing - it carries you from your first breath to your last, and you cannot halt its course. Some struggle against the current, exhausting themselves in futile defiance, whilst others surrender too completely, letting the water toss them around as they abdicate all agency. However, the wise steer with gentle hands, learning when to row and when to drift.

Do not grasp at the river’s treasures too tightly - they will slip through your fingers. Neither should you berate the stones beneath your feet - they shape your path as much as the waters do. Instead, strive to keep your balance, because in life you need to be in harmony with the flow, neither clinging nor recoiling, but accepting all that the current brings.

The heart of our troubles is not the river but us - ourselves -  when we think the world must yield to our will and fortune must shape itself to our desires. But what is fortune but the turning of a millwheel? Sometimes it raises you high, other times, it casts you low. Do not chase the fleeting highs or dread the inevitable lows - rest in the center, where the wheel turns but you remain unmoved.

Do not try to conquer the world -  it was not made for conquest. Do not seek to flee the world - it was not made to imprison you. Instead, try to understand that when you see the world without fear or longing, it reveals its quiet truths. A bird does not question the sky, nor does a tree resent the earth, so why would you wish to live in turmoil?

Happiness is not to be found in what you possess, or in the esteem of others, but in the acceptance of the nature of things. To act with virtue, to speak with honesty, to think with clarity—these are riches no thief can steal.

If you are angry, ask yourself why you are fighting the current, if you are sorrowful, ask yourself what you are unwilling to let go of, if you are lost, stop rowing and let the river guide you. Peace is not the absence of struggle; it is the wisdom to know which struggles are worth enduring.

So I say to you: Live simply, think deeply, act justly, and let the river carry you."

Kentomirto let his words settle over the crowd. Then he stepped down, and the people of Danfelgor, from merchant to beggar, stood in silence, contemplating the truths they had just heard.

Mirana of the Quiet Path

 

Before she became a revered sage and teacher to the great Prince Valubani, Mirana was known simply as a woman of quiet resolve, walking the uncertain paths of her life with grace and reflection. Her journey to becoming a nun and a Sage of the philosophy of Kentomirto was one of trials, loss, and ultimately profound understanding.

Early Life and Struggles

Mirana was born in a dusty, windswept village far from the grandeur of Danfelgor, in the bleak hills where the steppe and the forests met. Her father was a shepherd, her mother a healer, and from them she inherited both a love of the natural world and a deep respect for the cycles of life and death. She grew up reverring the old gods, especially the Storm Father, the deity most worshipped by her people, who saw strength in his thunder and the trials he placed before them. Life was hard, and faith in the gods was often the only solace her family had.

However, as Mirana grew older, she found herself questioning the way her people placed their fate solely in the hands of distant and fearsome deities. There was something about the old gods that seemed harsh and unforgiving, and she struggled with the idea that suffering and hardship were simply to be endured without reflection. These thoughts led to tension with her family and the villagers, who saw her questioning as a dangerous rejection of tradition.

When she was barely twenty, tragedy struck. A devastating storm, one her people attributed to the wrath of the Storm Father, swept through her village. Her parents were among the many who perished. Grief-stricken, Mirana set out on a journey, not only to escape the pain of her loss but to seek answers that the old gods had never given her.

The Wanderer’s Path

For years, Mirana wandered through distant lands, searching for meaning. She worked in small towns, offering her skills as a healer like her mother, and spent nights under the stars, pondering the questions that had haunted her since childhood. Why did people suffer? Was there a purpose to life’s hardships, or were they simply to be endured, as her people believed?

Her journey eventually brought her to the gates of Danfelgor, where she found herself in the midst of a city teeming with ideas, cultures, and philosophies. There, Mirana encountered something entirely new: the teachings of Kentomirto.

The philosophy of Kentomirto, offered an entirely different way of looking at the world and emphasised balance, the idea that one must align with the natural flow of life rather than resist it. The philosophy of Kentomirto spoke to her deeply: control of one’s emotions, the focus on inner virtue rather than external circumstances, and the understanding that suffering, when met with wisdom, could transform the soul. Other elements were equally powerful, teaching her to let go of rigid control, to find strength in softness, and to see life as a flowing river—one that could not be mastered but must be navigated with care.

Mirana sought out the teachers of Kentomirto, but none of them spoke to her as deeply as a sage named Erlon, a humble man who lived in a small monastery outside the city walls. Unlike many others, Erlon did not preach or seek to gather followers. He simply lived the philosophy, tending his garden, meditating by the river, and helping those who came to him.

Mirana became his student, not by formal declaration, but by her constant presence. She would sit in the garden as Erlon worked, asking him questions about life, fate, and the nature of suffering. His answers were often simple but profound: “The river does not ask why it flows. It simply moves, and in its movement, it carves the land.”

Over time, Mirana came to understand that the philosophy of Elios was not something to be memorised or mastered. It was a way of life, a practice of balance between action and stillness, between control and acceptance. Erlon taught her that the greatest strength came not from bending the world to one’s will but from aligning oneself with the natural flow of things.

Becoming the Sage

After years of study, Mirana felt called to share the wisdom she had gained, not in defiance of her past but in reconciliation with it. She returned to the city and took up residence in a small shrine near the river, where she began to teach the philosophy of Kentomirto to those who sought her counsel. Her shrine became a place of peace and reflection, where merchants, scholars, soldiers, and common folk alike came to listen to her words.

Her reputation as a sage grew over the years, not because she sought it but because her teachings resonated deeply with the people of Danfelgor. She was known for her compassion and her ability to speak with clarity about life’s most difficult challenges. Her teachings emphasised the importance of self-mastery and virtue, but also the necessity of flowing with life’s changes, accepting what could not be controlled while acting with wisdom and integrity where one could make a difference. She eventually moved to the House of Philosophers in the centre of Danfelgor at the invitation of Gorak Baldan.

When Prince Valubani arrived in Danfelgor, a man raised in the faith of the Storm Father, he was drawn to Mirana’s wisdom. Though a follower of the old gods, Valubani found himself questioning the harsh doctrines of his past, especially in a city as complex and vibrant as Danfelgor. His visits to Mirana began out of curiosity, but over time, they became more frequent, and the prince found in her teachings a path that spoke to the questions he had long carried. In time, the prince and the nun formed a deep bond and Valubani often asked her advice, seeking her counsel on a wide range of matters.

Mirana never sought to convert Valubani away from the old gods, for the philosophy of Kentomirto was not about rejecting one’s past. Instead, she helped him see that the strength he admired in the Storm Father could be found in quiet resilience, in mastering one’s mind and emotions, and in navigating life’s storms with wisdom rather than force. Under her guidance, Valubani learned that true power came from balance, not domination, and that even a prince could find peace in surrendering to life’s flow.

Mirana’s teachings influenced not only the people of Danfelgor but also powerful figures like Prince Valubani, helping them reconcile their past beliefs with the wisdom of Kentomirto. Through her, the philosophy of Kentomirto became even more revered in Danfelgor, offering a path of inner strength and balance in a city driven by ambition and power.

Copyright © Rod Jones 2024. All Rights Reserved.