---

Ariadne/Chapter Nine: Senior and Junior Disciples of Pythagoras

---

Chapter Nine:
Senior and Junior Disciples of Pythagoras

Leonardos began to conduct conversations with Ferenika and Kondratos in order to, among other things, make sure that they really wanted to be students of Pythagoras.

Often, these meetings took place at Ariadne’s house. After all, Leonardos had no other dwelling in Crotone, except for a room in the School of Pythagoras.

Leonardos talked and explained a lot about the ethical rules of the Pythagoreans. These rules were much stricter than the standards of kindness and righteousness for people who live ordinary worldly lives.

For Kondratos, it turned out to be very difficult to adopt a pure vegetarian diet. He tried, made efforts, but complained to Ferenika about the difficulties:

“Well, is what we eat really so important for spiritual life? So many restrictions came upon us at once!”

… Ferenika answered slightly mockingly:

“You say such nonsense, Kondratos! Is it really that hard for you? And they say that men have a stronger will than women! Will all your lofty thoughts about serving people, about the search for the Highest be broken by the desire to taste a little meat? It seems that all your ideas about a just and wonderful community of people are only the fantasies of a vain mind, and not the sincere aspirations of the soul! Does compassion for our smaller brothers and sisters not fill you with love?! Does senseless killing not disturb the soul?!”

“You judge me too harshly, and you also make fun of me! This is not at all a sign of kindness, Ferenika! It is difficult for me to instantly give up all the habits of my former life, but I try and do not at all break the prohibitions…”

… But it was impossible to say that Ferenika did not also face problems. Her resentment against her former lover still flared up in her from time to time. Her emotions were not regulated by her, and her desire to achieve the Divine Love and Wisdom was still very weak…

It sometimes happened that she became inspired by the speeches of Leonardos for a whole day or even more, but then she would again return to her old ways of thinking and reacting to events.

Ariadne also sometimes supplemented these friendly conversations with her impressions and understandings and talked about her experience of mastering the first steps of the Path.

Such a union of souls, who had not yet too confidently and strongly rushed to the Light, helped everyone greatly. To overcome the Path in a community of friends and with the wise leadership of older comrades — this was one of the principles of the Pythagorean brotherhood. This was denoted by the word friendship. This concept was very deep and extensive. The possibilities of mutual assistance in uniting souls on the spiritual Path were explored and comprehensively developed by Pythagoras.

A few weeks later, another of the senior students of Pythagoras, Konstantinos, joined these meetings in the house of Ariadne.

He had been with Pythagoras for a long time. Ariadne saw him at the School many times, but they barely spoke.

He was a tall, slender, and silent young man whose inner strength and light energy attracted the attention of others. And it was embarrassing to disturb the peace that he carried in and around his body.

Ariadne treated with some trepidation and respect those students of Pythagoras who were with him even before Pythagoras arrived in their town. They — the senior students of Pythagoras — were similar to their Teacher with their calmness, benevolence, and gentle strength. They were all amazingly beautiful, and this beauty was not external, but internal. But it also manifested itself in appearance: in irresistible charm, calmness, and gentleness of movements and speeches. Among these senior students, Ariadne felt comfortable and relaxed only with Leonardos: because of their former childhood friendship and his cheerful character — he did not seem unattainable to her.

Konstantinos, on the other hand, gave her the impression of being a mysteriously beautiful person, who understood almost everything and helped Pythagoras in teaching the higher Truths. But when meeting and communicating closely, he turned out to be friendly and caring, without a shadow of arrogance!

Soon, not only Ariadne, but also Ferenika and Kondratos talked with him without hesitation. The breadth of his knowledge amazed his friends. And yet, he always found very simple words to explain what seemed difficult to understand.

* * *

Soon, a Spartan named Pankratios joined those who wished to become part of the Pythagorean community and who listened to the explanations of Leonardos and Konstantinos in the house of Ariadne. At his first meeting, he told his new acquaintances the amazing story of how Pythagoras appeared in his life.

Pankratios told everyone in detail about himself, about his strict upbringing according to the principles of Sparta, where strength and courage were glorified, and about his rather high position among his fellow tribesmen.

Everyone was interested in how he learned about Pythagoras. And Pankratios continued his story to the new friends:

“During one of the battles, I was seriously wounded. My health was not recovering. Lying all day almost motionless, unable even to get up, I then began to think about how to end my life, which had become humiliating and meaningless. I was always proud of my military prowess and athletic strength, but now my capabilities were not even enough to raise my sword and end my meaningless life… It all plunged me into despair, and I asked for a quick-acting poison.

“And at this moment of extreme despair, in a dream that was very real, I saw a sage in simple white clothes. It was as if his body was composed of overflowing white-golden light! He spoke to me about the purpose of a person’s life in a body and suggested not to give up because of bodily weakness. The meaning of life — in his words — was completely different than I thought before. He spoke about the power not of the body, but of the soul, of its striving for the Light and limitless possibilities for improvement! And then the sage showed simple exercises with breathing and light energies, which were supposed to heal my body.

“Then the sage said: ‘My name is Pythagoras. When you get well, come to me to study!’

“The dream was so real that when I woke up I remembered every detail, every word.

“I decided to try to realize the possibilities and strength of the soul, about which the sage from the dream told.

“I began to do those exercises and in a month, I was able to heal my body so much that I could get up and walk.

“I continued to do the exercises and began to ask about Pythagoras from those people who might have heard at least something about him due to their hobbies, travels, trades, or other activities.

“At first, I was unable to find out anything. And only a year later, when I had already completely restored the health of my body, did I hear from one person that Pythagoras was not just a Messenger of Gods who came to me in a dream, but a real Sage living on the Earth, who traveled to many lands and now organizes a spiritual community in Crotone.

“Of course, I then left everything and went to your city. I have already seen Pythagoras speaking at one of his discourses. Now I have no doubt that it was he who healed me, but I do not at all understand how he learned about my suffering or why he decided to help me. I would like to ask him about all this and become one of his disciples. But I was told that before becoming a student in the School, I have to learn a lot. I was offered to find the house of Ariadne of Athens. And here I am…”

* * *

The life of these future students of the School was now devoted to the study of: the sayings of Pythagoras, the foundations of the righteous behavior of the Pythagoreans, and the first simple exercises for perfecting the soul.

Every day, the students’ desire to learn and comprehend the Truth from their own experience, grew stronger and stronger. At the same time, their old ways of life seemed more and more senseless and pointless.

… On one rainy day, the disciples sat on the terrace of Ariadne’s house and listened to Konstantinos:

“People have forgotten their true nature! The opportunity to become like Gods seems to them an empty dream, and not a deed worthy of effort!

“The purification and further transformation of the soul, ascending the steps of spiritual growth — this always requires us to make continuous efforts. Only by cultivating in ourselves aspiration, love, and willpower, can we direct ourselves to the heights of spiritual Perfection. And no achievement in this field can ever be conquered once and for all. We must work every day so as not to lose what we have achieved. Yes, it is not easy… And yet, I would not exchange this life under the leadership and guidance of Pythagoras for any other fate!

“It sometimes seems to the one who is at the beginning of the Path that the Goal is so unattainable that one will not have enough strength, not enough life, to overcome the entire Path.

“But those who sincerely desire and make efforts are invariably and regularly helped by Divine Souls! Gods give us inspiration and strength! The impossible becomes possible, and what — at first glance — seemed unreachable, becomes within reach!

“Those who, frightened by difficulties, remain in captivity of earthly temptations — they find themselves in a great loss… They give their whole lives to the power of passions and ignorance! They lose the wonderful opportunity for spiritual growth, given to each of us through birth in a body in this world! After all, it is here that souls learn and improve!

“The world for us is the way we think of it, the way we perceive and evaluate it. One and the same rainy day, such as it is now, can give valuable experience, inspiration, and delight to one person — or sadness and disappointment to another…

“We will gradually learn to transform ourselves as souls! This is possible in everything, in all areas of life, if we sincerely wish it!

“I am telling you about the possibilities that Pythagoras opened before us! Our thoughts, our emotions, and our deeds in life — all this can be adjusted in accordance with the highest task that we want to realize!

“Let us do this, realizing the enormity of the opportunities given to us by the Creator, and the greatness of the Goal that we set for ourselves!

“A simple step for starting this self-tuning is the ability to plunge into the silence of the spiritual heart. We have already spoken about the spiritual heart as the center of the soul, which can guide all our efforts correctly. The heart center helps us to intuitively learn to recognize right or wrong decisions.

“… Today we will talk a little about silence.

“This rain is extremely conducive to such a conversation. This transparent water wall — it seems to separate us from the vain world, which is as if on the other side of this curtain of rain…

“The measured whisper of rain makes it possible to tune in to the silence in which all the sounds of the world are manifested…

“This silence can become for us more perceptible than the sound of the rain… We can listen to the silence behind all the sounds — and then the silence reveals its immense expanses to us! It unfolds in us and does not allow worries to invade this space of silence…

“Silence immerses the mind into the peace of the loving heart…

“Right now, I am speaking, but the silence remains as a transparent basis for the sound of my voice…

“In its depths — the silence is not broken by anything… Let’s try to feel it now.

“Note: existing sounds do not interfere with our ability to be in inner silence…

“Only by allowing unnecessary thoughts and disturbing emotions that distort harmony, do we ourselves violate this boundless peace…

“The ocean does not fluctuate from the light play of waves on its surface…

“Let us feel that the silence, transparent as air, is unchanging. We can learn to stay in the clearness of this silence!…”

And behind the transparent curtain of rain on the terrace with white marble columns, entwined with flowering ivy, there was an amazing feeling of the thinnest endless space of universal silence…

Such conversation lessons were held almost every day.