Chapter Four:
Veliyar’s Departure from the Community
Time passed. Rada grew up, and become more mature. Fourteen springs had already passed! Soon, she will be old enough to be a bride!
She was transforming from a girl — to a beautiful young lady. Like a bud which began to open its tender petals — so her beauty blossomed!
But, the situation in the community, meanwhile, was not going well. The discontent of some members of the community was accentuated by the way in which Blagoslav managed the life of everyone.
And this dissatisfaction was fanned by that same Veliyar, whose meditations Rada also listened to sometimes and whose reasoning she tried to comprehend.
He most of all showed discontent with the strict guidance of Blagoslav. He was a man who had great power: he was a great soul and had a strong body. He was skillful in many ways. People often listened to his words.
And Veliyar wanted the headman to listen to his opinions and to agree with his proposals. He wanted to strengthen his influence in the community.
He saw himself as the successor of Blagoslav after the death of Radomir.
But it did not work out for him! It was only a rivalry and a struggle with the headman for influence on the people of the community.
Situations began to happen more and more often when, contrary to Blagoslav’s instructions, he expressed his opinions only out of protest. He passionately wanted people to follow him and admire his mind. He reluctantly obeyed Blagoslav and did not humble his pride even for the sake of appearance. And more and more often, behind Blagoslav’s back, he said that the headman was not right: that he did not make the right decision in such and such a case, and because of that — harm resulted, and then, again, in some other situation — Blagoslav also seemed to be mistaken… Veliyar began to say even completely evil and disgusting things: “Our old man has lost his mind completely! And he has already ceased to understand God!”
Blagoslav observed this for a long time and tolerated it, but now it was time to make a decision.
Blagoslav invited Veliyar to his house. Veliyar entered and bowed slightly. However, he did not bow with an earthly bow, but just slightly bent his back.
“Hello, Veliyar! Please, sit down at the table, and regale yourself!” — Blagoslav greeted.
… Only, there was nothing on the table! It was empty! Even the tablecloth was not laid…
“Do you mock me? No treats have been served!”
“Well then, treat yourself! Take it from the oven! Rada has prepared it!…”
“But in your house — is it appropriate for me to manage?!”
“Well, is that how you really feel? So, is it appropriate then for you to manage in the community? And to manipulate the people behind my back to cause trouble — is it right for you to do this?”
“So? It’s not only your community! It is mine too!”
“The community is neither yours, nor mine… We live here together for God, but not separately, living how anyone wants. So, let the community make the choice! If the whole community will elect you, then I will listen to you… But in the meantime, it is I who should be responsible for the orders around here! You do not do right, stirring up the people!”
“But in each of us, God can speak! So, it would be appropriate that they also listened to me!”
“Yes, in each He can speak…”
“So why do you not listen to me? Why should everyone listen only to you forever? I’m fed up with living under your power!”
“I called you here so that I could listen to you, and so that you could listen to me too!
“I do not fulfill your advice, because your “i” distorts God’s thoughts — for the sake of your proud self, which requires respect from others!”
“Well, let the community decide whom to hear and obey! Tomorrow, gather everyone! I will give my speech! But let’s see: who wants your tediousness and coercions, and who needs freedom!”
Veliyar went out without saying goodbye and slammed the door…
… Rada did not hear this conversation. But she felt what was happening.
She was very sensitive to this discord in the community. And she decided to talk with Veliyar herself:
“Why do you, Veliyar, always contend against my grandfather? As if we are not one spiritual family, but people who do not know about God at all?
“There are so few of us in the community… If every one of us will live separately, will it be better?”
“You do not understand, granddaughter!” — Veliyar answered with malice. He looked at Rada with a sneer.
He perceived her as the small and unthinking favorite of the headman, although Rada had already matured, and learned a lot, and she tried to find the deepest meaning in everything.
Veliyar continued in a lecturing tone:
“Your grandfather rules people like a despot! He does not listen to anyone, does not trust anyone except himself!”
“But he is responsible for everyone, he cares about everyone!” — Rada tried to object.
“But, what if such care is no longer needed by the people? What if everyone has become tired of living under his commands? And what if there were others who could be responsible for everyone — would it be worse? Since I speak cleverly — why not listen to me, eh?”
“You often say the words of faith, but unkind thoughts are behind your words! If we ourselves will not live together as good friends, then all the best, for which we are trying to live together, will be lost!
“And how can we merge with God by souls, when we do not even agree with each other?”
“How did you get to be so smart? You have already learned lots of beautiful words! Maybe you, too, could talk about the ‘knowledge from time immemorial’…
“We have all already been living separately for some time now! The unity between our people is only in appearance, but we are not really united!”
“But you are the first who calls for this!”
“I call because I’m tired of dancing your grandfather’s dance! Enough! You are not afraid of him, because you’re relatives! He will scold you, but not drive you out! But the rest of us obey out of fear of him. We tremble before him! But I’m not afraid! And with me — all the brave people of the community will leave, if the people do not elect me now as the headman!”
“What's on your mind?”
“We will do the gathering of the community tomorrow — and you'll know tomorrow!”
… The next day Veliyar himself began to convene the community to give a speech, fearing that Blagoslav would not allow this.
The people gathered and listened to Veliyar: his calls to elect him as the headman, his accusations against Blagoslav… For all, he now openly expressed it for the first time. And his full desire to rule and manage became visible to everyone…
Blagoslav listened too. He looked at the people’s faces. And waited…
Then he came out, bowing to the earth to the people:
“For many years, I was the headman here… If you do not like it now, then you, the people, may decide! Speak your thoughts!”
… The community members spoke one by one. Many people talked about their discontent, about what is not good in the community, in their opinion… They spoke calmly, judiciously. However, everything was somehow only earthly in their speeches…
But Veliyar was not approved, the people did not want to elect him as the headman. He was told to his face about his pride, about his desire not to live for all, but to command and control…
Veliyar was very surprised that no one wanted to support him…
He announced:
“I’ll leave with my wife from the community.
If anyone wants to leave with me, then we will make a new free community!”
On that note, it seemed, the conversations ended.
But Rada had a feeling that the most important words were not pronounced.
Blagoslav remained silent, pondering over the accusations, addressed to him, deciding: was he really wrong in something, or were these just the absurd wantings of the people?
Rada went out in front of people and asked for permission to talk.
People looked at her with surprise.
Such gatherings allowed even small children to speak. But in the memory of the community members, children and teenagers only listened, none of them gave speeches.
Rada heard her heart beating in her chest. She took a deep breath — and slowly breathed out the air, as Radomir had once taught her: to cope with excitement.
She began to speak — and was surprised how calmly and smoothly her voice sounded. The words seemed to rise from the depths as if by themselves.
“Do we all live in the community together — by our own will? Or did someone force us to do this?
“Do we only want to save our lives and feed our bodies? Or do we have greater thoughts?”
Rada continued to talk. Her voice was ringing and clear. The fragile girlish body was filled with extraordinary strength, her words penetrated into the souls…
When she finished her short speech about the love for God, about His Presence here in every moment of life — then there was a special silence.
After her, blacksmith Mikula came to speak.
He was of enormous stature, of a stout physique. And even though he was over fifty already, he possessed such power that there was no one stronger in the community, even though there were strong bodies among the community members.
He lifted Rada with his huge arms, kissed her, and stroked her head with a special caress!… It was — as if in her childhood, when young Rada often went to the forge to look at the mysteriously beautiful work of Mikula…
“Yes, you have grown, our clear-headed one!
My beloved people! My dear friends! Through the words of Rada, God enlightens us! For many years, we had been living as one family… But now, we are bogged down in our own worldly affairs and desires, in grievances of empty and pretentious claims to each other — as if we are floundering in a swamp…
“It seems that we all remember about God… But the spiritual aspiration has withered in us, it has been overshadowed with worries about earthly things!
“I’m talking about myself too.
“Although I did not speak about my grievances against Blagoslav, I also had an offense against him. I asked his permission to melt the iron, saying: ‘Under our feet — the ore is good!’. But he forbade this, saying: ‘We will become noticeable!’.
“I thought about this insult today, instead of thinking about how we should continue the spiritual life in the community: about how to approach God by the souls, about how to increase our love for God in every word and deed!
“When people are united together by spiritual aspirations, by love for God — then small personal disagreements disappear, and God’s Love helps each one to cultivate the Divine in oneself and to manifest It in the world around — both in the large and the small! Then — the mutual care increases! And in any deed, beauty and inspiration are manifested!
“Everything in our lives must be for God!
“The unity in love for God of spiritually aspiring people — creates those human relationships which generate an amazing space of common life! In such a life together, it is easier for every soul to move forward! These are the best conditions for spiritual accomplishments, for the growth of souls, and for the improvement of each member of the community!
“If discords and quarrels, resentments, envy, and condemnations of each other even in small things begin, this means that God has ceased to occupy the main place in our lives!
“We all here know about God! About the steps of the Path — we have all the knowledge! But there is no desire in us to learn more! It is as if we were already at the top of the mountain, saw the Sun from there and then went back down to the valley. ‘We saw the Sun — so, this must mean that we have already cognized what was necessary…’
“But this is wrong! Only the one who has become the Source of the Divine Love, by kindling in oneself the Sun of God — can become the Son or the Daughter of God!
“And now, let’s take a look: how far we all are from this!
“This is something for us to think about, my beloved people!
“And, we do not have a headman better for us than Blagoslav!”
He said all of this and then bowed to Rada separately, and then separately to Blagoslav, and then to all the community members.
Blagoslav asked for forgiveness from all those whom he had offended, it had never been his wish to offend them. He also thanked them for the words now uttered.
The gathering was over. The members of the community began to disperse to their huts — with their thoughts.
As for Veliyar, everyone, apparently, had completely forgotten about him.
He, angry and annoyed with this, also left…
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