Chapter 11:
The Dancing Girl
Along the way, the convoy with the prisoners encountered a small temple.
The main priestess came out to meet the commander and asked him not to desecrate the sanctuary. She was young and slender. Her body was swarthy and extraordinarily flexible, and her dark brown eyes looked at the warrior without fear.
She bowed with dignity:
“There are no treasures that might interest you… ”
“But there are beauties, like you! You can pay a ransom differently!” he pronounced with mocking laughter, reveling in his power.
“Don’t you have enough slaves who are ready to delight your bodies?”
“You can also replenish their number once I give the command!” the commander said, mockingly again.
“So, beauty, spend only this night with me — and your priestesses and your temple will remain untouched! Do you agree?”
“No! I would rather spend this night with a wild animal!”
“Ah, really?! Then I take you at your word! Let it be an entertainment for everybody! Do you agree to give your love to a wild animal? Let it be! You will entertain us today! And you will show everyone how to love a lion!
“If you can kiss him and he will not tear you to pieces, I swear by the gods, I will command that no harm come to you and your temple!”
… Hamilcar and Pythagoras who had the right to move around the camp in order to treat the sick, appeared nearby and heard this conversation.
Hamilcar asked in Greek quietly:
“Can you intercede in order to help her, Pythagoras?”
“Perhaps we will try to do it. But it is not time yet. And maybe, she will manage herself…
“You should finally understand, my friend, that even if we have the power, we should not change the events and destinies of other people on a whim!
“So, we have no right to cure sicknesses until the lessons given by the Higher Power are not understood by a person yet! And that's why we usually give the decoctions of medicinal herbs to the sick and at the same time we strive to present the understanding of the laws of healing the souls — but we do not completely return the health immediately to all diseased indiscriminately.”
… In the meantime, the military commander ordered the preparation of everything for the entertainment. The news about this show flew around the camp.
The soldiers had recently caught a lion and put him in a large cage, intending to replenish the zoo in Babylon.
Sometimes they arranged amusements for themselves, forcing the slaves to fight with this lion.
But now the young priestess was placed in the cage with the lion.
The gathered spectators were waiting impatiently to see what would happen next.
Cruelty, turned into entertainment, often ceases to seem to be criminal to many ethically perverse people…
The mocking exclamations because this priestess preferred a wild animal for the 'night of love' instead of the brave warrior — and now she will pay for it — were heard everywhere, here and there…
“Let's see how she will share a bed with a wild animal!” some of them yelled mockingly.
… The young priestess, being in the cage, clapped her hands several times and started the dance.
The hollers of the crowd of spectators ceased.
It seemed that the lion was also entranced by her movements.
The girl, freely controlling her body, made her plastic and pliable dance almost without leaving her spot. Everyone was absorbed, watching her every move.
The lion was also watching as if charmed, and did not show aggression. And so, the dancing girl slowly began to approach the animal.
Pythagoras came closer and stood next to the cage and began to clap his hands in rhythm. And with this rhythm everything plunged into the special state of the Transparent Light, and no one could move their hands or feet. Only the priestess was accelerating the movements of her flexible and beautiful body, approaching closer to the lion in dance.
For a few moments, she put her arms around the neck of the animal with her hands and touched his muzzle with her lips.
And again, her rhythmic and beautiful movements continued to fascinate the spectators.
She repeated this three times so nobody could doubt that she had accomplished it.
Pythagoras opened the bolt and entered the cage. He put his hand on the lion's withers and led him out of the cage.
For a few moments they approached the commander who gave the order to arrange this spectacle.
The commander could not even move in order to snatch a weapon. For the moment, he felt himself helpless in the face of the wild animal…
Then Pythagoras passed through the whole camp and pointed the direction to the lion: “Go home! You are free!”
The lion slowly left.
No one dared to impede Pythagoras.
Only when Pythagoras came back, did the stupor of the spectators and the guards begin to disappear.
The dancing girl bowed to Pythagoras:
“I salute you, Wiseman, knowing the Divine rhythms of the universe!”
The commander fully awakened and cried out:
“What do you allow yourself, Greek? If you were allowed to treat the sick, then this is not an excuse to control everything here! Do you wish to die?!”
… Pythagoras said calmly and softly:
“But she surely did what you wanted? Now, indeed, the temple and its priestesses are under your protection: the protection of the one who swore by the gods whom he worships!
“Indeed, it is good when the wild lions live in a desert and the people behave in such a way that they are not ashamed before the Gods!”
“Yes, I will keep my word!” the Persian unexpectedly agreed.
… That evening Hamilcar and Pythagoras sat by the fire for a long time when the whole camp was already asleep. Only sometimes did the guards shout to one another in the darkness of the night.
The priestess approached the bonfire, quietly treading, and bowed low.
“I wanted to thank you for the help, oh Great One!”
“My name is Pythagoras and this is my friend Hamilcar. Sit down beside us! Today we have something to talk about!”
“My name is Asenat”, the priestess said.
“We are also grateful to you, Asenat! The art of dance which you possess in perfection has shown us the great beauty of you as a soul!” said Pythagoras.
“But why didn’t the lion show aggression? Did you do that, Asenat? Or you, Pythagoras?” asked Hamilcar.
“Your Teacher helped me… I was able to do this on my own with any wild animal. But I would not have had enough strength to calm down this crowd of people who are not worthy of such a name yet …
“All forces of the Universe obey your Teacher, united with the Deities!”
“Do you know the nature of your strength, Asenat?” asked Pythagoras.
“The strength is given by the Gods!”
“Yes, you are right. But I would like to tell you about the Divine Energy which can be called by different names but which is inherent in each evolutionarily developed person.
… And Pythagoras began to talk about the Atmic Energy Kundalini which is accumulated for many earthly lives by a successfully developing soul in a sort of 'container'. And then it can be used by the person in creativity and in advancing along the spiritual Path.
“Both of you have already come to the present incarnations as very mature souls. Each of you has a huge reservoir of this Energy. And, moreover, you are already using this Energy unconsciously.
“This circumstance has allowed you, Asenat, to learn how to perform a dance in such a way that all spectators are flooded with your subtlest shining Kundalini! And you, Hamilcar, thanks to this stored Potential, were able to preserve the purity and subtlety, despite the cruelty and energetical rudeness of some priests under whom you studied before. And now this Energy allows you to master and perform many meditations at the level of the Divine subtlety.”
… Then Pythagoras explained to them how to work consciously with this priceless energy Treasure.
… Within the next few days a rest was declared in the camp as they were waiting for the arrival of another waggon-train with valuables that should be attached to the caravan. Pythagoras proposed to Hamilcar that he take advantage of this time and share with Asenat everything that he had learned during the time of his study so far.
Pythagoras just added a few words occasionally, observing his disciple with pleasure.
When it was time to say goodbye, Pythagoras pronounced:
“Well, now you, Asenat, will be able to teach many of those whom the Gods will bring to you! We should all thank Them for these opportunities that were given to us by the Divine Will during these days!
“God is a Giver to all beings, but He is the Acceptor of the gifts as well! From the big and small souls He accepts the gifts of love. These are the main 'sacrifices' which the Creator needs! And when the soul finally matures, it gives itself as a gift to the Creator! This is a fruit worthy of cultivation in our earthly lives!
“The acceptance and giving should be in harmony between them, no matter what level of development each soul might have. This allows for the development of a soul.
“The acceptance is like an empty bowl which is ready to be filled.
“Afterwards, what was accumulated must be outpoured: donated, given to others. Only then can the bowl-soul be filled again and perceive new heights of knowledge and skills!
“The soul which is not ready to give cannot be filled with new knowledge!
“The soul which is not ready to accept refuses to gain something that this soul could give away to others in the future!
“Also it is necessary to accept the feasible aspirations to give from the small souls. The one who is not ready to accept the love and gratitude from them, impedes the development of kindness in those souls.
“But accepting the gratitude from the small souls is not a reason at all to become proud of oneself!
“In particular, it is the giving of love to others that gradually makes the will of man to coincide with the Will of God!”