I arrived in Sedona on a Saturday morning. As was customary on that day of the week, Starry Song was sitting beneath a lush oak tree in the backyard of his house. On the grass around him, several people settled onto colourful blankets. They had come from every direction to hear the stories and songs that spoke of the ancestral wisdom of Arizona’s native peoples. It was a sacred ceremony conducive to self-discovery, a fundamental step toward the next movement, capable of transforming reality through the refinement of perception and sensitivity, attributes of consciousness when allied with coherent and effective action. To change one’s life, one must not wait for the world to change. Reality expands or contracts at the outermost limit of the truth one has attained. For some, reality resembles an insurmountable wall; yet those who observe it from unusual perspectives will find unimaginable roads. We transcend reality, or remain trapped within it, in exact proportion to the virtues we have acquired and applied to our way of life. No one can travel along paths they cannot see, do not know how to cross, or believe do not exist.
I had gone through a few difficult situations and suffered some setbacks. Little by little, everything had returned to normal. Except for an inexplicable feeling of inner emptiness. I had no idea how it had settled within me, nor what to do to fill it or dissolve it. Standing near the gate, I heard the shaman’s closing words: “We will never be authentic while we remain distant from courage”. Like one of those truths that either seduces or overtakes us before we can offer any resistance, the sentence struck me profoundly. There was something in it that hinted at a lesson waiting to be learned, though at that moment I was unable to decipher it and extract its practical, transformative meaning. What remained was the pleasant sensation of a window opening for the briefest instant, revealing something I had never before seen, only to close immediately afterward. There was an entire universe of unknown possibilities on the other side of that window, one that opened inward rather than outward.
That is how some of the genuinely radical changes in our lives begin. Etymologically, the word radical originates from the word root. Changes that are not grounded in a person’s very essence, no matter how good and sincere the intentions behind them may be, are incapable of sustaining themselves before life’s harsher trials, eventually collapsing in the storm of an ordinary day. Understanding emotional tempests, as well as learning how to deal with life’s inherent difficulties, has always been essential for those who seek genuine peace. I remembered a lesson Starry Song had shared some time earlier: “Peace is not the absence of chaos. It is characterized by calmness and complete self-mastery amid chaos. Neither the vastness nor the fury of the ocean can sink a small boat, provided it is well built and skilfully steered”.
I waited on the porch until everyone had left. At the gate, the shaman bid farewell to each person, thanking them for participating with hearts filled with good feelings. The emanation of subtle vibrations was enchanting. Their beautiful smiles reflected that reality. When he had finished, he came over to me. I remarked that those people seemed happy and at peace. Starry Song reflected, “Some places possess a natural atmosphere of peace. Some individuals are able to transmit that feeling because they have already attained it within themselves. Living in such places or alongside such people grants this wonderful sensation of empowerment, like a bird that has learned to fly beyond the reach of slingshots. However, each person has their own story, gifts, and path. Relationships of dependence are unhealthy. At some point, we will either have to leave those people or be forced away from them. Then peace will disappear like water one tries to hold in a sieve. Life demands independence and autonomy in matters of the inner sphere so that our choices may be free and serve our personal development. It is impossible to live forever on borrowed or rented peace. To live in peace, regardless of what happens, where you are, or who stands beside you, it is essential to conquer it within your own heart. Merely changing relationships or moving to another city accomplishes nothing. Each of us carries ourselves wherever we go”. I asked how that could be done. The shaman looked at me as though he were speaking to a child and explained, “Peace exists as a seed in everyone’s heart. Making it sprout requires courage”.
I remembered the closing sentence from that morning’s ceremony in the backyard: we will never be authentic while we remain distant from courage. Once again, he emphasized courage. I pointed that out. Starry Song smiled and clarified, “Authenticity is the hidden framework of peace. Courage is the crane that erects that structure. Sustained by a firm and sincere will, courage sets in motion every other virtue necessary to build peace, an indelible and immaterial achievement, just like true wealth”.
He was willing to explain, and I wanted to learn. The shaman sat down in the rocking chair while I settled onto the sofa across from him. He continued, “No one is the same as anyone else; one person’s path is of no use to another. Every copy is vulgar, every imitation is destined to fail. We are original and unique. Authenticity is where an individual’s genuine power resides”.
“The problem is that we fear the peculiarities and differences we carry within our essence, as though we were little children frightened by ghost stories. Fear convinces us that we are incapable, that difficulties will devour us. We choose to adopt pre-established models and standards as a way of avoiding risks. Like a boat that rejects the sea because it fears the unknown, we forget that without risks there are no achievements”.
“When we are authentic, we become more creative. Creativity is a powerful instrument for finding solutions beyond the commonplace and, for that reason, invaluable in dismantling problems. Difficulties either grow or shrink according to the eyes that behold them. Creativity has the power to expand reality by seeking perspectives, nuances, and layers that had previously been unimagined. Through this unusual exercise, we become greater than our greatest fears, and opportunities begin to emerge from problems. These unique characteristics move us in extraordinary ways because they express and reveal who we truly are. Otherwise, we become a bland, inert, faded, homogeneous mass, incapable of generating light or transforming reality itself. We will lack clarity, balance, and the strength to move. We will live like railroad cars attached to unknown locomotives traveling along obscure tracks, under the illusion that we chose our destination. By abandoning authenticity, we erase our identity. Without understanding who we are, we lose the ability to decide who we will become. We allow the world to shape us according to its own tastes, interests, and conveniences. That is the source of the existential emptiness so many people feel without understanding either its origin or its reason”.
I commented that my problems had already been resolved, yet the emptiness remained. Starry Song observed, “Resolving a problem is different from overcoming a difficulty. More often than not, a resolution arises from circumstantial events or external adjustments without producing any transformation. Overcoming, however, involves an inner conquest born from a vision that has gained clarity and skill. In resolution, the individual remains unchanged. In overcoming, the individual advances”.
He made a gesture with his hand, as though stating the obvious, and added, “Storms come to sweep away everything that hinders our evolution. When we live in someone else’s life out of convenience, sooner or later we will find ourselves homeless. Inevitably. Life demands movement, transformation, and constant progress. Each person lives within themselves. To live well, one must build that place”.
He then continued, “Defenceless and unstructured, we feel like victims of a catastrophe with no apparent explanation. It is a deceptive feeling and, worse still, a paralyzing one. Chaos announces itself from afar whenever we refuse to leave where we are. Out of conditioning or complacency, we deny the reality that moves and changes in order to propel the advances that are necessary. We prefer to repeat obsolete patterns of behaviour and choice in the vain attempt to achieve different results. It will never happen. Life requires every traveller to undertake an unusual journey in order to awaken the essence indispensable for transcending reality. Out of fear or disbelief, we pretend not to see. Then we succumb like frail, easy prey swallowed by life’s natural counter current. There is no room for complaint”.
As he spoke, he took from the drawer of a small table beside the rocking chair his ever-present pipe with its red stone stummel, along with a box of tobacco, and explained, “We are born to live in groups. Families, tribes, cities, and societies. Living together is sacred and educational. Except for moments of meditation and reflection, isolation as a way of life is escape, imbalance, and stagnation. Community is a path, a school of harmony, and a workshop of evolution. Life in groups, whether in smaller circles or broader ones, still presents dystopias, conflicts, and comparisons which, though senseless, serve as mirrors for personal improvement. All these difficulties exist to force the shell of the seed of authenticity to break”.
“The problem arises when we decide to travel along someone else’s tracks, nullifying our own choices and possibilities, erasing the originality that expresses and identifies us. Dependent upon validation, belonging, and applause, we neglect our innate gifts and talents, forgetting that they are essential attributes for transcendence and also invaluable professional tools in the legitimate struggle for survival. We pass through life like abandoned drafts lying at the bottom of one of the many drawers of consciousness, pretending that the story awaiting us, and rightfully ours by natural law, is impossible or undeserved. We diminish ourselves through belief, choice, and fear. Breaking the shell of the seed of originality requires the courage to reject ready-made models and molds, thereby bringing our true identity to the surface”.
He packed the bowl with tobacco and, before I could ask another question, replied, “There will be no shortage of difficulties. There will be many. Yet there is no other way to discover the beauty that awaits you and that life itself safeguards within, together with truth and the virtues that will reshape the frontiers of reality. You will learn a unique way of moving through your days, with greater efficiency, lightness, and grace. Your vision and your feelings change, your rhythm and intensity, your purpose and direction. Taste itself becomes more refined. One’s appreciation for life is refined only when the existential journey becomes unusual and genuinely one’s own”.
I waited until he lit the pipe and took a few puffs. Then I asked whether courage alone would be enough. The shaman shook his head and added, “As I said, courage is the crane that erects the structure. Chaos can never destroy who we truly are. Chaos destroys only the person we are not. To achieve that, it is necessary to replace the character with our true identity, without excuses, performances, or hidden motives. That is how the genuine foundations are laid, those that support the work of becoming oneself. The deeper and sturdier the foundations, the firmer and safer the structure will be”.
For a few moments, he amused himself watching the smoke dance before his eyes before continuing his explanation. “A triangle of pillars, each composed of a triad of virtues, forms the foundation of a structure unshaken by the impermanence of the days. Existential storms arrive to tear away everything unnecessary, excessive, and poorly built. However, they are incapable of carrying away what is firm, balanced, and well constructed within the individual. I am referring to truths that have been understood together with virtues already acquired and applied in everyday life. These are the foundations that will keep you standing during and after the passage of chaos, despite the devastation all around. That is the greatest of all riches and the truest form of power”.
I asked about the virtues that formed such foundations. He listed and explained them. “The first triangle of pillars is composed of humility, simplicity, and compassion. Humility, contrary to what many believe, bears no resemblance to humiliation, ignorance, poverty of any kind, or feelings of inferiority. Humility has the power to dispel the absurd sensations of pride and false superiority that so greatly weaken, unbalance, and hinder essential movements. Humility is the humus of consciousness, indispensable for fertilizing the soil so that the latent seed of evolution may germinate. This virtue provides the perfect state of transcendence necessary to lubricate the mechanisms of learning and transformation”.
He paused before continuing. “Simplicity is the virtue of shedding what is unnecessary, of removing whatever is excessive and burdensome, both from the mind and from the heart. It removes everything that weighs us down and hinders our journey. It is indispensable for dissolving vanity, revealing priorities, and leading us to what is essential”.
“In turn, compassion is the attribute that enables us to understand human frailty through a perception free of judgment and moved by the finest sensitivity. Compassion without humility is pride. Without simplicity, it is vanity disguised as virtue. It becomes nothing more than a superficial display of etiquette, merely applying varnish to rotten wood. Unless we know our own weaknesses, we are incapable of dealing lovingly and sincerely with anyone else’s. Forgiveness presupposes compassion. There can be no peace without forgiveness”.
He took a few more puffs and continued. “The second triad is composed of respect, discipline, and coherence. Respect is the virtue of dignity. It consists of not doing to others what we would not want done to ourselves and, by the same measure, never permitting degrading acts or abusive behaviour toward us. The respect I possess has nothing to do with what others think, say, or do. It is directly related to the dignity with which I walk”.
After waiting a few moments, he went on. “Discipline, in turn, is the attribute connected to purpose and faith. It lies in knowing the right movement to make and repeating it despite weariness or delayed results, never giving up or losing heart. Every planting has its own proper season for sowing and maturing. Every comparison is senseless. No two gardeners and no two fields are alike. Even if the dry season is long, the harvest will arrive at the proper time”. Raising his eyebrows, he reminded me, “Many geniuses have been lost for lack of discipline”.
Then he added, “Coherence is an underrated virtue. That is why so many people collapse during storms. When chaos finds us out of place, we are shattered. External movements must be grounded in internal ones. That is the basis of coherence”. He looked at me seriously, as though delivering an important message, and said in his calm, husky voice, “Knowing does not mean being. Coherence demands that every piece of knowledge we acquire be put into practice; otherwise, it is nothing more than ostentatious erudition wrapped in eloquent speeches devoid of wisdom. That is what allows chaos to catch us by surprise. It happens when we are away from who we truly are”.
He paused before continuing. “Coherence is that and much more. No matter how powerful a train may be, it cannot move through the air, across asphalt, or over water. Trains need tracks. Coherence is the track that guides our priorities and provides the discernment necessary to remain on the proper route despite the countless forks along the way. Many people know their priorities but abandon them in pursuit of lesser and sometimes darker interests. The glittering invitations of dazzling appearances but little light, of effortless success and reckless fortune, extinguish the headlights of discernment, diverting the train from the route of its priorities. Coherence is the consummate engineer”.
He waited until I had connected those ideas before naming the triad of virtues that formed the third vertex of the triangle of pillars. “Gentleness, sound judgment, and purity. Contrary to what many believe, gentleness does not mean weakness. Gentleness is knowledge of and respect for the forces of light and the path of peace. Authentic courage is, above all else, gentle. Fighting evil with the weapons of good is not for the weak; renouncing aggression in the resolution of conflicts is not for cowards. It requires tremendous courage. The gentle person is strong, balanced, and steadfast. They do not yield to wickedness nor bargain with darkness. The monk is the highest expression of the warrior”.
“Sound judgment has ancient and symbiotic ties with patience and justice. It concerns the ability to evaluate differences, find the proper measure, distinguish good from evil and right from wrong, recognize value and qualities in people, things, and situations. It means deciding without haste or fear. It means doing what is right without waiting for anyone’s permission or validation. It means refraining from speculation or conjecture about other people’s behaviour. Sound judgment teaches that each person is responsible for themselves as a consequence of the choices they make. The best decision may require time to mature. That requires patience. Sound judgment knows that waiting does not mean standing still. I speak of the time devoted to mental and emotional processes which, though invisible to impatient eyes, continually propel inner movements. I am referring to the cocoon period, without which the caterpillar would never know the butterfly”.
“And finally, purity, the simplest to explain, though by no means the easiest to practice. Purity does not speak of naivety; rather, it is in dialogue with love and wisdom. One must know evil in order not to become ensnared or deceived by it. It is indispensable to be pure so that, even with evil available as an instrument for achieving success, satisfying interests, or fulfilling desires, one rejects that possibility absolutely. It means refusing the power to dominate and subjugate others, refusing to impose one’s own will at the cost of silencing another’s choice, refusing to place position or authority above ethics or love. It means refusing to make decisions while under the influence of dense emotions. Courage is required to overcome the harmful inclinations and baleful influences that have always pulled you away from yourself. Purity presupposes self-denial, the virtue that gives priority to spiritual riches over material interests. Purity causes the seed of freedom to blossom. It is not for everyone”.
He shrugged as though stating the obvious and remarked, “The journey of acquiring virtues as truth expands and refines consciousness creates the need to leave behind obsolete criteria and outdated ways of moving through life. As you encounter all the beauty that exists within you, you will discover an unknown universe of opportunities. There will no longer be any turning back. Genuine identity emerges from the depths of one’s innermost being to forge an authentic personality that until then had been suffocated and suppressed. That is how we become who we truly are. Everything else is performance or conformity, agony and dystopia”.
We remained silent for a span of time I could not measure. Starry Song wanted me to place those ideas upon the shelves of both mind and heart so they might become part of my daily life. I struggled to metabolize what I had learned. It could take days. Perhaps weeks. I finally broke the silence to ask about the emptiness that still persisted within me, a mixture of anxiety and sadness that I did not know how to fill or dissolve. The shaman extinguished his pipe, signalling that the conversation had come to an end. He had already said everything I needed to understand. Then he concluded, “Chaos swept away the incompletenesses and inconsistencies upon which you had been relying. It carried away what no longer served you. Chaos never arrives to harm, but to regenerate. What remains is emptiness, a space available for a new structure to be built upon the foundations we have discussed. Whoever establishes them within themselves has nothing to fear”. He curved his lips into a beautiful smile and finished, “Emptiness highlights the presence of an unusual seed. Give thanks for it and help it bloom. It is peace asking to be born”.
Translated by: Cazmilian Zórdic
