The Sacred Book of the Werewolf (42 page)

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Authors: Victor Pelevin

Tags: #Romance, #Prostitutes, #Contemporary, #Werewolves, #Fiction, #Literary, #Fantasy, #Russia (Federation), #General, #Paranormal

BOOK: The Sacred Book of the Werewolf

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‘And what is a kalpa?’

‘It is the period of time that passes between the appearance of the universe and its destruction.’

‘But no fox will ever live for so long!’ I said.

‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘A cunning heart is difficult to cure by forcing it to follow the rules of morality. Precisely because it is cunning, it will always seek a way to circumvent all these rules and make fools of everyone. But in three kalpas it can come to understand that it is only fooling itself.’

‘But can it not be done any faster?’

‘It can,’ he replied. ‘If the desire is strong and the will is determined. ’

‘How?’

‘The Buddha gave many different teachings. They include teachings for people, teachings for the spirits, and even teachings for the gods who do not wish to be cast down into the lower worlds. There is also a teaching for magical foxes treading the path above the earth, but will you place any credence in it if you are told of it by a man?’

I assumed a highly respectful attitude and said: ‘Believe me, I hold human beings in great esteem! If it sometimes happens that I sap their life-force, it is only because that is the way nature has made me. I could not have obtained sustenance for myself otherwise. ’

‘Very well,’ said the Yellow Master. ‘By a happy coincidence, I am familiar with the secret teaching for immortal foxes, and am prepared to transmit it to you. Indeed, I am obliged to do so. I shall soon leave this world, and it would be a pity if this marvellous knowledge were to disappear with me. But it is unlikely I shall meet another fox in time.’

‘But what of your visitor from the capital? Why did you not transmit the teaching to her?’

‘E Hu-Li is not suitable,’ he said.

So that was the fox from the capital! She had come here in secret to atone for her sins in prayer. But in conversation she would not even admit that sins existed.

‘Why is my sister E Hu-Li not suitable?’ I asked. ‘You told me yourself that she came to repent of her misdeeds.’

‘She is too sly. She repents when she is plotting a dark deed that is utterly wicked. She seeks to lighten the burden of her soul, so that it may accommodate more evil.’

‘I am also capable of such things,’ I replied honestly.

‘I know,’ said the Yellow Master. ‘But at the same time, you will remember that you are intending to commit a crime, and so your deception will come to nothing. But E Hu-Li, having planned her next act of villainy, can repent so sincerely of the previous one, that she will indeed lighten the burden of her soul. She is too cunning ever to enter into the
Rainbow Stream
.’

He pronounced the last two words with emphasis.

‘Where?’ I asked.

‘The Rainbow Stream,’ he repeated.

‘And what is that?’

‘You say that you have read the sacred books. Then you should know that life is a promenade through a garden of illusory forms that seem real to the mind which does not see their true nature. A mind that loses its way may find itself in the world of the gods, the world of the demons, the world of human beings, the worlds of animals, the world of hungry spirits or hell. Having passed through each these worlds, the Victorious Ones left their inhabitants a teaching on how finally to cure themselves of death and rebirth . . .’

‘I beg your pardon,’ I interrupted, wishing to demonstrate my learning - ‘but it says in the sutras that a human birth is the most precious of all, since only a human being can attain liberation. Is that not so?’

The Yellow Master smiled.

‘I would not reveal this secret to humans but, since you are a fox, you should know that the same assertion is made in all the worlds. In hell they say that only an inhabitant of hell can attain liberation, since in all the other places the beings spend their lives in the pursuit of pleasures, of which there are almost none in hell. In the world of the gods, on the contrary, they say that none but the gods can attain liberation, because the leap to freedom is shortest of all for them, and their fear of falling into the lower worlds is the strongest. The inhabitants of every world are told that it is the most propitious for salvation.’

‘But what about animals? They are not told that, are they?’

‘I am speaking of those worlds in which the inhabitants posses the concept of salvation. But where there is no such concept, it follows of itself that there is no need to save anyone.’

I see, I thought. As smart as a fox.

‘And the salvation of which you speak - is it the same for all the worlds, or different in each one?’

‘For human beings liberation is to enter nirvana. For those who live in hell liberation is to merge with the lilac smoke. For an asura-demon, it is to take possession of the sword of emptiness. For the gods, it is to dissolve into the diamond effulgence. When we speak of form, salvation is different in every world. But in its inner essence, it is the same everywhere, because the nature of the mind that dreams all these worlds never changes.’

‘And how do matters stand with foxes?’

‘Formally speaking, were-creatures do not fit into any of the six categories of which I have spoken of. You are a special case. It is believed that sometimes a mind born into the world of demons takes fright at its cruelty and goes to live on its outer perimeter, where the demonic reality borders on the world of people and animals. Such a being does not belong to any one of these worlds, since it migrates between all three - the worlds of humans, animals and demons. It is to this category that magical foxes belong.’

‘Yes,’ I said sadly, ‘that is how it is. We fall between three stools and all because of our horror at life. Then is there a way out for us?’

‘There is. The Buddha and his disciples were once fed a delicious meal by a fox, who was not, in fact, acting entirely without self-interest and had designs on the disciples. But the Buddha was very hungry, and in gratitude he left this fox a teaching for were-creatures that is capable of bringing them to liberation in a single lifetime - taking account of the fact that were-creatures live for up to forty thousand years. The Buddha was pressed for time, and therefore the teaching was brief. But since it was given by the Victorious One himself, it nonetheless possesses magical power. If you follow it, A Hu-Li, you can not only save yourself, you can also show the way to liberation for all were-creatures living on the earth.’

My head started to spin in excitement. I had dreamed of something like this all my life.

‘Of what does this teaching speak?’ I asked in a whisper.

‘Of the Rainbow Stream,’ the Yellow Master replied, also in a whisper.

I realized that he was making fun of me, but I was not offended.

‘So what is this Rainbow Stream?’ I asked in a normal voice.

‘It is the ultimate goal of the super-werewolf.’

‘And what is the super-werewolf?’

‘It is a were-creature who succeeds in entering the Rainbow Stream.’

‘And what else is it possible to know about the super-werewolf? ’

‘Outwardly it is the same as other were-creatures, but inwardly it is different. Only there is no way the others can tell that from its external appearance.’

‘And how is it possible to become one?’

‘You must enter the Rainbow Stream.’

‘But what is that?’

The Yellow Master raised his eyebrows in astonishment.

‘I have already told you. The ultimate goal of the super-werewolf. ’

‘And is it possible to describe the Rainbow Stream in some way? In order to have some idea of which way to direct one’s aspiration?’

‘It is not. The nature of the Rainbow Stream is such that any descriptions will only serve as a hindrance by creating a false idea of it. It is not possible to say anything certain about it, it is only possible to be there.’

‘But what must a super-werewolf do, in order to enter the Rainbow Stream?’

‘He must do only one thing. Enter it.’

‘But how?’

‘By any means that allow him to do so.’

‘But surely there must be some instructions that the superwerewolf receives?’

‘They consist precisely of this.’

‘And that is all?’

The Yellow Master nodded.

‘So it turns out that a super-werewolf is one who enters the Rainbow Stream, and the Rainbow Stream is what the superwerewolf enters?’

‘Precisely.’

‘But that means that the former is defined in terms of the latter, and the latter is defined in terms of the former. What meaning is there in all this?’

‘A most profound one. Both the Rainbow Stream and the path of the super-werewolf lie out of this world and are beyond the reach of the everyday mind - even a fox’s. But they are directly related to each other. Therefore, it is only possible to speak of the former in relation to the latter. And of the latter in relation to the former.’

‘And is it possible to add anything more to this?’

‘It is.’

‘What?’

‘That the Rainbow Stream is not a stream at all, and the superwerewolf is not a werewolf at all. One should not become attached to words. They are only required as fleeting footholds. If you attempt to carry them with you, they will drag you down into the abyss. Therefore, they should be cast off immediately.’

I took a little time to think about what I had heard.

‘It is intriguing. It turns out that the supreme teaching for foxes consists of only two words that are related only to each other and are not amenable to any explanation. And in addition, even these words have to be cast off once they have been spoken ... It would seem that the fox who fed the Buddha did not have very good karma. And did she herself succeed in entering the Rainbow Stream?’

The Yellow Master nodded.

‘However, that only happened quite recently. And she did not leave behind any instructions for other were-creatures. That is why I am obliged to transmit the teaching to you.’

‘It is hard to believe in the truth of such a teaching.’

‘The higher teachings are called higher because they differ from those to which you are accustomed. And if something appears true to you, you may already regard it as false.’

‘Why?’

‘Because otherwise you would have no need of any teachings. You would already know the truth.’

That was logical. But his explanations reminded me of those philosophical syllogisms that are primarily intended to confound the mind.

‘But even so,’ I persisted, ‘how can a teaching consist of only two words?’

‘The higher the teaching, the fewer the words on which it leans for support. Words are like anchors - they appear to provide a reliable grasp on a teaching, but in reality they only hold the mind in captivity. That is why the most perfect teachings dispense words and symbols.’

‘Of course, that is so,’ I said. ‘But even in order to explain the superiority of a wordless teaching, you have had to speak many words. How can only two words be enough for someone to guide himself through life?’

‘The higher teachings are intended for beings with higher abilities. And for those who lack them, there are volumes upon volumes of nonsense, in which they can rummage for the whole of their lives.’

‘And do I have higher abilities?’ I asked in a quiet voice.

‘You would not be sitting here otherwise.’

That altered the situation somewhat.

‘And are there many super-werewolves in the world?’

‘Only one. Now that is you. If you wish, you can enter the Rainbow Stream. But you will need to make an effort.’

Who would not feel flattered on hearing that she has higher abilities? And the prospect of becoming a unique being was something that completely took my breath away. I thought about it.

‘And the fox who succeeded in entering the Rainbow Stream, what is known about her?’

‘Very little,’ the Yellow Master said. ‘Your predecessor lived in a little mountain village, practised extreme asceticism and completely forswore all contact with human beings.’

‘How did she feed herself?’

‘She used her tail to convince a pumpkin patch that spring had come. And then she absorbed the life-force of the pumpkins ...’

‘How terrible,’ I whispered. ‘And what happened to her?’

‘One day she simply disappeared, and that’s all.’

‘And she did not leave any writings?’

‘No.’

‘That was rather egotistical of her.’

‘Perhaps you will leave some.’

‘But do I really have to switch from men to vegetables?’

‘The Buddha did not leave any instructions on that score. Listen to what your heart tells you. And do not swerve from the path.’

I bowed twice.