Passion Power and Peace

By Gerald E. Collins

Spiritual psychology teaches that each lives in a world of individual and collective ideas that create the conditions of life. These conditions are a composite of these thoughts and beliefs. The main character of this story has beliefs that cause her to create what some might call magic. In her view her fantasies that take form are simply a result of her faith and conviction.

In this tale two military powers bring their interest in conquest to an area around a small village. This village has no military, but is prosperous, peaceful, and happy. The woman who leads the village is often referred to as a sorceress, a priestess, or a queen. She has no such ideas about herself. Her legend started when, after a mystical miracle, she was appointed as head of her village council.

This woman of peace named Kaori has been trained since childhood to believe in another world. This other world allows Kaori to perform the miraculous and lead her people, including her husband, who could be labeled a murderer, through a difficult period in their village.

Critical to a reader's understanding of the story is not to label Kaori as a superhero. Her personal work is emphasized in the story to illustrate that anyone can gain these capabilities. Other members of the Hayshua Village demonstrate unusual abilities as well. Also of note is the graciousness of the miraculous in the writing. No one commands a miracle. They just happen because of the devotion and availability of the character. Readers may also find unbelievable how Hayshua deals with calamity, such as a murder in the village. As the story unfolds, these incidents later make sense. Could a larger society really work this way? Is vengeance purposeful?

Four romances advance amid the chaos. Often there is not only struggle, but also advancement nevertheless. Animals, plants, and even nature herself become part of the seemingly complex web of this story.

The boundless nature of both individuals and relationships come forth and advance, affected by the simple and seemingly meek. This writing contains a little romance, a little violence, a few miracles, and plenty of passion. And just when things seem to have slowed down, an old question is answered with pain and promise. Now Kaori must carefully deal with this matter.

This magical story of conquest and peace amid chaos is also a love story-something that teaches, entertains, and frightens and something to be enjoyed. Does love do all this?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781649523501

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Passion Power and Peace

Gerald E. Collins

Copyright © 2020 Gerald E. Collins

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books, Inc.

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2020

ISBN 978-1-63710-427-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64952-351-8 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-64952-350-1 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Kaori

Chapter 2 The Jontoo

Chapter 3 Hayshua

Chapter 4 Ibuki, the Medicine Woman

Chapter 5 The Leadership of Kaori

Chapter 6 The Healing Group

Chapter 7 The Reine Empire

Chapter 8 Sumno’s Desires

Chapter 9 Pain in Machago

Chapter 10 The Trip Back to Hayshua

Chapter 11 Kaori Arrives in the City of Reine

Chapter 12 Continuing Work within Reine

Chapter 13 A Reine Caravan to Hayshua

Chapter 14 Turmoil

Chapter 15 Inner Development of Reine

Chapter 16 Protection of Hayshua

Other Books by Gerald E. Collins

The Only Life Worth Living

A Book of Spiritual Practices

Healing the Sense of Separation

God’s Holy Spirit

Releasing the Christ Consciousness

The Final Frontier

Love’s Magic

A Series of Short Stories about Miracle Mindedness

Raise Beautiful Children!

A Spiritual Parenting Model to Allow the Development of the Incredible

Deceit

Baseball, Romance, and the Pennant Race

This book is dedicated to my mother, Rita M. Collins. It is also dedicated to women of peace who impact our world with amazing love.

Passion, Power, and Peace

Spiritual psychology teaches that each lives in a world of individual and collective ideas that create the conditions of our lives. These conditions are a composite of these thoughts and beliefs. All thought takes form at some level. In this writing the main character could be labeled a hero, a magician, lightly insane, or a person of power because of the strength of her beliefs and her ability to bring her ideas to form.

In this tale, two military powers bring their interest in conquest to an area around a small village. This village has no military, but is prosperous, peaceful, and happy. The woman who leads the village is often referred to as a sorceress, a priestess, or a queen. She has no such ideas about herself. Her legend started when, after a mystical miracle, she was appointed as head of her village council.

This woman of peace named Kaori had been trained since childhood to believe in another world. This other world allows Kaori to perform the miraculous and lead her people, including her husband, who could be labeled a murderer, through a difficult period in their village.

Critical to a reader’s understanding of the story is not to label Kaori as a superhero. Her personal work is emphasized in the story to illustrate that anyone can gain these capabilities. Other members of the Hayshua Village demonstrate unusual abilities as well. Also of note is the graciousness of the miraculous in the writing. No one commands a miracle. They happen because of the devotion and availability of the character. Readers may also find unbelievable how Hayshua deals with calamity, such as a murder in the village. As the story unfolds, these incidents later make sense. Could a larger society work this way? Is vengeance purposeful?

Five romances advance amid the chaos. Often there is not only struggle, but also advancement nevertheless. Animals, plants, and even nature herself become part of the seemingly complex web of this story.

The boundless nature of both individuals and relationships come forth and advance, affected by the simple and seemingly meek. This writing contains a little romance, a little violence, a few miracles, and plenty of passion. And just when things seemed to have slowed down, an old question is answered with pain and promise. Now Kaori must carefully deal with this matter.

Chapter 1 Kaori

Make yourself a living example of the power of spirit.

Kaori

Kaori knelt beside this man called Yousho, who had just been injured in a training exercise. Yousho had lacerations on his chest, some of which had bled. She poured the mixture of the herbal tonic she had prepared for him over the wounds.

Oh, that does sting. I would try to act strong, but that did hurt a bit, said Yousho. His face strained, reacting to the pain.

Kaori watched as the liquid mixture flowed into the wounds in Yousho’s pectoral muscles and how the liquid then ran down his chest and onto the ground. Yousho breathed with a heave to bring his attention away from the sting. Kaori couldn’t help but notice as Yousho heaved his broad chest. She tried not to show her inner feelings as she watched his chest expand. As she noticed, each movement he made caused her to breathe, attempting to take her attention off her thoughts about him. She had never felt the rumblings in her being as she was experiencing now.

This mixture had been formulated by her grandmother. Its primary purpose was to assist in cleaning the wound to prevent infection. After placing a cloth over the wound, she asked that he sit up so that she could wrap the cloth around his back.

Kaori had obtained the cloth used as a large bandage from the town of Mento. This was the trading town just north of the village.

Kaori then placed her hand over Yousho’s heart, closing her eyes, saying, Perfect spirit, perfect body.

It was customary for this young medicine woman, now eighteen, to pray silently over her patients. This man was something else. He had a broad chest and the small waistline of a young warrior. When opening her eyes, she felt his heart beating under her hand. Her emotions began to stir. Instead of the peace of spirit that she usually felt, here was a man whose body caused her emotions to rumble. It was anything other than the feeling of peace she normally felt when praying for another. Kaori began to perspire from these elevated feelings.

Oh, how he moves me, she thought. What can I say? His chest is so big. I must have him. Hopefully, he cannot tell that I am dying for him. Must get away or get him away before I burst.

Unable to look Yousho in the eyes, she then told him that he should come back in a few days to let her replace the bandages. She had left them loose so that Yousho’s movements were not impaired, yet the wound was sufficiently protected. The wrap was also light enough so that there was some ventilation.

Please try to rest well tonight, and continue inactivity until I look at this in a few days, she said. Do not hesitate to come and see me if the bleeding returns.

Thank you very much, said Yousho.

His voice was soft. There was a strength there also. His voice is so nice, Kaori thought.

Yousho, I think I need to say this again: Please rest a few days, Kaori said to him firmly.

Yes. I will rest, was Yousho’s response as he walked out of the hut.

Kaori smiled again.

Just wanted to hear that voice again before he left, she thought.

This man, Yousho, was on the village council although only twenty-four years of age. His place on the council of Hayshua was still fresh. Less than a year ago he had been added to lead the creation of a warrior group. This was not the first time that the village had charged a person with the creation of a warrior group. The council of the village was often divided on this matter. Some council members thought that their gods would protect the village. Other members felt otherwise. Yousho was training many of the youth to become protectors of the village.

After Yousho left, Kaori began to daydream of him. No one else had come to the medicine hut for service, and this left some time for her to wonder what he was like.

Does he have a woman? He certainly has an aura that I find attractive, she thought.

Her mind then drifted back to something her grandmother had told her many years ago. Remember that your love and trust of the spirits are the most powerful things you have. Any lack of this faith will show up in your life in some way. Do not allow your mind or anyone to tell you anything else. Love and trust the spirits, and they will show you their love of you, said the grandmother.

Kaori could even smell the plants that were near her many years ago though none of those plants were near her at this moment. She then smiled and realized that she was experiencing a vision. That smile then turned to a giggle as she let her thoughts consider some possibilities.

Kaori was nearsighted. She could see about ten feet in front of her, and after that, everything was blurred. Most times, she walked with her head down, looking at the ground. Her younger brother, Kiki, sometimes helped her gather the plants and other herbs she used in her mixtures. Kiki participated in many of the spiritual traditions that Kaori practiced in the household, and these practices affected him as well.

Her nearsightedness was both a fact and a metaphor for how she lived her life. The future was trusted, for the future was in the hands of the gods. Kaori lived in the present. Past experiences were just that. They were past. Things and circumstances just seemed to go her way always. She would often say that she would let nothing disturb her way of being happy.

There were those times, however, when her peace was disturbed. When this occurred, Kaori didn’t know what to do. She usually just walked out into the meadows or buried herself in work of some type.

This distress will pass. It always does. I don’t want to even think about what causes it. That seems pointless. It will pass, Kaori would say to herself.

Fortunately, those uncomfortable times did pass. When they did pass, there was relief.

Early in her life, Kaori learned about the emotions that passed through her as well as the peace that must accompany her. She had a wonderful lineage including parents who continued to demonstrate before her the beauty of living with the spirits.

The council was considering adding Kaori as a member because of her evident relationship with the gods and the healing work she performed for her people. The wisdom of the Hayshua council was such that they valued members of Hayshua who could hear the voices of the gods within. Nothing of this sort was told to Kaori.

Hmm. What are these feelings? Kaori said to herself one day as she passed Yousho as she walked through the village. They feel incredibly good, but I cannot understand why I suddenly feel them.

She didn’t know that she had just passed Yousho. Suddenly, he came to her mind.

Maybe he will come by again for me to look at his wounds, Kaori said to herself.

Yousho had come by the day before, and she had removed the bandages. He had healed sufficiently such that he no longer needed the bandages.

Kaori had come to recognize that she had developed feelings for this young warrior. She somehow knew that he would play an important part of her life someday. Maybe he will become my husband somehow, she thought.

The tribe maintained a hut as a place for prayer, and one day Yousho came in while Kaori was there. Kaori was alone chanting with her eyes closed when Yousho arrived. Since Kaori was in prayer, she was unaware of the arrival of Yousho. She had placed some plants on a small fire in the hut, and the scent created by this burning was a particularly noticeable one.

When Yousho arrived, he looked at Kaori. Instead of beginning his prayers, he just stood and watched Kaori as she chanted and sang her prayers. Kaori had created a song that morning that she was singing to the gods. Yousho just stood there and enjoyed her words and voice and the scent she had created from the burning plants.

Kaori sang and began to dance around a small altar. She majestically moved from one position to another. She seemed to be in a trance as she sang and moved around the hut. She didn’t see Yousho and continued to operate as if she were alone with her god, deeply in love and experiencing something the tribe knew as rapture, a feeling of total commitment and love of the gods. At that time the devotee experienced a feeling of total love and devotion. One could not communicate this feeling to another. It was very personal and completely enveloped the person experiencing it.

I claim myself worthy of my love. Oh, how I relish this love, Kaori sang.

Yousho just stood there and somehow knew that Kaori was not aware of his presence. He also knew a bit about what she was experiencing.

She seems totally in love with what she is doing, Yousho said to himself.

At one point the eyes of Yousho and Kaori met, and there seemed to be a pause. Kaori then continued to dance, seemingly unaware of Yousho’s presence.

At that moment Yousho began to develop an admiration for this woman and the sweet voice she had. In addition to being a lover of the gods, a medicine woman, and a songstress, Kaori was a very beautiful woman in Yousho’s mind. At this time there were beautiful multicolored shells that hung from her neck. These had been obtained for her by her father while he was trading in Mento. Yousho noticed all her body adornments as he stood there looking at Kaori.

Kaori continued to dance majestically around the hut. She moved with a grace and ease of one who was deeply in love. She still did not seem to notice Yousho although she had that pause where she looked him in the eye. That was forgotten. She was in rapture. Nothing would disturb her.

I had not noticed how beautiful she is, he thought. I should not disturb her, but I am so moved by her right now. She is so attractive, so…hmm. Must not disturb her, he thought.

Yousho decided to leave before Kaori finished her song, and she never knew he was there. As he exited the hut, he thought about the woman he had admired. He went to his friend Nu and told him of the incident, saying that he felt a great deal of power emanating from Kaori as he stood near her.

I want to spend more time with her, Yousho said. Hopefully, it won’t be necessary to reinjure myself to make this happen.

I see that you are uplifted by your recent experience. Kaori likes to walk in the meadows each day as you know. Just join her some morning. Let me know how this progresses, said Nu.

Yousho decided to walk out of the village to think more about what was happening to him.

I am pleased that I did not disturb Kaori’s prayers, but I do desire a closer relationship with her, he said to himself quietly. I still have mixed feelings about starting this warrior group. I must work hard at this despite the confusion I feel.

He then closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths as he sat on a stump.

Suddenly, a warm smile came to Yousho’s face. His entire body felt this joy. He then arose from his sitting position and returned to the village.

Later that evening, Yousho visited the hut of Kaori.

I understand that you walk out into the meadows early in the morning. May I go with you tomorrow morning? Yousho said to Kaori.

You will have to be patient with me as I walk slowly because of my poor eyesight, said Kaori.

I will gladly walk as you please. I will be here early in the morning.

That pleases me that you would ask. I will be ready.

The following day, Yousho arrived very early, happy to find Kaori waiting at the entrance to her hut.

You are already prepared to go. Why don’t you climb onto my back, and we can get to the meadows quickly as I will walk quickly? You need not worry about your eyesight.

Let me down when we cross the bridge into the meadows. I want to walk slowly and enjoy the beauty as well as the morning quiet. It pleases me that you would ask to join me here this morning. I guess that you heard that this is one of my favorite places for a walk.

Yes. I did want to spend more time with you as you healed me so quickly that I did not have another excuse to come to see you, said Yousho.

Please do not hurt yourself again. You may come whenever I am not too busy with other patients, Kaori said as she smiled.

Yousho was very conscious of everything Kaori did. As they entered the meadows, he quietly put her on the grass, and she led him to some of her favorite places. A hawk showed up, and Kaori entered her trance as she looked into the eyes of this hawk. Yousho simply watched in amazement. Again, Yousho felt a sense of power and amazement as he was affected as Kaori sat looking into the eyes of the hawk.

As the hawk slowly took to the sky, Kaori began to turn her attention back to Yousho.

That was something to see. Is this something you do each morning? I have never seen anything like that. I also felt very good observing, Yousho stated.

The hawk does not come each morning. I do enjoy him when he does come. I do not know what is taking place. I enjoy the experience, was Kaori’s response.

The two of them ventured deep into the meadows. A large bear then came near them and roared at Yousho.

That is Bo. Please get comfortable. He needs to get to know you. He is the reason I asked that you leave your spear behind. You would be in danger if you had brought it.

What do you suggest I say to him?

Bo, this is my friend Yousho. Go and get us something to eat?

What can we eat that a bear would eat? asked Yousho.

I am just giving him something to do so that he will leave, and you can relax.

The bear then went farther into the woods.

That means that he will be back if he follows your orders.

Yes, he will return. Let’s just continue our walk.

Kaori then took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. A bright smile then lit her face as she opened her eyes.

Do you feel the beauty of this place? I am so happy here, said Kaori.

I see the smile on your face, but I am still thinking about the return of that bear.

Relax, Yousho, he is a friend of mine. He will return with a gift for us. Just enjoy this place with me.

A few minutes later the bear returned with two large fish, which he laid on the grass where Kaori had sat.

Thank you, Bo. Those are big fish. We will enjoy them, Kaori said to the bear as he ran off into the woods.

The bear then stopped and let out another roar at Yousho.

On occasion I am here with my brother, Kiki, but Bo must get to know you. Relax, Yousho, he is gone now.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, but mostly in awe of the things I have observed this morning. You are taking in all this with such ease.

I come here every day. I am usually alone and tell no one other than my brother, who has come with me in the past.

The two of them ventured deep into the meadows. They spent much time together that day, but were back at the morning village meal, and they sat together eating and laughing.

Later that day Yousho visited the prayer hut where he might be able to sit and think about some things.

My experiences with Kaori somehow seem to want to dominate my mind. I feel her joy, but I sense something more than a budding relationship. She is such a deep being whom I cannot begin to understand.