The Words of Aruq

''What I, Juseppe of Astana, am about to tell, is the true story of Aruq from Sørligste, my Master, Father and ultimately Prophet of what is now known as Aruqism. May the green leaves of Bamboo watch over you, reader, and reveal you the secrets of the Universe, as They did with the Prophet and Master Aruq.''

I was just a young traveler, an inexperienced and naïve nomad in search for stories and memories, when i met the Master. He saw me wandering aimlessly, alone, foreigner in a foreign land near the southern jungles. He stopped me and asked: “Who are you and where are you going?”. I told Him my name and said that I didn't really know where I was heading. He offered me to accompany Him in His travels. I accepted and started following Him. I asked who He was, He answered: “I am Aruq, from Sørligste, and I am looking for something”. I asked what that was, if it was a treasure or else. He smiled and said: “I look for the Truth”.

We traveled together for weeks from the southern lands to the jungles of Vastallos, seeing the nations of the world rise, crumble and be reborn as we lived our nomadic lives with light indifference, disinterested in intrigues and political dramas. Aruq became my Spiritual Master, He taught me all He knew about philosophy, history and religion: how the world’s societies were doomed to collapse, how the peoples of the world ultimately had the same spiritual ambitions, how the many religions shared one common ancestral identity. And He told me about His ideals of perfection and knowledge, concepts that only the Universe itself could reveal to whoever would have been able to hear Its teachings. For this, we traveled from continent to continent, interacting with various kinds of plants along the way, for the Master considered the plants to be the closest thing to have achieved the perfect Universal Truth.

And that we did for weeks, until we found the Bamboo Forest: an immense wall of thin, green, majestic trees, something I had seen many times around cities and towns. I didn’t consider it to be of any value, but the Master looked at the Forest in awe, as if He had heard something incredibly unbelievable.

“We must meditate”, He said in hurry, “so to achieve the Truth”. He climbed on top of one of those tall Bamboo plants, and there He stood for three days and three nights, without eating nor sleeping, surviving only on the water offered by the Bamboo itself. I, unable to climb, sat in front of the plant, observing my Master meditate; and I, too, meditated.

After three days and three nights of meditation, Master Aruq opened His eyes and climbed down the Bamboo. I stood and ran to help Him, fearing for Him being weak from food and sleep deprivation. But He stopped me and stared into my eyes. I saw peace in His gaze, and calm on His skin. He looked as if he could not feel pain anymore, any kind of pain, as if He was changed. I offered him food, but He smiled and said: ''“There's no need to fear, my good Disciple, for I have overcome the mortal boundaries of the flesh and no more I need to consume material substance to exist. I have overcome hunger, fear, pain, illness and death; I have overcome desires, greed and pride; I am now one with the Universe Itself. Even if I maintain these appearances, I am now energy, and consume energy and produce energy, for I have achieved the Enlightenment”''.

I, confused, asked for an explanation. He gestured me to sit down, and so I did. He pointed at a sprout on the ground and said: ''“Look at this Bamboo plant: in the beginning is but a small bud, a mere branch planted in the soil; but watch it closely as it grows and develops, slowly reaching the sky above itself. With patience, it has reached Enlightenment, it has overcome it's limits. Learn from the Bamboo and greatly respect It, for the Bamboo is the Real Master. It's everywhere, in every city, It always has been everywhere, whispering, trying to reveal us all the way to achieve Enlightenment. But we were deaf, and still are. Now, though, I have listened carefully, and the Bamboo has taught me.''

We must spread the Word, my son, we must teach the people, for they need to know how noble and wise this plant is, for they need to know about the Five Principles of our Faith:

From now on, no Bamboo shall be cultivated and harvested like mere crops within a city’s walls; the wild lands outside of towns and cities shall be used for that.

''The Bamboo shall be worshipped and grown in every house and shelter, but no more than one Bamboo plant per household should be allowed, be it in pot or in soil; a single plant is a sufficient Master for an entire family. A single common plant shall be worshipped by the community as a whole, located at the center of the city. Shrines should be built by the nomads during their travels.''

''The Bamboo grows vertically and tends to the sky; the same thing should we do with our mind and let it tend towards the world above ours, to reach the Enlightenment. And the same thing shall be done with our buildings: let them be tall rather than large, let them be a very symbol of what the people should tend to: the Celestial Realm of Peace and Wisdom the Bamboo has revealed us''.

''Tolerate the infidels, my son, for they are just as ignorant as Me and you once were. Teach them our ways, if so they wish, but don't let them impose their ways on you, for you have witnessed what the Truth is actually like''.

''Meditating will be the most important of your daily activities: only through meditation you'll be able to reach the Enlightenment. Sit in front of a Bamboo plant, or stand on top of it if you are brave enough, and listen to the world around yourself; if you listen closely, the Bamboo will teach you the secrets of the Universe”''.

With that being said, He took a large white cloth and a jar of green dye; He tipped His fingers into the jar and started spreading the dye of the cloth; after He was done, He took the cloth and tied it to a young Bamboo. He pointed at it and said: ''“That, my Disciple, will be the flag of our Followers, the symbol of our Faith. Let them recognize it as such”''.

I asked Him why was He telling me to do so, why wasn’t He Himself going to do it. He smiled again and placed a hand on my shoulder, saying: ''“I will now go, my son, for I have nothing more to tell you that you cannot learn from the Bamboo. I have chosen you as my Heir, you are now a Master. You’ll be my vicar on this Realm as I blend and dissolve within the Universe Itself”''.

With tears in my eyes, I asked Him if our people would have had a home one day, for we were nomads and so would have been our Followers. He answered: ''“Possibly. A land cannot be promised, but it can be found, discovered or obtained, in a way or another. With time, you will find out”''.

He smiled one last time at me and entered the Bamboo Forest, never to be seen again. He was Aruq from Sørligste, Master, Prophet and Father.

"The Words of Aruq" by Juseppe of Astana, Holy Text of Aruqism.