MUKUNDA Chapter 10–The Day I Knew That True Shining Is Not Just the Light of the Spirit

Magodo had returned to the rest and the joy that comes when the thing that was threatening has been shown that it is not the enemy, when the people who were afraid have been shown that the fear was not the thing that would win, when the land that has been given to the people to protect is the land that is safe, that is strong, that is the thing that the ancestors promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. But in the middle of that peace, in the place where the joy was settling, in the quiet that comes after the storm has passed and the land is healing, I knew that the true shining was not just about the light of the spirit, was not just about the fire that had been given to me, was not just about the water and the stone and the wind that had joined, was not just about the darkness that had been shown that it was not the enemy. It was about the joining of the spirits of the people, the strength that was in all of them, the love that was built on the truth, the thing that would be there when the fire that I carried was gone, when the water that had risen had gone back to its place, when the stone that had been placed under my skin was no longer there, when the wind that had released was moving through the land without me standing in the middle of it.

The morning began to shine with the water of the earth that was green, the kind of green that comes when the rains have been good and the land has been resting and the thing that was planted is growing, is becoming, is the thing that will be the food for the people, will be the thing that will be the life of the land, will be the thing that will be there for the children and the children's children. The wind was moving softly, the way that the wind moves when it is carrying the peace that comes after a long battle, after the darkness has been met and the light has been shown, after the prophecy has been fulfilled and the land has been saved. The whole land was showing the freedom of the spirit and the mind, the freedom that comes when the thing that was holding you, the thing that was making you afraid, the thing that was telling you that you were not enough, that you were not the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for, that you were not the one who would carry the light when the darkness was coming, is gone, is pushed back, is shown that it was not the enemy, is the thing that was the other half of the light, the thing that made the light know that it was light, that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side.

I stood on the roof of the palace, the place where I had stood so many times before, the place where I had looked out at the land that had been given to me to protect, the place where I had felt the weight of the prophecy pressing down on me, the place where I had wondered whether I was strong enough, whether I was brave enough, whether I was the daughter that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. I looked at the land that I had protected, the land that I had fought for, the land that I had been willing to give everything to save, and my thoughts were filled with the things that had happened, the days that had passed, the battles that had been fought, the darkness that had been met, the light that had been joined, the love that had been released, the peace that had come. And I felt the strength that comes when you know that the thing you have done is the thing that was meant to be done, that the path you have walked is the path that was meant to be walked, that the weight you have carried is the weight that was meant to be carried, that the thing that was given to you was given to you because you were the one who could carry it, because you were the one who would not let it fall, because you were the one who would be the light that showed the people where to go when the darkness was coming and the enemy was at the border and the land that had been given to them to protect was waiting to be saved or to be destroyed.

I thought about what could be done so that Magodo would never be changed by violence or darkness again, so that the thing that had been built, the thing that had been protected, the thing that had been saved, would not be taken when the ones who had saved it were gone, would not be forgotten when the ones who remembered were no longer there, would not be the thing that was the light that shone for a moment and then went out, but the thing that was the light that would keep shining, that would be passed from one hand to the next, from one heart to the next, from one generation to the next, until the land that had been given to the people to protect was the land that was the thing that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. Taru came to stand beside me, the way that she had been standing beside me since we were children, the way that she had been standing beside me since the fire spoke and the prophecy was told and she knelt in the court and told my father that she would be my keeper, that she would stand beside me, that her blood would be the offering if the prophecy failed, that she was the keeper who kept the promise, the one who stood beside the fire and did not let it burn the things that should not be burned. Her hand took my hand, the way that it had taken my hand when we were children, when we sat by the river and let the wind carry away the things that were too heavy to hold, when the light rose from the earth and the elder Vengai said that the second spirit had joined, when we stood on the stone at the River of Stones and the spirit of the stone asked if we were the ones who could carry the courage of the stones, when we stood on the hill where the sky falls and the wind released the love that had been carried, when we walked through the darkness and showed it that it was not the enemy. And together, we felt the strength that was more than our strength alone, the strength that was the joining of the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the strength that was the light that showed the people where to go, the strength that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who had met the darkness and shown it that it was not the enemy, the one who had saved the land that had been given to them to protect.

"Every person must learn to use their spirit, Taru," I called out, my voice carrying the peace that comes when you have been carrying something for a very long time and you finally set it down, when you have been walking a path that was dark and you finally see the light, when you have been fighting a battle that you were not sure you could win and you finally see that the battle is over and the land is safe. "The success of Magodo is not about the choosing of one person, is not about the one who carries the fire, is not about the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who became the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. It is about the unity of all the people, about the strength that is in each of them, about the love that is in all of them, about the thing that will be there when the fire that I carry is gone, when the water that has risen has gone back to its place, when the stone that was placed under my skin is no longer there, when the wind that was released is moving through the land without me standing in the middle of it."

The people began to return to their villages, the villages that had been scattered, the homes that had been left, the land that had been given to them to protect. They built the camps that had been destroyed, the places where they would live, where they would grow their food, where they would raise their children, where they would be the people that the ancestors had been waiting for since the first people walked on this land and claimed it for the ones who would come after. They began to teach the others the ways of joining the spirit, the ways that the fire and the water and the stone and the wind could be used to protect, to build, to be the thing that the land needed them to be, to be the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. The children were taught the ways of protecting the disagreements, the ways that the fire that was in them was not the fire that burned, was not the fire that destroyed, but the fire that was the light that showed them where to go, the fire that was the thing that would be the warmth when the night was cold, the fire that was the thing that would be the cooking when the food was being prepared, the fire that was the thing that would be the light when the darkness was coming and they were not sure which way to go. The warriors were taught to control their strength without threatening, to learn that the strength that is used to protect is not the strength that is used to dominate, that the strength that is given by the spirits is not the strength that is used to make the people afraid, but the strength that is used to make them safe, to make them know that they are protected, to make them know that the land that has been given to them is the land that will be there for their children and their children's children. And the people were taught to honor and protect the love, the love that had been given to them by the ancestors, the love that had been waiting for them since before they were born, the love that would be there for the children and the children's children, the love that was the thing that would make Magodo the land that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after.

But it did not take long before new troubles began to come out, before the things that had been hidden, the things that had been waiting, the things that had not been shown that they were not the enemy, began to rise, began to move, began to be the thing that would test what had been built, that would show whether it was strong enough, whether it was the thing that would last or the thing that would fall when the darkness came again. Some of the leaders of the royal house, the ones who had been sitting in the court since before I was born, the ones who had been carrying the weight of advising the ones who sat on the throne, the ones who had been watching the kings come and go, the ones who had been waiting for the moment when the light would be weak, when the peace would be settled, when the people would be resting, were still breaking the law, were still trying to use the strength of the people to add to their wealth and their power, were still the thing that the prophecy had been waiting to show, the thing that the darkness had been waiting to use, the thing that would be the test that the light had to pass, the thing that would show whether the peace that had come was the peace that would last or the peace that would be broken when the thing that had been hidden rose again.

I knew that the shining of Magodo was not just about building peace, was not just about teaching the people to use their spirits, was not just about showing the darkness that it was not the enemy. It was about always watching, about always being the thing that was looking for the thing that was hidden, about always being the thing that would protect the people from the ones who did not want the good, from the ones who would use the light that had been given to them to add to their own power, from the ones who would take the love that had been given to the people and turn it into the thing that would hold them down, that would make them afraid, that would be the thing that would be the darkness that rose again, that would be the thing that would have to be shown again that it was not the enemy.

"People of Magodo, let us learn," I called out, my voice reaching the spirits of the people, reaching the place where the fire was burning, where the water was moving, where the stone was holding, where the wind was carrying, where the love that had been released was still moving, was still the thing that was the light that showed them where to go. "Strength is not the work of a few people, of the ones who sit in the court, of the ones who carry the titles, of the ones who think that the land was given to them to do what they want with it. Strength is in every person, is in the fire that is in each of you, is in the water that is in each of you, is in the stone that is in each of you, is in the wind that is in each of you, is in the love that has been given to you, that has been waiting for you, that will be there for you when the darkness comes and you are not sure which way to go. Love and peace are the things that will make Magodo never be changed by the bad things, never be taken by the ones who do not want the good, never be the thing that is the light that shines for a moment and then goes out, but the thing that is the light that will keep shining, that will be passed from one hand to the next, from one heart to the next, from one generation to the next, until the land that has been given to the people to protect is the land that is the thing that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after."

Taru came to stand beside me, showing the support that she had been showing since we were children, the support that had been the thing that made her stand beside me, that made her promise to protect me, that made her say that her blood would be the offering if the prophecy failed, that made her the keeper who kept the promise, the one who stood beside the fire and did not let it burn the things that should not be burned. And together, we began to work with the young people of the village, the ones who would carry the light when the ones who were carrying it now were gone, the ones who would be the thing that would make the land that had been given to them to protect the land that was safe, that was strong, that was the thing that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. We taught them the ways of protecting the spirit, the ways that the fire and the water and the stone and the wind could be used to protect, to build, to be the thing that the land needed them to be, to be the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. My strength, the strength that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the strength that was the light that showed the people where to go, was joined with the deep love that I had been carrying, the love that had been growing in me since I was old enough to know what it meant to carry something, the love that had been the reason that I stood when the fire spoke, when the prophecy was told, when the people looked at me and saw the one who had been chosen, when the keeper knelt beside me and promised to give her blood if the prophecy failed, when the love that had been growing between us since we were children had become the thing that would save the land or the thing that would destroy it, the love that had been released on the stone in the middle of the valley, the love that had been shown that it was not the thing that had to be held, that had to be kept, that had to be the thing that was the weight that I was carrying, but the thing that was the wind that was moving, the wind that was carrying, the wind that was the thing that made the land live, the land breathe, the land be the thing that it was meant to be. And the teaching that I had been given, the teaching that had been passed down from the ancestors, the teaching that had been the thing that I had learned when I was young enough to learn, the teaching that had been the thing that had made me the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, was the thing that was being passed to the young people, was the thing that would be there when I was gone, was the thing that would be the light that showed them where to go when the darkness was coming and they were not sure which way to go.

The people began to respond, began to work together in strengthening the unity of Magodo, began to be the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the first people walked on this land and claimed it for the ones who would come after. They saw that the strength that was in them was not the strength that was given to them by the spirits alone, but the strength that was in each other, the strength that was in the love that they had for each other, the strength that was in the unity that they built, the strength that was in the thing that they were becoming, the thing that was the people of Magodo, the people who had been saved, the people who had been shown that the darkness was not the enemy, the people who had learned that the light that shines brightest is the light that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side.

In the middle of all of this, in the place where the work was being done, in the place where the teaching was being given, in the place where the people were becoming the thing that they were meant to be, the Spirit of Darkness came out again, the spirit that had been shown that it was not the enemy, the spirit that had been the thing that was the other half of the light, the spirit that had made the light know that it was light, that had made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side. It showed that the darkness is not the enemy when the person uses love and the spirit in the right way, when the person does not try to push it back, does not try to destroy it, does not try to be the thing that is the light that burns the things that should not be burned, but the thing that is the light that shows the darkness that it is not the enemy, that it is the thing that is the other half of the light, that it is the thing that makes the light know that it is light, that makes the light shine brightest when it has passed through the darkness and come out the other side. I came close to the Spirit of Darkness, the way that I had come close to it before, the way that I had stood in the land of Mainini Mucha and met the darkness that had risen, the way that I had let the darkness fall on me and had shown it that it was not the enemy, the way that I had let the light come out of me and had shown it that the light that had been joined was not the light that would be destroyed, was not the light that would be taken, was not the light that would be swallowed by the darkness that had been waiting, but the light that would show the darkness that it was not the enemy. I took its hand, the way that you take the hand of something that has been shown that it is not the enemy, the way that you take the hand of something that has been the thing that was the other half of the light, the way that you take the hand of something that has made you know that you are light, that has made you shine brightest when you passed through it and came out the other side. And I felt the strength that never ends passing through my spirit, the strength that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the strength that was the light that showed the people where to go, the strength that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who had met the darkness and shown it that it was not the enemy, the one who had saved the land that had been given to them to protect.

"You are here to learn," the Spirit of Darkness said, its voice carrying the peace that comes when the thing that was the enemy has been shown that it is not the enemy, when the thing that was the darkness has been shown that it is the thing that is the other half of the light, when the thing that was the thing that made the light know that it was light has been shown that it is not the thing that has to be destroyed, that it is not the thing that has to be pushed back forever, that it is the thing that is the part of the prophecy that had not been understood, the part that said that the light that shines brightest is the light that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. "But today, you have the chance to teach your people the way of protecting the shining of Magodo, the way that the light that has been joined, the light that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, the light that shines brightest because it has been tested, because it has been tried, because it has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, can be the thing that is there when you are gone, can be the thing that is passed from one hand to the next, from one heart to the next, from one generation to the next, can be the thing that is the land that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after."

I knelt a little, the way that a person kneels when they are standing in front of something that has been shown that it is not the enemy, when they are standing in front of something that has been the thing that is the other half of the light, when they are standing in front of something that has made them know that they are light, that has made them shine brightest when they passed through it and came out the other side. I looked at all the people who were around me, the people who had been saved, the people who had been shown that the darkness was not the enemy, the people who had learned that the light that shines brightest is the light that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, and I spoke to them, my voice carrying the thing that I had learned, the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for me to understand, the thing that the darkness had taught me, the thing that the light had shown me, the thing that would be the thing that would make Magodo the land that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after.

"Success is not about choosing a leader alone, is not about the one who carries the fire, is not about the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who became the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. It is about the unity, the love, and every spirit working together, the fire that is in each of you, the water that is in each of you, the stone that is in each of you, the wind that is in each of you, the love that has been given to you, that has been waiting for you, that will be there for you when the darkness comes and you are not sure which way to go. If we know these things, if we build the thing that the ancestors have been waiting for, if we are the people that the land needs us to be, Magodo will always shine, the darkness will never be able to control our land, will never be the thing that takes what has been built, will never be the thing that makes the light that shines brightest go out, will never be the thing that is the end of the land that has been given to us to protect, that has been fought for, that has been carried, that has been saved, that is the thing that will be there for the children and the children's children, that is the thing that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after."

The people knelt, the way that people kneel when they have been shown something, when they have been taught something, when they have been given something, when they have been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. They showed their respect and their learning, the respect that comes when the thing that was threatening has been shown that it is not the enemy, the learning that comes when the people who have been afraid have been shown that the fear was not the thing that would win, was not the thing that would be the end of the land that had been given to them to protect, was not the thing that would make the light fall, that would make the light break, that would make the light be the thing that was the fire that burned the things that should not be burned. And the whole land was filled with the clean light of the spirit and the love, the light that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the light that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who had met the darkness and shown it that it was not the enemy, the one who had saved the land that had been given to them to protect.

I looked at Taru, the way that I had been looking at her since we were children, the way that I had been looking at her when the fire spoke and the prophecy was told and she knelt in the court and told my father that she would be my keeper, that she would stand beside me, that her blood would be the offering if the prophecy failed, that she was the keeper who kept the promise, the one who stood beside the fire and did not let it burn the things that should not be burned. I smiled, the way that a person smiles when they have found something that they did not know they were looking for, when they have become something that they did not know they could become, when they have been given something that they did not know they needed, when they have received the thing that the prophecy has been waiting for since before they were born, since the fire was lit, since the water rose, since the stone was placed, since the wind was waiting to receive the love that would make it complete, that would make it the thing that would save the land or the thing that would destroy it, that would make it the light that showed the people where to go or the fire that burned the things that should not be burned. I felt a deep joy, the kind of joy that comes when you have been carrying something for a very long time and you finally set it down, when you have been walking a path that was dark and you finally see the light, when you have been fighting a battle that you were not sure you could win and you finally see that the battle is over and the land is safe.

"The shining of Magodo is not for a moment, is not for the time when I am here, is not for the days when the fire that I carry is burning, when the water that I joined is rising, when the stone that was placed is holding, when the wind that was released is moving. It is for a long life, for the life that will be there when I am gone, for the life that will be passed from one hand to the next, from one heart to the next, from one generation to the next, for the life that is the land that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. Strength, love, and unity are the things that give our land the strength and the peace that will last, that will be there when the darkness comes again, that will be the thing that shows the darkness that it is not the enemy, that will be the thing that makes the light shine brightest when it has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, that will be the thing that is the land that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born."

The night was filled with rest, the wind was calm, the way that the wind is calm when the storm has passed, when the thing that was threatening has been shown that it is not the enemy, when the land that has been given to the people to protect is the land that is safe, that is strong, that is the thing that the ancestors promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. The people learned that the true shining is not just about having light, is not just about the fire that burns, is not just about the water that rises, is not just about the stone that holds, is not just about the wind that moves, is not just about the light that shines brightest when it has passed through the darkness and come out the other side. It is about the joining of the spirits, the love, and the learning to fix the darkness, to show it that it is not the enemy, to be the thing that makes the light know that it is light, that makes the light shine brightest when it has passed through the darkness and come out the other side. I looked at the sky that was bursting with stars, the stars that had been watching this land since before the first people came, the stars that had seen the things that the people of this land had done, the things that they had carried, the things that they had passed down to the ones who came after. I felt my spirit joining with the spirits of all the people, the people who had been saved, the people who had been shown that the darkness was not the enemy, the people who had learned that the light that shines brightest is the light that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, the people who had become the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. And I knew that today, Magodo had entered a new part of the true shining, the peace, and the love that never ends, the thing that would be there when I was gone, the thing that would be passed from one hand to the next, from one heart to the next, from one generation to the next, the thing that was the land that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. The land was safe. The people were strong. The love that had been carried, that had been released, that had been joined, that had been shown that it was not the enemy, that had been the thing that made the light know that it was light, that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side, was the thing that would be there for the children and the children's children, was the thing that would be the land that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. And I was Mukunda, the child who was freed by the Spirit, the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who became the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who met the darkness and showed it that it was not the enemy, the one who saved the land that had been given to her to protect, the one who taught the people that the true shining is not just the light of the spirit, but the joining of the spirits of the people, the strength, and the love that is built on the truth.