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The golden rays of the morning sun peeked over the horizon of Ninjago, creating a beautiful sense of tranquility from atop the tallest mountain of the mountains of impossible height, where the monastery of spinjitzu sat tall.
The chilling morning breeze only made the sight more visceral and melancholic. Does the universe weep when the sun sets?
That was the question Master Wu has posed to me weeks ago during their morning meditation, a special ritual only the two shared.
The others, Cole, Zane and Jay didn’t bother with meditation, not seeing the point in seeking enlightenment. Zane might have, but he seemed to not understand the beauty of mountaintop meditation.
I can’t explain why meditating to the rising sun on this very mountaintop speaks to me the way it does, but it feels like the winds themselves spoke to me as I sat here.
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It took three hours for me to yield, not finding the meaning to the question Master Wu had posed.
With every teaching Master Wu passed onto me, I could feel myself growing, able to face the winds of change rather than push against them, as I once had.
Master Wu first contacted me when I was still in my home village, forced to live out the destined future my father had later out for me instead of the freedom I sought. Master Wu offered me a chance to learn and study under him, and I haven’t looked back since.
“Good morning, Brin. Have you found the meaning to Master Wu’s question yet?” Zane always inquiring about our day, which i appreciated.
“Not yet, I’m afraid. It’s been weeks and I can’t work out what it means.” It didn’t usually take this long. Thankfully Master Wu wasn’t one to rush things, and I think that’s what made him such a great teacher.
“I’m sure you’ll get it. Good things take time.” Zane was usually the one I went to for comfort. Cole and Jay didn’t understand it, but his almost robotic views on situations were refreshing.
“You’re still stuck on that dumb riddle?” Jay was boisterous, yet reserved. I’m not quite sure how that works myself.
“I mean, it’s obvious. The universe can’t weep because it doesn’t have eyes, or a face.” Cole wasn’t one for philosophy, but that wasn’t a slight against him, as his infectious optimism and childlike wonder drew everyone in around him.
“If the universe didn’t have eyes, how could it see you talking, when you should be training” spoke Master Wu from the doorway. He was sassier than we gave him credit for.
“Brin hasn’t had to train lately! He gets to sit around with his eyes closed!” Jay had his moments where he spoke his mind, then others where he used inappropriate comedy.
“We all have different paths. It’s not about the difficulty of our task, but how much we put into it that counts” Master Wu was a true master at shutting people up and teaching them at the same time.
The boys trudged out the monastery door towards the training course as I looked to Master Wu.
“Tomorrow can I learn how to shut them up that quickly?”
“All in due time.”