Chapter 8:
What Power Can Be

Every day now, Victor felt more and more healthy and strong! All the exercises began to turn out better and better for him!

And, most importantly, the Magical World began to open Its doors in front of him more and more often: after all, the entrances there are open when they are lighted up in the human heart — like suns — with love and joy!

Once, at breakfast, Victor asked grandfather Basil:

“Why do you never eat meat? Many say that the strength of a person comes from meat. The doctors ‘buzzed my ears’ about this, saying: ‘To get better, you need to eat meat!’. But you, on the contrary, do not feed us meat at all. But my strength has increased a lot over this time, and my health too!”

“Strength, dear Victor, is different.

“What do most people, who have not thought deeply about it, mean by human power? Namely, muscles that are powerfully enlarged and fists that are strong… They consider a person who can beat better with his or her arms and legs to be better than others… But this is only the strength of the muscles which have been trained. And such a force is often used not for good and to protect the weak — but it can also be unjustly used: for evil deeds and for violence…

“On the other hand, sometimes the willpower in a person is huge, which can allow this person, for example, to survive in terrible conditions. And such a force can even be in a fragile body.

“And there is also courage and strength that can allow a person to save other people by sacrificing oneself. This is not just will and courage, but the power of love that has been added to them! And may such a force be much greater than bodily strength!

“Great is the power of love and tenderness: the power of good!

“If you think about it yourself, you will recall many examples that you have heard about more than once.”

“Yes, I recently read an article about a pilot who was able to land on the ground a badly broken and burning plane in which there were children. His body was burned so badly that his flight goggles melted onto his face, and almost only his bones remained of his legs… He managed to land the plane and made sure that all the children were alive… The doctors could not explain how he could do this, why his legs obeyed, and why he didn’t lose consciousness… Then he died… I even remember that his name was Alexander Mamkin.

“And I also read a lot of things about many different cases of healings! About when people, who were told that they would be disabled and bedridden for life, began to train — and fully recovered, like Valentines Dikul, for example. For some reason, some can recover, but others cannot…”

“Yes, it is so. There are soul possibilities that far exceed the strength of the body.

“People can — for a start — believe in themselves, in their own strengths, saying: ‘I — can!’ And this already multiplies one’s power because it unites the power of the soul and the power of the body.

“Or people can believe in God, believe in His Power — and then God’s Power can be added to the forces of both the body and soul!

“This is special. A person, who has felt the Magical World and Living God, begins to understand and learn about this!

“There is also the Great Divine Power of Love-Peace. In this Special Peace, all the various aspects of the Power of God can be hidden — until the right time. And, when necessary, they can be shown!

“The huge and kind power of the soul of a person, which has connected with the Divine Love, can have very different aspects. It is as if such a person-soul begins to paint a beautiful picture of the universe through his or her life! It is like a creator-artist who adds Light, Kindness, and Beauty to the world!

“It can be manifested in any work, and in creativity! This begins to be felt in the simplest things of everyday life when a person allows the Kindness of the Magical World to flow through oneself.

“And, the more love and wisdom in the soul, the brighter the laws of the Magical World are manifested through it! And — the easier it is for God to direct His Love into the world through such persons!

“And sometimes God can also allow a person, who is not good, to act for the time being. But God never adds His Strength to an evil power. It is important to remember that evil forces should not be feared and that it is right to accumulate namely good strength!

“… And now let us return to where we started the conversation, namely: about our food.

“Compassion, non-violence, causing no harm and pain to other beings — this is one of the ways of gaining the power of Good and Wisdom.

“Many people do not think at all about how, for example, sausages are obtained… They pet cats and dogs, are touched by chicks or furry animals like sables, minks, and raccoons. And then they boast about expensive mink or sable fur coats, and raccoon caps… Without hesitation, people enjoy a ‘chicken tabaka’ or a ‘steak with blood’… All of this exists as if in two completely different worlds for them …

“Most people, for example, are not ready to turn their beloved four-legged pets into a delicious food… But the fact that other people kill animals for them is something that they consider normal and accept without hesitation…”

Then Asya joined the conversation:

“In China, for example, Chow Chow dogs are raised — and eaten later! Can you imagine? Could you imagine that Buddy or Purr could be killed and eaten?”

“No! Not even if I myself was dying of hunger!” — Victor confidently said.

“Yes, it seems so simple to understand this!” — Asya continued. — “But this understanding didn’t immediately reach me either. Grandpa explained all this to me when I first saw how here, in a village, a chicken was killed… Then, I even wanted to hate the person who did it! This scared, unhappy bird was just a sorry sight! It clucked in horror and ran away…

“And then my grandfather told me about sausage, and he explained everything else as well…”

“But why didn’t you tell me about this before? I just accepted it as a fact that we don’t eat meat here and didn’t think more about it…”

… Grandfather Basil affectionately put his hand on Victor’s hand. With confidence, Basil did something special… And he said:

“I definitely wanted to tell you about it, but I was waiting for the right time. Imagine how angry you would have been with me if, during the first days of our acquaintance, ‘this crazy old man’ told you this?”

“Yes, I would have been very indignant! And I would even have felt humiliated by you for telling me this!…

“I’m very ashamed now that I myself didn’t think about it when you showed us how to collect plants, and when you explained that we can mentally ask forgiveness from plants when we tear them off for food…”

“You understand everything well, Victor!

“But it is important to understand that this concerns more than just food…

“In many aspects of life in the modern world, images of brute force are idolized. For example, how many ‘heroes’ are praised in films who kill left and right — and don’t think at all about the pain of their victims! And the audience admires them and also does not notice the disgusting violence… And many computer games are filled with cruelty… It’s as if it’s all just for fun, but a little person gets used to it from childhood and begins to believe that it’s okay and that ‘everyone does it!’…

“What do you think about this? I told this to you and Asya… You will probably tell your other friends — and then there will be at least a little more good on the Earth!

“And it is important to understand that you need to tell it when the people are ready to hear you.

“And by your own example — you can always show kindness!”

* * *

After that conversation, Victor and Asya more than once discussed among themselves how to feel power correctly, how to boldly show kindness, and how not to be a coward. They also talked about how to strengthen one’s own willpower…

One day, Victor said sadly:

“There is so little time left until the end of my stay here, but I still cannot walk…”

… Asya resolutely said:

“You will succeed! You can almost already! You’re so close!

“It seems to me that sometimes you stop your efforts — earlier than necessary… You still have strength left — but you give up…

“I used to have a lot of such thoughts, as ‘I cannot!’ and ‘I am afraid!’. And even now, I still do… But now, I begin to notice it in myself when I sometimes indulge in my fears or other thoughts that are wrong… I used to submit to these fears and sadness feebly, and it really bothered me! But if I do not let sad thoughts and fears into myself over and over again, then they become weaker and weaker.

“This is not only about exercises, but for everything in life there is this rule: push the ‘limit of the possible’ a little harder every time. After all, grandfather says that, in fact, there is no such limit for the human soul…”

… Asya took Victor by both hands, and said:

“Believe that you can! You can do it — right now! Do you remember how the water in the lake held your body from all sides? And here, there is as if also a lake around your body — the lake of the Divine World! You now know that He exists! God holds your body! It is just like how the water in the lake holds your body! Only your head remains above the water, in this world! And, everywhere around, there is the Magical Power, Which supports you!

“Well, try it!”

Asya said it so confidently that this confidence was passed on to Victor too!

Asya helped him to get up and stand up, and then, when she felt that Victor was no longer holding on to her, she released her hands.

Victor was able to stand by himself for just a minute, no more… But what a joy it was! It was a victory!

“Victor! You did it! You stood up, Victor!”

… Grandfather Basil, Buddy, and Purr stood in the doorway and looked joyfully at Victor and Asya!

The Magical World shone all around!