Not enough light

Beneath the bright greenhouse, Otus the little owl dreams.

He is being hunted once again by a shadowy creature that wants to steal his life energy. He tries to share his clear light with it to soothe it, but in vain!

He decides to pull himself out of his dream. This time, the creature follows him all the way into the physical world! Its enormous tentacle is already materializing and thrashing violently to reach its prey.
In a desperate effort, Otus intensely illuminates the terrible being which, disoriented, then retreats back into its world of origin.

His heart pounding, the little owl breathes deeply.

Not enough light. Not enough power to travel between worlds alone.

He must train harder, starting right now!

He begins the inner peace exercises, calms his mind and relaxes his body.

He finishes by imagining gradually radiating a clear, warm light around him, like a soft and subtle extension of the light at the heart of his body.
With each breath, he imagines this luminous aura growing around him, like a balloon he is slowly inflating.

He knows that the envelopes thus formed by the birds of the community unite spontaneously and create this beautiful atmosphere of light and peace in the greenhouse.

He practices for a long time, directing with his mind the clear light he produces, extending it wider and wider, further and further, to the ends of the universe…

Then he goes out for some air and takes a long flight.

He spots Bubo and lands near him.

— hello Otus, how are you? asks Bubo.

— hello Bubo, replies Otus, I met a darkened being again in my dream!

— Ah I’m truly sorry to hear that, says Bubo. Your teacher Tycia is pleased with your progress. Your life energy is growing, and you now make quite a tasty snack for dark creatures!

Otus pouts. He is afraid of traveling in his dreams and tells Bubo his misadventure in detail.

— I have a proposal for you, says Bubo

— Oh yes? asks Otus, suddenly filled with hope.

— Several of us birds practice our clear light exercises together at sunrise. What would you say to joining us shortly and attempting a new journey in our company?

— Oh yes! replies Otus, enthusiastic. I would be very glad to, thank you so sincerely for your offer!

— Ah, replies Bubo, I’m glad of your answer too, but get ready, it might shake you up again! Meet us at first light at the central tree.

And Bubo flies off.

The promise of a journey

Otus goes to take part in gathering food and plants. While eating his share of delicious insects and seeds, he fills a bag to bring back into the greenhouse to feed and care for the weakened birds. Kétou the little owl comes to join him. He apologizes for his past violent behavior, and wants to turn the page. He is preparing for a great migration, as his ancestors once did. Otus wishes him a good journey.

Then he goes off flying over the sea. Suddenly, a bird brushes past him, clips him with a wing in passing and flies off laughing! It’s his friend Chévia the little owl!

Otus bursts out laughing and pretends to charge at her! But a big insect gets caught in his wide-open beak at that exact moment. The little owl nearly chokes and spirals down toward the ground.
He has good control of flight now, rights himself, eats the insect, then rejoins Chévia.

— hello Otus, she says to him, with a little smile, I’m sorry for startling you like that.

— Oh it’s nothing, replies Otus, I nearly died this morning, so an insect isn’t going to scare me! he says, putting on a brave front.

— Otus, Chévia breaks in, you’re acting tough but you could have really hurt yourself!

— Ah Chévia, actually I’m happy to be with you, thanks for joining me.

— You nearly died? asks Chévia.

And Otus tells her about his dream, the terrible creature, then Bubo’s proposal.

Chévia is sincerely worried for her friend.

— I’d like to help you Otus, she tells him, this is a dangerous time you’re going through.

— Thank you Chévia, I’ll be safe with Bubo, Otus reassures her.

And I have a proposal for you too…

— Oh yes, says Chévia, glowing. What is it, tell me quickly, she asks, giving him little impatient wing taps.

— Hey that tickles! laughs Otus. So, I ran into Kétou this morning. He told me he’s preparing a great migratory journey, and I wondered whether…

— Whether I’d go with him? Chévia finishes. No, certainly not. We’ve made peace, the two of us, but if I were to take a journey, I’d love to go with you, Otus.

He turns red, then pale, running through every color, which for a little grey owl is no small feat!

— Chévia, that’s exactly what I wanted to propose to you, he says shyly.

Then the two of them draw close, wing against wing. Too moved to speak, they fly together slowly, for a long while.

The great change

At first light, Otus goes to the central tree and finds Bubo. Bubo introduces him to several birds. Otus already knows them by sight and greets them one by one.

He chooses a small hole in the ground, right at the base of the tree, settles in, and begins the inner peace exercises.

Each bird produces a beautiful luminous envelope, and Otus marvels at the way they merge together into an immense dome that brightly lights up the space.

Feeling ready, he directs his thoughts toward his deceased parents to find them again in the spirit world.

Lurking deep in the darkness, the terrible creature is already waiting for him and rushes at him. Otus feels its violence, its hunger, and also its surprise at finding so much light around him.

But it isn’t enough! The powerful creature keeps coming and a tentacle is already approaching, menacing.

His heart pounding, Otus is about to retreat when, surprised, he feels Chévia’s clear light weaving together with his own. Together they soon form an immense and very luminous aura in the shape of a giant heart, which lights up the creature so brightly that its shell of dark mist dissipates instantly. A small being emerges from it, utterly bewildered, and is taken in by spirits of light.

Later, the birds gather together. Chévia has joined them at Bubo’s request.

Bubo, smiling, addresses Otus;

— I was astonished by the intensity of the light you produced, he says.

— But it wasn’t enough to dispel the darkness around the being! replies Otus. It’s all of you who saved me, thank you so very sincerely!

— We helped, certainly, says Dugo, another bird present, but the power of love worked wonders today, thanks to you two, Chévia and Otus.

And all the birds then discuss this magnificent and all-too-rare event, in a cheerful hubbub. They congratulate Chévia and Otus for their ability to illuminate and soothe darkened beings and urge them to keep training and practicing this way their whole lives.

Otus also delights in this moment close to Chévia.

Without saying anything about it yet, he noticed a great change within himself, when his clear light and Chévia’s united. He then perceived, through an intimate and extraordinary cosmic connection, a multitude of beings flourishing together in clear light, and, alas, many others suffering in darkness…

Deeply moved, he then decides to rescue these latter beings and foster their flourishing.

Later, comfortably settled in his little tree, he thinks at last of Chévia, of their promise of a great journey, smiles, and falls asleep in peace.

4 the bird of clear light, pdf file:

4 The bird of clear light