The Path of Enlightened Indulgence, by Lucius Aurelius

[Walrus Warwagon]

The Path of Enlightened Indulgence

by Lucius Aurelius

I too, once, was impoverished. In material and spiritual, and body, and soul, and mood, I was poor, and barren, and blank. I had trodden the path of Renunciation, relinquishing worldly possessions and distancing myself from the material realm. My life, like others, echoed the desolation of barren alleys, and the echoes extended, deafening questions we didn't ask.

Brought there by some caring souls (may their lives be opulent and pleasure plentiful), in the stillness of contemplation, or perhaps in a paralysis of fear, I stood atop a volcano. The dragon soared above, and the world beneath disappeared. Oh, sweet irony! From the abyss of nothingness, where the stark contrast of existence met my contemplative gaze, the seeds of the Path were sown.

I watched. In terror, and in fear. "What is this nightmare?!",  I asked myself. "We rejected the world, and now there is none, where there was all! And it is gone, and it lives now only in memories..." It was in this transcendent moment that a profound revelation dawned upon me — a revelation that shattered the orthodox constraints of ascetic monasticism, and since then had long guided my spiritual journey.

"And the ascetic way," I discerned, "is a misleading dichotomy — a misguided attempt to master oneself by severing ties with the very fabric of life. How could one enrich the soul through a deliberate denial of the world's offerings?" The epiphany struck me with the force of divine revelation, and with newfound vigor, I emerged from the shadows of renunciation, and took the name Aurelius, for this wisdom was purest of golds.
And so, I was not poor in mood anymore.

The subsequent years unfolded as an odyssey of survival, navigating the treacherous terrain of a desert populated by souls on the brink of surrender. I, however, found hope in the crucible of adversity. Determined to embrace life in its entirety, I toiled tirelessly, honing the skills of negotiation, trade, and connection-building. A rat tail for a sharp shard, a sharp shard for a warm scarf, a warm scarf for a seed of lost trees — I learned, climbed the social echelons, and transformed destitution into opulence.
And so, I was not poor in body anymore.

Yet, material prosperity alone could not satiate my evolving desires. "Taste," I discovered, "is an art — an aesthetic refinement that transcends the banal. It wasn't merely about experiencing the world, but it was about discerning quality within the quantity. Gold itself could be diluted, dirt could be good for health, and in this — luxurious." I learned to appreciate the exquisite spectrum of existence. "To savor life to the fullest is to seek the best." To get the most of savoring is an experience akin to meditative practice. Dissolve in sensations. Do not empty the mind, but fill it to the brim with the richness of every second, focusing your whole being on these blessed moments of indulgence.
And so, I was not poor in soul anymore.

And with all three, I was no longer poor in material and spiritual. And so, I share these tenets for those who will walk the Path, for in this they are rich, and blessed, and rightful:

• They who live prosperously are prosperous.
• Do not compromise for mediocrity when the best is to be had.
• Measure is a two-sided sword — by knowing measure, you maintain the desire for more, but by overindulging in measure, you stall.
• Closed fist accepts no coin. Your palm is open, your palm is heavy.
• Renounce the ascetic way, experience the world, for they who have savored the best our world has to offer are truly enlightened.