Читать книгу The Rise of Wisdom Moon - Krishna mishra - Страница 23

introduction

sends the order to Lust that Lex be brought under control. To ensure, too, that Peace, Faith and the other allies of Intuition are suitably neutralized, he sends for his leading partisans: Lord Anger and Sir Greed, Lady Craving and Mistress Harm. Despite their assurances, Nescience nonetheless remains concerned that Peace presents a graver risk than his followers can admit. As she is the daughter of Faith, and Faith, in turn, the constant companion of Upanishad, he must devise a means to drive these last two apart. Peace, on learning of her mother’s disappearance, will then be left off-guard and vulnerable. In the final scene of the act, he hatches his plan: the seductive and devious Miss Conception, the very incarnation of false ideas, is dispatched to work her wiles on hapless Faith.

As the third act unfolds, Peace is found weeping in distress at her mother’s absence. She goes so far as to contemplate suicide, and is dissuaded only by the entreaties of her friend Mercy, who urges her not to abandon the search for her mother, even if it takes her among heretics and outcastes. The pair sets out, meeting in turn a Jain ascetic, a Buddhist monk, and a Skullman, who follows the transgressive path of tantric Shaivism. All three are found to be accompanied by their respective versions of Faith, but Mercy and Peace discern that none is true Faith, Peace’s mother. They are not imbued with the principle of truth and purity (sattva), but are, rather, the daughters of the dark and dull element (tamas), or of energy and excitation (rajas). The Skullman, moreover, is an adept of the black arts and so sets about to deploy a potent spell called the “Great Terrorress” (Mahabhairavi) to capture true Faith, together with Lex.

xxi