Especially for Alan Questel
…This is a very, very old legend, so old, that even the oldest polish trees don’t remember when it was told for the first time.
It happened far, far away, so far that if you wanted to get there, you would pass seven mountain, seven forests and at least seven rivers.
In that hidden and beautiful place lived the siblings – the great Four, two sisters and two brothers. They were born at the same time, but differed a lot.
They were born at night, in the deepest darkness you can even imagine. Just before dawn, the brother Movement and sister Sensing woke up and started to play with each other. The sister Feeling had her eyes opened and inhaled some vibrations, she was quite alert but in no mood to play. Brother Thinking was still asleep.
Then the sun woke up. Slowly it started to get lighter and lighter – the Four were now quite awake but not of the same consciousness. Movement and Sensing seemed to be bigger, while Feeling and especially Thinking were not so big.
The first couple were working very hard, until they succeed – in the late morning, there was a possibility to play together; every idea, which was born in the mind of one of them, developed for the whole four. After a few hours they could cooperate very effectively and it made them all laugh. Thinking created some new conceptions, Feeling gave them strength, Sensing evaluated them, choice gave them the best materials and Movement found the way to realize them.
Suddenly something broke down just after the noon hour. Thinking’s mind quite new idea was created:
-„Wait, wait! It’s me, I’m the most important, I start every action!” – he started to scream. „I’m a divine creation, the most powerful of the siblings, now you must do everything I want and everything I ask you to do!”
But the rest didn’t agree. They started to quarrel.
Thinking said: „I’m the master of creation”
-„You could do nothing without my tools” Sensing responded, „Besides – I’m the oldest”
-„But I’m the most intelligent” shouted Thinking.
Feeling said: – „You both are wrong, without the power of the heart no project will exist and my synapses are the best!”
-„…and of course very dumb” shouted Thinking.
-„Quiet all of you! It’s me who can find the way to realize it, everyone knows, we judge everything by it’s result, so you are nothing without me..” said Movement.
They started to fight, when one increased the other was diminished, when someone screamed and was heard very well the other was totally stunned. There was no place to play, for projects or for realizing dreams.
They were so engaged in the war, that they didn’t notice the person, who was observing them. After a few hours, he was so bored that in a calm but strong voice he said: „Quiet!”
They stopped. The emptiness was in their eyes while looking at that person. He was an old man, with traditional long, white beard, wisdom in his eyes, and traditional Stick of Power in his right hand. His clothes were long and beautiful, he has a funny hat on his head.
-„Quiet! Don’t you see what had happened? You can’t play, you lost your pleasure and joy, you stopped developing. You are just wasting your time, it makes you liars. In fact, everyone of you, by your-self, is a real layer – the words of a single one don’t have any power. Wake up!”
-„Who are you?” they asked.
-„I’m the power and the spirit of Maturity, you saw me before, in your dreams. Now I’ll be with you always. They call me Awarene…” but his words vanishes as he started to become more and more transparent and finally, after few moments, he vanished completely.
They were shocked, paralyzed like by the flash, also looked quite awake, as if they had a night-mare before… After a while they gathered and started to talk: about the morning, about making a common effort, about joy and new projects…
-„Let’s try again” shouted 4 voices.
Thinking gave the new idea, Feelings considered it and gave it strength, Sensing gave it the character and clearness and Movement embodied it. It was so pleasurable! So creative! All at once noticed they were equal, same size with the same power and connected to each other.
The final effect was finished before night and it was so beautiful! The circle divided into 2 parts, by nice curved line. Two tear-shape parts, black and white, both with the sign of the second inside, like eyes, the perfect picture of the Great Four’s Harmony. The siblings were tired and happy.
When they fell asleep, hugging closely, murmuring: how good it was, no fights anymore, how effective and important are we together…”
…He woke up suddenly.
„What a dream, what a tale! What a wonderful dream I had! Four layers not liars.” Moshe murmured. „And what was the name… ? The name… the name… Yes! It must be „Awareness”!
I have to write it down quickly, not to forget.
2008-2009 Malmoe, during the Feldenkrais Professional Training Malmoe3
