The Plans of the Order of the White Lotus

Ah, we come to it at last, our plans for changing the world. The world is quite a large place, full of many people, each one different and following his or her own special life. It is quite a task to change such a vast thing! And I now intend to change not only the four nations of my own world, but I hope to change your world as well. In fact, I have begun to harbor somewhat higher hopes for your world; I fear that my own may not be as prepared yet. But your world, with its remarkable devices that connect you with one another, your glowing boxes and all your marvelous machines that I have read about, such a lively world will perhaps be better soil for our plans! Yet I shall work as hard as I can to change both our worlds, and let the results yield what they will.

The ancient Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden demonstrated to our Order that human nature itself may be changed. In fact, it does change all the time, without our noticing! My world, and it seems your world as well, is one in which the flighty two-petal lotuses reign supreme, with great influence also from the honorable three-petal lotuses and the selfish one-petal lotuses. It has not always been this way, and there are apparently pockets of your world in which people enjoy a slightly higher, or sometimes lower, level of human nature. When we think of human nature, we tend to think of the behaviors of these one-, two-, and three-petal lotuses.

But for a moment, imagine a world in which the average person behaved more like a four-petal lotus! A world in which the average person had no stomach for prejudice of any kind, no time for pettiness, no wish to cling to narrow-mindedness. A world in which the average person would rather listen to those they disagree with instead of arguing with them. Imagine the political climate of such a world! Imagine the economic benefits of a world in which the average person was careful, thoughtful, and hungry to learn. How much would differing faiths learn to live in harmony in such a world of four-petal lotuses? How much would children grow up without being bullied by one-petal lotuses and two-petal lotuses? How much would grown adults respect their children and respect one another, if the average human nature was that of the open-hearted four-petal lotus?

I hear many complaints from your world and my own about crime, hunger, hatred, poverty, and a multitude of other shameful crises. What solution can last, unless the root cause of such woes is dealt with? Those problems will never be resolved from the outside, not even from the mightiest Fire Lord. No, only from the inside, from human nature itself, can such human tragedies be overcome!

The aim of the Order of the White Lotus is to change human nature, to break it out of its stagnant state and help it soar ever upward. For you see, a society of two-petal lotuses is quite content to stay as it is, and a society of three-petal lotuses is very proud to stay as three-petal lotuses. Yet once people make the vital breakthrough to become four-petal lotuses, they at last seek to improve themselves without limits. Our Order does not desire to see a world of merely four-petal lotuses; we dream of a world in which the average person is like a six-petal lotus, a nine-petal lotus, and beyond! Always seeking and living in higher, nobler, happier ways! But we must begin by helping people grow to become four-petal lotuses; once we help people grow to be four-petal lotuses, then they will do the rest of the growth all on their own, ha ha! They will be happy to, they will reach ever higher, always improving their own personal selves, always developing their own hearts and minds, and so benefiting everyone around them.

But how do we bring about these aims?

The human heart, human nature, cannot be changed by force. Mere blind passion will not work either; a fanatic craze only serves to stir people into a blind froth, heh, and no one can achieve real personal change in such a frenzy. I suppose my friends and I could lecture at you until we are blue in the face, ha ha ha, but that will likely do very little good to anyone. What then is to be done?

The plan of the Order of the White Lotus involves many phases, and the first major phase is already nearly complete. That first phase required my friends and I to ready ourselves, so that we might become equal to the great task that lay before us. In the Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden, no one was able to permanently change the Garden until the eight-petal lotuses arrived. Many four- and seven-petal lotuses had wrought great and helpful changes in the world, but they had never succeeded in changing the overall nature of the Garden. They had never been able to change human nature itself. Whenever any six- or seven-petal lotus tried, they would soon be stopped by the three-, two-, and one-petal lotuses, and their work would be twisted from its original purpose. But the eight-petal lotuses could not be stopped. Once the Garden was ready, once the eight-petal lotuses arrived, only then was such sweeping, unbreakable change possible.

So, the first phase of our plan soon became quite obvious: My friends and I had to become eight-petal lotuses ourselves, or else see our works eventually undone. The ancient Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden told us what kind of human nature an eight-petal lotus enjoyed, but it seemed to us to be unattainable! When we first learned about all this, less than three years ago, we were barely six-petal lotuses, heh heh, and we had spent all our long lives getting that far! We had never guessed that human nature could be changed, we had simply grown into six-petal lotuses as a result of our careful, desperate attempts at wisdom. But now, armed with the precious information hidden in the ancient Tale, the pathway ahead of us was made clear to our understanding. We now knew exactly how to bloom out as fully fledged six-petal lotuses, and we knew how to grow into seven-petal lotuses after that. Now, after these few short but wild years, we have followed the path that was illuminated before us, and have grown into promising new eight-petal lotuses. Now, we are ready. Now it is time for the next phase.

As unstoppable eight-petal lotuses, it is the responsibility of the Order of the White Lotus to act as a sort of arrowhead for you, to clear the way ahead of you so that you may grow to become as great a lotus as you wish, if you wish. We have trod the unfamiliar path of growing to become four-, five-, and eventually eight-petal lotuses, with no guide other than this ancient Tale, but now we can show you the path so that you may grow so much more easily than we did!

And to begin, we first must find as many people as we can who already are four-petal lotuses. We must start with four-petal lotuses. A three-petal lotus will not listen to such unfamiliar nonsense as this; it would be too strange for him, too different from his rigid personal code. We must find those rare four-petal lotuses, and teach them all we can, so that they may use it themselves and see the results! Only after a sufficient number of four-petal lotuses benefit from changing their own human nature, only after the results of that growth are plain to see in many people, only then will three-petal lotuses be compelled to admit that here is something worth investigating. They must see the results for themselves before they will honestly investigate such an unfamiliar thing. So we must first seek four-petal lotuses, so that they may shine for all the world to see.

There are many four-petal lotuses in this world, but when they are separate from one another they are much less able to do great things. Yet if many four-petal lotuses come together, they are able to help one another perform marvelous deeds! Rather than being torn down by three-petal lotuses, they can rise high upon the wings of their friends, each four-petal lotus helping every other to reach his or her greatest potential. We must find four-petal lotuses, and bring them together in the respect-filled friendship that all four-petal lotuses seem to develop with each other, heh heh.

And so we have been developing many different methods by which to bring together four-petal lotuses, and to teach them. It is usually a sound strategy to attack from many different sides whenever possible, and that is our plan here. We have even begun working closely with a few good lotuses on your world, to carry out our plans there. I wonder if they will be more successful on your world than I will be on mine. On our world, many of our Order travel from town to town, from village to village, spending time getting to know the local residents and to see if there are any four-petal lotuses to be found there. Whenever they are found, they are invited to learn more about how to improve their deepest nature. If they remain interested, then they are furnished with information whereby they may contact other four-petal lotuses throughout the four nations. And Piandao is welcoming any four-petal people who wish to meet together at his estate, and Jeong Jeong has begun setting up a few camps for them to gather to if they choose, and of course everyone is welcome at the Jasmine Dragon!

On your world, however, the magic of your glowing boxes gives us a great deal more options! I have met many charming people here by "tweeting," heh heh heh. Perhaps some of you are indeed four-petal lotuses? I described the behavior, attitudes, and nature of a true four-petal lotus earlier; does that sound like you? We need all the four-petal lotuses we can find, and we need to connect them with each other, so they all may inspire and encourage and help one another. We need your ideas, your prayers, and your friendship! I hear that there are some friends of mine on your world who are seeking to create places of refuge where four-petal lotuses may retreat to find help for their lives. Their plans are quite ingenious, seeking to teach merely by assisting and encouraging all who want their help, assisting each four-petal lotus to reach his or her dreams, but perhaps I should describe that another time, heh.

Another of my dearest friends on your world has put together a very fun story, meant to teach as well as to entertain! It is crafted to teach the very principles I have been discussing, to help people become full four-petal lotuses, and then grow to be five-petal lotuses and more. When he first wrote it he was a daring little five-petal lotus, ha ha ha ha, but now that he too has grown into an eight-petal lotus, he is seeking to rewrite the story in a more effective manner. He has made it available to be read freely on your glowing boxes. Jeong Jeong read the story and quite enjoyed it, but he pointed out that no one with fewer petals than a four-petal lotus is likely to be interested in such a story. That may or may not be the case, we shall have to wait and see, but I think that the story is simply a marvelous tool for teaching, encouraging, and training new four-petal lotuses. And it is quite fun, too! Ha ha.

Overall, we are seeking to use the great power of your glowing boxes to bring together four-petal lotuses in any way we can. We are always searching for new ways, new directions by which we may attack this problem. We must seek out sensible four-petal lotuses, and help them all connect with one another so that they all may help each other soar. As we members of the Order of the White Lotus show the path to four-petal lotuses, and as they freely choose to try out that path, their deepest natures will change in a way that will affect every part of their lives! That is what happens when your human nature changes.

So, to summarize, heh heh:

Phase One: The chief members of the Order of the White Lotus must grow to become eight-petal lotuses. Without this, all our plans will fail sooner or later. This phase is quite nearly completed in every way.
Phase Two: Seek out four-petal lotuses, help them connect with each other, and begin to teach them how to improve their deepest nature.
Phase Three: Establish venues where four-petal lotuses may more easily help one another to soar higher, and where new five- and six-petal lotuses may do great good while being protected from the anger of three-, two-, and one-petal lotuses.
Phase Four: As the four-petal lotuses and the new five- and six-petal lotuses prosper by each other's help, three-petal lotuses will at last begin to see the immensely wonderful results of being a four-petal lotus. As more three-petal lotuses investigate, even two-petal lotuses will begin to become intrigued.
Phase Five: Average human nature throughout the whole culture begins improving, as even one-petal lotuses see the benefit of growing into two-petal lotuses and beyond. The world will never be the same again.

As you can see, we are now beginning the second phase of our plan. A great weak point, however, is our limited ability to find four-petal lotuses. We have had a very slow start finding you. The good news is that four-petal lotuses often band together! So if we can find one, then that one is rather likely to have a few four-petal friends as well, ha ha ha.

You four-petal lotuses, we are depending on you. We cannot succeed without you, that is plain to see. I plead with you to investigate what I have said so far. Consider what you think of the Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden, what you now think of human nature, and see whether you want to lend me your aid. What sort of aid do I need? Ha ha, well above all, I just need to hear your voices! I need to know you are there. I could use your encouragement, for even running the world's finest teashop and playing Pai Sho does become rather lonely at times, heh. I need your encouragement. And if I may simply teach you what I have learned, if I may show you the path I have trod so that you may improve yourselves more and more at your deepest heart, then we all will be well on our way.

The ways of five-petal lotuses are precious, and I do not wish to simply tell them to anyone. But you four-petal lotuses, if you desire it, I am desperate and willing to teach you everything I know! And I really do recommend the little story, heh heh heh. It is something quite different, that is certain, ha ha! I think it is excellent. It will teach you quite a lot about becoming a better four-petal lotus, and it will teach you even more about becoming a five-petal lotus, with even a few six-petal lessons, I believe.

That is a broad overview of the plans of the Order of the White Lotus. That is what I have been working on, day and night. When I make tea, my thoughts are on this great endeavor. When I play Pai Sho, every move makes me think of these schemes. There is much detail to be explained, but I would like to save such detail for the sensible ears of four-petal lotuses, if I may do so.

The Happy Ending!

It has come to my attention that there are some of you who have been waiting for me to share more of my thoughts here. That makes me very happy, for I had feared that none of you were interested in hearing about what I have been working on. Every day, I serve tea to friendly customers, but it seems that even though they enjoy my teamaking, they do not much care to invest their minds or hearts into anything larger. A nearby tinsmith comes by every week, but he wishes to think only of his trade while he drinks. A few merchants come to my teashop every time they come to Ba Sing Se, but their hearts are on their merchandise. And the children who dash through my doors every morning love to tell me all about their latest games, but they have little patience for listening to my latest real-world strategems, heh.

But if even one of you still cares to hear of the schemes of the Order of the White Lotus, then I will share! I have been quite busy seeking the means to carry out our plans, and so I must always choose carefully how I will spend my limited energy, heh heh. But if you are interested in these matters, then it is quite worth my time to oblige you!

So, I told you all a little about the old Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden, and then I waited to see how it would be received. As often happens when one moves a tile in Pai Sho, the immediate effects were rather limited, heh. But that is okay. That is how the game goes, sometimes. As some of you know, I am quite fond of the Lotus Tile; though its short-range influence usually takes quite a while to have an effect on the rest of the board, those effects are nearly impossible to counteract. This is how I hope it will be now: we will start slowly, but we will be unstoppable.

And now I have waited for the right moment, and I believe it is time for me to move the Lotus Tile once again! Now, I will venture to tell you the happy ending of the Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden. You have all been very worried about the little lotuses, haven't you? I know I am, every day, heh heh heh.


When Longshot suggested that I stop telling the story, I was describing how cruelly the little lotuses treated the five-petal, six-petal, and seven-petal lotuses. They revered three petals as the most petals any lotus could ever have; any lotus with a number of petals that was so different from three must have very few petals indeed, and so must be quite a contemptible little lotus. This was not so, of course. The five-petal lotuses were far nobler than the three-petal lotuses, but not in a way that the other lotuses were yet prepared to understand. And so the little lotuses cursed the five-petal lotuses, and the six-petal lotuses and the seven-petal lotuses. They rejected them, imprisoned them, and even executed them.

The four-petal lotuses, if you were wondering, tended to stay out of this debate altogether. They did not approve of the cruel treatment that the other lotuses gave to the five-petal lotuses, but they were not quite sure what to make of the five-petal lotuses either. Whenever a four-petal lotus did decide to stand with the five-, six-, or seven-petal lotuses, they would suffer the same treatment. They would be rejected, lied about, or even killed. Some four-petal lotuses heroically stood by their five-, six-, or seven-petal friends to the bitter end, but most four-petal lotuses were simply unsure what to make of the whole business.

This went on for thousands of years. In some centuries, there would be more one-petal lotuses than any other. At other times, two-petal lotuses would be the majority. And at other times or in other parts of the Garden, there would be more three-petal lotuses than any other; at those times, the Garden truly flourished because of the honorable goodness of the three-petal lotuses. Remember, the three-petal lotuses were indeed good and noble. But three was not the greatest number of petals that a lotus could bear.

In these times of prosperity under the three-petal lotuses, the one-petal lotuses and two-petal lotuses would begin to grow in numbers once more, feeding off of the wealth brought about by the diligence of the three-petal leaders. And before long the one-petal lotuses would become the majority once again, and the Garden would swing back to decay. This unfortunate cycle continued for thousands of years. Nations rose and fell in the Garden, wealth was gained and lost, wisdom was found and forgotten. The good or bad fortune of the little lotuses ebbed and flowed depending on which sort of lotuses were the majority.

From time to time, a great four-petal lotus would defy the rigidity of the three-petal leaders, and speak forth a bold new idea. Most of these were silenced in brutal fashion, but many of their ideas nonetheless changed the Garden. And from time to time, the Gardeners would place a five-petal lotus amongst the others, or even a six-petal lotus or a seven-petal lotus. These lotuses did magnificent things that changed the face of the Garden in ways that the other lotuses thought were impossible...but these shining lotuses almost always met their end violently and abruptly. And the marvelous changes wrought by the five-, six-, or seven-petal lotuses would soon be hijacked by the three-, two-, and one-petal lotuses, and as time passed, the work of the great lotuses would be undone.

But then one day, something new happened, as it always does sooner or later.

One day, new lotuses were seen in the Garden, lotuses with eight petals, and even a few with nine! The other lotuses did not like these new lotuses at all. These new lotuses were so very different from the noble three-petal lotuses, so very different that it simply could not be tolerated. But as the three-petal lotuses, and the two-petal lotuses, and the one-petal lotuses came to rid the Garden of the eight- and nine-petal lotuses, they were surprised by the quick and wise words of these strange new lotuses.

The eight- and nine-petal lotuses did not speak like any lotuses they had heard. Their words were not overly polished by talent or skill, but they carried a wisdom unlike that of even the wisest four-petal lotuses. The eight-petal lotuses were able to reach the root of every issue, explaining it in a way that even the one-petal lotuses could not refute. They unfolded mysteries that had never before been revealed, all in the simplest fashion. They could not be stumped by even the most difficult of questions.

Soon, however, the three-, two-, and one-petal lotuses had enough of this, and they tried to silence to eight- and nine-petal lotuses. But nothing seemed to work. No matter what they tried, be it slander, imprisonment or even violence, the eight-petal lotuses would always somehow find a way out. The three-petal lotuses tried to take away the food and shelter of the eight-petal lotuses, but still the eight-petal lotuses would cheerfully find some new food and shelter without the slightest worry. The three-petal lotuses tried to condemn the eight-petal lotuses, rising up in their righteous three-petal wrath, condemning the shameful ways of the non-rigid eight-petal miscreants. But the eight-petal lotuses would go on without concern. And whenever the three-petal condemnation went too far, the eight-petal lotuses simply and effortlessly explained precisely how mistaken the three-petal lotuses were. And then they would go on again, unhindered by all the three-petal lotuses' designs.

During all this, the eight- and nine-petal lotuses were explaining what I think is the best part of this whole tale: They explained that they had not always had eight or nine petals. They had started with far fewer, and had grown, had learned to open more of their lovely petals. And they explained that every lotus, every single one, could likewise grow to open more and more of their own petals to the world around them. It didn't matter if a lotus had one petal, or three, or four; every single lotus could grow to have a completely different and higher number of petals.

The eight-petal lotuses explained that every lotus had already experienced this change, even though they did not realize it. For example, when a lotus was first born, crying and screaming, they would begin life as a zero-petal lotus. Ready to riot one moment and then lounge about the next, baby lotuses operated according to a very different sort of nature than most adult lotuses did. Then, as they grew, they learned to open one little petal to the world: they learned to have calculated desires, to seek their own good, to say "Mine!" Their entire deepest drive changed, evolving into something higher, something more effective than mere raging instinct. They would sometimes cheat or take things from other lotuses, but many of them eventually grew to know better than that sort of behavior. They transitioned into becoming two-petal lotuses, seeking the approval of their friends and of the adult lotuses. Not all of them changed into two-petal lotuses, but many of them did. Their deepest drive changed, seeking friendship, love, and the joy of other lotuses, rather than simple selfishness.

But the problem was that many of the lotuses would stop there. They would stop changing, stop going through the metamorphosis of opening new petals to the world. They remained as two-petal lotuses for the rest of their adult lives. Some of them even turned around and reverted to being selfish one-petal lotuses, or even wild zero-petal lotuses. Only a few lotuses continued changing, growing up to be honorable, noble three-petal lotuses. And yet, almost every single lotus who reached three petals stopped there, because after all, three petals was the highest number of petals that a lotus could bear. Wasn't it?

Well, the eight- and nine-petal lotuses explained that they had once been three-petal lotuses themselves. They had been born as zero-petal lotuses, the way all lotuses were, then had grown to be one-petal lotuses, and then two-petal lotuses, and finally three-petal lotuses. But all lotuses can change their petals. And the eight- and nine-petal lotuses had kept changing, had kept growing. They worked through the immense difficulties of becoming four-petal lotuses, and then grew over time to have five petals, and then six petals, and then seven petals. And now they had grown to have eight petals, and some of them even had nine. And they were still growing and changing. They told the other lotuses that there was no highest number of petals that a lotus could bear. There was no upper limit. Every lotus could continue revolutionizing his or her whole life, ever rising to higher, better, brighter ways.

These higher ways were not just BIG three-petal ways. They were not just more of the same. Each new petal changed everything, simply everything, petal by petal. The eight- and nine-petal lotuses were quite personable and cheerful, but they were not BIG three-petal lotuses; they were eight- and nine-petal lotuses. And they were able to show the path to all the other lotuses, able to show them how to gain more petals, explaining it in clear and detailed ways that even the seven-petal lotuses had been unable to do. For the first time in the history of the Garden, the unfamiliar path was being shown to all, so that all could gain petals without limit!

The eight-petal lotuses said that the three-petal lotuses would have to change. Their day of probation was ending, and now they would have to choose: they would have to decide to grow or fall. Three was certainly not the highest number of petals that a lotus could bear.

Many of the other lotuses did not like to hear this, and they tried even harder to fight the eight- and nine-petal lotuses. But it was too late: The eight-petal lotuses were already growing again to become nine-petal lotuses, and the nine-petal lotuses were growing into ten-petal lotuses, bristling with greater power than the other lotuses could believe. In centuries past, the seven-petal lotuses had been silenced, but the eight-, nine-, and ten-petal lotuses could not be stopped. And for the first time, more and more lotuses began slowly to open more of their own petals on purpose.

The whole Garden began to change as brand-new four-, five-, and six-petal lotuses bloomed everywhere. By the time the nine- and ten-petal lotuses finished their work, the Garden would never be the same ever again...


Hooray! So, that is my summary of the ancient Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden. But of what use is it to us? Heh heh, well, next I will tell you a bit of the actual plans of the Order of the White Lotus. We aim to change the whole Garden, forever. When I tell you our plan, we will see if you think we are up to the challenge...

The Meaning of the Little Lotuses

As I have explored the endless uses of my little glowing box, I have come to a startling realization: Most of you seem to speak to me from an entirely different world, if I may state it so. You are not in the Spirit World, I can see that much, but you are not in my world either. Yours is not a world of benders, it seems. Yet I read with interest about your nations and continents, your cultures and your histories, and I find that we are no different in our humanity. How it is that my little box has connected me with you, I cannot say. But I am delighted to have found this strange magical bridge through which I may meet so many new friends!

I bend flame and heat with my very chi; none of you can do that, I guess. It is sad. I wish that at least some of you could feel the energy of fire flowing through your limbs, finally manifesting itself as living flame! I wish you could meet Avatar Aang in person. But oh well. In every way that really matters, we are the same. We are all human: a blessing and a curse, as they say, heh.

So perhaps what I have to say may be of benefit to your nations, as well as our four nations here. I wish you all success in implementing our plan. Maybe you will be more successful than us! But I must tell you our plan first, mustn't I? And that would require that I first explain a bit of the meaning of the little lotus story. Ha ha, yes, so on we go.

The Garden is the world. That is obvious enough, I suppose, ha ha. But that is what the ancient commentaries say, that the Garden is the whole world. Whether it is my world or the world I see through my magic box, it does not seem to matter. For the little lotuses of the garden are humanity, so we each may liken them to ourselves. In the original, eighteen-scroll version of the story, many other plants of the Garden are described, which represent all the different orders of living creatures and even different spirits! But for now I think I should focus our attention on the lotuses. On ourselves!

And now we come to the point that makes this story such a treasure to my friends and me. Every lotus is different, just as every person is different. And yet, they all fall into distinct orders or classes, after a manner of speaking. Some lotuses open none of their beautiful petals to the outside world. Some open one, some open two, and some open three. And then there are other lotuses who open even more petals than that to the universe, but I will wait before describing them, heh heh.

These different orders of lotuses do not represent different nations, or different professions. They do not represent rich or poor, clever or dull. They represent human nature itself.

When I say "human nature," I am referring to the way people work, the way our minds and our hearts work. I am speaking of the most basic reasons why we each do what we do. Oh, what is that you are saying? There is only one sort of human nature? Maybe you didn't say that, ha ha, but let us pretend! Because that is what I had always believed. I believed that human nature was a constant; it was the basic instinct of us all, and it has never changed. People are people, regardless of their time or place.

But it turns out that this is not the case. As I have looked at history with a fresh eye, I have seen now that this old legend is correct: There have always been a few completely different kinds of human nature at work in the world! The different lotuses signify these very different human natures.

The lotuses that bare only a single petal to the world represent a rather mean kind of human nature. A single-petal lotus is driven by pure self-interest, nothing more. That is their human nature: selfishness. This kind of nature ends up producing very interesting results, heh, but for now I will just describe the basics for you, yes?

One-petal lotuses cheat, they lie, they even burgle if they think they can get away with it. They do absolutely anything if they believe it will benefit themselves. They may even appear quite pleasant or law-abiding, if they believe it will benefit them to be so. But it is their motivation that matters. If it appears profitable to a single-petal lotus to be kind, then they will be kind. And if it appears profitable for them to betray you, then they will do that. Their deepest nature is simple self-interest.

Single-petal lotuses like to say that everyone is like this. My brother said that quite frequently. If they can get other lotuses to believe that, then they may convince them to become single-petal lotuses too.

Fortunately, there are other kinds of lotuses in the wide garden. The two-petal lotuses are perhaps the most common in my world, and they seem quite common in your world as well. They were not always so common, and I think they will not always be. But yes, a two-petal lotus is driven by a different deepest desire than mere self-interest.

Two-petal lotuses desperately desire to be liked, to be loved and approved of. This is different from mere self-interest because, though a two-petal lotus certainly cares for its own interests, it will sacrifice those interests in order to be a good friend. Their desire to belong is deeper than their self-interest. It is not so simple as the brazen selfishness of single-petal lotuses. They do not seek friendship for any self-serving motive: friendship itself is its own reward for them. Pain, humiliation, and noblest sacrifice are all worth it for the sake of friendship.

You see, a two-petal lotus has everything a single-petal lotus has. A two-petal lotus has just as much self-interest, but it also has a whole other petal that changes its deepest reasons for everything it does. Single-petal lotuses may think that the self-sacrifice of a two-petal lotus is foolish, or weak. My brother enjoyed calling it a herd mentality. But I think it is better than that. It is love, not mere instinct. It is the courageous recognition that others are so very wonderful, that it is worth opening oneself up to pain and betrayal if it means we can have real friends. A two-petal lotus’s deepest motive is to be accepted and appreciated.

Now, it turns out that it is indeed more profitable to be a two-petal lotus! It is more profitable to work with others instead of against them. People working together are more powerful than those same people working apart. But that is not what drives a two-petal lotus. They don't seek friendship because they calculate that it will be more profitable to them. They seek it for its own sake. It is deeper even than their self-interest, and they will defy self-interest for the sake of their friends.

Of course, these little two-petal lotuses can be rather cliquish, heh heh. They love their friends, but they dislike any who seem to oppose their friends. Two petal lotuses argue a lot, not because they are selfish, but because they want to stand up for their friends. Also, they can be a little...uh, flighty, ha ha ha! They will change their passions with each passing fad. They want to be accepted, you know.

Anyway, next we have the great three-petal lotuses. The legend tells us that the three-petal lotuses were the wisest and the noblest of all the lotuses. At least that is what the lotuses thought, heh heh heh. A three-petal lotus seeks to do whatever is truly right. Their deepest motivation is the self-respect that comes of honor, discipline, and obedience to wisdom. Three-petal lotuses love to have friends, but they will bear the disapproval of others in order to do what is right. They are not flighty. They stick to what they believe in, no matter what anyone says, and no matter what it costs them. They will suffer and die for truth and right. That is their deepest nature, deeper than selfishness and even deeper than friendship: the desire to do what is really, truly right.

A three-petal lotus cannot be bribed or threatened. They will stand strong against such stunts. You see, their deepest human nature is simply different. They do not think the same way that single-petal lotuses or two-petal lotuses do. Their deepest desire is to do what is right, even more than their desire for personal safety or acceptance.

This is why three-petal lotuses make excellent, honorable leaders. They cherish the laws and rules that they believe in. But this also means that they can be rather rigid, you know. They do not approve of those who follow different rules from themselves. Because they want to be honorable, they can be quite harsh indeed against those who do not follow their rules. They can be a bit prejudiced at times, though not as much as their two-petal friends.

Three-petal lotuses follow the rules no matter what. However, that makes them a little predictable. It is not uncommon for a clever single-petal lotus to take advantage of this and manipulate a three-petal lotus, especially if the three-petal lotus is not a very clever one, heh heh. Nevertheless, three-petal lotuses are full of love, honor, and an anxious desire to always be the best they can be. What could possibly be better than a three-petal lotus?

Ha ha, yes, you and I both know that there is more! The little lotuses are wrong: Three is not the highest number. So what is a four-petal lotus like, you want to know?

Four-petal lotuses are quite rare, compared with the other kinds...

But wait! I almost forgot! I did not explain the lotuses that bear no petals at all. These little buds represent an uncommon sort of person whose human nature is below that of even the single-petal lotuses. No-petal lotuses are driven by pure instinct, pure emotion and immediate desire. That’s it, ha ha ha! There’s nothing more to them. They are not even wise enough to seek their own calculated self-interest, as single-petal lotuses do. Like the legend says, they may riot one moment and then lounge about the next, ha ha ha, depending on their unbridled emotions. They are rather uncommon, but they do exist, especially in some sadder pockets of the Garden.

But yes, my apologies. I left you on the edge of your seat as I was about to describe the four-petal lotuses. You were on the edge of your seat, weren’t you? Of course you were. So on we go.

Four-petal lotuses are a bit rare compared with the other kinds. Because they have three petals plus one more, they possess all the attributes of a three-petal lotus, plus more! Their most basic nature is different. A four petal lotus honors rules, yes, but rules are not enough for them. They see that the universe is quite complex, quite complex indeed! Rules, on the other hand, have a way of being simple when compared with nature. “There are no straight lines in nature,” as I like to say, heh heh. Only manmade things are so simple. Yes, nature is governed by simple principles, but those principles yield fabulously complex results, every day all around us! Four-petal lotuses seek this complexity. They want to do whatever is really truly the best thing to do, and they see that simplistic rules are simply not enough to accomplish such a feat!

Four-petal lotuses are driven by a delightful hunger to find whatever is truly real. They want to do what is best, after all, so they must find out what it is! They are ever hungering to learn. They are ever open to the unfamiliar, and ever seeking deeper into that which is already known to them. A four-petal lotus is eager to listen to all, especially those with whom they disagree, in the hope that they can learn something new. They try to see from all others’ points of view, seeking any wisdom that may lie hidden within even the most nonsensical of beliefs.

Four-petal lotuses are no less honorable than three-petal ones, but they will not let honor get in the way of truth and reality. If they find that one of their beloved rules is false or otherwise hurtful, then they will cast it away in their search for reality. And then, if they find later that the rule that they abandoned is in fact true after all, then they will go right back to it! They do not seek to rebel, nor do they seek to conform: they just want to find whatever really is, so that they may do whatever is truly best.

These four-petal lotuses are clearly quite difficult to manipulate! How do you trick someone who is seeking the truth from all angles? How do you take advantage of someone whose highest allegiance is not to rules or to the laws of men, but to the laws of nature and the universe itself!

Four-petal lotuses are not at all selfish, but nor are they selfless. They seek whatever is best for everybody, themselves included. They are not rigid...how could they be, if they want to find real truth? And while they appreciate the value of good manners, they do not get overly bogged down by decorum, heh heh heh! Four-petal lotuses seek to find and appreciate all good things. They love good rules, yet they recognize the limits of simple rules. They love a good time, but they also love good hard work. They will not hesitate to fight when necessary, regardless of rules or laws, but they much prefer peace. They do not soil themselves in the mire of argument, but sometimes they will speak up in order to teach.

I am sure that all this sounds very nice, but in the real world, not many people like four-petal lotuses. Oh, we like them very much when we see them from far away; we like them when we read about them in history scrolls. But most people do not like four-petal lotuses up close. Perhaps it is because they do not always abide by rules, and rules make the rest of us feel secure and in control. This, I think, is one reason why the other lotuses in the story decided that four-petal lotuses must be some sort of two-petal lotus, because two-petal lotuses do not always follow the rules either. But as always, it is the motivations that matter: A two-petal lotus does not follow all the rules because it is too concerned with fitting in with its friends. A four-petal lotus, on the other hand, seeks to learn and follow all the true Rules of the universe itself, and therefore recognizes that the rules of men are usually inconsistent. No one can follow all the rules of men and all the Laws of the universe at the same time. The rules of men are just not that perfect. A four-petal lotus will endure being called a traitor, heathen, or heretic if it means doing what is really, truly right.

But because four-petal lotuses often make people uncomfortable, many of them habitually disguise themselves as three-petal lotuses when in public. In private they seek complexity and reality, but in public they do not wish to spook others who find solace in the simplicity of rules.

Being a four-petal lotus is hard, much harder even than being a three-petal lotus, but it is so very much worth it! It is difficult to be called a traitor. It is difficult to be called lazy, cowardly, or foolish. But it is better to be truly brave, even if the simplified definitions of men may think you cowardly. It is better to be truly diligent, even when rigid lotuses do not understand the work you are doing while you sit and think and play Pai-Sho, heh heh. And the endless treasures of wisdom that come are such a joy that they are more than reward enough for even the cruelest slander.

All that difficulty builds character, and it also makes you into quite a character, ha ha ha! Four-petal lotuses delight in the world. They enjoy people, they enjoy humor, and so they love a good practical joke, ha ha ha ha!

Anyway, I am going on a bit about the four-petal lotuses, aren’t I? They are such a misunderstood group, though. But yes, a four-petal lotus operates by a completely different kind of human nature from any of the others: their deepest drive is to find the world, to learn of it, to enjoy it, and to do whatever is truly best. No pain, no slander, and no shame can divert them from this glorious journey. And though we may glorify four-petal lotuses when they are far off, we tend to villainize them when we actually meet them. They are not dangerous like single-petal lotuses. They are caring, thoughtful, loving, and seeking only what is best for everyone. We may be spooked by their tendency to break rules at times, but we can trust that a four-petal lotus only ever breaks a rule when that rule conflicts with the complex true laws of the universe. When a four-petal lotus breaks a rule, we are all better off for it.

But yes, I should be moving on, shouldn’t I? Yes. The original version of the legend speaks at length about the behavior of each different type of lotus, and then there are hundreds of ancient commentaries about them, but I suppose I should save all that for later, heh heh.

As for the five-petal lotuses, and their six-petal and seven-petal friends, I think I should delay an explanation of them for now, as well. If people tend to have such trouble understanding four-petal lotuses, then I want to be careful describing anything more than four! I will simply say that five-petal lotuses operate according to a whole other, even higher form of human nature than the four-petal lotuses do. They retain every good aspect of four-petal lotuses, plus more! They are even more loving, more noble, more wise, yet they do it according to a whole different, higher way of living. Completely different.

You see, each additional petal results in a revolutionary change in human nature that affects every last aspect of existence. In the legend, remember, the other lotuses declared that if there was ever to be a lotus with more petals than three, then it would simply look like a really BIG three petal lotus! Heh, that is the way that such people think. In their minds, the only thing better than a noble rule-abiding three-petal lotus is a three-petal lotus that obeys the rules even more! A really BIG three-petal lotus! Just more of the same. They do not consider that there could be a fundamentally better way of living overall. They do not consider that there could be higher things in this universe than rules.

They decide that, for instance, if reading ancient wisdom for an hour a day is good, then reading it for two hours a day must be even better! A really BIG three-petal lotus! If regular fasting and meditation is good, then even more frequent fasting must be better! If three hours of practice is good, then six hours must be even better! That is the way they think, just more of the same. And all it does is result in imbalance. Those who follow yin rules become more and more imbalanced against yang, and those who follow yang rules become more and more imbalanced in the other direction. Only a four-petal lotus lives in the completely different way that is able to seek the complexity necessary for true balance, which is so very much better than extreme magnification of rules.

I have spoken with so many good people who want to be more loving, more noble, more wise and strong and good, but they seek to do it without changing their deepest nature. That will never do. All it will cause is imbalance. If we wish to change then we must truly change, all the way down to our deepest core. If we want to become better, then we must truly become better, all the way down.

So yes, as I was saying, five-petal lotuses follow a deepest drive that is utterly, thoroughly different from that of any lesser-petaled lotus. It is thoroughly different. And I must say, it is a magnificent sort of human nature that they have! Likewise, the six-petal lotuses live according to even more wondrous treasures of wisdom, and the seven-petal lotuses even more than that!

But like the legend tells us, the other lotuses can be very cruel to these great lotuses, very cruel indeed. So yes, I will avoid explanation of them for the time being. Perhaps later, I hope. Jeong Jeong does not think you will ever be prepared to hear of these greater lotuses; would you like to help me prove him wrong? Ha ha. We shall see.

For now, though, I think it is safe to tell you the plan that our Order has developed, our plan for putting these principles into action. If we are successful, then human existence will be changed forever. We shall see. But first I must tell you how the old legend ends, mustn’t I? And when I tell you that, then I will be able to explain the best part of all this. Just you wait, ha ha ha! Just you wait...

Coming Out of Retirement

I never thought I would say this, heh, but Pai Sho is not enough. Each victory of mine in the good old game reminds me of what I could be doing outside of my teashop. Each clever combination of tiles causes me to consider how I might combine real-world opportunities to cause unprecedented good. I have played Pai Sho almost every day for more than three years, ha ha! But now I feel that I have a responsibility to apply my capacities to real people. If I do not contribute my winning strategy to the world, who will?

The war against my brother Ozai is over. Aang, our Avatar, fulfilled his responsibility and saved the world from that danger. He did not do it in the expected manner; he did not use the tried and true method of Avatar-scale combat. He did not defeat his adversary in the usual way. After all, combat usually leads to combat again at some later time. But Aang made use of ancient wisdom to truly end the conflict in a way that none of us foresaw. Such a new kind of victory is needed again, I think, to solve problems that have never before been resolved.

You see, the real war is not over. The Fire Nation's war of conquest lasted a hundred years, and some began to believe that it would never end. But it did. The Avatar did what had never been done since ancient days, and the world changed. There is another much subtler war, which has continued for eons in the hearts and minds of individuals everywhere, in every nation and time.

Until recent years, I believed that this inner war was doomed to be an eternal struggle. After all, is that not what humanity is? Are we not the constant clash of light and darkness? Are not the demons of our darkest nature eternally at war with the angels of our brightest potential? How can the war in the heart of man ever come to an end? How can it even make any progress, for good or bad? Aren't people always the same, generation after generation?

No.

But I used to think so. It was only two years ago that Jeong Jeong unearthed a more complete version of the ancient Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden, a legend that I admit I had paid rather little attention to before hearing of Jeong Jeong's discovery. But now, in its complete and quite lengthy form, we realized that a treasure of unforeseen value had been gifted to us!

We each studied the tale, and we shared our thoughts with our Order through many letters. Every day, it seemed we learned a new lesson that none of us had ever considered before! As our understanding of this ancient wisdom grew, we all came to see what unprecedented change it could bring upon the world. If only it could be put into action.

I was actually ready to end my retirement there and then, ha ha, but Bumi pointed out that we did not yet have enough of a plan to accomplish anything of substance. And so we waited, learning more and more with each day. At least we could implement the lessons of the old tale into our own lives. Pakku suggested that that alone might be sufficient, that perhaps we should not seek some grand plan whereby we might offer others what we had found. I hope he does not mind me telling you that part, heh. In the end, though, we all perceived that the Spirits intended something different. Something grander.

And now, it is time. Time for me to move this particular Pai Sho tile into the active portion of the board. It is time for you to hear the lessons of the Blooming Lotus Garden, and decide for yourself what you will do with them.

I am going to begin slowly, and we will see how the rest of the board responds, shall we? Firstly, then, I will tell you a brief summary of the meaning of the Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden. And then I will let you in on our plan, which will require that I tell you the happy ending of this little legend, ha ha.

The Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden

Longshot wants to hear a story. I can tell. Ah, so what story should I tell him? He wants to hear an old story, one about life and growing. I can tell. I have a way of seeing these things. Yes, that is the kind of story he wants.

Aha! And I have just the tale for him! Everyone, come, listen! It is no great secret now that the Order of the White Lotus lives on, and that I sometimes tag along with them, heh heh... So today I am going to tell you an old White Lotus legend, the Tale of the Blooming Lotus Garden.

There was once a gorgeous Garden of lotus flowers. It stretched from east to west, and encompassed the north pole and the south. Never before had such a Garden been seen!

But these were no ordinary lotuses. No, not ordinary at all. They were each different from one another. And nearly all of them were closed like a newborn bud, with only a few petals opened to the light of the world.

Some lotuses opened two petals to the world. These lotuses were friendly and kind, though maybe a bit forgetful, ha ha.

Some lotuses opened only one petal. These were not so kind, and sometimes they were simply mean to the other lotuses. Sometimes.

There were a few lotuses that opened no petals at all to the light around them, but those little buds did not do very much.

And then there were some lotuses who opened three petals! Those were the wisest, the noblest, and the most kind of all the lotuses in the Garden. Almost all the leaders of the lotuses throughout the Garden were three-petal lotuses. Three was the greatest number of petals that a lotus could bear.

Life was peaceul in the Garden. Peaceful enough, anyway, heh. The two-petal lotuses had fun with one another. They went to plays and markets, and parties. The one-petal lotuses tried to cheat or cut corners or even burgle, and sometimes they got away with it. The no-petal lotuses merely lounged or rioted, depending on their mood at the time, ha ha! And the three-petal lotuses did their best to be the finest little lotuses that they could be. The three-petal lotuses strove to follow every law, every rule, every honorable guideline and every worthy ideal, at least the ones that they knew. They tried to make the most out of their lives in the Garden. Of course, sometimes this meant that the three-petal lotuses could be a bit rigid, heh heh, but that was quite worth it in order to live the best way they could. Three was the greatest number of petals that a lotus could bear.

But sometimes in the Garden, a strange lotus would turn up that opened four petals to the light of the world. The other lotuses did not know quite what to make of these four-petal lotuses. They could see that a four-petal lotus was somewhat like a three-petal lotus, yet not quite alike. But since a four-petal lotus was just about as different from a three-petal lotus as a two-petal lotus was, most of the lotuses decided that these odd four-petal lotuses must simply be another sort of two-petal lotus. Yes, that was it. After all, what else could a four-petal lotus be? Because three was the greatest number of petals that a lotus could bear.

Now there were a great many four-petal lotuses among the wisest leaders of the lotuses, but they nearly always dressed themselves like three-petal lotuses. They knew that the other lotuses preferred three-petal lotuses, and they did not want to cause unhelpful difficulties. Three was always the greatest number of petals that a lotus could bear.

But sometimes the Gardeners would plant other lotuses in the Garden. Sometimes they would plant a lotus that bore five petals to the world! Sometimes they would plant a lotus that bore six petals, or even seven petals! These lotuses were very strange to the other lotuses, very strange indeed! They were not like the three-petal lotuses at all. And that could mean only one thing: If they were so unlike the three-petal lotuses, then that must mean that they bore very, very few petals indeed, because they were so far from the three-petal lotuses, and three was the greatest number of petals that a lotus could bear. Therefore these strange five-petal and seven-petal lotuses must actually have very, very few petals. Three was the greatest number of petals that a lotus could bear.

The five-petal lotuses, and the six-petal lotuses, and the seven-petal lotuses each tried to explain to the other lotuses that they were not contemptible, but that in fact they had more petals than a three-petal lotus! But the other lotuses all shook their heads, replying that if there ever were a lotus with more petals than three, then obviously such a lotus would simply look like a really BIG three-petal lotus. Obviously. Because three was the greatest number of petals that a lotus could bear.

The one-petal lotuses, and the two-petal lotuses, and the three-petal lotuses were not very kind to the five-, six-, and seven-petal lotuses. Not very kind at all. They insisted that any lotus that bore a number of petals so different from three must be a very low number of petals, because three was the most any lotus could have. This meant that, because the five-, six-, and seven-petal lotuses clearly had so fewer petals, they must be very bad lotuses indeed.

The other lotuses punished the five-petal lotuses, and the six-petal lotuses, and the seven-petal lotuses. They told cruel stories about them. They passed along reckless rumors about them. They tried to put them in prison, and sometimes they even killed the five-, six-, and seven-petal lotuses.

Even the three-petal lotuses, who were in truth good and wise lotuses, were equally mean to the five-, six-, and seven-petal lotuses. This was because the three-petal lotuses wanted to protect their fellow lotuses from such bad lotuses as the five-, six-, or seven-petal lotuses. Three petals was, after all, the greatest number of petals that a lotus could ever bear.

Why is Longshot looking at me like that? It's a little scary... Don't you like this story?

Smellerbee says that Longshot did not want to hear a story anyway. He was looking at me because he wanted help cleaning the dining area. Clearly, she just does not understand Longshot. Oh, well. The legend has a very happy ending, but perhaps I must save that for another time.

My Friends

At last, I have managed to talk myself into leaving the Fire Nation. This place holds many memories. Not since before Zuko's banishment had I taken the time to really look my old home in the eye, and see all my past written there.

Of course I am unspeakably proud of my nephew and his...uh...very strong bride! He is the Fire Lord that the Spirits wanted for our people. His blazing life makes the emptiness of my own estate easier on my tired heart.

I made myself enter Lu Ten's room yesterday. The servants have kept it clean but unchanged. I wish he could see the world at peace! Ah, but perhaps he can, from his place among the Spirits? Yes, I think so. Now I am taking some of his finest portraits with me to Ba Sing Se. And yes, I have packed my favorite portraits of his mother, as well. How proud she would be of Zuko! I hope she would be proud of me, too...

Ah, what is more precious than dear friends? It is true that, when I lost her...when my life ended for the first of many times, heh...I thought that I would never open my heart to anyone else, ever again. Even my little Lu Ten suffered from my coldness. But then, in his pure little smile, ha ha, I began to see hope again! He taught me to open my heart to those around me. I watched his fearless friendliness, his way of including everyone, even strangers...and I did my best to heed his unspoken lessons.

And then the Spirits allowed *him* to be taken from me. But this time, I did not forget his teachings. I kept my heart open wide as the endless sky! At least, I tried to. I sought friends wherever I could find them, though rather few of them sought me back, heh heh. But oh, it was worth it. Never again would I let others' rejection of my friendship stop me from trying. Dear friends are too precious for that. Perhaps only one in a thousand would become such a friend, but is it not worth a little pain to unearth a diamond?

If my beloved son had not showed me the priceless value of friendship, I wonder if I would have been able to support Zuko when he needed me? Hm...I do not think I would have kept my heart open to my nephew, and perhaps he might never have found his way...  Or perhaps I give myself far too much credit, ha ha ha!  Ahh, but no...I believe that it was Lu Ten's example to me that redeemed my life, Zuko's life, and our nation's life! His example of open friendship. Which, come to think of it, is also what allowed the Avatar to prevail against terrible odds! I must spend more time with Aang. He has much to teach me about keeping an open heart.

I have feared to look into my past. I have feared to remember the many friends I have lost. But if I keep their memories at a distance, that is when I truly lose them. Coming home again has made me look my past in the eye, and I am glad.

But it appears that I still have some future left in me, ha ha! So to the future I look now, and to my poor neglected teashop! And to my beloved new friends!

Oh, yes, that reminds me. It turns out that the water in the Fire Nation has a slight hint of sulfur in it. Ha ha, I had never realized it until I drank so much tea that was made with the waters of Ba Sing Se, and then noticed the difference! But it actually has quite a pleasant effect on my tea! Too much sulfur would taste revolting, I think, but this perfect natural touch of it actually causes some of my favorite tealeaves to produce a richer, more lingering taste.

Now, how can I reproduce this in Ba Sing Se?

Enjoy the Fundamentals

Oof, my legs are sore. But it is rather nice.

I just got back from a good walk around the city. It is still full of visitors who came for Zuko and Mai's wedding. Some of the guests are awaiting ships to take them back home, but I think others are staying because they see money to be made off of the remaining crowds, heh.

As I was wandering among the booths in the market square, I noticed a set of brightly colored scrolls. I stopped to look at them, and I was astonished by their titles! One said, "Firebending without the Boring Parts." What is boring about firebending? But there were others as well. There was "Sword Fighting without the Boring Parts," "Nature without the Boring Parts," "The Avatar State without the Boring Parts." There was even "Tea Brewing without the Boring Parts." What could possibly be boring about making tea?!

But I was interested. A scroll that illuminated only the most interesting parts of teamaking could, perhaps, help others to enjoy what I appreciate so much! Ah, but I was disappointed. The scroll left out all the best parts! It emphasized strange things, like supposed magical powers that can be imparted by a combination of mythical leaves. It spoke of nothing but theoretical guesswork on the origins of tea, most of which was simply untrue. But I would not mind such entertaining ideas, were they not promoted at the expense of the joys that the scroll called "boring."

I decided not to be too hasty, however. Perhaps it was only the tea scroll that was a little esoteric. After all, teamaking is not the most widely known topic, heh heh. So I picked up the firebending scroll. Here again, I was met with a sad sight. The fundamentals of firebending were hardly even mentioned! The basics, the foundations upon which all other firebending depends, were referred to as "things that everyone knows, but are hardly exciting."

And there was the problem, just where it is so often.

If anyone truly understands the basics of firebending, then he will see why they are worth being excited about! But while it is easy to learn the fundamental moves and principles, it is much harder to master them, and far harder still to *understand* them. A lifetime can be devoted to the basics alone, and they will continue to yield new treasures of insight and ability. It is only with such understanding that a firebender can have a sure foundation that will allow him to master any number of more advanced skills. Without the basics, a firebender is like a volcano: Very violent, and spectacular to behold! But in the end, volatile, wild, and self-destructive.

This firebending scroll explained some of the oddest theories about firebending that I have ever heard. It claimed to reveal the very origins of firebending itself, but its strange hypothesis (which it portrayed as fact) was quite a...uh...colorful fancy, if I may be so bold as to say so. It surely bore little resemblance to the history as the Spirits tell it... But when would-be scholars turn up their noses at the basics, what else could we hope to expect?

The key is appreciation. Appreciation for everything, especially the little things, and not just the large or the flashy. My brother was once one of the most externally powerful benders in all the world, but if only he had cared for the basics, who knows what new secrets of bending he might have unlocked? Perhaps it is a good thing that he did not, heh, but maybe if he had he would have developed a somewhat more balanced outlook on the world.

For you see, the basics are all interconnected. The basics of firebending are intertwined with the basics of every other element. To truly understand one element is to understand and appreciate them all. To truly understand plants, one must learn about the stars. To fully understand others, one must uncover mysteries about himself. But without the basics, sciences and studies become separate from one another. That is when they stray into strange paths and wander away from the real world.

I would like to write a scroll called "Firebending Made Not-Boring-At-All!" For the truth is that a master who really understands anything will understand the wonder of it! Such a master can teach others to find that same delight for themselves, even in the basics. It is actually in the deepest fundamentals that the majestic elegance of our world shines most brightly! Not only is a foundation necessary for the stable use of more advanced skills; it is necessary in and of itself, for its own sake. That is where true power and knowledge are locked, and true peace as well.

I have known young firebenders who sought discipline, but had difficulty when they were faced with the tedium of the basics. If only they had had someone to teach them why the basics were so interesting! And I have known others who were wise enough to desire to learn the basics, who wanted to slow down and learn *why* fire behaves as it does, *why* movements of the body produce flame, and *why* some people can bend while others cannot...but I have watched sadly as even such wise students were hurried along by impatient masters. I remember one in particular, who told his eager young pupil, "You don't need to know why! Just memorize the movements!"

Memorization, rote learning, makes everything boring. In that condition, what choice does the mind have but to flee to strange and fanciful ideas? For our minds seek to delight in their universe. We all know deep down that the world is a remarkable wonderland, and we yearn to experience that wonder. But impatient learning, motivated by the desire for quick external output, blinds us to it. It blinds us to the all-important *why.* Our world is marvelous, but it is not the wild, sprawling splatter that some theories assert it to be.

We do not need to turn to fairy-tale ideas for excitement; our world is even more magnificent, if only we will develop eyes to see! If we think the real world is a place of dreary work and mere survival, then we are living in an unnecessary bad dream. Don't get me wrong, I always love a good fairy tale! But I most appreciate tales that serve as reflections of the world as it is. Those stories resonate inside all of us, not because of mere spectacle or excitement, but because of their meaning.

Anyway, I bought the tea scroll. It will make for funny reading, and I think the bright orange color will go nicely with the decor at my teashop!