Book Of Fellowship 3
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: Book of Fellowship 3
Author: Batlin of Britain
After a long moment, Lord British replied. "Batlin, thou dost know the meaning of perseverance. I care not for what thy Fellowship dost wish of me and I care even less for what thy Fellowship would seek to do for me. But if thy Fellowship would seek to serve the subjects of my land then my support is unequivocal."
Thus was born The Fellowship.
viii. The Value of Virtues and the Virtue of Values
In creating the Fellowship philosophy I had no intention of cobbling together a collection of platitudes that would be presumptuously intended as a replacement of the Eight Virtues of The Avatar. I knew there would be those who would accuse me of doing just that, no matter what philosophy I developed! I hereby wish to state that The Fellowship fully supports the Eight Virtues of the Avatar, and as one who has endeavored to follow their example I can personally assure thee of their immeasurable worth.
But as one who has followed the Eight Virtues, I know whereof I speak when I say that it is impossible to perfectly live up to them.
Even the Avatar was unable to do so continuously and consistently. Can anyone say that they have been honest every moment of every day of their lives? Can anyone say that they are always compassionate, valorous, just, sacrificing, honorable, humble or spiritual at all times? The philosophy of the Eight Virtues does little more than emphasize our own personal deficiencies.
I have met many adherents to the ways of the Virtues who are racked with guilt over what they perceive to be their spiritual failures, for that is what the Virtues are based upon. Having been shown our weaknesses, now is the time to strengthen them. The philosophy of The Fellowship has been created to eradicate the failures from one's life. It is a philosophy based upon success and it enhances everything that has come before it. The Fellowship philosophy can be expressed as three values derived from the personal experiences of my life.
They are known as The Triad of Inner Strength
ix. The Triad of Inner Strength
The Triad of Inner Strength is a rigorous mental discipline. It takes concentrated effort to apply this triad of values to thy life. But in doing so thou will see a change in thy life so significant that thou shalt no longer be able to look at the world in the same way again. The first value of The Triad Of Inner Strength is expressed as "Strive For Unity." People apply this value to their lives by working together to achieve that which shall benefit everyone in a state of mutual cooperation.
We have seen by the parable of "The Old Man and the Bandits" how Unity is essential. If we are not working together then we are certainly working against each other. The second value of The Triad Of Inner Strength is expressed as "Trust Thy Brother." People apply this value to their lives by dealing with others without accusations or suspicions that limit others and themselves. We have seen by the parable of "The Two Brothers and the Trickster" just how vulnerable lack of Trust makes on. Without Trust we restrict ourselves from that which we wish to accomplish. The third value of The Triad Of Inner Strength is expressed as "Worthiness Precedes Reward."
People apply this value to their lives by placing a greater emphasis on their accomplishments rather than on personal gain. We have seen by the parable of "The Ratification of Wise Lord British" that one must not expect something for nothing. Blindly chasing reward is a path that leads nowhere.
x. The Philosophy of The Fellowship
The scholarly name for the Fellowship philosophy - which I did not personally coin - is "sanguine cognition." This is merely an important-sounding way of saying "cheerful knowledge," and that is as accurate a description of The Fellowship philosophy as any I can imagine.
As long as on maintains his confidence and hopefulness one is continuously open to the opportunities that perpetually exist in life. I firmly believe that, gentle friend and traveller, and thou shouldst believe it as well. Without confidence, one does not perceive the world correctly and hence one misses opportunities. This sad sate of "fevered" reason currently holds the majority of the population in its icy grip.
Such "fevered" persons begin to adapt illusory notions to their thinking and entangle themselves in twisted, conflicting emotions which reinforce their failures. These sad people become afraid of themselves. They begin to believe that they will fail, and this belief can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Such a fevered person, whether he realizes it or not, desperately needs to recognize that the world is not a tangled know of failure. The entire process of thought needs to be permanently fixed to a confident nature. Such a person needs to "find the best in himself," and accept his basic worth. This is rarely an easy task. It requires a reflection upon one's self that can be emotionally painful.
But as we say in The Fellowship, "Sometimes one must face harm in order to find healing." Upon achieving Recognition one will follow his own inner voice of reason that will guide him through life and help him avoid failure. One of the most difficult things to accept is how reliant we are upon others. We fear the rejection, the real or imagined hidden motives, and the potential deceit of others. Accepting our inevitable reliance upon others as an integral part of our role in this world requires the courage to walk on fire.
To achieve the recognition necessary to break free of the fever, one must dedicate every fibre of being to accomplishing that end. We of The Fellowship travel that path, and I extend my invitation to thee, gentle friend and traveller, to join us. Together we shall reach our destination.