When we got outside, I felt that Dectar had cut himself off completely.

Beside me walked my master and with him his pupil.

Dectar took me to a cage in which various kinds of birds were confined.

As we entered, he said to me: “Now you must try to call one of those birds to you, Venry.

Look, I will show you.”

Dectar directed his concentration on a small bird and the little animal flew at once to his extended hand and set down quietly.

“Look, Venry, the little animal listens to me.”

“Why is this necessary, Dectar?”

“Your concentration must be very strong, Venry.

When you presently live between life and death you must be ready.

You must be able to direct your concentration in various ways and you have to be very powerful in this manner too.

Have a try, I shall help you.”

I felt that Dectar set the bird free and it flew away immediately.

Then I focussed my concentration on the little animal, but it would not come to me, it stayed where it was.

“You do not think properly, Venry.

You must follow inner life, not the little animal you see, but its inner life.

When you feel that life within you, you begin to think, and you feel like a bird yourself, then you are completely one.

You would like to fly for that feeling is within you, and you are like that little animal.

Then you begin to think, very calmly at first, then more strongly and consciously, ever stronger, whereupon you will suddenly concentrate your will and it will do what you want it to do.

This time you follow it, you leap from branch to branch, but you guide the bird to the place you selected in advance.

So first become totally one with it, then concentrate on what you want it to do.

You may proceed very quietly, but also quickly, suddenly, and you want to experience everything at once, then the bird will come to you.

Can you feel me, Venry?”

“Yes, Dectar, I will do my best.”

“You can do it, Venry, you have the powers, I know.”

I adjusted myself again, carefully became one with the little animal and sharpened my concentration.

I wanted the little animal to fly around and subsequently perch on my right shoulder.

When I forced the bird to do this, it flew up with a jerk from the place where it was sitting and fluttered around.

Dectar, who followed me, said: “Splendid, you see that the little bird listens,

it will come to you.”

Truly, the bird perched on my shoulder.

When the animal came to me, I saw another coloured bird and I followed it.

I immediately felt that the contact was broken and the little animal went back to its place.

“That is no good, Venry, you must concentrate on one thing only, you should have no other thoughts.

You know now, try again and be attentive.”

I felt dead tired because of this effort and asked: “Why does it tire me out, Dectar?”

“You are not used to thinking at full power.

People who think and feel at full power are very soon exhausted.

All other people live at half power, which is the half-waking consciousness of which I told you.

Now you live at full power, and your will is adjusted to one aim, and that is why you are so tired.

It is enough for today, Venry, and now you feel straight away how difficult it is to become and feel one with nature.

Come, we will leave here.”

“Is the concentrated will that powerful, Dectar?”

“If I possessed the power, fully conscious, and I wanted this building to collapse, then this Temple would collapse, however mighty and strong the foundations and this entire building may be.

But I cannot yet think either, I am still very invalid in this respect.”

We walked through the gardens, following the life of flowers and plants while Dectar told me about the Temple and the high priests.

The day was spent in this way,

as were the next weeks and months.

I had already made much progress.

Then the moment came when I would be subjected to the first tests.