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[Alexandr Korol]

and more toward how to actually reach enlightenment — what enlightenment is, how it happens, and how it manifests. If we continue to examine the topic of temptation, it becomes clear that it’s any kind of provocation — and that’s very interesting — any provocation that pushes you, as a person, toward argument and conflict. Here’s a real, living example. Look — I’m renting an apartment, and the owner, every time I renew the contract, sees that I like the apartment and don’t want to move out. So each year, he raises the rent by quite a large amount — 15,000 rubles, to be exact. Last year, he raised it by 15,000, and now he says that if I want to stay and renew again, I have to pay another 15,000 more. That’s just how he behaves — not because rental prices have gone up, not because the apartment is particularly special — no. He’s simply taking advantage of my kindness, because right now I’m going through a trial by Mara, a temptation. And just like many others, he’s connected to the dark force. He’s simply acting in a vile way, like all the other vile people out there. And if I weren’t going through these trials right now — if I weren’t in this state right before enlightenment — if I were spiritually weak right now, I would definitely respond. I’d say: “Listen, you want me to pay 15,000 more? How about this: I want to pay 15,000 less than what I paid before, or I’ll move out. And you won’t rent this apartment out again — at least not for the next six months. Look how much money you’ll lose: one month, two, three. You could’ve earned all that, but if you lose me, you’ll earn nothing. Do you need that kind of problem? And the deposit you’re trying to take — you can’t, because the lease is over. I’ll be taking it back, and I’m not renewing anything. For you it’s a hassle — you’ll have to find a new tenant. So how about a 15,000 ruble discount instead?” So I could have said that — but I didn’t. I said: “Fine, if he wants 15 more, let it be 30,” and that’s the paradox. And what’s most interesting is that the little Alex who had just started writing books — that’s exactly how I used to be. I described this in all my early draft books: whenever there was a conflict, whenever someone cheated me out of money or anything else, I never confronted them, I never argued — I just said “okay” to everything. And then — I even remember — when I was in a relationship, there was this girl who had known me for many years. When she finally found out who I was, or at least grasped some part of it, she said to me: