In Koan Volume 1  by Lucio Pascua, the cosmos doesn’t begin with a bang—but with a breath. At the center of existence lies not a god with thunder or a war of creation, but a sleeper. A dreamer. The Enlightened One. And from His dreams, all things arise—stars, time, galaxies, and even the fragile threads of human emotion.

It’s a breathtaking concept: that reality itself is the peaceful dream of a divine being. The Guardians—mythical cosmic protectors like the Dragon, Tortoise, Phoenix, and White Tiger—exist solely to ensure the tranquility of this dream. Because if the Enlightened One stirs too much, if the balance of peace is broken, the dream ends. And with it, everything else.

What makes this mythology resonate on a human level is not just its scale—but its intimacy. The Enlightened One dreams not just of planets and physics, but of kindness, music, memory, and meaning. Within His sleep, every soul that achieves perfect peace—even for one second—is instantly known and remembered forever. It’s a deeply personal universe where the smallest act of love or forgiveness becomes cosmically significant.

There’s something profoundly comforting about that. In a world where we often feel like specks in an indifferent universe, Pascua’s world offers the opposite: a cosmos that listens, that feels, and that responds. A cosmos where peace isn’t passive, but a pulse—alive and vital.

But this dream, like all dreams, is fragile. In the opening chapters, a disturbance arises—not from war or destruction, but from something achingly familiar: a single soul who begins to lie to themselves, to deny their connection to the greater whole. That ripple, that flicker of self-deception, is enough to catch the attention of the Guardians. The lesson is clear—chaos doesn’t always arrive with fanfare. Sometimes, it starts with a whisper.

In Koan Volume 1, Lucio Pascua weaves spiritual philosophy into science fiction without preaching or pretension. The result is a narrative that feels ancient and futuristic all at once—a cosmic myth told with human tenderness. The Enlightened One is not just a force of creation; He is an embodiment of hope, of wholeness, of the idea that peace is worth protecting at all costs.

In our waking lives, we often seek meaning in grand gestures, in epic events. But this story turns that on its head. Here, it is stillness that matters most. Harmony. A single moment of unity is enough to ripple through dimensions. And in a time when division seems constant, that truth feels more relevant than ever.

We are all part of the dream. And that means we all have a role in keeping it alive. Whether through forgiveness, love, or even just a deep breath, we contribute to the peace that sustains it all.

And that, perhaps, is the most empowering dream of all.