In the intervals between battles the warrior rests

In the intervals between battles, the warrior rests.

Often he spends whole days doing nothing, because that is what his heart demands; but his intuition remains alert. He does not commit the capital sin of Sloth, because he knows where that can lead - to the warm monotony of Sunday afternoons when time simply passes.

The warrior calls this 'the peace of the cemetery'. He remembers a passage from Revelation: 'I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot... So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.'

A warrior rests and laughs. But he is always alert.

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Whenever the warrior draws his sword, he uses it.

Whenever the warrior draws his sword, he uses it. It can be used to clear a path, to help someone, to fend off danger, but a sword is a capricious thing and does not like to see its blade exposed for no good reason. That is why the warrior never makes threats. He can attack, defend himself or flee; all of these attitudes form part of combat. It is not, however, part of combat to diminish the force of a blow by talking about it. A warrior of light is always alert to the movements of his sword. But he never forgets that the sword is watching his every move as well. It was not made to be used by the mouth.

The warrior knows that there are occasional pauses in the struggle

The warrior knows that there are occasional pauses in the struggle. There is no point in forcing things; he must have patience and wait for the two sides to clash again. In the silence of the battlefield, he listens to his heart beating. He notices that he is tense, that he is afraid. The warrior takes stock of his life; he makes sure that his sword is sharp, his heart satisfied, that faith still burns in his soul. He knows that maintenance is as important as action. There is always something not quite right. And the warrior takes advantage of those moments when time stops to equip himself better.

The warrior of light listens with respect

To engage in any activity you need to know what you can expect, how to achieve your objective, and whether or not you are capable of carrying out the proposed task. 'Only a person who, suitably equipped, feels no desire for the results of conquest and yet remains absorbed in the struggle can truly say that he has renounced the fruits of victory. One can renounce the fruit, but that renunciation does not signal indifference to the results.' The warrior of light listens with respect to Gandhi's strategy. And he remains unconvinced by those who, incapable of achieving any result at all, preach renunciation.

Manual of The Warrior of Light

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