The battle is not the same as the quarrel

The philosopher Lao Tzu says of the journey of the warrior of light:

'The Path involves respect for all small and subtle things. Learn to recognise the right moment to take the necessary attitudes.'

'Even if you have already fired a bow several times, continue to pay attention to how you position the arrow and how you flex the string.'

'When a beginner knows what he needs, he proves more intelligent than an absent-minded sage.'

'Accumulating love brings luck, accumulating hatred brings calamity. Anyone who fails to recognise problems leaves the door open for tragedies to rush in.'

'The battle is not the same as the quarrel.'

Comments

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.

A warrior takes every opportunity to teach himself.

'It's odd,' says the warrior of light to himself. 'I have met so many people who, at the first opportunity, try to show their very worst qualities. They hide their inner strength behind aggression; they hide their fear of loneliness behind an air of independence. They do not believe in their own abilities, but are constantly trumpeting their virtues.' The warrior reads these messages in many of the men and women he meets. He is never taken in by appearances and makes a point of remaining silent when people try to impress him. And he uses the occasion to correct his own faults, for other people make an excellent mirror. A warrior takes every opportunity to teach himself.

A warrior of light respects the main teaching of the I Ching: 'To persevere is favourable.'

A warrior of light respects the main teaching of the I Ching: 'To persevere is favourable.' He knows that perseverance is not the same thing as insistence. There are times when battles go on longer than necessary, draining him of strength and enthusiasm. At such moments, the warrior thinks: 'A prolonged war finally destroys the victors too.' Then he withdraws his forces from the battlefield and allows himself a respite. He perseveres in his desire, but knows he must wait for the best moment to attack. A warrior always returns to the fray. He never does so out of stubbornness, but because he has noticed a change in the weather.

Manual of The Warrior of Light

Search This Blog