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.'

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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.

A wise Chinese has this to say about the strategies of the warrior of light:

A wise Chinese has this to say about the strategies of the warrior of light: 'Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm.' 'Do not be ashamed to make a temporary withdrawal from the field if you see that your enemy is stronger than you; it is not winning or losing a single battle that matters, but how the war ends.' 'Even if you are very strong, never be ashamed to feign weakness; this will make your enemy act imprudently and attack too soon.' 'In war, the key to victory is the ability to surprise one's opponent.'

Manual of The Warrior of Light

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