Remain heart centered in your intent, with compassion for yourself too, for though you may not be perfect you can still strive for perfection, and though you may not be fully in the place you want to be you can continue your quest for the self you know you are. All that is happening outside of you is reflected inside of you; the discontent, the inequality, the anger, the fear, the greed, the bigotry, the great need for change. The entire world is in an uproar. Do not let this uproar go to waste. Within and without, dare to change so that equanimity may be achieved, so that all may flourish, so that peace may come. A warrior knows that an opportunity like this may not come again for a long time. With loving kindness and compassion for all beings, a warrior does not let this time of great opportunity slip by. Begin by changing the self.
Small joys may be discovered no matter the circumstances. A warrior does not have to force joy, for a warrior always has joy in the heart, a secret stash just waiting for the moment of expression. For a warrior knows that all is not lost, ever. A warrior always has hope, a secret stash ready to call forth, for a warrior knows that nothing is ever totally hopeless. A warrior always has a secret stash of gratitude too, for a warrior finds that there is always a reason to express gratitude. And so, a warrior is always joyful, hopeful, and grateful, even when things seem the most dire, for a warrior’s path is always a path with heart, always.
The calmness you seek is all around you… and within you… – Photo by Jan Ketchel
The intent of the warrior’s spirit is freedom. COVID-19 is a predatory virus that has taken control of the world, vastly limiting freedom. The human spirit is currently gathering steam to blow through the bottleneck of this quarantine retort.
This is a natural reaction of spirit, to push beyond all limitations. Some explorers push beyond the limits of the physical body to explore their spirit potential. Others stay focused on transcending all supposed boundaries and limitations imposed by the physical world.
The warriors of Carlos Castaneda’s lineage discovered that the most valuable practice to obtain freedom was not in great feats of power in this world, or in any other. Freedom can best be obtained through the tempering of spirit, they discovered, through encounters with a formidable tyrant, such as COVID-19.
The first lesson in such an encounter is to willingly accept COVID-19’s power to infect us all. Our human self-importance has been greatly checked, in respect to the deadly power of this smallest of microbes. Our entire world’s familiar way of life has had to be tabled, denying us the basics of human social interaction.
Losing self-importance enables us to more objectively see what we are up against. To be offended by the predator costs us cascades of emotional energy, spent to no avail. The predator thrives on our offense, both in terms of the emotional energy we deliver to it, and in the co-mingling we may engage in, in defiance of necessary limitation, whereby providing potential new hosts to the predator.
Humbling of the warrior spirit equips the warrior to face the unknown, without the veil of self-importance. Freed of prejudice, the scientist in all of us is on the road to solution. However, great detachment is required to not fall prey to the battle cry of unfairness. In a predatory universe, unfairness is a dominant of reality.
The battle with unfairness is formidable. It is our core human predicament. We are all saddled with the reality that we must attach to this world to survive, yet we must fully release it in death. Where is the fairness in these diametrically opposed demands?
The greatest obstacle to our freedom is the emotional energy the predator can drown us in. When we become emotionally activated by the limits imposed by the predator, we may become possessed by fear, sadness, and rage. The warrior, on the other hand, becomes attuned to the triggers of these emotions and, while not denying them, actively refuses to attach to them.
Fear is a natural reaction to perceived threat. Fear, however, is generally greatly augmented by attachment to thought and imagination. The practice of taking charge of the mind, specifically where it exercises its focus and attachment, can keep fear in modest proportion. Thus, a warrior does not let fear take over the mind.
Sadness is a legitimate emotion, however, a bottomless pit of sadness is inhuman. One caught in this place is likely channeling an entity, such as an archetype, that seeks expression through possession of a human life. To dis-identify with such an archetype is to maintain one’s humanness. Thus, a warrior refuses to relinquish personal power.
Rage is the extreme of anger, often sparked by being overwhelmed by feeling offended. Beyond the affront to self-importance, it’s natural to want to take an action, such as setting a boundary, or acting in self-defense during an objective attack. A warrior strives always to act as fits a situation, devoid of feeling offended.
The world’s encounter with COVID-19 offers all warriors on the path to freedom the opportunity to temper their spirits, in preparation for a successful journey into the unknown. The pitfalls of self-importance and emotional extremes are tempered, as clarity, sobriety, and practicality guide the warrior’s journey instead.
Use this opportunity to go with the flow, and restore the magic of being a warrior in this wonderful world at this awesome time.
In times of trial and tribulation, when all seems dark and lost, look always for the gleam of light, for it is there, at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps it is only a pinpoint, but it is slowly growing bigger and brighter. It is showing you the way, the direction to take, reminding you to turn from the darkness and face the light, and find your way to the freedom you seek. A warrior’s path always faces the light, in the direction where freedom lies, for to a warrior, freedom is all that matters.
In changing times let not the self get lost in its vicissitudes, its patterns of behavior, or its old ideas but keep it primed and ready. Train it to trust in the changing times as the new path, as the gateway to change that is necessary, bringing down that which is no longer viable and replacing it with that which is sustainable for a new age. In such times a warrior knows how to act, with loving kindness for self and other, the old and the new alike, for a warrior knows that everything matters, but a warrior also know that only that which is most necessary and important moves forward into new life. Stay strong, and in the warrior’s way, stay loving and kind too.
