A warrior accepts all aspects of self, desire being one of them. That desire exists in all beings is a fact of life, yet how it emerges is unique in each individual. A warrior knows that to allow for desire in self and other, to meet and be shared, is a crucial step in life, that to meet another in love and shared experience is of great importance. A warrior knows that physical love is sacred and that mutual respect must be a part of every relationship, that the desire of one must accompany and align with the desire of another for not only mutual enjoyment but mutual satisfaction as well.

A warrior also knows that to curb desire is always appropriate, that the tensions of desire create energies that might more appropriately be used in a myriad of ways, and so a warrior makes decisions about the energies of desire in accordance with higher motives. A warrior knows that desires recklessly unleashed are uselessly spent, while desires contained and conserved carry potent energies and thus their distribution, when used thoughtfully, is powerful and meaningful.

A warrior works with desire. A warrior keeps desire a secret to be shared with a partner at the right time to mutual joy, in experience not wasted or exploited but lovingly shared. A warrior can wait a lifetime for such an experience. A warrior knows that all desire will ultimately be fulfilled. A warrior waits patiently, calmly knowing that life beyond illusion will offer itself at the right time. There is no doubt in the warrior’s mind.

Vigilance can make you its slave or it can set you free. Vigilance that is attached to issues of unresolved fears or dilemmas becomes a slave driver, a sentinel who never relaxes or enjoys life. Vigilance of spirit, as it seeks to remain aware, will set you free. One kind of vigilance holds you back in the physical realm, the other kind aids you in your spiritual quest for knowledge. A warrior is vigilant as a seeker of knowledge and freedom, but a warrior also uses vigilance to become free of all attachments that might steal away awareness and energy that might otherwise be directed toward that quest for freedom.

A warrior knows when to stay vigilant and when to wear it like a golden robe. A warrior does not fear vigilance, but uses it to fullest advantage. In the end, a true warrior is always vigilant, always aware, always detached, always relaxed, always free.

Obsession controls the mind, but what is there to learn in obsessive thoughts? What is there to learn in the obsessive rantings of a mind out of control? To control the mind is to empty it, yet obsession takes over, filling the mind with unnecessary debris. When this happens the warrior steps away from mind, refuses the demon obsession and resorts to the calmly centered island of heart. Basking in the warmth of pure heart the warrior knows that the mind is a separate organ, easily occupied by alien energy, and that the heart is the real organ of life. The warrior places all intent upon the island of the heart, for this is where true life and adventure will spring from. The heart is where the warrior receives and undertakes all worthy missions. The warrior knows that true life flows from the heart.

Occupy your mind or it will occupy you. Transcend thoughts and attain perfect composure, a mind that is free, unburdened and unoccupied by worry, fear or disdain. Let mindlessness be your only concern. In this manner will you find the freedom you seek. In this manner will you be available to receive the gifts of the universe. Otherwise, you will be occupied, body and soul, and your days will fly by with little to show for them except a mind that is occupied. Refresh yourself with an empty mind. Occupy it with the presence of your being and reap the rewards of mindlessness.

The way of the warrior requires discipline. Nothing will be accomplished if one does not set down ground rules and adhere to them. Simply saying that one wishes for this or that without applying also a little discipline will bring no lasting results. The warrior knows how to balance desire with discipline, how to set intent and modestly and appropriately enact a plan that will not only lead to desired outcome but provide the most benefit. A warrior does not overdo, overextend, or overcompensate. A warrior knows just how much and just how little is necessary to maintain proper balance and yet achieve the goals set.

A warrior operates from a place of knowing, not from a place of anger or despair with self or other but always out of kindness and love. A loving warrior will accomplish everything with discipline, modesty, and moderation in all things, without denial of the human self and without overindulgence in the spiritual self, or vice versa. The warrior aligns the two selves in a loving relationship, kindly disciplined to carry out every intention to fulfillment. In such a manner a new advanced warrior self will emerge and engage all of life in a new way. A warrior knows all these things. The warrior in each of you knows all these things.

Desire number one is to wake up that warrior self. Desire number two is to set that warrior self on the path of self-realization. A healthy dose of discipline is the fuel that will bring results.