Chapter
Two
Wake up and Watch
Discipline Number Two: The noble warrior practices wakefulness and awareness.
Lesson
When you are asleep you are unaware of your own being, others, your surroundings.
When you are asleep, except for your dreams, you are unconscious of everything
in and around you. What is real is not experienced. This is also true
when you sleep spiritually. People who are spiritually asleep are unaware
of themselves, what is truly going on inside them. They are unaware of
what is controlling their lives, why they feel so bad inside, who they
are in relation to their thoughts, desires and needs. Because of this,
people who are asleep do not grow.
Besides not being aware of themselves, those who sleep spiritually are
unaware of others, not that they do not see others and interact with them,
but they are not in touch with others' needs, feelings, hopes and concerns.
They have very little empathy, because they have very little love for
others, except to the degree that someone serves their purposes or makes
them feel good about themselves. Because of this, those who sleep spiritually
often unknowingly, or even knowingly, hurt other people, or use other
people. They act in a callous and self-serving manner when dealing with
other people because they are unconscious of the fact that others are
real people too.
Because people who are asleep spiritually focus on earthy things, such
as the gathering of possessions, gaining status, power, fame, they close
themselves off to the spiritual realities surrounding them. They do not
see the signs of God and spirit in their lives. They are not taught or
guided by higher forces. They live on a flat level of existence and awareness,
and though they have the illusion that they are prospering, their lives
are actually very empty, lonely, and sad.
The warrior awakens from such a sleep. Often times it is through a series
of grueling battles to save one's own life or well being that brings a
warrior to wakefulness. Many who have fought addiction, compulsive behavior,
destructive impulses and actions, have emerged with not only a greater
sense of self awareness, but empathy, being aware of others. But even
those who find that they have awakened to a degree of higher consciousness,
must continue on their journey of wakefulness. The warrior of the spirit
has to wake up every day, and every moment of the day, and the awakenings
become higher, clearer, and more real. To wake up is a process. To be
awake is a state of being. The warrior of the spirit is in a continual
process of new awakenings, and at the same time remains in that state
of wakefulness according to the progress of such awakenings.
When it comes to the self, to become conscious of one's inner thoughts
and motivations, of one's state of being, spiritually, emotionally, and
physically, is to be awake and aware. The warrior who knows the self and
the enemy, whether that be some dysfunction, desire, or misgiving, will
never be at risk in a hundred spiritual battles, because the warrior goes
into battle with an understanding of his/her own strengths and limitations,
and also those of the enemy. To be awake to one's own self is to cultivate
the capability of impartial self observation, and thus to gain the freedom
to choose what one wishes to think and feel. Such awareness gives the
warrior the freedom to grow.
To be awake and aware means to care, to feel, to sense self and others.
In ancient days, when the Mayan tribes would search for each other in
the jungle, one would cry out, "Een lach ayke!" which means,
"I am another you!" And the other tribe would answer back through
the jungle, "A lach een!" which means, "You are another
me!" This is the essence of wakefulness, to recognize that others
are another us, with all the love, feelings, aspirations, fears, desires,
questions, cares that we have. When we are awake, we will not only see
others as such, but treat them as we would like to be treated.
But beyond being aware of others, the warrior is in touch with what is
coming from above or from within. The warrior sees the signs, hears the
messages, follows the still small voice which gives direction. The spiritual
warrior senses his or her relationship with the earth and sky, the world
within and without, seeing how each fits with the other, and where one's
place is in the universe. The warrior has second sight, the shine, the
insight, the consciousness of what may be coming around the corner. The
warrior who is awake and aware is ready to defend what is precious and
good, and to fight the enemy when it emerges on the battle field. The
awakened warrior is ready at all times for action. As Carlos Castaneda
teaches, unlike the average person, who is only aware of everything when
he/she needs to be, the warrior is aware of everything all the time. This
is true on many different levels, in the awareness of self, the awareness
of others, and the awareness of the world in, above, and around you.
Practice waking up by meditating on your own thoughts, allowing them to
pass by, one after the other, learning to observe and act rather than
blindly reacting. Discipline yourself to put yourself in another's shoes
and walk in their shoes for a mile. Don't be afraid to feel or to care.
Let yourself be vulnerable so that you can be awake, so that you can be
loving and be loved. Ask the Creator to reveal to you the hidden paths
you must take, and to help you to see the signs, and to walk with awareness
and intention in this world. And when you wake up and meet others who
are awake, you will recognize each other, and feel the joy of sharing
such wakefulness, and you can greet each other with full understanding,
"Good Morning!"
Gems from the Masters
The warrior is always alert.
He is always awake.
He is never sleeping through life.
He knows how to focus his mind and his body.
He is what the samurai called "mindful."
He is a "hunter" in the Native American tradition.
Robert Moore/ Douglas Gillette
The average man is aware of everything
Only when he thinks he should be;
The condition of the warrior,
However,
Is to be aware of everything
At all times.
Carlos Castaneda
If you know the enemy and yourself
You will never be at risk in a hundred battles;
If you do not know the enemy but know yourself
You will sometimes win and sometimes lose;
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself
You will be at risk in every battle.
Sun Tzu
Wakefulness is the way of life.
The fool sleeps
As if already dead,
But the master is awake
And lives forever.
Buddha
Blind acceptance
Never leads to a solution;
At best
It leads only to a standstill
And is paid for heavily
In the next generation.
Jung
How often have you turned away,
Because you feared you might discover
Something terrible about yourself?
How often have you been willing
To look at your face in the mirror,
Without being embarrassed?
How many times have you tried to shield yourself
By reading the newspaper, watching television,
or just spacing out?
That is the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question:
How much have you connected with yourself
at all in your whole life?
Chogyam Trungpa
Watch therefore,
For you do not know
When the master of the house is coming--
In the evening,
At midnight,
At the crowing of the rooster,
Or in the morning--
Lest, coming suddenly,
He find you sleeping.
And what I say to you,
I say to all:
Watch!
Mark 13:35-37
Questions for Personal Reflection and Discussion
Do you keeping an eye on the horizon, or do you find yourself often being caught in unseen snares?
What puts you to sleep, on natural and spiritual levels?
Are there areas of your life that you are more awake than others? Where do you see other's plights and feel compassion? How do you think you can expand this compassion to others?
Meditation
Close your eyes. Relax and take some deep breaths. Let your spirit rest
comfortably in your entire body. Your spirit or soul does not reside in
your head or your heart alone. It lives in your entire body. Feel your
entire body with your spirit. Feel your spirit in your chest, your stomach,
in your arms and legs, head, neck, back, pelvis, in your fingers and toes.
Take a deep breath and let it out. Sense your body again. Can you feel
the support underneath you? With your eyes closed, examine your body with
your spirit. Move across your body detecting any feelings or sensations....
Now, pay attention to your body. Where are you feeling any discomfort.
Find the place of most discomfort on your body. With your eyes closed,
set your hand on that place of most discomfort on your body. Acknowledge
that discomfort, that it is there, honor it, and give it permission to
let go of you and slip away. If it wants to stay, that's OK. But give
it permission to go....Now sense your entire body again. Locate the area
on your body where you are carrying your fear. Place your hand on that
part of your body. Acknowledge that fear, that it is there. Honor it.
It can serve you, but you don't want it to rule you. Give it permission
to let go of you and slip away. It can stay if it desires, but give it
permission to go....Now sense your entire body again. Where are you holding
your anger? Find it on your body. Put your hand on it. Acknowledge that
anger, that it is there. Honor it. It can move you to action, but it must
serve you, not rule you. Give it permission to let go of you and slip
away. It can stay, but give it permission to go....Now find the grief
on your body. Where are you holding that grief? Find it. Rest your hand
on that place holding the grief. Acknowledge that grief, that it is there.
Honor it. It is part of what makes you human, as long as it serves and
does not rule you. Give that grief permission to go. It can stay, but
allow it to slip away....Now, lastly, find the joy on your body. Where
are you holding the joy? Yes. You can find it. Place your hand on it.
Acknowledge that it is there. Honor it. It gives you life. You don't mind
if joy rules your life, but even joy needs to be free. You cannot force
it to stay. Give that joy permission to let go of you and slip away. It
doesn't have to go, but set it free....Now, open your eyes. Look out at
your surroundings. Notice all things around you, what do you see, hear,
smell? Is there a certain taste in your mouth? What is the atmosphere
like which touches your skin? Do you see things you have not seen before.
Look for things in this surrounding that you may not have noticed before?
Objects, artwork, nature around you, the ground beneath you and what may
rest above you? Look at the patterns, the relationships, the life and
care in these things. If there are people with you, notice their faces,
think of the faces of the ones you love. See them now. See all the faces
of people everywhere now. Become aware of all things and everyone. Take
a deep breath. Good morning!
Can you feel how much more in touch you are with your body now? Can you feel how much more awake or aware you have come to be? What was that meditation like for you?
Process
For the Individual
Take a walk in your home. Stop in each room with awareness. Look for the
things you have never seen before. You will see shapes, patterns, colors,
odd things you never noticed about that room. Go to the next room and
do the same thing. Rediscover your home and see it in a state of wakefulness.
What do you learn about yourself? Can you take this awareness with you
wherever you go?
For a Group
You will need one blindfold, or something to cover one person's eyes.
You are about to play a game which increases awareness. It's a game of
tag. The group forms a circle and a volunteer enters the center of the
circle and blindfolds him/herself. The circle should be wide enough that
the person in the middle, continuing to stand in the same place, may reach
out as far as possible, and still there is a foot or so between the end
of the person's reach and the people around the circle. Two other volunteers
enter the circle. Their job is to tap on the blindfolded person as many
times as possible without being tagged by the blindfolded person. The
blindfolded person's task is to sense where these people are, and tag
them when they move in close to tap. The two people on the outside may
not travel outside the circle, but there should be enough room for them
to avoid being tagged when they are at the perimeter. They should only
be able to be tagged by the blindfolded person when they come close in
order to tap that person. The blindfolded person may not take large steps
to reach out to tag, though small steps to reposition one's self are acceptable.
Tappers should, of course, use appropriate touch in their taps, and use
caution not to slap or hit. The blindfolded person will want to reach
out quickly to make the tag. When a tapper is tagged he/she rejoins the
circle. The blindfolded person is finished either after two minutes in
the middle or after tagging both tappers. New volunteers enter the circle
to take the place of tappers and blindfolded tagger. Repeat this until
everyone who wishes a turn is able to take one. Repeat the process as
long as the group desires. Hint: Blindfolded taggers. Wait and listen.
Don't react. Notice patterns in the tappers' behavior. Anticipate their
actions, and tag them. Taggers, notice the patterns of the tagger. Exploit
them. Observers, though you should not coach during the game, you will
notice patterns used by those playing the game. Share your insights. This
game will not only increase your awareness, but you can learn a great
deal about yourself and your reactions to life. (NOTE: As in any game
involving physical contact, the possibility of injury cannot be completely
eliminated. Protective eye-wear for tappers is recommended.)
What are your closing thoughts about Awareness.
End this lesson with a prayer.