Introduction
Warfare is devastating. Violence and hostility toward another is wrong. So what good can be said of the warrior? We instinctively know that there is much good. We recognize that there are times when people may be called upon to defend oneself, or the country or community. Perhaps this is viewed by some as a necessary evil. But most would agree that if attacked, on any level, one has the right to defend oneself. And if those whom one loves and cares for are attacked, it is incumbent upon that one to offer a defense, meeting force with force. But beyond this, we also recognize that there is a nobility within the warrior archetype. A true warrior, a warrior of the spirit, stands up for and defends what is right, defends the innocent, and lives for honor and justice. We honor those who protect us, and are willing to sacrifice themselves for our defense. We value those who strive to live with integrity and honor and who practice discipline to do so. This is the true spirit of the warrior.
The spiritual essence of the warrior is pure love blended with courage
and discipline, brought about by self mastery. The struggle for self mastery
is the real battle, and it is a noble one, gaining victory over what is
destructive in one's life, and becoming an emissary for what is good and
true. The warrior of the spirit does not fight people, or attack other
people's religious philosophies, way of life, or belief systems, as some
have interpreted it. Spiritual warfare is not about brashly marching forward
to conquer the world with our own agenda or to force our will on anyone
or anything beyond ourselves. Those who make some effort to be spiritually
awake and aware recognize that there are hurtful forces at work in the
world. There is much spiritual darkness, apathy, cruelty, hatred, selfishness--evil.
But the way to combat these is not by hostility, but by love. We can change
the world, but the way to do this is to begin with ourselves. In fact,
if we do not begin with ourselves, in conquering our own demons, and learning
to truly love our fellow human beings, what we put out into the world
is tainted, hypocritical, and cosmetic in nature. By making ourselves
better people we can make the world a better place.
Emanuel Swedenborg, the great Eighteenth Century scientist and religious
philosopher said that every moment of our lives involves a series of consequences
extending into eternity. Every action we take launches an unremitting
chain reaction into the world. The good we do today has ramifications
centuries from now with people we don't even know. At the same time, every
negative impulse we overcome and stop from entering into the world is
eliminated for all time and beyond. Take a pebble and drop it into a still
pond. Watch the ripples spread out and affect the entire body of water.
Our lives are like that pebble dropping into the water. What we bring
into this world goes out never to return, touching, moving, permeating
every aspect of this universe. What we feel, think, say, and do makes
a big difference. The question is, what do we choose to bring into the
world? Are we willing to overcome the hurtful and destructive within ourselves,
for our own happiness and for the happiness of others who will be affected
by us? Will we choose to bring love and light into the world as we allow
these healing entities to enter into own lives? If so, we must learn the
discipline it takes to do this, the truly warrior discipline of loyal
service to higher principles, of self-control, self-sacrifice, and to
walk this earth with integrity and love.
The genuine warrior masters the self by overcoming personal demons. These demons come in many forms. Perhaps you are intimately familiar with some of them --fear, mistaken wants, addiction, anger, lust, codependency, a need to control, inability to create healthy boundaries, laziness, unbridled appetite. These enemies to our own health and happiness attack, overrun, rule over us, if we do not learn to confront them and subdue them. The task of the warrior of the spirit is to recognize these spiritual enemies, and gain mastery over them. To recognize them means to develop awareness of ourselves, and when these spiritual enemies are likely to infiltrate our lives. To gain mastery over them means to integrate the animal appetites to a subservient role within our being, rather than ruling us. It means to gain freedom and independence from those destructive tendencies that bring pain and misfortune into our lives and the lives of those around us. Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese warrior philosopher says, "If you know the enemy and yourself you will never be at risk in a hundred battles." Through self examination, alertness, developing that "thousand yard stare" which allows one to see what is coming over the horizon, the warrior acts with intention, choosing a path free of enemy snares and potential ambush. Seeing these destructive impulses for what they truly are and recognizing the damage they do, the warrior can find the freedom and self control to choose not to act on these impulses, and to choose higher, more noble energies to flow through the warrior's being into the world.
To learn the art of the warrior is a discipline in itself. In our modern
culture of consumerism, self gratification, and the commercial illusion
that material gain and leisure can bring us happiness, sadly, the art
of self-mastery has all but been forgotten. Though there are pockets of
groups who gather and nurture those who have fallen victim to these modern
cultural illusions, and a few spiritually minded who have never given
up the struggle to understand and reach for something higher and more
noble, most of us have not been mentored in the ways of self mastery,
spiritual disciplines and realities. But it is these which bring the fulfillment
and peace that so many seek in all the wrong places. In this regard, Jesus's
words are more pertinent today than ever, when he said, "Do not lay
up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moths and rust destroy and
where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in
heaven, where neither moths nor rust destroy and where thieves do not
break in and steal, for where your treasure is, there your heart will
be also." A literalist would have you believe that the moths, rust,
and thieves are out there somewhere. On the contrary, the moths, rust,
and thieves are the very inner demons which attack us, eating away our
insides, stealing our joy, when we have a material focus and have abandoned
the art of self-mastery. Buddha's words give us pause and urge us to learn
another way when he says, "There is no fire like passion, there are
no chains like hate. Illusion is a net, desire a rushing river."
We are urged to lift up our minds and our hearts to spirit, and to gain
mastery over the very desires and mistaken wants our culture urges us
to embrace. "Seek the first the kingdom of God, and all these things
will be added unto you," Jesus urges us. "Better than a hundred
years of worship, better than a thousand offerings, better than giving
up a thousand worldly ways in order to win merit, better even than tending
in the forest a sacred flame for a hundred years--is one moment's reverence
for the man who has conquered himself," Buddha explains. "Mastering
others is strength: mastering yourself is true power," Lao Tzu explains.
Self mastery is the key to happiness for the individual and for the world
at large. The art of the spiritual warrior is the way to inner peace.
The way of the spiritual warrior is a manifestation of that peace, centeredness,
spirit, integrity and love, in the world.
This book was written to teach this ancient art of self-mastery, and to
mentor the one who would strive for the dignity, honor, and integrity
of the spiritual warrior. This book contains the essential components
of the noble warrior's character and soul. It is a workbook and guide
for those who would aspire to genuine spiritual warriorship by giving
lessons, exercises, meditations, and the truths that one needs to know
to walk this noble path. Read the lessons, and contemplate the wisdom
of the great spiritual warriors who have gone before, walk yourself through
the meditations, and put into action the processes that are presented
here, and you will find a growing sense of inner strength, resolve, self-determination,
and more and more freedom to live in happiness, integrity and love.
This book is also a guide for groups. Forming allies in our struggles
against our spiritual enemies is highly desired. Supporting and gaining
the support of those who walk a similar path, and who encounter the same
spiritual foes along the way is critical to this work. Therefore, each
chapter in this book can serve as a lesson plan for leading a support
group in this work. Follow the guidelines in the section on How to Use
this Book, and the Guide for Fellowship Groups to run a 13 week support
fellowship.