The Path of the Spiritual Warrior – What is your Spiritual Path?
Does the term “spiritual” seem inappropriate combined with the idea of a warrior? There is a spiritual tradition in many cultures that describes the warrior of the higher path. Tibetans, Buddhists, and Yaqui Indians are best known for this description of the spiritual journey. In today’s New Age, Daanan Perry writes and talks about the Warrior of the Heart, this very concept, and so does Dan Millman in his “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.” I love that book! It’s the book that got me started on this journey of mine and it’s a HUGE reason I do what I do now: share the greatest light and wisdom that is available to all of us.
The Spiritual Warrior defies hardship, loneliness, and ridicule to help others, improve the world, and live spiritually. The path of the Spiritual Warrior includes having the courage to know yourself, to look or look into the dark sides of yourself and your hidden shadows. Being a Spiritual Warrior means having the courage to face our own fears and create change in our lives. Buddhists know that it takes courage to stay committed to following the eightfold path to enlightenment. American Indians make decisions for the tribe by remembering and being responsible for seven future generations.
The average human lives by avoiding conflict in order to maintain a nice and enjoyable life or, “fighting for control of life”, trampling others, beating them and gaining the treasures of Earth for the ego. This flight-or-fight response to life situations has created victorious tyrants and abused victims, who are also neither happy nor complete and satisfied on the inside. We see this in our homes and around the world between nations and races. Doing what “seems” convenient at the moment, hitting someone physically/emotionally or withdrawing and avoiding the conflict, just let the problem continue. The spiritual path includes working to solve problems forever!
But don’t be fooled into thinking that we will get rid of conflicts in our learning path. Conflict is a constant challenge that we all face. It will remain so as long as we have something to understand and learn or until we no longer want to give the gift of helping others. Conflict is especially more pronounced in the life of a Spiritual Warrior because he or she has chosen and committed to a life of growth, transformation, helping others, and creating a higher quality life. Being on Earth is a conflict: we are powerful infinite spiritual beings experiencing an infinite and limiting physical world. If the darkness does not exist, there will not be a great appreciation of the Light. The conflict between dark and light will always “be”, but only you and I can choose how we want to feel.
If there is one thing that you will remember and integrate into every cell of your body and mind, it is this: “LET’S STOP EQUATING CONFLICT WITH SUFFERING”. Conflict in life is a way of stretching our spiritual, mental, emotional, and even physical strength. It is a call to growth and learning. A warrior rises to the challenge and advances despite apparent difficulties. If we say we want to learn, we have taken the banner of the warrior. But let us be wise and loving warriors who work (not fight) for the good of all until the seventh generation.
To eliminate suffering we can follow the Buddhist eightfold path of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right way of life, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Buddha taught: “Now, the cessation of suffering is to cease attachment. Attachment originates from craving, and craving originates from ignorance. To cease suffering, cease attachment; cease attachment, cease craving; cease longing, cessation of ignorance.”
The eternal conflict is to learn and grow or suffer. The path of the spiritual warrior includes surrendering personal ego to spiritual direction, surrendering what no longer serves you or Spirit, surrendering what is no longer true, surrendering what is unloving and surrendering ignorance so that we can be wise. On this path we will run the risk of being misunderstood, hurt, not looking good or even feeling stupid. It means being willing to be a “learner” or “beginner” in life regardless of our earthly age.
The Avatars of this world were (and still are) spiritual warriors, just like our cultural heroes of every age. By joining the group of spiritual warriors today, we work to help our own progress, support others in what is good, and bless the world (and the entire Universe).