Warrior of the Light Online – # 35 

In this issue: 

1 –  Alone on the path
2 –  Ueshiba and the adversary

Alone on the path

Life is like a great bicycle race, whose aim is to fulfill one’s Personal Legend – that which, according to the ancient alchemists, is our true mission on Earth.
At the start of the race, we’re all together – sharing the camaraderie and enthusiasm. But as the race progresses, the initial joy gives way to the real challenges: tiredness, monotony, doubts about one’s own ability. We notice that some friends have already given up, deep down in their hearts – they’re still in the race, but only because they can’t stop in the middle of the road. This group keeps growing in number, all of them pedaling away near the support car – also known as Routine – where they chat among themselves, fulfill their obligations, but forget the beauty and challenges along the road.
We eventually distance ourselves from them; and then we are forced to confront loneliness, the surprises of unknown bends in the road, and problems with the bicycle. After a time, when we have fallen off several times, without anyone nearby to help us, we end up asking ourselves whether such an effort is worthwhile.
Yes, of course it is: one must not give up: Father Alan Jones says that, in order for our soul to be able to overcome these obstacles, we need the Four Invisible Forces: love, death, power and time.
We must love, for we are loved by God.
We must be aware of death, in order to understand life.
We must fight to grow – but not be fooled by the power which comes with growth, for we know it is worthless.
Finally, we must accept that our soul – although it is eternal – is at this moment caught in the web of time, with all its opportunities and limitations; so, on our solitary bike race, we must act as if time existed, doing what we can to value each second, resting when necessary, but always continuing in the direction of the Divine light, without letting ourselves be bothered by the moments of anxiety.
These Four Forces cannot be dealt with as problems to be solved, since they are beyond our control. We must accept them, and let them teach us what it is we must learn.
We live in a Universe which is both vast enough to contain us, and small enough to hold in our hearts. In every man’s soul, dwells the soul of the world, the silence of wisdom. As we pedal on towards our goal, we must ask: “what is lovely about today?” The sun may be shining, but if it is pouring with rain, it is important to remember that this also means that the black clouds will soon disperse. Clouds come and go, but the sun remains the same, and never fails – at times of loneliness, it is important to remember this.
So, when times are tough, we must not forget that the whole world has endured such moments, regardless of race, color, social standing, belief, or culture. A beautiful prayer by the Sufi Dhu ‘l – Nun (Egyptian, died 861 AD) perfectly sums up the positive attitude necessary at such times:
“Oh Lord, when I pay attention to the voices of animals, the sounds of the trees, the bubbling of the waters, the chirping of the birds, the howling wind or the crashing thunder, I perceive in them evidence of Your unity; I sense that You are the supreme power, almighty, the supreme wisdom, supreme justice.
“Oh Lord, I recognize You in the trials I am enduring. Allow, Lord, Your satisfaction to be my satisfaction. May I be Your joy, that joy which a Father sees in his son. And may I recall You with tranquility and determination, even when it is difficult to say that I love You.”

Ueshiba and the adversary

Created by the Japanese master Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), Aikido is the only martial art I have practiced, and in my opinion it is one of the most interesting ones. Here a few texts written down by his disciples during conversations: 

A] whoever has an objective in life, will be faced with an opposing force; in order to eliminate this force, one must learn how to make it work in your favor.
B] a true warrior never sacrifices his friends in order to defeat his adversary; therefore, he must learn to detect and solve the problems before they appear.
C] the best way to confront an adversary is to convince him of the futility of his actions. The warrior shows that his objective is not to destroy anything, but to build his own life. He who walks towards his dream, seeks harmony and understanding above all else, and doesn’t mind explaining what it is he desires a thousand times, until he is heard and understood.
D] do not spend your whole time looking at the problems standing in your way: they will hypnotize you and hinder any action by you. Nor should you concentrate too much on your own qualities, for they were made to be used, and not displayed.
E] the force of a man lies not in his courage to attack, but in his ability to resist attacks. In this way, he prepares himself – through meditation, exercises, and a profound consciousness of his intentions – to stand firm and continue on the path, even if all around him try to drag him away from his goal.
F] defeat comes before victory. The key to winning is knowing how to lose – and not to desist. 
G] in extreme situations, especially when you are near your objective, the Universe will test your intentions, demanding all of your energy. Be prepared for many great trials, as your dream becomes reality.
H] do not look at your life with resentment, and be prepared to accept everything the gods place before you; each day brings with it joy and fury, pain and pleasure, darkness and light, growth and decay. All this is part of nature’s cycle – therefore do not try to complain or struggle against the cosmic order. Accept it and it will accept you.
I] if your heart is large enough, it will be capable of welcoming all those who oppose your destiny; and once you have welcomed them with love, you will be able to annul the negative forces your adversaries bring with them.
J] when you notice an adversary approaching, advance and speak with delicate words. If he persists in his aggressiveness, do not take up the fight unless it will bring you something; in this case, use the opponent’s force, and do not spend your energy.
L] know the right moment to use each of the four qualities nature teaches us. Depending on the circumstances, be as hard as a diamond, flexible as a feather, generous as water, or as empty as the air. If the origin of your problem is fire, it is no use counter-attacking with more fire, since this will only increase the blaze: in this case, only water will be capable of combating the evil. The problem will never teach you how to react to it – only you have the power for that.

Copyright @ 2001 by Paulo Coelho. 
The Warrior of the Light Online is a monthly publication at the site www.paulocoelho.com.br. It may be freely distributed over the Internet and included on pages where the content is free, provided the source is credited as follows: "Warrior of the Light, a www.paulocoelho.com.br publication." The author reserves the right to alter these conditions at any time. Translated from the Portuguese by Hugo Moss.