Issue nº 08

Sufi legend: the lost horse  |  Reflections of the Warrior of the Light

The two boards
     A warrior of the light shares his world with the people he loves. He wishes to encourage them to do what they like, but hasn't the courage.
     At these times, the adversary appears holding two boards.
     Written on one board: "Think more of yourself. Keep your blessings to yourself, otherwise you will lose everything."
     The other board reads: "who are you to help others? Can't you even see your own defects?"
     A warrior of the light knows he has defects. But he also knows he cannot grow alone, and distance himself from his companions.
     So he throws both boards to the ground, even though he believes they contain some truth deep down. They turn to dust, and the warrior continues to help those near him.

About the way
     The wise Lao Tzu speaks about the warrior of the light's journey:
     "The Way includes respect for all that is small and subtle. Always know the right moment to take any action necessary.
     "Even if you have fired a bow and arrow many times, continue to pay attention to how you place the arrow, and how you draw the bow.
     "When the beginner is aware of his necessities, he becomes more intelligent than the wise man who is distracted.
     "To accumulate love means luck, to accumulate hatred means a calamity. Whoever does not recognize the door to problems will one day leave it open, letting tragedy in.
     "The combat has nothing to do with the fight."

True tension
     "When my bow is drawn," says Herrigen to his Zen master, "a moment comes when, if I do not fire immediately, I feel that I will run out of strength."
     "As long as you try to trigger the moment to fire the arrow, you shall not learn the art of archery," says the master. "The hand which draws the bow must open up like the hand of a boy. What sometimes hinders the shot's precision is the overactive will of the archer."
     A warrior of the light sometimes thinks: "that which I do not do, shall not be done."
     That is not quite the case: he must act, but he must also allow the Universe to act at the right time.