Dear Traveller,
What if I told you that you are the sole arbiter of your destiny? That no gods or man can create you but you. What if you could be your own hero?
I believe the virtuous warrior-artist must first defeat his or her self. Is this easy? Not in the slightest. But that is the wrong question. The correct question is; is it necessary? Your heart knows the answer to this even when your own mind tells you lies. You must journey inside and slay those demons that wear the faces of all your failures, that speak with the voices of all your critics. They are maya (illusion) and in order to save your life, you must risk it within the battlefield of your own mind. I fight this war every day and my opponent hates me with the fury of a thousand exploding suns; but I stand before him with blade raised. I feel fear but I still fight, for what is courage without fear?
The Hagakure says :”In just refusing to retreat from something ,one gains the strength of two men” When you grapple with yourself, say this aloud as though your heart had a voice. Can you do that? If so, then you have walked another step upon your journey.
Yours upon the Way,
Shinken
Pingback: Why The Warrior Way? | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: You | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Prepare For War | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Can You “Make” Meaning? | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Your Turn | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Introducing: “Warrior’s Bow” | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Life and Death | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: On Critics | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Strength | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Be Your Truth | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Be Nice to Yourself | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: Bury the Past | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind
Pingback: The Pen is my Sword | The Pen, The Sword, & The Mind