Spiritual Warrior Self-control

All of the "Spiritual Warrior" qualities combine as key ingredients in a recipe for self-control and keeping one pointed focus on the goal. With self-control attained, we are able to respond to circumstances rather than react to them. A soldier with one pointed focus on the battlefield will offer his best performance and avoid injury.

The martial artist knows how to use non-force as a weapon. In Aikido, the warrior will 'roll with the punch' rather than resist it and thus transform the kinetic energy intended on damage into an ally.

With one-pointed focus on a spiritual goal, we won't get distracted or slack off, and we can use calm inner balance to dodge, and ultimately combat, negative forces through non-resistance and adaptability.

With self-control regarding emotions, we will not be vanquished by inner demons of anger, jealousy, lust, grief, fear, despondence or greed. Therefore, we will not wound people with words we might later regret. We will be able to respond in each and every circumstance in the best way possible.

We become warriors for peace, standing in the still center between Yin and Yang.

Though we are warriors for peace, we are not pacifists. There are circumstances where the correct response to a situation is a show of anger or violence. The crucial difference is that we should never feel anger or violence within but we can use it as a tool, if required.

For example, here's a story about a village where a venemous snake kept killing villagers.

A saint happened to walk through the town while they had a funeral procession and inquired how the person had died.

When he heard the about the fatal antics of the snake, his intuition revealed this snake was his disciple in a previous birth and had been reborn in snake form due to bad karma accrued when he'd lost control of his anger.

The saint approached the snake and blessed him. The snake became instantly transformed due to the ripening of his accumulated good karma from having been the saint's disciple.

He asked the saint for guidance and was given a mantra. The saint told him not to harm or attack anyone...and to chant the mantra always.

The snake did as he was told, but the village boys started taunting the snake and throwing sticks and stones at him.

Obedient and full of devotion to the saint, the snake did not react at all to the taunts.

When the Saint came back through town some weeks later, he found the snake beaten and badly battered, almost on his dying breath.

"What happened to you?" the saint asked.

"Master, I obeyed your instructions not to attack anyone." The snake bowed in reverence. "When these boys attacked me daily, i simply chanted the mantra you gave me and tried to send them love."

"You fool! I told you not to bite or attack, but I never said not to hiss!"

A show of anger in such a situation is like a burnt rope--it maintains the shape of a rope but turns to ash if you touch it.

Self-Control enables us to respond to each situation with skillful means, as opposed to being compelled by the whims or reactions of ego.

If you enjoyed this post please help increase the people that see this and feel free to comment, rate, share on Facebook or any of your favorite Social Network Many thanks