Ternezia
Various posts
On WarriorshipThe path of the warrior is treaded by all of us whether a martial artist or a pacifist. The common theme (in my opinion) is basically that we all fight in some way for what we believe in. Verbal battles, physical battles, mental battles...life battles; they are all parallel to each other. They all mark us in some way or another. They help to define who we are or what we want to become and sometimes the scars they leave behind help you to remember where we have been.
So. My questions to the Dark Students are this:
-What is warriorship to you?
-How does it play a role in your life?
-How does warriorship and the Dark Side actt in relationship to one another? Include pro's and con's in your answer....and no reference to the Star Wars Mythos ;)
Marcar
I tried to think of the answer while returning from work last evening, whith the outside weather conditions nearly -22 C, and nothing exept "shivering warrior", "freezing warrior" or "Frozen monument of the One who tried to cross the street on the way home" came to mind.
But see, Warriorship is something that is able to help us make it through. It is a power deep inside us, our Will that is stronger than anything which may stand on our way. It commands to us: "Survive", when everything else seems to drive us towards falling down and never move again. Which still whispers "Fight!" when we know that everything is lost. To withstand and resist, and also to be able to call upon the hidden amount of our inner powers in order to do it.
But Warriorship does not only mean preservance and withstanding. It means change - but the bringer of the change is the Warrior himself. Managed to resist and maintain himself, next he will call upon his inner powers to change the conditions as he sees fit. Or to discover the advantages of these conditions and use them. It�s not so easy to see advantage in something absolutely negative to you, but yet, there is such. Warriorship also means flexibility and most of all � ability to see the bigger picture.
The goal of the Warrior is to win. But to fight also. By "fighting" he brings the process of change, sets things in motion. Winning is just one of the steps - another fight and another challenge should wait for him every single moment, if he has truly taken on the path of the Warrior.
Wins and loses come hand to hand. You cannot win, without losing something in the same time. And vice versa. The only thing one can truly lose is his honor; and this is not that hard. Our personal honor is the voice of our conscience. And although we think this voice can easily be manipulated by us or pretend to be deaf to it, the greatest loss is to lose ourselves by losing the sound of our conscience.
-What is warriorship to you?
Same as described above.
-How does it play a role in your life?
A way to be true to myself. It also brings me joy. Sensing that you "truly" do something and invest all your energy into it. To be Warrior is to live, not only exist. I am now living.
-How does warriorship and the Dark Side act in relationship to one another?
The Dark Side includes the Way of the Warrior, since Will, Change and Movement present in both, the path of Darkness and the path of the Warrior. Of course other spiritual doctrines also contain the Warrior's Way. Fighting for change or preservance is still fighting. The intents and motives will vary for every single person and their understanding of spirituality. The values of the Dark Side are those that motivate the Dark Warriors; but to say that the small woman who sells newspapers around the corner at that same -22 C is not a Warrior will be a lie. She is, because she will stay her time, as long as needed and will survive to continue doing the same tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Because she had found her inner strength.
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On progressMy appreciation goes to those who took the time to reply to what I have posted. I have continued being more active as was suggested, and I have spoken to some members. I have read all the Dark Lectures over 3 times, the information is rather insightful, and helpful. Though as detailed as it is, my meditations as of late fill me with a dark anger, although I realize that is one of the desired effects, I still feel no closer to controlling and truly summoning the force. But simply feel it as I meditate to a far greater degree. Granted I have read thoughts, drawn upon other's emotions, temporarily controlled objects,I do it without true knowledge how. All I know is I simply do it. I am looking for any kind of feedback that can help me better understand what's going on, and how to control it...
- Control is essential in the successful prrogressing on the Dark path; yet, this same control comes from nothing else than understanding. To gain control over your emotions means to understand their source and reasons; to gain control over your abilities means to understand how things work and why. This little word "why" is essential - without answering to its questions we'll be constantly moving in a fog, and in this attempt to penetrate through the fog without having an idea for the direction we're going and the destination we want to reach, that same fog might gradually envelop us, forever.
The path to power starts with steps towards understanding. There are many different outer sources which might give a person the basic foundation on which to step and continue building his views and thus start to gradually answer "why". The lectures are one of this sources. Yet, they are not enough, because everything which is happening, happens not outside, but inside the person, when he firstly experiences the need for growth and spiritual delevopment on his path, a need for understanding. If we seek well enough, we'll discover that the answers lie not only on the outside, written or spoken - they are inside, deep, even hidden and yet, existant. And there are not the only the answers "why", but even "how".
"Know thyself". This is the first step one should partake towards reaching understanding and control. There are teachers who might tell you what happens with you and why; yet, they will be speaking from their personal experiences and looking from their window towards the world. Because no matter how wise and experienced a teacher is, together with it, he is also human. No one is able to know you better than you do; and by knowing yourself you will also help the mentor to find the best way of teaching and practice for you.
The process of inner evaluation is essential. In meditation, go and look, look deeply and deeply - there are many layers of which our personality consists. Unfolding the layers one by one would eventually make you reach that which is the source of everything that happens, which holds the answers, power and knowledge. Which is the core. Which is yourself. Any force powers that we might want to develop or are already experiencing will be only weak uncontrolled outbursts or even a self-delusion, if we don't reach the core and feel it. In a conversation with my teacher I was told: "Power is essential, but power without knowledge is short-living, no matter how great it is."
Follow your intuition. Our intuition is the best source of knowledge; learning how to hear and follow our inner voice is hard, but your intuition is that which will protect you from delusions.
Seek things that inspire you and understand their reasons. The more you keep yourself "on track", the wider will be the picture. But also look at the whole world around you - the world is a source of knowledge as much as our inner self is such.
On Control
Every human is individual. His perception is absolutely unique. So minding this, one simply cannot practice someone else's way, at least to its fullest, because everything will again go through HIS OWN individual perception of things. There is a "right to" - the right to be individual. But this right is not bestowed to us by someone else, it is us that decide whether to live our own individuality or not. No matter that whatever we do will always be reflected through our own individuality, some see it as a mistake and try to imitate, follow, not noticing that the steps they are trying to fit with their shoes are either too big or too small. But instead of accepting that walking someone else's path will only hurt their feet, they prefer it to the other kind of struggle - to make their own. Actually, there cannot be two absolutely identical paths and approaches. There is no other choice than to make your own, to *live* your own. With or without a teacher, with single guiding concept or adapting all that feels useful, there are steps that have to be taken and those are our own steps.
So well, what is the difference in being Dark then? It is, in my opinion, conscious awareness of this fact. And also a conscious choice to live your own individuality without questioning its value and from there rather letting yourself be led. I personally do not shun away from guidelines. There are basics, there are metaphysical concepts which support and reflect in everything around us. The difference is our attitude to them. There is no right and wrong, in terms of path or philosophy. There are just different ways and there is diversity. And diversity is that which is of value to the Dark.
The path I walk, the methods I practice and the guidelines I accepted as useful on my path are again a result of this conscious choice. And I would say that the thing which is absolutely critical to the one who walks the Dark path, is to always test things through our own personal evaluation. "How this feels to me." If it feels to me, then yes, but if not, then I would rather look for something different. On the other hand there are those who prefer this to be ruled and decided by someone else. "Those who know better". Well, there will always be those who know more and are more experienced, but they can never give us that which should be given to us by ourselves. The word is who has the control. And there lies the difference.
"Teachers open the door but you must enter by yourself". Exactly this self and the awareness of it is what makes the steps and which will bear the fruits of our achievements. And to be your own god is to simply have control over that which is rightfully and essentially yours.
Ternezia