This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series Introduction to Wisdom for a Life of Freedom
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Last Updated on October 16, 2017

(Extract from Peace, Power, and Presence: Pages 43 to 46)

The real accomplishment in life is the art of being a warrior, which is the only way to balance the terror of being a [hu]man with the wonder of being a [hu]man.”
Carlos Castaneda

Throughout this book and much of my other writing, you will see reference to the archetype of the warrior. I am aware that my use of this term is not without some personal hesitation. My hesitancy is essentially because I feel this is an archetype some people may misunderstand within the context of this writing—namely the exploration of The Path of Freedom. I wish to ensure we have a common understanding and appreciation of why I choose to use this archetype and from what perspectives I do so. My use of this archetype is nothing unique, for many paths have referred to it before now. As far as I know, the controversial work of Carlos Castaneda was what really put this archetype into public awareness concerning the Path of Freedom. We shall now look at what the warrior represents when referred to here in Peace, Power, and Presence and my work in general.

The warrior recognises that the human being is a cosmic being representing a great mystery, with as of yet unrealised levels of power and potential that are unimaginable to the average person. It is the re-cognition of this untapped and unfathomable potential, and the decision (by way of an impulse of intention from the dreamer) to act on this cognition, that distinguishes the warrior from the non-warrior. The archetype of the warrior is indicative of a person’s approach to life as opposed to being a definition of what that person is. Here in this world, as man or woman, we are all human. Yet as humans, we can approach the mystery we call life in myriad ways. In his folly, the average person approaches life as if it were not a mystery at all. Such a person easily ends up losing power in the assumption that they understand what is going on, when in fact they do not. To truly understand something we must first allegorically stand under it. For you see, I cannot understand that which I feel I am above, superior to, or better than. Only in humility—in this case that humility of accepting my state of not-knowing—can I kneel down and get beneath what I wish to understand. Once down in that place I may stand up with the object of my understanding resting on my shoulders. If I have the necessary power in that moment—which requires having the necessary capacity or flexibility of perception—I will in fact manage to stand up. In doing so, I elevate what I wish to understand to a place in my world where I have the clarity of mind and heart to truly see it for what it is—eye-to-eye, so to speak. This is what it truly means to appreciate something.

The approach of the warrior is unique especially in the way he strives for freedom above all else. Obviously an ongoing challenge for the warrior is to define what freedom actually means for him at this stage in his journey. As the warrior’s awareness deepens and evolves, her definition of freedom may deepen and evolve. This does not make the prior definition wrong or invalid. It simply means that the warrior’s perception has altered, affording her more power, and thus affording her greater clarity and inclusivity within her awareness.

The Warrior’s approach to Life is not better than or superior to other embodies, and vice versa, but neither of these polarities is mutually exclusive. The approach of the warrior serves the masculine within women just as much as it serves the masculine within men. I trust this point is clear. We will explore this more fully in Volume III.

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