Does Everyone “Deserve” Respect?

Dignity is not circumstantial.
Kotoda Yahei Toshisada

Have you ever noticed how, if a football team develops into a dynasty, everyone wants to see them get beat? This is because nobody likes to feel inferior to anyone else, and a team who has practiced, worked, and grabbed hold of excellence, makes those who have not, feel inferior. The same principle applies to individuals. Those who have developed their lives to the point of excellence, make others who have not, feel inferior, unless they are very careful about how they carry themselves.

Noblemen discipline themselves to be dignified at all times.
Matsura Seizen

The warrior should develop his life to the point of excellence, while at the same time living in such a way as to not make those who haven’t feel inferior. Yes, this is a tall order on both accounts. It is hard enough to live the life of the superior man who has worked to develop his character through many hours of discipline and training, but once you start to feel that you are making progress, it can be even harder not to make others feel inferior. You have to watch what you say and how you treat those who are less inclined to live a life of honor.

People hate those who make them feel their own inferiority.
Lord Chesterfield

Those who do not live by a code of honor or revere integrity and character, many times look down on those who do. They will ridicule you for your strong beliefs in the warrior lifestyle. The warrior lifestyle simply does not make any sense to them. When they hear you discuss things such as honor, respect, your code of ethics, doing right, etc., they feel as if you are talking down to them or that you feel like you are better than them. Nobody likes to feel inferior, and they despise those who make them feel that they are not living their life to their full potential.

You cannot talk to a frog in a well about the vast sea;
He is limited to his area of space.
A summer insect has no knowledge of snow;
It knows nothing beyond its own season.
Chiu Shu

How do you live a life of excellence and honor without making others feel inferior? The answer lies in respect. You have to treat them with respect, even if you don’t really respect their lifestyle choices or their actions. This is not being hypocritical. It is simply treating others as you would have them treat you. Inside, you may know that men of honor, who live the warrior lifestyle, deserve more respect and reverence than those who don’t, but this fact doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t treat others with respect as well. Treat everyone with a certain degree of respect.

Each action [of the warrior] is performed from a place of fundamental wisdom…
It is completely different from the ordinary behavior of a fool.
Even if it looks the same, it is different on the inside.
Takuan Soho

Moreover, you don’t have to actually respect someone in order to treat that person with respect. This is a fact that takes a little getting used to for most people. You can have very little or no respect at all for someone, and yet still treat them with respect. No, this is not being hypocritical. This is simply living according to your own standards, standards which require you to treat people in a certain way, whether they are your enemy or your best friend. You live your life by certain decorum regardless of how other people live.

The man of principle never forgets what he is, because of what others are.
Baltasar Gracian

Treating others with a certain amount of respect and manners has nothing to do with their actions; it has to do with how you have decided to live your life. Does everyone deserve respect and honor? No, not in my opinion. Should everyone be treated with respect and good manners? Absolutely. There is a difference in what someone deserves and in how the warrior should treat them. Treating someone with respect and manners says something about you, not about what they deserve. What do you want your actions to say about you?

The warrior acts first according to his heart and his sense of righteousness.
Kensho Furuya

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Subscribe to this post via RSS!

Love & Annihilation: The Infinite Warrior Cycle

To do a great right, do a little wrong.
Shakespeare

I have often thought about whether or not it is possible to integrate the peaceful teachings of the sages with the total destruction that a skilled warrior can render on his enemy. How does the warrior balance the destructive, martial side of his life, with the calm, peace-loving, side which is taught by masters such as Lao Tzu and Jesus? As I have said many times, the warrior is a peace-loving individual. I totally enjoy the wisdom of the elders and try to live according to the teachings of the sages such as Lao Tzu, but how does one integrate teachings such as those found in the Tao Te Ching with what must be done to protect himself and those he loves in times of crisis?

This is a balancing act for the warrior, and one which requires time spent in meditation and deep thought concerning his personal code of ethics. He has to figure out exactly how far he is willing to go before he finds himself in a life-or-death situation. He has to determine what he must do to balance the teachings that are a part of his life, with the things which, at times, must be done in order to fulfill his duties as a warrior. This is a tall order and takes time spent in quiet contemplation for the warrior to fully come to grips with how to balance these two parts of his life.

For when moral value is considered,
the concern is not the actions, which are seen,
but rather with their inner principles, which are not seen.
Kant

Most things can be perceived in more than one way, just as the glass can be viewed as half full or half empty. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having to get physical with someone, think of the reasons you must fight, not how sad you feel at the prospect of having to do damage to your enemy. Think of the duty that you have to protect those around you, not of your desire for things to be different. Think of what you fight for, not what you fight against. What you fight for determines whether your fight is just or unjust.

It is circumstance and proper measure that give an action its character,
and make it either good or bad.
Plutarch

Can this be done with love? Can a warrior walk in love as Lao Tzu, Jesus, Buddha, and others taught, while at the same time destroying his enemy? He can if his perception is right. When you must fight, think of fighting for those you love. This is the flip side of fighting against those you hate. Must you hate your enemy in order to stand for what you know is just and defeat him? I don’t think so. You do not have to allow your emotions to drift into anger and hate in order to use your martial arts skills. In fact, getting emotional can cloud your thinking and hinder your success.

The angry man will defeat himself in battle as well as in life.
Samurai Maxim

Remember to preserve a calm soul amid difficulties.
Horace

Control your emotions and your thoughts. This is the key to finding balance between the spiritual side of the warrior which tries to live according to the wisdom of the sages, and the physical side of the warrior which has the power to destroy. You have to know that your actions are just. A guilty conscience can be dangerous for the warrior. If he feels deep inside that his enemy’s anger against him is just, he will have a hard time going against this enemy. The warrior must stand on the side of justice, and when he is in the wrong, he must own up to the error of his ways, not continue to maintain a position which he knows is not right.

In critical times, one must be devoted utterly to the cause of justice.
Gichin Funakoshi

So, can the warrior balance the spiritual and physical duties of the warrior lifestyle? The answer is absolutely, but as with so much of the warrior lifestyle, it takes work. The warrior lifestyle is a lifestyle of excellence, and a life of excellence takes effort. It doesn’t just happen naturally while you are sitting on the couch watching television. You have to work for it. You have to take the time to develop yourself – spirit, mind, and body. It is up to you, nobody is going to do it for you. When it comes right down to it, nobody else cares. It is extremely rare to find anyone else who really cares about the truly important parts of your life. You’re basically on your own in this arena, as you are in most others.

Each individual is responsible for his own evolution.
Lao Tzu

Prepare yourself for you must travel alone.
Book of the Golden Precepts

If you are not willing to slow down and spend some time in quiet meditation and contemplation, you will never have a deep understanding of this essential balance. Exercise your mind, and think for yourself. This sounds so simple, but it actually takes more effort and discipline than your physical training. The mind can be hard to control. Control it nonetheless! Be the master of your thoughts, not mastered by your thoughts. Determine your code of ethics and find balance today.

One should know what our convictions are, and stand for them…
therefore it is wise to be as clear as possible about one’s subjective principles.
Carl Yung

Perfection is attained by slow degrees;
She requires the hand of time.
Voltaire

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Subscribe to this post via RSS!

The Root of the Warrior Lifestyle

The superior man is watchful over himself
even when he is alone.
Chung Yung

Continual self-improvement is at the root of the warrior lifestyle. The warrior must be constantly improving himself in every area of his life. In Japan, this concept is called kaizen which literally means constant, never-ending improvement. Constant, never-ending improvement is exactly what the warrior lifestyle is all about. Warriors must strive to improve themselves spiritually, mentally, and physically daily.

One should be careful to improve himself continually.
Shu Ching

Many of the warriors from throughout history attempted to do just this in the lives. They took their spiritual beliefs seriously and spent time daily reflecting and meditating on those beliefs. They knew what they believed and why they believed it. Warriors made attempts to improve their minds through studying and learning during times of peace. Keeping their bodies fit and prepared for battle was a top priority, as was keeping their marital arts skills ready for when they might be called on to use them.

Return to the root and you will find the meaning.
Senstan

The same should apply to modern day warriors. Strive to be well rounded. Know what you believe in spiritually and make time for that part of your life. Do all that you can to educate yourself. Read and learn about a variety of subjects. Study books on wisdom and apply it to your life. Keep yourself in shape and make sure that you continually add to your martial arts skills and that they are sharp and ready to be used when needed. This is the warrior lifestyle. It is a lifestyle of excellence, not complacency.

Live rather than avoid death.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Everybody who lives dies.
But not everybody who dies has lived.
Dhaggi Ramanashi

It is all too easy to become complacent with your life. The demands and stress of daily life can zap your energy and cause you to just want to veg out. Our society offers multiple forms of escapism, from the computer to the television. It is so easy to just sit and stare at a box today instead of get up, dig deep, and find the will to work on the many areas of your life which need to be cultivated. It takes effort and it takes discipline, but it is worth it.

I am the master of my fate: I am the master of my soul.
William Henley

Next time you feel the effects of stress setting in deep inside your mind, draining your energy and your spirit, take control and remind yourself that your time is much too valuable to allow anything to steal it from you. No matter what your situation or circumstances may currently be, don’t allow depression to rob you of your precious time. Yes, this can be hard to do, but nobody ever said that the warrior lifestyle is easy. Failure is easy, but it takes work to live a life of excellence.

Take a deep breath of life and consider how it should be lived.
Don Quixote’s Creed

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Subscribe to this post via RSS!

The Death of Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many centuries. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

Common Sense will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

1.  Knowing when to come in out of the rain
2.  The early bird gets the worm
3.  Life isn’t fair
4.  It was my fault
5.  Everything has consequences
6.  You should think before you speak
7.  Character matters

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home, but the burglar could sue you for assault. His condition worsened after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, and she spilled it in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common sense finally gave up the will to live when he witnessed the citizens of the United States voting during the recent election. As he witnessed them making up their mind about who should run the country by such warped reasoning as: the color of someone’s skin, the sex of the candidates, the party which the candidates were affiliated with, and finally, just plain wanting to be “part of history.” Common Sense was heard to mumble, with his life breath,

“Sense has ever been centered in the few…Votes should be weighed, not counted…The State must sooner or later be wrecked where the majority rules and ignorance decides…Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.”

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Honor , by his wife Discretion, his daughter Responsibility, and his sons Reason and Integrity. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers: I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone, and fewer less cared. It is reported that the funeral was attended by several warriors, and that even today, those warriors still communicate with the spirit of Common Sense and hearken to his teachings…

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Subscribe to this post via RSS!