What Makes A True Warrior?

Warriors are not what you think of as warriors.
The warrior is not someone who fights.
Chief Sitting Bull

There are a group of so-called “experts” (self-proclaimed experts I might add) in the world of martial arts/self-defense who constantly opine that being a warrior is nothing more than being paid to engage in war. This is such an ignorant point of view that one would think no one would take them seriously, but in fact, they have quite a large following. These “experts” publish books which proclaim their “expertise” in everything to do with violence and “real” self-defense. They slam traditional martial arts as outdated and useless on the streets. They mock the fact that honor, character and integrity play a major part in being a true warrior, and instead, insist that being a warrior is nothing more than taking orders on the battlefield.

While everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, no matter how asinine it may be, when someone has young, impressionable people reading and hanging on every word that he writes or speaks, he has a responsibility to the truth. The truth of the matter is that this definition of a warrior is shallow, opinionated, narrow, and, well, simply untrue. I know that this may offend many people, but the unvarnished truth usually does.

A master warrior is a man of character, a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

The truth is that what these people declare to be a warrior is one of three things: a soldier, a mercenary, or just plain a thug. A soldier takes orders and does exactly what he is told. That is his job. This does not make him or her a warrior. Don’t get me wrong, there are many true warriors who are soldiers. The military is packed full of true warriors, but this doesn’t mean that everyone in the military or who has been to war is a true warrior. I can show you of many examples of soldiers, who have gone to war and who are not true warriors.

Mercenaries are involved in war, killing, and battles of many kinds, but that doesn’t make them true warriors. In fact, I would argue that most mercenaries are far from being true warriors. They value money over life, and most will do whatever they are paid to do, as long as the money is right.

Is this the attitude of a true warrior? Not in my book, and not according to many people throughout history who were both involved in war and were also true warriors. Killing someone does not make you a warrior, it simply makes you someone who has killed another human being – period. These people have little if any honor or principles, both which are required to be a true warrior.

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

There are also many trained thugs out there. Some are on the battlefield, some are in the police departments, some are on the streets robbing people, and some are found in martial arts dojos. Just because someone is trained to fight, to use firearms, or to go to war, doesn’t make them a true warrior.

The people who write and teach the philosophy that a warrior is merely someone who engages in war, merely teach this train of thought because they can’t measure up to the real requirements which make someone a true warrior. Their character falls short, so they downplay the importance of such traits as honor and integrity.

Keep your distance from unvirtuous people.
Takuan Soho

If you study what true warriors have said on this issue throughout history, you will find that the men and women that commanded men and women on battlefields agree, being a true warrior requires much more than simply being involved in war. In fact, the vast majority of them will state that war has nothing to do with being a true warrior.

So what does make someone a true warrior? The answer lies much deeper than any battlefield. At the core of every true warrior you will find the traits of honor, integrity and justice. Yes, I know that the people that I described above will laugh and state that “being a warrior has nothing to do with character or honor.” They will shout that these traits have nothing to do with war or with the warrior, and will do so with the same enthusiasm that you hear in their voices when they pat themselves on the back for being so tough. But, they are wrong – period.

While it is true that the word did originate from the term “war,” and can mean someone who takes part or is experienced in warfare. This definition is not the one that should be used to define the true warrior, and is not an accurate definition for the warrior lifestyle. A better definition for a warrior is, “Somebody who takes part in a struggle or conflict.” No, this is not my definition; it actually comes from Webster’s dictionary.

The true warrior is engaged in a struggle and it is a daily fight. His battle is not necessarily on the battlefield, but rather a personal battle to perfect his character and to become a man of excellence in every area of his life. And, according to those who have “been there and done that,” being on the battlefield doesn’t make one a warrior. For someone to be a true warrior, he has to have honor and character. Without those traits, as well as others, he is simply a trained thug.

The true warrior is not a programmed killing machine, although he has the ability and the knowledge to render lethal applications of his skills if his duty requires such extreme actions. Though he is capable of rendering devastating injury to others, he never desires to do so. He is a man of peace and benevolence.

His training in the martial arts is strictly for defense. The warrior pursues knowledge in the art of self-defense and martial arts in order to keep himself and those around him safe, not for personal egotistical reasons.

Honor is central to warriorship.
Forrest E. Morgan

The great Sioux chief, Sitting Bull, once stated that, “Warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior is not someone who fights…” He goes on to explain himself saying, “The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. His task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, those who cannot provide for themselves, and above all, the children, the future of humanity.”

This is what he was doing at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, fighting for those who needed his protection, and this is also a very good description of the true warrior and the warrior lifestyle. This takes much more than martial arts or military training. This takes character and honor, the exact things which some well-known authors proclaim have nothing to do with warriorship.

Character and honor are only two of the traits which are essential to the true warrior; there are many more. I will not list them all in this short article for the sake of space. The point is, being a true warrior is much more involved than these self-proclaimed experts would have people think.

Don’t believe the macho, “I’m tougher than you” BS that these authors, “experts” and lecturers assault people’s intelligence with on a regular basis. It is not true. Being a true warrior is a lifestyle choice, not a profession.

Hear all sides and you will be enlightened.
Hear one side, and you will be in the dark.
Wei Zheng

Bohdi Sanders
author of: The Warrior Wisdom Series and Modern Bushido

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The Wisdom Warrior Newsletter Nov-Dec

The Nine Noble Virtues are derived from the ancient Norse teachings and the Asatru religion, which was the religious views of the Vikings. The main book that these virtues are taken from is called the Havamal, which I have written about in a previous blog many months ago. You may also enjoy going back in my archive and reading some of the quotes from this short but enlightening book. The Havamal contains a lot of wisdom and also gives insight into the culture and values of the Vikings.

The Nine Noble Virtues fit perfectly into the warrior lifestyle, as one would expect since they originated from a warrior culture. These virtues coincide with the virtues of warrior cultures throughout the world, and once again proves that true character and honor is universal. Now, let’s delve into the virtues of the Vikings…

The Nine Noble Virtues start with courage. This is very appropriate because without courage, you cannot live up to your code of honor for very long. The word “courage” comes from the Latin word “heart.” It takes courage to stand for your beliefs and live according to your own code of ethics. The Vikings were known for their courage and bravery in battle, but courage applies to more than simply being brave in battle.

Courage actually applies to every part of your life. It take courage to do what you know is right, especially when those around you disagree with your point of view. In our politically correct society, courage is more important than ever. Your personal values may be challenged on a daily basis. Standing for what you believe can take a lot of courage.

You must have enough conviction in your beliefs to stand for what you believe and live your life by your own code. This does not mean that you act in rash and tactless ways. There is a difference in being courageous and in being stupid. Have the courage to live by your own code of honor, but do so with wisdom and discretion.

You should have enough confidence in your beliefs and your actions to be truthful. Truth is simply being honest about what you believe or know to be true and right. Simply put – don’t lie. This sounds very straightforward, but lying has become so commonplace that it is almost expected in today’s world. It shouldn’t be this way for the true warrior.

Lying, in most cases, is an act of cowardice. Live according to what you believe in your heart to be right and you will have no reason to lie about your actions. If you do not think an action is right – don’t do it. If something is not true – don’t say it. Whenever I write or teach this concept, I inevitably have people argue that no one truly knows the truth, or that the truth depends on someone’s point of view.

While it is true that different people see things differently, and thus perceive the truth in different ways, that should not affect you. You live by your truth as best you can. Respect other people’s right to believe what they want, but you live according to the truth as you perceive it in your life. The main thing to consider where truth is concerned, is to always be truthful with yourself. Do not deceive yourself anymore than you would deceive someone else.

The true warrior must make truth a part of his or her life, but as with courage, it is important to remember that you must do so in the right way. There is a right way and wrong way to do everything. Sometimes lying is the right thing to do. The Vikings permitted lying if you were being lied to. The true warrior understands that honor is not black and white. Every action must be evaluated by whether or not it is right and it originates from pure intentions.

Without honor, there can be no true warrior, or true human being as far as that goes. As I just said, honor is not a black and white character trait. It is hard to define. One could define honor as your internal integrity or dignity. Many people wrongfully think that their honor simply has to do with their reputation, but that is not true. It is the warrior who determines his or her honor; your reputation is determined by other people’s thoughts, for the most part.

You determine your own honor, or lack of honor, by staying true to your own beliefs and living according to your own code of honor. Your personal honor is determined internally by your own commitment to live up to your predetermined ethics. It is your intentions and your actions which determine your honor, not what someone else thinks. The true warrior, who lives by a code of honor, will have very few regrets in life because he will know that he has done the best that he can to live a life of honor with truth and purity of intention.

The word fidelity simply means being faithful. There are many things that you can be faithful to, not all of them of honorable. Fidelity as used in the Nine Noble Virtues refers to being faithful or loyal to God, to yourself and your beliefs, to your family, and to your friends. The warrior will defend his family and friends no matter what the cost, because of his dedication to this virtue.

Being loyal and faithful to those that the warrior loves is non-negotiable. The Vikings knew this. If someone murdered a Viking’s family, he or she would have an obligation to seek vengeance and puts things right. This is not the same thing as seeking revenge. There is a difference in revenge and in fulfilling an obligation to your loved ones.

Only those with honor can be true friends because it takes loyalty, faithfulness and honor to be a true friend. All others are mere acquaintances. The true warrior is also a true friend once that bond has been entered into. He will take his fidelity to his friends and family seriously, as he does his spiritual relationship with his God.

Discipline, as referred to in the Nine Noble Virtues, mostly means self-discipline. These virtues or qualities are not perfected overnight. It takes discipline to live according to your own personal code of ethics. The true warrior lives according to his own code, rather than according to what corrupt politicians or cultural standards dictate. This means that he must exercise a great deal of self-discipline.

If the warrior is going to live by his own standards, he must be willing to control his own actions. Many things that are legal go against the warrior’s own code of honor, and many things that governments declare illegal may be permitted by the warrior’s personal standards. In order for the warrior to stay true to his own principles and virtues, he must develop self-discipline.

Hospitality is definitely a warrior trait. The warrior is expected to treat others with respect and dignity. You must see other people as people who deserve to be treated with respect and courtesy. The Vikings believed that sometimes the gods would visit people in human form and that in being disrespectful to strangers they could also be disrespecting the gods. The Bible also states a similar belief, stating that many people have entertained angels unknowingly when they have entertained strangers.

Whether or not angels or gods visit people in the form of strangers is irrelevant. What matters is that you treat everyone with respect and courtesy. The warrior does this because it is a part of his own code of ethics. You should treat others with hospitality not because they deserve it, but because that is how you behave towards other people. It has to do with your own principles; what others deserve has nothing to do with it.

Industriousness simply means the willingness to work hard at whatever you do. If something is worth doing, do it well. Do it with pride and do it to the best of your ability. The Vikings looked down on those who were lazy and felt that their gods looked down on those who were lazy also. The warrior has to work hard and smart to take care of his family.

This doesn’t just apply to your vocation, but to everything you do – your entire way of life. The true warrior is a person of excellence. He or she will do everything with care and detail. Mediocre acts are not acceptable. Warriors set high expectations for themselves in everything that they do, and they refuse to lower their standards in their work or their personal beliefs.

Warriors are by nature independent beings. This doesn’t mean that the warrior doesn’t like other people or enjoy being around other people, but rather that he strives to ensure that he doesn’t have to depend on others for his survival. The warrior is responsible for taking care of himself and his family; this is his first and foremost duty in life. He is never comfortable if his family’s welfare depends on something outside of his own control.

Being dependent on someone else for your own needs puts you in a dangerous position. Such a position can make it very hard on the warrior as he may be put into a position to choose between his standards and principles or his job. For this reason, it is best to strive to be as independent of outside influences as possible. This is hard to do in today’s world. Being frugal and financially stable is an important part of being self-reliant. Do your best not to have to depend on other people for your welfare.

Without perseverance you will not be successful in applying the Nine Noble Virtues in your life. No one is perfect and you will make mistakes. In order to live the warrior lifestyle, you cannot simply give up and quit when you fall short of your mark. You must persevere. You must not give up.

The warrior’s code of honor is too important for him to give up or give in when the going gets tough. The warrior lifestyle is a lifelong way of living. Being a true warrior is not something you try; it is something you are. It is a way of living, a way of being. You don’t try to be a warrior – you either are a warrior or you are not a warrior. You either have honor and integrity or you don’t. For the true warrior, falling short doesn’t not mean failing, it means learning and being determined to do better next time. Perseverance is essential to live the warrior lifestyle.

These were the ideals that the Vikings lived by and the principles that they taught their children. The Nine Noble Virtues are still wonderful ideals to teach children today. If you will integrate these virtues into your everyday life, you will find that you are living a much more noble life. Think about these traits and develop your own standards or code of honor. Live with honor!

Pick You Battles

If a battle cannot be won, do not fight it.
Sun Tzu

You have to pick your battles wisely. Not every conflict is worth turning
into a major battle. There are certain battles which simply cannot be won no
matter how much effort you put into them or what strategies you use. They
are simply losing causes and fighting such battles does little to help you
accomplish your ultimate objectives. The wise man will not let his pride get
in the way of obtaining his goals, and fighting a battle which cannot be won
is a prime example of allowing your pride to cloud your thinking.

What lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.
Aristotle

It is important to keep in mind that retreating from an individual battle
does not mean that you are surrendering or declaring defeat in the war. A
battle is no more than that – one battle. To continue with the battlefield/war
analogy, a battle is simply one skirmish; your ultimate objective is to win the
war. Many a pawn has to be sacrificed in a chess match in order to capture
your opponent’s king, which is ultimately all that matters in the overall scheme
of things.

Always keep your ultimate objective in mind. Don’t let your pride or anger
interfere with your overall victory. I know that this is easier said than done at
times, but it is a very important part of the game, and one that takes some
self-discipline and practice to perfect. Have an overall plan for victory. Be
willing to sacrifice a battle here and there in order to win the war in the end,
and don’t expend energy fighting a battle which cannot be won at any cost.
Be rational and deliberate.

Not being able to govern events, I govern myself.
Montaigne

Many people feel the need to fight a losing battle just to prove to themselves or
others that they are committed to their cause. This is not someone who is
ultimately concerned with their final objective, but rather someone who is
concerned with impressing those around them. This kind of action has more to
do with pride than it does with strategy or common sense. Don’t get wrapped up
in what other people think about your actions. Stay focused on your ultimate
objective.

The secret of success is before attempting anything, be very clear about why you
are doing it.
Guan Yin Tzu

There is wisdom behind Sun Tzu’s teaching. Fighting a battle that cannot be won
is simply wasting your time, energy and resources. It is not the act of staying
busy that makes you successful; it is what you are busy doing that matters in the
end. Don’t do something merely for the sake of doing something. Have a purpose
and strategy behind everything that you do. Sometimes it is wiser to do nothing,
at least what looks like nothing to the outside world, than it is to do something
just because you think you need to be active.

The act of waiting for the ideal moment or simply patiently mulling over the
situation, is not the same thing as doing nothing. What may seem like doing
nothing to other people, may actually be good strategy on your part. Do not
act because of your concern about what other people may think; their thoughts
should not influence your actions. Take time to meditate on each situation and
you will know what you have to do.

You must carefully consider the merits of any action.
Takuan Soho

Don’t fight losing battles. Move with wisdom, not emotion. Let strategy guide
your actions, not pride or anger. Always focus on your ultimate goal. Pick your
battles wisely and strategically in order to accomplish your end goal. It is not
the battle that counts, but rather winning the war. Always think rationally. If
you will do this, you will not fight the battles that you cannot win; instead you
will carefully select your battles to accomplish your ultimate goal.

In whatever position you find yourself, determine first your objective.
Marshall Ferdinand Foch

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Men of Honor?

I have written many times about the difference in being a true warrior as apposed to merely being someone who is trained to fight or skilled at fighting. There is a difference in being a soldier and in truly being a warrior. This is not to say that soldiers are not warriors, but the fact that someone is enlisted in the military and receives a paycheck from the government does not automatically make this person a warrior. It may make him (or her) a fighter, but that is simply a fighter; it takes much more than martial skills to be a true warrior.

Think, feel, and act like a warrior.
Set yourself apart from the rest of
society by your personal excellence.
Forrest E. Morgan

If we examine history, we can find many good examples which illustrate what I mean. Let’s look at Hector and Achilles from the Trojan War. Most people consider both of these men great warriors, but were they really? There is a great difference between these two. While it is obviously true that both of these men were skilled in the art of war and were proficient in their martial arts skills, they were very different men. If you were to see them both on the battlefield, you may be inclined to argue that there was no difference in them; they were both able to bring a world of hurt down on their enemy.

So what made them different? The answer lies internally. The difference in the two men is what sets the true warrior apart from the mere fighter. Think about what motivated each of these men. Let’s examine Achilles’ motivation first.

Achilles was motivated by fame and fortune. He trained and fought for his own personal gain. The reason that he and his men participated in the Trojan War was to preserve his name as a “great warrior” throughout history. This was not necessarily out of the normal for men during this time period; many men desired to obtain fame and fortune by their exploits on the field of battle. Achilles was no different. He greatly desired to be known as a larger-than-life figure, and he achieved his goal, as you well know. But fame and fortune were not the only factors which drove Achilles to use his martial skills.

The superior man seeks what is right;
the inferior one, what is profitable.
Confucius

Achilles also was moved by his emotions. After his cousin fell in battle, the enraged Achilles took his anger out on Hector. This was purely an emotional action, void of any rational thought. He simply did not care about the facts, about whether or not his cousin’s death was just, or the circumstances surrounding his death. All he cared about was his own feelings, feelings which led him to act out of selfishness and revenge, not rational thought.

Remember to preserve a calm soul amid difficulties.
Horace

To summarize the factors which motivated Achilles’ actions:

1) He was motivated by fame and fortune
2) He was motivated by his emotions
3) He was motivated by revenge

The common denominator in these three factors can be boiled down to one word – selfishness. Achilles was narcissistic. He cared little about anything other than his own desires. He wanted glory. He reveled in being thought of as the greatest warrior of his time. He spoke of honor, but his view of honor was warped. It is indisputable that he was a skilled fighter, but are these the characteristics of a true warrior?

Now let’s take a look at Hector. Hector acted from rational thought in all of his actions. He was not motivated by what was best for himself, but was concerned about what was best for his country and his people. He scolded his brother for putting his own desires ahead of everything else, thus putting his countrymen at risk, and ultimately destroying them. Even in battle, Hector never lost sight of true honor, allowing his enemy to take care of their dead and injured.

The superior man does not give up good conduct
because the inferior man rails against him.
Hsun-Tzu

When Hector’s brother was about to be killed, he intervened and did what was right, instead of what was expected from the protocol of the day. When Achilles sought Hector out for his revenge, with one command, Hector could have had Achilles killed without risking his life, but he met the situation with honor. Even in the face of insults and threats from Achilles, Hector kept a rational head and tried to make a pact of honor for the victor to respect his fallen opponent, a noble act that Achilles blatantly refused, ultimately disgracing himself in his tactless display of Hector’s body.

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

The differences between these two men demonstrate the differences between a true warrior and the mere fighter. It is the internal differences which matter in the end. The difference between Hector and Achilles boils down to honor and intention. Hector had true honor and acted with integrity and pure intention, whereas Achilles acted from a place of selfishness, rage and unbridled emotion. Before his death, Achilles seem to see the error in his ways, but we really don’t know if he was acting from a place of honor when he saved Hector’s cousin or if he was acting from a place of selfish desire.

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

It is the character that makes someone a true warrior, not simply his martial arts skills. Martial arts/fighting skills are merely one component of the warrior lifestyle, not the be-all end-all. The true warrior acts from a place of wisdom, honor and integrity. He rationally thinks about this words and actions, before he speaks or acts. He control his emotions, instead of allowing his emotions to control him.

While Achilles saw the error in his ways, it wasn’t until after his rage had subsided and he had taken the life of an honorable man that he saw his error. He allowed his anger and emotions to control his actions instead of his rational mind. His actions were not concerned with what was right, but only with what he desired during the present moment.

Although Achilles bested Hector in one on one combat, Hector was the better man and the true warrior. There is a difference in a fighter and a warrior. There is a difference in doing what’s right and in doing whatever you feel like doing. There is a difference in real honor and in perceived honor. The difference originates from within the human spirit and is a conscious decision. Achilles was a great fighter; Hector was a true warrior.

The glory of great men must always be measured
against the means they have used to acquire it.
La Rochefoucauld

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Noble Eightfold Path of the Warrior

1 – Right Understanding

Right understanding is essential to the warrior. It is not good enough to just memorize your martial arts techniques or to memorize some wise sayings. You have to go past rote memorization and get to the point of having a thorough understanding of the underlying principles behind your art and your values. Simply scratching the surface doesn’t cut it. In whatever you do, pursue understanding…correct understanding.

Knowledge without wisdom is a load of books on the back of an ass.
Japanese Proverb

2 – Right Thought

Science has proven that our thoughts are actually energy and have an effect on exterior things. No, I’m not just talking about the information such as the theories contained in the book The Secret. Our thoughts have a powerful influence on both our emotions and our body chemistry. Sad/depressed thoughts will cause the body to produce different hormones, enzymes, etc. than happy/excited thoughts do. This can even be measured in the composition of someone’s tears. Tears of joy have a different chemical make-up than tears of pain or tears of sadness.

In addition, your thoughts control your emotions and it is very important, especially for the warrior, to keep your emotions in check. If you doubt that your thoughts control your emotions, sit and meditate on something very sad for a while and see what affect it has on you, or put on some great music that you love and see if your thought pattern and your emotions don’t get a boost. Thoughts matter…

It is the mind which makes a man, or mares him.
Sai Baba

3 – Right Speech

This is a biggie! The person walking the path of the warrior has to watch his speech. It is so easy to say the wrong thing, especially if you are out of sorts. Be even more careful to watch what you say if you are angry or upset with someone. You can say something in a split second, which will cost you dearly for days, months, or even years to come. Right speech is a form of self-discipline. Simply put, it is self-control. Control your emotions and your speech, instead of letting your emotions control you or your speech. If you want the respect of others, watch what you say.

Don’t talk too much – your ignorance exceeds your knowledge.
Spanish Proverb

4 – Right Action

A man’s action is evidence of his creed. Every action that you take, everything you think, say or do, either brings you closer to your goals, or takes you further away from your goals, on the journey through the warrior lifestyle. Your actions matter. Make your actions right. Listen to your spirit and follow your intuition. Let your personal code of ethics and honor guide your every decision. Do the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way.

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard
than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.
Henry Ward Beecher

5 – Right Livelihood

There is nothing more draining for a warrior than going to a thankless job, which he absolutely hates, every single day. This sucks the life from your spirit, the energy from muscles, and the vitality from your mind. Nevertheless, the warrior will continue to do his job to the best of his abilities until the right livelihood comes along. Finding the right livelihood makes life so much better, especially if it is one in which the warrior can feel he is fulfilling a higher purpose with his life. When you do find the right livelihood you will know it because work will no longer be work, but rather a passion for you.

The talent of success is nothing more than doing
what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

6 – Right Effort

Buddha said that whatever you do, you should put your whole heart into your task, being diligent and energetic. Put forth your best effort. If it is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well. If the task is only worthy of a partial effort, why even bother with it. The warrior aims for excellence in all that he does; there is no room for half-hearted effort in the warrior’s world. If the mind and heart are right, the effort will be right.

Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts.
This is the secret to success.
Swami Sivananda

7 – Right Mindfulness

Right mindfulness is very close to right thought. Right mindfulness is what you keep your mind focused on throughout the day. Are you focusing on your goals, your training, and becoming the best person that you can be, or are you simply daydreaming your time away? It is important to keep your mind focused in the now. If you continue to focus on what is happening at this very moment, you will not find yourself regretting the past or worrying about the future. Stay in the moment.

It is the mind that leads a man to power, not strength of body.
Crow Maxim

8 – Right Concentration

According to Hsun Tzu, the superior man is committed to focus. Learn to concentrate on what you are doing, and do only one thing at a time. Today, we are all too prone to multi-tasking, doing several things at once. The sages taught that to do two things at once is to do neither. In order to perform at our best, we have to give our total attention to the task at hand. Take care of one thing and then move on to the next. Concentrate all your thoughts on the work at hand. Concentration is key to proper martial arts techniques. Without concentration your technique will lack energy.

A concentrated mind will pierce a rock.
Japanese Proverb

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Hedonism vs Sacrifice

Drink nothing to the dregs,
either of the bad, or of the good,
for to moderation in everything
has one sage reduced all wisdom.
Baltasar Gracian

What is the “good life?” What makes a life good as compared to bad? What characteristics determine whether a life is good or bad? I’m not talking about whether or not someone is a good person or a bad person; I am simply referring to someone’s overall life. Can you have a good life without being a good person? Well, I guess that depends on how you define a good life.

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

If you define a good life as a life filled with purely hedonistic pleasures, then someone can definitely have a good life without being a good person. On the other hand, if you define a good life as a life that is to be admired for its sacrifice and service to other people, you can’t have a good life without being a good person. Thus, your definition of the good life determines what a good life actually is.

How do you define a good life? Is it a life filled with adventure, wealth, travel, and pleasures, or is it a life filled with sacrifice for your fellow human beings, filled with love, relationships, and good deeds? Do you see a life of luxury as the good life or a life lived with character and honor as the good life? There are lives that we envy because of their appearance of ease and hedonism, and then there are lives that we admire because of their character and honor.

Live as you will wish to
have lived when you are dying.
Christian Furchtegott Gellert

Life demands to be lived.
H. L. Mencken

For example, we may envy the life of someone who has millions of dollars for the freedom that it affords that person or for the luxury that his wealth can buy. This is a life that is obviously enviable. On the other hand, we may admire the life of someone such as Socrates who spent time teaching others, but ultimately died of poison in a jail cell. These are obviously two distinct kinds of lives: one to be envied and one to be admired.

Which of these would you choose for yourself or for your children? Well, I would not choose a life for my children where they have to spend time in jail under a death sentence, but we look at the life of Socrates with admiration. At the same time, I would not choose the life of Michael Jackson for one of my children either, although we may look at the lifestyle that his wealth afforded him with envy. So what’s the answer?

Beware lest you lose the substance
by grasping at the shadow.
Aesop

To me the answer lies in one word – BALANCE. The good life is one which is balanced. It has to be filled with more than simply wealth or hedonistic pleasures, and at the same time, it should be much richer than total sacrifice for others. You can actually have the best of both worlds. You can have adventure, travel, personal pleasures, and at the same time live a life of honor and character, which serves others and is fit to be admired.

Drink wine by all means,
but do not get drunk.
Confucius

The key to the good life is the same key that opens most of the locks in this world – BALANCE. There is no need to live an isolated life of poverty, giving all your time and money to others at the expense of your own enjoyment of life. At the same time, a life where you think of nothing but your own pleasure is a selfish life and not fit to be admired by anyone other than the shallowest of human beings. The good life is the life that you can both admire and envy. It is the best of both worlds.

Moderation is the key to lasting enjoyment.
Hosea Ballou

The secret of life is balance, and the
absence of balance is life’s destruction.
Hazrat Inayat Khan

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Jaded Trust

Except for those whom you know to be good
from experience or from a completely trustworthy source,
it is wise to deal with all people with your eyes wide open…
the important point is:
don’t trust anyone unless you are sure you can.
Francesco Guicciardini

Trust is a small word, but can have some major implications. Trust in its definitive essence, is a confidence or reliance in the good qualities of others. To trust someone means that you are counting on that person’s adherence to his sense of fairness, truth, and honor – traits which seem to be in short supply in today’s world. That may sound like a negative and pessimistic view of our world today, but actually that is not a new observation concerning the character of humans.

Sages and wise men throughout the ages have held the opinion that the majority of men are not men of good character, and therefore it stands, not men to be trusted, at least not in matters of importance. Wise men such as Gracian, Voltaire, Goethe, La Rochefoucauld, Lord Chesterfield, and Guicciardini, all espoused this viewpoint of men in general. They all admonished us to be careful of trusting others, especially in matters that are important to your well-being.

I would advise you not to trust either [men or women],
more than is absolutely necessary.
Lord Chesterfield

It is hazardous to trust others,
for he who trusts others will be controlled by them.
Han Fei Tzu

I did not acquire this distrust of men from reading the writings of these men, although their writings have reinforced my suspicious nature. After all, you can’t be too far off target if you agree with men such as these. Time and time again, I have found that my philosophy of expecting men in general (I use the word men as in human beings, females are just as untrustworthy as males) to be dishonest and untrustworthy, has proved to be accurate.

For of men it may generally be affirmed that they are
thankless, fickle,false, studious to avoid danger, greedy of gain,
devoted to you while you are able to confer benefits upon them,
and ready, as I said before, while danger is distant,
to shed their blood, and sacrifice their property,
their lives, and their children for you;
but in the hour of need they turn against you.
Niccolo Machiavelli

I realize that there are some who would say that I am simply manifesting what I expect from those I meet. I highly doubt that, but hey, I could be wrong. I prefer to approach the world with my eyes wide open. I have been conned too many times. Instead of seeing myself as a pessimist or a negative nail, I prefer to think of myself as vigilant in assessing the character of others. People in general don’t seem to put what is right or honorable above what is profitable or comfortable.

Generally men have higher respect
for their interest than their duty.
Francesco Guicciardini

This way of life does have some drawbacks though. I tend to be a little less open and much more suspicious of others than those who prefer to trust everyone until they give them a reason not to trust them. These people go through life with a rosier outlook towards people in general, but tend to get taken for a ride much more often as a result of their trusting personality. I have heard them make statements such as, “It is better to trust people and get screwed, than to go through life distrustful.”

Maybe it is. I don’t know. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I am definitely not perfect or infallible. I don’t have all the answers. I do know that trusting the wrong person, at the wrong time can totally change the course of your life, and not in a good way. The warrior has a responsibility to those who depend on him to be watchful and, to a certain point, distrustful of those who cross his path. He has a duty to protect those whom he loves.

Men are so false, so insidious,
so deceitful and cunning in their wiles,
so avid in their own interest, and
so oblivious to other’s interest,
that you cannot go wrong if you
believe little and trust less.
Francesco Guicciardini

Is this the most comfortable, happy-go-lucky way to go through life? No, its not. Is it the safest way to go through life? I think so. As with most everything, it is balance that truly matters. There is a time to trust others and a time to be distrustful. Always listen to your intuition. It will rarely steer you wrong. As I said, I don’t have all the answers, but I do learn from experience, and experience has taught me that the sages and the words of the wise should be listened to. It has also taught me that people are not to be trusted…but every now and then you have to take the risk to trust that you aren’t the only person in this world who is a true human being – a true warrior.

Trust the instinct to the end,
though you can render no reason.
Emerson

Experience is a good school,
but the fees are high.
Heinrich Heine

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Karma: Everything Matters

Good Deeds return to the house of their author.
Iranian Proverb

The man slowly looked up.  This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life.  Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life.  His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.

“Leave me alone,” he growled…  To his amazement, the woman continued standing.  She was smiling — her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.

“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“No,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve just come from dining with the president.. Now go away.”

The woman’s smile became even broader.

Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.  ”What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.

Just then a policeman came up.  ”Is there any problem, ma’am?” he asked..

“No problem here, officer,” the woman answered.  ”I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?”

The officer scratched his head.  “That’s old Jack. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?”

“See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile.”

“Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!”  Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.
“Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything.”

“This is a good deal for you, Jack,” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it.”
Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner.  It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table.  “What’s going on here, officer?” he asked. “What is all this, is this man in trouble?”

“This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the policeman answered.

“Not in here!” the manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.”

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin.  ”See, lady. I told you so. Now if you’ll let me go. I didn’t want to come here in the first place.”

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled.  ”Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?”

“Of course I am,” the manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.”

“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?”

“What business is that of yours?”

I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company.”

“Oh…”

The woman smiled again..  ”I thought that might make a difference.”

She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh.  “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”

“No thanks, ma’am,” the officer replied. “I’m on duty.”

“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?”

“Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice.”

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel.  ”I’ll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”

The officer watched him walk away.  ”You certainly put him in his place,” he said.

“That was not my intent…  Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.”

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest.  She stared at him intently.

“Jack, do you remember me?”

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes.  ”I think so — I mean you do look familiar.”

“I’m a little older perhaps,” she said.  ”Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”

“Ma’am?” the officer said questioningly.  He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

“I was just out of college,” the woman began.  ”I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find anything.  Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment.  I walked the streets for days.  It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.”

Jack lit up with a smile.  “Now I remember,” he said.  ”I was behind the serving counter.  You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat.  I said that it was against company policy.”

“I know,” the woman continued.  ”Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it.  I was afraid that you would get into trouble.  Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right.”

“So you started your own business?” Old Jack said.

“I got a job that very afternoon.  I worked my way up.  Eventually I started my own business that prospered…”  She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. ”When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He’s the personnel director of my company.  I’ll go talk to him now and I’m certain he’ll find something for you to do around the office.”

She smiled.  ”I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet.  If you ever need anything, my door is always open to you.”

Your goodwill toward others returns to yourself in the end.
Japanese Proverb

There is no act, however trivial, but has its train of consequences.
Samuel Smiles

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

The Tale of Two Pebbles

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer’s debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning money lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven.
3) If she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer’s field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should know that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend that the girl do?

Well, here is what she did. . .

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

“Oh, how clumsy of me!” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY?

There is always an answer, but many times it is not obvious.

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

The Source

With men of understanding,
wisdom counts for everything.
Baltasar Gracian

Where does wisdom come from? Is universal wisdom useful across the board or does it matter who the person is who is imparting that wisdom? I guess there is some controversy where this is concerned. A well-known martial artist, brought this very issue up concerning my third book, Warrior Wisdom: The Warrior’s Path, this week. He felt that some of the people who I  quoted were not quality people and therefore should not have been quoted in my book.

Knowledge of the world is only to be
acquired in the world and not in a closet.
Lord Chesterfield

Any experience can be transformed
into something of value.
Vash Young

This begs the question, is wisdom wisdom no matter where it comes from or does the person, who has an insightful thought, also have to have to good reputation and a flawless character in order for that wisdom to be authenticated as true wisdom? Can a wino on a street corner have an insightful thought, and if he does should we discard it because of his shortcomings in life? This was the debate that my friend and I had concerning my third book…and we agreed to disagree and he refused to endorse my book because of this outlook.

A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.
Aristophanes

His last statement on the matter was that he didn’t think that “readers would be ready for Bohdi Sanders takes the words of sages and scoundrels and explains them in a way that might be useful.” We left it at that. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t purposely quote scumbags and give them credit for being wise men of strong character. No way! But at the same time, there are no perfect people. Being a history teacher, I could delve into the lives of our most beloved men, men who we consider top drawer, and find serious faults in their lives.

Arrogance diminishes wisdom.
Arabian Proverb

For example, the Apostle Paul had many Christians put to death before his conversion to Christianity. King David, who is accepted as the author of the Book of Psalms, arranged for the death of a man because he was infatuated with that man’s wife. I could cite example after example of dishonorable acts of men whom most of us have respect for, and whose writings we enjoy as words of wisdom. Do their actions take away from their words of wisdom or are their writings teaching us what they have learned from their mistakes?

It is quite possible to be a good man
without anyone realizing it.
Marcus Aurelius

I believe that the warrior should use wisdom wherever he finds it. Wisdom can come from various and unpredictable sources. Whether it is a five year old child or a wino on a street corner, anyone can have a profound and insightful thought. If we simply waited for that wisdom to come from someone with no faults, we would have a long wait. Instead of judging the person who imparts that insightful thought, wouldn’t it be better to judge the content of the thought itself? I think so…

Instead of searching for the faults of others, examine
yourself for personal faults that need to be corrected.
Sai Baba

True wisdom is universal. Should we discard an enlightened thought simply because we are not impressed with the person who is used to communicate that thought to us? To the warrior, the purpose of wisdom is to improve his life and his character. Even if that wisdom comes from  a five years old child, he is not too proud to take what is said and meditate on it and apply it to his life. The warrior is an independent spirit who thinks for himself and is not influenced by political correctness or the mind games that many people play.

What I must do is all that concerns me,
not what the people think.
Emerson

Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.
Emerson

Our currency all comes from government sanctioned mints and has value no matter whose pocket it happens to be in at any given moment. In the same way, universal wisdom all comes from One Source and is useful in guiding the warrior on the warrior’s path. It does not matter who the carrier of that wisdom may be, universal wisdom does not lose its value. The warrior knows this and uses his spirit as a guide to the truthfulness and validity of the thoughts of others. He uses what he finds useful and discards what strikes him as “not quite right.” I am concerned with what is being said, not who said it.

Test everything.
Hold on to the good.
The Apostle Paul

A precious stone does not lose its value
simply because it has been dropped in a cesspool.
Japanese Proverb

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Good & Evil

There are always two forces
warring against each other within us.
Paramahansa Yogananda

What does it mean to be a good person? What does it mean to be an evil person? We hear these terms thrown around often, “He is a good guy.” or “That man is evil.” But what do these things really mean? Are we even in a position to judge whether someone is good or evil? These are questions which seem simple to answer, that is until you start to truly examine them closer.

Moral philosophy is nothing else
but the science of good and evil.
Thomas Hobbes

While it is pretty obvious when someone is truly evil down to his core, it is a little trickier to know whether or not someone is really a good person. We know that some people are purely evil. People such as serial killers, ruthless dictators who kill thousands of innocent people, and politicians (I had to throw that in there!).  hahaha  The evil man is fairly obvious to recognize after his actions have been brought to light, but what about the good man?

How do you recognize a good man? Is it by his words? Is it the fact that he doesn’t kill or rob other people? Does his actions prove that he is a good man? What are the characteristics of a good man? People say all sorts of things, and have been known to lie… Many people refrain from breaking the law out of fear of punishment, not because they are good people… A man’s actions can be only for show…

Things do not pass for what they are,
but for what they seem…
Things are judged by how they look,
even though most things are far
different from what they appear.
Baltasar Gracian

Are you starting to get the point? It is much harder to truly know if someone is honestly a good person. The reason for this is that in order to know if someone is truly a good person, you have to have some insight into their spirit, their heart, and their mind. The truly good person is good on the inside. It has to get right on the inside before it can ever be right on the outside. This is where is gets tricky.

Good means not merely not to do wrong,
but rather not to desire to do wrong.
Democritus

How can you really know what is inside someone’s mind. What are his intentions. When you get down to it, it is a person’s underlying intentions which make him a good person or a bad person. Things are never as black and white as they seem on the surface. John Wayne said, “There’s right and there’s wrong.” This is true. Right and wrong are black and white, but being able to distinguish between the two is not so clean-cut. This is why you should be very careful about judging others.

A door must either be open or shut.
French Proverb

To every man there opens a high way and a low way,
every man decides the way his soul will go.
John Oxenham

We have to be careful about judging others simply because we don’t have access to all the information that we need to make a clear judgment. We can’t see what is in someone’s mind. We don’t know their intentions. Many people act in a certain way simply to maintain their cleverly constructed reputation, but this may or may not be who they truly are. It takes time and close association to really know someone.

The most exhausting thing in life,
I have discovered, is being insincere.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The good man is good inside and out. His actions mirror his thoughts. His intentions are pure, although many times the results of his actions may not go as he had planned. His heart is cleansed of malice. Whether or not someone is a good person depends on much more than whether he obeys the law or goes to church. Too many people judge people on these external traits without considering what is on the inside.

With sincerity, there is virtue.
Shinto Maxim

The first duty is to behave with purity of intention.
Sheikh Muzaffer

Don’t be too quick to judge someone or to label them as either a good person or a bad person. Just like every other decision, it is foolish to jump to a conclusion without knowing all the facts. Next time you are tempted to make a judgment or take someone’s word concerning someone’s character, ask yourself if you have all of the information that you need to make an intelligent decision about this person. Good and evil are black and white, but your ability to discern each is a giant gray area.

Appear as you are; be as you appear.
Rumi

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Rose Colored Glasses

The sky is not less blue because
the blind man does not see it.
Danish Proverb

Everyone is the same… People are people… I have tons of friends… That kind of thing only happens to other people… These are all comments which I hear from people who “wear rose colored glasses.”  They see the world as they believe it to be or as they want it to be, not as it actually is. These people live in their own little fantasy world where everything is colored according to their viewpoint.

Is not the truth the truth?
Shakespeare

While it is true that we all see things from a certain point of view which is colored by our own biases or prejudices, we should make an effort to see things as they actually are. You may argue, what does it hurt if someone sees the world in a certain way, as long as they aren’t bothering anyone else? Well, in actuality it may not hurt them at all. They may live their whole life without their distorted beliefs affecting them. Then again, they may not.

Someone may see rattlesnakes as a loving, misunderstood creature. They may truly believe that rattlesnakes are not dangerous or poisonous. This belief, although it is untrue, may make them feel all warm, loving and one with the earth. It may make this person feel safe when he goes out hiking in the hills…and this belief may never have any adverse affect on this person at all, that is as long as he never find himself face to face with a rattlesnake or steps over a bush and is bitten by a rattlesnake. His thoughts do not change reality…

A light is still a light, even though
the blind man cannot see it.
Austrian Proverb

Likewise, this person may love to wear his rose colored glasses outside in his backyard and his white shed may look rosy to him. He may enjoy his perception of the nice rosy color of his shed. It may make him feel peaceful and relaxed or meditative and reflective…but none of this changes the fact that his shed is white. If he wants to think of it as rose colored, that is his choice, but he is making a decision to deceive himself.

Truth is exact correspondence with reality.
Paramahansa Yogananda

The same principle goes for other believes such as the ones which I listed at the beginning of this blog post. “Everyone is the same.” No, they are not. “People are people.” Wrong again. Different people have different moral values and many people do not value life as you or I do. “I have lots of friends.” No you don’t. “Those kinds of things always happen to other people.” Not hardly…

These kinds of thoughts may make people feel all warm and fuzzy inside. They may be socially acceptable or politically correct, but that does not make them true. And the same principle applies to these thoughts as it does to the guy’s thoughts about the rattlesnake…you may go all of your life without these “rose colored thoughts” affecting you, unless you run into someone who proves to you that your thoughts are bogus.

Truth doesn’t change because it is, or is not,
believed by a majority of the people.
Giordano Bruno

If however, this person runs into the stark reality of a gruff, scarred hand that reaches up an grabs those rose colored glasses from his face, he will be shocked to face the actual reality of the way things truly are. He will find out the hard way that his thoughts are flawed. This can be a rude awakening…

Facts do not cease to exist
because they are ignored.
Aldous Huxley

There really is no benefit in deceiving yourself. Isn’t is better to see things as they truly are? The truth doesn’t change simply because we refuse to see it or want it to be different. The truth simply is the truth. Things are as they are. You have the choice to see things as you will, but I highly recommend taking off those rose colored glasses, at least sometimes…

Truth will always be truth, regardless of
lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.
W. Clement Stone

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Warrior Wisdom Book: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior

Listen to Your Spirit

Don’t follow the advice of others; rather,
learn to listen to the voice within yourself.
Dogen

This quote by Dogen, the famous 13^th century Zen master, is a little misleading at first. When you first read it, it seems as though Dogen is telling us not to follow the advice of others. What he is actually telling us is not to blindly follow the advice of other, but rather to listen to the advice of others, while at the same time listening to your inner spirit. It is wise to listen to the advice and opinions of others, but always think for yourself. Don’t act on the advice of others until you feel, deep in your spirit, that their advice is right.

Trust your instinct to the end,
though you can render no reason.
Emerson

Trust your heart…
for it is never untrue to itself.
Baltasar Gracian

This is what is meant by listening to the voice within yourself. Always trust your internal voice, whether you call it your “small quiet voice,” or your intuition, it will not lead you astray if you will learn to listen to what it is trying to tell you. How do you know what it is trying to tell you? You listen. You have to spend some quiet time alone, just you and your spirit. For many this is hard to do. We are so used to having some external stimuli constantly bombarding us today that silence actually can feel awkward.

Close both eyes to see with the other eye.
Rumi

This is a skill that has to be developed just like your roundhouse kick or your side kick. Can you remember when you were first beginning martial arts, how awkward some of the kicks and techniques were? Nothing that is completely new is comfortable at first. You have to practice new skills and techniques until you become comfortable with them and you develop a certain level of skill with them. The same thing goes for listening to your intuition or your spirit. As Hui Neng taught, “Look within…The secret is in you.”

The truth of a thing is the feel of it,
not the think of it.
Stanley Kubrick

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Enemy’s Strategy

What is of supreme importance in war
is to attack the enemy’s strategy.
Sun Tzu

Whether you are referring to war or business, if you want to win, you need to be able to counter your enemy’s strategy. You first need to know exactly what your enemy’s strategy is, in order to attack his strategy. Don’t just shoot in the dark. You need factual knowledge concerning what he plans to do. Take the time to do a little research and find out who your enemy is and what makes him tick. You must know your enemy. Know his weaknesses and his strengths. Know what his goals are and what he wants to achieve and why. Gather as much information on him as possible.

Method is more important than strength,
when you wish to control your enemies.
Nagarjuna

Once you know your enemy well, you are ready to start thinking of ways to disrupt his strategy. Only after you understand your enemy, can you begin to devise a plan to attack his strategy. Attacking your enemy’s strategy without doing your homework can backfire on you. You must be able to understand what is going on in your enemy’s mind in order to plan your own strategy. You must know who he is and how he thinks in order to predict how he will react and what his next move will be.

Our friends show us what we can do,
our enemies teach us what we must do.
Goethe

Things are not always as they appear to be on the surface. In fact, they are seldom what they appear to be. You must work hard to get through all the layers and find out what your enemy’s true purpose is. Don’t just discover his strategy, but look deeper and find out why he has developed this strategy. What is his ultimate motivation? What is his ultimate objective? Once you know what his motivation is and what his objectives are, you ready to develop a plan to counter your enemy’s strategy. Knowledge is power.

Do not be the victim of first impressions.
Baltasar Gracian

In planning, never a useless move;
in strategy, no step taken in vain.
Sun Tzu

(Taken from Warrior Wisdom II: The Heart and Soul of Bushido)

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

What Women Want

The wise focus their
attention inside.
Lao Tzu

I get a lot of emails, and many of them come from women who read my blogs or have read my book. One of the common topics that I hear repeated, not only in the emails that I received, but also in listening to conversations throughout my everyday travels, concerns what women actually want from a man. A lot of the emails that I receive are from female readers who say, “YES! The warrior is the kind of man that every woman wants! Where are men like this today?”

Let them know a real man,
who lives as he was meant to live.
Marcus Aurelius

It seems that no matter how hard ….Hollywood…., celebrities, feminists, etc. try to push the image of the metro-sexual male or the feminist man who has to depend on the wife to take care of things because he is a spineless, witless, buffoon, deep inside most women still love the stereotypical warrior which I write about in my book and blogs. They want a man who has character, integrity and honor. They want a man who has courage and who is willing to take care of them, provide for them, and protect them.

Now, I’m not saying that women want someone who simply wants to keep them pregnant and barefoot. That is not how the warrior looks at his wife or his girlfriend at all. If you have read much of my writing, you already know that. The warrior has the utmost respect for his wife and family. He spends time with them. They are the most important thing in the world to him, which is why he is willing to provide for them and protect them, even unto the death. No matter what other duties the warrior has, his wife and family always come first, if he is truly walking the path of the warrior. And this is something that every woman wants.

If you would be wise, provide for your house,
and love your wife in your arms. Fill her stomach,
clothe her back; oil is the remedy for her limbs.
Gladden her heart during your lifetime,
for she is an estate profitable to his lord.
Do not be harsh, for gentleness
masters her more than strength.
Give to her that for which she sighs
and that toward which her eye looks.
Ptah-Hotep

I realize that many of my readers will disagree with me on this point. They will want to argue that their duty to their country or their fellow soldiers comes first, or that their duty as a cop or a fireman comes first. To this I say hogwash! As a warrior, your first and foremost duty is to your wife and family, not your job or your profession. It is one thing to put other things first when you do not have a wife or family, but once you make that commitment, your priorities have to change. And this is what most women that have either written me or talked with me, seem to want – a man who is willing to put her first, a man that she can always count on to be there for her.

I can hear the feathers ruffling as I type, “What do you mean Bohdi?? Are you saying that I should neglect my duty??” Not at all, that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that your wife and family have to come first. We all still have to work and do our job, and many times we had rather be at home with our family instead of working, but that’s life. This doesn’t mean that you don’t put your family first. Working is providing for your family, and is a necessity in life, but you had better have the pecking order straight in your mind. If you don’t put your family first, who will?

What I am saying is that the warrior walks by his own set of rules and values, his own code if you will. He has the courage to live by his own law. He isn’t a sheep. No one else controls him or tells him what does or does not come first in his life. He sets the rules and sometimes they may not jive with the norm of society. So what? He is not concerned with society’s political correctness or the way things have always been done. He is concerned with his personal duty, and he decides the hierarchy of his duties.

Highly evolved people have
their own conscience as pure law.
Lao Tzu

What I must do is all that concerns me,
not what the people think.
Emerson

The women that I have talked to want a man who is strong enough to decide what he believes in and who will stand for those beliefs. They want a man with backbone and character. They want someone who they can trust with their life, who they can depend on without question. Women want a man who they know is honest, sincere, and who will put their family first. A man who will honor and respect them is at the top of their list. No matter how much our “advanced” society pushes the image of the lovable buffoon as the image of the nice, desirable husband, this is not the feedback that women are giving me.

Do the character traits above sound familiar? Well, they do if you have spent much time reading my blog or have read Warrior Wisdom, they describe the warrior. The warrior is a man of honor, character, and integrity. He has a strong sense of filial duty and duty to his family. He is honest, trustworthy and sincere. He is a man of courage and has both the will and ability to back up his ideals. The warrior understands respect and honor, and they are a synergistic part of his life. The true warrior is truly the man that women describe to me as their perfect man.

The master warrior is
a man of character,
a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

Many women seem to go for the bad boy. Maybe this is because they really want someone who is a warrior, but their image of what the warrior really is, is skewed by movies and television. They consider a man who is rugged and tough to be the image of the warrior, but soon they find that this bad boy, is not a true warrior, but rather a thug. He lacks the character and principles of the true warrior, which is truly what women are looking for in a man. Soon they trade the bad boy for the nice guy, which although he may not be a warrior, he is at least not a thug and will provide a home for her.

Look for benefits that last.
Ten Bears

It is not enough to make something look good.
The underlying principle must be good.
Joyce Sequichie Hifler

What women are truly looking for is the perfect combination of the bad boy and the provider. The man who has principles, character, and is rugged and tough enough to protect her if the occasion arises. This is the picture that has been painted for me from the many emails that I have received, and it is the image of the true warrior – the man of excellence. Balance is important in everything, and I think that it is also important when it comes to what women what from men.

Stop talking about what the
good man is like, and just be one.
Marcus Aurelius

The superior man demands it of himself;
the inferior man demands it of others.
Confucius

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Behind the Veil:
The Eye of the Warrior

Truth is Power.
Lakota Maxim

Is anything really as it appears? Unless you have first-hand knowledge concerning certain information, someone’s actions, specific plans, or strategies, do you really think that you know what the honest to goodness truth is? Most likely you don’t, even if you feel that you do. Unless you are actually privileged to the inside information, you are simply going on theory, hearsay, or worse yet, what the media spoon feeds the sheep.

Things are not always what they seem;
the first appearance deceives many:
the intelligence of a few perceives
what has been carefully hidden.
Phaedrus

There is a facade purposely put up to veil the truth from you. The warrior has to see this and take pains to the best of his ability to find out what the truth behind the veil actually is, especially if he is planning to act with conviction concerning some matter. Never act on half truths or after hearing only one side. This is a trait of the simple-minded and can come back to haunt you. You have to be careful about what you believe in these times of information overload. It can be hard to decipher the truth from distorted spin.

Instead of thinking how things may be,
see them as they are.
Samuel Johnson

Don’t rely on the label on the bag.
French Proverb

Things are not as they seem. Most everything that you read or hear has been carefully scripted and manipulated in order to accomplish certain goals. I have sucked into believing things which were emailed to me by trusted sources several times, only to find out later that the information was bogus. This can hurt your reputation as a reputable person. While it is true that most of us don’t have the time to do research and peal back the layers of falsehoods to get to the truth of the matter, it is a necessity if you are going to put your reputation on the line.

Things do not pass for what they are,
but for what they seem…
things are judged by what they look,
even though most things are far
different from what they appear.
Baltasar Gracian

This is yet another reason why the warrior is a man (person) of few words. You don’t have to give your opinion on every little thing that comes up in conversation. Nobody knows everything about everything, and it is folly to try to sound intelligent and bluff your way through a conversation in which you don’t have all the facts. It is better to be quiet and watch others through the eye of the warrior – the eye of the warrior can see BS from a mile away. Most people simply ramble on without knowing what they are talking about, and those in the know see them as fools.

At all times, look at the thing itself –
the thing behind the appearance.
Marcus Aurelius

Strive to get clear notions about all.
Seneca

It is much better to be objective – to hear both sides of everything, and then do a little research before you give your opinion, if you give your opinion at all. Don’t be swept up into the tide of popular opinion. Just because the majority believes something, does not make it true. Most of the time, the majority are in the wrong. Political correctness is not a sign of intelligence, but rather a sign of someone who is easily led and wants to be thought of as intelligent. Be a maverick and see through the eye of the warrior; slip behind the veil. The substance is always found behind the shadow.

Be not deceived with the first appearance of things,
for show is not substance.
English Proverb

Beware that you do not lose the substance
by grasping at the shadow.
Aesop

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Opinions Vary

Fear not the reproach of men,
nor be afraid of their revilings.
Isaiah

People are fickle. They will sing your praises one day, and they will turn on you like a pack of wolves the next day. Throughout history, people have shown this same erratic behavior, and sages have always taught us, just as Chuang Tzu taught, to be indifferent to the praise or blame of the masses. Let their praise and blame roll of your back just as rain beads up and rolls off of a newly waxed car.

The wise live among people,
but are indifferent to their praise or blame.
Chuang Tzu

This advice sounds easy enough to do. After all, it doesn’t take much effort to ignore what other people say, right? Well, this is another piece of wisdom that is easier said than done. It is very enjoyable and ego-boosting to have people praising your work and patting you on the back. It is a pleasurable experience for people to tell you how great you are or how smart you are.

Likewise, it is a very uncomfortable feeling to have people attacking you and blaming you for this or that. It can be very stressful to have people harass you verbally. Being indifferent to the public’s opinions, either positive or negative, is something which has to be learning and perfected. It doesn’t come naturally.

I do what is mine to do;
the rest doesn’t disturb me.
Marcus Aurelius

Just remember that the same people who cheer for you today, would cheer just as loudly if you were about to be hanged. Don’t seek the approval of the public. Seek the approval of men of wisdom and honor. These are men whose opinions actually have substance. Above all, seek to live according to your own principles. Only you truly know if you are worthy of praise or blame.

A noble spirit will seek the reward of virtue
in the consciousness of it, rather than in popular opinion.
Pliny the Younger

Bohdi Sanders

Warrior Wisdom

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

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

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

The Walking Dead

Idle men are dead all their life long.
Thomas Fuller

Living is my life. I’m not talking about the staying alive, but rather living life to the fullest. I hear many people say things such as “martial arts are my life,” “my dog is my life,” skiing is my life,” “writing is my life,” etc. but it is not that way with me. I have certain things in my life which are my passions, such as martial arts, writing, photography, etc. but those things aren’t my life. Living life to the fullest is my life. Living every day and enjoying all that life has to offer is my life.

May you live all the days of your life.
Jonathan Swift

While we live, let us live.
D. H. Lawrence

My passions are simply parts of my life that I enjoy. You can take any passion too far and by doing so you miss out on other things. There are only so many minutes in a day and everyone has the same amount. For the most part, minutes are like cash. If you use them for one thing, they aren’t available to use for something else. Once you “spend” your minutes, they are spent; unlike cash, there are never any refunds if you spend them on something and later decide you made a bad decision. Once your minutes are spent, they are gone forever.

The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will cal life which is required
to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.
Thoreau

Seize the day, put no trust in tomorrow.
Horace

For time lost may never be recovered.
Geoffrey Chaucer

For this reason it is important that you spend you minutes wisely, just as you should spend your cash wisely. You can go out to the store and waste your money on junk food and the next day you will have nothing to show for it other than maybe a couple of extra pounds. In the same way, you can spend your time watching mindless television shows or lying around on the couch, and you will have nothing to show for your time. Remember, once you spend a minute, you will never get that minute back.

Like the waves of a river that flow slowly on
and return never back,
the days of human life pass and come not back again.
Buddha

On the other hand, if you take you money and invest it or spend it wisely, you will have something of value that will last you long into the future. The same thing applies to your time. If you spend your time reading, learning, working out, etc. instead of wasting your time, you will have something of use to show for the way that you spent your time. Either way, your time will have to be spent. Unlike money, time cannot simply be saved and used at another time.

Opportunities lost can never be regained.
Pliny the Elder

We never live; we are always anticipating living.
Voltaire

Every minute of every day has to be spent in some form or fashion. You have no choice in the matter. The only choice that you have is how you will spend your time. Will you spend your time wisely and make use of the time that you have or will you waste you time as if you have an endless supply of this precious commodity?  I prefer to live life to the fullest, using every minute to experience what this life has to offer. What will you do with your minutes? Hours? Days? Months? Years?

Begin at once to live,
and count each separate day as a separate life.
Seneca

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

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Is Chivalry Dead?

To protect the weak and defenseless
The Chivalric Code of Charlemagne

To those who have been given much, much is required. Warriors have been given specific training in martial arts and in the knowledge of self-defense. Hopefully they have also been instructed in ways to, not only be able to defend themselves, but also to use their martial arts skills to defend others. Warriors have a duty to defend others when it is in their power to do so.

There are a lot of people who do not have the same training or skills that the warrior has developed over his years of training. They are not able to protect themselves, much less those around them. These people live their life depending on the goodwill of others. For various reasons, they have never developed the ability to fend off an attacker. Most have grown up in a fairly sheltered environment and really do not understand the psychology of the predator. The warrior is their only defense, other than depending on a police officer who may or may not be around when they are in need, or depending on the mercy of someone else.

Think, feel, and act like a warrior.
Set yourself apart from the rest of society
by your personal excellence.
Forrest E. Morgan

The warrior, on the other hand, has studied the art of self-defense. He knows the mind of the predator and what the criminal looks for in a victim. The skills that he has trained so hard to perfect are designed to keep him and his friends and family safe from those who would prey on the innocent. He has been given much knowledge; therefore he has an ethical a duty to use this knowledge to help the weak and the defenseless when he can. Wherever you are, those around you should be a little safer because you are there.

It is not only what we do,
but what we do not do,
for which we are accountable.
Moliere

Of course this depends on the warrior’s sense of chivalry. Chivalry is mostly thought of in connection with the qualities of the medieval knights and how they were expected to behave towards women, but the ideals of chivalry also include qualities such as courage, honor, consideration for others, and loyalty to your code of conduct. I consider chivalry part of the warrior lifestyle, not just some outdated, romantic notion.

The master warrior is a man of character,
a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

Just as there was no actual “pirate’s code,” there was also no definite set of ideals that made up the qualities of the ideal knight, but there are traits which are generally accepted as chivalrous. Were there knights who did not live up to the “code of chivalry?” Absolutely! There will always be those who will not be willing to live a life of excellence, but instead will lower themselves to an inferior standard. This fact doesn’t negate the fact the chivalrous ideals are good qualities to aim for and to make a part of the warrior lifestyle.

The term “code of chivalry” could be interchangeable with the term “code of honor.” It simply means a code that one lives by. Your code of honor, if you are a warrior, will have ideals that you try to live up to, whether you are dealing with the local mechanic or with the elderly lady trying to get across the street. In meditating on your own code of honor, it may be good to consider some of the old codes of chivalry and the ideals which they fostered. Is chivalry dead? Not to those with the warrior spirit…

The 13 Principles of Chivalry
1. A true knight must be a gentleman but follows through with duty.

2.A True Knight must uphold the Dignity of Man and Woman, remembering that all are born free and equal in Dignity and Rights.

3. A True Knight’s manner of living is an example to the young.

4. A True Knight shall at no time act outrageously nor do murder or be cruel in any way to man or beast.

5. A True Knight respects and defends the rights of all men and women to hold and practice religious beliefs other than his own.

6. A True Knight takes no part in wrongful quarrel but at all times supports the Lawful rights of all men and women.

7. A True Knight’s word is his bond.

8. A True Knight must be honorable in all things and know good from evil.

9. A True Knight must be of modest demeanor and not seek worship unto himself.

10. A True Knight must seek out such Quests as lead to the protection of the oppressed and never fail in Charity, Fidelity and the Truth.

11. A True Knight speaks evil of no man. A slanderous tongue brings shame and disgrace to an Honorable Knight.

12. A True Knight never betrays a trust or confidence given to him by a brother Knight.

13. A True Knight must so order his life that by his contributions the people of the world may hope to live together in greater peace and tolerance.

The Order of the Grail

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Shadows, Echoes & Ripples of Life

The results are only shadows and echoes of our actions.
Counsels of the Great Yu

Every action has its own consequence. Whether you call it the law of cause and effect or whether you call it karma, the end result is the same; everything that you do, say or think has a consequence connected with it. There is literally nothing that you can do, say or think which doesn’t have some kind of affect on your life. At this point I imagine that you may be thinking to yourself something such as, “well, if I am sitting on my patio and I say something completely meaningless, it has no affect on anything at all.”

In regard to his speech,
the superior man is never careless in any respect.
Confucius

Let’s examine that statement. It actually does have an affect; it can affect your emotions and/or your thought processes. Now, granted, the affect may be minimal, but nevertheless, there will be a consequence of some kind. The same thing goes for your thoughts. You may believe that your thoughts actually don’t have consequences, but on the contrary, every thought contains a certain energy, which at the very least has an effect on your emotions. Science has proven that your thoughts can in fact change your body chemistry, so in actuality, we don’t fully realize all of the consequences that our thoughts may have.

When we direct our thoughts properly,
we can control our emotions.
W. Clement Stone

Thoughts are forces.
Ralph Waldo Trine

This is true for all of your actions. There is no way to actually know for sure what the consequences of our actions really are. Some may be obvious, but others may be so far removed from the initial action that it is impossible to connect the result to the origin. What the warrior needs to stay focused on is that all of his actions are important. This is yet another reason that the person who is walking the path of the warrior strives for excellence in every area of his life. Everything matters on the path of warriorship.

Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds
can change the outer aspects of their lives.
William James

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Hunted

The hunter can make many mistakes, the hunted, only one.
Native American Maxim

Most criminals are predators. They “hunt” for the weak, the unaware, and the unprepared. They can afford to make some mistakes and still survive to “hunt” another day. It may take several “hunts” for the criminal to bag his prey, but he learns from his mistakes and continues to hunt, perfecting his skills as a predator.

The “hunted” on the other hand, cannot afford to make a mistake. He may not get a chance to learn from his mistake. The “hunted” has to remain alert at all times, being aware of his surroundings, constantly watching for the predators who seek to prey on him. One mistake may cost him his life. Taking the day off and relaxing could be a very costly mistake – one that he may never recover from.

Remember this: whoever lives a life of chance
will in the end find himself a victim of chance.
Francesco Guicciardini

This fact actually makes it more important for the warrior to have sharp self-defense skills. You don’t have the luxury of learning from your mistakes on the street. Those mistakes could be a permanent lesson. The warrior has to be ready for the attack. Even if the predator makes a mistake and fails in his quest, he can still do some serious damage to his prey, if his prey is unprepared. Many attacks can leave permanent damage without being fatal.

Don’t rely completely on any other human being, however dear.
We meet all life’s greatest tests alone.
Agnes Macphail

More satisfying far, that many depend upon you,
than that you depend upon anybody.
Baltasar Gracian

Trust God, but tie up your camel.
Hadith

The warrior has to be alert and aware of his surroundings at all times. He cannot afford to let down his guard. Why does the warrior need to be alert and aware at all times? The answer is because the hunter can make many mistakes, the hunted, only one. Will you be ready when you cross paths with the hunter?

I am the maker of my own fortune.
Tecumseh

(Reprinted from Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior)

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

True Warriors

If you understand, things are just as they are.
If you do not understand, things are just as they are.
Zen Maxim

My friend Kevin, who is now serving in Afghanistan, once asked me what my ultimate definition of a warrior is. I understand that my definition differs from Mr. Webster’s definition, and it also differs from the definition that many people use today. I constantly get letters and emails from people telling me, in no uncertain terms, that I don’t know what I am talking about and have no business talking about what a real warrior is, after all, I am just some peon martial artist, not a soldier or a cop…what do I know about being a warrior! Well, if you define the term “warrior” as someone who is experienced in military combat, I guess that counts a lot of people out.

“Ohhh! Great warrior!
[laughs and shakes his head]
Wars not make one great!”
Yoda

My definition of a warrior, and the definition that I have deduced from the many, many writings passed down throughout the ages, both from military and martial arts sources, doesn’t define a warrior in those terms. My ultimate definition of the term “warrior” is someone who has the ability and will to fight to protect himself, his friends, his family, and his ideals, and at the same time, seeks the perfection of his own character through a life lived with honor, integrity, and an unflinching dedication to what is right according to his own code of honor which has been refined from intensive study and meditation. That is a lengthy sentence, but I wanted to have a one sentence definition of the warrior. In my opinion, this is a better definition of the true warrior.

A thing does not therefore cease to be true
because it is not accepted by many.
Benedict Spinoza

All truth passes through three stages.
First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed.
Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
Arthur Schopenhauer

Warriors should exhibit the best qualities among men. The true warrior makes a firm decision to try to perfect his character and to live by a strict code of ethics. His word is his honor. His duty stays fresh on his mind. He lives life a little more seriously than most, but at the same time lives life to its fullest. He sees through the veil of appearances covering most parts of this world, but does so without looking down on those who are less perceptive.

Family and friends are important to him, and they know that they can always count on him for protection and help in their times of need. He bases his decisions on his code of ethics, and instinctively knows right from wrong, and chooses right. He knows that, at times there is a difference between what is right and what is legal. He is able to hold his head high with honor because he knows that he lives his life to the best of his ability, with honor and integrity. His code is ingrained in his spirit and is a part of his being. The warrior is a man who shoots for excellence in everything that he does.

The master warrior is a man of character,
a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

If you notice, the definition of the warrior, that is taken from description of the warrior’s character from throughout the ages, doesn’t require one to be engaged in military duty or law enforcement. Being a soldier or a cop doesn’t automatically make you a warrior any more than knowing how to throw a football makes you John Elway or Joe Montana. I know many cops and military people who I have absolutely no respect for…they are scum, pure and simple. Their job doesn’t change their character. I also know military guys and cops for which I have the utmost respect for. They are warriors in every sense of the word. It is not the job which determines whether or not you are a warrior.

You can be a warrior without being in a profession that requires you to enter into combat, and you can find your butt in the middle of a fire fight and be no more of a warrior than someone who finds themselves caught in a drive by shooting. I know that many of you will disagree on this…opinions differ. But let’s take a look at Webster’s definition of a warrior once more. By the strict definition both Nazis and Islamic terrorists would be classified as warriors. I know that many of you think that they should be. I know this from many of the attacking emails that I receive. I have had many people tell me that they absolutely are warriors, but that is asinine.

The fact that an opinion has been widely held
is no evidence that it is not utterly absurd;
indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind,
a widespread belief is more often likely to be foolish than sensible.
Bertrand Russell

Nazis were not warriors. Sure they were soldiers. They were trained to fight. They may have justified their actions by saying that they fought for their country, etc. But were they really warriors? A warrior puts what is right above all else. He puts what is right above his marching orders. He thinks for himself. If his commander orders him to gas innocent women and children, or to murder defenseless, starving people, does he comply with those orders? If he does comply with those orders, is he so dense that he considers that to be morally right and an honorable act?

To avoid action when justice is at stake
demonstrates a lack of courage.
Gichin Funakoshi

Some have been thought brave,
because they were afraid to run away.
English Proverb

Are Islamic terrorists warriors? Many have argued with me that yes they are…after all, they fight for what they think is right. OH REALLY?!?! They think murdering innocent women and children is right? Well they may think that my stove is not hot, but you won’t see them sitting on the burner for an hour while they watch Bin Laden’s new propaganda speech. Just because someone thinks something is right or wrong, doesn’t change the truth. The truth is the truth irregardless of your perspective. These people also feel it is “right” to kill women if they dress or act in a way that they disagree with; just because they feel it is right, doesn’t make it right.

Truth doesn’t change because it is, or is not,
believed by a majority of the people.
Giordano Bruno

No, Nazis were not warriors. Islamic terrorists are not warriors. Just because they run around with weapons and know how to kill people, and claim they are just, doesn’t make them warriors. Soldiers? Maybe. Murderers? absolutely. Warriors? Not on your life. Anyone can take a gun and kill someone else. That doesn’t make them a warrior. A warrior entails much more than combat and killing. The warrior lifestyle goes much deeper than training. As I have said before, dogs and rooster can be trained to fight, but that doesn’t make them warriors.

The sky is not less blue because the blind man does not see it.
Danish Proverb

Truth will always be truth,
regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.
W. Clement Stone

There is a difference in being a soldier and a warrior. There is a difference in being a fighter and a warrior. There is a difference in being a cop and a warrior. You can be a soldier, a fighter, a cop, a martial artist, a cowboy, a teacher, or anything else that you want to list, without being a warrior. At the same time, you can be a warrior while being any of the above. You make the decision about whether or not you are going to be a warrior and live the warrior lifestyle, not your profession, not your training, and not your bloviating, opinionated friend who thinks that he is the ultimate authority on the subject because of his past experiences.

My friend Kevin is a true warrior, not because he is in Afghanistan fighting, but he is a true warrior who is in Afghanistan fighting. There is a difference. Would Kevin be less of a warrior if he were back at home driving a tractor or teaching in his local high school? Would that all of a sudden change his abilities, his character or his code of honor? A warrior is a warrior, no matter where he is or what he may be doing. That is just who he is. Moreover, a man who is not a warrior is not a warrior, even if he finds himself on the front lines. Things are not as black and white as most people would like to think…

A change in scenery does not change one’s character.
Aesop

We never fully grasp the importance
of any true statement until we have a clear notion
of what the opposite untrue statement would be.
William James

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Becoming Clear

Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear.
Lao Tzu

Stress, worry, anxiety, and fear can cloud your mind. When these emotions are allowed to take control of your mind, it is hard to see things clearly or make good decisions. Your mind can’t focus and will began to become “muddy” if you will. It is hard to think rationally when your mind is bombarded with these emotions. Just as a crystal clear lake can become muddy when the sediment at the bottom is disturbed, your mind will become “muddy” when it is disturbed.

Don’t let trifles disturb your tranquility of mind…
Ignore the inconsequential.
Greenville Kleiser

Quit minds cannot be perplexed or frightened
but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace,
like a clock during a thunderstorm.
Robert Louis Stevenson

So what do you do to clear your mind when it has become cloudy from these emotions? Do the same thing as the lake does to become clear again – nothing. The lake simply waits for the muddy sediment particles to settle back where they belong, and once again the lake becomes crystal clear. You should do the same thing. Quit thinking about the issue at hand. Just put that subject on the shelf for a while. Do something else like meditate, work in the garden, work out, etc.

Don’t let worldly thoughts and anxieties trouble your mind.
Ramakrishna

Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted.
Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.
Margolis

It really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you get your mind off of the problem that is causing these emotions to cloud your thinking. Just get away from it and allow the mud to settle. When you come back, your mind, like the lake, will have cleared up and you will be able to see things differently. Once again, you will be able to think rationally and intelligently, the way the warrior should think.

The mind deludes itself.
In matters of the mind, you must stay on your guard.
Takuan Soho

The key here is to be patient. You can’t make the mud settle back to the bottom of the lake by pushing it back down; it has to settle on it own, at its own pace. Likewise, you can’t force yourself to clear your mind of stressful thoughts, unless you are proficient in meditation techniques and mind control. You have to just get away from those thoughts for a while, and the easiest way to do that is to get your mind on something else.

The secret of patience is to do something else in the meantime.
Spanish Proverb

Your mind can’t hold two different thoughts at the same time. Don’t believe me? Just try it… Think of a picture of a dog while at the same time you think of a picture of an elephant. Were you successful? The same thing goes for negative, stressful thoughts. If you are thinking of something else, they can’t remain in your mind. Sounds simple, but it is true. Next time you find that your mind is clouded by negative thinking, get busy doing something else, even if it is cleaning your house. Hey, if it doesn’t work, at least you will have a clean house, either way you win…

Be master of the mind rather than mastered by the mind.
Zen Maxim

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Thought Control

The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts.
Heraclitus

Many people believe that their thoughts don’t really matter. They think that their thoughts don’t matter as long as they don’t act on their negative thoughts. What they fail to realize though is that everyone’s thoughts contain certain energy patterns. Physicists are now proving that your thoughts actually do have power; they are not just harmless little things that don’t matter.

Thoughts are forces.
Ralph Waldo Trine

Every single thought you have can be assessed in
terms of whether it strengthens or weakens you.
Wayne Dyer

Heraclitus knew this many centuries ago. He tells us that your thoughts have an effect on your soul. He goes on to say, “The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny…it is the light that guides your way.” Your thoughts are much more important to your character development than you may suspect.

Be careful of your thoughts;
they are the beginning of your acts.
Lao Tzu

The whole dignity of man is in thought.
Labor then to think right.
Pascal

Thought precedes action. Many scientists today believe that if you continue to think about something, what you think about will eventually find a way to manifest itself in your life. If this is true, it means that what you think about is extremely important. It has already been proven that your thoughts control your emotions, thus to control your emotions, which every warrior must do, you must control your thoughts. Controlling your thoughts is the ultimate test of your self-discipline. Control your thoughts; control your destiny.

When we direct our thoughts properly,
we can control our emotions.
W. Clement Stone

You should keep your mind pure, for what a person things,
he becomes – this is the eternal mystery.
The Maitri Upanishad

Understand that what you think about expands.
Wayne Dyer

Reprinted from
Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Cycle of Democracy

In proportion as the structure of government
gives force to public opinion, it is essential
that public opinion should be enlightened.
George Washington

About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in 1787, Alexander Tyler; a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:

“A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.”

“The Average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage.”

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Population of counties won by: Gore-127 Million; Bush-143 Million;
Square miles of land won by: Gore-580,000; Bush-2,427,000
State won by: Gore:19; Bush:29
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore-13.2; Bush-2.1

Professor Olson adds: “In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore’s territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare…” The difference in the 2004 was even more in favor of Bush!

Olsen believes the United States is now somewhere between the “complacency and apathy” phase of Professor Tyler’s definition of democracy, with some 40% of the nation’s population already having reached the “governmental dependency” phase.

What brings empires down is the empires themselves. There is a never ending cycle that leads from destruction to rebirth and back again to start the process over. The wisest words of wisdom are: “And this too shall pass.” As in all things, this will pass and we will go back full circle.

None are more hopelessy enslaved
than those who falsely believe they are free.
Goethe

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Decline of the American Empire?

It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once.
David Hume

In 1788 Edward Gibbon wrote about five basic reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire. As I read these five summations, I distinctly saw a correlation between the changes which occurred prior to the decline of the Roman Empire and what is happening in America today. The parallels are amazing and to be honest, more than a little frightening. The five reasons which Gibbon wrote about are listed below and are expanded on in this blog. I am interested in reading your opinions on the correlation between what happened in Rome and what appears to be happening in modern day America. Enjoy!

Five Basic reasons for the Decline of the Roman Empire:

1) The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home.

2) Higher and higher taxes: the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.

3) The mad craze for pleasure, with sports and plays becoming more exciting, more brutal and more immoral.

4) The building of great armaments when the real enemy was within – the decay of individual responsibility.

5) The decay of religion, whose leaders lost their touch with life, and their power to guide the people.

Edward Gibbon
1788 “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”

1) The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home.

The warrior, whether a man or a woman, should be in total control of the home environment, in as much as it is in his power to do so. The warrior should see to it that his children are brought up knowing right from wrong, and having total respect from his children. Undermining this respect undermines the warrior’s ability to pass on the ethics which he knows his family should live by. So, in reality, undermining the warrior’s respect and ability to instruct his children, undermines his ability to pass on his standards, his code of honor to his children. It essentially ties his hands and allows the state to dictate its ethics to his children, instead of the warrior’s ethics.

The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.
Edmond Burke

When the government’s ethics replace the warrior’s ethics in the home, the sanctity of the home has been breached and the family unit is in danger of falling apart. You lose the closeness of the family. You lose the respect for the father or mother that is in charge of the family. Children start to believe that their parents are unreasonable when what they say is opposed to what they are being told by the schools and the government officials. The government falsely believes that the undermining of the sanctity of the home gives them more control over people, but in reality it weakens the country because it weakens the moral character of the citizens.

In regards to your son’s behavior, it is wrong for a parent to scold a child for misdeeds if the parent has not corrected his own mind. You must first of all conduct yourself properly. Then, if you admonish your son, his behavior will improve naturally and your younger son will be sure to learn from his brother’s example and improve his behavior as well. It is truly auspicious when father and sons become virtuous together.
Takuan Soho

You don’t think that this is going on in our country? Have you checked out the television lately? The husband/father is no longer portrayed at the wise man who can teach the children wisdom and take care of problems. There is no more Andy Griffith or Ward Cleaver. On the contrary, the husband/father is more often presented as the dumb buffoon, nothing more than another child for the wife to keep in line and take care of. He is no longer the wise warrior, but the wimp, and a wimp of low moral character and a low IQ. Ever wonder why this image has changed in our entertainment? Has it changed in our families as well?

Father’s must strive with their whole being, with all their heart diligence and wisdom, to make their children honest and high-principled…it is mainly up to the father to make the children honest, virtuous, and honorable.
Leon Battista Alberti

2) Higher and higher taxes: the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.

Well, this one definitely hits home in our country today. The government not only wants to take more and more of your money through taxes, but it also completely misuses the tax revenue which it takes out of your pockets. Don’t believe me…just do a little research on some of the things which your tax money is spent on. I won’t even get into the debate over whether the billions and billions of dollars we are spending in Iraq is right or wrong, or whether it is making any of us safer here at home. That is a debate that I will leave to another blog. We can completely leave Iraq out of this equation and still find billions and billions of dollars which have been misappropriated.

Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out
the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them.
Frederick Douglas

If you do a little research on how your tax money is spent, you will find it is almost comical, except for the fact that it is so pathetic. It is all a game to our politicians. They aren’t looking out for you or your children. Our politicians have their own little agendas and your tax money is the vehicle that they use to achieve their agendas. Free bread and entertainment for the populace…you bet, just long as the populace votes to keep them in their cushy job. Not enough tax revenue to fulfill their agenda…no problem, they will just put it on the governments “credit card.” Who cares…let our grandkids worry about the bills when they grow up. Wow, talk about irresponsible behavior.

The superior man asks nothing from any but himself.
Confucius

We have billions of dollars of repairs in old infrastructure that is waiting to be done. Bridges need to be replaced. Sewers and water pipes under our cities need to be replaced. Our borders need to be secured. Yet our politicians squander our money like it is an endless supply of candy. The day will come when these careless actions will come back to bite us. There are always consequences. We should hold the politicians responsible, but we are all too busy living our own life, and so these men of low character get a free pass to do as they will. How long will we let them slide? How long before it is too late to correct the problem?

The power to tax involves the power to destroy.
John Marshall

The greatest fruit of self-sufficiency is freedom.
Epicurus

3) The mad craze for pleasure, with sports and plays becoming more exciting, more brutal and more immoral.

We haven’t gone to the extent that the Romans did…yet, but we seem to be headed in that direction. Our sporting events have become much more brutal. Our movies have become more and more graphic and bloody. It seems that it is taking much more to excite and shock our population. Things which would have appalled citizens 40 or 50 years ago now come directly into our homes on a daily basis. We have become numb and desensitized to much of the brutality and blood and guts that we see in our entertainment.

Pleasures are temporary but virtues immortal.
Periander

I remember the first time my wife and I watched Braveheart in the theater. She got nauseous during some of the battle scenes. The second time that we watched the movie, the blood and guts didn’t affect her at all. It didn’t take much to desensitize her concerning the gore contained in that movie. The same thing happens to us when we watch other forms of entertainment. The first few times it may be shocking, but after that it becomes the “same old, same old.” When that happens, expect those in the entertainment world to push the envelope just a little further in an attempt to once again shock and excite you.

Immorality in the house is like a worm in the vegetables.
The Talmud

How many more years before we decide that we are tired of convicts living on our tax dollars and they should maybe earn their food and shelter? Hey, I know, they could entertain us…gladiators anyone? Movies have already been made about this possibility. The Romans used criminals for entertainment both as gladiators and as simple sadistic entertainment. They had no empathy for criminals at all and didn’t think that there was anything wrong with watching criminals tortured to death for entertainment…after all, they were criminals, who cares…

Trickling water, if not stopped, will become a mighty river.
Confucius

Your descendants shall gather your fruits.
Virgil

4) The building of great armaments when the real enemy was within – the decay of individual responsibility.

We have built up our military to be the ultimate military machine in the world. (This statement could have been spoken by many of the Roman Emperors.) The United States military has the power to totally destroy any enemy that comes against it, but does that mean that we are really safe in this country? Even though our military has become stronger, our country and our patriotism have become weaker. We are not only divided between red and blue states, and red and blue voters, but also on racial lines, religious lines, sexual lines, just to name a few of the issues which people seem to be so interested in today.

One’s own faults are one’s mortal enemies.
It follows that to guard against them is life’s gravest concern.
Tiruvalluvar

Everybody seems interested in their own little group’s agenda, but not many of them appear to be too interested in taking care of their individual responsibility. Political correctness has replaced common sense and rational thought. We have to be sure not to offend any one person; even if 20,000 other people pay for that one person’s feelings. Since when did it become a crime to offend someone? If it offends you that someone says or does something that you don’t believe in, GET OVER IT! Our country guarantees you the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; it doesn’t guarantee that you will never be offended.

They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin

If you are offended that someone wears a cross on a necklace to school…GET OVER IT! If you are offended that someone wears a pentagram on a necklace to school…GET OVER IT! If you are offended that our currency says “In God We Trust”…GET OVER IT! If you want to believe in God, believe in God. If you want to believe that when you die you are nothing more than worm food, believe it. But whatever you believe, quit being offended at every little thing that someone else does or believes. Take care of your own individual responsibilities and let other people worry about their own actions. You choose whether or not to be offended…choose not to be.

Highly evolved people have their own conscience as pure law.
Lao Tzu

Our country seems to be like an alcoholic bodybuilder…outside he looks buff and can kick your ass, but inside he is rotting away and if he doesn’t change, he will not stay strong very much longer. Our true enemy is within. It is our divisiveness. It is our own population who refuses to allow each person to be responsible for their own actions. Yes, we have some real enemies in this world, but if we, as a country were united, no enemy could stand against us. There are too many agendas. There are too many worms in the apple. A house divided cannot stand…

Thatch your roof before rainy weather; dig your well before you are thirsty.
Chinese Proverb

Keep a watchful eye over yourself as if you were your own enemy.
Kahlil Gibran

5) The decay of religion, whose leaders lost their touch with life, and their power to guide the people.

Wow, should I even touch this one? I have probably rubbed half of my readers the wrong way already…I think that this one is pretty obvious in our country. Each year we see another scandal where this preacher or that preacher has done one thing or another that has gone against what he preaches. Just last year here in Colorado, a well-know preacher who constantly slammed gay people and the gay lifestyle, was found to have had several gay affairs. Talk about hypocrisy! If you are going to preach something, then you should live by it yourself. Don’t be a hypocrite. Hypocrisy has rendered religion’s power to guide the people impotent. Who wants to listen to someone who doesn’t live by the same rules that they command you to live by?

Many have quarreled about religion that never practiced it.
Benjamin Franklin

I don’t think that it was a decay of religion that brought Rome down, but rather decay in individual morality and integrity. I see the same things today; people go to church every week, in fact, the churches appear to be full, but how many of the people in those churches practice what they preach? How many take their personal code of honor seriously? I can answer that for you…not many. Whoa, we are back to individual responsibility. Get that pile of manure off of your own porch before you complain about the dust on your neighbor’s table…

One must make a distinction between what God himself said
and what the clergy has said in His name.
Claude Henri de Touvroy

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

The warrior has to keep a calm mind in everyday life and in emergencies. Thinking rational is vital to the warrior. Others may panic over the situation; they may point the finger at you, but nonetheless, you have to keep your mind calm. Be a rock in the midst of the storm. Don’t allow some else’s panic to become yours; just continue to stay the course and meet each obstacle with a calm and rational mind.

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;

As a warrior, you have to spend time meditating on your sense of right and wrong, and your code of honor. You don’t do this in order to feel superior to others, although living life by these standards will make you superior, or as Confucius said, “A superior man.” The reason that you need to meditate on your standards of honor and integrity is to develop this trust in your sense of right and wrong. You have to know why you live according to your code. You have to develop trust in your sense of right and wrong.

At the same time though, you have to be able to understand that the majority of people do not live life this way. They do not spend time meditating on how they should live their life, or what determines what is right or what is wrong. Don’t expect others to understand you, but you should be wise enough to understand others. They will doubt you and your way of life, that’s ok; just don’t doubt yourself. Demand honor and integrity from yourself, but don’t demand it from those who do not understand the concepts.

Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

People will lie about you and they will hate you for standing up for your principles and not being willing to bend where your integrity is concerned. This is not your concern. Your job is to do what you know is right. You are responsible for YOUR actions, not the actions of other people. If they lie, it doesn’t give you the green light to lie. If they hate, it doesn’t give you the ok to hate them back. You do what you know you should and let them be responsible for their own actions.

Although you understand this, it is important not to make a show of your understand. You don’t want to go around acting like you are better than others or wiser than others, even though you may be. Just simply understand that your job is too concentrate on living your life the best that you can, not to correct the faults of others. If they ask for your advice, give it. If they don’t ask for your advice, keep it to yourself. Nobody likes someone who makes them feel inferior.

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;

It is ok to dream and have goals, but at the same time you have to actually live your life in the present moment, not just dream for the future and sit around and wait for things to be perfect before you start to live. You should have dreams and goals. You should spend time in thought and meditation…but at the same time, you can’t only do these things. You must live life to the fullest, rather than live in a fantasy world constructed in your mind.

If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

Good things will happen. Bad things will happen. This is life. Just live life and understand that you will have ups and downs, and neither will be the “be all, end all” in your life. They are just part of life. You should enjoy your triumphs and you must endure the disasters which will most likely cross your path. These are just part of life. Live your life to the fullest. Don’t get too high or too low, but rather just deal with each and every event in your life the best that you can.

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools;

People will take your words and twist them around to make you look bad or simply to start controversy. And yes, fools will believe what they say. They will look at only one side of the coin because they aren’t wise enough to look beyond what is presented to them as truth. People will attack and try to destroy the things which you stand for; men of honor are frequently attacked for their beliefs. Just expect it and learn to deal with it. That is the way it is. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you continue to walk the path of the warrior.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;

Don’t put too much importance on material things. Material things come and go; they aren’t permanent. The sages tell us that your good name, your character, and your honor are permanent, but not things such as your wealth, your health, or your looks. Therefore you should be more concerned about things which are lasting, as opposed to things which are fleeting. Make sure that you have your priorities straight. Know what is really important and what is not.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

What forces you to continue when you have nothing left? What is it in a man that will give him the strength to continue to fight even when his body can no longer function? It is his warrior spirit or as Kipling says, “The Will.” No matter what is going on in your life, don’t quit. Don’t give up. Things change and they will change when you least expect them too. You don’t want to find that you have quit on minutes before your victory. Be stubborn and make your warrior spirit your courage.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;

Do not let the actions of others affect you. Be yourself. Live according to your standards, whether you find yourself in the company of scumbags or the President. The warrior shouldn’t live one way around high class people and one way around low class people. He is not a chameleon. He should have enough confidence in his way of life to walk by his code in whatever company he finds himself in.

Don’t lower your standards just to suit those who live by lower standards, and don’t think so highly of yourself that you can’t carry on a civil conversation with those who obviously do not understand the way of the warrior. The warrior shouldn’t put his honor and a shelf when it is inconvenient or put it on for show simply to impress someone else. Don’t appear to be a man of honor; be a man of honor.

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;

Understand that people will do and say hurtful things and that there are a multitude of reasons and factors behind their actions. Try not to take their actions personally. Most of the time their actions have nothing to do with you, they are just venting and they don’t really mean what they say or do. Remember, not everyone lives by the same high standards that you live by. Don’t let the actions of other affect you.

Yes, I know this is a tall order, but you will find more peace if you are able to let others’ word and actions roll off your back like water off a duck. Don’t put too much faith in anyone else. You should treat everyone with respect, but don’t expect the same in return. Again, you take care of your actions and your words, and don’t expect perfect from others.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run -

Live in the NOW. Don’t waste your time. You only live once in this life and you should live it to the fullest. Don’t allow fear, laziness, self-consciousness, worry, etc. to interfere with you living your life the way that you truly want to live it. As Kipling said, the minute is unforgiving. If you don’t use it, you lose it. There is no second chance.

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

And a true man is a true warrior. Enough said…

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Wisdom of the North:
The Havamal

The majority of people today have never heard of the Havamal. I have spent many, many hours researching wisdom from different parts of the world only to find that, for the most part, wisdom is wisdom, whether it comes from Lao Tzu and his writings or whether it comes from Native American teachings. True wisdom is universal for the human race. This point brings me to a little book (poem) call the Havamal.

The Havamal is a Viking poem, but we could call it a little book of wisdom. The Havamal, written in AD 700-900, is one of the most popular of the Eddaic poems. The Eddas held the same value to the Vikings as the Vedas did/do to the Indian culture. You could say that the Havamal is a mixture of Latin proverbs and heathen wisdom. Too many people today are under the impression that they can only get true wisdom from their own culture or their own religion, and they miss out on the fact that there is universal wisdom that applies to all humans across the board.

Also called, the Wisdom of the North, the Havamal gives us insight into the pagan world of the Vikings. Some of the sayings are a bit hard to grasp for people today and some of the sayings go straight to the heart of the matter. I have tried to include only ones which are straightforward in this post.

Why have I decided to write about the Havamal in my blog which is mainly concerned with warrior values? The answer is simple, the Vikings were warriors and the ethics of the Havamal are above all rooted in the belief of the value of the individual. They believed that each individual was responsible for his own life, shaped his own fortune, and created the life that he wanted to live.

So, for all of my pagan readers, which I know that I have many, and all of my other readers who are open to true wisdom, no matter what the source, lean back in your comfy desk chair, couch, or bed, and enjoy the ancient wisdom of the Vikings…

1) A sage visitor is a silent guest. The cautious evades evil. Never a friend more faithful, nor great wealth, than wisdom.

2) The cautious guest who comes to the table speaks sparingly. Listen with ears, learns with eyes. Such is the seeker of knowledge.

3) It is dire luck to be dependent on the feelings of a fellow man.

4) Advice given by others is often ill counsel.

5) A clear head is good company. Drink is a dangerous friend.

6) At a feast the fool chatters or he stares and stammers. Just as soon as his jug is full, ale unveils his mind.

7) A man should drink in moderation…be sensible or silent.

8 ) A man of lean wisdom will never learn what his stomach can store.

9) He is unhappy and ill-tempered who meets all with mockery.

10) The unwise man is awake all night…worries over and again. When morning rises he is restless still, his burden as before.

11) The unwise man imagines a smiling face, a friend. Surprised to find how little support he musters at a meeting.

12) Often it’s best for the unwise man to sit in silence. His ignorance goes unnoticed unless he tells too much.

13) Much nonsense a man utters who talks without tiring.

14) They pass for wise who pass unnoticed.

15) Go you must. No guest shall stay in one place for ever. Love will be lost if you sit too long at a friends’s fire.

16) Never walk away from home ahead of your axe and sword. You can’t feel a battle in your bones or foresee a fight.

17) Be your friend’s true friend. Return gift for gift.

18) Beware of befriending an enemy’s friend.

19) A true friend whom you trust well and wish for his good will: Go to him often, exchange gifts and keep him company.

20) The brave and the generous have the best lives. They’re seldom sorry. The unwise man is always worried.

21) The best of lives is led by those who know the measure of many things.

22) A man listens thus he learns.

23) Wake early if you want another man’s life or land. No lamb for the lazy wolf. No battle’s won in bed.

24) One may know your secret, never a second. If three, a thousand will know.

25) A prudent man wields his power in modest measure.

26) Money often makes an ape of many a good man.

27) To give and take is a guarentee of lasting love.

28) Better a humble house than none. A man is master at home.

29) He is truly wise who’s traveled far and knows the ways of the world. He who has travelled can tell what spirit governs the men he meets.

30) Cattle die, kinsmen die, all men are mortal. Words of praise will never perish nor a noble name.

Cattle die, kinsmen die, all men die at some point and time,
but a noble name built on character and honor is eternal.
Live with honor my warrior friends…

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Inferior Man
(aka the Fool)

I write a lot about the characteristics of the warrior and how the true warrior should think and act. There are specific traits that are common to the warrior. These traits are found in most warrior societies throughout the ages and are based on character, honor, integrity, filial duty, courage, self-discipline, and service to others. Although I realize that not everyone agrees with me concerning what makes one a warrior, I think that we can all pretty much agree that these traits are beneficial for people as a whole.

Just as there are specific traits that are found in the true warrior or the “true” human being, there are specific traits which are found in the antithesis of the warrior. In this case, I will simply call the antithesis of the warrior “the fool.” I think that even if we disagree as to what makes someone a true warrior, we can agree that the fool is pretty much the opposite of what we would look for in the warrior.

Sages in every era have discussed the characteristics of the fool. Different teachers have had different terms to refer to this less than noble creature, but throughout the ages, their descriptions of the fool have had a lot of commonalities. So instead of discussing more of the principles and characteristics of the true warrior, I thought it might be interesting to look at the subject from the other side of the coin, that of the fool. So, what are the characteristics of the fool? I’m so glad you asked…

The wise pursue understanding;
fools follow the reports of others.
Tibetan Proverb

Fools rejoice at promises.
Russian Proverb

A fool believes everything.
English Proverb

One wise man can feed a thousand fools;
one fool can scarcely feed himself.
Chinese Proverb

A fool will soon use up his money.
Japanese Proverb

Prejudice is the reason of fools.
Voltaire

Fools die fore the lack of judgment.
Proverbs

A fool spurns his father’s discipline.
Proverbs

A fool is busy in everyone’s business but his own.
English Proverb

A wise man changes his mind; a fool, never.
Spanish Proverb

It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others
and to forget his own.
Cicero

A fool is pleased by beauty alone.
Russian Proverb

A fool becomes full of evil even if one gathers it little by little.
The Dhammapada

Pride, the never-failing vice of fools.
Alexander Pope

Haste is the passion of fools.
Baltasar Gracian

The burnt fool’s bandaged finger goes wobbling back to the fire.
Rudyard Kipling

A fool, indeed, has great need of a title; it teaches men to call him count or duke,
and thus forget his proper name of fool.
John Crowne

A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
William Blake

The inferior man is proud but not dignified.
Confucius

The first chapter of fools is to esteem themselves wise.
English Proverb

Learned fools are the greatest fools.
German Proverb

Every fool stands convinced; and everyone convinced is a fool;
and the faultier a man’s judgment, the firmer his convictions.
Baltasar Gracian

Wise men don’t need advice. Fools don’t take advice.
Benjamin Franklin

Counsel given to fools excites but does not pacify.
He who pours milk for a snake is only increasing its venom.
Nagarjuna

What is respected by the great is condemned by the lowly.
Sakya Pandit

The man who quarrels with facts is a fool.
Frank Garbutt

Most fools think they are only ignorant.
Benjamin Franklin

The foolish person seeks happiness in the distance.
James Oppenheim

To be like the parakeet, that says what he knows
but doesn’t know what he says.
Spanish Proverb

At a feast the fool chatters or he stares and stammers.
Just as soon as his jug is full, ale unveils his mind.
The Havamal

A fool is hotheaded and reckless.
Proverbs

To generalize is to be an idiot.
William Blake

Shallow men believe in luck.
Emerson

A fool has not enough in him to make a good man.
La Rochefoucauld

Hypocrisy, arrogance, vanity, anger, harshness, ignorance;
these characterize a man with foolish traits.
The Bhagavad Gita

Outside noisy, inside empty.
Chinese Proverb

Wise men talk because they have something to say;
Fools because they have to say something.
Plato

The smaller the mind the greater the conceit.
Aesop

Every fool wants to give advice.
Italian Proverb

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
but delights in airing his own opinions.
Proverbs

A fool exposes his folly.
Proverbs

Change of weather is the discourse of fools.
Thomas Fuller

A wise man doesn’t know everything – only a fool does.
African Proverb

Fools regard themselves as already awake.
Chuang Tzu

The superior man stands in awe of the words of the sages.
The inferior man does not stand in awe of them;
He is disrespectful to important people;
He mocks the words of the sages.
Confucius

A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back.
Proverbs

Sweet words please fools.
Japanese Proverb

What is the purpose of all these quotes? Since the fool is the antithesis of the warrior, do the opposite of what the fool does. You don’t want to be like the fool, so when you see that something is a characteristic of the fool, work to remove that trait from your life. There are always consequences for every action. Dr. Frank Crane said it perfectly in the paragraph below:

“Every generation a new crop of fools comes on. They think they can beat the orderly universe. They conceive themselves to be more clever than the eternal laws. They snatch goods from Nature’s store, and run…And one by one they all come back to Nature’s counter, and pay – pay in tears, in agony, in despair; pay as fools before them have paid…Nature keeps books pitilessly. Your credit with her is good, but she collects; there is no land you can flee to and escape her bailiffs…She never forgets; she sees to it that you pay her every cent you owe, with interest.”

Fools have been and always will be the majority of mankind.
Denis Diderot

There is always a majority of fools.
Heraclitus

This is why the true warrior is such a rare man -
always has been…always will be

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Character Check

But here we may wonder what he would do
if nobody knew anything about it.
The Code of the Samurai

What would you do if you knew that there was absolutely no possibility that anyone else would ever find out about your actions? According to the Code of the Samurai this is a question that every warrior should ask himself. Would this fact change the way that you think about things or would you continue to live by the standards that you have set for yourself? This question is the true test of your character.

Circumstances reveal us to others and still more to ourselves.
La Rochefoucauld

A change in scenery does not change one’s character.
Aesop

Be as you wish to seem.
Socrates

The real warrior would live the same way and adhere to the same high standards whether anybody else knew about his actions or not. Even if all laws were abolished and we had a world of complete anarchy, his standards would not change. To men of character, their standards are not flexible. Their honor is not negotiable. Whether they are alone or in the middle of thousands of people, their character is set in stone.

Wise people, even though all laws were abolished, would still lead the same life.
Aristophanes

To the samurai, this question was an insinuation of hypocrisy. If a man is sincere about his beliefs and his code of ethics, he doesn’t just live by them on some occasions, but at other times he completely ignores them. He lives the life of the warrior seven day a week, regardless of who is watching or who is not watching. He doesn’t do the right thing in order to impress others, but to live up to his code of ethics.

What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
Emerson

Many people appear to have upstanding moral character, when in reality, they are only looking out for their own good. Most people don’t go around robbing banks, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are upstanding people. Are they not robbing banks because it is wrong, or are they not robbing banks because they fear the consequences of being caught and put in prison? The result is the same; they don’t rob banks, but the principle behind the action is as different as night and day.

It is not enough to make something look good.
The underlying principle must be good.
Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Virtue is more clearly shown in the performance of fine actions
than in the nonperformance of base ones.
Aristotle

Would these same people choose to rob the bank if there were no law? Would they steal from others if they knew no one would ever know about it? This is the same principle as we find in the story about the millionaire who propositioned a lady at a party. The millionaire asked the lady, “Would you sleep with me for 1 million dollars?” The lady smiled and said, “That’s a lot of money…of course I would!” Then the millionaire said, “Would you sleep with me for $20?” The lady became offended and said, “What do you think I am, a whore or something?” The millionaire said, “We have already established that my dear. Now we are only haggling over price.”

Few men have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder.
George Washington

Keep a check on your character. Ask yourself, “What would I do if nobody else knew about it?” Be honest… What would you do if you knew that you absolutely could not get in any trouble for your actions or that there would be no consequences for your actions whatsoever? When you have truly figured out the answer to this question, you will have discovered the extent of your character.

Virtue is a state of character concerned with choice.
Aristotle

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Roll With the Changes

Many people have problems rolling with the changes. They don’t seem to like change, especially to their preconceived ideas of how things should be. They map out their event, their trip, or their life and then they try to stick to their plan no matter what. To them, stubbornness and follow-through is a badge of honor. And sometimes this is true, but not all the time.

The warrior shouldn’t be stubborn, at least not in some areas of his life. When you see conditions have changed, you should change your strategy. Too many people believe that it is their duty to continue on a path once they have started down that path. This is wrong thinking. It is not wrong to discard your plans once things have changed. You have to constantly change your strategy to fit the constantly changing environment.

When facing impossible conditions,
sometimes it is in your best interest to retreat.
The I Ching

Parents teach kids that if they start a new sport or hobby, they have to follow through to the end, no matter what. If they find that they don’t enjoy it or in fact hate it, people seem to think that it is their duty to make them continue to the end, in order to teach them not to be quitters. Kids should be taught not to be quitters, but they should also be taught to re-evaluate their goals when things are not working for them. It is one thing to quit something because you don’t think that you can do it or because of fear of failing; it is quite another to quit because you found that it no longer fits your interest or your objectives.

Any experience can be transformed into something of value.
Vash Young

The same thing is true for warriors. Don’t feel you have to fight to the end once you have engaged in a conflict. Sometimes it is in your best interest to retreat and re-evaluate the situation. Always think rationally, not emotionally. Don’t continue to fight an impossible battle because of what others may or may not think. Change strategies when they need to be changed. Remember your goal in a physical conflict is to protect your life first and defeat the enemy second, not to “not be a quitter.” Do what it takes to achieve your ultimate objective.

The first law of war is to preserve ourselves and destroy the enemy.
Mao Tse-Tung

I have heard many people make statements like, “Well he may kill me, but he will know he has been in a fight.” SO WHAT?? What does it matter if you give your enemy a couple of bumps and bruises if you are dead? That is not rational thinking; that is emotional testosterone. The warrior has to think rationally. Don’t make decisions based on your emotions or what someone else who is watching may think of your actions.

Our actions are like rhymes:
anyone can fit them in to mean what he likes.
La Rochefoucauld

Who is going to be there to protect your family and friends if you end up dead because you are too proud to re-evaluate the situation? The fool rushes in because of pride; the wise man evaluates each situation according to his objectives. Think rationally, not emotionally.

Be careful of your thoughts; they are the beginning of your acts.
Lao Tzu

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Prejudice – A Warrior’s Duty

There is very little difference between one man and another;
But what little difference there is, is very important.
This distinction seems to me to go to the root of the matter.
William James

Prejudice means an opinion which is formed beforehand given certain information. This is usually an unfavorable opinion. Most people, when they hear the word prejudice, think of the other definitions of prejudice, which is holding an ill-informed opinion or having an irrational dislike of somebody based on religion, ethnicity, nationality, etc. The word is also frequently used as a synonym for the word racist. As used in this blog post, prejudice means an opinion formed beforehand based on rational information.

Forming opinions from the information that you know to be correct is a must for the warrior. You have to be able to read people and to discertain certain traits about someone’s character. This is part of the warrior’s duty. It is part of protecting your friends, family, and those around you. Warriors have to be aware of people’s characters in order to avoid trouble or to be prepared for trouble in advance.

The superior man will prudently pick the community he will live within,
and will choose the proper people to associate with.
Confucius

At one school that I taught in, I had a student who went to the principal and accused me of being prejudice. The principal called me in and “look into the situation.” He explained that this student had accused me of being prejudiced and he had to “take any such claim seriously.” After he got tired of hearing his own remarkable lack of intelligence on the subject, he went on to ask me what I had to say about it.

His jaw nearly hit the floor when I told him that “yeah, I am prejudiced.” The assistant principal, a man with a little more intelligence than our inept principal, was also in the room. He quickly jumped to my defense, thinking that I had just sealed my fate. He said, “Your not prejudiced Bohdi, you have done more than anyone else to help our Hispanic students!” In response, I said that I said I am prejudiced, not racist…there is a difference, at least by the definition that I am using for this discussion.

Confused, they asked me to explain. I went on to tell them that, yes, I am in fact prejudiced. I am prejudiced against gang members and drug dealers. I am prejudiced against rapists and murderers. I am prejudiced against child molesters and men who abuse their wives and kids. And yes, I am prejudiced against Juan, at least as long as he is dealing drugs and threatening my other students. I went on to say that my prejudice against this student’s actions has never affected his grades or schoolwork. I never heard another word about that incident from the principal, although when I left that school, the assistant principal wrote in his recommendation that I was the best teacher that they had in the school.

The point is that everyone is prejudice or at least you should be. The wise person will always want to form some opinion about certain other people before you allow them in your house or around your loved-ones. Don’t believe you are prejudiced? Okay, would you invited Charles Manson over to your house for dinner and give him a bed for the night? No?? Why not? You might answer because he is a psychotic killer and that would be stupid, and you would be right. But you have just shown me that you are prejudiced against psychotic killers. Everyone has some prejudice, in one form or another. Just make sure yours is just.

By nature, men are nearly alike;
By practice, they get to be wide apart.
Confucius

You see, being prejudiced is not necessarily a bad thing. I am prejudiced against people of low character. I prefer not to associate with them. Drug dealers, pimps, gang members, criminals, and the like are not people that I care to associate with. Yes, this is being prejudiced, but my opinion is formed from information gathered from these people’s lifestyle and their actions…and it is a just and accurate judgment. Not only is my opinion just, but it is necessary to keep my family safe.

All men who live are alike at birth.
Diverse actions define their distinction and distinctiveness.
Tiruvalluvar

You should be selective about who you associate with on your journey. Associate with people of quality. This may sound elitist or snobby, but the fact is that the people whom you associate with play a huge part in your development in becoming the person you want to become. Also note that just because a person is someone who you don’t want to associate with, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t treat them with respect and manners. Be civil, be nice, be respectful, but also see someone’s character as it really is.

He who is wise never consorts with fools.
Baltasar Gracian

Ever associate with the good.
Associate not with the wicked man.
The Talmud

When I explained this philosophy to a friend of mine, she said, “Oh Bohdi, you’re not prejudiced, you’re just idiot intolerant.” LOL Well, I guess it is kind of the same thing. The bottom line here is that NOBODY should be judged according to the color of his skin or the origin of his birth, but by his character. Always look at a person’s character and form your opinions from that. The main way to discern someone’s character is by their actions. An apple tree does not produce cherries, and a man of character will not participate in dishonorable actions.

Behavior is the perpetual revealing of us.
What a man does, tells us what he is.
F.D. Huntington

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Higher Law

Highly evolved people have their own conscience as pure law.
Lao Tzu

We have a lot of laws that we are supposed to adhere to in today’s society. Our “lawmakers” seem to think that it is their job to make more laws for us to follow each year. After all, if they aren’t making new laws, debating over them and voting on them, how would they justify their salaries which the tax payers pay them or the raises which they so generously give themselves? They have to do something to justify putting their hands in the till. But what gives these people the right to make our laws?

Okay, sure we give them the right by voting them into office, that’s a given. But let’s look a little deeper at this issue. Are these people wiser or more honorable? Are they more knowledgeable about what is good for you and me than we are ourselves? Is it that they have more integrity and therefore they know how we should all live our lives? Well, speaking as someone who has worked in one of our “esteemed” legislative bodies, I can tell you without any doubt, the answer to all of these questions is a resounding NO!

Government has no rights; it is a delegation
from several individuals for the purpose of securing their own.
Percy Bysshe Shelley

Power must never be trusted without a check.
John Adams

These people are not wiser or more intelligent. They are certainly not men of true honor, at least the majority of them aren’t. They definitely do not have the integrity of a warrior. I have rubbed elbows with governors, senators, representatives and the like, and I have been privileged to see first hand what happens behind the scenes when the sessions are out and the reporters are gone. These are not men of honor…far from it. So why then do we feel that the limits which these men give us are close to sacred? Wow, they passed another “law” and we must obey the law…no matter how asinine the law may be.

The laws keep up their credit, not by being just, but because they are laws;
’tis the mystic foundation of their authority…
They are often made by fools;
still oftener by men who, out of hatred to equality, fail in equity;
but always by men, vain and irresolute authors.
Montaigne

The more corrupt the State the more numerous the laws.
Tacitus

These “laws” are not sacred, people. They are made by men with questionable honor and integrity. Many times they are made with hidden agendas which you and I will never be privy to. I happen to set in on several “meetings” between a railroad lobby and state representatives in which secret deals were made under the table. Money changed hands, all by “legal” means of course, in exchange for specific votes on specific laws. Were these laws for the good of the people? What do you think…

Government is an association of men
who do violence to the rest of us.
Tolstoy

You are probably thinking about now, what does any of this have to do with the warrior lifestyle? Well, I’m glad you asked. As a warrior, you have to consider what is right in all your actions. Legal does not necessarily equal right, and illegal does not necessarily equal wrong. There may be times when the warrior has to decide between what is right and what is legal. Yes, sometimes the warrior has to do things which may be against the law. Conversely, there are many things which are considered legal according to our laws, which the warrior will consider dishonorable according to the code he lives by.

Government is essentially immoral.
Herbert Spencer

This may sound strange to many of you, but it is reality for the warrior. An example that many people can relate to would be the issue of abortion. (Please don’t turn this blog into a debate over abortion, this is just an example.) Abortion is legal in this country, but there are millions of Christians in our country who would not consider abortion an ethical option for themselves. It goes against their principles. In the same way, there are many things which are legal which go against the principles which the warrior lives by.

Never do anything against conscience
even if the state demands it.
Einstein

Moreover, the warrior must do things which are illegal at times in order to hold fast to his integrity and honor. For example, did you know that it is illegal in Colorado to give aid to a runaway? I once had a student who ran away from home because she was being sexually abused. She called me, as her teacher, in the middle of the night, cold and hungry, and asked for help. I helped her and gave her food and shelter, even though it was against the law. Having worked with the local social service office, I knew better than to call them right away, I had to think about what was best for this student.

Later, it was discovered that I gave her food and shelter for a couple of days until I decided what I should have her do. Social services, the local police, her parents, and the school administration all turned on me like a pack of wolves. They wanted me jailed. Charges mysteriously went away though when I contacted her well known parents and told them I knew what was happening in the home. Hummmmm imagine that…a discretionary law dropped because of an inconvenient truth. These “sacred” laws are very flexible for the right people, as we see over and over in our country.

Don’t oppose forces, use them.
R. Buckminster Fuller

There are many examples where the code of the warrior and the law of the land do not mesh. What is important to the warrior is not necessarily these “laws” but rather the issue of right and wrong. The warrior lives by his own code of ethics. He determines what is permissible and not permissible for himself. This code of honor is the highest law of the land for the warrior. He must live by his code of honor regardless of what the politicians say. At the same time, the warrior must be careful when the time comes that he has to break the law…self defense includes all areas, even defense against prosecution.

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
Voltaire

The warrior sets his own laws. Now, I am not saying that we should totally disregard our laws and do whatever we wish, although if everyone lived the warrior lifestyle, laws would not be needed. But as we all know, very few people live the lifestyle of the warrior and therefore we have to have laws for people who refuse to govern themselves. Why is the warrior different? Because the warrior holds himself to a higher standard than anyone else could possibly expect from him.

Wise people, even though all laws were abolished,
would still lead the same life.
Aristophanes

The superior man is governed by decorum;
The inferior man is ruled by law.
Chinese Proverb

The warrior doesn’t need laws to keep him in line. His own sense of right and wrong, and his sense of honor and integrity keep a tighter reign on his actions than any outside law. Even if there were no laws at all, the warrior would still do the right thing. Yes, the warrior still obeys the laws of the land…until they go crosswise to the laws of his spirit. Then his code of honor trumps the law of the land. His code of honor is the “higher law.” Be your own law; be a man of character, honor and integrity. Live by the Higher Law.

Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.
Emerson

The just man is himself his own law.
Catacombs Inscription

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Highlander Wisdom

One of my all time favorite television shows is Highlander…There is a lot to be learned from good, well written fantasy. We better hope so anyway, because unfortunately most of the younger generation are learning their values from movies and television.

Although not perfect, Highlander does offer many of truisms concerning honor and integrity. They are there if you look for them. Fortunately for my readers, I did look for them. Here are twenty quotes from Highlander that you should ponder…enjoy!!

* If you go hunting tigers be sure you are prepared to find one.

* The most important lesson:
Anger doesn’t give you an edge, it blunts you.
Make your adversary angry.
The madder he gets, the more chances
you have he will make a mistake.

* Don’t let your opponent see all your skills.

* Sometimes life doesn’t give you a choice.

* Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it.

* Believing and proving are two different things.

* Focus conquers a superior adversary.

* A man has to do what a man has to do.

* The age old rule…divide and conquer.

* Sometimes, when you believe in something that can’t be proved now…
it doesn’t mean it will never be proved.

* Knowing what you don’t know is almost
as important as knowing what you do know.

* The truth doesn’t always jump up into your arms.
Sometimes you have to sneak up and ambush it.

* The main difference between a wise man and a fool
is that the fool’s mistakes never teach him anything.

* Some things will never change…some will.

* The truth is the truth, no matter what you think about it.

* Time does not weaken a vow.

* Fear – it can take your soul…your heart.

* There are critical moments in everybody’s life -
when it can go one way or another.
Who you are can depend on who you meet.

* If you don’t like what you are, you can change it.

* A man of honor lives with what he does.

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

The Tao of Anger

A Zen student came to the master and complained, “Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?”
“You have something that is very strange,” said the master. “Let me see this thing that you have.”
“I cannot show it to you just now,” said the student.
“Then when can you show it to me?” asked the master
“It arises unexpectedly,” replied the student.
“Then it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. It is something you are not born with. It is not you.” the master replied.

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

True Friendship – True Warrior Ideals

Today we hear people constantly talking about their “friends.” They will tell you how they have so many friends or just how good their friends are and how they would trust them with their life. The word “friend” get thrown around pretty loosely in today’s society. In reality, I don’t think that most people have a good grasp on what that word means.

I find myself disagreeing with Mr. Webster fairly often these days. I disagree with his definition of the word warrior, and I also disagree with his definition of the word friend. These definitions are too simplistic. One of the definitions that Webster’s dictionary give to the word friend is an acquaintance, but I feel that their is a huge difference between the meaning of the two words.

Your acquaintances must fill the empire;
your close friends must be few.
Chinese Proverb

An acquaintance is simply someone who you know or are who you are on friendly terms with, whereas as the term friend has a much deeper meaning. To me a true friend is a very rare person to find today. A friend is someone who will stand by you through thick and thin. When the chips are down, your friend is there with you. When the wolf is at your door, your friend is standing inside the door with you, ready to put his life on the line, side by side with you. He will stand by you right or wrong. When you win the lottery, your friend is sincerely happy for you, just as if he had won it himself. You are getting the picture.

The word friend is common, the fact is rare.
Phaedrus

I consider a friend to be much more than an acquaintance. In truth, you are lucky to have one true friend in your life. If you have more than one, you are truly blessed. Realize this and don’t make the mistake of thinking of your acquaintances as your true friends. This is a common mistake that people make, and when their back is against the wall, they are shocked to find that they really didn’t have friends, but only acquaintances, and they can disappear like a dove in a magic show.

He who has many friends has no friends.
Aesop

The unwise man imagines a smiling face, a friend.
Surprised to find how little support he musters at a meeting.
The Havamal

It takes years to develop a true friendship and to know for sure that you can trust someone completely. Even after years, unless you know for sure that this person is your true friend, you should be careful concerning how much trust you put in this person. You may think that this sounds very cold and distrustful, but what I am writing is true. Don’t be too quick to trust someone as a friend.

If you have one true friend,
you have more than your share comes to.
Thomas Fuller

Rare though true love may be,
true friendship is rarer still.
La Rochefoucauld

The fishes, though deep in the water, may be hooked; the birds, though high in the air, may be shot. But man’s secret thoughts are out of reach. The heavens may be measured, the earth may be surveyed, but the heart of man is not to be known. You never really know what is in someone else’s heart. Most people don’t even take the time to know what is in their own heart.

Take the story of Samson and Delilah for an example. Samson loved Delilah and thought that he could trust her completely. His misguided trust lead to his downfall. Although, I am sure that Samson was a true friend to Delilah, she was never his friend. This is a trap that many warriors walk into because the warrior by nature is a true friend. His character, honor and integrity require him to be sincere and to be there for his friends.

Be your friend’s true friend.
The Havamal

It is sometimes hard to think of others not having the same dedication to friendship that you have, so we let our guard down only to be hurt when we find that our “friend” was no more than a buddy. The sages have taught this fact of human nature for centuries. It has always been this way. History is full of examples that show the treachery of false friends.

Trust in today’s friends as if they might be tomorrow’s enemies.
Baltasar Gracian

Never trust someone with enough information to hurt you. At least not until you have known them for years and years, and they have proven them self to be your true friend though the storms of life. Even then, be careful about what you share. It is always best to keep some things private. Control your desire to share the secret of your power. You never know when someone will sell your friendship for a few pieces of silver.

A man must be watchful and wary as well,
and fearful of trusting a friend.
The Havamal

Strive to make sure that your true friends are men of character, honor, and integrity. Warriors are the best of friends. Because they live by a strict code of ethics, they refuse to let their friends down in their time of need. This would go against their nature and their code. When you have developed a true friendship with a warrior, you have a trusted friend for life, because the warrior is a true friend and a man of his word.

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Is Honor Black & White?

Many people believe that honor is one of those few things in life which is black and white. This belief is both true and false. True in the sense that every action can be classified as either being honorable or dishonorable. Just as a door is either open or shut, our actions are either honorable or dishonorable. It is one or the other. That is just the way it is.

Now, you may argue that a door can be shut, but just not shut all the way. And you would be right, but if a door is not shut all the way, it is still technically open. All that is left to discuss is the degree to which that door is open or closed. It may be 99% closed, but 99% closed is still open by 1%. It is the same way with honor. If an act is only partly honorable, it is a dishonorable act.

Okay, I have proved that honor is black and white, right? Not so fast…What I said is that actions can be classified as either honorable or dishonorable, but honor itself is definitely not a black or white issue. Honor is much more complicated than that. Honor is a term that many people seem to throw around, but few really understand what it actually means. A lot of people will preach that honor can be defined in black and white generalities, but that is false thinking.

A countless number of acts that appear foolish
have secret motives that are very wise and weighty.
La Rochefoucauld

These same people will say that it is always dishonorable to lie. Well, let’s examine that statement. Is it dishonorable for the cop to lie to a drug dealer when he is doing undercover work? I don’t think so. Was it dishonorable for the family, who was hiding Jews during Nazi Germany, to lie to German soldiers about the fact that they were helping these people? Of course not. So lying must not always be a dishonorable act. By the same account, truthfulness is not always an honorable act. Wait, don’t start throwing rotten tomatoes at me yet…

Think about it! If the same family I used in the example above was truthful to the Nazi soldiers, this family would have signed the death sentence for the Jews which they were hiding. Would this be an honorable act? Not in my book. But they told the truth and telling the truth is an honorable act, right? Not always…

To generalize is to be an idiot.
William Blake

Actions must be judged according to intentions.
Arab Maxim

An action is always honorable or dishonorable, right or wrong, but you cannot categorize each individual action as always being honorable or dishonorable, or always being right or wrong. See the difference? The intentions of the individual determine whether or not an act is honorable or not, not the act itself. That is right…the same exact act may be honorable in one instance and dishonorable in another. Honor is not black and white.

Our own heart, and not other men’s opinion, form our true honor.
Samuel Coleridge

You are a man; do not dishonor mankind.
Jean Jacques Rousseau

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Man in the Right

Not to long ago I was contacted by one of my blog readers, who has also become a good friend of mine. She informed me that her dad, who had also started reading my blog, was coming to CO for a visit and would like to take me out for a beer and meet me. Her dad, Don, was a gracious man whose face showed the years of service as a lawman on the border. Both his look and his demeanor, not to mention his cowboy hat and boots, reminded me of an old west sheriff. Don had many colorful stories of his adventures as a lawman on a large border town, but I found the following one the most interesting.

Don had been called to this bar late one night, as lawmen often are, to take care of a bit of business with a troublemaker. Business concluded, he was on his way out the door, headed home, when a huge guy in a cowboy hat and boots, blocked his path with his leg. This guy looked at Don with a cold stare and said, “Tonight, I’m going to kick your ass…bad.” Don said that by the look of this man, he knew that he meant it, and he also knew that he could get the job done.

The anger of a prudent man never shows.
Burmese Proverb

The wise conquer by strength, rather than anger.
The malevolent fail by their own rage.
Nagarjuna

Don took another drink of his cold beer, put his hand on my should, and then told me what happened next. He said, Bohdi, I that is as scared as I had ever been during my time as a lawman. This guy meant serious business…to this day, I still don’t know where the words came from, but this is what I told him. I looked him straight in the eye and said…You may kick my ass tonight, but tomorrow night I will be back with a deputy. And you may be able to kick both of our asses tomorrow night, but if we can’t set things right, I will be back the next night with two more deputies.

We have 465 lawmen in this county, and I will come back as many nights as it takes to make things right. Make no doubt about it, I will set things straight. We will severely kick you ass sooner or later, and then, on top of that, you will be going to jail after it is all over. Don said the man just looked at him and silently, he simply removed his leg and let Don pass.

Then Don told me, you know Bohdi, the Creed of the Texas Ranger is what I believe in, “No man in the wrong can beat a man in the right that just keeps coming.” If you are in the right, sooner or later you will win. Don then took another drink of his beer and asked his beautiful daughter if she would dance with an old cowboy.

No man in the wrong can beat a man
in the right that just keeps coming.
The Creed of the Texas Ranger

Nothing is over until it is completely over; you can’t be defeated until you declare defeat. Defeat is a state of mind. Losing one battle does not equal a lost war. You decide when to declare victory or defeat. Don’t declare victory too soon, and don’t declare defeat at all. Remember the Creed of the Texas Ranger…

Defeat is a state of mind;
no one is ever defeated until
defeat has been accepted as a reality.
Bruce Lee

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Justice Demands Action

A story related to me by my friend Clint in my last blog reminded me of this. As warriors, we never want to hurt someone. Well, maybe at times we would like to, but we refrain from doing so unless it is absolutely necessary. But there are times when it is necessary. Certain behaviors demand that action be taken, especially when the protection of others is involved.

To spare the ravening leopard
is an act of injustice to the sheep.
Persian Proverb

As a teacher I have had to deal with several menacing students over the years. I had one student who was constantly disruptive, threatening and abusive to both teachers and students. Other students and some teachers were afraid of him. He disrupted the education of students who actually wanted to learn and to make something of their lives. This student made threats to teachers and students alike. With all of this going on for months, the administration refused to expel this student because they wanted to be “compassionate.”

As warriors, we should be compassionate, but there is a flip side to compassion. The other side of the coin is that their compassion for this student was actually an act of injustice to all of the other students and teachers. By letting this student stay in school, the administration was interfering with the education of the good students who were doing what they should be doing. You can’t have it both ways. You have to make a decision.

Pardoning the bad, is injuring the good.
Benjamin Franklin

You can also commit injustice by doing nothing.
Marcus Aurelius

The same thing goes for our justice system. When our justice system has mercy on the violent criminal and gives him a light sentence or probation, it is really an injustice to the next person this criminal assaults. It just reinforces in his mind that there are no real consequences to his actions and that what he is doing is worth the minuscule risk that he has to take.

Who does not punish evil, invites it.
German Proverb

Warriors are by nature compassionate people, but there are limits to their compassion. When a wolf is killing your sheep, is it your duty to be compassionate to the wolf or to the sheep? A decision has to be made. Do you spare the wolf or protect the sheep? You can’t do both. The warrior should always stand on the side of justice.

When you are just you use your character as law.
Menander

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Warrior

Warriors should exhibit the best qualities among men. The true warrior makes a firm decision to try to perfect his character and to live by a strict code of ethics. His word is his honor. His duty stays fresh on his mind. He lives life a little more seriously than most, but at the same time lives life to its fullest.

He sees through the veil of appearances covering most parts of this world, but does so without looking down on those who are less perceptive. Family and friends are important to him, and they know that they can always count on him for protection and help in their times of need.

He bases his decisions on his code of ethics, and instinctively knows right from wrong, and chooses right. He knows that, at times there is a difference between what is right and what is legal. The warrior assesses each man by his intentions and actions, rather than his appearances and words.

He is able to hold his head high with honor because he knows that he lives his life to the best of his ability, with honor and integrity. He lives the code that he professes. The warrior truly is the best among men.

The cherry blossom among flowers, the warrior among men.
Japanese Maxim

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Modern Code of Chivalry
based on the “Old Code”

Prowess: To seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a knight, martial and otherwise, seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandizement.

Justice: Seek always the path of ‘right’, unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Recognize that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by humanity and mercy. If the ‘right’ you see rings agrees with others, and you seek it out without bending to the temptation for expediency, then you will earn renown beyond measure.

Loyalty: Be known for unwavering commitment to the people and ideals you choose to live by. There are many places where compromise is expected; loyalty is not amongst them.

Defense: The ideal knight was sworn by oath to defend his liege lord and those who depended upon him. Seek always to defend your nation, your family, and those to whom you believe worthy of loyalty.

Courage: Being a knight often means choosing the more difficult path, the personally expensive one. Be prepared to make personal sacrifices in service of the precepts and people you value. At the same time, a knight should seek wisdom to see that stupidity and courage are cousins. Courage also means taking the side of truth in all matters, rather than seeking the expedient lie. Seek the truth whenever possible, but remember to temper justice with mercy, or the pure truth can bring grief.

Faith: A knight must have faith in his beliefs, for faith roots him and gives hope against the despair that human failings create.

Humility: Value first the contributions of others; do not boast of your own accomplishments, let others do this for you. Tell the deeds of others before your own, according them the renown rightfully earned through virtuous deeds. In this way the office of knighthood is well done and glorified, helping not only the gentle spoken of but also all who call themselves knights.

Largesse: Be generous in so far as your resources allow; largesse used in this way counters gluttony. It also makes the path of mercy easier to discern when a difficult decision of justice is required.

Nobility: Seek great stature of character by holding to the virtues and duties of a knight, realizing that though the ideals cannot be reached, the quality of striving towards them ennobles the spirit, growing the character from dust towards the heavens. Nobility also has the tendency to influence others, offering a compelling example of what can be done in the service of rightness.

Franchise: Seek to emulate everything I have spoken of as sincerely as possible, not for the reason of personal gain but because it is right. Do not restrict your exploration to a small world, but seek to infuse every aspect of your life with these qualities. Should you succeed in even a tiny measure then you will be well remembered for your quality and virtue.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

The Code of Chivalry
Rifts: England Supplement

Live to serve King and Country.
Live to defend Crown and Country and all it holds dear.
Live one’s life so that it is worthy of respect and honor.
Live for freedom, justice and all that is good.
Never attack an unarmed foe.
Never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to the attack.
Never attack from behind.
Avoid lying to your fellow man.
Avoid cheating.
Avoid torture.
Obey the law of king, country, and chivalry.
Administer justice.
Protect the innocent.
Exhibit self control.
Show respect to authority.
Respect women.
Exhibit Courage in word and deed.
Defend the weak and innocent.
Destroy evil in all of its monstrous forms.
Crush the monsters that steal our land and rob our people.
Fight with honor.
Avenge the wronged.
Never abandon a friend, ally, or noble cause.
Fight for the ideals of king, country, and chivalry.
Die with valor.
Always keep one’s word of honor.
Always maintain one’s principles.
Never betray a confidence or comrade.
Avoid deception.
Respect life and freedom.
Die with honor.
Exhibit manners.
Be polite and attentive.
Be respectful of host, women, and honor.
Loyalty to country, King, honor, freedom, and the code of chivalry.
Loyalty to one’s friends and those who lay their trust in thee.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

The Ten Commandments of the Code of Chivalry
by Leon Gautier

Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
Thou shalt defend the Church.
Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
Thou shalt love the country in the which thou wast born.
Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

NATIVE AMERICAN CODE OF ETHICS

1. RISE WITH THE SUN TO PRAY, PRAY ALONE, PRAY OFTEN. THE GREAT SPIRIT WILL LISTEN IF YOU WILL ONLY SPEAK.

2. BE TOLERANT OF THOSE THAT ARE LOST ON THEIR PATHS. IGNORANCE, CONCEIT, ANGER, JEALOUSY, AND GREED STEM FROM LOST SOULS. PRAY THAT THEY WILL FIND GUIDANCE.

3. SEARCH FOR YOURSELF BY YOURSELF, DO NOT ALLOW OTHERS TO MAKE YOUR PATH FOR YOU. IT IS YOUR ROAD AND YOURS ALONE. OTHERS MAY WALK IT WITH YOU, BUT NO ONE CAN WALK IT FOR YOU.

4. TREAT THE GUEST IN YOUR HOME WITH MUCH CONSIDERATION. SERVE THEM THE BEST FOOD, GIVE THEM THE BEST BEDS, AND TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT AND HONOR.

5. DO NOT TAKE WHAT IS NOT YOURS,WHETHER FROM A PERSON, A COMMUNITY, THE WILDERNESS, OR FROM A CULTURE. IT WAS NOT EARNED NOR GIVEN. IT IS NOT YOURS.

6. RESPECT ALL THINGS THAT ARE PLACED UPON THIS EARTH, WHETHER PEOPLE, ANIMAL, OR PLANT. HONOR THE SPIRIT IN ALL THINGS.

7. HONOR OTHER PEOPLES THOUGHTS, WISHES, AND WORDS. NEVER INTERRUPT ANOTHER, MOCK OR RUDELY MIMIC THEM. ALLOW EACH PERSON THE RIGHT TO PERSONAL EXPRESSION.

8. NEVER SPEAK OF OTHERS IN A BAD WAY. THE NEGATIVE ENERGY THAT YOU PUT OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE WILL MULTIPLY WHEN IT RETURNS TO YOU. ALL PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES, AND ALL MISTAKES CAN BE FORGIVEN. BAD THOUGHTS CAUSE ILLNESS OF THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. PRACTICE OPTIMISIM.

9. NATURE IS NOT FOR US, IT IS A PART OF US. NATURE IS PART OF YOUR WORLDLY FAMILY.

10. CHILDREN ARE THE SEEDS OF OUR FUTURE. PLANT LOVE IN THEIR HEARTS AND WATER THEM WITH WISDOM AND LIFE’S LESSONS. WHEN THEY ARE GROWN, GIVE THEM SPACE TO GROW.

11. AVOID HURTING THE HEARTS OF OTHERS. THE POISON OF YOUR PAIN WILL RETURN TO YOU.

12. BE TRUTHFUL AT ALL TIMES. HONESTY IS THE TEST OF ONE’S WILL WITHIN THIS UNIVERSE.

13. KEEP YOURSELF BALANCED. YOUR MENTAL SELF, SPIRITUAL SELF, EMOTIONAL SELF, AND PHYSICAL SELF ALL NEED TO BE STRONG, PURE, AND HEALTHY. WORK OUT THE BODY TO STRENGTHEN THE MIND. GROW RICK IN SPIRIT TO CURE EMOTIONAL AILS.

14. MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS AS TO WHO YOU WILL BE AND HOW YOU WILL REACT. BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS.

15. RESPECT THE PRIVACY AND PERSONAL SPACE OF OTHERS. DO NOT TOUCH THE PERSONAL PROPERTY OF OTHRS, ESPECIALLY SACRED AND RELIGIOUS OBJECTS-THIS IS FORBIDDEN.

16. BE TRUE TO YOURSELF. YOU CANNOT NURTURE AND HELP OTHERS IF YOU CANNOT NURTURE AND HELP YOURSELF FIRST.

17. RESPECT OTHERS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. DO NOT FORCE YOUR BELIEFS UPON OTHERS.

18. SHARE YOUR GOOD FORTUNE WITH OTHERS. PARTICIPATE IN CHARITY. BE WILLING TO GIVE BACK TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THE PEOPLE WILL LIVE.

AHO!
(Reprinted with permission of my friend Jim Standing Bear)

Bohdi Sanders

The Wisdom Warrior

Live the Lifestyle, Not the Fantasy

Being a warrior is an ongoing lifestyle. It is not a goal that once you achieve the status of a warrior, you can then relax because you now have all the weapons and training that you could ever need. You don’t all of a sudden achieve the perfection of character that you have been struggling to attain, and now you can kick back and relax.

Some people believe that they have made it to that point, after all, they have a black belt that they earned (15 years ago when they were actively training), how could anybody ever stand up to them in hand to hand combat? They’re a BLACK BELT! Don’t you know that this means they have “made it?” Once a black belt, always a black belt… Nobody in their right mind would ever attempt to attack someone who has obtained such a level of mastery, right?

Too many people believe that they are prepared to defend themselves or others because of their past training. Martial arts training is like paddling your boat up a river; as soon as you stop paddling, you began to go float backwards. The longer you sit there without paddling, the further you float backwards. The longer you neglect your training, the more your skills began to fade, the less flexible you become, and the more muscle strength you lose. Don’t believe it, stop stretching for several months and see what happens. This is especially true if you are in the position that I am in, where your son describes you as “old.”

The way is in training.
Miyamoto Musashi

Victory is not gained through idleness.
German Proverb

If you have ever developed your martial arts skills to a level where you felt you could easily defend yourself, it is hard to imagine that your skills have dissipated and you are no longer at the same level. If you stop lifting weights for several months, you will find that when you start back you can’t lift the same amount as you were lifting when you quit. But when it comes to self-defense, people seem to think that they can still match up with the toughest of the tough, even if they haven’t been active for quite some time. In your mind you still see yourself as a force to be reckoned with, even if it has been years since you actually practiced your art.

Your mind still knows what to do and how you should react to certain situations, but it doesn’t mean your body is still up to the task if you haven’t kept up your training. I once was a very good football player, and my mind still knows what should be done on the football field. But I would hate to know that I would have to strap on the pads now. Don’t confuse where you used to be with where you are not. A black belt who is no longer active has a nice souvenir, but I wouldn’t want to stake my life on his fighting skills.

Tomorrow’s battle is won during today’s practice.
Samurai Maxim

He who is an ass and takes himself to be a stag,
finds his mistake when he comes to leap the ditch.
Italian Proverb

It is foolish to try to survive on your past experiences and accomplishments. This can be a very dangerous illusion. See things as they really are, not as you want them to be. Be realistic. Don’t let yourself or others down…continue to train and stay in shape. It is your duty, as a warrior, to be able to defend yourself and others. Don’t neglect your training. Live the lifestyle, not the fantasy.

It is a very dangerous, if not fate habit,
to judge ourselves to be safe because of
something that we felt or did twenty years ago.
Charles Spurgeon

Bohdi Sanders

Warrior Wisdom

The Biggest, The Best, The Strongest…They All Go Down

No one is undefeatable. Everyone is human, and as a human being, everyone has the same vulnerable targets. Even the biggest, strongest, toughest thug that you can imagine running into on the street has his weaknesses. David killed Goliath, not by being in better shape or by being better trained, but by keeping his cool and using his mind. Sure he was proficient with his slingshot, but had he panicked at the sight of this giant warrior, he probably would not have had the accuracy needed to defeat his enemy. We are talking about a young boy, killing a seasoned warrior who was supposed to be undefeatable.

In any physical confrontation there are many variables which can totally alter the outcome of the fight. There are an unlimited number of mistakes that can be made, many of which could end the confrontation if the warrior keeps his cool and is able to see the opening. The trick is to always maintain a calm, rational mind-set. Let your training and your spirit guide you. Don’t think too much.

Anyone, at any given time,
given the right set of circumstances,
can defeat anyone else.
Shawn Kovacich

Essentially, allow yourself to enter what is known as mushin. Mushin literally means mind-no-mind. You mind is calm and sharp, but at the same time you are not actively “thinking” about what you should do or what you should not do; your spirit is in control, not your mind. In mushin, all of the training and techniques that you have worked on day after day will flow automatically. The warrior can’t allow himself to be psyched-out by the illusion that his opponent is indestructible. Nobody is undefeatable.

From Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
by Bohdi Sanders, PhD

The Wisdom Warrior

Right is Right…Wrong is Wrong

The warrior does what is right. He does what is just. Justice is foremost on his mind. It doesn’t matter if no one else stands for justice or not. If no one else stands for justice, the warrior is willing to stand alone. He is not influenced or swayed by the majority’s opinion of right and wrong. The warrior knows in his spirit what is right and what is wrong, and it is his own standards that he follows, not the morals of the day.

This is one of the main things that sets the warrior apart from the rest of society. He lives by his own code of honor, not society’s politically correct idea of right and wrong. He sees things as they really are, and is able to look past the façade. A warrior must be clear about the code that he lives by. He must know what he believes and why he believes it, in order to have the conviction that it takes to stand alone for justice.

Right is right, even if nobody does it.
Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong about it.
G. K. Chesterson

How can you be motivated enough to stand alone against injustice if you aren’t 100% sure about what is right and what is wrong? You must be able to recognize injustice when you see it in order to stand for justice. Always do what is right, even if nobody else does. You will find that it will give you much more satisfaction than you could ever get by following the crowd. Be independent of everyone else and make your own decisions. Many times the warrior has to walk alone.

From Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
by Bohdi Sanders, PhD

The Wisdom Warrior

What is a Real Warrior?

What makes someone a warrior? Is it the job that he has? Is someone automatically a warrior because he works as a policeman or is in the military? Is someone less of a warrior if they are a school teacher, rather than a policeman? These are all questions which should be considered. We hear a lot about the warrior professions and about how this group or that group are true warriors, but being a warrior has nothing to do with with your profession or which group you may or may not belong to. It has to do with who you really are as a person.

You can be a policeman or be part of the military and not be a warrior. There are countless examples which testify to this fact, many of which have been in the news lately. A person can work as a cop or make a career of the military without ever coming close to being a real warrior. This has always been the case and probably always will be the case. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not bashing cops or the military. These are both honorable professions. But there are many honorable professions in this world.

Often man is preoccupied with human rules and forgets the inner law.
Antoine the Healer

There always have been and always will be warriors who have nothing to do with the “warrior professions.” Was Bruce Lee less of a warrior because he was a teacher and an actor? Or was Ginchin Funokoshi less of a warrior because he chose to be a teacher instead of a policeman? Is the crooked cop a warrior just because he happens to be a cop? I don’t think so. Warriors can be found throughout our society, in different positions and at different levels. You don’t become a warrior just because you get a certain job.

Honor cannot be bought.
Philippine Proverb

Being a warrior goes much, much deeper than how you happen to make your living. It goes to the core of who you are. Being a warrior is a lifestyle, not a profession. I know some cops who are truly warriors and I also know some cops who are as much of a criminal as the people who they arrest. Your profession doesn’t matter, as long as it is not dishonorable. What matters is what is in your spirit. Are you really a warrior or do you merely want to be thought of as a warrior?

One must make the warrior walk his everyday walk.
Miyamoto Musashi

The definition of a warrior is someone who takes part in war or who is experienced in warfare, but I think that the true definition of a warrior goes much deeper than that. A real warrior is more than someone who takes part in warfare. He is someone who lives by a set of principles or a code of ethics. There are many people around the world who have taken part in warfare, to some degree, who I doubt anyone would consider a real warrior. The real warrior is concerned with character, integrity and honor, as well as martial arts skills and training. He takes the lifestyle of the warrior seriously. He has respect for others and for life. He is not a pretender, but the real deal.

The master warrior is a man of character, a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

The best book that I have read pertaining to the lifestyle of the warrior is Living the Martial Way by Forrest E. Morgan. If you haven’t read this book, you should get a copy. It is great. There are some other good books on the subject, but this is my favorite. Whether you are a police officer, a martial artist, a teacher, a lawyer, or in the military, you should do your best to live the lifestyle of the real warrior. It is not something that you do, it is something that you are. The lifestyle of the warrior is not something that everyone can live up to, this is why the true warrior is an uncommon find in today’s society. Strive to be different. Strive to be a real warrior.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

Kajukenbo – Training the Warrior Way

Is the point of martial arts training to learn everything about your particular style of martial art or is it to provide you with the best skills possible to survive an encounter, whatever those skills may be? There are different many different goals associated with martial arts training, but for the warrior the goal is to hone his survival skills and to keep them as sharp as possible. He is concerned with obtaining the skills necessary to survive a violent encounter. The warrior is not as interested in the “art” aspect of the martial arts, as he is the down and dirty techniques which he can add to his arsenal. This isn’t to say that he may not be interested in the “art” aspect, but first and foremost, he knows he has to have the skills he needs to perform his duty as a warrior when the time comes.

This is where Kajukenbo comes into play. Kajukenbo was developed by five martial artists in the 1940′s as a perfect martial arts system for survival in any streetfight situation. It is a highly effective combat system which derives its name from the first letters of the different style which it comes from. Kajukenbo is derived from karate, judo/jujiotsu, kenpo, and Chinese boxing/kung fu. Basically, it took the best, most useful parts of these arts and combined them into what many call “the perfected art of dirty street fighting.” This term though is not really accurate. There is no such thing as dirty street fighting. Street fighting is street fighting…anything goes in a real life-or-death street fight. There is no such thing as a fair fight; there is only survival.

The first law of war is to preserve ourselves and destroy the enemy.
Mao Tse-Tung

The philosophy of Kajukenpo is tow part: to survive in a real street fight situtation, and to take whatever is useful from any martial art and make it your own. This martial art combines the best, most useful of all the arts…the parts which really work when you need them to. Kajukenpo combines these techniques with the knowledge of vital striking targets, how to attack these targets with concentrated power, and the proper mental attitude needed to survive a street fight. With Kajukenbo, whatever techniques work and keep you safe, are an acceptable part of the art. There is no debating over whether this or that technique is part of Kajukenbo; if it works, it is assimilated. This is what the warrior needs instead of an art which requires that you have to learn all its techniques, whether they are useful or not.

In a street fight or a life-or-death situation, the warrior should take the fighter’s axiom to heart: “Take the opponent out, and go home.” The warrior’s objective in a street fight is to survive, to protect those who need his protection, and to destroy his enemy to the point that they can no longer harm the warrior or those around him. In a street fight, anything goes; there is no such thing as a fair fight. You do what it takes to win, and use what you have to use to get the job done. Strike hard and fast and end the threat as soon as possible.

Focus on your one purpose.
Japanese Maxim

Don’t underestimate your opponent in the street. Many thugs street fight on a weekly basis and are experts at their trade. Remember, they will not play by any rules except to beat you. You better play the same way. Use surprise to your advantage. Target the most vulnerable targets first and get this thing over with fast. Go for the eyes, the throat, the joints, the groin; break bones and take out the knees. This sounds brutal, but street fighting is brutal. If it is not serious enough to target these spots, then you have no business fighting. Either it is deadly serious and you have no other choice, or you should find another way to deal with the problem.

In cases of defense tis best to weigh the enemy more mighty than he seems.
Shakespeare

He is victorious who knows when and when not to fight.
Sun Tzu

Kajukenbo uses what works in the street. It is made for real life situations, not for sparring and points. This is a martial art for the real warrior, not the sports enthusiasts. If you want to learn the art of survival, check this art out for yourself. Use what works and keep yourself and those who depend on you safe. And, as always, train with deadly seriousness.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

Beware of the Crocodiles

The majority of people today live a fairly peaceful life. Most of us do not have to defend our lives weekly, monthly, or even yearly. With the exception of law enforcement officers and military men and women, most of us do not have to deal with dangerous criminals or life threatening situations on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of people today will live their entire life without ever encountering a kill-or-be-killed situation. This being the case, you may ask why you should train to be a warrior when the odds are that you will never have to use the skills that you are working so hard to obtain. The answer is found in this Malaysian proverb:

Do not be tricked into thinking that there are
no crocodiles just because the water is still.
Malaysian Proverb

If you have ever watched one of the wildlife shows on television, you have probably seen how crocodiles attack. An unsuspecting animal, going about his business, stops at a peaceful waterhole for a drink, and out of nowhere the crocodile explodes from the water and ambushes the unsuspecting animal taking his life. There is no mercy. There are no regrets…simply cold, calculating, vicious, and merciless death for the unsuspecting, unprepared victim.

Don’t become complacent with your life or your training. Just because your life seems to be normal and peaceful, doesn’t mean that the bad guys are not out there. Don’t make the mistake of believing that “those kinds of things never happen to me.” The very minute you let your guard down, is the opportunity that the crocodile has been waiting for all day.

From Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
by Bohdi Sanders, PhD

The Wisdom Warrior

The Warrior Creed
Robert L. Humphey

Wherever I go,
everyone is a little bit safer because I am there.

Wherever I am,
anyone in need has a friend.

Whenever I return home,
everyone is happy I am there.

The Dichotomy of the Warrior

The warrior is a special breed. Most people can’t really comprehend who or what he really is. To the average person, the warrior appears to be a contradiction. On one hand he prepares for the violent confrontation. He knows how to destroy the human body in a very efficient fashion. On the other hand, he loves peace and quiet. He is meditative and introverted, seeking to understand himself and the world which he lives in. This is the dichotomy of the warrior which many people have a problem understanding.

How could someone who prepares and trains to dismantle someone else’s body, be a benevolent, peace-loving human being? Most people just can’t understand this, but it is the way of the warrior. The warrior, although he knows how to fight and is good at fighting, doesn’t want to have to fight. He trains in order to be prepared in case the circumstance arises in which he has no other choice but to fight to protect himself, his family, or you. If he had a choice, he would choose to live in peace with his family for his entire life, but there are times in life when you don’t have a choice. It is for those times that he trains.

The warrior may be found in peaceful meditation just as he may be found in martial arts training. He enjoys a lifestyle of peace. Peace and war are just two sides of the same coin for the warrior. Together they make up the dichotomy of the lifestyle of the warrior. The warrior knows that in times of peace he should not forget war, and in times of war he should not forget peace.

In peace do not forget war. Japanese Proverb
Let him who desires peace prepare for war.
Vegetius

He has to balance the two in his life. Protesters frequently protest the warrior, calling him vile names in their quest for peace and love, not realizing that it is only the warrior that stands between them and their destruction. It is the warrior who protects them even as they attack his unassailable character.Just as the sheep do not like the sheepdog and fear what he could do to them with his violent skills, these “peace-loving people” do not like the warrior. The sheep do not realize that it is only the sheepdog who stands between them and the wolf, and without the sheepdog that they dislike so, the predators would have them for dinner. They are never really able to comprehend how lucky they are to have the sheepdog around.

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

The same goes for the people who are against the warrior. They do not understand the dichotomy of the warrior lifestyle…but the warrior does not change who he is because of what others are. He just continues the journey of the warrior; a journey of the art of peace and of the art of war.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior