“To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. Nobody is born a warrior, in exactly the same way that nobody is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other.” ~ Carlos Castaneda from The Wheel of Time
Socrates calls it the “great combat.” Rumi calls it the “inner jihad.” Jesus has some thoughts on it and Lao-tzu talks about the egomania of thinking you’re going to reach total awareness without disciplined effort.
ALL great teachers preach the power of self-mastery. A sampling of some of my favorite thoughts on the subject:
Socrates (from The Gorgias): “I desire only to know the truth, and to live as well as I can…And, to the utmost of my power, I exhort all other men to do the same…I exhort you also to take part in the great combat, which is the combat of life, and greater than every other earthly conflict.”
Rumi: “The lion who breaks the enemy’s ranks is a minor hero compared to the lion who overcomes himself.”
Jesus: “He who rules his spirit has won a greater victory than the taking of a city.”
Lao-tzu: “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” And “Don’t think you can attain total awareness and whole enlightenment without proper discipline and practice. This is egomania. Appropriate rituals channel your emotions and life energy toward the light. Without the discipline to practice them, you will tumble constantly backward into darkness.”
How’re you doing with your self-mastery? You embracing the challenge? Or letting yourself tumble constantly backward into the darkness because you haven’t created the rituals and the commitment to truly hone your consciousness?
What’s ONE thing that’s leaking your power that you know you should STOP doing? Cool. Quit doing that. (Starting NOW! 
And, what’s ONE thing you know your Highest Self needs you to START doing today that’ll build your power? Nice. Excited to hear about your new habit. Rock that.
I understand the idea that you are trying to get across. The problem I have with it is that it is still couched in patriarchal terminology. There is no reason to be a warrior. There is no reason to use military metaphors. Rather than impose upon the ego as you suggest allow the ego to interface with the Divine Feminine and experience bliss. Then no overwhelming of the ego is necessary, but rather the ego becomes devoted to something greater than itself which it can experience directly.
love and light,
Stuart
http://stuartmarkberlin.com http://heroinherservice.blogspot.com
Hi Brian,
Don Miguel Ruiz, my all time favorite author. Pure genius. Pure Toltec warrior with the biggest heart in the universe. Pure love. Master of Love.
My favorite topic: self-mastery!
Robert Camp writes about the Queen of Spades as being the card of self-mastery. The Queen of Spades embodies the feminine receptive principle. It is not so much our efforts that create our successes and failures, but rather our inner attitudes and state of mind. Spiritual aspirants learn to master themselves instead of spending all their time trying to change external circumstances. To truly receive, we must attain the sate of mind where we allow everything to come to us without hesitation. This usually requires inner exploration, which is something most Americans never do because it is not taught as part of the culture. From the point of view of our soul, self-mastery deserves the highest recognition and reward. If we can master our inner state, we can master the universe. We create more success by changing our inner thoughts, beliefs and attitudes than by trying to alter external things.
How are you doing with your self mastery ?
Let me share my thoughts, on how I am trying to overcome the baser ego, the inner jihad, as rightly termed by Rumi. When Prophet Mohammad (SA) returned victorious from a major war, he told his companions, to prepare for a bigger jihad (war) His companions were surprised, and queried him. He replied he is reffering to the war with one's own self, which requires greater struggle and more warrior like qualities.
To be humble in the real sense of the term, not merely superficial outward declaration. How to achieve that ? By reflecting on your own self and living in perpetual wakefulness of the Majesty and Greatness of God and his wonderful creation.
Some ego-busters : ' How wondeful is man that he speaks with fat, talks with a piece of flesh, hears with a bone and breathes through a hole' Ali ibn Abi Talib (SA)
I am a bird imprisoned in the fowler
To defeat a thousand enemies is good, but the samurai who defeats himself is the greatest of warriors.
Conquering of the self–the ego–is the highest achievement in life. There's nothing masculine or feminine about it–it's beyond that. To bring in the Divine Feminine is just muddying the waters.
It's a life's work–and a lifetime of work meditating. I've been practicing standing post meditation for 15 years. I've made inroads, but I won't be there for quite a while.
So please, don't say you've arrived. Those who speak, do not know. Those who know, do not speak.
GOOD AFTERNOON and THANK-YOU FOR THIS POST!!!
AHHHH, the Wisdom of the Toltec.
In my view, the Wisdom and The Four Agreements of the Toltec are indeed magnificent in their simplicity and perfection:
> Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your words in the direction of truth and love.
> Don't Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
> Don't Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate wiht others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
> Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment, it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
ENJOY THE JOURNEY, WHEREVER and WHENEVER IT TAKES YOU!!!
BLESSINGS, LOVE and PEACE!!!