"The genuine warrior becomes truly gentle because there is no enemy at all." -Smile at Fear by Chogyam Trungpa
Who or what is "the enemy"? Someone or something outside of ourselves? This typical definition is reflected in The Oxford dictionary: "Person or group actively hostile to another." Layering this definition over the saying, "I am my own worst enemy" makes me the person who is actively hostile to myself.
Trungpa's statement talks of a "warrior" and The Oxford dictionary uses the word "hostile". There is typically so much negative energy around the word "enemy". Trungpa suggests that there is such a thing as a gentle warrior, one who fights a different sort of battle in a completely different way. This warrior carries no weapons because there is no enemy. How can this be? And why call such a person a warrior when there is no war?
If all that is is neither "good" nor "bad" there is no fight. Not with someone or something outside of ourselves nor even with ourselves. There is only an enemy when one picks up the other end of the rope allowing for a tug of war.
Let go! Let go of the ropes and cords that bind you to your enemy. Here is where you may call yourself a warrior as you wear the armor God calls us to wear as Christians. Ephesians 6 says: Therefore put on the belt of truth , the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. It is hard work, particularly in the beginning and it will take all of this to let go of your enemy, either the neighbor you call an ememy or the enemy you call yourself. Jesus did it. You and I can, too.
So I find myself fighting anything and everything that is seemingly attack me, my pride, my worth...
ReplyDeleteBut you're right. There would be nothing to fight if I choose to filter these "attacks" as non-hostile. Side-step them and choose to ignore them. That raises a question though: Why do we choose to take on these "attacks" from our friends, family and even strangers?
When I think about it, it's a catch 22: We decide our image is attacked, so we attack back in order to defend our pride; whereas we could just side-step that "attack" and not have to defend anything.