To be a spiritual warrior means to develop a special kind of courage, one that is innately intelligent, gentle, and fearless. Spiritual warriors can still be frightened, but even so they are courageous  enough to taste suffering, to relate clearly to their fundamental fear, and to draw out without evasion the lessons from difficulties.

-Sogyal Rinpoche

“The Bodhisattva is like the mightiest of warriors;

But her enemies are not common foes of flesh and bone.

His fight is with the inner delusions,

The afflictions of self-cherishing and ego grasping,

Those most terrible of demons

That catch living beings in the snares of confusion

And cause them forever to wander in pain, frustration and sorrow.

Her mission is to harm ignorance and delusion, never living beings.

These he looks upon with kindness, patience, and empathy,

Cherishing them like a mother cherishes her only child.

She is the real hero, calmly facing any hardship

In order to bring peace, happiness and liberation to the world.”

– The Thirteenth Dalai Lama

– Chagdud Rinpoche

Though from a different tradition, many of the teaching of Aikido share a similar spirit.

“The secret of Aikido is to harmonize ourselves with the movement of the universe and bring ourselves into accord with the universe itself.  He who has gained the secret of Aikido has the universe in himself and can say,  ” I am the universe.” I am never defeated,  however fast the enemy may attack…

When an enemy tries to fight with him,  the universe itself,

he has to break the harmony of the universe.

Hence at the moment he has the mind to fight with me,  he is already defeated.

Winning means winning over the mind of discord in yourself…

Then how can you straighten your warped mind, purify your heart,

and be harmonized with the activities of all things in nature?

You should first make God’s heart yours.

This is a Great Love Omnipresent in all quarters and in all times of the universe.

There is no discord in love.

There is no enemy of Love.”

– Morehei Uyeshiba

The Great Aikido master Tohei, in his book, Aikido, the Arts of Self-Defense writes:

“Remember that you live always under the protection of some mysterious force. This force is nature. Therefore, true self-defense does not stop with defending oneself against others, but strives to make oneself worthy of defense by nature herself.  It respects the principles of nature. True practice must be in consonance with the will of nature.  When man observes the principles of nature, he helps to make them the principles of humanity because they are directed toward the good of humanity.  True self-defense must be according to the will of God… When your mind and your acts become one with nature , then nature will protect you. Fear no enemy; fear only to be separated from the mind of nature. If you are on the right path, nature will protect you and you need not fear anything. When an enemy wants to attack you while you are asleep, nature will awaken you. When an airplane has an accident, you will fortunately not be on that plane. Trust nature and do not worry. Leave both your mind and body to nature. Do not recognize friend or foe in your mind. In your heart let there be generosity as large as the sea which accepts both clean and unclean water.  Let your mind be as merciful as nature which loves the smallest tree or blade of grass. Let your mind be strong with sincerity that can piece iron or stone. Repay the forces of nature, work for the good of all and make yourself a person whom nature is pleased to let live. This is the true purpose of training.”