The Path of a Broken Hearted Warrior

Impermanent are all created things;

Strive on with awareness.

 

~Said to be the final words of the Buddha before dying at age 80

in approximately 486 BC

           

My world, as all of our worlds, is a continual journey with crossroads strategically positioned along the way to challenge my being to grow, expand and ever penetrate the layers of ego, fixation on permanence, our attachment to people, things and ways of being and the small and large terrors including loneliness, abandonment, and death. 

There is a way to touch tenderly our being and the being of others through gentleness, courage, intelligence all in the context of wakefulness.

All on earth will encounter change and transition which leads to growth.  Continual fixation on keeping things as they are, or avoiding pain is simply keeping oneself within the cycle of samsara, our addictive patterns within the context of this and other lifetimes.  The point is to awaken, practice and stay awakened.  There are many methods to avoid pain – keeping inside of our cocoon and habitual patterns is a pain avoidance strategy which actually leads to more pain and keeping oneself asleep.

Waking up takes mindfulness, mindful awareness, and attunement to the elements, loving kindness, and lots and lots of practice.  Staying with one’s breath as the object of awareness while maintaining the view of forward mindedness all within the context of gentleness and fearlessness is a workable way of being in this earthly realm.  Assisting others to awaken through loving kindness is the path of the Awakened Warrior.

To be fearless is not to shun away fear.  It is to recognize and acknowledge the fear and to gently hold space for fear to be a worthy participant in being on the path of a warrior.