Just something I've been working on for awhile, drawing influence from The Book of Five Rings, The Unfettered Mind, the Sword of No Sword, and my own experiences. Still a way to go...

    


     The essence of the warrior's path is self-defense and the prevention of danger. The trained warrior epitomizes the fullest concept of self-protection through diligent training in that the warrior deals with the protection of not only the physical body, but the mind and spirit as well.

     The way of the warrior is the way of enduring, surviving, and prevailing over all that would destroy one. More than merely delivering strikes and slashes, and deeper in significance than the simple outwitting of an enemy; the way of the warrior is the way of attaining that which we need while making the world a better place.

     The skill of the warrior is the art of winning. In the beginning study of any combative martial art, proper motivation is crucial.
Without the proper frame of mind, continuous exposure to fighting techniques can lead to ruin instead of self-development. But this fact is not different from any other beneficial practice in life carried to extremes.

     Medical science is dedicated to the betterment of health and the relief of suffering, and yet the misuse of drugs and the  exultation of the physician's skills can lead people to a state where an individual's health is no longer within his or her personal control.

     Governments are established to oversee the harmonious interworking of all parts of society, but when the rulers become greedy, hunger for power, or lack wisdom, the country is  subjected to needless wars, disorder, or civil and economic  chaos.

     A religion, when based on faith developed through experience,
a broad and questing mind, and an unflagging pursuit of universal understanding, is an inspiration and comfort to people. Once a religion loses its original focus, however, it becomes a deadly thing with which to deceive, control, and abuse the people
through the manipulation of their beliefs and fears. It is the same with the warrior path.

     The skills of self-protection, which should provide a feeling of inner peace and security for the warrior, so often develop without a balance in the personality and lead the lesser warrior into warped realms of unceasing conflict and competition which eventually consume him.

     If an expert in the fighting arts sincerely pursues the essence of the warrior path, devoid of the influence of the ego's desires,
the student will progressively come to realize the ultimate secret for becoming invincible; the attainment of the "Mind and Eyes of God."

     The combatant who would win must be in harmony with the scheme of totality, and must be guided by an intuitive knowledge
of the playing out of fate. In tune with the providence of heaven
and the impartial justice of nature, and following a clear and pure heart full of trust in the inevitable, the warrior captures the insight
that will guide him successfully into battle when he must conquer
and conceal himself protectively from hostility when he must retreat.

     The vast universe, beautiful in its coldly impersonal totality,
contains all that we call good and bad, all the answers for all the paradoxes we see around us. By opening his eyes and his mind,
the warrior can responsively follow the subtle seasons and reasons of heaven, changing just as change is necessary, adapting always, so that in the end there is no such thing as surprise for the warrior.