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The Principles and Practices ~
A PEACEFUL WARRIOR
The term peaceful warrior seems a contradiction -- how can one be both peaceful and a warrior? Renowned warriors from every culture, in spite of their violent image, have demonstrated qualities of courage, commitment, and inner strength; yet few had a peaceful heart. The peacemakers of history have shown qualities of loving-kindness and compassion; yet only a few possessed a warrior's spirit. The peaceful warrior combines both courage and love -- a warrior's spirit with a peaceful heart.
And so we begin our quest....
THE TWELVE GATEWAYS
Everyday life is our spiritual school. As we see our reflection more clearly in the mirror of daily life, we will come to know and accept ourselves as never before. As we learn from the natural consequences of our actions, we'll find the wisdom necessary to progress on the path of personal and spiritual growth.
The path of spiritual practice leads upward, through the harrowing gauntlet of human experience to the peaks of our potential. On this journey we encounter Twelve Gateways. Their purpose: evolution. Their arena: everyday life. Their secret: action. And their time: now. The Twelve Gateways are not a destination; they are a process, an ongoing journey. The end of one journey is the beginning of another. Practice is the catalyst of change. Sacred practice forms a bridge between heaven and earth, between flesh and spirit, that transmutes each day, each moment. This is our training, our destiny. And always be assured of this -- every journey begins with but a single step.
These gateways apply to each and all of us. No matter how different our appearances, experiences, talents, cultures, and beliefs, we share in a common quest for meaning -- no one is exempt, no one excluded. Taken together, the Twelve Gateways provide a direct path to our hidden promise, a way to reconnect with our soul's deepest yearnings. As we travel through these gateways, expect to find an expanded sense of purpose, toward the summit of human experience, where we can live the spiritual truths at the heart of our existence. As we take this journey, we have the opportunity to reflect upon our past, consider our future, while living fully in the present.
The First Gateway ~ Discover Our Worth: Opening to Life
The Second Gateway ~ Reclaim Our Will: The Power to Change
The Third Gateway ~ Invigorate Our Body: A Foundation for Life
The Fourth Gateway ~ Manage Our Wealth: Sufficiency and Spiritual Practice
The Fifth Gateway ~ Tame Our Mind: Inner Peace and Simple Reality
The Sixth Gateway ~ Trust Our Intuition: Accessing Inner Guidance
The Seventh Gateway ~ Accept Our Emotions: The Center of the Cyclone
The Eighth Gateway ~ Face Our Fears: Living as Peaceful Warriors
The Ninth Gateway ~ Illuminate Our Shadow: Cultivating Compassion and Authenticity
The Tenth Gateway ~ Embrace Our Sexuality: Celebrating Life
The Eleventh Gateway ~ Awaken Our Heart: The Healing Power of Love
The Twelfth Gateway ~ Serve Our World: Completing the Circle of Life
Time is a surging river, bringing change to each and all. Cultures come and go; the face of the world changes. Humanity moves forward, accelerating, evolving, toward higher consciousness and open hearts. All of us experience personal evolution and destiny. But no one is an island; each of us influences those around us. By awakening, one becomes a spark that sets others aflame. The individual touches the community, his family and friends; the community touches the region; the region touches the nation; the nation touches the world. Individual change precedes global change. Every one of us counts; each of us contributes to the beauty of the whole. We change the world by changing ourselves. And if we do nothing more than offer a smile to a stranger or utter a kind word to someone in need, we make a difference. As we learn the lessons of the Twelve Gateways, we will see a shift of awareness that will transform everything within humanity's sphere. Enlightened civilizations appear only when enough individuals behave in enlightened ways. We are just beginning to see the dawn of our destiny.
The practice of these Twelve Gateways, which is the practice of enlightenment, the practice of life, is a cycle without end, like the changing seasons. We will pass through each gateway not once but many times, each time learning more, until practice becomes play, and play becomes life, and life becomes illumined. As we travel the winding paths ahead, remember our sense of humor, our sense of perspective, our simple humanity. Ultimately, nothing can hinder us on our quest, because nothing is stronger than the human spirit that connects us all. We are seeds of what is to come, stretching upward, reaching to the Light. Above all, be gentle with ourselves.
THE TWELVE LAWS
Within the mystery of our existence, the universe operates according to spiritual laws as real as the law of gravity and as constant as the turning of the heavens. Woven into the fabric of existence, reflecting the primal intelligence of the universe, these laws of Spirit direct the mechanics of the universe -- the movements of flowers reaching toward the sun and waves thundering to the shore. They govern the movements of the Earth, the cycle of the seasons, and the forces of nature. To their strain, even the galaxies dance.
The laws of Spirit point to the innate order and intelligence of the universe. They transcend concepts, customs, and beliefs. Constant as the movement of the planets, they apply not only to the mechanics of nature, but to every aspect of existence. They can guide us through the shallows and reefs of our lives the way the stars and compass guided ancient mariners on their course. Certain laws have special relevance to the practical affairs of human life. The books and teachings of religion touch upon these great truths. These laws form a blueprint for human evolution -- eternal principles that are the bedrock of our daily experience. The laws of Spirit belong to each and all of us. They are found within our own hearts and at the heart of every religion, moral system, and spiritual tradition. These laws can change every aspect of our evolving, multi-faceted lives. A peaceful warrior lives intimately with them, and from their essence is distilled what is respectfully referred to as "the House Rules." Simply put, these simple, powerful truths make life work, and can be said to be the "keys" to the Twelve Gateways.
The Law of Balance ~ Finding the Middle Way
The Law of Choices ~ Reclaiming Our Power
The Law of Process ~ Taking Life Step-by-Step
The Law of Presence ~ Living in the Moment
The Law of Compassion ~ Awakening Our Humanity
The Law of Faith ~ Trusting in Spirit
The Law of Expectation ~ Expanding Our Reality
The Law of Integrity ~ Living Our Truth
The Law of Action ~ Moving into Life
The Law of Cycles ~ Dancing to Nature's Song
The Law of Surrender ~ Embracing a Higher Will
The Law of Unity ~ Remembering Our Connection
Thus, as we continue our life's odyssey, we carry with us nature's codes to translate the cryptic map to inner peace and hidden potential -- opening portals to a deeper sense of meaning, connection, and harmony with all of creation. These laws come from deep inside us, a vast storehouse of intuitive wisdom; they are the alchemy that transmutes the baser elements of our lives -- the fears, confusion, concerns, and difficulties we encounter -- into the gold of freedom and clarity, serenity and joy. They are the steppingstones to our human destiny and what lies beyond. Those who follow the laws prosper and find fulfillment; those who ignore or resist them meet consequences that instruct them on their journey of awakening, so they can one day find peace in the light of higher understanding. We don't have to remember these laws; we only have to live them, and they will change our lives.
THE "HOUSE RULES"
Purposeful living embraces both reason and truth. Reason provides clear aims, while faith teaches us to trust the process of our lives. The "House Rules" presented here -- distilled lessons from the school of life -- provide reliable strategies for living on purpose. The House is Life, the Tao, the Universe, Reality; the Rules are universal or guiding principles. They are not rote formulas, but flexible reminders. All in all, one comes across them as partially hidden signposts marking the "way of the peaceful warrior."
House Rule #1: Earth is a school and daily life is our classroom.
House Rule #2: Our teachers appear in many forms.
House Rule #3: We learn best through direct experience.
House Rule #4: Failures are the steppingstones to success.
House Rule #5: Lessons reappear until we learn them.
House Rule #6: If we don't learn easy lessons, they get harder.
House Rule #7: Consequences teach better than concepts.
House Rule #8: Only action brings ideas to life.
House Rule #9: We can control efforts, not outcomes.
House Rule #10: Timing is everything.
House Rule #11: What goes around, comes around.
House Rule #12: Little things can make a big difference.
House Rule #13: Play to your strengths.
House Rule #14: To transform your life, change your expectations.
House Rule #15: Judge with compassion.
House Rule #16: Simplicity has power.
House Rule #17: Life develops what it demands.
House Rule #18: Every choice leads to wisdom.
House Rule #19: God helps those who help themselves.
House Rule #20: We each have inner guidance.
House Rule #21: Balancing the body is the first, most primary, spiritual practice.
House Rule #22: Life moves in cycles; all things change.
House Rule #23: Life is a series of moments.
House Rule #24: Be gentle with yourself; trust the process of your life.
House Rule #25: Kindness completes our lives; we are in this together.
An old peaceful warrior once said insightfully -- I've noticed three kinds of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch what happens, and those who wonder what happened. The "House Rules" serve as a useful framework, a primal reference, as our purposes constantly adapt to the changing tides of life. Eventually, one becomes a person of action, of learning -- a conscious player rather than an uninitiated spectator.
~ adapted excerpts from Dan Millman's Everyday Enlightenment: The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth; The Laws of Spirit: Simple, Powerful Truths for Making Life Work; Living on Purpose: Straight Answers to Life's Tough Questions; and Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives
The Essence ~
Peaceful warriors have the patience to wait
until the mire settles and the waters clear.
They remain unmoving until the right time,
so the right action arises by itself.
They do not seek fulfillment, but wait with open arms
to welcome all things.
Ready to use all situations, wasting nothing,
they embody the Light. Peaceful warriors have three great treasures:
simplicity, patience, and compassion.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
they return to the source of Being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
they live in harmony with the way things are.
Compassionate towards themselves,
they make peace with the world. Some may call this teaching nonsense;
others may call it lofty and impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves,
this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And for those who put it into practice,
this loftiness has deep roots. ~ Adapted from a poem by Lao-tzu The Universe is my way.
Courage is my shadow.
Love is my torch.
Peace is my refuge.
The Earth is my school.
Daily Life is my arena.
Action is my secret.
Now is my lesson.
Impossibility is my stimulus.
Pain is my warning.
Work is my blessing.
Balance is my temper.
Evolution is my purpose.
Perfection is my destiny. ~ The Peaceful Warrior's Creed Athletes practice their athletics; musicians practice their music; artists practice their art. The peaceful warrior practices everything. That is the secret of the Way, and it makes all the difference. ~ Sergei Ivanov -- known simply to many peaceful warriors as Socrates Temei nosce ("Know thyself") ~ The heart of the peaceful warrior's way The Warrior Tradition: Ways, Works, and Wisdom ~ Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Dan Millman (chosen mentor)
Peaceful Warrior Saga ~
Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives (1980; revised 2000)
Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior: Teachings From The Lost Years (1991; revised 2004)
The Journeys of Socrates: The Way Begins (2005)
Guidebooks ~
No Ordinary Moments: A Peaceful Warrior's Guide to Daily Life (1992)
The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose (1993)
The Laws of Spirit: Simple, Powerful Truths for Making Life Work (1995)
Everyday Enlightenment: The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth (1998)
Living On Purpose: Straight Answers to Life's Tough Questions (2000)
Sports/Training ~
Body Mind Mastery: Creating Success in Sport and Life (1999)
Inspiration ~
Divine Interventions: True Stories of Mystery and Miracles That Change Lives with Doug Childers (1999)
Especially for Children ~
Secret of the Peaceful Warrior: A Story About Courage and Love (1991)
Quest for the Crystal Castle: A Peaceful Warrior Children's Book (1992)
The Toltec Way
Carlos Castaneda
The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge (1968)
The Fire From Within (1984)
The Wheel of Time: The Shamans of Ancient Mexico, Their Thoughts About Life, Death and the Universe (1998)
There are nine other works, sequels to the first if you will, describing the path that has heart and the way of the warrior. In particular, his latest, The Wheel of Time, encapsulates much of what Castaneda has contributed to the warrior tradition.
Victor Sanchez
The Teachings of Don Carlos: Practical Applications of the Works of Carlos Castaneda (1995)
Tomas
Promise of Power: Reflections on the Toltec Warriors' Dialogue From the Collected Works of Carlos Castaneda (1995)
Don Miguel Ruiz
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (1997)
The Four Agreements Companion Book: Using the Four Agreements to Master the Dream of Your Life (2000)
The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace (2004) Mary Carroll Nelson
Beyond Fear: A Toltec Guide to Freedom and Joy (1997)
Susan Gregg
The Toltec Way: A Guide to Personal Transformation (2000)
Mastering the Toltec Way: A Daily Guide to Happiness, Freedom, and Joy (2003)
Dona Bernadette Vigil
Mastery of Awareness: Living the Agreements (2001)
Theun Mares
Return of the Warriors (1995)
The Fourth Way G. I. Gurdjieff
Meetings with Remarkable Men (1963)
Life is Real Only Then, When I Am (1975)
P. D. Ouspensky
In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (The Teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff) (1949)
J. G. Bennett
Gurdjieff: Making a New World (1973)
Kathleen Riordan Speeth
The Gurdjieff Work (1989) Sophia Wellbeloved
Gurdjieff: The Key Concepts (2003) Garrett Thomson
On Gurdjieff (2003) John Shirley
Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas (2004)
The Huna Way Serge Kahili King
Mastering Your Hidden Self: A Guide to the Huna Way (1985)
Urban Shaman: A Handbook for Personal and Planetary Transformation Based on the Hawaiian Way of the Adventurer (1990)
The Way of the Scout Tom Brown, Jr.
The Tracker: The True Story of Tom Brown, Jr. (1979)
The Search: The Continuing Story of the Tracker (1982)
The Vision: The Dramatic True Story of One Man's Profound Relationship with Nature (1991)
The Quest: One Man's Search for Peace, Insight, and Healing in an Endangered World (1991)
The Journey: A Message of Hope and Harmony for Our Earth and Our Spirits (1992)
Awakening Spirits: A Native American Path to Inner Peace, Healing, and Spiritual Growth (1994)
Grandfather: A Native American's Lifelong Search for Truth and Harmony with Nature (1996)
The Way of the Scout: A Native American Path to Finding Spiritual Meaning in a Physical World (1997)
The Science and Art of Tracking: Nature's Path to Spiritual Discovery (1999)
The Code of the Warrior Robert L. Spencer
The Craft of the Warrior (1993; revised 2006) Rick Fields
The Code of the Warrior: In History, Myth and Everyday Life (1991)
The Awakened Warrior: Living with Courage, Compassion, and Discipline (1994)
Shannon E. French
The Code of the Warrior: Exploring Warrior Values Past and Present (2003) D. E. Tarver
The Hagakure: Yamamoto Tsunetomo (The Warrior Series: Book Three) (2002)
The Code of the Warrior: Daidoji Yuzan (The Warrior Series: Book Four) (2003)
The Way of the Living Sword: The Secret Teachings of Yagyu Munenori (The Warrior Series: Book Five) (2003) Inazo Nitobe
Bushido: The Warrior's Code (1979) Danaan Parry
Warriors of the Heart: A Handbook for Conflict Resolution (1991) Philip Dunn
The Art of Peace: Balance Over Conflict in Sun-Tzu's The Art of War (2003) Kazumi Tabata
Secret Tactics: Lessons from the Great Masters of Martial Arts (2003) Hua-Ching Ni
The Complete Works of Lao-Tzu: Tao Teh Ching and Hua Hu Ching (translation) (1979) Sharon LeBell
Epictetus's The Art of Living: The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness (translation) (1995)
Spiritual Warriorship Grant Schnarr
The Art of Spiritual Warfare: A Guide to Lasting Inner Peace Based on Sun Tzu's The Art of War (2001) John-Roger
Spiritual Warrior: The Art of Spiritual Living (1998) David Deida
The Way of the Superior Man: A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire (1997) Thom Hartmann
The Prophet's Way: Touching the Power of Life (1997) Bill Plotkin
Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche (2003)
The Martial Way Bruce Lee
Jeet Kune Do: Bruce Lee's Commentaries on the Martial Way (1997)
The Art of Expressing the Human Body (1998)
Bruce Lee: Artist of Life (1999)
Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living (2000) John Little
The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee to Better Understand the World Around You and Achieve a Rewarding Life (1996) Forrest E. Morgan
Living the Martial Way: A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think (1992) Chuck Norris
The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems (1996) Vernon Kitabu Turner
The Secret of Freedom (1994)
Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of a Zen Warrior (2000) Adam Hsu
The Sword Polisher's Record: The Way of Kung-Fu (1998) Wong Kiew Kit
The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu: The Secrets of Kung Fu for Self-Defense, Health, and Enlightenment (1996) Michael Minick
The Wisdom of Kung Fu (1974) Howard Reid/Michael Croucher
The Way of the Warrior: The Paradox of the Martial Arts (1995) Daniele Bolelli
On the Warrior's Path: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology (2003) Joseph Cardillo
Be Like Water: Practical Wisdom from the Martial Arts (2003) Dawn Callan
Awakening the Warrior Within: Secrets of Personal Safety and Inner Security (1995) Vladimir Vasiliev
The Russian System Guidebook: Inside Secrets of Soviet Special Forces Training (1997)
The Four-Fold Way Angeles Arrien
The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary (1993)
The Way of the Wizard Deepak Chopra
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams (1994)
The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want (1995)
The Return of Merlin (1995)
The Wisdom Within: Your Personal Program for Total Well-Being (1997; CD-Rom Interactive Workshop)
The Warrior-Sage Stuart Wilde
Miracles (1983)
The Force (1984)
Affirmations: How to Expand Your Personal Power and Take Back Control of Your Life (1987)
The Quickening (1988)
The Secrets of Life (1990)
Whispering Winds of Change: Perceptions of a New World (1993)
Weight Loss for the Mind (1994)
Silent Power (1996)
Infinite Self: 33 Steps to Reclaiming Your Inner Power (1996)
Simply Wilde: Discover the Wisdom That Is (1999)
God's Gladiators (2001)
Warrior Literature Hermann Hesse
Siddhartha (1951) Robert Hudson
The Center of the Wheel (1998) Christopher J. Regan
The Evolution of a Warrior: A Book of Personal Transformation (2001)
The Way of the Shaman John G. Neihardt
Black Elk Speaks (1932) Joseph Epes Brown
The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux (1953) Michael F. Steltenkamp
Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala (1993) Michael Harner
The Way of the Shaman (1980) Amber Wolfe
In the Shadow of the Shaman: Connecting with Self, Nature, and Spirit (1988) Doug Boyd
Mystics, Magicians, and Medicine People: Tales of a Wanderer (1989) Hank Wesselman
Spiritwalker: Messages from the Future (1995)
Medicinemaker: Mystic Encounters on the Shaman's Path (1998)
Visionseeker: Shared Wisdom from the Place of Refuge (2001)
The Journey to the Sacred Garden: A Guide to Traveling in the Spiritual Realms (2003) Bill Adams
The Five Lessons of Life (2000) Mary Summer Rain
Beyond Earthway (2000) Esmeralda Arana
The Path: A Practical Approach to Sorcery (2004)
Men's Issues Robert Moore/Douglas Gillette
King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archtypes of the Mature Masculine (1990)
The Warrior Within: Accessing the Knight in the Male Psyche (1992) Robert Bly
Iron John: A Book About Men (1990) Sam Keen
Fire in the Belly: On Being A Man (1991) Bill Kauth
A Circle of Men: The Original Manual for Men's Support Groups (1992)
Men's Leadership James Allen
As A Man Thinketh (Barnes & Noble Inc., 1992) Frank Channing Haddock
Power of Will: A Practical Companion Book for Unfoldment of the Powers of Mind (1948) John Heider
The Tao of Leadership: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching Adapted for a New Age (1985) John C. Maxwell
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Follow (1999) Robin Sharma
Leadership Wisdom from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders (2003)
The Woman Warrior Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archtype (1992) Cathy Lee Crosby
Let the Magic Begin: Opening the Door to a Whole New World of Possibility (1997)
A Fellowship of Peaceful Warriors ~ Veritas, Honestatis, Sapientia Novus Fraternitatis: The Inner Circle of Peaceful Warriors -- or The Inner Circle, for short -- was once a fledgling idea I had several years ago, but has grown to soon become a viable group of like-minded individuals who will seek to make personal changes in themselves, see the changes work in their lives, and thus carry forward to make a difference in the greater realm of our evolving planet. We will attempt to make the principles and practices of the peaceful warrior's way a catalyst for improving the areas of the bigger picture where the greatest response is needed -- family, community, nation -- essentially, our whole connected world. Also, this group -- comprised for the most part of my closest select friends, colleagues, and relatives -- will meet regularly in close fellowship to just enjoy each other's personalities, talents, personal evolution, and humor, all in a synergistic design that will part ways with the traditional hierarchal one that defines so many other fellowships and institutions prevalent in this age and well before. Each individual will be respected and honored as a leader unto himself and others; no one will sit at the head of this round table of bonded men. Precedence cannot be attained if each person is equal in distance from the center. Veritas, Honestatis, Sapientia -- Latin for Truth, Honor, Wisdom -- will be the guiding principles of our mutual quest. Honor -- one's personal integrity (Castaneda's teacher, don Juan Matus, would say a warrior's impeccability) -- will be the central core of this brotherhood, as well as manifesting individual wisdom and an ongoing search for universal truth. In our present surroundings of paradox, humor, and change -- which some say are the only true laws in this physical reality -- it is hoped that this experiment with the broader implications of the way of the peaceful warrior will have far-reaching effects on both the individuals involved and society alike. Who: Select friends, colleagues, and relatives who personify peaceful warrior qualities What: Initial convening of The Inner Circle Where: The Bastille When: ??? (Stay tuned!) Why: Right time, right action Novus Fraternitatis, in essence, means new brotherhood. In intent and purpose, it is simply a circle of good men, although women are equally welcome to become a valued part of this fraternity. The following virtues, reaffirmed through myriads of years of seemingly infinite personal circumstances and countless individual lives spanning the millenia, reflect what true men of worth are:
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