Training to become a peaceful warrior

I read ‘Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives’ a couple of months back. Dan Millman, the author, was a former world trampoline champion, university coach, martial arts instructor and college professor. Following his spiritual quests over twenty years, Dan’s interest in developing talent in sports eventually shifted to developing talent in living. He finally started writing to share his personal and spiritual growth and has published 13 books so far. ‘Way of the Peaceful Warrior’ is Dan Millman’s first book based on a true story but with some fictional elements. The book tells of the incidents in Dan’s life that changed him completely, especially after his accidental meeting with a guy whom he called ‘Socrates’.

Quote: “I wrote it to inspire, uplift, and to remind readers of life's bigger picture and higher promise.”

For those of you whom have embarked on a spiritual journey in life, you will find this book an interesting read, especially when you can relate to the author’s experiences. Many a times when reading the story, I heard myself saying “Hey, I had that feeling before.” or “Hmm…that sounds so familiar.” Hope I can succeed in my own journey to become a peaceful warrior. I shall not share too much about the story. Do read it if it interests you. But here are some nice quotes from the book which I would like to share:

Socrates:“…the ripples of your mind have nothing to do with you; you’ll just watch them, without attachment, no longer compelled to overreact every time a pebble drops. You will be free of the world’s turbulence as soon as you stop taking your thoughts so seriously. Remember – when you are in trouble, let go of your thoughts to see through your mind!”
Dan: “Socrates, how?”
Socrates:“…leaps of awareness don’t happen all at once; they require time and practice. And the practice of insight into the source of your own ripples is meditation.”

Socrates:
“There is a saying: ‘When you sit, sit; when you stand, stand; whatever you do, don’t wobble.’ Once you make your choice, do it with all your spirit. Don’t be like the preacher who thought about praying while making love to his wife, and thought about making love to his wife while praying.”
“It is better to make a mistake with the full force of your being than to timidly avoid mistakes with a trembling spirit. Responsibility means recognising both pleasure and price, action and consequence, then making a choice.”

Socrates: “If you don’t get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don’t want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can’t hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change, free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is a law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.”
Dan: “If life is nothing but suffering, then why bother at all?”
Socrates: “Life is not suffering; it’s just that you will suffer it, rather than enjoy it, until you let go of your mind’s attachments and just go for the ride freely, no matter what happens.”

The equation for happiness as according to Socrates is as follows:
Happiness = Satisfaction ÷ Desires
(The fewer desires you have, the greater the satisfaction in life you’ll get and naturally the more happiness you’ll attain. )

Dan:
“First mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers.”
“Then mountains are no longer mountains, rivers are no longer rivers.”
“Finally, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers.”

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My Afterthoughts

Frankly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book. It was one of those books that I didn’t choose myself but was hand-picked for me as a gift by a good friend. Another good choice Thuy, thanks! Only when I read books picked or recommended by others do I realise that I have overlooked so many good books out there. It’s good to have friends who seem to know what I want, what I need. To all my friends, thanks for being my Socrates.

ps: If you want more info about the author and his books, go here: Link