Warrior of the Light

by Paulo Coelho

  But the Warrior knows that intuition is God's language and he continues listening to the wind and talking to the stars.

  The Warrior of the Light sits around a fire with his companions.

  They talk about his conquests, and any strangers who join the group are made welcome because everyone is proud of his life and of his Good Fight. The Warrior speaks enthusiastically about the path, about how he resisted a particular challenge or the solution he found to one especially difficult situation. When he tells stories, he invests his words with passion and romance.

  Sometimes, he exaggerates a little. He remembers that at times his ancestors used to exaggerate too.

  That is why he does the same thing. But he never confuses pride with vanity, and he never believes his own exaggerations.

  The Warrior hears someone say: "I need to understand everything before I can make a decision. I want to have the freedom to change my mind."

  The Warrior regards these words suspiciously. He too enjoys that freedom, but this does not prevent him from taking on a commitment, even if he does not know quite why he does so.

  A Warrior of the Light makes decisions. His soul is as free as the clouds in the sky, but he is committed to his dream. On his freely chosen path, he often has to get up earlier than he would like, speak to people from whom he learns nothing, make certain sacrifices.

  His friends say: "You're not free."

  The Warrior is free. But he knows that an open oven bakes no bread.

  To engage in any activity the Warrior needs to know what to expect, how to achieve the objective, and whether or not he is capable of carrying out the proposed task.

  "Only a person who, suitably equipped, feels no desire for the results of conquest and yet remains absorbed in the struggle can truly say that he has renounced the fruits of victory.

  "One can renounce the fruit, but that renunciation does not signal indifference to the results."

  The Warrior of the Light listens with respect to Gandhi's strategy and he remains unconvinced by those who, incapable of achieving any result at all, preach renunciation.

  The Warrior of the Light pays attention to small things because they can severely hamper him.

  A thorn, however tiny, can cause the traveler to halt. A tiny, invisible cell can destroy a healthy organism. The memory of a past moment of fear allows cowardice to be reborn with each new morning. A fraction of a second opens the way for the enemy's fatal blow.

  The Warrior is attentive to small things. Sometimes he is hard on himself, but he prefers to act in this way.

  "The devil is in the details," says an old proverb.

  The Warrior of the Light does not always have faith.

  There are moments when he believes in absolutely nothing. And he asks his heart: "Is all this effort really worth it?'

  But his heart remains silent. And the Warrior has to decide for himself.

  He looks for an example and remembers that Jesus went through something similar in order to inhabit fully the human condition.

  "Take away this cup from me," said Jesus. He too lost heart and courage, but he did not stop.

  The Warrior of the Light continues despite his lack of faith. He goes forward and, in the end, faith returns.

  The Warrior knows that no man is an island.

  He cannot fight alone; whatever his plan, he depends on other people. He needs to discuss his strategy, to ask for help, and, in moments of relaxation, to have someone with whom he can sit by the fire, someone he can regale with tales of battle.

  But he does not allow people to confuse this camaraderie with insecurity. He is transparent in his actions and secretive in his plans.

  A Warrior of the Light dances with his companions, but does not place the responsibility for his actions on anyone else.

  In the intervals between battles, the Warrior rests.

  Often he spends whole days doing nothing, because that is what his heart demands. But his intuition remains alert. He does not commit the capital sin of Sloth, because he knows where that can lead--to the warm monotony of Sunday afternoons when time simply passes.

  The Warrior calls this "the peace of the cemetery." He remembers a passage from Revelation: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.... So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth."

  A Warrior rests and laughs. But he is always alert.

  The Warrior of the Light knows that everyone is afraid of everyone else.

  This fear generally manifests itself in two ways: through aggression or through submission. They are two facets of the same problem.

  That is why, whenever he finds himself before someone who fills him with fear, the Warrior reminds himself that the other person has the same insecurities as he has. He has surmounted similar obstacles and experienced the same problems.

  But he knows how to deal with the situation better. Why? Because he uses fear as an engine, not as a brake.

  The Warrior learns from his opponent and acts in a similar manner.

  For the Warrior there is no such thing as an impossible love.

  He is not intimidated by silence, indifference, or rejection. He knows that behind the mask of ice that people wear, there beats a heart of fire.

  This is why the Warrior takes more risks than other people. He is constantly seeking the love of someone, even if that means often having to hear the word "no," returning home defeated and feeling rejected in body and soul.

  A Warrior never gives in to fear when he is searching for what he needs. Without love, he is nothing.

  The Warrior of the Light recognizes the silence that precedes an important battle.

  The silence says "Things have stopped. Why not forget about fighting and enjoy yourself a little." At this point, inexperienced combatants lay down their arms and complain that they are bored.

  The Warrior listens intently to that silence and understands that somewhere something is happening. He knows that devastating earthquakes arrive without warning. He has walked through forests at night and knows that it is precisely when the animals are silent that danger is near.

  While the others talk, the Warrior trains himself in the use of the sword and keeps his eye on the horizon.

  The Warrior of the Light is a believer.

  Because he believes in miracles, miracles begin to happen. Because he is sure that his thoughts can change his life, his life begins to change. Because he is certain that he will find love, love appears.

  Now and then, he is disappointed. Sometimes, he gets hurt.

  Then he hears people say: "He's so ingenuous!"

  But the Warrior knows that it is worth it. For every defeat, he has two victories in his favor.

  All believers know this.

  The Warrior of the Light has learned that it is best to follow the light.

  He has behaved treacherously, he has lied, he has strayed from the path, he has courted darkness and everything was fine, as if nothing had happened.

  Then an abyss suddenly opens up. One can take a thousand steps in safety, but a single step too many can put an end to everything. The Warrior stops before he destroys himself.

  When he makes that decision, he hears four comments: "You always do the wrong thing. You're too old to change. You're no good. You don't deserve it."

  He looks up at the sky. And a voice says: "My dear, everyone makes mistakes. You're forgiven, but I cannot force that forgiveness on you. It's your choice."

  The true Warrior of the Light accepts that forgiveness.

  The Warrior of the Light is always trying to improve.

  Every blow of his sword carries with it centuries of wisdom and meditation. Every blow needs to have the strength and skill of all the Warriors of the past who, even today, continue to bless the struggle. Each movement during combat honors the movements that the previous generations tried to transmit through the Tradition.

  The Warrior develops the beauty of his blows.

  A Warrior o
f the Light is reliable.

  He makes a few mistakes, he sometimes thinks he is more important than he really is, but he does not lie.

  When people gather around the fire, he talks to his friends, male and female. He knows that his words are stored in the memory of the Universe, like a testimony of what he thinks.

  The Warrior asks himself: "Why do I talk so much, when often I am incapable of carrying out everything I say?"

  His heart replies: "When you defend your ideas in public, you then have to make an effort to live accordingly."

  It is because he believes that he is what he says he is that the Warrior ends up becoming precisely that.

  The Warrior knows that there are occasional pauses in the struggle.

  There is no point in forcing things; he must have patience and wait for the two sides to clash again. In the silence of the battlefield, he listens to his heart beating.

  He notices that he is tense and afraid.

  The Warrior takes stock of his life; he makes sure that his sword is sharp, his heart satisfied, that faith still burns in his soul. He knows that maintenance is as important as action.

  There is always something not quite right. And the Warrior takes advantage of those moments when time stops to equip himself better.

  A Warrior knows that an angel and a devil are both competing for his sword hand.

  The devil says: "You will weaken. You will not know exactly when. You are afraid." The angel says: "You will weaken. You will not know exactly when. You are afraid."

  The Warrior is surprised. Both the angel and the devil have said the same thing.

  The devil continues: "Let me help you." And the angel says: "I will help you."

  At that moment, the Warrior understands the difference. The words may be the same, but these two allies are completely different.

  And he chooses the angel's hand.

  Whenever the Warrior draws his sword, he uses it.

  It can be used to clear a path, to help someone, to fend off danger, but a sword is a capricious thing and does not like to see its blade exposed for no reason.

  That is why the Warrior never makes threats. He can attack, defend himself or flee; all of these attitudes form part of combat. It is not, however, part of combat to diminish the force of a blow by talking about it.

  A Warrior of the Light is always alert to the movements of his sword. But he never forgets that the sword is watching his every move as well.

  The sword was not made to be used by the mouth.

  Sometimes Evil pursues the Warrior of the Light, and when it does, he calmly invites it into his tent.

  He asks Evil: "Do you want to hurt me or use me to hurt others?"

  Evil pretends not to hear. It says that it knows of the darkness in the Warrior's soul. It touches wounds that have not yet healed and calls for vengeance. It mentions certain tricks and subtle poisons that will help him to destroy his enemies.

  The Warrior of the Light listens. If conversation lags, he encourages Evil to continue talking by asking all about its various plans.

  When he has heard everything, he gets up and leaves. Evil feels so weary and empty after all this talk that it does not have the strength to follow him.

  The Warrior of the Light unwittingly takes a false step and plunges into the abyss.

  Ghosts frighten him and solitude torments him. His aim had been to fight the Good Fight, and he never imagined that this would happen to him, but it did. Shrouded in darkness, he makes contact with his master.

  "Master, I have fallen into the abyss," he says. "The waters are deep and dark."

  "Remember one thing," replies his master. "You do not drown simply by plunging into water, you only drown if you stay beneath the surface."

  And the Warrior uses all his strength to escape from his predicament.

  The Warrior of the Light behaves like a child.

  People are shocked; they have forgotten that a child needs to have fun and to play, to be slightly irreverent and to ask awkward, childish questions, to talk nonsense that not even he believes in.

  And they say, horrified: "So this is the spiritual path, is it? He's so immature!"

  The Warrior feels proud of such comments. And he remains in touch with God through his innocence and his joy, without ever losing sight of his mission.

  The Latin root of the word responsibility reveals its true meaning: the capacity to respond, to react.

  A responsible Warrior is one who has proved able to observe and to learn. He is even capable of being "irresponsible." Sometimes, he has allowed himself to be carried along by a situation, without responding or reacting.

  But he always learned his lesson; he took a stand, listened to advice, and was humble enough to accept help.

  A responsible Warrior is not someone who takes the weight of the world on his shoulders, but someone who has learned to deal with the challenges of the moment.

  A Warrior of the Light cannot always choose his battlefield.

  Sometimes, in the middle of battles not of his choosing, he is taken by surprise, but there is no point in running away. Those battles will merely follow him.

  Then, at the point when conflict seems almost inevitable, the Warrior talks to his opponent. Showing neither fear nor cowardice, he tries to find out why the other man wants to fight, what made him leave his village in order to seek him out to fight this duel. Without even unsheathing his sword, the Warrior persuades his opponent that this is not a fight for him.

  A Warrior of the Light listens to what his opponent has to say. He only fights if absolutely necessary.

  The Warrior of the Light is terrified when making important decisions.

  "This is too much for you," says a friend. "Go on, be brave," says another. And so his doubts grow.

  After some days of anxiety, he withdraws to the corner of his tent where he usually sits to meditate and pray. He sees himself in the future. He sees the people who will benefit or be harmed by his attitude. He does not want to cause pointless suffering, but nor does he want to abandon the path.

  The Warrior allows the decision to reveal itself.

  If he has to say "yes," he will say it bravely. If he has to say "no," he will say it without a trace of cowardice.

  A Warrior of the Light accepts his Personal Legend completely.

  His companions say: "He has remarkable faith!"

  For a moment, the Warrior feels proud, then immediately feels ashamed of what he has heard because he does not have as much faith as he appears to have.

  At that moment, his angel whispers: "You are only an instrument of the Light. There is no reason to feel proud or to feel guilty. There are only reasons to feel happy."

  And the Warrior of the Light, aware now that he is but an instrument, feels calmer and more secure.

  Hitler may have lost the war on the battlefield, but he ended up winning something too," says Marek Halter, "because man in the twentieth century created the concentration camp and revived torture and taught his fellow men that it is possible to close their eyes to the misfortunes of others."

  Perhaps he is right: There are abandoned children, massacred civilians, innocent people imprisoned, lonely old people, drunks in the gutter, madmen in power.

  But perhaps he isn't right at all, for there are also Warriors of the Light.

  And Warriors of the Light never accept what is unacceptable.

  The Warrior of the Light never forgets the old saying: The good little goat doesn't bleat.

  Injustices happen. Everyone finds themselves in situations they do not deserve, usually when they are unable to defend themselves. Defeat often knocks at the Warrior's door.

  At such times, he remains silent. He does not waste energy on words, because they can do nothing. He knows it is best to use his strength to resist and have patience, knowing that Someone is watching, Someone who saw the unnecessary suffering and who will not accept it.

  That Someone gives him what he most needs: time. Sooner or later, everything w
ill once more work in his favor.

  A Warrior of the Light is wise; he does not talk about his defeats.

  A sword may not last very long, but the Warrior of the Light must.

  That is why he never allows himself to be deceived by his own abilities and therefore avoids being taken by surprise. He gives each thing the value it deserves.

  Often, when the Warrior is pondering grave matters, the devil whispers in his ear: "Don't worry about that, it's not important."

  At others, when he is faced by banalities, the devil says to him: "You should pour all your energies into resolving this situation."

  The Warrior does not listen to what the devil is telling him; he is the master of his sword.

  A Warrior of the Light is always vigilant.

  He does not ask anyone else for permission to wield his sword; he simply takes it in his hands. Nor does he waste time explaining his actions; faithful to God's decisions, he gives his answer in what he does.

  He looks to either side of him and identifies his friends. He looks behind him and identifies his opponents. He is implacable with treachery, but he does not seek revenge; he merely drives away the enemies of his life, never fighting with them any longer than is necessary.

  A Warrior does not try to appear one way or the other, he simply is.

  A Warrior does not keep company with those who wish to harm him. Nor is he seen in the company of those who want to "console" him.

  He avoids anyone who is only by his side in the event of a defeat: these false friends want to prove that weakness is rewarded. They always bring him bad news. They always try to destroy the Warrior's confidence, all under the cloak of "solidarity."

  When they see him wounded, they dissolve in tears, but, in their heart, they are happy because the Warrior has lost a battle. They do not understand that this is part of the fight.