Chapter 18
Without conflict The warrior fades Alert for the next battle Pining over long-ago glory The warrior is a slave To an ill-defined other Clear perception Is the gift of the sage Perceiving that the other is not real The sage remains undefined Above all conflict Flowing like water The warrior has no influence Like that of the sage
Without an immediate conflict to provide a ready purpose, the warrior is left chasing self-definition. The reality is that they themselves cannot define this self that they are pursuing. This need for, and inability to delineate a self-definition causes the warrior to have a skewed perception of the world. Without a radical change in perception, their life can descend into a fairy chase.
Conversely, by not falling into the trap of self-defining the sage possesses clear perception. By recognizing that there is no “other”, that they are one with the world, the sage is able to remain undefined. Thus, they can rise above conflict and maintain equanimity and easily navigate the world.
The warrior’s need for definition is their limitation. Outside that definition, they are lost in the world. This results in their scope of influence being very narrow. By contrast, the sage’s fluidity within the world allows them to have a broader influence in the world. It is ironic, but the less defined one is, the greater their influence and potential for leadership.