Chapter 31
The mental battle.
To be physically conquered Is of little consequence Regroup and fight again To lose the mental battle Is devastating Recovery is uncertain Commentary Anyone who has participated in any sort of competitive athletic pursuit has experienced, or at least witnessed, this: That situation where an athlete is defeated before they even begin. Regardless of talent, the contest is over before it starts because they are just mentally “out of it”. Alternatively, we also have all seen the overachiever who succeeds beyond all expectation. Perhaps we have even been defeated by someone like this. Regardless of lack of talent, this person’s confidence (not to be confused with arrogance) carries them to victory. Or, if not outright victory, at least an unexpectedly strong showing. These examples show how one’s mental state can determine the course of their physical life. The important thing is not to just develop the proper mental state, but to maintain it. For, if we maintain the proper mental state, any physical defeat we may suffer is of little consequence. However, if we allow a physical defeat to destroy our mental state, we have been truly defeated and may never recover. So, what is the proper mental state? It is a genuine confidence based upon knowledge and effort. It is correctly understanding your goal, without letting it define you. It is being able to view the world as pure experience without adding in our preconceptions. It is deflecting the meaningless prattle of others. In short, it is maintaining equanimity; what Daoists would call “Entering into the Way”.