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 can enjoy 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 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 you need to know what you can expect, how to achieve your objective, and whether or not you are 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 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 light pays attention to small things because they can severely

hamper him.

A thorn, however tiny, can cause the traveller 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 detail,' says one of the Tradition's old proverbs.

The warrior of 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.

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

'Remove this cup from me,' said Jesus. He too lost heart and courage, but he did not stop.

The warrior of 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 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 pa.s.ses.

The warrior calls this 'the peace of the cemetery'. He remembers a pa.s.sage 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 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 like 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 light recognises the silence that precedes an important battle.

And that silence seems to be saying: 'Things have stopped. Why not forget about fighting and enjoy yourself a little.' Inexperienced combatants lay down their arms at this point and complain that they are bored.

The warrior listens intently to that silence; 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 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, that 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 favour.

All believers know this.

The warrior of 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; you can take a thousand steps in safety, but just one step too many can put an end to everything. Then 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 light accepts that forgiveness.

The warrior of 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 honours the movements that the previous generations tried to transmit through the Tradition.

The warrior develops the beauty of his blows.

A warrior of 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 round 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.

And 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, that he is 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 angel and devil have said the same thing.

Then the devil goes on: '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 good reason.

That is why the warrior never makes threats. He can attack, defend himself or flee; all of these att.i.tudes 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 light is always alert to the movements of his sword. But he never forgets that the sword is watching his every move as well.

It was not made to be used by the mouth.

Sometimes evil pursues the warrior of light, and when it does, he calmly

invites it into his tent.

He asks evil: 'Do you want to hurt me or to use me to hurt others?'

Evil pretends not to hear. It says that it knows 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 light listens. If conversation flags, 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 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 had 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.