July 9th

Nonyielding


When in the arena,
Yield not to an aggressor.
When outside the arena,
Affirm compassion.

This world and this society are competitive. Tao uses the metaphor of the warrior to meet that competition. Warriors never yield to their opponents. They may sidestep, but they do not give way.Whether you are a lawyer, police officer, fire fighter, doctor, businessperson, athlete, or any one of numerous other professions, you compete against either other people or natural forces. But there is a right way and a wrong way to compete. Avoid anger and greed. Use concentration and awareness.
Coincidentally, concentration and awareness are also necessary for spirituality. That is why the follower of Tao incorporates the way of the warrior into training. The warrior and the sage both seek to transcend emotion and petty thinking, to perfect themselves, and to live lives of the deepest truth.
But when outside the arena, do not forget to be kind. Leave behind competitive aggression. You must still have awareness, concentration, and reflex, but the expression will be different. Your compassion must not falter. That is why the combination of the way of the warrior with the way of Tao is the ultimate symbol of versatility. Such a follower of Tao commands the extremes of the universe.

Personal Interpretation

When faced with the competition that defines the world, we must never yield. We must ourselves compete in a number of different arenas, but we should not allow our lives to be dominated by a sense of superiority or inferiority. We must not let the competition of the world undo us, nor should it be a way of life. We should compete when necessary, and in the right ways. Anger and greed won't yield the kind of results we're looking for. The concentration and awareness that competition causes to spring up within us are infinitely useful to us in our quest for spiritual enlightenment when properly harnessed and applied. When we are not competing, we should bring a sense of compassion to all that we do. Incorporating the ways of the warrior and the sage promises a meaningful life in Tao's embrace.