The Common Denominator
I've been doing a lot of reading lately regarding ancient warrior cultures: the Spartans, Knights, Samurai, Apache, Shaolin, and of course...the various Filipino warriors, which include the Moros, Matigsalog, and Igorot headhunters. In reading about these warriors, I realized they all had one thing in common. It went beyond fighting skills, tactics, armor, or weapons.
They all possessed spiritual fortitude and/or religious faith in some form. The Spartans were infamous for their religious devotion to the gods and would consult Oracles (proposed psychics) for advice and guidance. The Samurai were dedicated to Zen Buddhism and practiced meditation. The Knights dedicated themselves to the chivalric code and fought for God. The Apache believed in various deities and prayed to them before battle, and the legendary Geronimo even converted to Christianity later in life. The Filipinos are no different...the Moros dedicate themselves to the practices and faith of Islam and would pray to Allah before going into battle. The Igorots were animists who believed in various gods and supernatural deities that helped them in battle. In general, many Filipinos believe in God and would rely on prayer, incantations, and amulets to protect them in battle, and possess great faith in God and the supernatural.
In today's world, where religion and faith appear to be the great divider among the people, and where to even speak of one's religion is considered "politically incorrect", I think it's important to know that the warriors of old firmly held their spiritual and/or religious beliefs. They may have been different from one another, but in the end, they knew that with death on the horizon...faith in a Higher Being became essential to their clarity of mind in battle. I like to think that if I were to get a Samurai, a Moro, a Spartan, a Knight, a Shaolin Monk, and an Apache warrior all in one room...I believe they would each have some kind of dedication to spirituality and religious faith. Yes, they may have different belief systems, but in the end, they all possess spirituality.
Despite all my faults, I still pray to God and meditate every day. I consider it an important part of training. I believe that it's important to train the physical through conditioning and hard fight training. I believe it's important to train the mind by reading warrior texts and playing Chess, which is truly war in miniature and trains one's logical and strategic thinking. However, prayer and meditation fuse the body and mind. They calm the mind, strengthen focus, and enable the body to endure and persevere through hard punishment. More importantly, they improve me as a warrior in all aspects of my life--it helps my relationships with others, and allows me to view life more compassionately and patiently.
They all possessed spiritual fortitude and/or religious faith in some form. The Spartans were infamous for their religious devotion to the gods and would consult Oracles (proposed psychics) for advice and guidance. The Samurai were dedicated to Zen Buddhism and practiced meditation. The Knights dedicated themselves to the chivalric code and fought for God. The Apache believed in various deities and prayed to them before battle, and the legendary Geronimo even converted to Christianity later in life. The Filipinos are no different...the Moros dedicate themselves to the practices and faith of Islam and would pray to Allah before going into battle. The Igorots were animists who believed in various gods and supernatural deities that helped them in battle. In general, many Filipinos believe in God and would rely on prayer, incantations, and amulets to protect them in battle, and possess great faith in God and the supernatural.
In today's world, where religion and faith appear to be the great divider among the people, and where to even speak of one's religion is considered "politically incorrect", I think it's important to know that the warriors of old firmly held their spiritual and/or religious beliefs. They may have been different from one another, but in the end, they knew that with death on the horizon...faith in a Higher Being became essential to their clarity of mind in battle. I like to think that if I were to get a Samurai, a Moro, a Spartan, a Knight, a Shaolin Monk, and an Apache warrior all in one room...I believe they would each have some kind of dedication to spirituality and religious faith. Yes, they may have different belief systems, but in the end, they all possess spirituality.
Despite all my faults, I still pray to God and meditate every day. I consider it an important part of training. I believe that it's important to train the physical through conditioning and hard fight training. I believe it's important to train the mind by reading warrior texts and playing Chess, which is truly war in miniature and trains one's logical and strategic thinking. However, prayer and meditation fuse the body and mind. They calm the mind, strengthen focus, and enable the body to endure and persevere through hard punishment. More importantly, they improve me as a warrior in all aspects of my life--it helps my relationships with others, and allows me to view life more compassionately and patiently.
posted by Mike Pana at
2:30 PM
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