In order to, safely, go through this jungle of life, you must equip yourself with the proper weapons. There is resistance the moment you try to accomplish something. There is resistance from the earth when a plant emerges from a seed, the insects and bugs go after it, and the weeds choke it and compete for its water and nourishment. The only protection for it is the gardener. It is also true for humans because of inner weaknesses and unfavorable circumstances we haven’t the power to give forth the branches of achievement on the tree trunk of life. Because bad karma and the weeds of our terrible habits that are stifling and choking our ground we need the help of a guru. When you are in the forest of spirituality or theology you must have a proper guide to understand the mysteries of God and the science of yoga meditation. The guru gives you the techniques of meditation for burning off bad weed habits so you can resist these habit enemies. Then after you have advanced, the guru gives you the advanced technique of burning off bad karma.
Do you realize that Japan is about the size of California, yet so fierce, their soldiers kept us at war for about four years. It is like California going to war with the rest of the United States. One nation was so powerful in its dedication, its courage, and the way they fought. This just reminds me of how weak we are. We have become a peaceful people in the wrong way and we are unwilling to fight. When my friend’s friend fought in Salerno both of his knees were shot out, and seventy five percent of the people there were killed. His entire battalion was wiped out. He was asked what kind of a man survived there.
He said, “Most of the guys who prayed, died. Only those who became living tigers and began to fight for survival made it.” The battlefield of life is no different. It is a ceaseless fight for victory between good and evil. The man who does not know how to protect himself from evil is soon disarmed or killed. There is a lesson here; when you pray you pray and when you fight you fight. The wise person who is armed with all methods of warfare against illness, against the doubter, against karma, against all sinful thoughts and bad habits, becomes the victor of this great escapade we call life. The tendency of some spiritual people is that everything can be accomplished with prayers.
But in reality, life is a battlefield, a colossal war at all levels. The Hindu calls it “Kurukshetra,” the battlefield of life. It is a ceaseless war of the mind versus the soul for divine supremacy. You and I have to leave this world with our victories and our failures and start all over again. How does the allegorical battle between good and evil and what happened in Salerno apply in everyday life? To be successful in life you have to learn how to conquer your bad habits and the lesson in Salerno gives you and idea of the attitude you need to have in life. When you pray you pray and when you fight you fight. That means when you live and work you do not lose your focus. Do not let go of your concentration for a second. Then and only then are you living correctly. In summation, those who are highly motivated and actually see themselves being motivated can get to this state. It depends on your current level of consciousness. You did not come into this world to lose yourself in this dream world, but to find your true self.
