Freedom From Bitterness Pt. 2

A life transformed by the Warrior’s Way is a life that leaves bitterness behind. Following impeccable living means more than adopting new habits; it means embracing a new identity, a new self. This transformation is not something we achieve on our own - it is the work of the Spirit through the new birth, the new you. When we accept and live the Warrior’s Way, we become new creations, not by birthright but through spiritual renewal and hard work. Our old self, with its anger and resentment, is recapitulated and eliminated, and we take on a nature shaped by living the Warrior’s Way through an impeccable lifestyle.

This change isn't superficial. It goes deep, altering our desires and our very nature. As new creations, bitterness no longer fits within the life we now live. It contradicts the new self that impeccability has formed in us. Living as we once did - holding onto grudges, nurturing old hurts - becomes impossible. The Spirit within us, coupled with recapping, pulls us toward forgiveness, reconciliation, and grace. Our transformed nature makes it ‘supernaturally natural’ to align with the Warrior’s Way, including destroying bitterness.

Our new life is also characterized by a new lease on life. The command of the Warrior to destroy bitterness isn't merely a suggestion - it's a call to live consistently with the new life we’ve earned, to live under the impeccability of the Warrior’s Way. The great Spirit now dwells in us, guiding us, comforting us, and leading us away from the things that grieve the Spirit. Bitterness and unforgiveness do more than damage our own hearts - they grieve the Spirit within us. When we hold onto resentment, we resist gentle promptings and disrupt our fellowship with the Spirit.

This sensitivity to the Spirit transforms how we approach every aspect of life. We begin to care deeply about what pleases us, and the Spirit, and what doesn’t. Our words, actions, and thoughts come under Spirit’s guidance, and we desire to reflect the heart of the Warrior. When we let go of bitterness, we make space for joy and peace. We can sense the second attentions presence, even in life’s challenges.

So, does what pleases or grieves the Spirit matter to you? Take a moment to examine your path with heart. Have you been holding onto bitterness or unforgiveness? Recognize that these attitudes stand in the way of the life the Warrior’s Way intends for you. Release them and invite the Spirit to fill you with peace. Then, embrace the freedom that comes from living in step with the Spirit, sensitive to its guidance as it renews your heart and mind. Let's get to work!

Warrior of Lite

Warrior's Log - One

"For me there is only the travelling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worth-while challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly."

Warrior of Lite

Path With Heart

"The devil’s weed is only one of a million paths. Anything is one of a million paths [un camino entre cantidades de caminos]. Therefore, you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if you feel you should not follow it, you must not stay with it under any conditions. 

To have such clarity you must lead a disciplined life. Only then will you know that any path is only a path, and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you to do. 

But your decision to keep on the path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. I warn you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question. This question is one that only a very old man asks. My benefactor told me about it once when I was young, and my blood was too vigorous for me to understand it. Now I do understand it. I will tell you what it is: Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. 

In my own life I could say I have traversed long, long paths, but I am not anywhere. My benefactor’s question has meaning now. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn’t. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.”

"Before you embark on it [path] you ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path.” 

“But how will I know for sure whether a path has a heart or not?” 

“Anybody would know that. The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him. At that point very few men can stop to deliberate, and leave the path.”

"A path without a heart is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy; it does not make you work at liking it.”

"For me there is only the travelling on the paths that have a heart, on any path that may have a heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge for me is to traverse its full length. And there I travel - looking, looking, breathlessly.”

Warrior of Lite