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From the heart

 

1

If you have to go, then go: what kind of hesitation can there be? The path is the path. Necessity is necessity. There is no life without purpose. If you are afraid to take a step, then you are dying; if you reconsider your choice of path out of fear for yourself, it means that you have already died. If, for the sake of achieving the goal, you decided on meanness or atrocity, then your path died. This is how it should be: do not desecrate your path and do not desecrate yourself. It's difficult. But if you strive for easiness, then sit and scratch yourself; although it may be also too difficult for you. The more noble the aim is, the more difficult the path is – this is the truth. Very rarely, it is quick and easy to achieve something meaningful. This is more unusual than usual. Therefore, be prepared for a difficult road.

 

2

A worthy person is one who has chosen a worthy path, or at least the one who, having chosen a mediocre path, does not defile him with unworthy actions. The one who wallowed himself and his path in mud is an unworthy person. Do not despise him, but do not trust him, and above that - do not trust him with an important matter. He is an amazing being: he seems to be, and at the same time, he ceases to be. This is because a person is not born to wallow in mud. If he does not have a worthy aim and a worthy path, then it is as if he himself does not exist, - after all, the place assigned to him in the world remained unoccupied. We live among such empty people: this is why sometimes it seems that everything around is empty and echoing, and that the world is like a cold night.

 

3

Life is a path, a path is overcoming, overcoming is a struggle. There should not be any hatred to what you are fighting with. Hatred destroys. By hating, you destroy yourself, because everything that surrounds you is yourself. Whatever you direct your hatred to, it will fall upon you. It's unavoidable. You will be hurt by it from the outside and from the inside. Hatred is evil; and a man is not meant to do evil. Therefore, it will be extraneous to you, like a stone in a living heart; and in the end the heart will die. Learn to fight without hatred. It is possible.

 

4

You can fight without anger and hatred. You can lose without despair. You can die without fear. You can live without shame. All this depends only on the person himself. A man has power over himself; therefore, he can always restrain himself from unworthy actions. And if he had no control over himself, he would be ridiculous. A being with a high mind, a deep soul and a bright heart, and at the same time unable to control himself - what a pitiful creature! The world does not need such a thing. A man is not like that. This means that you should not give yourself humiliating indulgences.

 

5

A man is like a well from which one can endlessly draw strength. But few people want to understand this. Strength is duty and responsibility. Hence, strength is action, struggle. And struggle is a hard work, pain and danger. Many are afraid of this, and therefore prefer to be fainthearted and not to notice their strength. They think it's calmer this way. But this is a mistake. No one has peace, because a person is not intended for it, as well as for hatred. If you want peace, you want the impossible. And this does not bring one closer to peace, but takes him away from it. We should be happy with a brief rest that we can get from time to time amid the eternal struggle. While resting, one must be ready to give up rest at any time. We must be ready for this because rest is not a temporary break from the struggle: it exists within it. Only those who understand this will be able to appreciate the minutes of rest at their true worth. And the one who understands will not be upset and broken if the rest is suddenly interrupted.

 

6

Will is the best weapon. It is like a sword that will never turn its edge, break, or be lost unless the owner wants it. Anyone who fights is a warrior. And he must not put away his sword. Even when the warrior is resting, the sword must be with him. When he sleeps, his hand should be on the hilt of the sword.

 

7

The path of life is the path of a warrior. This is a struggle. If you live, then you are a warrior. If you are not a warrior, then think: do you live? The will of a man is the sword of a warrior. A man and his will are one; hence a warrior and his sword are one. To give up the sword is to give up oneself; to let the sword turn its edge is to mutilate your soul. Not worrying about strengthening your will means neglecting yourself, throwing yourself out as an unnecessary thing. A thoughtful person will not do that.

8

We are all in the middle of a battle every minute of our lives. The air we breathe is filled with battle. This battle is dangerous. Therefore, the feelings and thoughts of many people are sick with fear. It is as if mud is thrown into a vessel of clean water and stirred. Fear is one of the worst human diseases. It can be found in everyone. Fear kills mind, and can kill conscience if they are not protected with the sword of will. Fear can turn a person into a vile creature, in comparison with whom even the most senseless and coward animal looks like a person. It's like death. Thus the faint-hearted die trying to escape death.

 

9

Many people think that our goal in this world is to survive. This is not true. Our goal is to make the world and people better. You need to value and cherish your life, because it is a valuable tool with which a person fulfills his destiny. But one should not value a tool above its purpose. Life will end one day anyway; therefore, one should rejoice when the opportunity to die in the name of good is given, and not just for nothing.

 

10

Human existence is based on oughtness. This is what humans were born for. To separate this term from the other, I will call it "The Great Oughtness." Its essence is that a person exists in order for the world to exist. All other obligations are secondary. Life is also secondary. It is a tool. Can it be considered unacceptable for the tool to break during work? If you fear too much for the tool, the task will remain unfulfilled. This is ridiculous. You should not break the tool for nothing: you need to take care of it. But one should not take care of it at the expense of work. Every person's work is the well-being of the world. One can spare his life for these reasons.

 

11

Do not think that a person is nothing, an expendable material. A human is a great being. Therefore, The Great Oughtness is the foundation of his life. Cattle does not care about the world because it is just cattle. It has no great oughtness. A man is born to be a man not to live like cattle. He must live like a man and die like a man. Much has been given to him - and much is required of him. Those who do not understand this are close to the cattle.

 

12

The one who pours precious medicine into a pit is foolish. Likewise, the one who wastes himself for nothing is foolish too. He throws away life itself, as if it was unnecessary junk. This is unforgivable. It would be better for such a person not to be born, so as not to give his mother unnecessary pain. A mouse that gives birth to its own little mice has more meaning. They at least do what they were born to do. It is shameful for a man to be less significant than a mouse. But there are many who disgraced themselves by this. There are many people with mousy souls. This is because they do not respect themselves. Respecting yourself means appreciating your human essence, understanding your great destiny. However, self-esteem and pride should not be confused. This mistake must be avoided with the utmost care. Self-respect is as different from pride as pure water is different from wine. A person with taste will appreciate the difference.

 

13

Don't think that one person can outshine another. He can be smarter, stronger, more beautiful, more honest, richer, he can surpass him in something else, but he cannot outshine him. A man is a man. All people are equal because their essence is equal. The one who understands that he is not inferior to others and does not humiliate himself before them, as if they are higher beings, is moderately proud. It's good. The one who looks at another with disdain, as if he is a lower being, is arrogant. This is unworthy. And whoever puts a person above Nature, his pride has already taken a step towards madness.

 

14

Pride is the rot of a soul from which most vices arise. The source of cowardice also lies in pride. Not giving your life for others is to value yourself above them. Often a coward person does not understand this himself. He behaves like an animal. But a man must be a man. You need to be able to look at yourself through the eyes of reason, and not just feelings. You need to be able to evaluate yourself. A man with conscience will not value himself above others. A man of willpower will not allow fear to abscure his mind. A person with a heart will have no doubt whether to die for others.

 

15

Not recognizing the real superiority of another person over oneself is one of the types of arrogance. The consequence of this is injustice. Forget your arrogance and be fair. If someone else's superiority really exists, admit it. Accept it. If necessary, follow the one who is more knowledgeable and skilled than you. This is not humiliation, but the natural order of things. Someone is always ahead of the other in something; and it is not humiliating to follow someone who can show the way. It is humiliating to do unworthy deeds at the same time.

 

16

All people have the same Great Oughtness. So many people, so many paths; but all these paths merge into one path, just as streams merge into a river. It must be remembered that all paths converge. This should be one of the foundations of life. The separation of people is temporary. They originated from one and will return to one. The current separation is not as deep as it seems. This must not be forgotten. If you look closely, you can see the reflection of your soul in the eyes of any person. Don't be blind.

 

17

There are no truly evil people. The world is real and reality is life. Escape from reality brings us to death. Evil is illusory. Going into this illusion is killing us. He who has gone into it sows death around him. First of all, he kills himself. He takes the illusion of evil into himself and becomes different from what he really is. So, he dies. His life becomes unreal: it is like a nightmare that other people see together with him. The reality of evil is a nightmare. Don't sleep in the world of nightmares. Wake up, because the one who is sleeping is not fulfilling his duty. Remember that evil in people is illusory; only the grievous consequences of actions of those who have exchanged life for illusion are real. The evil one sleeps, the one who hates sleeps, the one who despises sleeps. In their nightmares, they do not see themselves and are not aware of themselves, and therefore anything can be expected from them. It is unworthy to be like that.

 

18

The one who is not sleeping is able to control himself. Whoever is able to control himself will be able to fight without hatred. Don't look for an enemy. You don't need him. The world is not based on the idea of enmity. Just fight. You will have enough difficulties even without an enemy. If someone tells you that you are enemies with him, do not believe. He is delusional. Don't let his illusion rule your life. He must not sow the seeds of hatred in you. Be the wall they bounce off. Believe not in illusion, but in reality. The reality is like this: evil does not exist in people, hatred does not exist, enmity does not exist. Write it on your heart. Write and let others read.

 

19

The world is suppressed by illusions. People are to blame for this. They recognize the non-existent as existing, prefer the illusory life to the genuine one. This needs to be fixed. This is a work worthy of a warrior and a man. One person won't change the world if he doesn’t try. If you are told that nothing can be done, it is not true. People made the world worse; people will make it better. If you don't believe in this, life will have no meaning.

 

20

The mountain will not be moved by the one who is too lazy to push it well. This means that you can change the world if you are diligent and consistent in your intentions. Always keep this thought in your head. Remember this better than your name. Then you will be like a fist breaking through the earth. Then nothing will stop you - nor difficulties, nor obstacles. And remember that the same power lurks in every person. But it is one of those forces that needs a certain direction to flow. It does not flow backwards. If you do not care about the good of the world, you will not gain this strength. A coward cannot find it either. Therefore, cast out fear from yourself. Fear is a deception: there is no support for it in reality. It is dust that can be brushed off with one movement of your hand if you are realizing the need.

 

21

Who wants a lot for himself, would deal only with himself. He has no time nor energy left for others. You can't become a warrior like that. A warrior chasing comfort and carrying excess weight on his shoulders is not a warrior. This must be realized. In fact, a person needs just a little. Therefore, you need to be able to give up what you don’t really need. The inability to do this makes a person weak. In battle, he has too many extra thoughts. The path is beyond him; The Great Oughtness frightens him. He stands still. He is dead. It is stupid to try living better, ignoring the very meaning of life. This is truly ridiculous. It should be like this: first - meaning, and after that, if you have time and effort - everything else. Then in battle you will look and think properly.

 

22

Always be ready to lose what you have. You will not lose the Truth, you will not lose the Great Oughtness, you will not lose reason, you will not lose conscience, you will not lose willpower, you will not lose true freedom, you will not lose love. This means that you will not lose yourself. Everything else is temporary. You can do without it. Remember: the less you need, the fewer weak points you have. This is important for a warrior.

 

23

Be modest in your needs. So, you don’t have to carry an extra bag of delicacies on your shoulders. It is enough to have three pieces of bread: one - to eat yourself, another - in reserve, the third - in order to give it to someone who has nothing to eat. Save your strength: do not waste it on the pursuit of the unnecessary. Save time: do not spend more time resting than necessary. Excessive rest is already idleness. The idler does not live. Better to be wrong than lounge away one's life. Better to go in the wrong direction than to stand still. Better to get hit than to watch a fair battle on the outside. It is better to lose what is needed than to chase the unnecessary. Life is a battle; and in battle one must know the measure of each movement. Those who cannot do this have already lost.

 

24

The warrior must be ready to die. He should not be afraid of death. It must be remembered, but without fear. Moreover, in the final analysis it cannot be avoided. Therefore, accustom yourself to the thought of death. Live on the edge of your open grave. Maybe you will lie in it in many years, or maybe today. Therefore, be ready for this at any hour. Try not to leave dirt behind. Be human. The world after you should remain cleaner, not dirtier. Otherwise you have lived in vain.

 

25

No one can avoid mistakes. There are no perfect people. Therefore, everyone inevitably leaves dirty footprints behind. But try to leave as few as possible. It is possible. Don't leave them on purpose; do not allow yourself to leave them. There will be enough without that. But this is not the same thing - leaving behind a few random footprints or a sea of mud in which you deliberately splashed. Try not to make mistakes. It is impossible to live without them; but if you do not try to live without them, then they will not decrease. If you allow yourself to make mistakes, even occasionally, indulging yourself, then you do not recognize yourself as a warrior. This cannot be called an effort to live with dignity. There can be no indulgences here. A sword with a flaw in forging is a bad sword, a vessel with a hole is a bad vessel, food with added dirt is bad food. It's not about the deeds, it's about you. I'm talking about conscience. It is not stained by an unintentional error; but it does not know indulgences. It rots from them. Remember this.

 

26

It is impossible to correct the mistake you made. What's done is done. You can't go back to yesterday and make your torn clothes whole. It can be repaired, but the trace will remain anyway. You cannot erase from reality and from memory what happened. But you can do it differently next time. It is a waste of energy trying to fix what you can't fix. And don't run from what you did. Realize it, comprehend, feel, eat this bitterness. If you are to blame for something, then you are to blame. So now it will remain forever. It's you; but you cannot run away from yourself. Do not run away from bitterness - but also do not let yourself be choked by it. Remember your mistakes - but don't live within them. Live with the good that you can do.

 

27

Fear mistakes as much as you would injure your face while making your way through thickets. You can get hurt and even cripple - but this does not mean that you should not go forward. Life is dangerous, the path is dangerous. These thickets cannot be bypassed or cut down. But if you stop you will stop living. So, take courage and go. And it is better to get hurt walking towards a worthy goal than wandering without meaning.

 

28

You walk and you will not walk your path without pain. Only unreasonable people hope so. And trying to avoid pain, they will receive many painful wounds from life. Do not be like that. Don't look for pain: why do you need it? But if it exists, endure it with dignity. Do not run from one sharp stone over another sharp stone. This is stupid. Grit your teeth and go where you went. If you run away from pain, you will not be able to follow the chosen path. There is no path without pain. Mistakes are also painful. And if not, then you have no conscience. Work is also painful. But nothing can be done without working. The battle is also painful. But there are no battles without wounds. And someone else's pain is also your pain. And if not, then you have no heart.

 

29

If you feel bad, accept it. For some reason, a person always feels bad. Only a corpse does not feel bad. When you can fix something in a worthy way - do it; if you can't, be patient. There are situations when nothing can be done. But make no mistakes. Do not take your fear, your laziness or your folly for despair. If fixing a situation is dangerous or difficult, this does not mean that it cannot be fixed or that it should not be done. If there is anything you can do, don’t humble yourself. Once you get used to humility, you become weak. Once you become weak, you cannot be a warrior. Without learning to endure what cannot be fixed, you also cannot be a warrior. Be able to distinguish between one and the other.

 

30

A warrior sometimes loses battles - but he does not refuse to fight. He is a warrior. Life is a struggle. He who refuses to struggle does not live. So, struggle. The principle is: to be a warrior or not to be at all. Such is a man, and no one will change that. If the world did not need this, then instead of people it would be inhabited by some other creatures.

 

31

One must be able to accept the reality. He who does not know how to do this is weak. Finding himself in the middle of a waterless desert, he will get angry and say to himself: "Why am I not on the river bank?" When he is in trouble, he will lose his peace of mind and will shout: "Why me and not someone else?" This is unworthy behavior. It is ugly and meaningless. If you feel bad, do not allow such cowardice. Realize the given and do your job. Even if you cannot remain calm inside, still restrain yourself. Nonsense has never rescued anyone from trouble. When you need to be strong, you should not waste yourself on fainthearted lamentation. Pull yourself together and fight.

 

32

The pain that comes from within is immeasurably stronger than the pain that torments the body. The pain of the soul is the main torment of every person. It most likely breaks people, most likely drives them crazy. Learn to fight it. If there is a reason for it, it cannot be overcome. But often nothing can be done about the cause. Therefore, to fight the pain of the soul means to be able to endure it. We must not allow it to overwhelm your mind and paralyze your will. It is not simple. But we need to learn this. Your pain is part of you; but this part should not prevail over the whole. Remember that you belong to the world and to people. Don't let your pain take over what is bigger than you. This means, do not let it control your will, the work of which goes beyond the boundaries of you. Pain shouldn't stop you from fulfilling your duty.

 

33

Duty is duty. It's beyond doubt. You can doubt it before you took it upon yourself. Then there should be no doubt. Give all of yourself to your obligation. You also need to think about whether you can fulfil it. When you accepted it, then there is no turning back or to the side. The difficulty and danger of fulfilling duty do not cancel it. If in order to fulfill it you must go into the fire, go. This is the principle. You cannot change it. By refusing to fulfill your duty, you will give up yourself. So, you will kill yourself more surely than fire would kill you. A man will be left with an empty shell. What good is he who is unable to fulfill his duty? Who is he? He is nobody. He can't do anything. There are no such warriors.

 

34

All have The Great Oughtness. This is the duty for the fulfillment of which all humans live. For its sake, we are all warriors. In addition to it, each person can also have personal obligations. The Great Oughtness is given at birth. The person chooses his personal duty himself. It embodies the mind, soul and will of the individual. It is impossible that two duties contradict each other. An sentient person will not undertake a duty contrary to the Great Oughtness. But if this happens to someone, then he should fulfill his personal duty. This is necessary in order to remain yourself. From the smallest to the largest. He who is not able to fulfill his personal duty will not be able to follow the Great Oughtness. One must be able to live in such a way that the two duties do not contradict. It should be like this: first – the main one, and the other must be verified according to it. It may seem that this is not particularly difficult. In reality, living like this is not an easy art.

 

35

You have everything you need. It's in you. Nature has given you everything so that you can be who you should be. Never forget about it. You have will in abundance, and strength, and courage, and everything else that is necessary for a man and a warrior. You were made that way. Therefore, do not justify your weakness by the lack of one or the other. It will be a lie. If you are weak, then you do not want to be strong. Admit it to yourself. Such weakness is shameful. But this is not the end. The path is the path. You should go ahead. You must learn to be what a warrior needs to be. Self-deception is one of the sides of weakness of spirit; and this weakness is also imaginary. It can be overcome.

 

36

A person learns while living. He cognizes the world and himself. He learns to deal with the problems of the world and learns to deal with problems in himself. We don't become real warriors right away. You should learn to be a warrior. We must forge ourselves like a sword. Therefore, do not give up when you realize that you are not as good as you could be. It takes time to forge, harden, grind and sharpen a blade well. Everything is done gradually. This is the natural order of things. But there is no time to waste. If you are too lazy to forge a sword today you will never forge it.

 

37
The school of life is harsh. The school of a warrior is even more severe. If it's hard for you, then it should be so. Take it calmly. Body and soul get painful blows - be patient. It doesn't happen otherwise. There are many who, whining, rush back and forth, trying to avoid blows. But they will not succeed. And in addition to the pain of blows, they receive the torment of fear and torment of vexation. They are to blame for this themselves. This is from a lack of courage.

 

38

If nothing hurts you, it won't last long. When you go into battle, you will be hurt again. And if you don't fight, you will be hurt by something else. A living person is always in pain, because he is a living person. This must be understood, and one must get used to it. Understand that it hurts you because you are a living person. Here's an important lesson. Whoever has mastered it has learned a lot.

 

39

It hurts if you are alive. This means that the cause of your pain is your very existence. The reason is that you are alive. But man is more than a body. Therefore, you cannot get rid of the pain by killing yourself. If you do that, you will the corpse, which does not feel pain, and separately - you, who still feels pain. You cannot hide from suffering in death.

Only those people do this who believe everything is too simple. In fact, your suffering is mostly a reflection of sufferings of people and the world. And this is true for everyone. The sufferings of people are endlessly reflected in each other - as if mirrors are reflecting them, turning each of them into a thousand new ones. Therefore, it is useless to try to save yourself from sufferings alone. It won't work. It is impossible for a human to achieve this. It is arranged differently and is intended for something else.

 

40

If a baby, barely born, falls to the ground strewn with sharp stones, it hurts. We are all like that. It is impossible not to suffer, having been born in the world of pain. That is why the reason for our suffering is in our life. That is why one cannot escape suffering. This means that we must help the world to get rid of suffering. And it won't work if people don't get better. So, we need to help them to become better. Then there will be less evil and pain in the world; and over time, both people and the world will become more perfect. This is what you need to strive for. This is the Great Oughtness.

 

41

Remember, the only possible way to get rid of pain is to get rid of the pain of others. Whoever says that this is not true is blind. Pain blinded him. He thinks that man is born in order to grow a thick skin for himself. Thus, he expects not to be burned by the fires of suffering burning everywhere. And I say that it is better to extinguish these fires. It is very difficult - but possible. The path of personal deliverance seems easier - but it is impossible. He only multiplies suffering. He nurtures pride in himself, and after it - hatred. This path leads nowhere. He only increases the evil in the world. You cannot extinguish one fire of suffering by kindling others.

 

42

If you know the aim, then it will be much easier for you. Take it easy; be aware of yourself in relation to the aim. Then act. Throw unnecessary; keep only the essentials with you. Put away the hope that you can rest. Realize that you are in the middle of a battle. Realize that you were born to fight. Cast out your hatred and pride. There are the same people as you are in front of you. You should understand that you are not fighting with them. Your opponent is what oppresses and devours them. Your opponent is what kills them: their sleep and illusion of evil. You should understand that. Then you can fight properly.

 

43

Be patient. The impatient person is his own enemy. He erodes himself like a tree beetle. The impatient has all his soul in bites. And when he takes the sword, his hands are shaking. He's a bad warrior. You should be patient in order to achieve victory through a hail of painful blows. And in order to do a difficult task properly, you also need to have patience - so as not to abandon it or not to take the wrong step. Patience will temper the sword of your will. And for the fulfillment of the Great Oughtness, great patience is needed. Anyone who believes that the world cannot be improved is blind. Anyone who believes that the world can be improved quickly is hardly smart. The world can be improved, and this is a great work, many years and more than one generation of soldiers. This is so, and we must come to terms with it. You will not see the result of your struggle in your present life. It is like death to those who are impatient. So, learn to be patient.

 

44

Others follow you. If you manage to do even the smallest bit of good, it will be a little easier for them, and they will be able to do more. It will be even easier for those who follow them. This is how the world changes. You need a miracle to change it differently. But a warrior does not expect miracles. He creates a new world by himself. Working, struggling, dying in order to give others the opportunity to do more, he does something more than a miracle. This is because he is human.

 

45

Always act like a warrior. Remember that everything that happens to you is a step along the path of a warrior. Don't do unnecessary things. Don't strive for what you don't need. Understand the warrior's needs. Do not be afraid of anything. However, don't take risks when the risk is not justified. Do not seek peace - but be calm. A warrior needs calmness. It enlightens the mind and prevents mistakes. Win peacefully and die peacefully if you should. In any situation, keep yourself in control. Even if tears flow from pain, don't let your mind drown in them. Go where you go. Do your duty. If there is a mountain on the way, and you cannot get around it, do not be afraid to rest your shoulder against it. Just a little, but you can move it. Never mind the mockery. Do not believe if someone says that the way you live is wrong. A warrior will not say like this, and the warrior's path could not be judged by those who are not warriors. Remember who you are and why you exist - after all, everything else flows from this.

 

46

Your victory is the victory of all people. Many warriors are fighting for it - and one day it will be achieved. So, remember, you cannot lose. Even if today you are defeated, it means nothing. Learn from this situation and continue to fight. Anyway, you will win. This means that you have already won. If you die, then you die victorious.

 

47

You are not alone. You are not on your own. You and other warriors, all together, are the one Great Warrior, fulfilling the Great Oughtness. Therefore, you are stronger than you might think. Therefore, the struggle will not end with your death. Therefore, your right cause will win anyway. Never forget about it.

 

48

The strength of other warriors belongs to you. You are united by a common cause. You are like flowers on different branches of the same tree. Only juices feed you. Power flows through special currents from one to another. Know how to use it. It is possible. And you yourself have more strength than you think. Nature gave it to you. Nature has equipped you enough to be a warrior. This means that weakness does not exist. It is as much an absurd illusion as evil and fear. But many give this illusion an opportunity to build a nest in their souls. This should not be allowed. Whoever wants to be strong will be strong. The power will come to him. Don't give yourself time to get strong. This is a sign of weakness. You should be strong here and now. A warrior is a warrior.

 

49

A warrior lives like a warrior. This means that someone else's rules are not for you. Live the way you need to, not the way non-warriors demand of you. Don't let their desires and their doubts guide you. Don't do extra. If you find yourself in the circle of idlers, continue your work. In the circle of liars, don't lie. If everyone condemns something that seems right to you, stand up for him. If everyone is backing away, you keep going forward. If you should do something stupid or unworthy in order to honor someone, refuse to do it. Do not be afraid of judgment. Be a warrior, not a fool for the fools. Do not follow customs that are contrary to your path. Never be afraid to join the fight: that is why you are a warrior. If a mountain is approaching the city - stand in its path. This is an act worthy of a warrior, and it will not be in vain.

 

50

You are an ordinary person. A warrior is not something extraordinary, not a rare beast. This is the natural state of man. Therefore, do not think that a warrior should look somehow special. A warrior is a state of mind and soul. You can be a man or a woman, have the most ordinary appearance, and still be a warrior. But you need to educate yourself. The appearance of a warrior can be different - but his actions must be the actions of a warrior.

 

51

You have to be humble about your needs. Nothing extra. You need to be attentive, reasonable and firm. Decisions must be carefully thought over, words must be meaningful. Promises must be kept. Give them carefully, being sure that they will not push you into unworthy actions. But if you promised something, do it anyway. Take responsibility for your words. Never lie. Even animals don't lie. Don't be worse than an animal. To save oneself in every possible way means to act in accordance with the instinct of self-preservation. This is characteristic of animals. And this means that to act according to conscience, even contrary to this instinct, is a higher stage of development. It is cowardly to run, to deceive and betray for the sake of self-preservation - this is just the highest stage of manifestation of the animal instinct in man. To overcome this, to always act according to one's obligation, is the next step, the transition from animal to human. You need to consciously choose a goal. Then you need to follow the chosen one, not giving control over yourself to animal habits. This is what man does.

 

52

Life is needed in order to strive for a worthy goal. Saving one's life cannot be such a goal, because life is not given for its own sake. It would be pointless. You should see the aim. We must strive for it. Then life will make sense. You cannot turn from the path out of fear. You cannot save life at the cost of giving up your aim. Then death will make sense.

 

53

It's simple. You see the aim and go for it. Everything is very simple. Understand that. Choose a worthy aim and do not be tarnished by unworthy methods of achieving it. They will kill it. You will not achieve what you were striving for. Therefore, only go on a worthy path. When you have a choice, don't hesitate. If you should take a bad path to achieve your aim in one day, and a worthy one to achieve it in a thousand years, do not hesitate to choose a worthy path. At the end of another path there is no aim at all. There is an illusion similar to it. In fact, a warrior has no choice. His choice has already been made. He always knows where to go and how to act. He has one way. A good warrior does not notice the forked roads.

 

54

The higher the aim, the more justified the life and death of the one walking. The highest aim is the Great Oughtness. This is what people live for. Everything else good and worthy is accomplished on the way to this goal. Other good goals are lesser streams in the stream of the Great Oughtness. Moving in any of them, you move towards their common goal. This must always be remembered and realized. Otherwise, it is easy to go astray and from the stream of clean water, imperceptibly for yourself, move into the stream of mud. You should live in such a way that your smallest deed contains the meaning of the great aim. Then there will be no trifles in your life. Then suffering for one word or one movement will not be in vain. Then every breath you take will be meaningful.

 

55

Be like an arrow flying towards a target through fire. If it achieves its aim – it’s good; if it burns along the way, it will not burn in vain. This is how one should live. The arrow does not turn out of the way and does not stop in front of a wall of fire, and does not stop in front of a rock, although it knows that hitting it will break it to pieces. Don't be worse than a thing. You are human. To be stronger than an animal and a thing is the least that you have to do and what you can do in order to remain human.

56

Taking care of yourself the most is the source of selfishness. Such a person has little chance of remaining a worthy person. Plus, it makes him weak. He starts to be afraid. He lives in constant fear. And as the result the soul rots and the mind becomes one-eyed. Fear for others - only it does not disgrace the warrior. But fears for others should not push him into unworthy deeds. You cannot do good through evil. A good result will be imaginary. In fact, nothing good will come of it. But when it becomes obvious, nothing can be fixed. The worthy cannot grow out of the unworthy. Only those who do not want to think will not understand this.

 

57

Giving up on an erroneous or bad intention is not a sign of weakness. Man is imperfect. He does not know everything thoroughly and may be wrong. Giving up what you think is right because of fear - that is weakness. To stick to the wrong out of stubbornness is foolish, irresponsible and unworthy. Only the word given can justify such an act. Then it is not stubbornness, but duty. It must be fulfilled. If the one to whom you gave your word did not set you free, do it. It cannot be otherwise. So be careful about your promises. Don't trap yourself. The best thing is to do what you think is right without any promises. You don't need to drag yourself along your path by force. Just go.

 

58

Learn all your life. The more you learn and understand, the better your path becomes. Those who are prideful, lazy, indifferent and foolish do not want to learn. They won't become warriors. To know what's best, you need to know more. To be able, you need to know. Always learn. Learn even a minute before death. There is no good warrior without learning. Getting ready to die, learn life. Seeing the blade piercing your body, learn to feel. When dying, learn the right attitude towards death. Don't miss the opportunity to learn something worthwhile.

 

59

If you know little, you will not understand the Great Oughtness. You can't make a blind choice. You need to understand what you choose. You can't go blind: you will fall to pieces. We must distinguish between good and evil. They are often mixed: therefore, it is necessary to be able to distinguish their shades. This must be learned. We must learn to see people. We must learn to see ourselves.

 

60

There is no need for a warrior to be cruel. You need to be firm in your path. The cliff is not cruel - but the waves of the sea break on its firmament. You should be like him. If someone breaks against your determination and your will, it is because he himself wanted it. A warrior must be able to resist the pressure of the entire ocean. And he doesn't have to hate the ocean. He should just do his job. This is the basis of the struggle. This is the first skill of a warrior: to resist. If you know how to resist, then you will overcome the path, and you will die with dignity. If you survive, you will win. There is no need for hatred or cruelty to resist. However, firmness is sometimes needed. The soft-bodied and weak-willed will certainly be pushed out of the way. But firmness should come not from hatred and enmity, but from understanding of necessity. Firmness is sometimes like cruelty. Be careful. Don't cross the line.

 

61

He who is driven by hatred is not a warrior. A true warrior is driven by love. He is not fighting against something, but for something. He does not conquer but protects. You can't fight for the world and people if you don't love them. The basis of the Great Oughtness is love. Remember this, otherwise you will turn into an enraged beast. Hate is destruction. Don't let it into your heart. It will destroy your heart. And love will give strength to resist anything. The ability to love is more important than the art of fighting. If there is no love, the art of fighting has nothing to rely on. Then it is like a fortress built on quicksand. You live for what you love. This is what you fight for. And if not, then nothing makes sense. Love is the food of life. No food - no strength. No strength - no struggle. There is no struggle - there is no point in existing. Therefore, everything is based on love. For its sake man was created.

 

62

A warrior should not be like a leaf blown by the wind. He has a law of honor by which he lives. This law consists of knowledge, conscience and love. This is where strength, courage, perseverance, firmness, patience, attentiveness, kindness, solicitude, honesty, loyalty, hard work, modesty and other good qualities flow. The meaning of life flows from this natural law. This law is the source and the basis for motivation and action. Everything else is false. Hatred, cruelty, selfishness, pride, greed, intemperance, cowardice, weakness, laziness, cynicism and other ailments of the soul stem from the false. The natural law embodies the mind, soul and heart of a warrior. This is a human being. This is the true foundation of our life.

 

63

Man is united with the world in which he lives. This means that the whole world is you. The world belongs to you. There is nothing to conquer. Therefore, a warrior does not conquer, but protects and improves. This is precisely his business. The one who seeks to conquer gradually ceases to be human. He turns into a monster that devours people. Do not seek to be a conqueror. A warrior will have something to fight and die for without it.

 

64

Nothing can be done well without discipline. Every single person cannot be the most intelligent and knowledgeable: therefore, one must be able to obey those who know and can do more. Unity is a tremendous power. But it cannot be where everyone wants to play only their own melody. If you are not acting alone, be disciplined. It's necessary. He who does not know how to learn this is internally weak in front of his weaknesses. He's unreliable. He is a worthless warrior. He is a source of concern and danger for others. You can't rely on such a person.

 

65

Self-discipline is the foundation of discipline in the community. It is the cornerstone of warrior's actions. Whether he is not alone or alone, without self-discipline he can do little or nothing. It fosters courage, patience, caution, moderation, perseverance, calmness. Raise it in yourself. Practice self-discipline. It's hard. It might feel bad and painful, - endure and exercise. A person who has mastered self-discipline and self-control is already half a warrior. Swords blunt at him. A bad but disciplined person is nicer than a good but undisciplined person. A warrior cannot be without self-discipline. He is pathetic without it. Without it, he looks like a bag of holes with straw. Without it, he is of no use even to support a fence, far from being useful in a battle. Remember this.

 

66

The essence of the warrior's path is to live and die for a worthy aim. This is the very essence. It must be realized. And we must realize that a person is born in order to be a warrior. To live differently is to live wrong. Taking care of yourself the most is trading the whole world for a piece of slowly rotting meat. A worthy aim is to strive to protect, help, fix, make people and the world better. It makes sense to exist for such an aim.

Translated by Amradkhari