Warrior of the Light

by Paulo Coelho

All the world’s roads lead to the heart of the Warrior; he plunges unhesitatingly into the river of passions always flowing through his life.

He knows that he has learned something with every battle he has fought, but many of those lessons have caused him unnecessary suffering. More than once he has wasted his time fighting for a lie. And he has suffered for people who did not deserve his love.

Victors never make the same mistake twice. That is why the Warrior only risks his heart for something worthwhile.

Then the Warrior realizes that these repeated experiences have but one aim: to teach him what he does not want to learn.

He might dance down the street on his way to work, gaze into the eyes of a complete stranger and speak of love at first sight, or defend an apparently absurd idea. Warriors of the Light allow themselves days like these.

He is not afraid to weep over ancient sorrows or feel joy at new discoveries. When he feels that the moment has arrived, he drops everything and goes off on some long-dreamed-of adventure.

A Warrior does not spend his days trying to play the role that others have chosen for him.

That is why they are Warriors of the Light. Because they make mistakes, because they ask themselves questions, because they are looking for a reason they are sure to find it.

Each stone, each bend cries welcome to him. He identifies with the mountains and the streams, he sees something of his own soul in the plants and the animals and the birds of the field.

While he meditates, the Warrior is not himself, but a spark from the Soul of the World. Meditation gives him an understanding of his responsibilities and of how he should behave accordingly.

A Warrior of the Light needs love. Love and affection are as much a part of his nature as eating, drinking, and a taste for the Good Fight. When the Warrior watches a sunset and feels no joy, then something is wrong. At this point, he stops fighting and goes in search of company, so that they can watch the setting sun together. If he has difficulty in finding company, he asks himself: “Was I too afraid to approach someone? Did I receive affection and not even notice?” A Warrior of the Light makes use of solitude, but is not used by it.

When he goes into battle he remembers what Christ said: “Love your enemies.” And he obeys. But he knows that the act of forgiveness does not mean that he must accept everything; a Warrior cannot bow his head, for if he did he would lose sight of the horizon of his dreams. He accepts that his opponents are there to test his valor, his persistence, and his ability to make decisions. They force him to fight for his dreams.

The Warrior of the Light knows the importance of intuition. In the midst of battle, he does not have time to think about the enemy’s blows, so he uses his instinct and obeys his angel. In times of peace, he deciphers the signs that God sends him. People say: “He’s mad.” Or: “He lives in a fantasy world.” Or even: “How can he possibly believe in such illogical things?” But the Warrior knows that intuition is God’s language and he continues listening to the wind and talking to the stars.

The Warrior of the Light does not always have faith. There are moments when he believes in absolutely nothing. And he asks his heart: “Is all this effort really worth it?’ But his heart remains silent. And the Warrior has to decide for himself. He looks for an example and remembers that Jesus went through something similar in order to inhabit fully the human condition. “Take away this cup from me,” said Jesus. He too lost heart and courage, but he did not stop. The Warrior of the Light continues despite his lack of faith. He goes forward and, in the end, faith returns.

Each Warrior of the Light contains within him the spark of God. His destiny is to be with other Warriors, but sometimes he will need to practice the art of the sword alone; this is why, when he is apart from his companions, he behaves like a star. He lights up his allotted part of the Universe and tries to point out galaxies and worlds to all those who gaze up at the sky. The Warrior’s persistence will soon be rewarded. Gradually, other Warriors approach, and they join together to form constellations, each with their own symbols and mysteries.

But he knows that whenever he talks about a dream, he uses a little bit of the energy from that dream in order to do so. And by talking, he runs the risk of spending all the energy he needs to put the dream into action. A Warrior of the Light knows the power of words.

One day, for no apparent reason, the Warrior realizes that he does not feel the same enthusiasm for the fight that he used to. He continues to do what he has always done, but every gesture seems meaningless. At such a time, he has only one choice: to continue fighting the Good Fight. He says his prayers out of duty or fear or whatever, but he does not abandon the path. He knows that the angel of the One who inspires him has simply wandered off somewhere. The Warrior keeps his attention focused on the battle and he perseveres, even when everything seems utterly pointless. The angel will soon return and the merest flutter of his wings will restore the Warrior’s joy to him.

There are times when the Warrior’s path becomes merely routine. Then he applies the teaching of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov: “If you cannot meditate, you should repeat one simple word, because this is good for the soul. Do not say anything else, just repeat that word over and over, innumerable times. Finally, it will lose all meaning, but take on an entirely new significance. God will open the doors and you will find yourself using that simple word to say everything that you wanted to say.” When he is forced to perform the same task several times, the Warrior uses this tactic and transforms work into prayer.

When the order to move on comes, the Warrior looks at all the friends he has made during the time that he followed the path. He taught some to hear the bells of a drowned temple, he told others stories around the fire.

Then the Warrior thanks his traveling companions, takes a deep breath and continues on, laden with memories of an unforgettable journey.