Source: What Does It Mean to Be a Spiritual Warrior?
I am trying to condense the message in this piece by Sandra Pawula because it has so many great insights. I agree that the path of a spiritual warrior is one of love and compassion. I would also say that in the buddhist tradition that I follow we believe that one does not have to wait until they have attained “complete spiritual realization” before we can help others on their path. In fact, I have often been most encouraged by watching the process of someone using their faith to overcome a great obstacle.
“A spiritual warrior understands that we all want and deserve happiness and at the same time, no one wants to suffer.” My practice teaches that there are two kinds of happiness: relative, and absolute. My mentor Daisaku Ikeda states “Buddhism teaches the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment. To explain this very simply, earthly desires refers to suffering and to the desires and cravings that cause suffering, while enlightenment refers to attaining a vast, expansive state of absolute happiness. Normally, one would assume that earthly desires and enlightenment are separate and distinct, especially since suffering would seem to be the exact opposite of happiness. But Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that only by igniting the firewood of earthly desires can the flame of happiness be attained”.
I experienced this once near the beginning of my spiritual practice. Due to a slowdown associated with a writers strike I was unable to find any set building work for an extended period. My actress girlfriend refused my suggestion to get a ‘real job’, and we ended up several months behind on the rent, which led to many disagreements between us. Fortunately, I had good friends in faith who encouraged me to battle my misfortune with an inner struggle. I chanted the daimoku (nam myoho renge kyo) more and more, including 6 hours every Sunday. After about a month of this campaign, with the rent still not payed, I stopped in my tracks one day while entering a 7-11, and realized that I felt totally happy, in spite of my problems. Within a week of that recognition I returned to work, and sorted out all my obligations.