"How to Win!" November 2005

Within each one of us is a piece of spiritual software that is deeply embedded with a program to choose life. The spiritual components of that genetic program have at their very core the basic formula for human compassion and goodness. And this core of human goodness is ultimately far more powerful than the more cleverly wielded machinations of the headline makers and commercial interests who seek corporate profit and geopolitical advantage – those who seek to wag our tail.

So how do we do it? How can any one of us, one ant of a human being, possibly make the smallest indent in the steely surface of hate and indifference? The answers can be drawn from the ancient wisdoms: each person is the spiritual size of the cosmos, with the powers and reach to transform reality. That each of us can extend our persona well beyond the constraints of our body, enveloping others in the grip of our being. Our capacity to spread light is far more powerful than the most intense darkness.

But we live in a world of seeming cause and effect, strong and weak, mighty and helpless, good and evil. This is the design of the universe and the human being must ‘play the game' whether it be an illusion, or a deep spiritual projection onto the screen of time and space. So how do we then transform reality? To do so, we must arm ourselves with the finest weaponry we can muster. The spiritual warrior of the twenty-first century must bear in mind the following stratagems in the battle for mind, heart, sanity, and soul:

•  The answer does not lie with repressive laws and harsh legislation that merely herds criminals and anti-social deviants into universities of crime – the prison system, replete with corruption and raw animalistic rage . All anti-social behaviour stems from the same source – lack of self-esteem . The institutions of education and parenthood must work together to raise generations who can sense higher life goals while nurturing the capacities of the individual. Education must stop being hijacked by interests that promote competitiveness for exploitative purposes. Does it really matter how well one knows one's calculus if one needs the crutch of drugs to simulate meaning in momentary experiential escape? Does it really matter if one studies the moral values of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, of Walt Whitman or Thomas Jefferson, if one's teacher displays behaviour that is illicit and immoral? The answer lies in appropriate modelling by teachers, parents, leaders, sports icons, and academic dons. Books influence far less than inspirational moral leadership.

•  We must bear in mind that the ultimate weapon is not the gun, the bomb, or the missile. The ultimate weapon is how we respond to challenge. The enemy has many faces: inner-conflict, interpersonal dissonance, social indifference, and geo-political machinations. The way our mind interprets, and the heart emotes, will determine the ultimate outcomes. This war is fought not on some distant battleground – it is fought in our homes and on our streets. It is the modelling we display in the face of adversity. It is the ways in which we act out our understanding that we are here to facilitate the growth and fulfilment of the next person – not to fill our own insatiable coffers with gold and silver, power and control. The way that parents model love and compassion will raise a generation that respects life. The way that community and national leaders embrace humility, personal discipline, and integrity will raise a citizenry that draws its strengths from qualities of character found in us all. This is the weapon of peace – peace within the heart and mind, a peace that spills over into the domain of our everyday lives.

•  Lastly, the key to victory lies in the quest for excellence and spiritual application . The spiritual warrior must, at this turn of the millennium, train mind and emotion to achieve balance and inner peace. The resolution of dualities of self and other, ego and humility, self-gratification and sharing – these are the true battle aims of the spiritual hero. The aim is not to become the perfect master, the Buddha, the embodiment of nirvana. The aim is to become a conscious, aware, introspective, human being, who upon rising in the morning, elicits awe and wonder at the radical act of living, and dedicates him/herself to the awesome task of harnessing the powers within. The tools of meditation, awareness, gentle behaviour and self-expression, sensitivity, graciousness to all living things, and a profound respect for the sacredness of planet earth and the Cosmos at large – these are the goals and aims of the twenty first century spiritual warrior, leader and teacher.

Each one of us needs to engage these aptitudes systematically, seriously, diligently, and in daily discipline. This is not the sport of mystics. It is the agenda for every human being who aspires to change the world; it is the goal to which each of us must aspire if we are to make this world a better place.

The “Ten Commandments” of how to win in the game of Life:

1. Firstly, know what your origins are, where you come from. Know who you are.
2. Secondly, know that you will pass on this knowledge to those still to come, in its cleanest (uncorrupted) form, to give a sense of continuity – you are learning for the next generation.
3. Always keep the moral high ground – never speak ill of others, don't allow your enemy to have moral leverage over you; do not give anyone the opportunity to develop a negative opinion of you.
4. Courage, determination and self-sacrifice – are THE things needed to win – it gives you moral strength.
5. If you know you have done wrong, be sincerely sorry for it, seek forgiveness, and move on.
6. Have an unshakable commitment to continue the winning traditions of those before you – study and find out what they were.
7. “Do not live in your enemy's camp” – you will be corrupted by them. Stay with your own people; surround yourself with like-minded people.
8. Do not allow your own flaws to be discovered or made public.
9. Never try to manipulate someone's opinion of another – it makes you vulnerable to being manipulated yourself.
10. The best defence is always to be generous – even towards your enemy.

“If your soul is pure, and your feet are on clean ground, then you are invincible, and your enemy cannot get access to you.”

“The ability to overcome vastly superior forces and numbers with gallantry, determination and heroic self-sacrifice is a sure mark of moral merit in the eyes of the world.”

“I am but a dwarf who sits on the shoulders of ancient masters. I deliberately choose to throw my lot in with those who aspire to do one more good deed, touch one more soul, and thereby light the match of enlightenment which --- together with yours--- will spark the world to a new and higher energy: a veritable messianic transformation.”