Of all the questions I am ever asked from the
beginning of time until the end of infinite eternity (which is, of course,
the return loop to the beginning of time), this is perhaps the
hardest, for the answer can only be expressed in words when what is
Intended is an expression of the soul. And so I would begin by
saying, as don Juan has, that the warrior's path is the path of the heart, and if it
could be defined, it is a path that is neither Toltec
nor Buddhist nor Christian nor even a path at all, and only may be
seen as a path in hindsight, when one stands on the far side of the
bridge and looks back to see how the bridge was built.
Some would say it is the road to ultimate freedom, but as you
expressed in your question (where all answers are found), it is
neither possible nor perhaps desirable to attempt to define what is
meant by "ultimate freedom" within the matrix of each individual.
For myself and for Della, "ultimate freedom" may be defined at this
moment as the assimilation of our
cohesion into a state
which has been expressed as "a
singularity of consciousness" - a point of
awareness which is singular, but also infinite and ubiquitous. From
such a state,
The One may focus
awareness at any finite point within the realm of all possibility,
or may not-focus within the whole on all points, simultaneously.
Intent would
determine; and will would manifest.
And
yet, I say this is how we may define "ultimate freedom" at this
moment - allowing for the inevitability that as Knowledge and
experience increase, definitions change and eventually become the
silence of Knowing itself.
The warrior's path is a dance with no specific steps, enacted
between the mortal self and the immortal double. While one might
learn certain steps through reading or instruction, the dance itself
cannot be taught, for it is your dance, and if it does
not come from your heart, it is someone else's dance.
To some, therefore, the warrior's path is a waltz and a gentle
entwining of self and double. To others, it is a seductive tango,
fraught with dark turns and hot passions which weave the dancers
through intrigues and eventually bring them together in a fierce
embrace. To others, it is a chaotic, frenzied stomp through the
jungles and may appear violent or even conflicted on the surface,
but when viewed from the far side of the bridge, may be seen to be
simply the steps of that warrior's dance enacted from that warrior's
heart.
Some dances are more efficient than others, telling a cohesive
story; and not all dances end with the dancers coming together in
the final steps, and so it becomes a matter of choosing the steps
wisely and falling in love with both dancers, allowing each a
freedom of movement and expression which may be seen in hindsight to
be guided by impeccability, intent and the moving force of
Will, unrestricted.
Because the steps cannot be taught, they must be experienced by each warrior in his own
manner. There are those who might follow certain steps outlined by
other warriors or naguals, and while that may be effective in the
early stages for learning to dismantle the programs, dependencies
and attachments a warrior has, it is in learning the art of
improvisation within the dance that the warrior begins to leave all
paths and create his own steps which are uniquely effective for
himself. And while that may seem like chaos, it isn't for as long as
impeccability guides the warrior's movements through what can only
be expressed as "the
right way to live."
Throw all these words away.
Remember only this: To fall in love with the infinite
is the warrior's path, for it is that intense affair with the
nagual that will
guide a warrior far more efficiently than any words ever whispered
into the night. When you follow the muse of your own heart, you
create the steps of the dance in the process, and whenever the muse
allows you to catch glimpses of her, you will find yourself gazing
into your own infinite eyes.
And
yet, I say this is how we may define "ultimate freedom" at this
moment - allowing for the inevitability that as Knowledge and
experience increase, definitions change and eventually become the
silence of Knowing itself.
