It is said that a raised sword
draws energy to itself.
Walking the path is like raising a sword.
Experiences are drawn to me.
The sword is surrounded by a lot of allegory. It's seen as a symbol of truth, justice, a phallic icon, the soul of a warrior, etc. The verse above is a part of a poem I wrote about the initial steps one takes to study under a martial teacher. The inspiration for this came from an essay I read by Chogyam Trungpa which is the foreword to The Superhuman Life of Gesar of Ling.
Trungpa was a man steeped in controversy and despair, but inspite of that despair he wrote much that is worth reading. In this particular essay he wrote, "Weapons are the symbol of warriorship itself. The warrior doesn't carry weapons because he is afraid of being attacked, but rather as an expression of who he is. Weapons actually magnetize the qualities of warriorship and inspire the warrior to be brave and gentle."
I don't know about you, but this tugs at my mind and as someone who has devoted his life to the martial path, I find myself reflecting upon those words. I take note of the physical effect of learning how to defend myself. The mindset that develops from being versed in the art of kick, cut and thrust. I can see the things that have been drawn to my life because of my training and I feel pleased.
