"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Yoda
A true warrior does not hate. Hate is a luxury that a warrior cannot afford. To hate is to have “a feeling of intense or passionate dislike for something or someone.” Anger and hatred have a way of clouding our minds and distorting our judgements. When we hate, our minds become incensed and we tend to react mindlessly instead of acting appropriately and mindfully. The two greatest motivators in life are fear and love. For the most part, hate is a product of fear. Hatred is born out of fear and we experience anger or hatred when there is a threat. When we are confronted and must act it is usually easier to act from a place of hate or anger than it is from a place of love. Love is more vulnerable and harder to express and so it is easier to put on the mask of rage, anger or hatred. In Japanese, to go after someone with hatred and kill them is referred to as sakki (殺氣) which means “blood lust” but literally translates as “killing energy.” One of the pinnacles of Japanese swordsmanship is satsujinken, katsujinto or “the sword which takes life and the sword which gives life.” Fighting and taking lives is not a clean business and so much negativity and baggage comes with it. When we are at a place where we no longer need to take lives then the life that we are really saving is our own. If our energy is imbued with hatred, then we cannot be mindful and so a warrior does not hate.
Today’s goal: Embrace that which you hate. Look around and see what things are making you upset. Realize that those things are just masking fear and whatever you do, don’t let your fear turn into hate.