The XXI Century Warrior part III: The Journey
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“The time of the prophecy is now; this century needs that avatar, that warrior. Earth needs her, and humanity does too. Our survival as a species on this earth requires the presence of that warrior. However, she is not a God sent kind of avatar, who by wielding her powers is going to liberate all of us from that suffering. We all need to become that warrior. We must”. A monk of the Himalayas.
I published the second part of this story (The Warrior) on jan 20 - 2017. Here I present the original publication plus the third part.
The Prophecy
There is an ancient prophecy, so ancient that it has almost been forgotten in the threads of time. A friend of mine, who is a world traveler and spirituality seeker talked to me once about it. An old monk narrated it to her while they had been walking to a little sacred town on the foot of the Himalayas, where she had gone to meditate.
The monk began to narrate.
“There will be a time when the forces of evil seem to be determining the fate of human beings, who feel hopeless and helpless to confront their oppressing power. Violence is everywhere; war prevails over peace, evil over goodness, treason over trust, intrigue over sincerity, lie over truth, cruelty over compassion, and suffering over contentment. Most people look to everyone else in distrust, being afraid of getting hurt sentimentally, physically or morally. Chaos seems to be the commanding force of the world”.
The monk paused. Then, he continued speaking showing sadness in his face.
“In most countries, greedy and cynical men hold the key positions in government and businesses; they look after their personal benefit instead of after the common welfare. Those in power have at their disposal armies of fanatic followers, willing to harm and even to kill anyone who opposes their bosses’ power. They have at their disposal weapons of abysmal destruction potential. Ordinary people feel that they have no hope of ever overcoming that oppressing situation. The ambition and greed of the men in power do not have limits. They not only have profited from their corrupt leadership, but they also have turned the Earth into a wasteland, because of their limitless extraction of its riches. Food is scarce and expensive, poor people eat leftovers, when they eat at all. People die by the thousands of unknown diseases.
“Many people feel hopeless and wonder how much they will have to endure that suffering until something, anything happens. It is the kingdom of fear and darkness. Humanity has been pushed to the edge of time, driven by their choice of going through the path of power, greed and oppression. Instead of through the path of love, wisdom and compassion”.
-Is that the end of the world? My friend asked the monk.
-The end and the beginning. The monk answered cryptically, and continued talking.
“In this most obscure of realities a ray of hope will shine, the hope that a hero, a mighty warrior will come and free every one of their suffering, giving birth to a new era of peace, understanding and mutual respect. The legend says that this warrior will have special qualities that will render the power of the rulers useless”.
-What are those special qualities? Asked my friend.
-Later please, said the monk, continuing the narration.
“At that moment in time, most people will be like camels; they just sit there and take the load. There will be some lions, who will resist the power of the rulers with all their strength, but it will not be enough to overpower them. Only the child can and will”.
-The child? Asked my friend.
-Later, said the monk, somehow annoyed, and continued with the narration.
“It will be the end of time and the beginning of time. It will be the no time. There cannot be a beginning without an end. In order for an era of peace to begin, the era of suffering most end. However, suffering is not easy to end. Only the sufferer, the victim, the weak, the meager can put an end to their miseries. They will do it by raising above their suffering once and for all. Their liberation does not depend on the heroic works of some warrior. Yet, only this warrior will be capable of doing it”.
-I am sorry. I do not understand. Said my friend.
-Yes. It is paradoxical. Isn’t it? Please, let me continue…
The Warrior
“She is a virtuoso warrior. I will refer to the warrior as she, but it could be masculine or feminine. It does not matter at all. She is wise and knowledgeable, courageous, magnanimous, moderated, and spiritual. She has gifts that allow her to show her virtuosity. However, in order to complete her job successfully, she will have to become a child again”.
-A child warrior? Asked my friend.
-Not exactly, said the monk.
“Only a child has an open mind, an open heart, and an open will. No warrior can accomplish such a task without those three capabilities. Yet, by opening herself the way a child does, she becomes vulnerable. It is paradoxical, but her strength lies in her vulnerability. It gives her power beyond measure”.
How can it be possible? Asked my friend.
Please, pay attention to this. Said the monk…
The Journey
The time of the prophecy is now; this century needs that avatar, that warrior. Earth needs her, and humanity does too. Our survival as a species on this earth requires the presence of that warrior. However, she is not a God sent kind of avatar, who by wielding her powers is going to liberate all of us from that suffering. We all need to become that warrior. We must.
The XXI Century warrior has to raise from the depths of her suffering, whatever the degree of it may be, and overcome her fears. She has to become an alchemist who transmutes prejudice into openness. Rage and anger into compassion and empathy. Fear into courage. Whoever wants to become this century’s warrior has to travel the path of love, wisdom and compassion in a journey to the depths of her own self. Her journey will be a difficult one. She will find challenges every step of the way. However, the main obstacles will not come from the world’s menaces, they´ll come from her own self.
She will have to overcome her own voices of judgement, of cynicism, and of fear. Furthermore, in order to complete her journey successfully, she will have to go through several stages. In addition, in order to plant her feet firmly on each plateau of her journey, she will have to open doors, for which she will need special keys.
This story will continue next saturday, feb 3.
With love
Helio Borges
Helio Borges is a bilingual (Spanish- English) writer, Ontological Coach, Facilitator, Certified Lecturer, and Well-being Promoter. He has an experience of more than 20 years in Change Management in organizational settings. He is a member of the community of changemakers who uses the “Theory U” methodology, created by Otto Scharmer, Senior Lecturer of MIT, where he co-hosts the Caracas u.lab Hub in Venezuela. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Boston University.
