The Use Of Heroic Imagery In Spirituality
Be brave! Be strong! Be fearless! Once you have taken up the spiritual life, fight as long as there is any life in you. Even though you know you are going to be killed, fight till you 'are killed'. Don't die of fright. Die fighting. Don't go down till you are knocked down. [1]
On the surface there appears to be a sharp dichotomy between such warrior talk and the serene, compassionate bearing we associate with one who has advanced down the spiritual road. But at root, this dichotomy stems from a certain view of the spiritual life - that is is somehow an escape , a diversionary mechanism from the 'hard reality' of life. Heroic imagery is often used to advocate precisely the opposite opinion, that it is the inner life of meditation, prayer and self-exploration which gives the firm bedrock of reality with which to face the transient outer life. In order to establish a firm inner life in the face of a world that does not care for it, one needs to have a significant amount of determination and resolve. As the Upanishads say, 'the soul cannot be won by the weakling'.
This kind of imagery is also used to advocate cheerfulness and equanimity in the face of the multitudinous challenges of life, for example in this poem by Sri Chinmoy:
He who has loved this world
Has only got excruciating pangs.
The world has thrown on him
All ugliness, filth, dirt and impurity.
Yet the hero marches along,
Carrying the burden of the entire world.
At the end of his teeming struggles
He will go and stand at the Feet of the Lord Supreme. [2]
The use of such imagery also can suggest that that inner calmness and dynamic outer activity are not mutually conflicting, but indeed can go together. One naturally thinks of the samurai of Japan in this regard - their poetry also advocates a spontaneity in action and making the most out of one's circumstances.
...I have no strategy; I make 'unshadowed by thought' my strategy;
I have no designs; I make 'seizing opportunity by the forelock' my design;
I have no miracles; I make 'right action' my miracles; I have no principles;
I make 'adaptability to all circumstances' my principles.... [3]
Heroic imagery in spirituality might also refer to the inner struggle against imperfections, obstructions obstructing one's spiritual progress. The use of such imagery has sometimes caused great confusion to outsiders - for example the notion of jihad in Islam, which originally pertained to the inner struggle over imperfections, was then applied to a much lesser extent to ensuring the survival of the new Islamic state against outer adversaries. The Prophet Mohammed is reported to have said to his followers after their re-entry into Mecca: 'The lesser jihad is now ended, it is now time for the Greater Jihad (i.e the inner struggle) to begin'. However recent world events have led to the 'lesser' meaning now being the generally understood one by people not intimately familiar to Islam.
We see that heroic imagery has been used across many spiritual traditions to convey a variety of meanings and inspirations to people travelling along the spiritual road. It is a matter of speculation as to what will happen to such imagery as mankind evolves away from the animal realms of aggression and competition. My personal feeling is that such imagery will always be useful as an inspiration to go beyond current achievements and strive to unlock one's true inner potential.
References:
[1] From collection of quotes at http://www.Vivekananda.org
[2] 'The Hero Marches Along', from the collection My Flute, by Sri Chinmoy. Available at http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com
[3] Excerpt from 14th century Japanese poem, author unknown.
Related Tags: spirituality, hero, warrior, heroism
The author, Shane Magee, teaches free courses on meditation and spirituality in Dublin, Ireland.
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