“Soul of Nonviolence” is a podcast that reflects on a different nonviolence quote each week. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or via RSS.
“It is the consistent choice of the path with heart which makes the warrior different from the average man. He knows that a path has heart when he is one with it, when he experiences a great peace and pleasure traversing its length.”
— Carlos Castaneda
Building on the themes of last week, today’s podcast features a quote from Carlos Castaneda that considers what it means to follow a path with heart. Such a path constantly invites us to grow and evolve. It leads us on the adventure of discovery, and brings us closer to who and what we really are.
To follow this path requires vigor, strength, and courage to lean into the mystery and take on the unknown. We discuss how these elements mark the difference between a warrior and an average person. One fights for and will take risks for the truth, while the other is not drawn to inquiry or discovery. The path with heart becomes self-motivating because these risks are rewarded with connection and integration along the way.
C’est bon d’entendre ta voix, Veronica. Merci pour tes enseignements et ton engagement.
Please – can’t we acknowledge that an “average person” can have courage, compassion, and a willingness to act on behalf of the community and the wider human project? I’m 74 years old and have lived through periods of great strength, energy and activism; as well as periods of serious illnesses. At present, for health reasons, there are a lot of limitations on what I can do for the cause and even on what I can investigate.
I feel that there is danger in constructing a dichotomy where the “average person” does not take risks for the sake of justice and is not drawn to inquiry or discovery. If we accept this discursive model, would it not lead us to think that, given the opportunity, the “warriors” should make decisions “for” (over the heads of) the “average people”?