A Soldier or a…???

Invaded by a fierce enemy force... A great danger... One has to go to war with this enemy army. This enemy force is not an army that can negotiate peace. Liberation can only be achieved through war. There is no salvation until this war is over.

One person becomes a soldier by knowing the importance of defeating this enemy army... Well-armed, practicing all the martial arts, knowing the tactics of war, recognizing the real danger one must face and recognizing the need of getting rid of that danger.  This soldier is all set to go for this great battle and will embark his journey with courage and perseverance.

Now the man who became this soldier has a clear purpose. There is a clear path & this soldier works for that purpose. The soldier moves forward in order to achieve the victory he recognizes.

Now there is another man, without any idea about this war... Without even knowing whether there is an enemy army or not... There is this person who does not know whether he is in a great danger or not.  He doesn’t aware of the war, nor the enemies.  So, it’s obvious that he hasn’t ready for any battle.  Day to day challenges are the greatest battle for this person. 

So, once these two men are on their way when a dog attack them. Trying to eat... Barking... Growling... Jumping... Very annoying.

What do you think?  What does the soldier do?

Do you think that soldier battle with the dog instead of the greatest war he has to battle?  Do you think that a soldier who recognizes his real danger, who recognizes the real battle, will actually make the dog as his real enemy? Or do you think that he will care for this dog or take is as a real risk? Do you think dogs would be such a big challenge to a skilled soldier who knows all those war tactics?

But, what about the other person who doesn't know about the real war, the real enemies... Who doesn't recognize the real danger?

This dog would become a real challenge for that person indeed.  This would be the greatest battle... The greatest danger... The greatest challenge for the person who doesn’t aware of the real battle.  So, he will use all his effort, time, ability & everything he got to get rid of the dog he encounters along the way.

The one thing that he doesn’t aware is that, even though he could escape from thousands of dogs like this, he still has to face the real danger from real enemies.  He still has to know about the great battle, he should fight for his true liberation. 

So, this is quite like a parable... You should try to understand the deep meaning behind this story with your wisdom.

Every time we see, hear, taste, smell, contact, or feel, the greatest enemy invades us.  This is an unknown danger. The actual liberation which one should identify. 

According to the parable, the man who doesn’t aware of the great battle, he has to face is like most of us.  Who doesn’t aware of the risk we face at every moment we see, hear, taste, smell, contact, or feel.  As that person in the story, we also care about the dogs who attack us.  It’s the attachments & the anger or the other feelings we daily face and struggle to overcome comes as the attacking dogs.  They are the challenges for us.  So, we waste our time on this battle.  And the peace we gain after that is believed to be the real peace or the liberation for us. 

But if you are wise enough to understand the parable, you can see the person who battle with the dog is the ignorant one.  The peace he gains is not the true liberation.  He is yet to find out his greatest battle & the enemy.

This is called spiritual practices.  Battling with the feelings, emotions, so called reality based on the five senses.  Even though it looks like a deep realization it is not when compared to the deep, pure teachings of a Samma Sambuddha. 

So, there is a great war that you have to face in this path of Nirvana.  If you are working for true liberation this is one deep fact that you must understand. Samma Sambuddha is the one who warned us about this greatest enemy and the greatest battle which we should face to achieve the true liberation.  Through Dhamma we become a soldier who knows about every tactic, techniques to win this battle. 

There are many methods you can learn to fight with the attacking dogs on your way.  You do not require any special technique for that.  So, try to understand the difference of these two battles.  And Buddhism is to win the real battle & find out who the real enemies are.  It is not for the dogs who are attacked on your way.  But as a gift for a true soldier you will automatically gain the skill to fight with dogs too, and it won’t be a hard task for you.

Therefore, seek the correct purest teachings of Samma Sambuddha. Find out where the real battle is... Do not mislead with the spiritual practices by thinking that you are in the correct path of Nibbana.  Develop skills for that. May the Triple Gem bless you to the fullest for your true liberation!