The Sword and the Truth

Truth is compared often as a sword and its usage treated in much the same way. I'm not advocating lies, but truth should be tempered with mercy and tact.  It should be used in specific ways, much akin to a sword as it cuts to the heart of things.  It pierces through the veil of darkness that obscures and distracts.  For this reason one should live by truth as they live by the sword.

Truth, like a sword, should be carried with you, ever ready to be wielded.  However if you do not know how to wield truth or a sword by drawing it, you have issued an invitation to be attacked. It makes you a target, a threat, to be taken down by those it threatens most. If you are not able to handle truth, it will ultimately cause you much damage despite having truth in your possession. 

Truth, like a sword, is used to not only attack but to block the attacks of others. It must be sharpened and honed with provable facts and not emotions or opinions. 

Carrying truth with you constantly, presenting and demonstrating that you are quite capable with it, is enough to scare away the cowardly who prey on the weak and defenseless, but it will draw to you the extremes of those who are arrogant and enjoy battle, the competitive, those who are too cowardly to stand for themselves, those in actual need, those who only think that they are righteous, and those who actually are, who love honor and all things good. 

If you are with a friend who is hurt and down, knowingly ashamed, it is not wise to draw your sword on them to beat them down further. A sword is a tool.  In times of mercy it is not always needed, unless it is to cut out the sores and poisonous bites that taint someone.

Truth is a weapon used to defend honor and fight injustice, but it is only as good as the person who wields it, and best used in the presence of armor or thick hide to defend against the reposts of the enemy.  Most are not agile enough to simply not be there to avoid those attacks, but then it is near to impossible to have your truth heard to defend against attacks to which you did not bear witness.

In essence, the best way to wield truth is to practice using it regularly, to learn all you can about it, and to be ever ready to use it to its fullest extent. 

One of my favorite quotes of all time is "To be a warrior is to be genuine in every moment of your life" by Chogyam Trungpa. It sums up the general concept that a life of honesty is a hard life of conflict. People fear and fight truth at every turn. It does not tell them what they want to hear, it tells them the truth. Often, people who think they are honest and genuine lie to themselves the most and convince themselves of things that simply are not so. It is a constant battle against external and internal forces to be genuine and honest with yourself, others, and the intent behind your actions. Perception is not always the same as truth, no matter how much we may wish it so. We are either leaves blown about on the wind at the whim of others, or we are trees rooted in truth.

"Every man has three characters - that which he exhibits, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has." - Karr, Alphonse


A Warrior of Light works to ensure that all three are the same.