The Essential Warrior Path: Monks, Knights, Jedis, Braves and Adepts

I was reading History and Doctrine of the Rose-Croix by Paul Sédir and I had a realization.   Paul Sédir, by the way, is a pen name.  He was born Yvon Le Loup on January 2, 1871 in Dinan and died on February 3, 1926 in Paris.  He was an esotericist and mystic, author of numerous works on esotericism and Christian mysticism.   This particular book on the Rose-Croix is an exhaustive,  condensed version of virtually everything ever written on the subject of the Rosicrucianism since they leapt onto the scene in the early 1600s.  Anyway, at the end of the book Sédir lists the “Secret Signs of the Adept” as follows:

The Secret Signs of the Adept

1. A Rose-Croix is patient
2. Good
3. He doesn’t know envy
4. He doesn’t hurry
5. He isn’t vain
6. He isn’t untidy
7. He isn’t ambitious
8. He isn’t irritable
9. He doesn’t think ill of others
10. He loves justice
11. He loves truth
12. He knows how to be silent
13. He believes what he knows
14. His hope is steadfast
15. He has no cravings
16. He remains a member of the society forever

And as I read these I thought, “With a few exceptions, this sounds like a list of warrior attributes.” And then I thought, “What are the core warrior attributes?  And how would I arrive at them?”

There are 8 warrior types I know something about, so I decided to analyze their codes, rules, tenets, maxims, and rituals and put them into a database.  From that database I distilled 12 attributes which I expressed as maxims — pithy sayings based on actual expressions of the precepts of the various traditions.  See video for details.

For even more details — all of my notes, much of which didn’t make it into the video! — are available to my Patreon subscribers for as little as $1/month pledge.

Without further ado, here are the 12 maxims.

The 12 Essential Warrior Maxims

1. Self-control: Be relaxed and tranquil even unto death’s door. (Shaolin)
2. Courage: Every day consider yourself as dead. (Samurai)
3. Detachment: Do not display anger or other emotions — be free of passions, yet full of love. (Stoic)
4. Justice: Everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against injustice and evil. (Knights Templar)
5. Prowess: Aspire to the height of grace and skill in action, voice and demeanor. (Powhatan)
6. Education: Read with diligence, and do not rest satisfied with light and superficial common knowledge. (Stoic)
7. Fraternity: Remain faithful to your friends. (Hwarang)
8. Indomitability: As the pine scorns frost and snow, stand tall and persevere despite negativity, obstacles, and repeated failures. (Hwarang)
9. Integrity: Thinking, speaking and doing are the same action. (Samurai)
10. Renunciation: Give no thought to what you will wear, what you will eat, or where you will sleep. (Shaolin)
11. Sacred Speech: Every idle word contains a sin; speak therefore little, and then only in truth, care, and simplicity. (Knights Templar)
12. Stoicism: Never cry out in pain. (Powhatan)

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