These three areas of activity have been defined traditionally as the three riddles which warriors must face and answer as they walk the Path of Power. The Art of Stalking is termed the riddle of the heart. It is described as the bafflement warriors experience when they become aware, firstly, that the world appears to be what it is only because of our perception and, secondly, that if a different perception is brought to bear upon the world, then our view of the world, which seems to be so inviolable, changes dramatically. The Mastery of Awareness is termed the riddle of the mind. This is the awesome infinity warriors perceive when they realise the incomprehensible mystery and extent of man's awareness. The Mastery of Intent is the riddle of the spirit of man. It is the ultimate paradox in that it is the ability of man to project his actions, physical, emotional and mental, beyond normal human comprehension.

If one were to summarise the Toltec Path in a few words one could never do it justice, and yet perhaps one could say that ultimately it is the Path of Power, which is also the Path of Freedom. It is the Path of Power because, firstly, upon this path we learn to achieve the power which enables us to become aware of the hidden potentials within ourselves, and secondly, we learn to use those hidden potentials to unlock within ourselves the formidable powers of awareness and perception. Once the mystery of perception has been understood and mastered, our power and ability to bring about world peace and prosperity stands fully revealed and ready for use.

The ultimate difference between the scientist and the seer lies in their respective attitudes towards man and the world. To most scientists everything unknown can at some stage be explained in terms of a fixed frame of reference, through the use of words, formulas and theories. Generally, scientists see both man and the world as being fixed within a system of absolute values, even if this system is not fully understood. Thus, for the scientist, man and the world are merely intellectual exercises. For the seer, on the contrary, man and the world are the most amazing confluence of ever-fluctuating permutations - an astonishing miracle of order flowing out of what can only be described as chaos. To the seer, both man and the world are the most marvellous mysteries which he knows he will never truly grasp, since understanding is based upon a fixed frame of reference, and the kaleidoscopic permutations and combinations that bring about constant motion, change and fluidity do not lend themselves to logic.

The scientist sees in words his hope of being able to reduce both man and the universe to a known intellectual formula. The seer finds in words or, more accurately, in the implications inherent within them, an opportunity for expressing his awe at the astonishing mystery and scope of both man and the universe. The difference between scientist and seer is staggering in its e ffects. The scientist leads man into a sterile life of ever-increasing boredom; the seer reminds man of his unlimited heritage as a magical being of an exciting and unknowable universe.

In man's fear of the unknown he has unwittingly, but nevertheless wilfully, traded excitement for boredom, adventure for security. In this respect words are a perfect testimony to this fact. Man would much rather adhere to the absolute and known value of words than chance the unknown by questioning the validity of their face value.

The warrior, who is first and foremost a free being, and secondly an adventurer and pioneer at heart, seeks always the hidden challenge and the mystery concealed by the face value of words. In his heart of hearts he feels, senses and simply knows that every word holds hidden within it the clue to a mystery. Therefore the warrior pays the most careful attention to words, turning them over and over in his mind, this way and that, searching out all of their possible implications. For a warrior to take words at their face value is to walk straight into the trap of ignorance and boredom - something which for him is a meaningless and stupid waste of time and energy.

Like anything else in the universe, words in themselves are neither good nor bad, but will always reflect our intent. In this, words can convey confusion, boredom and mental sterility; or they can convey beauty, mystery and the ineffable truth. The strange paradox of words is that language was born from the mind of man and yet its roots lie within the heart of man. As is the case with all paradoxes, if one is to answer the riddle of the sphinx, one has to use both mind and heart to circumvent the sphinx's lethal trap. In this respect Bernard Shaw stated: 'The man who listens to Reason is lost: Reason enslaves all whose minds are not strong enough to master her.'

To these words of Shakespeare Frank Herbert adds the poignant statement: 'I think what a joy it is to be alive, and I wonder if I'll ever leap inward to the root of this flesh and know myself as once I was. The root is there. Whether any act of mine can find it, that remains tangled in the future. But all things a man can do are mine. Any act of mine may do it.'

This is a most apt description of the mood of a warrior. It shows the way in which he views himself and his task in life, that is, to try to unravel the mystery of his true being.
Consider every path carefully, testing it in whichever way you feel necessary - then ask yourself, but only yourself, one question: 'Does this path have a heart?'
Any path is much the same as any other path. Some paths wind this way and that - some paths go straight; but in the end no path goes anywhere at all. The only difference between one path and another is that some have a heart and some do not.
The path that has a heart will uplift you, ease your burden and bring you joy. The path with no heart will make you stumble, it will break your spirit, and finally cause you to look upon your life with anger and bitterness.

Average man is hardly ever on a path with a heart, for most of the time he walks the path demarcated for him by his social conditioning. Most people hate so many things in their lives, be it their jobs, their cars, their houses, a certain relative, or a pet fear. Consequently they spend the greater portion of their lives feeling irritable and unhappy, often cursing their life at every turn and wishing it were different. One constantly hears from these people comments such as: 'If only I had better health. If only I had more money. If only my wife was more understanding and co-operative. If only my children would listen to me. If only the political situation in the country was not so threatening. If only I could change the past. If only I knew the future. If only...' Such a man or woman never lives in the present moment, for they are always living either in the past or in the future. To such a person the present is irrelevant and of no consequence, because it is always superseded by the unhappy past, or by an uncertain future. This clearly is not a path with a heart, for it offers no peace and no joy, no sense of wonder and mystery; instead it o ffers only a desolate journey which is bleak and stark, uninteresting and thoroughly depressing.

Although Toltecs do not uphold any of man's naïve misconceptions concerning Satan and his fiery domain, they have nevertheless ever maintained that the world is in truth a mysterious place, and that mystery encompasses both the light and the darkness.

Power is truly a mystery, the intricacies of which defy even the abilities of the most accomplished seers. This is especially true of the astounding manner in which power transforms all who seek it. One day an apprentice is still just an ordinary man, and then suddenly, the very next day, he has been transformed into a formidable warrior who has power at his command. In retrospect, no warrior can ever quite work out how exactly this happened, or what triggered the magical transformation. All we do know is that intent is the key, but it is precisely this that is so baffling, because when intent is brought into focus it becomes invisible, having the peculiarity of appearing to be nothing whenever scrutinised . Today Toltecs know a great deal about power, but we also know that most of the workings of this force are as yet an incomprehensible mystery.

Power quite literally encompasses an infinity which defies all speculation - its scope being staggeringly awesome. Yet, the greatest marvel of all is that we human beings are an integral part of this magnificent mystery, this ineffable infinity. Human beings are therefore not merely physical creatures fighting for scraps of mundane existence upon earth, but magical beings of the universe who have a glorious and unlimited potential, the implications of which are quite daunting.

Although social conditioning and man's common view of the world have kept humanity in the bondage of ignorance for so long, man is today standing on the threshold of discovering what he really is. Thus there are already in the world a great many people who can sense that there is an inner core to their being which is too big, too powerful, to be kept in check by the petty confines of social conditioning. The day is dawning when many of these people will set off in quest of their true heritage, which they can sense is not one of bondage and subservience, but one of power and authority.

Omens and their interpretation are always regarded with a great deal of awe, and yet to single out omens as being mysterious is typical of man's insistence on ignoring his own innate mystery. Man is the greatest mystery known, having a potential which is truly awesome. Yet in his stupid ignorance, average man never pauses to consider this fact. Consequently, it just never occurs to him that he is a breathtaking being capable of the most astonishing magic.

The point to be grasped here is that man is truly a magical creature of the universe who not only has an apparently unlimited potential, but who is also enshrouded in a mystery defying all rational thought. Yet the bane of human existence is that average man today lives a sterile life of mundane pettiness, which automatically excludes all awareness of his exquisitely divine nature and his unbelievable potential. This state of affairs is a sad testimony to the extent of man's ignorance, and to his own insistence upon adhering to a social conditioning which is utterly debilitating in every respect.

It is not possible to become a warrior without stopping the world. in order to do so you must believe that it is possible, and that you too are a magical being of the universe capable of doing so.

The goal of the warrior is to achieve not only freedom from his social conditioning, but also that freedom which allows him to explore all his potential as a magical being. Such freedom naturally includes the ability to align any energy fields of his choice, and to explore all the many different levels of perception available to man. However, true freedom is only possible once the apprentice has managed to stop the world.

It is simply not possible to explore our hidden potential whilst we remain firmly caught up in this world we have inherited by virtue of our physical incarnation, and the accumulated effects of social conditioning. Our fellow human beings may try their damnedest to convince us that this world is the only reality there is, but the potential warrior is a being who senses with every fibre of his or her being that there is far more to life than that which meets the eye. Consequently, the apprentice to the Warrior's Path chooses to believe that he can leap inwards to the very core of his being, to discover there, firstly, who he really is; secondly, what his true potential encompasses; and thirdly, what his destiny actually implies. Once this decision has been taken, the apprentice's development is accelerated beyond all imagining.

Such then is the life of the warrior upon the physical plane, and when finally he has reached the end of the road in any one particular lifetime, then just as with any other man or woman, death approaches closer than usual to tap him gently on the shoulder. This means that time is up, that his breathtaking adventure within this truly marvellous world has all-too-soon come to an end. For the warrior who has lived an impeccable life, and who has always had death at his side as his constant companion, this moment is not a disaster, but one of considerable poignancy.

No true warrior can ever leave this wondrous world gladly, for although he knows full well that his time upon earth is but a temporary sojourn, he nonetheless loves and treasures this stupendous gift with every fibre of his being. It is here upon earth that the warrior has learned the true meaning of life; it is here where he has met his lifelong companion, death; it is here he has learned how to claim his power and to rejoice in his freedom; and above all, it is here where he has begun to glimpse the awesome potential and mystery of his own innate beingness. In this respect every warrior is always left with the feeling that his time on earth was hardly enough to begin unravelling the incredible mystery which is man, but yet, in his heart of hearts, he also knows that even if his life on earth had been twice as long, he still would not have been able to do more than touch ever so briefly that awesome potential which is his own true magical self.
It is the bane of man's existence that the limitations of his finite mind force him to look upon the mystery of beingness as a dull mundane occurrence with no particular significance.

Although most people look upon the act of perception as a very mundane act, Toltecs have always been fascinated by this stupendous phenomenon, knowing that it is the ultimate key to all acts of true power. Why different people should perceive the same event differently, and why some people are capable of perceiving something others are oblivious to, are only two of the great many questions that have kept highly skilled Toltec seers occupied for generations upon generations. And yet, in spite of all their dedicated research, Toltecs today are still not much closer to deciphering the mystery of perception than at the outset of their work. Their only success to date is to have become ever more skilled in the act of perception, and as a result to have gained enormously in experience, and consequently also in knowledge; but the real secret inherent within this most funda-mental act still evades us all.

Because the act of perception encompasses the mystery of intent, it too is a mystery, and these two mysteries interact to produce the Mists of Dragon Lore.

The reason why Toltec seers have not yet been able to crack the mystery of perception is because it entails the use of that mysterious force termed intent. Thus it is therefore quite literally a case of a mystery within a mystery; the one interacting with the other to produce yet a third mystery, namely that phenomenon Toltecs have termed the Mists of Dragon Lore.

It has already been mentioned in the introduction to this book that Dragon Lore is not at all easy to express in terms of the logic demanded by the rational mind of man. In fact, in many ways it is easier to rationalise about the act of perception, and even about the force of intent, than to rationalise about the Mists of Dragon Lore. The reason for this is that the concept of Dragon Lore is one of those strange paradoxes which arises from the rational mind itself for, logically speaking, this concept seems to make a great deal of sense, and yet the moment logic is applied to it, it suddenly appears to become completely irrational. Therefore from what has been stated so far concerning the art of stalking, it should not be too difficult to understand why it should be termed a riddle. The act of perception, which seems to be such a very logical and mundane act, is in reality three mysteries in one, and since stalking has its basis in this threefold mystery, it cannot be taken at face value, but must instead be approached as a mystery in its own right.

We cannot work with a mystery from the outside. If we wish to solve a mystery we must immerse ourselves within that mystery, for only in this way can we map out the unknown.

A mystery implies the unknown, and that the unknown can never become the known unless we explore it. This is the same principle that is involved in charting a map for an unknown territory. In order for a cartographer to draw such a map, he must physically go into that territory. However, to enter and to explore an unknown physical location is easy enough, but to enter the unknown regions of the human psyche is altogether a different ball game.

The clue to this deeper meaning lies in the phrase "we must immerse ourselves within that mystery". This is one of the most difficult concepts to get across to an apprentice, for the simple reason that we cannot truly verbalise its real import. As a result, every apprentice at first makes the mistake of assuming that to immerse oneself in mystery is merely a figure of speech. However, the talented apprentice quickly enough comes to the realisation that stalkers do not as a rule speak in terms of metaphor, and that even when a stalker is forced to use metaphor, such a metaphor is always the expression of an abstract reality which transcends the limitations of the finite mind. Therefore "to become immersed in mystery" is a statement which by far transcends the normal meaning of becoming "engrossed in", or "fascinated by", or "obsessed with". In fact this statement holds the key to the true art of stalking, especially the art of stalking oneself or, in other words, not-doing.

It is particularly noticeable when it comes to not-doing, how often apprentices do take the teachings at face value, and thus fall into the trap of assuming understanding. The only possible way in which to teach not-doing, as with all the other concepts and techniques, is in rational terms. All of us can only start from where we are at, and since every apprentice starts off by being completely caught up in the logic of the rational mind, it stands to reason that apprentices will at first always approach the teachings in terms of the rational. This is especially true for those techniques which are assigned to right side awareness, for apprentices quite unconsciously assume that this means they are given a licence to apply only their rational minds to these practices. The fact that they do not as yet grasp the true nature of right side awareness does not even occur to such apprentices, for they automatically assume that their own particular perception of right side awareness must be correct. As a result, the technique of not-doing is inevitably taken at face value, and then left at that.

It is indeed true that both stalking and not-doing are techniques which apply to right side awareness, but this does not mean that we can afford to take this at face value. The real reason why these two techniques apply to right side awareness will only really become clear as we continue to consider their deeper implications, but let it suffice for now to say that the real value of both techniques lies in applying them to the act of perception, which the majority of people can only register in normal awareness.

However, unlike the average man or woman, warriors do not make the mistake of assuming that their perception of anything is the ultimate reality. Having learned through experience that the act of perception is always relative to our view of the world, warriors do not take their perceptions at face value, for they know that whenever our view of the world changes, so too does our perception of both life and ourselves. Therefore warriors accept what they have perceived without accepting it, and believe what they have perceived without believing it. This is the not-doing of the warrior, and by practising this, he or she avoids becoming obsessed with the face value of anything, no matter whether it is a problem, a joyful experience, a statement made by another person, the behaviour of that person, or a concept or technique of the Toltec tradition.

Consequently, when it comes to the statement that we have to immerse ourselves within mystery, the warrior knows for a fact that he is dealing with a metaphor for a reality which cannot be verbalised. Knowing this, the warrior also knows that it would be plain stupidity to ask how this is supposed to be accomplished, for if this was possible to explain, then there would have been no need to use metaphor in the first place. Instead the warrior practices not-doing, by starting to stalk his perception of this statement.

It is exactly at this point where the apprentice's rational mind will inevitably do a backward somersault to land on its head, and without even thinking about it, the apprentice will voice the invalid question, "How?"

Stalking one's perception is not nearly so difficult to do as it is to explain. In fact this is true of everything warriors do, for until you know how to do it, it always seems to be very difficult, but this is only because the rational mind of man insists on complicating everything. Once you know how to do something, then you discover that it is not the doing that is difficult, but the explaining of it to someone who is bent on complicating everything. In order to overcome this difficulty Toltecs devised certain guidelines for apprentices to follow in learning for themselves that which cannot be verbalised. Such guidelines are called postulates, or premises, and are usually given in the form of a set. The set given to apprentices to help them learn what it is to stalk their perception, is known as the four postulates of stalking.
You should know, firstly, that the whole world and everything in it is an endless mystery; secondly, that it is our duty as warriors to solve this mystery, but we should never engage the hope of being able to do so; thirdly, that because warriors are aware of the endless mystery surrounding them, they acknowledge that they too are a part of this mystery, and because they know that it is their duty to solve this mystery, they become at-one with the mystery; fourthly, being at-one with the mystery, the warrior comes to understand that the crux of this mystery is the infinite mystery of beingness, irrespective of whether beingness means an atom, a mineral, a plant, an animal, a human, or even a superhuman entity. having come to this realisation the warrior enters into a state of true humility, for within the mystery of beingness, all are equal.

In this respect realise that although the warrior is always wide awake, feelings can sometimes be so irrational, or even appear to be so out of context with respect to the issue at hand, that one has to work hard at stalking one's perception in order to decipher them. But the important point to bear in mind here, is that in doing so we must be willing to embrace the unknown, in the sense of not trying to interpret such feelings rationally and therefore within the context of the known. Furthermore, realise that unless we make every effort to remain alert to the unfoldment of those feelings, they also all too often tend to fall by the wayside. The reason for this is that whenever people cannot interpret the irrational immediately, they will either forget about such feelings, or else just discard them on the assumption that they cannot have any significance.

Realise that whilst we are still subject to selective perception, and our view of the world is still intact, the danger always exists that we will interpret our feelings so as to make them fit into our view of the world. The only way around this is to acknowledge the feelings that arise, but then to allow oneself to unravel the knowledge expressed by them within one's daily life.

In trying to grasp the irrational, it is always wise to remember that such knowledge would not be irrational if it could be encapsulated within the limitations of the rational mind. As such it stands to reason that in trying to grasp the irrational one is going to be stretched beyond one's normal frame of reference, and therefore plunged headlong into having to wrestle with concepts that at first appear to make no logical sense, and all too often also appear to be contradictory to everything we think we know, and therefore assume to be true. But to be stretched beyond one's frame of reference means having to enter the unknown, and the only way in which we can find our way around within the unknown, is to try to get a feeling, or an intuitive sense of what that particular part of the unknown entails. Without such a feeling we become prone to rationalisation in an attempt to force the unknown into something that must somehow fit logically into what constitutes for us the known, and in the process we not only distort the new knowledge, but we also unconsciously fall into the trap of using it to confirm to ourselves those preconceived ideas and prejudices that form part of our normal frame of reference.

Although people assume they know themselves and their world, the truth of the matter is that both man and the world is simply not what they appear to be. We are an unfathomable mystery even unto ourselves, and so is the world around us. If this were not true, then there would be no evolution of awareness, and we would not be able to expand our consciousness beyond its present state. Notice that I use the term "an unfathomable mystery". I use this term purposely and for two reasons. Firstly, because all awareness is dependent upon perception it means that every time our perception changes, so too does our awareness of ourselves, of others, and of the world in general. But because perception is not dictated to by reason alone, it more often than not follows a course of change that, although yielding answers that can be highly fulfilling and satisfying, nonetheless also invariably leads us into asking more and more questions about ourselves and about life. Therefore far from the normal assumption that we can wrap ourselves up into a tight little box of self-understanding, the practitioner of the Toltec teachings soon comes to realise that any change in perception and growth in awareness always serves to prove just how little we really do know about ourselves and the world we live in. Secondly, inherent within this realisation is the fact that so much of our perception lies beyond the confines of rationality and, as a result, our awareness is for ever touching upon the fringes of a vastness that is always just beyond the scope of understanding, no matter how much our awareness expands, and no matter how much we learn about ourselves and about life.

An ancient truth that causes life to take on a meaning that was not apparant before. And yet, although that meaning in time becomes clear, the ring of truth which gives rise to this remains for ever, mysteriously so, just beyond the grasp of the human mind. It is for this reason that it is stated that unless the warrior becomes the myth, the truth remains for ever elusive.

Although it is true that the only work to be done is work on the self, and although it is true that if we uplift ourselves we automatically uplift also those around us, so is it equally true that all of us are units of the One Life, and therefore subject to the purpose of that Life. But what the apprentice finds so difficult to grasp at this point is that life could possibly have a purpose that far exceeds the extremely limited scope of his understanding, and that life therefore also has a meaning that is far deeper than the value he has attached to it. Therefore from one perspective, such an apprentice, by living the right side teachings impeccably, will be making invaluable progress along the Warrior's Path, and in so doing becoming very empowered and successful. But from another perspective, unless the apprentice can grasp that all of this is only the means by which he can begin to embrace the purpose and the meaning of that greater life of which we are all units, he invariably falls prey to his own understanding of what he perceives to be the left side teachings, and thereby will still be missing the boat with respect to the true teachings.

Whilst still caught within his beliefs and understanding of both himself and his life, the apprentice will struggle endlessly in trying to come to grips with the left side teachings, and within that struggle will also all too often feel lost and confused, and uncertain of how to proceed. Although that apprentice will know at an intellectual level that it is his view of the world that is bringing about the dilemma, yet in practice he finds himself again and again coming up against his beliefs concerning the Warrior's Path, and never do those beliefs seem to match the requirements for putting into practice the left side teachings.

In having become caught up in the firm belief that the pursuit of power is the only thing that matters, the apprentice fails to grasp that power is only the means by which it becomes possible to fulfil the true purpose of life, and thereby to embue life with the true meaning inherent within what it is to be alive. In other words, such an apprentice fails to grasp that it is life that is of prime importance, and not power, nor the form. By the same token, he also fails to grasp that the right side teachings are merely a means whereby to grasp the mystery of beingness as revealed through the left side. Therefore the so-called left side teachings are not even close to anything the rational mind can begin to grasp, for in essence they are not meant to placate the rational mind, but rather to assist the apprentice in dismantling his system of beliefs concerning himself and his world, and thereby to break free from his inhibiting and thus debilitating understanding of both the purpose and the meaning of life. Therefore far from being understandable, the left side teachings defy intellectualism, just as the life to which they pertain defies rationalisation.

Life is not at all what people believe it to be. Likewise is the Warrior's Path also not what the apprentice's perception of the right side teachings leads him to believe. Toltecs say that life is a feeling, meaning that at the very best we can only ever have a feeling for that awesome mystery we term life, for how else can we experience that which is but the expression of the intent of the Unspeakable, and in this respect how can we even begin to make any assum-ption concerning the purpose behind that expression? It is likewise also for this same reason that the Warriors of Freedom define the Warrior's Path as being the Path with a Heart, not because it enables anyone to fulfil his or her own expectations of what life should be, and not because it enables anyone to have life on his or her own terms, but simply because life is a feeling, and because all feelings for and also within life comes from the heart.

With respect to all of the above, realise that there is nothing to stop us from making assumptions, but if we do so, then we must also be honest enough to acknowledge, even if only to ourselves, that whenever we assume that we have reached an understanding of ourselves, or the world, then we are effectively stunting the growth of our own knowledge by having become entrapped within our own limited perception. In this respect it is vital to bear in mind that any perception is of necessity limited by the alignment of the assemblage point, and if that alignment is determined by any one view of the world, then by definition our perception must be selective. It is only once we are able to enter and exit any alignment of perception we may choose, that we can stand free from the limitations of that perception, in the sense that, now being able to see those limitations for what they really are, we no longer feel compelled into holding onto any one particular view of the world. But until we have that freedom our alignment is fixed by our view of the world, and because it is fixed the perception generated is not only limited and selective, but also distorted because of being selective. Needless to say, part and parcel of that fixed view of the world is also everything we think we know, everything we believe to be true, and everything we assume to be right. This is true even if our perception is based entirely upon our experience gained through living the right side teachings, for no matter how impeccable we may be with respect to the right side, unless we can embrace all of life with equal respect, which means that we believe without believing, and accept without accepting, then by definition our perception is still selective, and therefore limited. Therefore when we become entrapped by our own perception, then by implication this means that we have become enmeshed within the every-thing of the tonal, instead of being able to stand free within the no-thing of the nagal. The implications here are vast, and the implications within those implications are even more vast, but I will try to impart at least a feeling for some of the more tangible implications that are of immediate import to humanity's current needs.

Assuming that he understands what life is, he takes it for granted, and assuming that he unde-rstands himself because he is alive, he takes himself for granted too. But in having taken himself for granted, that person fails to see the implications of his assumed understanding, that is, he fails to see that he is identifying himself with the form, or more precisely, the form side of life, namely life as expressed upon the physical plane. But this expression of life is not life itself. My body, my actions, my many activites, my career, my education, my religion, my beliefs, my thoughts, my feelings, my emotions, and in short my every-thing is but an expression of that no-thing which is me the indwelling life. Toltecs express this by saying that the every-thing is the tonal, the form side of life, and that the no-thing is the nagal, the ineffable spirit. Furthermore, because the tonal is the expression, or the manifestation of the nagal, it is not only feminine relative to the nagal, but it is also bringing the purpose of the nagal to birth by having been impregnated with the nagal's intent. The tonal is therefore an expression of the nagal's desire to get to know every-thing about Itself which is as yet for It the unknown.

In order to grasp the warrior's approach towards power, it is important to first know his approach towards life itself. That approach can best be described as simplicity in action - a simplicity which has about it the naive innocence of the trusting child that is joyfully, playfully, seeking out the meaning as well as the purpose of life upon the physical plane. For the warrior life is about celebrating the nagal and the tonal, the eternal twins, but most specifically does he celebrate the purpose of their birth, as well as the meaning of their lives as made manifest through the spirit of man. Therefore to the warrior life is an endless series of celebrations. Sometimes he simply celebrates life itself. Sometimes he celebrates the many richnesses of life. Sometimes he celebrates his quest for knowledge, whilst at other times he will celebrate the simple act of learning what it is to hunt for power. But, above all, does the warrior always celebrate the sharing and the companionship that he finds upon his journey through life, a journey that is sometimes challenging, sometimes joyful, sometimes sorrowful, but for ever filled with an awesome abundance of a great many different richnessnesses, each in their own way, bringing reward and fulfilment. In this respect there is for the warrior no greater joy than to share the dreams and the hopes, the triumphs and the failures of himself and his fellow travellers who, in having set off in search of the purpose of life, learn that the secret in fulfilling that purpose lies in the meaning of life.

The difference between the warrior and the ordinary man is like the difference between day and night. The warrior is for ever on the very edge of life where he is mapping out the unknown about himself and about power; the ordinary man is digging himself deeper and deeper into the sterile confines of what is, for him, the known. But that so called known is not even really the known, but is only the product of that man's selective perception of what, according to his prejudices, his preconceived ideas, and his social conditioning, he either thinks or assumes, to be true and correct. Therefore the warrior grows more and more powerful with every battle fought, whilst the ordinary man grows more and more stubborn in insisting that he will prove his point of view, even if it kills him! The warrior, being a free being, has no-thing to prove, and therefore has every-thing to learn. But the ordinary man, being a slave unto his preconceived ideas about life, has nothing to learn, and therefore has everything to prove. As a result the ordinary man is for ever hell-bent on trying to prove himself right in the face of all odds, whereas the warrior simply goes quietly about his way in proving no-thing, the inner spirit of the true warrior.

There are many different ways in which to shift the focus, but in this context it means shifting the focus from winning or losing to fighting an impeccable battle. In other words, to shift the focus means that we become fluid enough to flow with the dictates of power, instead of wanting to dig in our heels so as to prove ourselves right. But most important of all, when we do shift the focus in this way, it means that we become willing to let go of our own perception so as to embrace the unknown. Without that shift of focus we remain for ever stuck within our own perception, and therefore we remain caught within what is, to all intents and purposes, our own self-limiting and self-debilitating definition of the known.

In not wanting to let go of their view of the world, they hold onto their prejudices and their preconceived ideas as if this view of the world is the one and only thing that is of value. But it is this very view of the world that keeps them stuck in what it is they believe they know. As a result people live in their heads and allow their rational minds to dictate their every move, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Living entirely in the head such people are incapable of bringing feeling into the equation, and consequently their hearts are mostly ignored. By ignoring the heart, and therefore feeling, we become hopelessly caught in a never-ending internal dialogue that keeps going round and round in the head, spinning out the same old thought patterns, the same old habits, the same old reactions, day after day, and slowly but surely, we become despondent at not being able to break free from that pattern of sterility and boredom.

It is primarily for this reason that Toltecs have always maintained that the Warrior's Path will serve no meaningful purpose unless becoming a warrior is for the apprentice an act of survival. Unless this is so we always just come back to the same old point of, if you like your view of the world, then why would you want to forfeit it? If you like your life the way it is, then why would you want to change it? And if you like yourself the way you are, then why would you choose to change yourself? But if, on the other hand, you know from experience that there is nothing in your life that is worth living for, and I mean nothing, then, and only then, will you be willing to let go of every-thing you have in pursuit of no-thing, should you be offered the gap to freedom. Only then will it begin to dawn on you that you are not the tonal, but a spirit-being that is utilising the form-side of life in order to evolve your awareness of that life of which you are a unit.

Freedom! How incredibly badly people understand this concept. And yet, for the person who has reached the end of the line, so to speak, the concept of freedom is crystal clear. Nothing more needs to be explained. Nothing more needs to be understood. Nothing more needs to be considered. When faced with the sober realisation that there is nothing left that is worth living for, then freedom can only mean one thing, namely, freedom from every-thing which constitutes one's existing life. In that moment the person concerned does not have to think, or to consider, or to reflect, or even to ponder on what he or she may lose should they embark upon that path of no-return termed the Warrior's Path. But in never ever wanting to return to anything within their existing lives, there is also absolutely nothing to lose. But it is vital to grasp the implications here. If we hold onto our view of the world, we will hold onto every-thing, meaning that we lose no-thing, we lose the nagal, and we forfeit life in favour of the form-side of life. But when that moment of clarity comes there is the sure knowing that should one never succeed upon the Warrior's Path, there is still nothing from our former lives to lose, but we will lose no-thing, the spirit. On the other hand, by taking the gap, there is at least the heartfelt hope that comes from being able to try, irrespective of the outcome. But it is also far more than mere hope. It is the sure knowingness that to fail is to forfeit life, and it is therefore in every possible way a battle for survival.

But such a knowingness does not come from a carefully considered thought. Instead it is an awesome feeling that wells up from the very depths of one's beingness - a feeling that seems to be so enormously powerful that it threatens to overwhelm one, and invariably brings upon one that deep sense of poignant sadness termed melancholy. From that moment on, whether we have ever heard of the Warrior's Path or not, and depending upon our predilection as individuals, we either start to fight for our survival with everything we've got, and thereby enter into the mood of the warrior, or else we succumb to the apathy born of despair. This is the true meaning of the Knock of the Spirit, and when it comes we either follow the spirit in that moment like true warriors, or else we give up and start to die in one way or another.

Let us now look at what constitutes for the apprentice the necessary where-with-all? To put it quite simply, it is the heartfelt willingness not to give up, not to stop fighting, not to complain, not to become arrogant, not to become defensive, not to become closed, and not to become separative in one's approach and attitude towards life. Unless we have the willingness to learn from life, unless we have the willingness to participate fully in life, unless we have the willingness to embrace all of life in whichever way it is presented to us, there is no way forward. The reason for this is because if we do not embrace all of life as presented to us by power, then by implication we are still holding onto our perception of what life should be, and therefore holding onto the belief that we can have life, or more precisely, our perception of what life should be, on our terms. But worse still, if we do this, then it also implies that in having been given our gap to freedom, we choose instead to hold onto our perception and our view of the world. This in turn implies that we do not have the necessary humility to receive the support we are getting from power in order to become warriors. Lacking in that humility we will kick and scream when we should be rejoicing in our good fortune, and we will resist when we should be flowing with the support given.

In order to grasp the warrior's approach towards power, it is important to first know his approach towards life itself. That approach can best be described as simplicity in action - a simplicity which has about it the naive innocence of the trusting child that is joyfully, playfully, seeking out the meaning as well as the purpose of life upon the physical plane. For the warrior life is about celebrating the nagal and the tonal, the eternal twins, but most specifically does he celebrate the purpose of their birth, as well as the meaning of their lives as made manifest through the spirit of man. Therefore to the warrior life is an endless series of celebrations. Sometimes he simply celebrates life itself. Sometimes he celebrates the many richnesses of life. Sometimes he celebrates his quest for knowledge, whilst at other times he will celebrate the simple act of learning what it is to hunt for power.

Purpose and meaning. We can never change the fact that the purpose of life is to evolve awareness. That is the intent of the Unspeakable, and none of us can change what is fixed. Whether we like it or not, whether we resist it or not, whether we co-operate with that intent willingly and joyfully, or whether we co-operate reluctantly under protest, none of us can avoid either our fate or our destiny. Such is the unwaivering purpose of life. And yet in fulfilling that purpose we can and we do bring to that purpose a meaning.

What makes the evolution of awareness worthwhile, and what makes it an exciting journey of adventure filled with joy, is the meaning we put into that journey. But here too, if we look closely enough, we see that even this meaning has been foreordained. This is what is termed the factor of inclusivity. But being foreordained, and depending upon where we choose to place the focus, we can turn this into a burden too. In this respect realise that it is perfectly possible for anyone to learn to live a fully inclusive life, and yet still to be a cold and heartless person. If I wanted to, I could live the most impeccable life of inclusivity that would be so utterly politically correct that no-one would ever be able to fault me on any technicality. But such a life would be just that - politically correct, and technically faultless. But to what avail? Such a life has for me no human meaning, and in having no human meaning, it also has no heart to bring me warmth.