Chapter 5
The Way of the Warrior and Path of the Sage

The structure of consciousness is broken down into three planes that build the fabric of reality--physical, mental, and spiritual. Consciousness is not only the foundation of the universe, but it is the whole universe. In discovering this we come to the question of which plane is the truth? If all is consciousness, could one level be more truthful than the others? We could say that those who dwell within the physical and mental planes or body-mind state are under the spell of the deluded mind and do not know their true selves nor their place within the universe. While those on the spiritual plane know who they really are, know their relationship to the universe, and can see reality as it truly is through the evolution of perception. Although one state knows the truth of evolution and the other is still a slave to the ego, the fact is they are both the truth--all levels are needed to make up what we call existence. Without the contrast of the mundane, we could not see harmony. To perceive harmony you need the intrinsic parts that make up the formation of what you see.

The fundamental truth does not lay in the levels of consciousness but in awareness itself. The individual who truly sees the world has had an overwhelming transformation. So when we mention truth we are not referring to one level as better than another but to an understanding of the correct way to see the totality of existence through consciousness. And the holy sage’s perception is a mirror reflection of how the universe is; this is called the “evolution of perception.” The way in which the universe moves in its flow and patterned harmony is within our consciousness as well. We either know this or we don’t. The way we see the world holds us to what “is” and “isn’t.”


Two Primary States of Awareness

A human has two primary states of awareness or modes of Being--those who are drawn into the daily dramas of life and those who have the elevated perspective of seeing a fractal harmony within all life. These two states of awareness run parallel with the conscious state of the false ego and the true self. The ego perceives the fine detail of reality. Like a microscope, the ego focuses on very tiny matters of life but then mistakenly builds its psychology around these insignificant situations. On the other hand, the true-self is a state of consciousness so pure that it constantly sees that life is pattern. In this state one can visualize the unfolding universe. This state of awareness is a mind of no deliberation, a mind that does not attach itself to any circumstance or thought--past, present, or future. The true self is one who dwells within the spiritual plane and knows the soul vibrations, hence the evolution of perception. The state of consciousness we are referring to here is associated with the teachers of eternity, while the state of consciousness of the ego caught in the details is referred to as the masses or the profane.

In all levels of life we find the teacher and student relationship--parent and child, teacher and student, or the most mysterious of all, the master and disciple. Both primary states of awareness are reflected in this immutable relationship between master and disciple. Disciples are still deluded by the mind, whereas masters know the totality of their own Being. In the great work of eternity these two modes of Being are known as the warrior and the sage. Evidence of these two modes are found throughout ancient scriptures and mystical stories, most notably in the Vedantic treatises of the Bhagavad Gita and Ribhu Gita (or Song of Ribhu). In both classics the warriors are suffering from their own minds and blights within this world. As they begin to question their minds, out of nowhere the guidance of the sage appears. The whole process in both scriptures is to take the warrior’s mode of perception out of the details of life into the vision of the divine. The Bhagavad Gita demonstrates this as Krishna, the sage, is attempting to move the warrior Arjuna’s awareness out of the daily mundane struggles of life into the vision of Brahman so that he might see the infinite in all things. Texts 31, 32, and 33 of the Bhagavad Gita state:

Text 31
When a sensible man ceases to see different identities due to different material bodies and he sees how beings are expanded everywhere, he attains to the Brahman conception.

Text 32
Those with the vision of eternity can see that the imperishable soul is transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature. Despite contact with the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled.

Text 33
The sky, due to its subtle nature, does not mix with anything, although it is all-pervading. Similarly, the soul situated in Brahman vision does not mix with the body, though situated in that body.

Through the awareness of a warrior and a sage either chaos or order descends upon Earth, but again it’s a matter of perception. Throughout time one of the biggest problems to plague this planet has been the fostering of the warrior’s consciousness and the continual suppression of the sage’s consciousness. There is no one to blame for this other than ourselves. Our obstinate refusal to look within ourselves to find the true problems in our world has allowed us to further justify our own habitual ways that are slowly killing the human species. For us to ward off this fate we really need to grasp where our awareness is rooted. To do this we need to explore the characteristics of a warrior and a sage.