Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior
Introduction
Commentaries to Light the Way
To the illumined mind the whole world
burns and sparkles with light.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
What if, on a spring day in 2006, moved by a sudden sense of nostalgia, I had driven back to Berkeley and was walking alone through Tilden Park when, to my complete astonishment, out of the shadows stepped my old mentor, Socrates, not looking a day older than when we had parted.
And suppose he had held up a copy of Way of the Peaceful Warrior and said, “You got a lot of things right, Dan, but you left some points out of focus. Sit down — I’m going to explain a few things you didn’t quite grasp.”
He would have been right, as usual. After all, I could only hear and remember and relate what I’d learned from my then-current state of awareness.
Now, more than forty years have passed since our first meeting on a starry winter’s night in 1966. It wasn’t until 1980, fourteen years later, that I wrote Way of the Peaceful Warrior, relating the experiences and lessons that followed. Many of the incidents in the book occurred just as I described them; others did not. Yet the teachings remain as true as they are timeless.
The wisdom in Way of the Peaceful Warrior is not mine; it belong to all of us. Such principles and perspectives were expressed long ago in the Analects of Confucius, the writings of Plato and Aristotle, and the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Hillel, and others. But few of us are likely to explore all the ancient texts, which is why each new generation needs fresh voices to remind us of our global heritage of wisdom, in a language appropriate to each era and culture. I am but one of many such voices.
Over the years, many readers have asked me to clarify and expand upon the teachings presented in my first book. Socrates had, after all, made some outrageous statements and paradoxical references — for example, when he railed against moderation, or answered my questions with a shrug and the enigmatic response “It’s the House Rules.”
It wasn’t until 2006, as the Peaceful Warrior movie was about to open, that I realized the time had come to shed new light on the peaceful warrior’s way. That decision gave birth to Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior, which contains key dialogue and incidents, followed by commentaries to deepen and illuminate the original teachings.
I encourage you to read these words as if Socrates himself had written them. Because, in a paradoxical way, perhaps he did.
Dan Millman
Summer 2006
On the Preface to Way of the Peaceful Warrior
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet,
And whither then? I cannot say.
— J. R. R. Tolkien
Reality Check 1
An extraordinary series of events took place in my life, beginning in December 1966, during my junior year at the University of California at Berkeley. It all began at 3:20 A.M., when I first stumbled upon Socrates in an all-night gas station.
I’ve taken great care over the years to clarify that Way of the Peaceful Warrior blends fact and fiction, memoir and invention, autobiography and imagination. To avoid confusion, the back cover categorizes the book as “Personal Growth/Fiction.”
Pablo Picasso once said, “Art is a lie that helps us see the truth.” This raises some larger questions: What is truth? What is reality? We’re advised to trust our senses, yet whatever we perceive only reflects our personal or subjective reality filtered through our beliefs, associations, and interpretations.
Even the most intelligent among us can mistake printed words and televised images for reality, for truth. For example, an acquaintance told me how she had witnessed one of the two World Trade Center towers collapsing on September 11, 2001, from her Manhattan apartment balcony. She couldn’t believe her eyes, so she ran into her apartment and turned on her television to see if it was real. And how many of us believe that certain advanced yogis can appear in two places at the same time, or that a few great saints have levitated — not because we’ve witnessed such events, but because we have read or heard about them? Perhaps such phenomena really happen, but do they become “facts” because they appear in print?
Aspects of objective reality, such as gravity, remain true whether or not we believe in them. But in the subjective realm of faith, and when navigating the flowing waters of spirituality, it’s wise to cultivate discernment, critical thinking, and common sense. So read Way of the Peaceful Warrior and other spiritual literature to enjoy the stories, inspiration, and transcendental reminders, but always balance faith with reason and trust your direct experience.
Disillusion: The Search Begins
Life brought rewards, but no lasting peace or satisfaction.
This statement, which describes the emptiness that began my search for spirit, has also drawn millions of readers into the story. Most of us share a yearning for “something more,” even when we cannot fathom or articulate what that “something more” might be. As the nineteenth-century transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Some men go fishing all their lives without realizing that it is not fish they are after.”
We seek a liberating glimpse of life’s bigger picture, a sense of peace and fulfillment that transcends the stuff of ordinary life. This is the universal promise of religion, spirituality, the inner quest. The compelling urge that once drew American pioneers west now calls them to the mysterious East.
Today, teeming millions in developing nations around the world still struggle daily for survival; that is their primary quest. As Mahatma Gandhi reminded us, “To a starving man, God is bread.”
However, those of us fortunate enough to live in more comfortable circumstances, where food and shelter are relatively secure, have the time, attention, and energy to strive for higher aspirations — for fulfillment, meaning, and self-actualization.
Those of us who have traveled far on the extroverted Western path of achievement, success, material wealth, status, and possessions (or who have seen our parents pursue such rewards and comforts) have noticed that such external benefits, while fine in themselves, do not bestow peace or happiness.Those of us disillusioned with outer success have turned to the more internalized Eastern path — detachment from money, possessions, status, and outward achievement. We simplify our lives, cut away external trappings and symbols, and look for our answers within. We may meditate and explore various introspective paths of esoteric knowledge. Such inward-focused seekers often have their own difficulties dealing with worldly responsibilities, such as paying the rent, maintaining a household, or finding stable work.
Thus, the peaceful warrior’s way embraces the virtues of both West and East, outer and inner, flesh and spirit, left brain and right brain, head and heart, reason and faith, science and mysticism, modern technology and indigenous wisdom, the conventional and the transcendental. Life is not an either/or proposition, but rather an integration of apparent dualities. As peaceful warriors, we each keep our head in the clouds but our feet on the ground; we strive for a peaceful heart and a warrior spirit.
This approach may not guarantee permanent peace or satisfaction — nothing can, since emotions pass like the weather — but it represents a realistic and balanced way to live.
Continued in Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior . . .
A Companion to the Book That Changes Lives
Over the years, readers have asked many compelling questions about mysterious elements in Way of the Peaceful Warrior. In response, Dan has selected one hundred key passages from his first book and added commentaries to clarify the teachings of his old mentor, Socrates.
Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior, the perfect companion to his first book, speaks to all adventurous souls seeking a deeper understanding of life.
With insights gained over the past three decades, Dan sheds new light on ancient wisdom — practical wisdom for everyday life — how to live with an aware mind, a peaceful heart, and a warrior spirit.
You may not truly understand Way of the Peaceful Warrior
until you’ve read Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior.