der the burden, heedless of the risks and its own inherent limita-
tions. More than that, it recites its litany of thoughts over and over
again until eating and sleeping become almost impossible at times.
Still, the mind charges ahead refusing to admit failure. When
engaging in physical activity, we know our relative strengths and
when the time is right to take a rest. But our mental activities
never take a break – except briefly when we fall asleep. Even then,
the mind insists on remaining active, subconsciously churning out
countless dream images that continue overloading its capacity to
cope. So the mind lives with a sense of intolerable dissatisfaction,
never realizing that this dissatisfaction arises in direct relation-
ship to its heavy work load and the unbearable mental aggrava-
tion it generates.
Because it is always embattled, the mind could well be
called a ‘warrior’. It struggles with what is good and it struggles
with what is bad. Never pausing to reflect, it engages everything
that comes along. Whatever preoccupations arise, it insists on
confronting them all without exception, unwilling to let anything
pass unchallenged. So it’s appropriate to call the mind a ‘war-
rior’, since it recklessly confronts everything that comes across
its path. If the mind does not come to terms with this dilemma
while the body is still alive, it will keep on fighting these battles
indefinitely, unable to extricate itself. Should the heart’s endless
desires be indulged in without Dhamma to act as a moderating
influence, real happiness will always be out of reach, regardless of
how abundant material wealth may be. Material wealth itself is
not a true source of happiness, and can readily become a source
of discontent for the heart lacking inner Dhamma to serve as an
oasis of rest.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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