Millman, Dan - Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Millman Dan

Author:Millman, Dan [Millman, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0874771218
Publisher: H J Kramer
Published: 1980-09-01T07:00:00+00:00

Back inside Socrates drew some water from the spring water dispenser and put on the evening's tea specialty, rose hips, as he continued. “To rid yourself of old patterns, focus all your energy not on struggling with the old, but on building the new.”

“How can I control my habits if I can't even control my emotions, Soc?”

“You don’t need to control emotion,” he said. “Emotions are natural, like passing weather. Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes sorrow or anger. Emotions are not the problem. The key is to transform the energy of emotion into constructive action.”

I got up, took the whistling kettle off the hot plate, and poured the steaming water into out mugs. “Can you give me a specific example, Socrates?”

“Spend time with a baby.”

Smiling, I blew on my tea. “Funny, I never thought of babies as masters of emotional control.”

“When a baby is upset, it expresses itself in banshee wails---pure crying. It doesn't wonder about whether it should be crying.

Hold or feed it and within seconds, no more tears. If the baby is angry, then it very definitely lets you know. But this too, it lets go of very quickly; can you imagine a baby's feeling guilty about its anger? Babies let it flow, then let it go. They express themselves fully, then shut up. Infants are fine teachers. And they demonstrate the right use of energy. Learn that, and you can transform any habit.”

A Ford Ranchero Wagon pulled into the station. Socrates went around to the driver's seat while I, chuckling, grabbed the gas hose and removed the gas cap. Inspired by his enlightening revelation of how to control emotions, I yelled over the roof of the car, “Just tell me what to do and set me loose, Soc. I'll tear those nasty habits to shreds!” Then I got a look at the passengers--three shocked nuns. I choked on my words and, turning beet-red, busied myself with washing the windows. Socrates just leaned against the pump and buried his face in his hands.

After the Ranchero pulled out, much to my relief, another customer drove in. It was the blond man again--the one with the curly beard. He jumped out of the car and gave Socrates a bear hug. “Good to se you, as always, Joseph,” Socrates said.

“Same here. Socrates, isn't it?” He gave me a beguiling grin.

“Joseph, this young question machine is named 'Dan'. Push a button and he asks a question. Marvelous to have around, really, when I've no one to talk to.”

Joseph shook my hand. “Has the old man mellowed in his declining years?” he asked with a broad smile.

Before I could assure him that Soc was probably more ornery than ever, the 'old man' interrupted, “Oh, I've really become lazy; Dan has it much easier than you did.”

“Oh, I see,” Joseph said, maintaining a serious countenance. “You haven't taken him on any mile runs or worked with the burning coals yet, hmm?”

“No, nothing like that. We're just about to start with the basics, like how to eat, walk, and breathe.

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