I’ve been meditating a lot lately on discipline.

I’m not sure how much discipline I’ve had lately.

Does that sound familiar to you?

I have to admit, I’m hoping it does.  See, I’m hoping I’m not the only person on this earth who struggles with the rigors of discipline in life.  Discipline as we normally think about it, usually carries a negative connotation, such as “I was disciplined by the board,” or “I discipline my child when they do wrong.”

But it isn’t always that way.

Discipline can refer to so much more.  It can be the way we wake up early to walk or meditate, or the restraint of speech when we are drawn into an argument.  It’s the way I edit my books even when I want to watch TV, or when I sit down to write something new, even when I feel drawn to the refrigerator.

I like to think of discipline as a way of training ourselves to know just what to do in any situation, with as many considerations in mind, as possible.  Sometimes it is necessary to punish, correct, liberate, sing, dance, and write…and sometimes it isn’t.  The gift of discipline is that we train ourselves through practice and self-analysis to know when we are to be who we need to be.  A dog jumping up on you is annoying, but a dog jumping to catch a frisbee can be fun.  It’s a matter of discipline to know how and when.

I guess what brought all this on has been the recent focus on Buddha on PBS.  And, I’ve been teaching about it in my classes.  And I’ve been editing some of my books.  This has all mixed in the big cauldron of life to the point where I am thinking about the concept a lot more.

That’s right…I said thinking about it!

But I like to think I’m also doing it.  The Buddha employed skillful means to attain Nirvana.  He preached about suffering and the end of desire.  He lived well, taught broadly, and left boldly.

All in the right time.  With the right actions.  And with gentle spirit.

Hmmm…discipline doesn’t sound so bad.

But it’s still hard.

-josh

And frustration.

We never know when we will meet the teacher, it’s true.  But when that teacher comes along, we sure know we’ve met.  In many ways, that is the spirit of Dan Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior (HJ Kramer, Inc., 1980).

I picked up this book after many years of hearing about it.  I have seen Millman speak, and know others who have read this book, and the other day, I decided to pull it off the shelf and read it.

Essentially, Peaceful Warrior tells the story of Millman’s journey with a mysterious gas station attendant, Socrates.  Millman, a student athlete at Berkeley, encounters this odd figure one night and is swept into a world that has always been right before his eyes, but just out of reach – it is a world where one can find happiness through discipline, and joy in a world of illusions.  Socrates’ teachings slice Millman’s perceptions to shreds, and challenge his fears, ultimately liberating the mind.

The goal of the book, as far as my experience with it, is not to get caught up in the details, wondering whether the book is a totally true and accurate account of Millman’s life, but rather, to consider deeply if what we believe is true at our deepest levels, or only at the level of illusion.

There is little ultimately new in this book in terms of teachings and philosophy, but that is not a knock on its content.  Rather, it is a recognition that the book’s tag line, “A Book That Changes Lives,” refers to looking at your old beliefs in a new way.  A way, in fact, that you may already know, but just need a kick start in remembering.  Indeed, ancient wisdom told in a new way is the hallmark of effective spiritual books, and Peaceful Warrior achieves this goal. For Millman, as the months pass under Socrates’ tutelage, his mind clears to a crystalline state where he can see a reality that was always there, but hidden under ego, fear, and perception.

And that is a great lesson for all of us.  If we have even one iota of the discipline of the sages we so admire, perhaps we can reach a point where we, too, can get past the illusion of living, and get down to the business of life.  Once there is an understanding that the world is so much more than we perceive, and that the inner world is more vast than our daily, limited experience, we can confront our true selves on a level that can bring happiness.

Lasting happiness.

Enter the world of spiritual books.  Even if it is from 1980, my guess is that not too much has changed…although, perhaps, you may change.

-josh