Martial exchanges within the Silsilah Order serve many important purposes toward the development of our monks, both spiritually and physically. On the most basic level, the opponent supplies the necessary resistance against which each monk can exercise and develop his or her own will. Also, martial challenge encourages the monk's noble quest for greater levels of physical prowess, mental concentration, and discipline, for obvious reasons.
Yet perhaps the most important aspect of the violent play of the Silsilah is the often terrifying yet highly important lesson that it teaches in an undeniable manner. The body is a machine that produces pain, and we are each hooked up to this cruel machine every moment of our mortal lives. This is a reality that many choose to ignore due to their fear, or their pride, or simply because they can, since the pain machine is not always on. Physical training in a martial capacity not only allows the monks to comfortably accept a fact that most people run from their entire lives, both mentally and physically, but it provides our monks with an opportunity to develop the skills they'll need to increase the number of agreeable choices that they can make whenever they're faced with a threat to their imprisoning cells.
Freedom is gained through one's control of one's own self, for what is that cruel specter of control that we fear so much but the removal of our choice. Our power is our choice is our freedom is our control of our own fate, and no one can make us ignore that power.
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A monk is conscious. Only by maintaining their awareness can they dictate the unfolding of fate, by making choices that control the manifestations of cause and effect. A monk must always be aware of the choice that they have in front of them and what it means to the future, because the exercise of that choice is what grants their freedom from being controlled by nature and fate.
A monk is responsible. When immersed in an unpleasant circumstance, they can regain control through the examination of their choices. First they must understand the present, "What is this that I have chosen? When and How did I choose this? Why did I choose this?" and then make their new choices for the future, "What can I choose now? When and How can I find more choices? Why should I choose them instead?" A monk's responsibility comes from their habit of making conscious choices in every moment of their life. Therefore, their responsibly makes them free.
A monk is brave. When confronted with fear, or its other masks, which are anger and sadness, monks must examine their fear to locate the primary cause of this choice, and then seek to find the best means for removing its control over their spirit. No matter what actions are taken to regain their control, it all stems from the fact that monks choose not to feel fear, in any form, because their will to be free is greater.
A monk is honest. A monk must be able to identify the truth as to make the right choices. They extend this gift to others so that they can completely commit themselves to the choice to not clutter their minds with deceptions, and help others make the best choices as well. Mostly, they are bound to honesty by way of their other vows to be conscious, responsible, and fearless.
It is imperative that a monk remain diligent in the preservation of these virtues, for with such discipline...