The Animal Right to Survive, the Spiritual Right To Seek Joy

The Cat and the Fox were being hunted by hounds. They met under a tree, where the cat sobbed for breath, and the Fox seemed totally confident. “How can you be so cool?” the Cat panted.

The Fox laughed. “Those silly dogs. I know a THOUSAND ways to escape dogs.”

The Cat was boggled. “Really? I only know one.”

Suddenly the dogs appeared. The Fox panicked, trying to think which of his thousand techniques he would use, and the dogs tore him to pieces. The cat ran up the tree.

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The effectiveness of an intense, short-term self-defense class might very well be its apparent weakness: they don’t have time to teach a lot of techniques. But this is hardly a disadvantage. Boxing has what, about six core strikes? Kali can be described with five angles? But behind those is an infinity of positional and rhythmic variation, training ideas, psychology and strategy. Fewer techniques, deeper roots behind them.

The simpler the tactic, while maintaining usefulness, the more clarity you can have about whatever is BEHIND them. Let’s look there for a moment.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE? To be happy. Seek joy.

A physical threat interrupts this for obvious reasons. But FEAR of a POTENTIAL threat is a slightly different thing. That is fear of your inability to defend yourself. Or is it? I suggest that every great warrior knows he will die. Knows he can…