The truth seeker is a sticky and enticing identity, an archetype I’ve identified with for many years now.
For the truth seeker, there is no depth that will satisfy the hunger in the pit of the stomach or quench the thirst gnawing at the back of the throat. There is always more to know, a greater and deeper understanding of reality to be explored. For moments, something can feel or seem as if it’s understood. A deep peace. A satisfaction in being. But that too eventually slips away when conditions change, and it must be found over again, like sifting through the bottom of a quarry for lost gems.
The seeker realizes the game of truth is unending and the system is not built to find stability. We are instead drip fed truth like caged hamsters. It must be this way, as trying to drink an ocean would end us. Since we can only perceive a thin range of existence, wavelengths, sensations, and thoughts at once, the real truth will never be reached. And even if one does, there’s nothing to report. A mountaintop reached with nothing to speak of. A seeker may try but knows this truth goes beyond words and experience. Words as a container cannot hold its emptiness and vastness.
In light of this, the truth seeker finds his limitations. He has reached an impasse. A large gate settled before a great wall a thousand feet high with no way of going around. He must find a new path.
It is at this gate that a realization strikes him. He pursues truth out of a discomfort and fear of doing. He goes inward in an effort to avoid the very real pain of taking the next and often terrifying step forward in a slightly different direction. There is a calling within, a newly guided direction, a dream rising, and a fear accompanying it which is comforted by the darkness of the cave.
And so the seeker might regress, returning to the cave, searching inwardly for what he has already found and already known in his heart of hearts, to try once again to remember and remind himself of that peace. But nothing in this world is stable, not even peace.
Now, the seeker is called elsewhere, away from the darkness and into the light. The seeker’s heart and dream knows and understands what it’s been avoiding all this time, and his previous identity and tools are not fit to confront this journey. Soon, the seeker must become the warrior.
The warrior steps into the arena, creating and fighting and following a dream. A desire arises to bring something meaningful into reality. A message, a tool, an expression. The warrior shares a deep bond with the artist and together they know what must be done, and it must be done in the physical world, risking exposure to accomplish this dream. The warrior craves for this message to be seen, for the dream to come out, and placed rightly in the world. To see what’s behind it, to bring the warrior into the light, to share what cannot and has not been previously expressed, to share the dreams that were found in the cave, and to invite others to join.
A warrior who has never sought truth will arrive at the mountaintop as an empty shell of his true self, if he ever arrives at all. Victory will be short lived, and the ensuing emptiness will deliver unto him the importance of knowing the cave. But a warrior who has sought truth, who knows success will not bring stability or lasting happiness, allows the dream to come forth and follows with wisdom, knowing what has allowed him to reach this place. It was never of his own doing, but a power given to him by following the dream. The chasms he leapt , the battles he fought, the arenas he stepped into, all platforms given by a higher will. A demonstration of what can be accomplished when we remove the mind’s will and follow the heart into the world.
To fulfill the dream, the warrior (unlike the seeker) must adopt sword, armor, and helmet–the masks of persona. A dream-warrior dons them with discernment, realizing the mask can reveal one’s truest self. And yet the helmet is not glued to his face, the sword not tied to his hands. These tools can be set down at any time, important tools needed for the journey, which must be respected, maintained, and sharpened. They are necessary vehicles for the message.
Finally, a warrior cannot do battle alone. A dream-warrior must join or build an army, inviting others to fight for the cause and raise the flag. He sounds the horn and beats the drum, calling in the aid of his people, tribe, or nation.
If this message resonates, perhaps you are being called to follow your own dream. To step into the light and carve out your path beyond the cave. If you need help on your journey, I’ll be here for you.
If you enjoyed this post, I think you’ll enjoy my future fiction book about a dream warrior. Follow the blog and I’ll let you know when that book is available.
Until then, may your inner warrior listen to the call and find its way forward.