Dear Chaz
First n foremost - no love lost ! I'm cool as a cucumber 24/7. But for the sake of the discussion [courage], let me say as follows:
Statement
Part of me understands this [physical, below] and I don’t word weave it [true self-defence] to accommodate personal disposition, but rather as an academic exercise, rise above flowery words to understand the times and the conditions under which Sikhism was born. From a historical perspective the need to educate the young to understand the significance and the rationale behind the creation of Khalsa is paramount, without camouflaging to make it compatible with personal lifestyle. Courage is and always will be part and parcel of an “evolutionary” trait inherent within the human genome albeit diversified in its many manifestations.
Physical
After the martyrdom of his father, while the ceremonial rites were being performed, Guru HarGobind Ji asked Baba Buddha to adorn him with a sword rather than the Seli [topi] of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, which had been used previously by the earlier Gurus. Guru HarGobind Ji then put on two swords; one on his left side and the other on his right. He named one "Miri” representing temporal power, and the other "Piri” representing Spiritual Power; one to smite the oppressor and the other to protect the innocent.
Given Hargobind was the 6th Nanak, your irrational stance is unfounded. That is not to say, it’s unnatural, to the contrary infact, humans have a tendency to be irrational at times, which is called “confirmation bias” [mind’s tendency to pick and choose information to support preconceptions, while ignoring a wealth of evidence to the contrary].
I'll rest my case with the ordinary strands of life and let us move forward with the extra-ordinary, in particular, spiritual - over to you !
Spiritual [for you]
"Gauthma Buddha in his infinite wisdom, once sat to deliver his discourse to his followers and without uttering a single word, raised a flower, which he held in his hand. He held it for a “moment” and then he got up and left. Only one among the thousands that had gathered to hear his discourse understood the profound hidden meaning of his gesture. On realising it, this one individual was enlightened.
Buddha was teaching that all we have is “this moment”. In this moment everything is perfect. This illustration was to show there are no creations of the mind, no problems-just awareness of this flower in the stillness of the mind. Outside the moment, life is suffering".
Resonates with what you say hey Chaz and I agree with you wholly solely.
Good luck with your discipline - you'll enjoy the meditation more than the physical exertion, I guess !
Sincere blessings
