Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, contrasts two fundamental inner orientations: the path of the warrior and the path of the king.

Lola shares Tilopa's poem to Naropa about transcending dualities, dissolving distractions, and abiding effortlessly in the natural state. She notes that while spiritual traditions are numerous, every individual ultimately carves out a unique path based on their own inner focus.

Lola categorizes human approaches into two basic stances: the aggressive, conflict-driven warrior and the dispassionate, observing king.

The history and philosophy of Gnosticism.

The warrior mindset. How early Egyptian monotheism blended with Greek and Jewish traditions, eventually producing a gloomy worldview dominated by dualistic conflict between an unknown, otherworldly God and a flawed material creator known as the D ...