An interesting text

I've been having some interesting conversations with a few friends lately, and was reminded of a piece of text a friend sent me a few months ago. I want to share that text here. Just to reference, it's primary source is Sun-Tzu's The Art of War, so definitely has an Eastern flavor to it. Though, I do not really believe what most Eastern religions teach, I believe the Lord can still speak to us through any Wise writings. Take it for what you will.
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From: The art of Peace, Balance over conflict in Sun-Tzu's The art of war, translated and adapted by Philip Dunn

So when those who come are confident, it is possible to move them further. When they are arrogant, it is possible to begin new lessons. When they are sleeping, it is possible to wake them up.
Therefore, the peaceful warrior hides where she cannot be found, disappears to where she is least expected.

The peaceful warrior will always become a teacher because consciousness, once learned, must give back to life. And the giving to life will invariably be giving back to unconscious beings. There is no pride in this, and the peaceful warrior will not seek out disciples but will be available to others when they seek wisdom.
This sutra simply defines the ways in which the peaceful, conscious warrior will form his or her position as far as being available is concerned.
Those that come to learn with confidence will be sent deeper into their discoveries, while those that are overconfident will get shocks and new learning, too. Those that are asleep will be woken up. And to facilitate this design, the teacher will not easily be found - for if he is displayed, then he sets himself up as a superior. If he is hidden, then the unconscious on will have to work to find him.
All of this part of this is part of the modesty and gentility of the peaceful warrior. There is no manipulation, no format, and no demand. But also hidden in this sutra is the truth of where the true teacher resides - in each of us. We are always our own teachers, but perhaps we need a jolt in the right direction. In India, they call the true teacher "guru". This word has become corrupted by Western fears and attitudes, and by the presence, particularly in America, of false teachers and gurus.
The word "guru" is difficult to translate in a way that makes sense to a Western mind. The phenomenon of the guru is so deeply Indian that no other language of any country is truly capable of translating it effectively. The word "guru" is made up of two words, "gu" and "ru". "Gu" means darkness and "ru" means one who dispels it. "Guru" literally means "the light". If you come across a Buddha or a Jesus, it will be of great help to you in finding your inner light, your guru, because upon seeing Buddha, a great enthusiasm and hope arises: "If it can happen to Buddha," who is just like you - the same body, the same bone - "if it can happen to this man, why not me?" The hope is the beginning. Meeting with the master on the outside is the beginning of a great hope, a great aspiration, so all those who have found the inner light must, out of their resulting compassion, give the light to others in the same way.

Be subtle even to the point of being formless. Be mysterious, even to the point of being silent. Therefore, you mirror those who come to you.

For any teaching, the peaceful, conscious warrior must be the mirror - ie. those that come to learn will see only themselves in the teacher. If the teacher is overburdened with character and ego, so those that come to learn will learn nothing except what they already know. This is the whole basis for all spiritual understanding. False teachers spread their egotistical wings and flap about in deception, while the truly enlightened are free of devices and transparent to all.
The true master will not fulfill your expectations, while a false teacher will tell you exactly what you want to hear. The latter will seduce you because he wants you to be his disciple an not leave him because you, by following him, buttress his ego while he buttresses yours. This is of no value at all in any spiritual process or quest.
With the real master, you have to work hard, and it will be painful sometimes. The real master works on you as a sculptor, chiseling away at you. He takes you apart, chips away, in order to change your habits, to give you a new life. In a very true sense, the true master kills you, because he kills the ego. In effect, he is the source of your death, because only after death is there a chance for resurrection.
You can try this on your own, but it is much tougher, because then there's no on there to help you and give you some encouragement. You have no references, no guide, and the spiritual night gets very dark.
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There are some great nuggets in this text that apply directly to things I've been talking about with other people, it's almost uncanny how they come up. Come back and read this again, especially if you're feeling overly open-minded. Ask God to highlight certain topics or phrases for you as you go through it again - revelation is wonderful!

JM