A young friend of mine asked me in a letter, "What kind of man should I be?" My
answer was, “Be a fighter.”
Another friend of mine inquired, "How should I live my life?" Again my answer was,
"Be a fighter."
The author of In Praise of the Fighter says:
Riding on the ceaseless rushing torrent of life, I should pursue and overtake it so as to
create an even greater and deeper torrent of my own.
If I were a lamp, it would be my duty to light up thick darkness. If I were the sea tide,
I would marshal rolling waves to cleanse the beach of all accumulated filth.
This quotation reflects aptly the state of mind of a lighter.
Fighters are badly needed in our time. But such fighters do not necessarily go to the
battle- field gun in hand. Their weapons are not necessarily bullets. Their weapons may be
knowledge, faith and strong will. They can bring the enemy sure death without drawing
his blood.
A fighter is always in pursuit of light. Instead of basking in the sunshine under a clear
sky, he holds a burning torch in the darkness of night to illuminate people's way so that they
can continue their journey till they see the dawn of a new day. It is the task of a fighter
to dispel darkness. Instead of shirking darkness, he braves it and fights the hidden demons
and monsters therein. He is determined to wipe them out and win light. He knows
no compromise. He will keep on fighting until he wins light.
A fighter is perennially young. He is never irresolute or inactive. He plunges deep into
teeming crowds in search of such vermin as flies and venomous mosquitoes. He will fight
them relentlessly and refuse to coexist with them under the same sky. To him, life means
nothing but continuous fighting. He either survives by winning light, or perishes with
his body covered all over with cuts and bruises. In the course of the struggle, it is the “future”
that serves as the beacon light to him; the “future” gives people hope and inspiration.
He will never lose his youthful vigour.
A fighter will never lose heart or despair. He will pile up broken pieces of brick and stone
to rebuild a nine-story pagoda on the ruins of failure. No blows will ever break his will.
He will never close his eyes until he has breathed his last.
A fighter is always fearless. His steps are firm. Once he has settled on an objective, he
will press right ahead. He is never afraid of being tripped by a stumbling block. No obstacles
will ever make him change his mind. His eyes will never be hoodwinked by false appearances.
His actions are guided by faith. He can endure any hardships or sufferings while
striving to attain his chosen objective. He will never abandon work as long as he is alive.
This is the kind of fighter we now need. He is not necessarily possessed of superhuman
capability. He is just an ordinary person. Anyone can be a fighter so long as he has the
determination. Hence a few words of mine about “being a fighter” to encourage those
young people who wander about in a depressed state, not knowing which way to go.