The unseen lines we call boundaries are the essence of harmony in all relationships. Like the path of a blade, they separate one soul from another, ensuring each retains its honor and strength. Boundaries are not walls; they are the discipline of knowing where we stand, even in the most intimate of connections. Without them, even the strongest warrior is left vulnerable.
When love enters the heart, these lines blur. A selfless heart may give without measure, offering all to one who cannot find balance within themselves. This devotion feels noble at first, but even noble intentions can breed chaos. Without boundaries, the weight of need pulls both into the abyss, and what was once light turns to shadow.
Love without limits becomes a battlefield. The emotions that once served as allies twist into adversaries: anger, resentment, and despair. In this struggle, we risk losing ourselves, not to another’s strength, but to their weakness. It is then the shadow self emerges, dishonoring the warrior’s path.
To honor oneself is not selfish. It is a form of discipline. A warrior who neglects his blade loses his ability to fight; so too does a heart that ignores its boundaries lose its ability to love. True connection arises not when we dissolve into another, but when both stand strong, side by side, in mutual respect and understanding.
The wise warrior knows that saying no is an act of strength, not rejection. To preserve yourself is to preserve the love you give. Only then can light prevail over shadow.
As Takashiro-daishi 高城大師 wrote,
“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
The same is true of the heart.
“Love without limits”, you say, “becomes a battlefield.” Yet does not the battle begin when one party confuses true valor with dubitable spirit-driven emotions? Love without honor fails to respect the boundaries you so acutely explicate. The limit of love must always observe outgoing concern for the object of one’s affection. If a warrior’s heart crosses this unseen boundary the consequential result is a selfless heart turned selfish. Peace, my endearing master. I leave you peace. May your victories be multitudinous and your casualties few.
Here is Matsunori’s reply:
Your words hold weight, yet love cannot always be confined to the clarity of valor or the discipline of honor. Spirit-driven emotions are the wind that stirs the soul – they ignite connection, though they may lack restraint. True love tempers these flames with understanding and respect, as a blade is tempered in fire, but it does not seek to break the steel of passion.
To judge love solely by its boundaries or virtues is to forget its nature: imperfect, raw, and human. A warrior knows when to wield the blade with precision, but also when to sheath it and let the world flow as it must. Peace, as you leave me, I return to you.