Mercy is a Gift

Power, as previously defined, can be used or withheld.  Often, ending a conflict only requires a display of potential power to discourage would be attackers who lack the strength for direct harm (see: schneevies).  By choosing NOT to withhold power against an attacker, you withhold something more important: mercy.  By withholding mercy, a conflict is ended, but a cycle of destruction is created.  Avoiding and ending destructive cycles is the purpose of the martial way.

As such, a capacity for mercy is the pinnacle of martial refinement.  A martial artist who is able to grant mercy to an attacker, or to avoid conflict out of mercy rather than fear, has already walked the martial path and arrived at a terminal destination.  The way of peace has come full circle for the martial artist who grants mercy when one has every right, capability, and inclination to inflict destruction. Mercy requires greater awareness, will, and skill in addition to terminating aggression in both parties, thus achieving peace: the goal of the martial way.

Mercy constitutes a gift because destruction is inevitable.  All will die; alone.  Every person's body will deteriorate, break, and expire.  To take a life is merely to hurry along an inevitable process.  Therefore, PRESERVING a life by withholding destruction is the single greatest gift one can grant, because no one owes anyone mercy from the inevitable.

Mercy is a gift that requires extensive refinement and self control of one's emotions and physical responses under conflict.  To properly exercise mercy against a scumbag or schneevie requires well honed awareness, will, and skill. 

Just as good people, schneevies, and scumbags vary in their responses to power, they correspondingly vary in their responses to mercy.  A schneevie will ignore that they were granted mercy, preferring to delude themselves.  A scumbag will see mercy as weakness, because they only understand how to deliver destruction.  A good person will be humbled by a display of mercy, feel indebted, and strive to earn the gift.

Such is the proper path of the martial artist: to fully appreciate and selflessly deliver mercy, even to one's sworn enemies.  Deciding when to grant mercy and to what extent requires great awareness, strength of will, and keenness of skill.  This will be discussed in the next post: The Iron Rule.