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The
Code of Ethics of Master Harold
My Mastery is an extension of my warrior spirit. As such,
my ethical code is as follows.
My Basic Tenets
Sense
of calm, trust in fate, submission to the inevitable, disdain of life
coupled to friendliness with death, and a stoic composure in the face
of calamity.
My
Ethical Code
Rectitude
and Justice: is correct judgment; procedure for the resolution
of righteousness
… love should be the
only motive, lacking that; a Master’s correct judgment must come into
play
… the power of deciding
upon a certain course of conduct in accordance with reason, without
wavering.
… to die when it is
right to die, to strike when to strike is right. There are many ways
to die, other than the physical way.
… the duty of a Master
to courageously use correct judgment for an ennobling cause.
… coupled with valor,
provides the courage to right a wrong.
… as a skeleton gives
shape, firmness and stature to the body, rectitude forms the core of
a Master. Without such a core no amount of training can convert a person
into an honorable Master.
… the way to Mastery
is in a higher place than righteousness
Courage:
is doing what is right.
… a virtue only in
the cause of righteousness.
… it is true courage
to live when it is right to live, and to die only when it is right to
die.
… death for an unworthy cause is a dog’s death.
Benevolence: is love, affection
for others, sympathy and nobility of feeling.
… rectitude and stern
justice are masculine traits; mercy and gentleness are feminine traits;
both are essential to a balanced life.
… the feeling of distress
is the root of benevolence.
… brings under its sway whatever hinders its power,
just as water subdues fire.
… though they may wound your feelings, these three you
have only to forgive, the breeze that scatters your flowers, the cloud
that hides your moon, and the person who tries to pick a quarrel with
you.
… rectitude carried to excess hardens into stiffness;
benevolence indulged beyond measure sinks into weakness. Benevolence
must be seasoned with rectitude.
Politeness: is a poor virtue
if it is actuated only by a fear of offending good taste. Rather, it should
stem from a sympathetic regard for the feelings of others. Its requirement
is that we should weep with those that weep and rejoice with those that
rejoice.
… etiquette perfectly harmonizes the total being with
oneself and one’s environment, and expresses Mastery of the spirit over
the flesh.
… if the premise is true that gracefulness means economy
of force, then it follows as a logical sequence that a constant practice
of graceful deportment must bring with it a reserve and storage of force.
Fine manners, therefore, means power in repose.
… as I cannot protect you, I will share your discomforts;
the bodying forth of thoughtful feelings for the comfort of others.
… any gift is unworthy. It must be regarded as having
no intrinsic value. It serves only as a token.
…to give a person one’s opinion and correct his faults
is an important thing. It is compassionate and comes first in matters
of service. But the way of doing this is extremely difficult. To discover
the good and bad points of a person is an easy thing, and to give an
opinion concerning them is easy, too. For the most part, people think
that they are being kind by saying the things that others find distasteful
or difficult to say. But if it is not received well, they think that
there is nothing more to be done. This is completely worthless. It is
the same as bringing shame to a person by slandering him. It is nothing
more than getting it off one’s chest. By bringing shame to a person,
how could one expect to make them a better person?
Veracity: a Master’s word
is sufficient guarantee for the truthfulness of an assertion. A formal
oath is derogatory to a Master’s personal word of honor.
… it is an extension of one’s vision of courage. As
such, it is blended with honor.
… propriety carried beyond right bounds becomes a lie.
… lying is a weakness and, as such, dishonorable.
Honor:
is a vivid consciousness of personal dignity and worth.
… any infringement upon a Master’s honor is shame.
… dishonor is like a scar on a tree, which time, instead
of effacing, only helps to enlarge.
… to bear what you think you cannot bear is really to
bear. Patience and forgiveness form an essential part of the meaning
of honor.
… anger at a petty offense is unworthy of a Master;
indignation for a great cause is righteous wrath.
… the Way is the way of Heaven and Earth: A Master’s
place is to follow it: therefore make it the object of your life to
reverence Heaven. Heaven loves all with equal love; therefore with the
love wherewith you love yourself, love others. Making Heaven your partner,
do your best.
Loyalty:
is the keystone making virtues a symmetrical arch.
… the interest of the family and of the members thereof
is intact, one and inseparable.
… as Master’s we serve a greater purpose; does not make
our conscience a slave
“Myself I throw, dread sovereign, at thy foot.
My life thou shall command, but not my shame,
The one my duty owes; but my fair name,
Despite of death, that lives upon my grave,
To dark dishonor’s use, thou shall not have.”
Thomas Mowbray
Education and Training:
is part of the basic framework in Mastery, consisting of wisdom, benevolence,
and courage.
… the first point to observe in training is to build
character, placing in a subordinate position the subtler faculties of
prudence, intelligence and logical debate.
… study of literature and moral obligations to teach
one to reach rapidly the essential decisions of character.
… learning without thought is labor lost; thought without
learning is perilous.
… rigorous study of the arts or methods used in this
lifestyle.
Self-Control: fortitude,
endurance and politeness require one to avoid marring the pleasure or
security of others by expressing sorrow or pain. Doing so means that although
one appears stoic, they feel doubly more since the very attempt to restrain
natural promptings entails suffering.
… in reality, stoicism only masks excitability and sensitiveness.
… calmness of behavior, composure of mind, should not
be disturbed by passion of any kind.
… dost thou feel the soil of thy soul stirred with tender
thoughts? It is time for seeds to sprout. Disturb it not with speech;
but let it work alone in quietness and secrecy.
… one must Master oneself before one can Master another.
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