真如老師文集

Desert Warrior

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Icy moonlight,

frost on my back

Vast desert sands

under my tracks

In the strong winds,

can't stand still,

can't walk forth

Got sand in my mouth,

on my face,

eyes shut

In the wild, alone I walk,

a thousand miles

In a thousand places,

ten thousand spaces,

I search for you

Just for you, just for you!

No matter how long the darkness,

how far the wilderness

What tragedy,

humanity forgot the light

How can I forget this land

or the huge weight on my shoulders?

I’ll light the torch of fire.

I’ll hold this light up.

I will shine light, walk by myself,

I’ll be the guide!

Oh, desert winds are sweeping

Carry, his flowing robe

Oh, desert winds are singing

Songs from the warrior’s heart

Oh, desert winds are roaring

Shouting out his dreams of no regrets

Oh, the desert winds are singing

Songs from the warrior’s heart

Songs from the warrior’s heart!

Icy moonlight,

frost on my back

Vast desert sands

under my tracks

In the strong winds,

can't stand still,

can't walk forth

Got sand in my mouth,

on my face,

eyes shut

In the wild, alone I walk,

a thousand miles

In a thousand places,

ten thousand spaces,

I search for you

Just for you, just for you!

No matter how long the darkness,

how far the wilderness

What tragedy,

humanity forgot the light

How can I forget this land

or the huge weight on my shoulders?

I’ll light the torch of fire.

I’ll hold this light up.

I will shine light, walk by myself,

I’ll be the guide!

Oh, desert winds are sweeping

Carry, his flowing robe

Oh, desert winds are singing

Songs from the warrior’s heart

Oh, desert winds are roaring

Shouting out his dreams of no regrets

Oh, the desert winds are singing

Songs from the warrior’s heart

Songs from the warrior’s heart!

 
 
 
 

Translated by Amrita Translation Foundation
Author: Zhen-Ru
Translators/editors: Ven. Sabrina, Ven. Joanna, Ven. Elena, Ven. Tina, Ven. Jingli

Illustration by Cheng Tien-Chen (Rendered using AI Technology)

WATCH

"Desert Warrior" Official MV
(performed in Chinese, with English subtitles)

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  • Eleanor

    I’m touched by the line, “I’ll light the torch of fire. I’ll hold this light up.” That is the moment everything shifts. It is that small act of defiance: choosing to hope, choosing to care, even when no one else does. There is also something bigger at play here, a call to purpose. The “desert” is the silence of society, and the “warrior” is the one who breaks it, not by fighting others but by fighting for meaning, for compassion, for what truly matters, staying kind, staying real, and refusing to go numb.

    And maybe that’s where the real battle turns inward. The fight for kindness becomes a journey of awareness. Spiritually, I think this poem feels like a meditation. The desert becomes stillness. The wind becomes the breath of awareness. The light becomes wisdom. Whether you call it faith, mindfulness, or a dream, it is the same journey, stripping away illusions, ego, and comfort to find truth. That is why this poem hits so deep.

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