Short Story: Birko: His last sword fight was not his last fight after all. It was his fight with himself.

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Birko was a renowned samurai warrior who had a son with no interest in learning this craft at all. The son wanted to become a monk. He left his father's house early on in his life, and he travelled around his area until he found a suitable Zen monastery that would take him in. After he had studied there for ten years, he heard that his father was dying, and that he had been bested in a sword fight, even as he had now gotten more older and feeble. Basko, the son, got permission to visit the sickbed of his dying father, and when he got there, he looked deeply into his eyes to see if the fight had gone out of the old man's eyes as yet. But no, the proud old warrior was still there refusing to admit that he had lost his last fight. Basko grabbed the hand of his father, and he said to him then, "This hand could not win what your heart wanted it to win, but the hand in this hand can lead you on past your heart into real love." "Look at your son, and refuse to look past him anymore." "The fight is not about the fight itself, but about the love in the heart that has a reason to fight. Do not fight then for glory, but only to defend your loved ones." Basko smiled as he saw his father's eyes glisten, and smooth over, then he died, with a smile on his face. He had won his last fight, after all. (Our first and our last fight is always with our self) Can and will you ever win your fight against yourself? You need to lose it to win it, and win it to not lose it!