“Brother, what ails thee?”
Strength can be defined in a multitude of ways, depending on where you look or who you ask.
To some, strength is a purely observable, physical quality – it represents the force that an individual can exert against resistance.
In a psychospiritual context, strength is something more subtle or nebulous. It might encompass willpower, discipline, or integrity. Moral strength might defy lies, even in the face of persecution. In its purest form, spiritual strength might appear as selfless service or compassion.
For the purpose of this article, I’ll be talking about the subtle aspects of strength – the “inner” side, so to speak.
In Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Grail Romance, Parzival, the eponymous hero is faced with a series of trials. He spends countless years wandering the land, in a state of doubt and sorrow – tormented by his own indiscretions.
His condition results from his exile from Montsalvat, the Grail Castle. Parzival journeyed to this castle, besting veteran knights along the way, only to encounter the grievously wounded King Anfortas. In the king’s hall, Parzival briefly glimpses a shimmering light from the Grail, which is concealed under a sheet of samite. The king then offers Parzival a sword. Parzival takes it, without consideration for the king’s ailing condition. Then, the lights of the hall are extinguished, its inhabitants disappear, and Parzival is left alone in cold darkness. He descends from the Grail Castle, alone, to wander and search for redemption.
Ultimately, Parzival’s redemption is achieved. After his yearslong probation, through purification and righting of wrongs, he returns once again to the castle. This time, he approaches the king and asks: “brother, what ails thee?”
This very act heals the king of his wound and reveals the Grail to Parzival. Parzival was driven to ask this question by compassion, by spiritual love, which was the fruit of his own suffering and trials.
Fundamentally, the great Grail Romances and Arthurian myths are stories of strength. They are stories of men who overcome the dragons and phantoms that people their path – men who conquer fear and selfishness. Throughout these tales, the greatest expressions of strength are through service. Parzival’s selfless love for the wounded Fisher King heals both himself and another.
Perhaps inner strength is not just our capacity to endure, but our capacity to love and serve. It takes immense courage to surrender one’s own selfish indulgences to higher ideals.
The highest expression of strength is service.
