Sage Warrior: Wake to Oneness, Practice Pleasure, Choose Courage, Become Victory

by Valarie Kaur

A rallying cry filled with ancient Sikh wisdom for finding inner peace while fighting for what you believe in, with practices to implement in your own life—from the author of See No Stranger and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project, a "prophetic voice of our generation" (America Ferrera)

Drawing from Sikh and womanist traditions, Valarie Kaur’s Sage Warrior is a guide to building a new world from the inside out, by becoming what she describes as the essential archetype for our the sage warrior, a figure who embodies both the sage, enamored by the world as it is, and the warrior, who fights for the world as it ought to be. Kaur chronicles over 200 years of epic history from the Punjab region, with each chapter focusing on a single Sikh guru, woman ancestor, and corresponding spiritual lesson, beginning with Guru Nanak, Bibi Nanki, and waking to oneness. Subsequent chapters encourage us to nurture our spirits with lessons such as practicing pleasure, metabolizing grief, and shaping change, and exercises at the end of each section guide us on the path of finding our inner sage warrior. Where See No Stranger was an introduction to the ideas around revolutionary love, Sage Warrior is a source of spiritual nourishment for activists. 

Featuring insights from Kaur's own life and brimming with shimmering wisdom, every beautifully rendered story illuminates new ways of seeing and being. This book is for anyone—Sikh and non-Sikh, religious and secular, spiritual and seeking, atheist and agnostic—who hungers for a new world and wants to be brave with their life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion, Self Help, Philosophy, History, Audiobook

417 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2024

About the author

Valarie Kaur is an American activist, documentary filmmaker, lawyer, educator, and faith leader.

Reviews

[Grace]

I thought this was a very beautiful and spiritually powerful book. I'm not particularly familiar with the Sikh faith, and I really appreciated how the author took us along through the wisdom from her faith's guru's and the people around them, but also showed her own personal engagement with it as well. I appreciated the intersectional focus and acknowledgement of the patriarchy in the foundations of most of the world's prominent religions, while also recognizing that those flaws doesn't mean there is nothing to be learned there. I thought the writing was very beautiful, and I'm pleased to have picked this book up!

[Amber Dalzell]

Kaur's message is deeply spiritual and strikingly practical. She asks us to confront our own pain and that of others with fierce kindness, encouraging us to see ourselves not as isolated individuals but as interconnected threads in a larger, beautiful tapestry. I was inspired by her vision of a world where healing comes through storytelling, reconciliation, and action. And her stories, drawn from personal experience and the broader human condition, highlight the possibility for how we might live and love more fully.

[Catharine]

I did not know anything about out Valarie Kaur or the Sikh religion before I read this book. I listened to a podcast with the author being interviewed by Brene Brown and really liked her idea of revolutionary love for today’s world. This book alternates between the formation history if the Sikh religion and a present day description of a pilgrimage the author made to India with her husband and children. Fascinating and I learned so much.

[Melissa Harris]

This book is probably better than my 3-star rating. It's very, very good. I was just hoping for something more. I am a huge Valarie Kaur fan. See No Stranger is one of my all-time favorite reads.

This book engages us with stories and history from the Sikh tradition. Kaur brings these teachings forward and applies them to her own life, and makes connections for us to apply them to ours.
All of that is wonderful.

The missing piece for me came in one small notation in the final chapter of the book, Journey Home. Kaur tells us to find the one moment, the one choice, the one example, that strikes us as good and beautiful and wise, and to hold it up for all to see. "You don't need to bring forth all of your history, just what you think will help us all love more and become more."

And she continues later, "The world has ended many times before, and the world will be rebirthed many times. The questions is: What will I do with my turn in the cycle."

Breathtaking.

I wanted more of this. Kaur's earlier writing is steeped in her activism ~ in precisely what she does and who she becomes through her actions in the world. Feeling despondent with the current times and happenings in the world, I wanted something like that.

I realize that is the book *I* wanted. And she wrote the book *she* needed. In that sense, it's perfect. I highly recommend it.

[Natalie Park]

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House One World for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is a beautifully crafted book of Sikh wisdom with lovely illustrations and a soundtrack to accompany it. I'm also following the author as she's in the midst of her Revolutionary Love Tour around the United States. As told by the author, you learn of the Sikh faith as well as what has shaped her into the person who is doing the important work of healing people and communities touched by hate, anger and violence. The read was a bit long but there is lots of loveliness, caring and love throughout.

[Es Everson]

Closer to 3.5. Though the prose is not super refined and the editing of the reflections was a little “bouncy” at times, I cherished this book and am SO grateful to Valarie Kaur for creating this beautiful narrative of Sikh history. She writes as though she were sharing this orally. While this means my desire for fanciful prose was left disappointed my greater desire to be held by stories and connect with Sikh history was upheld.

[Tracy]

3.5⭐️ July Book Club selection. I enjoyed learning more about the Sikh religion and loved how the author reframed sacred texts with a feminist lens. While I enjoyed the mythology, the stories did feel a little too long and repetitive. The reflections of the author and her analysis gave me more to chew on.

[Annalise]

I won this one in a Giveaway and it gave a great overview of the history of Sikh gurus. I like how the author intertwines her own family's journey to Panjab while retelling these stories. I found the mantra in the last few episodes to be particularly helpful. Could have been edited down a bit as the writing gets repetitive at times and becomes difficult to get through.

3.5/5

[Harsimar]

i'd give this six stars if i could.

[Justin DeLong]

Beautiful and brilliant. Exactly what I needed right now. ❤️

[Andrea Covington]

Kaur is an excellent writer that makes all readers feel welcomed at the table. Her writing style is approachable and easy to digest. She is without a doubt a storyteller. I came to this book with no knowledge of Sikh culture, customs or history. Every chapter was a gift of all three. She is the activist who brought us the idea that this time in politics and American culture is “Not the darkness of the tomb. The darkness of the womb.”

The book is divided into chapters that each honor the Gurus from Sikh history. The chapter is then divided into the history and stories of that Guru and then Kaur’s personal experiences during her pilgrimage to Punjab.

Chapter 1 - Guru Nanak - Wake to Oneness
“We are all connected. We are one, and we come from one.” This reminded me of the 7th guiding UU principle - Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. “You are a part of me I do not yet know.” Pg 24 “Bibi Nanki unlocked the sage within the messiness of life. The seemingly ordinary moments of wonder-when you are arrested by the sunset or swell of music or your child’s face, and the line between you and everything blurs-are not throwaway moments.They are not incidental. They are actually portals into the sacred nature of things.” Pg 32

Chapter 2 - Guru Angad - Befriend the Body
Oneness means there is no caste system. No one is better than another. No life is worth more than another. This is the creation of the langar. When I think of the HoCo Library’s Longest table event I think of a langar. I also think of the 1st UU principle - The inherent worth and dignity of every person. “Langar was more than a rebellion: It was a practice for an alternative world of solidarity, dignity, and humility.” Pg 53

Chapter 3 - Guru Amar Das - Practice Pleasure
Take time for pleasures and self care. Don’t lose the happiness you have within you. No one can take that from you so don’t offer it up willingly. “But I am tired or speaking from the wound. I want to live and create from the seat of pleasure.” Pg 85 “For the brief, distracting high that comes from belonging to a group that hates and excludes is nothing compared to the pleasure of infinite union and connection-with everyone and everything.” Pg 85 “Being aware of crisis does not mean our bodies need to be in crisis all the time.” Pg 89

Chapter 4 - Guru Ram Das - Build Sovereign Space
“Why did Guru Nanak bless the cruel ones to stay [May you prosper where you are!], and the kind ones to scatter [May you scatter from this land!]. Asked his mother. So that fear would wither where it was, he said slowly, and love would spread to all parts of the world.” Pg 196 Build a sovereign space within yourself. A place for meditation and re-centering. I place that holds your inner wisdom.

Chapter 5 - Guru Arjan - Rest in Wisdom
“If intergenerational trauma is real, then so is intergenerational wisdom.” Pg 161 “When we can witness the events happening to us-internally and externally-we create space between the experience and our response, and in that space, we find freedom. Freedom to choose how to respond, freedom to discern: What does love want me to do?” Pg 165 Mediate, and stay focused on the wisdom within to guide you to silence the inner critic.

Chapter 6 - Guru Hargobind - Activate Power
“The cloak of Guru Hargobind did not have infinite tassels, just 52. Just enough for the people in his cell. You don’t need infinite tassels. Just enough for those in your sphere of influence.” Pg 193 “Imagine all of us giving and receiving, offering and taking hold. Imagine all of us doing our part, just our part. Not more, not less.” Pg 193. This reminds me of the quote, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” (Edward Everett Hale) “All our labors are valuable.” Pg 192

Chapter 7 - Guru Har Rai - Harness Rage
“Don’t hold down your rage, or try to tame it. But don’t let it rob you either. Harness rage: Take hold of the reins and direct its course.” Pg 202 “Death is framed as a wedding day, a return to the Beloved, and the Oneness that always is.” Pg 218 “What information does my rage carry? What does it say about what’s important to me? How do I wish to harness that energy for what I do in the world?” Pg 220 “If I insist that my pain is worth more than yours, then I can never see your pain, let alone sit with your pain. In seeing the wound of our opponents, we do not relinquish our commitment to justice; we produce the possibility of reconciliation.” Pg 222

Chapter 8 - Guru Harkrishan - Grieve Together
“There is no fixing grief, only bearing it-and only in bearing it together can we survive it, even if we can’t make sense of it.” Pg 246 “A sage befriends grief: a warrior has the courage to grieve together.” Pg 251

Chapter 9 - Guru Tegh Bahadur - Choose Courage
I understand choosing courage but I don’t understand willing going to the slaughter. Pg 264 “If you don’t break down, you won’t rise up.” Pg 267 “If I see you as kin, then I must answer the call to stand for you when you are in harm’s way. And that means being willing to risk myself for you.” Pg 273 I think this is one of the current societal ills. We are no longer neighbors and so less likely to risk ourselves for someone else. “Shallow solidarity is rooted in the logic of exchange: I show up for you, so you show up for me. Deep solidarity is rooted in love. I show up for you because I choose to see you as my sister, my brother, my kin.” Pg 273 “Tending to beauty is not escape: It is how we create the conditions within us to choose courage. The sage prepares the warrior; the warrior fortifies the sage.” Pg 275 “Everyday we can ask: Are my words and actions aligned with my deepest wisdom? And do our best so that they are.” Pg 276 I sometimes think this is where progressives fall down. They are quick to cancel people even when they say they accept everyone. “It is circumstance and not disposition that determines who gets to be whom on any given day. So greet the visitor with humility, just as you knock on the door with dignity.” Pg 278 Remember, the winds of fortune are fickle at best.

Chapter 10 - Guru Gobind Singh - Become Victory
It is here that I started to wonder, if these are foundational stories, why would anyone become a Sikh. “I don’t tell them that they will be safe today. Or that everything will be okay today. I tell them that we get to be alive today. And that alone is wonderful and good. We get to decide how we experience life today, no matter what comes. We get to decide who we will be today.” Pg 309 This is a stark contrast to “____ always comes back”.

Chapter 11 - Guru Granth Sahib - Embrace Rebirth
“It was an old pattern repeated through time: justice morphed into vengeance, survivors of violence gaining power to inflict it.” Pg 325 This reminds me of the current state of Israeli leadership.

“What does it say about our society that the greatest tree in the world is named after a military hero?” Pg xv

[Livy]

3.5 Stars

The ancestor tree before every part was helpful and really provided some context. A good introduction to Sikhism from a historical/philosophical level, as well as a personal/emotional level. I not only learned about the religion, I also felt it. My favorite part was Part 4: Build Sovereign Space. I read this while going through some stressful times. This practice really helped me get through it.

[Morgan Porter]

The history portion of the book was great. Each portion was a bit long. And just didn’t always keep my interest. Sometimes it felt a little poor me instead of the how to awake into oneness the title invoked. The beginning was very keen to the title but towards the end it seemed to just be the story of the land and history which was good but felt like it lead the book more then the title lead on.

[Michael Jones]

This is a beautifully crafted story. Valarie Kaur takes us along on her pilgrimage to her ancestral home in Punjab and she weaves the history of the birth of the Sikh tradition into her story. We follow her and her two young children through the wonders of the historical places that figured prominently in the evolution of the Sikh world and the lives of the Gurus. Her husband was there as well, but he lovingly allowed her to focus on her pilgrimage while he watched after the children and made sure she was free to do as she needed.
We learn about the Gurus and their wives and mothers. We read of the oppression and constant threat from the Muslim emperors. There is a fascinating, although understandable, transition from purely pacifist to a warrior tradition that takes place, but it is a defensive, protective warrior rather than a conquering force.
The way that the author allows us to see history through her eyes and those of her children is fascinating. It is easy to visualize the scenes created with her words.
There are many lessons of love, peace, sadness, and joy threaded throughout the book. These have all been marked with post-it notes in my copy as they will become resources for Dharma messages (sermons) in the future.
I am grateful that a glossary is provided, but it is not complete and I did find it difficult to understand some of the passages. Kaur leaves many things untranslated, so I turned to the web for translations.
One of the most useful concepts I learned from this work was the concept of a sovereign space. That is, the sovereign space that I create within myself. A place that I can create and enter, under the right conditions, not to escape but to see more clearly. Or, as the author describes it, "I go to my sovereign space not to escape the pain of the world, or in my body, but to see that pain from a higher place - and choose how to respond."
The book is a wonderful opportunity to get to know just a little about the Sikh tradition, and to go along on a heartfelt pilgrimage with someone who wanted to better understand their ancestral history, and also allow her young children to experience a piece of their ancestors and the origin of their tradition.

[Magdelanye]

The universe is filled with wonder and terror and beauty beyond our senses. The only part we control is what we do next. p247

Violence never happens in a vacuum....is reinforced by institutions that drive it, justify it, or otherwise profit from it. To undo the injustice, you must confront it. p277

Every day we have a choice. Who do we wish to be in the story? Do we follow orders and pass along the bricks? Do we stand back and watch from the crowd? Do we offer milk in the middle of the night? Do we dare sing from the cold tower, so that our song can be heard generations from now? p308

Valerie Kaur is a delicious storyteller with a cool head and a fiery heart. The founder of the Revolutionary Love Project, here she recounts her mythic Sikh tradition, highlighting its relevance for today.

The authoritarians, terrorists, power brokers and war mongers want us to believe that we're helpless. They profit from our despair. They want us to believe that only those who control wealth or weapons have power. Their agendas depend on our paralysis. But there are millions of us who want a world of coexistence...justice, liberation and peace. p160

Interspersed with the historical chronology, she invites readers to accompany her along with her husband and young son and daughter on a pilgrimage to the remaining shrines and sites in Punjab.

We cannot marshal the energy and imagination to change our lives or change the world if we are tired, wired, or stressed. Being aware of crises does not mean that our bodies have to BE in crisis all the time....If we are to become the ones who rebirth the world, we must be able to weave pleasure practices into our lives as regular and reliable channels for release and renewal. p89

the opposite of love is not rage; it is indifference. p220

4.7 rounded down for GR
6/7

This is a gorgeous book thoughtfully illustrated

[Reader]

This book opened my heart to deeper compassion. I sobbed at times in shared pain and joy from reading the stories of the Sikh ancestors who faced genocide and oppression from the Mughal empire and then others repeating the cycle. The lessons learned from these stories brought me to begin to see no stranger and see no enemy, even in the current political and socially tense climate of the United States. I find myself looking at others around me with more love and acceptance, even if they may be misled, or mistaken in where they place their rage. The Gurus model exemplar compassionate communication in similar tense political situations. How the women in the family handle & even welcome grief - being willing to let their husbands go to murderous empowers for the greater good - is not only beautiful but shows they are just as strong as the male gurus who laid down their lives for their families and for the people who are not their own who ask for help, to be safe from the emperors campaigns of violence. The way the Guru freed people in the jails shows an example of solidarity we desperately need to come back today - to the people of the world alive today. May so many people read this and be inspired to find the swords of Miri & Piri within, and without (external power 🗡️), themselves, so we may build the land of Begampura (the land without despair) ❤️‍🔥🌎🌍🌏🏞️🦦🌊📿⚔️🛠️🌾👩🏻‍🌾

[Jess Witkins]

At a time when our country is so divided, Valerie Kaur's social media and latest book, "Sage Warrior" has been a balm of calm. Kaur and her crew of musicians and mystics hit the road to host revolutionary love roundups at many sites and cities where massacres and shootings have taken place. They've partnered with the loved ones and family members of those lost and grieved together and healed together.

In her latest book, Kaur shares stories from her Sikh faith and tradition and relates them to present day and how she is inspired by them to maintain her activism through both sage wisdom and warrior spirit. When much of our days is spent feeling anxiety, Sage Warrior offers wisdom, healing, and comfort to channel our energy into a place of self care, community, and activism that thrives on love for all.

[Corey Burton]

This was a cool read, though I felt it could have been shorter. LOVE the meditations that are shared, and being able to learn more about what it means to be Sikh. The details and story telling feel so charged with emotion and passion. (The author tells detailed stories about the Guru and Sage Warrior women) I would recommend this one for sure. Here are some quotes that resonated:

“You are not your pain. You are much vaster than that.”

“We create space between the experience and our response, and in that space, we find freedom. Freedom to choose how to respond, freedom to discern: what does love want me to do?”

“I get to be alive.
I get to be alive today.
I get to be alive today with you.”

“We can choose to be reborn each night.”

[Bonnie Westmark]

I bought this book at a Tacoma Reads author visit. She was spectacular as a speaker- inspiring and motivational. I had already read her first book so had to have this one. I’m excited that our book club will be reading it together and discussing it. Parts are horrific. Other than the Old Testament, this included some of the most violent descriptions I’ve ever imagined involving children. The fact that this is true is just unreal. I’m left disturbed, but empowered. You won’t want to be a bystander. This book is a call to action. When you think things couldn’t be any worse, she shows you otherwise. When you think one person can’t make a difference or bring about change, she gives you examples of those who have.

[Kyra]

Brené Brown interviews Valarie Kaur about her book, Sikh history, and activism in a thought-provoking and powerful discussion. When I began reading, I was surprised to find a sweeping summary of over 200 years of Sikh history intertwined with the idea of the "sage warrior" from the Punjab region. The lessons on Oneness, Pleasure, Courage, and Becoming Victory were incredibly profound and inspiring. Throughout the narrative, the essential roles that women played as compassionate, courageous sage warriors were beautifully highlighted. The book also weaves in Valarie Kaur’s deeply personal journey as an activist, faith leader, and lawyer, making it both impactful and thought-provoking.

[Céline des Ligneris (Carole)]

So much love to give to the world ! Thanks it was the book I needed to read to face the challenges of life. It introduces you to the Sikh religion with a feminist point of view, with all the love of the mother, wife, daughter, sister of the gurus, but above all the love of the Wise Woman who retreats from time to time in her inner sanctuary to gather her strengths and change the word a stranger at a time. My take away : you are a part of me I do not yet know.
The only drawback was my disappointment upon discovering that part of the Sikh community, in line with other religions, was still patriarcal, and that sometimes Oneness has a restricted definition,

[Matt]

Really fascinating and inspiring. Valarie is an amazing writer and a good friend, and this book is an imaginative retelling of the history of Sikhism and also a reflection on how to live a good life and be a person trying to make the world a better place.
I learned a lot, and I found the book wise and engaging throughout. I knew strikingly little about the history of the Sikh religion and enjoyed this version of the story interwoven with Valarie's stories about her family's journey to Asia and her own history.
Excellent and gives me a push to keep trying every day to live as a person in community with the people around me.

[Miriah]

“If you wish to play the game of love with me, step forward with your head on your hand.”- Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru.

Valarie Kaur reclaims the stories of women in Sikh history that are often overlooked. Sage Warrior is powerful, thought provoking, and explores thematics of bravery, the revolutionary acts of creating equality, and a summon to strive for justice for all of humanity. This is parts modern parables and ancient divine wisdom turned into text. This was a treat to read, and I will surely be revisit this one in the future.

[Joelle Marie]

I enjoyed this book immensely but didn't realize what I was getting into. Be aware that heavy topics including torture, murder, war, loss of young children, and religious persecution are discussed. If you have the stomach for these things this is amazing writing with incomparable lessons on how to cultivate embodied and compassionate resilience in the face of extreme grief and trauma, remain steadfast in resistance to oppression, and find the "pearls" of wisdom of your own ancestors and predecessors. I might listen to the whole book again.

[Adriana]

I listened to the audible version of this book, which was a delight because poems are read and songs are sung in native tongue, which was beautiful. The character names are sometimes confusing, but there's a PDF one can reference to keep them straight.

I see Valarie Kaur as a fearless compassionate leader needed in these challenging times. I'm grateful for the guidance in this book and her presence in our country.

[William Bookman III]

I found this book to be about the origins of Sihkism, a monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region by Guru Nanak in the 15th century, emphasizing one God, equality, honest living, selfless service, and remembrance of God. From this spiritual practice, Valarie shares personal stories of how this religion has helped her in her personal and activist life. I'm very interested to learn more about this religion.

[Vincent Pereira]

Valarie continues to be remarkable. She first touched me in her book "See No Stranger." After reading "Sage Warrior," I now have a better understanding of the Sikh faith. It was both strong and compassionate as well as brave. Valarie has a gift that I admire. She is a strong willed person that has endured more tragedies than most people, but she is still full of love and compassion. I love reading her books, Insta-gram posts, newsletters, etc. A beautiful soul! Thank you Valarie.

[Lorelei]

This was such an amazing book. Giving you an insight to Sikh religion and ways of life to help you with your on path in life. This book is helping me so much in life. I have been going through a tough time and really needed this. Thank you to the author for writing this book!

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. My review is of my own opinion and was not influenced at all.

[Stephanie]

In this beautiful rendition, Kaur offers a powerful invitation into the Sikh tradition of revolutionary love and oneness. Drawing from ancient wisdom, she guides us to look within, to love deeply, and to rise up when necessary—to walk the path of enlightenment and embody what it means to be a Sage Warrior.

[Carrie]

I cannot recall exactly when I first encountered Kaur’s inspiring path, but I’ve been following ever since. I devoured See No Stranger and knew I wanted to hear second book in her voice. The entire book is a meditative experience.