Heaven and Earth are not humane.
They regard all things as straw dogs.
The sage is not humane.
Lao Tzu
Can Lao Tzu, Taoism's historic founder, really mean the sage is not humane? You betcha! A sage is not trying to be humane, wonderful, beautiful or anything for that matter. A sage is just a sage.
On a similar note, practicing a martial art with non-violent intentions has nothing to do with being nice or kind or noble. Considerations of good and bad, noble and ignoble invite comparison, dependencies and a false sense of ego. Heaven and earth...nature...do not make these comparisons. Remember, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Tornadoes take out the innocent and the guilty. It makes no distinctions.
A Martial Artist who accords with the "Way" simply walks through life organically, moving with whatever happens to be needed done next, joining forces with nature, the universe, in creating greater wholeness out of fragmentation created by the ego. A sage sleeps when a sage is tired, eats when hungry and defends when attacked...with no distinctions. Ponder this.
I can tell I have had way too much caffeine today.
Take Care,
Shinzen
Sometimes all a sage can say is:
ReplyDelete"Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning..."
Sounds like you've 'got it'. Afraid, however, that the 'buddhist nazis' will never agree. But then, martial arts isn't a way for everyone; it takes a unique person to hold a sword and not be cut.
ReplyDeleteThanks to both comments...and Hi to Narda. I will check out your blog.
ReplyDelete