Be Dead

Imagine for a moment you are on your death bed. Death is imminent...soon your body will be a corpse.

Will your mind be full of 'how to become wealthy?' or 'who am I?' or 'I am going to get revenge on so and so?' or 'Tomorrow I am going to go on a diet?' or so on and so on?

Allow your mind to take the composure of a dead man or woman. You recognize the uselessness of struggle.

Now live your life from this point and see what happens.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Train like you mean it...for life.

What the ???

In my last post I discussed martial art training and the necessity to train hard, pay attention and give it your best effort. Training like you are on the street prepares you mentally and physically for a street attack/defense situation than being too lax and just srewing around.

But what about basic living?  How do you train for your everyday activities? Do you give it your best or do you do it half-assed?  But what are the basics? How do you train for everyday?  Well, pay attention to what you are doing first of all.

What is the most basic aspect of daily life that we must train?  Hmmm...I am going to say Breathing. Yes, breathing. Without it you're considered dead. Do you practice any formal breathing exercises, rituals or mindful activities that connects you with your breathe? In the martial arts, if I an take your breathe...I have your mind...I have you.  We study how the body moves during relaxed breathing and anxious breathing...what your body looks like exhaling and inhaling. Did you know you are weak when you inhale? This is when I can attack you. Studying my breathing and others breathing gives me insights into the mind of myself and another.

Just the basics. What other basics of life are you not training? Think about it. Eating is a big one. Not to be too crass, but pissing and shitting is another. Are you managing these areas of your life well? If not, your health is gonna stink!

I suggest you make a list of what you consider basics of life...pay attention to them and take some time to train in them like you mean it....after all...your life could depend on it. Just some thoughts. I gotta go pee..so,
Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Celebrate

C.Om posted on facebook a few day ago about celebrating life.  So true. I love this photo of this child. Wow.

I have noticed that at times I have been way too serious about life...playing it safe. I can use the excuse that I have been raising a family (and still am) and that I need to make sure their safety and security is intact. I accept this as the role of Dad...but I am also to show my family how to truly live!

Sometimes, playing it safe is just too dull. I want to make sure my kids now it is okay to laugh, roll in the mud and just have a good time without having to worry about what others think.  Now, I am not advocating anarchy or a total free for all, but a time of pure jubiliation about being alive.  That life is a celebration of just being here...and it goes by in a flash, like lightening in the sky. You gotta live it up.

So...the next time you feel like playing it safe, mostly because you are worried about what the neighbors might think...stop...remember what it was like when you were 8 or 10 or 13. Then smile, fart, and let out a laugh that will make your neighbors think you have gone insane.  Mine already know I am.  I play in the backyard with swords, nunchakus, bokken and at times just do my kata....I must truly look nuts to them.  I also yell a bit...just enough to feel good...and not enough for the cops to show up. (One of neighbors is a bit nuts and calls the cops if you look at her wrong.)

My neighborhood is full of little kids now, with my kids being the older ones.  When I watch them play they play with abandon!  Now that's fun. That's a celebration. 

On a parting note: As Martial Artists we should do our kata as a celebration. A celebration of our art...let it rip!

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Munster Zen

Women and Men of the Way, like Herman Munster, are noted for their wonderful poetry. Yes, Herman Munster was a sage. This one poem of his I remember. It has stuck in my brain for many years.

"Life is cool.

Life is earnest.

If you get cold,

Turn up the furnace."

Some Munster Zen :D

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen