The Warrior's Path

I've been writing a book about Warrior's and have had some thoughts. I noticed that the martial arts, the real ones, require a long time (a lifetime or two) to master. There are no short cuts to the deeper levels Budo has to offer. To begin to "see" these deeper teachings of wisdom involves a great deal of discomfort and pain.

As a counselor working with people who are addicted to substances like alcohol, pot, crack, pain pills and what ever they can find to get a buzz, I have noticed they are looking for convenience and comfort. They are no different than most of us, except their path is more dysfunctional in our society. Most of us, however, are always wanting the fastest most convenient method to get what we want. After all, Time is Money in our society and we have to have comfort.

In fact, a few years ago, when I was researching to set up a private counseling practice, the research stated people will visit the counselor who has the most convenient and easy parking! What's up with that? People don't care about your credentials, just that they can park easily and it be convenient for them.

The Warrior's Path is a lonely one. Take a look at ancient times when a student of martial arts or Zen wanted to study with a teacher. The teacher usually rejected, humiliated and scorned the student. Gave him/her impossible tasks to do and basically demean the student. The student who kept coming back, over and over, was finally accepted.

Don't have that now...I ask myself now after 41 years as a Martial Artist...do I do what I do because it is easy, convenient and comfortable? If it is...it is time to move outside my comfort zone. Why? Growth only comes about through struggle...and nothing makes you squirm like pain and inconvenience. These two allies, when embraced, lead you to dig deep within yourself and find resources you never knew you had...it brings you to relief...to a great inner peace...to the ceasing of the struggle...ah! Budo: To Cease The Struggle.

I am moving to Madison in a few months. Perhaps I should just set up an old school Dojo...it will be inconvenient and uncomfortable...any takers?

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Embrace the Fight!

Take a moment and look at a coin. A penney, dime or quarter. Doesn't matter. Notice it has a heads and a tails. Two sides. Now ask yourself, "Which side is the true and real coin?

Now that might seem like a weird question as the answer might seem obvious...but let's look at another coin.

The Coin of Life. It has two sides as well. It has a heads and tails, but let's call them 'positive outlook' and 'negative outlook' 

How do you perceive this coin? Which side is the true and real coin of life?

To look and grasp at life with either a positive or negative outlook is to not see the total coin. To choose one over the other is to deny the reality of the other. Both outlooks are in many ways 'deluded'. Both are ghosts. To grab at one and reject the other is to live in suffering...even tho the positive feels better...it is still a trap of the mind and will continue your suffering...especially when negative shows up and you don't want it.

Zen is about seeing the Coin in its totality. No thoughts of one side better than the other. It is a Coin...just as it is. You use both sides all the time.

In Budo this is also very important. To grasp and hold onto only certain 'techniques' as good or bad disrupts your ability to flow with what is needed moment by moment. You are trying to use only one side of the coin...dumb! It is important to embrace the fight and use the coin in its totality. It is there. Use it. To reject one side for the other will get your ass handed to you.

Hope my morning rambling makes some sense...I have to get to work and maybe will edit this later or wait for comments.

Hands palm to palm,

Shinzen

Gardening is Budo

Karate, as you know, originated in Okinawa and spread to Japan. Both countries noted for their farms and beautiful gardens. We can learn a lot from gardening just like we can from Budo, or the Martial Way.

In fact, there is an old saying on how Farming is Budo. Many of the old karate-ka were farmers and knew the earth well. I don't have a farm, but I do like to garden. This time of year I miss being out in the dirt, pulling weeds, watering and, yes, I even talk to my vegetables. Once, I swore a tomato talked to me...but that was back in the 70's.

Well, to stay on track. Gardening is Budo. It is about discovery, calming the spirit and seeing directly into our true nature. Our mind is like a garden. Stuff grows in it...even when we aren't trying. If you just dug up the earth and left it, in a few days the grass and weeds will begin to grow. When you plant vegetables or flowers, they begin to grow.

No matter what, stuff grows in your garden. Just like your mind. Whether you pay attention to it or not, stuff grows. Thoughts are always growing in the mind. Some are intentional, some are just random. Some are vegetables and flowers...some are weeds. Regardless, your mind is always growing thoughts....and just like a real garden it needs to be tended.

As I mentioned earlier, an untended garden grows weeds and grass. An untended mind grows suffering, delusion, ignorance and anger. Tend your garden by pulling the weeds and your vegetables will grow strong and tall. Tend your mind by pulling the suffering at its root and your bliss will grow. It is a matter of taking care of your garden and your mind.

For myself, tending the mind is accomplished via Zazen and mindfulness of everyday activity. Just being here. Zazen is the weeding of the garden of my mind so my vegies (bliss, happiness, compassion) can grow and give me food and life. Yes, we can learn a lot from gardening. In many ways, Gardening is Budo. I miss my garden...It's there, just waiting till the snow melts and the ground thaws.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

The Bubbler of Now: Part II

Previously I wrote about how it is important for us as Martial Artist's to discipline our minds and to understand how it is important to meditate upon the flow of the ever-present bubbling of Now.

You see, the Universe is always "bubbling" like a bubbler that is always on and never runs out of water. It is a constant flow of water or energy. Even, static or solid objects to us are in reality a flow of energy, a bubbling of cosmic water flowing from the great 'source', whatever you want to call 'the source'...or if even there is a source.

Bubbling to us is experienced through our six senses of touch, smell, sight, taste, hearing and consciousness. Just as water bubbles from a water fountain the entire universe bubbles forth and flows.

As you bubble forth with the great bubbling that is occurring all around you, you have a choice as to the content of your 'water' and how your 'water' tastes. Is the water you are experiencing full of sewage or sweetness?

Do you put forth clean or polluted bubbling? It is up to you how your water tastes. It depends on your thoughts...your mind's intent. If you see life's bubblings as horrible, awful, violent your water is going to bubble with negativity and taste like crap! Noone will want to drink your water.

If you see life's bubblings as wonderful, full of awe, peaceful.. your water is going to bubble with sweetness. Life will seem easier and more pleasant and people will want to drink your water.

You are going to bubble. You can't stop it. What you determine is the quality of water that bubbles forth from what you call you. That is our gift...the gift of the mind's intent. As Budoka, I believe this is an important thing to know and to develop. The best form of self-defense is the development and practice of peace.

One last question...what if you just watched the bubbling of water with no intent...positive or negative? What would happen?

My random bubblings for the day.

In Gassho,
Shinzen

The Bubbler of Now

Here in the Midwest, we call a drinking fountain, a Bubbler. Those wonderful thirst quenching contraptions we find at city parks, libraries and public buildings.

To meditate upon the Bubbler is a wonderful way to view the ever-present stream of Now. The Now is always moving like the stream of water through the air. You can drink from it, splash in it and it is always just streaming. No matter how hard you try you can't touch the same stream twice....just like the Now.

A meditation for us is to just see the bubbler streaming water...and get a feel for the movement. Perhaps just close your eyes and visualize the water flowing from the Bubbler for a few moments...then open your eyes and look around. Can you now see the stream of Now as it unfolds in your everyday life? Where and what are your Bubblers?

For me right now I have a 12 pound orange cat snuggled to my left, the kitchen clock above the sink is ticking, the cat (or liquid fur) just moved onto the floor and my fingers are typing, hearing the clicking of the keys on the keyboard...and so on. There is also so much more that we miss as well. How about the beating of your heart, the sound of wind through the trees...now shaking my window in the living room...just unfolding, just streaming on and on....now gone...now not gone...

Everyday life...even non-everyday life...flows and unfolds....always in the present just like a stream of water. Did you know you are always in the present moment even when your thoughts are lost in the past and future? You are doing this in the present Now...the stream of the Bubbler.

As Budoka, disciplining the mind and body to experience and get a sense of this stream from the Bubbler is critical for us...it is the development of awareness. This is one reason for kata, for hojo undo, for kumite, for zazen, etc. Learning how to see the stream in your artform will carry on into your daily life...this is the practice of practicing Budo all day long. If you think your practice of Budo is only relegated to the Dojo you miss the point of Budo altogether.

Just get a feel for the stream of the Bubbler you call your life. Take a deep breath and go with the flow...wow, all of a sudden I'm thirsty...

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Sheathing the Sword

Sheathing a Katana, the Samurai's razor-sharp sword, is an art in and of itself. Iaido, the art of drawing the sword, ends with sheathing and bowing. Sheathing the sword is an extremely important part of Iaido as it is putting the sword 'to rest'.

For those who have followed my blog for awhile, you know I consider the mind to be a sword as well. If you do not train in its use properly it will harm you, but if you discipline your mind it will save you. Thus the old Japanese sayings of 'the sword either will take or give you life'. When your thoughts run rampant and are full of worry and anxiety, this sword will cut you up....but if your thoughts are full of joy and faith, this sword will give you life.

Well, what about the sword that is not cutting? The mind that is not judging or discriminating? What about the mind that is 'sheathed'...put to rest? This is the mind at peace. There is an old Zen poem about Faith Mind and is called the 'Hsin Hsin Ming'. One of the phrases talks about how peace of mind is easy, if we do not pick and choose. Discriminating, judging is the cause of our mental dis-ease. This is your mind-sword cutting your life into separate

existences...dualities.

To put your sword to rest is the practice of Zazen. The practice of sitting upon the razor's edge...not cutting, not judging...just sitting there...fully present...knowing if you move you get 'cut' and your mind will not be at ease. To be able to 'still' the mind so it sets upon the sword's edge is truly an artform and requires daily practice. You then can see your life in its totality...not the cut up pieces you have left on the floor.

As a warrior, of Zen and Budo, please make it a practice to set a daily time for formal Zazen and throughout the day, practice Mindfulness of Mind, Body, Breath, Spirit. Sit on the razor's edge of the Katana called Now. Peace is there. Why do you think the Samurai, the Shaolin monks and other Warrior cultures practice meditation?

Hands palm to palm,

Shinzen

Lessons from my Zafu: Ground Zero

Dr. Yozan (Dirk) Mosig, a Shuri-te practitioner and Zen priest, often would remind us that Karate was 95% mental and 5% physical. This saying has always stuck with me...and as I have my own sitting practice I am becoming more and more aware of how correct his statement is.

As I have mentioned before, Buddha spoke about how all we are is a result of our thoughts...with our thoughts we create our world and shape our reality. This is so true...and is even backed up by Quantum Physics, but I am not going to go into that right now.

What I am referencing today is Ground Zero....bringing your mind to that still point of just before you inhale and just before you have your next thought. Ground Zero is the place you have to decide upon how you are going to shape your world. Buddha spoke of being mindful of mind. Be aware of your thoughts as if they are a cobra ready to strike...bring your awareness to that level on and off your zafu.

I call that point of total awareness or stillness of mind Ground Zero...just like sitting on your Zafu...on the ground...this is Ground Zero....stay there and when your mind does wander be aware of the wandering....be curious about the wandering and then gently return to Ground Zero.

This is also the mindset when doing Kata. Kata is also a place for Ground Zero...be aware of your thoughts before, during and after Kata. Are you 'in' the kata or wandering around in your mind. Stay at Ground Zero....Did you know Kata also means 'how you behave'? So a Kata is also how you brush your teeth, do your job, take a piss, and talk to your children or friends. Are you at Ground Zero? Are you aware or are you running on Autopilot?

Ground Zero...being Here and Now...being with the events of life as they unfold moment by moment, but also being with your thoughts and judgements about the events of life as they unfold. If you do not like your thoughts or judgements, again, just be curious about them and gently return to Ground Zero...here you have the chance to change your world.

This is part of our Budo training...95% mental.

Hope my morning rambling has made sense...

In Gassho,
Shinzen

How to be a Warrior.

Continuing with the teachings of don Juan from the writings of Carlos Castaneda, don Juan is instructing Carlos in the way of the warrior. For those who study Zen or the way of the Samurai you will be able to see the corollaries.

"Thus to be a warrior a man has to be, first of all, and rightfully so, keenly aware of his own death. But to be concerned with death would force any one of us to focus on the self and that would be debilitating. So the next thing one needs to be a warrior is detachment. The idea of imminent death, instead of becoming an obsession, becomes an indifference.

Now you must detach yourself; detach yourself from everything. Only the idea of death makes a man sufficiently detached so he is incapable of abandoning himself to anything. Only the idea of death makes a man sufficiently detached so he can't deny himself anything. A man of that sort, however, does not crave, for he has acquired a silent lust for life and for all things of life. He knows his death is stalking him and won't give him time to cling to anything, so he tries, without craving, all of everything.

A detached man, who knows he has no possibility of fencing off his death, has only one thing to back himself with: the power of his decisions. He has to be, so to speak, the master of his choices. He must fully understand that his choice is his responsibility and once he makes it there is no longer time for regrets or recriminations. His decisions are final, simply because his death does not permit him time to cling to anything.

And thus with an awareness of his death, with his detachment, and with the power of his decisions a warrior sets his life in a strategical manner. The knowledge of his death guides him and makes him detached and silently lusty; the power of his final decisions makes him able to choose without regrets and what he chooses is always strategically the best; and so he performs everything he has to with gusto and lusty efficiency.

When a man behaves in such a manner one may rightfully say that he is a warrior and has acquired patience. When a warrior has acquired patience he is on his way to will . He knows how to wait. His death sits with him on his mat, they are friends. His death advises him, in mysterious ways, how to choose, how to live strategically. And the warrior waits! I would say that the warrior learns without any hurry because he knows he is waiting for his will ; and one day he succeeds in performing something ordinarily quite impossible to accomplish. He may not even notice his extraordinary deed. But as he keeps on performing impossible acts, or as impossible things keep on happening to him, he becomes aware that a sort of power is emerging.

A power that comes out of his body as he progresses on the path of knowledge. He notices that he can actually touch anything he wants with a feeling that comes out of his body from a spot right below or right above his navel. That feeling is the will , and when he is capable of grabbing with it, one can rightfully say that the warrior is a sorcerer, and that he has acquired will .

A warrior is never idle and never in a hurry."

Hands palm to palm,

Shinzen

Does Your Path Have Heart?

Back in 1960's and 70's I was heavily influenced by the writings of Carlos Castaneda and his books about the Yaqui Sorcerer, Don Juan. This post I just want to share some of his teachings. Don Juan's way is the Way of the Warrior and he speaks of this often. One of his most famous teachings is about having a path with heart and is worth considering as you walk your warrior's path.

"Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path: if you feel you should not follow it, you must not stay with it under any conditions. To have such clarity you must lead a disciplined life. Only then will you know that any path is only a path and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you to do. But your decision to keep on the path or to leave the path must be free from fear or ambition. I warn you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times at you think necessary.

This question is one that only a very old man asks. Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my own life I could say I have traversed long, long paths, but I am not anywhere. Does this path have heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead to nowhere; but one has heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you....

...A path without heart is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy; it does not make you work at liking it."

Just some words to consider as you look at the myriad of paths that come our way each and everyday, especially the path of Budo. Does your path have heart?

In Gassho,

Shinzen

Farming and Budo

Farming and Budo go hand in hand. From the gardens of Shaolin to the rice fields of Okinawa and Japan, farming has been intricately linked to Budo. Many of the early Budo-ka were Farmers...hence the classical Okinawan weapons of Kama, Sai, Bo and Tonfa. These are farm tools transformed into tools of self-defense.

I am not a farmer, but I do have a garden. There is nothing like going and playing in the dirt...and it's amazing how the neighborhood kids (ages 2-13) love to come and watch the garden and tour the garden as it grows. They also like to tour by picking peas, beans and an occasional cherry tomato. This is as close to farming as I am going to get, besides marrying a farmer's daughter (yep, I did).

Farming and Budo have a lot in common. In farming the soil needs tilling and preparation before the seeds can be planted. In the dojo this is our learning of the exercises and kihon waza to prepare our mind and body for the rigors that lie ahead. Without preparing the soil properly, the seeds will have difficulty growing once planted. The same goes for Budo. Without a proper foundation of physical conditioning, the seeds from Kata, Kumite, Meditation will have difficulty sprouting.

Yes, the planting of the seeds must also be done correctly. Not too close...not too far. Kata or Waza must be taught...not too fast, not too slow.

Then comes the watering and the praying for adequate sunshine and rainfall. In Budo, this is the encouragement to continue. The comraderie we feel from being with others who love the way of the warrior. Then we practice and wait as we grow.

Weeding is also necessary or the plants can get choked out and hinder their growth. This is when Sensei corrects your form or technique...or tells you to be quiet or pay attention when you are goofing off too much. Weeding is very important or the plants will not grow tall and strong. This is especially crucial when the plant flowers and is getting ready to produce their fruit.

And, then comes the harvesting. The plant is in full bloom and the cucumbers, zuchinni, tomatoes, peas and beans all arrive for the enjoyment of the gardener (and the neighborhood kids) For the Budoka this is the culmination of your training when you become free from the mother plant and begin to produce your own 'seeds'. You become the teacher...the Sensei.

I love gardening.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

No Rush

Those who work at their studies increase day after day:
Those who have heard the Tao decrease day after day.
They decrease and decrease till they get to the point where they do nothing.
They do nothing and yet there's nothing left undone.
Lao Tzu (Ch. 48)


In my last post Narda's situation of starting Kobudo training later in life made me think of this quote from Lao Tzu. One reason for studying Budo is to cease the struggle of battling our own Ego-driven lives. Our ego's, at least I know mine works this way, loves to gather knowledge and show it off. Our ego also gets to feeling insecure if it senses it might not know enough. It begins to grasp after knowledge like a drowning man reaching for a life preserver. It begins to 'work'.


A follower of the Way, one who has heard the Tao, does not rush, does not 'work'. She decreases not in knowledge, but in Ego. It is Ego that gets chipped away by the study of Budo. There is no rush in the study of any Martial Art. It is the Ego that wants more and more and feels rushed and works harder gathering more and more. It is this rushing that actually strengthens Ego. Taking your time and just being here is the practice of Ego-lessness and Budo. This is the daily decreasing I believe Lao Tzu was referring to. It is similar to that old Zen saying that there really is nothing to gain and no place really to go.

Good teachers like Narda's know this. For those who come to Budo later in life it is no big deal. The Tao recognizes no such thing as time or age. It is only Ego that measures it. Ego loves comparisons. So, just carry on with 'everdayness' of your practice. As you do this, the daily decreasing of Ego happens naturally and you enter into that wonderful area of doing nothing, yet everything gets done.

Hope these ramblings make some sense.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen