When the Stars Align...the Power of Positive Intention

My family's long seven month journey of living in two cities is coming to an end thanks to the Power of Positive Intentions. My wife, Jean, has been living and working in Madison, WI while I was back home with my son in Shawano, WI. Madison and Shawano are two and half hours away. Jean and I made a commitment to see each other every weekend till school let out for my son in June.

We put our home up for sale in January and waited. I am a firm believer in positive intentions create your reality. In many ways this is what Karate is all about...it is about manifesting your reality...(see my posts on this subject) With meditation and prayers from my friends and family, our home is now sold. The timing was perfect.

We put an offer on a home near Madison months ago and set the closing date for July 22nd. At that time our house had zero offers or serious lookers. Near the end of June while we were preparing to rent out our home an offer came through and they wanted the house on July 29th. Wow! One week after we buy our home we will have sold ours.

To top it off, my wife was worried about the job market for me. I had zero hits for interviews then on the same day we got an offer to purchase our home I got a call  for a job interview. Well, I will be employed with a new clinic after Labor Day. This gives me a few weeks to get Jacob settled in school.

All of these events happened so synchronistically it was eerie...a cool eerie.

Well, tomorrow morning the movers drop off our belongings at our new home and Jean and I can resume a married life under one roof. Thanks for all the prayers. They do work.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Reading Intentions

One of the greatest skills you can learn as a martial artist is to read intentions...and most importantly, act on intentions. We've all heard of the remarkable ability of the old masters to seem to know what was happening before anyone else. They could read intentions...and just like practicing a side kick or reverse punch, the more you practice the better you will get.

We all have intentions. It is the spark just before a thought and just before an action. But how do you tell the intentions of your opponent? Learn how to see your own first. Here's a meditation to do to get you started:

Sit in a meditative pose with your back straight. Focus on breathing deep in your hara (center).  Now, become aware of the intention to inhale and your intentions to exhale. Feel the energy of intention just prior to each breath. Do this for about 20 minutes a day for 21 days...and notice the difference in your ability to pay attention and feel the energy of intent.

Next 21 days: Begin with noticing your breath's intention and switch to being aware of your intent to have a thought. Be like a cat waiting for a mouse to come out of its hole...watch...and feel.

During your day...when you remember...notice your intentions to think, move, breath, etc. Also, begin to see if you can feel other's intentions. Just watch...don't overanalyze.  Play with it in the dojo as well....think of ways you can work with your dojo mate in reading his or her intentions.  I use the word PLAY....don't try too hard. Be loose and listen and watch...and feel.

Hope this makes sense. Think of how reading your opponent's intentions can help you...not only in the martial arts but in life as well.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Letting Go

Previously I wrote about how our mind's intentions are like setting an arrow off into the air towards its target. Our intentions as martial artists can be to become a black belt, master the tonfa or improve our grappling.

In other past posts I have written about Ku/Kara as the Emptiness of Pure Raw Potential. Whatever arrows of intentions are shot into Ku/Kara it will begin to manifest those intentions from the potential latent in the void (Ku/Kara). The arrows will hit their target. (if this is a 'what is he talking about?'...go find "pure raw potential' post)

So, whatever the intention we set out into the void (Ku/Kara), one thing we must do is 'let go' and have faith. Faith that our intentions will come true...in other words hit the target.

The arrow cannot fly through the air unless you let go of it and simply have faith it will hit the target. You cannot guide the arrow in its flight...you aim and then have to just let go. Notice the letting go in the picture...after the Kyodo-ka shoots the arrow he opens his arms wide...letting go physically in a state of remaining mind or zanshin. This exemplifies the type of faith we need...open and wide...then the black belt, grappling skills or mastery of a kata you are seeking begins to manifest from the void.

You will then find your actions after letting go, moving in the direction of your arrow...sort of like having to walk up to the target and retrieve your arrow. You have to follow its flight with some action, but only after having let go in faith.

This is sort of a rough outline of the process of actualizing your potential as a martial artist and as a person. We, like nature, are ever expanding and desiring to grow. As humans we have the ability to choose our growth...this, I believe, is part of enlightened behavior. We are now awake to what we are doing, consciously and unconsciously...then we are getting closer to freedom and seeing our truest nature.

I don't like to write real long posts...I have a short attention span, plus I tend to ramble a bit. So, once again, I hope my 'monkey-droppings' make some sense. I could write more but then you might get more confused than I am. If any questions or comments, please provide them.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen