Being Nobody, Going Nowhere

Lao Tzu, the famous Chinese philosopher accredited with writing the "Tao Te Ching" wrote how the life of a sage is one of daily diminishing, not adding. Bruce Lee also spoke of peeling back non-essentials of the martial arts in order to reveal 'the truth' of self-defence training.

Looking at ourselves, as a people, we love to gather certificates, diplomas, trophies. We accumulate things, like cars, houses, books, and so forth. Why? For most of us it is a sense of security through identity. Deep down, we don't know who we are or why we are here on this planet. In an attempt to find this security or identity we try to find it through 'outer things' such as titles, materials possessions and relationships.

As martial artists, most of us have studied about five to six different art forms looking for the 'the truth' or ourselves. And, guess what? They do satisfy, but for only a short while, because as you know, all things are temporary. So we keep searching.

If we would really listen to Lao Tzu, we can see we are like an onion. If you begin to peel back the layers of who you think you are, just like the onion, you will find when you get to the middle, that there is 'nothing' there. Yes, you are nothing, going nowhere! (LOL here!)

Being nobody, going nowhere is our truest nature....it is Ku or Emptiness. We are emptiness in form and form in emptiness. If you remember, Ku is the unfolding field of limitless possibilities only waiting for a thought to manifest into form. At your truest inner self, because you are No-body you are All things. You are infinite with unbounded potential. How cool is that!

So, as you look at yourself, Peel back the layers of who you identify as you. Throw away the labels, the security, the diplomas, the sense of importance and just watch. Meditate. Learn to just be and your inner self of Being Nobody, Going Nowhere is there. Then you can have a great laugh and play in this wonderful universal field of 'energy'...which is what I am off to do now.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

The Brilliancy of Death

As I was driving to work today I got the opportunity to drive under a canopy of autumn colors. It was amazing to notice how brilliant the leaves are in their dying. Oh, to be so bright and colorful upon my own death!

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

A Lesson from my Weeds

A lesson from my weeds in the garden.

Life isn't to be measured by time or money...in fact it isn't to be measured at all...it is meant to be lived...embracing both the comfortable and uncomfortable with a big shit-eatin grin.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Tiger-Dragon

At the Broken Bokken we wear a patch on our uniforms with a Tiger and a Dragon engaged in battle. When entwined like this they are the animal representation of Yin and Yang.

The Tiger is Yang.

The Dragon is Yin.

They are in a battle that neither can win since they need each other. Can't have Tiger Yang without Dragon Yin. They move together and are a wonderful way to explain martial concepts, especially to new students.

Typically, we begin teaching Tiger techniques. They tend to be easier to learn as most people are used to 'hard' hitting, clawing, blocking, etc. Most fights you see are typically yang on yang. Once Tiger Yang is getting mastered, the flowing moves of the Dragon Yin are introduced. These can be joint locks, throws and evasive strategies...and work quite well when set up with a Tiger Yang.

As both get mastered, the student learns to blend the two in self-defense situations. The student learns to yield and flow like the dragon, then hit like the tiger....or suddenly pounce like a tiger and then wrap up the opponent in an excruciating dragon joint lock.

There are many ways these concepts are taught, but this one way we teach about these two animals...and how they can work together to teach us the way of yin and yang...soft and hard...and how to use these complementary opposites not only to save our lives physically, but when we look deeply, spiritually as well.

Hands palm to palm,

Shinzen

The Tao of Bazooka Joe

Came across Bazooka Joe the other day and was reminded of one my earlier posts. It is a good lesson...at least for me.

When I was a kid Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum was awesome! Not only did we get a great chewy bubble gum, but we got a comic strip featuring Bazooka Joe printed on the inside of the wrapper. Bazooka Joe was always getting into some kind of mischief and I always looked forward to his antics.

After all these years though there is only one joke that I remembered because I thought it to be so hilarious and absurd...and little did I know that it was a great teaching as well.It goes something like this:

It's dusk. Bazooka Joe is outside on his hands and knees under a street lamp. His buddy comes up to him and asks, "Bazooka Joe, what are you doing?" Bazooka Joe responds, "I am looking for a nickel I dropped."His buddy then gets on his hands and knees and begins to help Bazooka Joe look for his nickel. After about ten minutes of fruitless looking his buddy asks, "Where exactly did you drop your nickel?" Bazooka Joe says, "I dropped it in the house." His buddy looks at him in astonishment and remarks, "Then why are you looking out here?" Bazooka Joe says, "Because the light is better."

It's a classic.It is also a great teaching that is contained in all major spiritual traditions, such as Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Sufism, etc. This teaching is that our nickel of truth, enlightenment, security and all that we seek is inside our house, not outside it. Look at the human condition today.

We all seek a form of security by wanting more money, a nice car, a great relationship, family life, career, etc. We want all of these things...and you know what is interesting? It does not bring the contentment we sought.Question: Why did you begin training in the Martial Arts?You were seeking something weren't you? It could have been a sense of security through self-defense expertise, or improved health, or any number of things.

When you look at it closely you began training in Budo to get something. I felt that when I got my Black Belt a lot of my inner insecurities would vanish. Well, they didn't! In fact, I still felt pretty much the same. I was stronger and felt more confident with a lot of kick-ass skills, but still that little nagging sense of something missing existed. It's because I hadn't found my nickel yet. I was looking in the wrong spot.

The Martial Arts was the light that I thought would help me find my nickel. I was wrong. There is one thing in the Martial Arts that you eventually wake up to...and that is there is always someone who can ring your bell. You can't defend yourself from everything and everyone. This reality then forces you to look inside your house...inside your spirit/mind/body. And this requires faith. The light isn't as great. At times, you can't see where you are going. You have to trust that you will find your nickel inside...and when the time is right, it will reveal itself. And when it does, boy is it bright!

The light is so bright you see things you've never seen before. It's like seeing or finding a 'hidden' bunkai (application) of a kata you have been practicing for over ten years, but never saw it before. You get so excited you can't sleep. Discover this for yourself. I encourage all martial artists to begin that journey inward. To look inside your house. After all, that is where you dropped your nickel.

Hands palm to palm,

Shinzen

(photo:dialforblog.com)

All is Kata!

Kata, besides being a Karate series of self-defense moves, has a deeper meaning for us to learn. Kata means 'how you behave'. How you behave moment by moment is very important if you wish to feel the bubbling of the universal waters that give us life.

When performing a Karate Kata, paying attention to the details of the moves are paramount. It is an exercise in Zen mindfulness. At the beginning of each Kata performance, the name of the Kata is announced. For instance, if you are doing Sanchin, you say, "Sanchin Kata". If you are doing a weapons Kata like Kusanku Sai, you say, "Kusanku Sai"...and so on. Then you perform the kata.

Karate practice of your Kata does not end when you leave the Dojo. When leaving the Dojo you are practicing 'leaving the dojo kata' and then 'driving home kata'. Everything you do is a kata...it is how you behave...and just like a Kata in the Dojo, you should announce what kata you are doing and then pay attention, mindfully.

When brushing your teeth, announce to yourself, 'brushing teeth kata' and then pay attention to your taking off of the toothpaste cap, squeezing it on your brush, putting it in your mouth, brushing and so on until you move onto your next kata.

Whatever activity you are doing, announce it to yourself as a Kata. Then pay attention with full mindfulness of what you are doing, especially the small habits you do automatically, like throwing trash out, or taking a piss, or getting out of bed. With practice, over time, you will begin to see and feel a change in your life. Subtle at first, but then later you will feel the stream of life...the flow of Tao if you will.

Now to end my "Posting Kata".

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Where Have All The Zen Lunatics Gone?

Where have all the Zen Lunatics gone? I know you are out there. We need more raving lunatics poking fun and farting at the consensus reality that has the world stuck in conformity and mindless dronality (I think I just made up a word)

We need more Han Shans. He was a raving Zen Lunatic or Taoist Hermit, whichever you want him to be, in the Tang dynasty in China. With his wild hair, tattered clothing and head gear made from birch bark, he wandered the woods and mountains mumbling and talking to the wind. He would often visit Zen temples until they drove him out because of his unpredictable and irreverant behavior. He was a great poet as well.

We need more Han Shans. To me, Han Shan was a man of pure faith in the Dharma. Totally free like the wind...wandering about...free from concern for himself. He was also a man of no means and yet had the whole universe at his disposal. Yes, we need more Zen Lunatics like Han Shan.

Yes, something to aspire to...or at least grow into...I know as I age I feel my inner Lunatic cracking through the surface from time to time. Soon, I know it will engulf me, but until then I will just buy new hats and smile. I am allergic to birch bark.



Hands palm to palm,

Shinzen


thanks to ZenHG for inspiring this post.

Ahh..the Mystery of the Tao.

Sunday morning and looks like a beautiful fall day ahead of us. I have my cup of coffee and usual wandering mind as my companions. This morning it has wandered to a conversation (facebook) I had with Miles Coleman, my Kung Fu friend and Herbalist.

I had made an observation that he is a Taoist with a bald head and I am a Buddhist with long hair...and had asked him, what's up that? He responded in his usual way..."ahh, the mystery of the Tao". So true.

The Tao is totally mysterious. Life is mysterious. None of us really know why we are here or what life is all about. On many levels, life is one big Zen riddle or Koan. The Tao is definitely a paradoxical enigma...and I am glad it is.

What if we did know the Secret of Life and were able to totally figure out every life's problems and boil it down to a formula? In my mind it would be boring. If it weren't for the chase...like the search for the holy grail (monty python style is the best)...life would just be almost too regimented, rigid and stale. Or at least I think it would be. I can't imagine always knowing what is going to happen. Where's the fun in that? Where's the mystery?

What is more fun...not knowing what is going to happen? Or knowing what is going to happen? The Packers play the Vikings today...what is more fun and pulsating with life...not knowing the outcome or knowing the outcome?

When facing a fierce opponent in kumite or with a sword...the not-knowing is what makes you alive! It is the mystery of the unknown that gives us life!

It is the not-knowing that makes this journey here on earth interesting. Yes, at times it is hard and cruel...but this allows us to see the beauty and the ease by which life can be as well. The not-knowing sends us on searches, holy quests, hermitages into the mountains or even dabbling with multiple martial arts to find the ultimate in self-defense.

Well....my coffee is getting cold and my wandering mind has drifted onto my list of things to get done before the football game. I better get going on it...I wonder where it will lead me today? Go Packers!

Ahh...the Mystery of the Tao.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen

Zhen Wren

Just a quick post to let you know about a new blog by one of my good friends, Master Miles Coleman. His new blog is in my registry at www.zhenwren.wordpress.com

Check it out. Miles is a Kung Fu Master and Master Herbalist. His herbs have helped me for years and his teachings are always insightful. His Chi for healing is phenomenol...plus he has one helluva a great sense of humor...of course he is Taoist! Those guys are nuts!

He moved to the Omaha, Nebraska area about a year or so ago. We miss him here in Wisconsin....

I highly recommend reading his blog and following his advice.

Take Care,
Shinzen

The Tao of Bazooka Joe

When I was a kid Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum was awesome! Not only did we get a great chewy bubble gum, but we got a comic strip featuring Bazooka Joe printed on the inside of the wrapper. Bazooka Joe was always getting into some kind of mischief and I always looked forward to his antics. After all these years though there is only one joke that I remembered because I thought it to be so hilarious and absurd...and little did I know that it was a great teaching as well.

It goes something like this:

It's dusk. Bazooka Joe is outside on his hands and knees under a street lamp. His buddy comes up to him and asks, "Bazooka Joe, what are you doing?" Bazooka Joe responds, "I am looking for a nickel I dropped."

His buddy then gets on his hands and knees and begins to help Bazooka Joe look for his nickel. After about ten minutes of fruitless looking his buddy asks, "Where exactly did you drop your nickel?" Bazooka Joe says, "I dropped it in the house." His buddy looks at him in astonishment and remarks, "Then why are you looking out here?" Bazooka Joe says, "Because the light is better."

It's a classic.

It is also a great teaching that is contained in all major spiritual traditions, such as Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Sufism, etc. This teaching is that our nickel of truth, enlightenment, security and all that we seek is inside our house, not outside it. Look at the human condition today. We all seek a form of security by wanting more money, a nice car, a great relationship, family life, career, etc. We want all of these things...and you know what is interesting? It does not bring the contentment we sought.

Question: Why did you begin training in the Martial Arts?

You were seeking something weren't you? It could have been a sense of security through self-defense expertise, or improved health, or any number of things. When you look at it closely you began training in Budo to get something. I felt that when I got my Black Belt a lot of my inner insecurities would vanish. Well, they didn't! In fact, I still felt pretty much the same. I was stronger and felt more confident with a lot of kick-ass skills, but still that little nagging sense of something missing existed. It's because I hadn't found my nickel yet. I was looking in the wrong spot.

The Martial Arts was the light that I thought would help me find my nickel. I was wrong. There is one thing in the Martial Arts that you eventually wake up to...and that is there is always someone who can ring your bell. You can't defend yourself from everything and everyone. This reality then forces you to look inside your house...inside your spirit/mind/body. And this requires faith. The light isn't as great. At times, you can't see where you are going. You have to trust that you will find your nickel inside...and when the time is right, it will reveal itself. And when it does, boy is it bright!

The light is so bright you see things you've never seen before. It's like seeing or finding a 'hidden' bunkai (application) of a kata you have been practicing for over ten years, but never saw it before. You get so excited you can't sleep. Discover this for yourself. I encourage all martial artists to begin that journey inward. To look inside your house. After all, that is where you dropped your nickel.

Be Well,

Shinzen