Seph

I like pictures 2, 3 & 5! I love Zen gardens! We have one here in Ottawa at the Museum of Civilization. It's pretty cool. I have a (MUCH) smaller one in my back yard. (about 20' x 30'... maybe...?)

Are Zen's Mushin and Mindfulness compatible? Mushin would seem to share (only certain) traits with Mindlessness. (The primary difference that I can see is one of deliberation. Mindlessness is incidental. It isn't chosen. It may very well be a sort of default, whereas Mushin is deliberate - or at least attempted).

Really? I live in Ottawa and I've not heard of this research yet. (Doesn't mean it didn't happen.) I'll have to look further into it.

Yes, I get that. Clearly, mindlessness is the opposite of both Mindfulness and Mushin. However, how do (or even do) Mindfulness and Mushin interrelate?

...true...

We very commonly believe that our eyes are our windows to the world; that what we see is reality. It isn't' and they aren't. Our eyes are limited to seeing a narrow spectrum. We cannot see ultraviolet light (bees can!), or infrared, or x-rays, microwaves, gamma rays, or the whole majority of the spectrum. Se we don't see reality for what it is. Only partially. But these are physical limitations. If we had bee's eyes we could see ultraviolet light and communications from flowers, for example. However, I'm not talking about physical limitations though. Our eyes - even within the boundaries of their limits - are not our windows to the world. An experiment had been done on frogs' eyes. It seems that frogs have eyes that have features in common with ours. They should be able to see as well as we do. However, micro electrodes implanted in the frog's eyes reveal that only select bits of information are being sent from the eye to the frog's brain. From the richness of our visual world, only very basic kinds of messages are being relayed to the frog. "The frog does not seem to see or, at any rate is not concerned with the detail of stationary parts of the world around him. He will starve to death surrounded by food it it is not moving" J.Y. Lettvin, H.R. Maturana, W.S. McCulloch, and W.H. Pitts, "What the Frog's Eye Tells the Frog's Brain", chapter 7 in The Mind: Biological Approaches to Its Functions, William C. Corning and Martin Balaban,eds. (New York: Interscience Publishers, 1968), pg. 233-258 The reality we perceive is not all there is out there. At least that's what the experiment of the frog's eyes suggest. To honestly think what we see is reality is naive. I wonder sometimes if we are much different from the frogs. Of all the information we have available, we simply do not take it all in. But we constantly make decisions based on the limited view we have of the world through they tiny slit we call reality. If a frog's eye shares features with our eye and what a frog is aware of is different than what it actually sees, it stands to reason that we may suffer the same. Did you ever wonder why some things catch our attention more than others? Have you ever bought a new car? I have a Mazda 5. When I first got it I began to notice numerous Mazda 5's. They were everywhere! All of a sudden the world's filled with Mazda 5s. Of course, they were always there, I just wasn't noticing them. Our sense are able to process only a narrow band of information that represents the visible and audible spectrum. This tiny opening we call "reality". It's a good think that there's a system filtering out information that apparently we don't need so that we are not overwhelmed. The Reticular Activation System (RAS) is a filter of the brain. The RAS receives a multitude of information. Everything you see, smell, touch, and hear, goes through the RAS and the RAS decodes which pieces of information gets filtered out and which catches your attention; just as the frog's eyes can't or won't see food that isn't moving. Even our center for higher thinking, cognition and thought (the cerebrum) is useless unless the RAS allows the information to pass through. Our eyes are not our windows to the world; our mind is. I don't just think it's possible, I know it is. Here's an experiment. Give it a try! Think about hats today. Let your RAS show you all the hats out there you've been missing. See what happens. So, if our (and our frog friends) eyes are not our windows to the world and reality; if the Reticular Activating System is a filter to our reality, and if our mind is the window to the world and the reality we perceive, it would seem to me that an emphasis be put towards making sure our minds are healthy, sober, and clear. That we put effort to purge confusion, illusion, and delusion. Because if our minds are inflicted with delusion, our entire perceived reality will be delusional. How do we combat this delusion? How do we help the frog become aware of the still and silent food all around it? We naturally notice things that interest us and are important to us. The RAS will pas through information even if it is remotely associated with what we hold as value. As a person acts, so he becomes in life. Those who do good become good; those who do harm become bad. Good deeds make one pure; bad deeds make one impure. We are said to be what our desire is. As our desire is, so is our will. As our will is, so are our acts. As we act, so we become. - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad What is a priority to us literally shapes our perceived world. It literally becomes our reality. We must avoid allowing (willingly or not) confusion, denial, and delusion into our lives and minds. Beliefs are fine to have so long as we acknowledge them as such. When we mistaken our beliefs as facts we enter into delusion.

I was going to post this as a reply but thought I'd post as a new topic.: Awareness & Seeing

What is the purpose behind Martial Arts? Yes, many people will give various answers suited to their person wants and needs. I'm not talking about that. Yes, there are benefits and 'perks' associated with taking a Martial Art. Conditioning, cardio, physical and mental health, self-defence, and many more. But these are bonuses, or byproducts, not the actual purpose underlying the Martial Art itself. I don't believe the purpose is the create fighters. I believe the purpose is to create a better (moral) person. In fact, I would seriously question a Martial Art whose purpose is to create fighters. Yes, there is definitely a combat aspect within most (all?) Martial Arts, but I'm not convinced this is the purpose behind it. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has focused near exclusively on the combat aspect of Martial Arts, I fear, at the detriment of Martial Arts' spirit, because, ultimately, when a student is trained in MMA, what is being created is a fighter. The spiritual aspect, the growth and betterment of the individual and the world is forgotten or forsaken. How does a MMA fighter stand for freedom and justice and how do they build a more peaceful world? Maybe the focus shouldn't be on MMA specifically. I'd be painting with a broad brush to make this statement. Maybe I should focus on the industry of MMA (The UFC makes for a good example). I should include its fighters, coaches, teachers, promoters, and especially its fans, collectively. I'm not convinced it's a sporting event. Granted there are numerous opinions as to what constitutes a sport. Competition, a sense of sportsmanship, a learned and trained skill set, as well as a degree of athleticism are how I would define a Sport. (ie, darts, chess, and golf are not sports by this definition). Martial Arts would definitely fall within this definition of “Sport”. But, contrary to popular opinion, I'm not sure MMA (or the UFC) does. Where is the sportsmanship of continuing to strike an opponent once they are down, fallen, or even unconscious? A great example (warning: graphic video). The question should be asked, was Miesha Tate at fault for not tapping out? Was Ronda Rousey at fault for going through with the arm bar to its conclusion? Was her training at fault for teaching her to continue this in the name of “sportsmanship”? Or was the industry (fans included) at fault to creating this gladiator type entertainment? We need to take a far step back and ask the question: What is the purpose and spirit behind Martial Arts? General Choi states in his <i>Jungshin Sooyang, “This moral culture is uniquely tied in with Taekwon-Do, not only for the eventual attainment of the highest goals in Taekwon-Do and the promotion of power, technique, and self-confidence, but also for the cultivation of character.”, </i>and as reflected in the oaths of Taekwon-do, especially the final two, </div> <i>“I shall stand for freedom and justice”</i>, and <i>“I shall build a more peaceful world”.</i> It forces me to ask the question, what is the Spirit of a Martial Art?

Ohhhh...! I see. Yes. You're absolutely right. There ARE restrictions. When I said 'all out' I meant with traditional punches, strikes, and kicks. No self-defense, choking, etc. (Well, choking yes in BJJ or MMA, but NOT TKD). There's also NO holding (or catching an opponent's kicks/punches/etc). Sorry. My bad. I wasn't following what you meant. ....holy mother of god...

Yeah, I know. In the various tournaments I entered over the years (NOT full contact - 50%) I've suffered a cracked nose, hyper-extended thumb, 2 cracked ribs, probably a half dozen bruised ribs, and two broken toes. (Not to mention pulling muscles, tendons, etc., etc.) I've had some fellow students 'want' to go 'full out', just to see. I've always told them no. That's the kind of stuff I reserve to someone breaking into my house, threatening my family, (real) hostile situations, etc.

I've had times when a MMA class was going on next to our class. On occasion they were odd numbers. There was a few times I had to spar with a 300 lbs. MMA (ex-football player). It was a hoot! Although he couldn't hit me, there was little I could do to him. The only way I could delivery a hit hard enough to catch his attention was some sort of spinning kick, spinning back-hand strike, etc. And even then...!! He'd just absorb it. Ouch!

Seriously? It is exactly as it's called. Full contact. Not 50% power, but 100% power. (MMA basically, or Pro-Taekwon-do). Although there is a points-system, Knock-outs and TKO's are in and sure-fire ways to win. With Traditional TKD tournament rules, there is only 50% power, where a knock-out, TKO, or even drawing blood is an instant disqualification. It is absolutely a point-based system. (Skill and technique count. Brute strength, not so much). The ref. is in a position where, should he feel the need, penalties can be called for excessive force. ~~ Next important question: What is 100% power? Power is not how strong you are. I would argue that "power" is composed of 5 elements. Only together to they form one's "power" physical strength accuracy. technique speed belief. I don't believe any one of these elements are more important than any other. If I was forced to pick one, it would have to be the last one: belief.

We tend to thing of the more violent or action based Martial Arts. What about T'ai Chi (yes, yes, I know. It also has a move violent self-defense/combat aspects of it too) and Qigong? Overall, I am still not convinced Martial Arts were originally created for war exclusively.

Yes, you are bang on correct. I hold a black belt in Taekwon-do and have competed (judged and refereed) tournaments. You don't see those super-awesome choreographed moves. "Live" sparring simply doesn't work like that. Another interesting point many people miss (like some of these movie sample videos). Every try fighting/sparring for 4-5 minutes? Most people won't/can't last. It's exhausting.

Do you know why we practice board-breaking in Martial Arts? Because only (approx.) 50% power is to be used in sparring. To know and to practice 100% power is board-breaking. Not on a fellow human-being.

You couldn't be more right. Interestingly, the belt colours in Taekwon-do all have meaning. White is innocence. Yellow is the fertile earth from which a plant sprouts and take root. Green signifies the plant's growth and its reaching towards the sky. Blue signifies the heavens and sky towards which the plant matures into a towering tree. Red is the colour of the plant's first fruits. Red indicates danger. The student has sufficient skills to inflict injury to an opponent so must exercise caution and control. The red also acts as a warning to opponents. The Black belt is the exact opposite of white. The black colour represents the student's ability to overcome Fear and triumph over Darkness. What is interesting is the colour Red as a warning. Primarily a warning to oneself. (This goes hand-in-hand with the tenet of Guk Gi (Self-Control)).

You're right. And that's my point. A warrior and a Martial Artist aren't the same thing. (Just as a Technical Brawler and a Martial Artist aren't the same thing).

My Master (7th Dan Black Belt in Traditional Taekwon-do, Certified Muay Thai Professional Trainer-Kru, Brown Belt in Brazilian Jujitsu, MMA Instructor, and original student under Choi Hong Hi – founder of Traditional TKD, and one of the few legitimate Martial Arts Masters) makes a sharp distinction. He will unapologeticly say before a group of mixed students that a MMA fighter is a Technical Brawler (his choice of words), while a Taekwon-do student is a Martial Artist. Nomenclature. My profession background is in the Print Media. I have been in the industry for 27 years and I see this distinction of tech. and art play out well. Digital Print is a science. CTP plate making is a science. Offset Printing is a craft. The differences? A craft (and thus a craftsman) is a combination of science and art. I think this is a good distinction to carry over into this conversation regarding the Martial Arts. Art is something that does not lend itself well to being analyzed or studied by a scientific model or mindset. An art is something else. We might even argue spiritual. Many scholars believe that the martial arts practised in eastern Asian have been influenced by the teachings of the Buddha, with notions of enlightenment and spirituality intricately woven into the very fabric of the martial arts themselves. It would be extremely difficult to say that the Buddha teachings promoted war-like (martial) actions. Yes, you're right, “Martial” means or relates to military or combat, or most specifically, war. The term, or name Martial Arts” is a Western (English) one; sort of a catch-all category that “we've” created. Since we've created it, we define it by our understanding or misunderstanding of it. Although “Martial Arts” has become associated with the various fighting styles of eastern Asia it was originally used in the early 1550's in relation to combat systems on Europe, often specifically to the “Science and Art” of swordplay. So, ultimately, the term “Martial Arts” is a misnomer. If we go back in history to various times and locations when and where these various “Martial Arts” find their origins, we will not find the term “Martial Art”. What we most often find is various forms of the term “-do”. It means the way of, in the same context as the Tao means the way. These Martial Arts are not a learned and acquired skill set as we Westerners understand it, but way of life. Granted, we may very well have bastardized it and dissected it into its various components and forced it into what it might be today. But that is our subjective wants picking and choosing.

I can clearly remember the day! No, the moment. It must have been decades ago. I was sitting in my friends' backyard having a beer on a beautiful summer afternoon. Their backdoor exited into a block concrete "patio". Patio's not really what it was. It was big enough to have a BBQ, but that's it. It had painted black metal railings and concrete steps that led down to their grassy backyard - where I was sitting. Two garden homes shared this concrete stepped exit. As I sat and sipped my beer I watched their neighbour's young son playing and climbing on the patio/steps. He wore only a diaper. He hung his legs over the concrete edge, in an attempt to climb off the ledge rather than use the steps, but his legs weren't long enough to reach the ground. Totally disconnected from the scene - and apparently indifferent - I simply watched. I knew what was coming. The weight of the boy's legs would drag him over the edge, he would painfully scrape his soft belly on the rough concrete edge, and he would cry. I sat - detached - and watched my prediction play out like a premonition. I didn't intervene. I simply observed. There was a great sense of calm in me... which was peculiar. I remember that moment so well because it was that incident that convinced me, all those years ago, that I lacked compassion. But the part that never made sense to me was my profound sense of calm and being at peace. It has only been very recently, in this past year, when I 'reconnected' to this memory. I recognized the person in the memory, where I don't think I have ever recognized that person before. Maybe because I've only recently been introduced to this person through my practice of meditation. The Watcher. That aspect of me that is simply aware. That part of me that watches. In meditation he (it?) is that which observers the thoughts. He is always calm and serene. Although I could never have recognized him all those years ago, I believe that is who he was. On that day, I had a lucid (traditionally non-meditative) moment. ~ This is important because that same moment was when I had judged and condemned myself as lacking compassion. It had shaped my perspective of myself every since. It's odd how a condemnation like this can steal your permission to grow, isn't it? I'm not convinced that I lack compassion. Sure, I can work on my compassion more, and I have my moments when I can be insensitive and self-serving... but we all have these dark moments. Had The Watcher not been 'dominant' and 'in control', I've no doubt I would have lunged forward and caught the child. I suppose the lesson here is that we must be compassionate and forgiving to ourselves at times. This may seem like an unimportant or petty story, but its ramifications to me are significant. I believe compassion and solace are intrinsically entangled through dharma. (The Dharma Entanglement)... and if I allow myself to believe I am devoid and hopeless in one of these 'traits'... only serves as a barrier and an obstacle.

Our dreaming mind has access to certain imaginative abilities not fully realized by our waking minds. It can 'take' us places as seemingly real and memorable as our actual experiences. Recently, while in a deep state of meditation, I had tapped into this ability. To my back was a smooth sandstone cliff. It passed onto my left and angled away around a point. There was no rubble or scree, and at the base of the cliff the red stone turned into a shallowly submerged floor of wave-rippled sandstone. It was ocean water and salty. When I slipped into the shallow water it was as deep as my chest and warmed by the noon hour sun. The only waves on the surface was caused by myself. The water was otherwise smooth and still. I could see, further out (200-300 feet?) some sort of nature stone breaker and could faintly hear the ocean lapping against it. I suppose it was where the sandstone floor abruptly rose and dropped off into the ocean. I'm not sure. I didn't give it much thought. I was more focused on the feel of the rippled sandstone floor on my bare feet and the colour of the clear water over the red stone. Slightly greenish it was - or maybe it wan an optical illusion. It was comfortable and unbelievably refreshing. I was calm and at peace. I also know that, not only did I create this location, but that I was in complete control of it. I didn't 'happen upon it' and gain control - I chose it. But real?! When I looked at the sun I would squint. I could feel the water, its temperature; I could smell its freshness and warmth; I could feel the air and breeze; the goosebumps across my bare shoulders and upper back when I came too far out of the water. It was all real yet totally within my imagination. I was not asleep. It was early morning, about 6:30 am, and still dark out. It was cold that morning. Somewhere around -30 degrees © with the windchill... and I was on the bus, going to work, meditating. I chose when I left the large sandstone tide-pool. I was awake on the bus, deep in mediation, and acutely aware. ~ We are not our memories. We can't be our experiences. Because we remember and experience our dreams. I was never at that tranquil tide-pool; but I have the experience and memory of it.

Absolutely! This is the kind of feedback I'm looking for!

Recently (since Sept. 2013) there has been quite a few changes and restructuring at my work. I have taken on quite a bit more work and a much more progressive and active roll in the company's new restructuring. I have been met with quite a bit of animosity from some co-workers. Some I can understand. Two individuals were laid-off and I had absorbed their rolls. I can understand their resentment. It doesn't make it any easier, but at least I can understand it. But I have been met with animosity and even to some degree hostility by certain others. The way I see it is that in this new direction there is only 3 directions one can actively follow: 1) Embrace the changes. Step up to plate. 2) Status Quo. Continue doing your same job and nothing more or nothing new. (Let's see where that goes...), or 3) Resist change. Become an obstacle. Actively or passively sabotage. Those who have been 'difficult' belong to the 2nd or 3rd mindset. But still, that nevertheless didn't sit well with me. (I'm not the only one who has absorbed new rolls or belongs to the 1st 'position'). I've struggled with the desire to do something about these individuals, but it has always struck me as wrong and out of place. Recently I stumbled across an old book I read by the Taoist Master Ni, and it was there that I coincidentally found his wisdom and an answer to this mystery. At work - whether I am assessed or judged - ultimately I can only be judged by my work, my work ethic, and my workmanship. These things are a mirror. What these people hate isn't the mirror. They hate and fear the reflection they see within it. There is no need to coerce (take action). I don't know if that makes any sense to any of you, but it helped me out greatly. It was the answer and wisdom I was looking for.

)

...mu...

Through my continuing practice of meditation - really, it's more my practice of mindfulness - I've come to see that - my mind wants to worry - (I know there are a number of implications to this statement. It sounds as if my mind has a will of its own! I also wonder if this could be some sort of variation of the monkey mind?) No sooner than I get over one worry or it resolves itself, I find another. There's no reprieve. I've got to resolve this. ~ ~ ~ "The highest form of goodness is like water" Tao Teh Ching, Verse 8 ~ ~ ~ I think the answer is to Meet my worry mind like water ...but what is water like? "Water is fluid, soft and yielding... Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness - Lao Tzu It can find itself into the smallest nooks and crannies; it deeply penetrates something; contracting and expanding; irreparably breaking it open. "Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence" - Ovid Water benefits, it doesn't compete. It pools in the lowest places, and like hope, can always be found in the seemingly lowliest, darkest, and loneliest of times. So... what does it mean to meet my worrying mind like water? ~ ~ ~ Meditation is like water. It slowly penetrates and seeps into the road. It ever so slowly, persistently, freezes and thaws; contracts and expands, until the road is littered with potholes, exposed and broken. So too does meditation do this to the hidden and inner workings of the mind. It may not be a quick process, but it's an unstoppable one. Patience. Persistence. I only hope my patience and persistence continues.