Standing Up When Things are Falling Down
Standing up when things are falling down
The Bushido Code of the Samurai
Is the ancient stuff worth it?
There seems to be debate about how to value past teachings.
On the one hand is the position that the past is the past, that the issues facing us today are so complex and overwhelming that only a new set of solutions, a new wisdom can solve them — a wisdom commonly believed to be based in technology.
On the other hand, there is the position that the human condition has been analyzed for a very long time, and that the troubles facing us today are deeply rooted in our on-going inability to overcome things like short-sightedness, division and greed.
In this context, why not look at the samurai, who existed up until only a hundred or so years ago, and whose very ability to survive was based on how well he was able to face death. Which seems to be very relevant to death-by-global warming and the on-going threat of nuclear obliteration, both threats putting us in existential crisis. To say nothing of the class warfare struggle we are overwhelmingly losing.
The samurai, as shown in this brief insight, was just as deliberate about the small things as the large. He knew that to defeat the enemy — regardless of its size or strength — he had to first defeat the enemy within.
Compare these three questions to the Samurai’s life
What do we stand for?
Is the value of our lives confined to taking care of a family, or reporting each day for a job, or making the sure the house stays clean?
Is the greatest we can be measured simply by our success, power or wealth?
How did the Samurai measure his life?
1. He focused on the small. If we start thinking small things don’t matter, that they can simply be fluffed over by busy-ness, then we will never learn the calmness of the Samurai. Even in a meal, balance and consideration were mindfully included.
“When one is serving food, it will not do to serve one’s self more than the guest. Nor should one, with the above in mind, serve small portions. He should serve the proper amount.” [1]
2. He looked ahead. To only care about now and what’s in it for me today is to be ill-prepared for the adversities to come.
“If one treats men roughly in this existence, he will be roughly treated by them in the next, for karma is never-ending in all things.” [1]
3. He was neither superior nor unworthy. The samurai sought to seek a balance in his actions, words and even dress. He learned to accept himself, regardless of the consequences, confident in the truth.
“Concerning matters of dress, no matter by whom one is being seen he should not appear shabbily, and even if he is mixing with the lower classes he should dress to a moderate extent. When often in the midst of humble people, one should not repeatedly dress splendidly. A person with sensitivity will be prudent in this matter.” [1]
4. He valued a deeper, more profound self reliance. There is a deeper part of ourselves, a place that is beyond what we might normally call ‘self confidence.’ It’s a place of utter calmness, and the Samurai knew that if his mind was not in this place, he’d likely be defeated and killed
“If you place yourself before your opponent, your mind will be taken by him. You should not place your mind within yourself. Bracing the mind in the body is something done only at the inception of training, when one is a beginner.” [2]
5. He learned to empty his mind. A clear mind can see clearly. If you have too many thoughts, you can’t think. How can you think clearly if you don’t even know if your mind is clear?
“Although you see the sword that moves to strike you, if your mind is not detained by it and you meet the rhythm of the advancing sword, if you do not think of striking your opponent and no thoughts or judgments remain, if the instant you see the swinging sword your mind is not the least bit detained and you move straight in and wrench the sword away from him, the sword that was going to cut you down will become your own, and, contrarily, will be the sword that cuts down your opponent.” [2]
Martial arts and the monastic way
For much of its history, martial arts were associated with monasteries. The idea that monks are only about being all love and light is nonsense. Yet, at the same time, many monasteries throughout history were focused on anything but martial arts.
My personal interpretation of all of this is that monasteries know a thing or two about war and battle. Whether that’s because they included martial arts in their curriculums, or because they found themselves in wars of social justice or good versus evil, monasteries understand warfare.
Our monastery’s primary project has a single-minded objective: to find a way to put into words a practical and universally effective how-to guide for deeper conscious awareness and experiences. Something so universal, and so plainly laid out, that anyone could read it, comprehend it and do it.
We believe that the way to overcome the tyranny of greed and divisiveness is to help all of us — including ourselves — develop higher perspectives, to become more deeply aware and conscious of the more fundamental nature of life, and more engaged in the attributes of consideration, compassion and responsibility.
[1] Translated by William Scott Wilson. IDEALS OF THE SAMURAI: Writings of Japanese Warriors (p. 39). Black Belt Books. Kindle Edition.
[2] Soho, Takuan. The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman (pp. 4–5). Shambhala Publications. Kindle Edition.