Buddhism and happiness are complementary to each other. There is a lot to be learnt about happiness from Buddhist philosophies. . Buddha taught that happiness is one of the seven factors of Enlightenment. . Life Involves Suffering – Accept It. . According to Buddhist philosophy, acceptance to the truth of Life involving suffering is crucial…
Tag: Meditation
Martial arts and Mathematics…. Connected art forms.
“A student well versed in even one technique will naturally see corresponding points in other techniques. A upper level punch, a lower punch, a front punch and a reverse punch are all essentially the same. Looking over thirty-odd kata, he should be able to see that they are essentially variations on just a handful.” –…
People don’t realize that now is all there ever is.
You don’t have to “bring“ yourself into the present moment, because you are already there. What is required is to become still. And you don’t have to sit down in some difficult yoga position to be still. You don’t have to repeatedly recite a chant to be still. All you need to do are three…
“Eyes that look are common; eyes that see are rare.”
If you have seen The Karate Kid movie, you will undoubtedly remember the wise old karate master, Mr. Miyagi, telling his student Daniel-san to; “Look eye! Always look eye”. . Well, not necessarily. At least not in the martial arts. . In fact, in Japanese culture, excessive eye contact is considered rude. And being rude…
What is Zen Buddhism?
What is Zen Buddhism? . Trying to explain or define Zen Buddhism, by reducing it to an article, to a post on a website is almost impossible, it weakens its meaning. . Defining Zen (禅) is like trying to describe the taste of honey to someone who has never tasted it before. You can try…
Mushin no shin
The word ‘mushin’ is comprised of two kanji characters: 無 (mu), meaning ‘nothingness’, and 心 (shin), meaning ‘heart’, ‘spirit’, or, in this case, ‘mind’. In this way, mushin can be roughly translated to ‘nothing mind’ or ‘no mind’. It comes from a longer phrase used in Zen Buddhism, ‘無心の心’ (mushin no shin), or ‘mind of…
‘Soji’ (掃除) ‘Cleaning’ the Dojo
In Japan, cleaning is called ‘Soji’ (掃除) and apart from obviously ‘cleaning’ it is valued as a way to cultivate our minds. In fact, ‘Soji ‘is beyond mere cleaning. Buddhist monks when attending a monastery or shrine, put a great deal of time into practicing ‘Soji’. A monk’s day begins with cleaning, and cleanliness and…
Criticism for the sake of criticism does nothing.
Criticism for the sake of criticism does nothing. . Criticism has become a common tendency in present times. Once someone writes about their feelings or observations in the martial arts, they have to confront criticism. Although their writings are reflections of the martial arts in general, there are still critics to highlight the positive and…
The journey is the destination.
Is there a decline in what it means to be a ‘Martial Artist’, rather than just train in the martial arts? . Traditional philosophies in the martial arts have been watered down, and have become difficult to practice due to changes in society. . We don’t the have the time, the attitudes, the common interest,…
“If you want to make friends, you have no time to make enemies.”
Cooperation and sharing are basic life skills that enable us to make friends, work successfully in groups, and get along well with others. . “If you want to make friends, you have no time to make enemies.” – Seikichi Iha 10th Dan Shorin Ryu Shidokan; above quote from an interview with the Lansing City…
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.”
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain . So much of what you will accomplish in life is influenced by the people you surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with…
Judging a person does not define who they are, it defines who you are.
Zen Buddhism teaches a concept of “Shoshin“ (Beginner’s Mind), as a positive attribute that refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions, just as a beginner would. Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki said, in his book Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice; “In the Beginner’s Mind there…