Enlightenment

[datguy]

Many martial arts put an emphasis on becoming enlightened and at peace with one's self and the world. How is this possible and how long does it take? So long as there are conflicts, how can one be at peace with anything? Sometimes it seems as though there just isn't enough down time to empty your mind. Which brings up another question: How can one meditate?

I know how but how can you empty your mind of everything? I just find it impossible to stop thinking about outside things.

[MasterPain]

Musashi said that the Way of the gods and Buddhas is good, but it is not the Way of the warrior. He also said that the way of the warrior is to cut the enemy down.

So, maybe the Way of the Buddhas is a little less psychotic than the Way of the Warrior. Enlightenment consists of giving up greed and living with compassion for all beings. Other schools of thought hold greed to be less of an evil and more of a driving force for accomplishment. One could counter that compassion should drive one to do well in order to better be able to serve others. Confucious, who was kind of an elitist, would tell you to know your role. Bill and Ted, great philosophers of my time, would say to be excellent to each other.

Try to be a decent person and you will be more enlightened than most people.

The empty mind concept, as it applies to martial arts, is all about practice. Train until fighting is as natural as walking and you have Mushin.

[JiuJitsuNation]

MasterPain if there was a like button I would CLICK!

[datguy]

^^^ Agreed! ^^^

[tallgeese]

MP, how far you have come...You might be the next great martial philosopher or our time. Nicely put.

[Jeffrey]

Musashi said that the Way of the gods and Buddhas is good, but it is not the Way of the warrior. He also said that the way of the warrior is to cut the enemy down.

So, maybe the Way of the Buddhas is a little less psychotic than the Way of the Warrior. Enlightenment consists of giving up greed and living with compassion for all beings. Other schools of thought hold greed to be less of an evil and more of a driving force for accomplishment. One could counter that compassion should drive one to do well in order to better be able to serve others. Confucious, who was kind of an elitist, would tell you to know your role. Bill and Ted, great philosophers of my time, would say to be excellent to each other.

Try to be a decent person and you will be more enlightened than most people.

The empty mind concept, as it applies to martial arts, is all about practice. Train until fighting is as natural as walking and you have Mushin.

I'll buy your book when it is done.

[JusticeZero]

If it was easy, you would not need to practice.

Roll three dice and total them up, you'll have some number around elevenish, but it will vary. That is your number for this session. The first month or so, just use the number ten.

Sit quietly without moving. Count each breath. Here's the hard part; when you get to your number, start over at one again. If you even think you might have lost count, if you find yourself having to recreate where you were - 'What was I on, wasn't it four?' or find yourself wandering into the teens, start over.

When you can do that for thirty minutes without having to start over, you will have made a substantial amount of progress.

As far as harmony, try taking some time to see things from everyone's perspective. There's a mental thing that happens to people who meditate a lot in focused way, apparently, where the mind briefly stops recognizing the self as distinct from the things around you during a meditative session, and many find the experience to be life-changing. That said, just trying to get past the ego by stopping to think of how things are being experienced from different perspectives goes a long way.

[MasterPain]

As far as harmony, try taking some time to see things from everyone's perspective. There's a mental thing that happens to people who meditate a lot in focused way, apparently, where the mind briefly stops recognizing the self as distinct from the things around you during a meditative session, and many find the experience to be life-changing. That said, just trying to get past the ego by stopping to think of how things are being experienced from different perspectives goes a long way.

There is value here.

[Tzu-Logic]

To reach enlightenment is to reach a state when you are no longer aware of yourself as a separate ego identity. This is actually something very difficult for me to put into words... Let me borrow a quote:

The state we call realization is simply being oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has realized, he is that which alone is, and which alone has always been. He cannot describe that state. He can only be That. Of course, we loosely talk of Self-realization for want of a better term.

That which is, is peace. All that we need do is to keep quiet. Peace is our real nature. We spoil it. What is required is that we cease to spoil it.

-Sri Ramana Maharshi

[sensei8]

Musashi said that the Way of the gods and Buddhas is good, but it is not the Way of the warrior. He also said that the way of the warrior is to cut the enemy down.

So, maybe the Way of the Buddhas is a little less psychotic than the Way of the Warrior. Enlightenment consists of giving up greed and living with compassion for all beings. Other schools of thought hold greed to be less of an evil and more of a driving force for accomplishment. One could counter that compassion should drive one to do well in order to better be able to serve others. Confucious, who was kind of an elitist, would tell you to know your role. Bill and Ted, great philosophers of my time, would say to be excellent to each other.

Try to be a decent person and you will be more enlightened than most people.

The empty mind concept, as it applies to martial arts, is all about practice. Train until fighting is as natural as walking and you have Mushin.

Solid post!!