Tag Archives: Mushin

SANCHIN KATA & THE JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY (Cha-No-Yu)

4 Feb
While the within article addresses a specific attribute unique to the Sanchin Kata of Okinawa Karate-Do, I believe it would benefit any reader who seeks inspiration in the daily struggle to endure the difficulties that life puts in our path. By so enduring these difficulties one will ultimately find the wondrous beauty that unfolds along the path of life’s journey.

For my Karate-Do readership, I submit that the exact methodology of Sanchin Kata that one practices is immaterial when compared to the importance of the attributes to be learned and encountered through the Kata. Thus, while I learned the Sanchin Kata contained in the Mokuroku No Kata (Catalogue of Kata) of Goshin-Do Karate-Do as taught by Shihan Thomas DeFelice (Ku-Dan, Menkyo Kaiden) the attributes apply equally to the Sanchin methodology of traditional Goju-Ryu, Uechi-Ryu, Isshin-Ryu, Pang-noon Gai Ryu and the other traditional Karate-Do styles. It is my contention that no methodology of Sanchin is superior or inferior to the other. The importance of the Sanchin Kata is the presence of unique attributes to be obtained through regular practice and performance of the Kata and, most importantly, the pure heart of the performer. Within the context of traditional Okinawa Karate-Do one attribute of the Sanchin Kata is that it, inter alia, conditions one physically and mentally to endure pain so as to (when necessary) be able to inflict pain in the course of defending oneself. The ability of Sanchin Kata to allow one to endure physical, spiritual, and I submit, metaphysical, attack, pain or discomfort is exemplified in a poem concerning the water ladle utilized in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony (Cha-No-Yu).

 This poem is by an anonymous author. The water ladle is emblematic of the physical hardships one is capable of enduring through regular practice of the Sanchin Kata and the state of mind called “Mushin“. It is as follows:

The dipper that passes to and fro between

The hells of heat and cold

Has no mind of its own and

Suffers not at all.

I hope the poem inspires all to endure what they feel they cannot. It is said “To bear what one perceives one cannot bear is really to bear.” In this spirit, endure the hardships of life, for in so enduring, the beauty of this wonderful existence will reveal itself. Walk with certainty on your life’s path and perform the Sanchin Kata at least daily with a sincere and pure heart.

In developing my ideology & methodology of Jiriki Kata-Do (The Way of (attaining) Inner Salvation Through Kata), I have evolved this attribute of being able to endure pain (physically, emotionally & mentally). The evolutionary result is a new contextual paradigm for Sanchin Kata and other unique Kata of Okinawa Karate-Do. This paradigm is designed to enhance the human condition not only physically and spiritually but also within the metaphysical component of interconnectivity with the universe’s physical environment and consciousness.

 

Sanchin Kata on the Lower Salt River, Tonto National Forest, Arizona

Here is a link for a promotional video about my Sanchin Kata & Jiriki Kata-Do DVD filmed in the Tonto National Forest. Arizona. Please see the “SANCHIN DVD & BOOK” page tab above for information on how to purchase the DVD.

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-pC-tPUrYE

For now, I remain sincerely yours in the quest of Sanchin and Jiriki Kata-Do,

HANKO-master

Sensei John Szmitkowski

I have recently obtained the above beautiful digital Hanko seal. It will be used to formalize and seal all future submissions on this Blogsite, my website and all future e-mails. Anyone interested in either a traditional or digital Hanko seal should visit WWW.TheJapaneseConnection.Com. Mr. Ben Falge is a true master of his craft.

I first read the poem referenced in this article in the following book: Furuya, Kensho, Kodo: Ancient Ways (Lessons In The Spiritual Life Of The Warrior/Martial Artist (O’Hara Publications, Inc., 1996) p. 155. I highly recommend this book to any martial artist. Furuya Sensei’s insights are truly thought provoking. Though I did not know him personally, I was recently saddened to learn that Furuya Sensei passed away on March 6, 2007 while teaching a class at his Aikido Ceneter located in Los Angelas, California.

For more information on my ideology and methodology of Jiriki Kata-Do, please review the articles herein filed in the category “Kata as enlightened meditation“. For those interested in the state of mind of Mushin, you may wish to view my four part article on Mushin by clicking on the category “Martial Ideology Applied To Daily Life” and opening the Mushin series of articles.

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Mushin Applied To Daily Life-Part 4 (final): Mushin As A Sacrament Of Spirituality

11 Jan

*** NOTE: For parts one through three of the series on the Mushin state of mind, please see the bottom of this page and click on the category: “Martial ideology extended to daily life” & then click on the icon “Previous Entries“ at the bottom of the page***

Part 4 (Final installment): Mushin as a sacrament of earthly spirituality. 

This installment of the series on the Mushin state of mind is one that tends to raise the most eyebrows. Perhaps because of its connotations as to certain effects that are deemed the province of religion, I do not know. In any event, I would call to the reader’s attention, the following observation of Dr. Beverly Rubik as quoted in Kaku, Michio, Physics of The Impossible (Anchor Books, NY, NY 2008) p. 179.

“You can recognize a pioneer by the arrows in his back”.

With that said,

Through the Mushin state of mind a new frontier of earthly spirituality is encountered. In the self-imposed chaos of modern living, spirituality is often engaged in superficially, suppressed or even ignored. Historically, the human required four fundamental needs to be satisfied so as to survive and prosper. Those fundamental needs are water, food, clothing and shelter. Once early man evolved from a hunter-gatherer and farmed the land he lived on and raised livestock for sustenance, he began to assume his fundamental needs were, to some extent, always to be satisfied. Early man then began to look to the skies and nature as enveloping a spiritual world within which he resided. To ancient man, spirituality existed in all things.

In today’s modern world, for the vast majority of humans, this spirituality is at best superficial and at worst, ignored completely. Unlike our prehistoric ancestors, modern humans no longer seek out the spiritual aspects of the world in which they reside. I submit, that the modern human has entered into a hedonistic paradigm wherein the fulfillment of the fundamental needs is insufficient and has evolved to a state of existence wherein the fundamental needs are glorified and augmented to perverse levels. Modern man is no longer satisfied to have a shelter. Humans now seek to have mansion, often built on exclusive parcels of the environment. The human claims exclusive ownership of the environment over and above the ownership rights of all other humans, the Earth, and even the universe itself. The idea of a fundamental need for food has evolved from being satisfied with a bowl of grain, fruits, vegetables and a source of protein to a perverted and obscene example of consumption, gluttony and wanton waste. One need only look to the headlines and the vast array of television shows to see examples of a thirty dollar hamburger made from rare beef and a one thousand dollar ice cream sundae offered in the city of New York which boasts gold leaf as an ingredient. To be sure, the human needs exit this perverse paradigm and return to earthly spirituality.

That return to spirituality is nurtured in many ways, including by way of the Kata, rites dynamic mediation and the Mushin state of mind. The Mushin state of mind gives one the ability to acknowledge, understand and synchronize with spiritual matters that exist within our lives. Though, it does not necessarily convey the ideology of spirituality, one may look to religion as a means of appreciating the Mushin state of mind. For the vast majority of humans, religion is the sole mechanism by which they experience spirituality and the wonders of the universal cosmos. Humans tend to participate in and accept much religious dogma on a superficial level. This is terribly unfortunate. Further, it is not necessarily due to the fault of the religious or spiritual leader. Rather, the fault lays entirely within the religious devotee and can be remedied by an understanding of Mushin.

Most religions contain a story of creation that seeks to explain how the physical world came into being. The creation story contains an acknowledgement by the Divine Creator. The name of the Divine Creator, whether is God, Allah, Judah, Zeus, or any other human derived name is immaterial. Such a name is the human’s arrogant attempt to provide a human name to such a Divine Attribute. At some point in the story of creation, the Divine Creator pauses to view the creation, and, being generally satisfied rests. This day of rest often evolved into the day of the Sabbath for the Creator‘s future followers. Now, at this point in the story of creation, there is a need to appreciate the Mushin state of mind. For many, the day of the Sabbath no longer requires contemplation, introspection and reflection. The Sabbath no longer involves a pilgrimage to the place of worship. Rather, the day of rest has evolved to a day spent quickly raking the leaves from the lawn, laying on the couch with a cold beer and watching the latest football game on television. The mundane human, who is incapable of attaining a state of Mushin, has no understanding of the means by which an omnipresent, omnipotent Divine Creator rested.

Through the mere process of thought, the Divine Creator caused the material world and its inhabitants to spring into being. Clearly, rest for the Supreme creator did not mean a physical rest, but contemplates a type of mental or spiritual rest. By extension, such a mental or spiritual rest translates into a creative rest. This does not mean that the Divine Creator quieted the creative mind so as to no longer perceive that which was created. I submit that if the Divine Creator quieted the creative mind so as to no longer perceive the created world, the repercussion would mean that the created world would no longer exist. If the Supreme Creator was no longer aware of the flowing river, the cycle of the planets and our own feeble, insignificant existence within the universe of creation, all would vanish. Thus, for the Divine Creator to rest, a Mushin-like state of mind would have to have manifested. The Divine Creator would have to perceive and absorb all that exists without focusing a single thought onto any one element created or about to be created. Thus, the Divine Creator could have only rested by maintaining a Mushin state of mind. This is the ultimate expression of Mushin.

Another example may be found within the teachings of the Biblical Jesus. Regardless of whether one believes that Jesus was the Son of God, or whether he was an enlightened Prophet, many religions acknowledge his presence and importance while he lived on the Earth. Jesus had expressed a desire that his peace be known and shared amongst his followers. This expression of peace has been interpreted in a very limited manner to mean “non-violence”. It is unfortunate that this interpretation exists. A good friend of mine is a Roman Catholic priest. He had contracted a very aggressive form of cancer and was forced to relinquish his pastoral duties. Fortunately, with the aid of highly experimental treatment, he not only survived the cancer but was able to return to his pastoral duties. During the first Mass he conducted, he was hit by a spiritual thunderbolt. A part of the Mass calls for the participants to shake hands and extend a wish for peace unto each other. My friend realized, for the first time, that no-one in the Church that Sunday morning understood Jesus’ concept of peace. Many simply shook hands, said the words and thought about leaving the church ahead of the others so as to be the first to get to the local diner for Sunday breakfast. Peace, as Jesus meant the term, is not limited to non-violence. Peace meant total, complete peace from physical suffering, mental turmoil, spiritual assault, and all sorts of human frustrations. Peace in that level of experience is only knowable through the Mushin state of mind where all is perceived, accepted and absorbed as a integral part of the human state of existence.

Through Mushin, humans can, finally, begin to comprehend the feeling of attaining the qualities of a Supreme Being. This process is known as apotheosis. Such an understanding of the omnipresent spirituality attained through the state of Mushin, clearly drives and enhances a truly heightened state of human existence. I submit that Mushin can accurately be called the sacrament of earthly spirituality.

Mushin is the state of mind that serves as a gateway, or portal, to all the other infinite states of perception. It is codified within the various rites of dynamic meditation. The Rite of Sanchin, derived from the Sanchin Kata, is geared towards developing this state of mind and perception known as Mushin. As such, it is the rite which is uniquely designed to bridge one’s ability to transform oneself from the mundane modality of “normal” human existence to the state of being known as “The Plateau of Human Serenity”. This Plateau of Human Serenity is attained only after one has become enlightened to the true and complete teaching of the Sanchin Rite.

An expanded discussion of Mushin may also be found in my new book The Dynamic Meditation Rite Of Sanchin: Gateway To The Three Battles To The Plateau Of Human Serenity. Please see the “Sanchin Book” page on this blogsite. 

You may also find additional information on Jiriki Kata-Do, by reading my article herein dated December 15 , 2009. Entitled “Kata evolves into a methodology and ideology …” Please feel free to visit my website WWW.Dynamic-Meditation.Com

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Mushin Applied To daily Life – Part 3: Practical applications

6 Jan

*** NOTE: For parts one and two of the series on the Mushin state of mind, please see the bottom of this page and click on the category: “Martial ideology extended to daily life” & then click on the icon “Previous Entries“ at the bottom of the page***

Mushin can readily be incorporated into one’s daily routine.

To illustrate this point, let us look at a few practical examples wherein Mushin is applied to daily activity. Examples will be taken from three areas of human endeavor. The first area will be the martial arts from which Mushin was born. The second area will be the business arena and the final area will be the sporting arena.

Perhaps from the earliest stages of human development, a pervasive need to test or challenge oneself against the abilities of another found its way into the human spirit. Within the martial arts, tournaments were arranged so that one martial artist could pit their skills against another. Naturally, such tournaments included avenues of direct challenges such as fighting, or “Kumite” in Karate terms. Additionally, the tournaments included non-direct means of objectively assessing one’s skills. Tournaments included Kata completion whereby various competitors would perform a Kata of their choice which would be judged or graded on technical and aesthetic merit. Much like Olympic-type competition, the competitor with the highest score would be judged superior and win the Kata competition. In order to have a superior performance, a competitor must perform the Kata with a Mushin mindset. One’s Kata would be performed in the presence of three to five judges, who attentively watched the performance. In addition, one would perform a Kata in the presence of a myriad of other spectators such as one‘s family, friends and fellow Dojo members. These acquaintances would be present in the viewing stands and would actively watch one’s performance. Other competitors, depending on their assessment of one’s Kata as a threat to their standing in the ratings would either attentively or passively watch one’s performance. Finally, all the other persons present for the tournament would be inactively watching one’s performance.

As one performed the Kata, one could not simply focus on such performance and ignore the totality of sensory inputs in the tournament environment. To do so would be potentially disastrous. One example comes to mind that would illustrate this point. I was once judging a Kata performance. The performer was so enraptured by the performance that he did not notice a mother and small child walking in close proximity to the area wherein he was performing. As small children are known to do, the child ran away from the mother and entered the performance area. The performer, in his state of Kata-focused rapture did not notice the child and in the course of the performance collided with the child. Clearly, that incident was not good. Had the performer fully understood Mushin, such a disaster would not have occurred. Through the Mushin state of mind one must perceive one’s performance within the context of all other sensory inputs, absorbed into one’s mind so that a specific input is not exaggerated to the exclusion of the others so as to become a distraction. In the above example, the performer should have been cognizant of the little child and adjusted the Kata performance. The performer could have interrupted the performance until the child was safely returned to its mother, and then resumed the performance, or requested to restart the Kata. As a judge, I would have been more impressed with the performer had he done so.

Within the business context, many have dreaded the inevitable, mundane, business meeting. During the meeting, there is usually one leader or moderator. It is natural to focus on the topic of the meeting and the person presenting the topic. To do so; however, violates the spirit of Mushin and may lead to disaster. The speaker or moderator need not necessarily be one’s superior in the chain of command structure. Invariably, the meeting attendees are asked for comments, opinions and input. To provide such reply, without possessing the Mushin mindset during the meeting could prove to be disastrous. If one is focused merely on the speaker and what is being said, one may not notice that one’s immediate manager is frowning or cringing during the speaker’s presentation. One may not notice that the owner of the business is yawning or doodling during the presentation. If one was merely focused on the speaker and gives the opinion that they agree wholeheartedly with the topic presented, one does so at the peril of perhaps offending one’s own manager and looking foolish to the business owner.

Mushin can also be applied to the entire range of sports. One can revisit the above example of the Karate tournament and apply it to any sport. One can imagine the Mushin state of mind as it fosters success in a much needed golf putt on the eighteenth hole, a basketball free throw with one second to go, an “impossible” equestrian jump and an unlimited number of other sporting endeavors. One may also envision Mushin enhancing passive, non-sporting activities. Imagine fly-fishing on a beautiful mountain trout steam and being so focused on the trout fly as it floats on the surface of the water, that one fails to perceive the smell of the clean, pure air, the cool feel of the water against your legs, or fails to see the stray grizzly bear sneaking up for a view.

These are but a few practical examples of how the state of mind of Mushin, as cultivated by the Jiriki Kata-Do Sanchin Rite (evolved from the Sanchin Kata) can enhance, and perhaps even protect one from the “mundane” aspects of one’s daily existence.

In the next and final article of the series on Mushin, I will explore the innovative & perhaps controversial idea of Mushin as a sacrament to spirituality.

For additional information, please feel free to visit my website WWW.Dynamic-Meditation.Com

An expanded discussion of Mushin may also be found in my new book The Dynamic Meditation Rite Of Sanchin: Gateway To The Three Battles To The Plateau Of Human Serenity.

You may also find additional information on Jiriki Kata-Do, by reading my article herein dated December 15 , 2009. Entitled “Kata evolves into a methodology and ideology …”

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Mushin Applied To Daily Life – Part 2: The Myth Of Bodhidharma

27 Dec

*** NOTE: For part one of the series on the Mushin state of mind, please see the bottom of this page and click on the category: “Martial ideology extended to daily life” & then click on the “Previous Entries” on the bottom of the page*** 

Martial arts and Mushin is connected to the journey of a unique figure in history known as Bodhidharma, or Dharma for short. In Sanskrit, “Bodhi” means “enlightened” and “Dharma” means “righteous duty“. Thus, Bodhidharma means “enlightened righteous duty“.

Since Dharma lived before written records, his pedigree and historical account comes to us from oral history, traditional tales and mythology. Based upon this foundation, it is known that Dharma was the son of the Indian King Kancheepuram of Tamil Nadu. Dharma was a Buddhist monk. He traveled to the Far East in and around 522 to 527 A.D. During that time period, Dharma arrived in the court of the Chinese Emperor, Liang Nuti, of the Sixth Dynasty. The Emperor granted him an audience and gave him travel documents to walk to the Kingdom of Wei (now Hunan Province, at the foot of the Han-Shan mountains). Dharma arrived at a Buddhist Monastery called the Temple of Shaolin. Upon arrival at the temple, Dharma is said to have been disappointed with the meditation habits of the monks that resided at the Temple. He found that the monks lacked the physical stamina necessary for prolonged meditation. To overcome the lack of physical stamina, Dharma introduced various physical exercises. These exercises were derived from Dharma’s training in Pranayama and his martial training in the Art of Kalaripayat (and its component art of Marama-Adi, or bare-handed combat). Kalaripayat literally means “(The) Way of the Battlefield” it is the indigenous martial art of India. Kalaripayat is still practiced in Kerala, India today. The martial curriculum of Kalaripayat included formal exercises called “Suvasus“. The Suvasus combined combat techniques, and the breathing of Pranayama with a focused warrior spirit.

There is an interesting myth regarding Dharma that may shed some further light on the Mushin state of mind. Mythology states that Dharma went into a cave located near the Shaolin Temple and sat in meditation for nine years. Dharma is said to have sat in seated meditation for so long that his image was burned into the wall by the sunlight that penetrated the cave. Varying versions of the myth have Dharma entering the cave either to prove his meditative skills to the Shaolin Monks (who were said to have referred to Dharma as “The blue-eyed barbarian”) or as a subjective means of furthering his meditative powers after having been accepted as a Bodhi, or enlightened one, by the Shaolin Monks. There are wild variations of the myth that attempt to account for Dharma’s ability to remain in seated mediation for such a prolonged period. One such variant states that Dharma had tired and fallen asleep during mediation. Dharma became angry with himself and sought to preclude that from happening again. As a preventive measure, Dharma cut off his own eyelids so that his eyes would remain open. The wild myth continues to state that Dharma threw his eyelids to the ground. At the point where Dharma’s eyelids hit the ground, a bush sprouted and grew. The bush subsequently produced a medicinal tea with restorative powers similar to modern metabolic and neurological stimulants.

I submit that Dharma was able to maintain prolonged mediation because he did not engage in traditional mediation as has been submitted in the oral myths. I believe that Dharma neither sought to quiet his mind by thinking of nothing, nor, sought to focus his mind on an object or sutra. Again, the organic brain that gives rise to the higher mind is always in a natural state of activity. To either quiet the mind or focus it utilizes energy so as to maintain the brain, and therefore, the mind, in a unnatural state. Clearly, such expansion of energy would have been counter productive to Dharma’s goal of prolonged meditation. It is my hypothesis that Dharma was able to maintain such prolonged mediation because he enabled the mind to expand and envelope its natural state of perception by maintaining a constant, prolonged state of Mushin. As such, Dharma’s mind was naturally able to perceive, absorb and accept all sensory inputs around him so as to achieve a heightened, relaxed state.

Sufficient practice and development of the Mushin state of mind through the Sanchin Rite, (evolved from the Sanchin Kata of Karate) and the other rites of Jiriki Kata-Do dynamic meditation would seem to lend credence to my theory of how Dharma was able to maintain such prolonged meditation. From my own personal experience, this theory is more plausible and more readily capable of subjective experience than the cutting off of one’s eyelids. Through sufficient practice of Sanchin, one is able to maintain the Mushin state of mind continuously during life. Mushin is no longer, therefore, a state of mind TO BE ENTERED INTO. Dr. Deepak Chopra often talks of having a “default” state of mind. I submit that the state of mind of Mushin is the ultimate default state of mind and perception.

In the next article, I will illustrate how Mushin is applied to daily life. Future submissions will discuss:

1. Examples of how Mushin is incorporated into daily life;

2. Mushin as a sacrament to spirituality.

For additional information, please feel free to visit my website at WWW.Dynamic-Meditation.Com.

An expanded discussion of Mushin may also be found in my new book The Dynamic Meditation Rite Of Sanchin: Gateway To The Three Battles To The Plateau Of Human Serenity.

You may also find additional information on Jiriki Kata-Do, by reading my article herein dated December 15 , 2009. Entitled “Kata evolves into a methodology and ideology …” 

 

 

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The Martial Ideology Of Mushin Extended To Daily Life-Part 1

21 Dec
An integral component of my methodology and ideology of Jiriki Kata-Do (The way of (attaining) inner salvation by Kata) is to incorporate methodologies and ideologies that were previously thought to extend solely to the martial arts to daily life.

The methodology is the physical movement of certain unique Kata. This methodology is designed to improve one’s overall physical health and well being. The ideological component is designed not only to enable one to spiritually function in an environment that contains factors that attack one’s sense of well being, but also to awaken one to our interconnectivity with the physical universe and the universal consciousness. The extension of these ideologies to daily life will be the subject of various continuing articles.

Prior to discussing the manner of ideological extension, a seemingly simple point needs to be addressed. Initially, it must be noted that the ideologies are not meant to develop the “brain”. I use the term brain to identify a specific organ of the human body designed to monitor bodily functions and enable a human to think rationally, interpret sensory inputs and act accordingly. A higher result of the function of the organic brain is the mind or spirit. The mind or spirit is that function of the brain that gives a human a sense of self, and a sense of that self as a component of the physical world in which the human dwells. The mind or spirit also fosters within the human a quest to ascertain the human’s purpose and function within the consciousness of the universe both while existing on this physical plain we call “life“ and on the next plain of existence accurately called “afterlife“. It is the mind or spirit that is cultivated and nurtured through the meditative performance of the rites of Jiriki Kata-Do.

The first martial ideology that should be extended to and incorporated into daily life is Mushin (pronounced “Moo-shin“). Mushin is an abbreviation of the phrase “Mushin No Shin” which refers to a mental state described as “Mind, No-Mind”. Mushin is taken directly from my training in Goshin-Do Karate-Do. Mushin is the omnipresent state of mind in all the dynamic meditation rites, or Kata, of my methodology of Jiriki Kata-Do.

Mushin is a unique state of mind wherein one actively experiences one’s environment with the totality of one’s senses. The sensory inputs are transmitted to the brain. The brain processes these sensory inputs and accordingly transmits reactionary impulses to the body and simultaneously creates a state of mind, or spirit, attendant to the inputs received. Invariably, an undeveloped spirit will focus on what it believes to be the most pervasive of the sensory inputs, to the exclusion of the other sensory inputs, and evolve a mental or spiritual state to meet the situation transmitted via the sensory inputs. This state of mind is characterized as “clouded”.

The Mushin state of spiritual being is “unclouded”. Instead of focusing the mind or spirit onto a specific sensory input to the exclusion of the others, Mushin perceives all inputs from the sensory world and absorbs them totally. Prior to contrary belief, the Mushin perception does not necessarily focus the mind onto one specific sensory or mental inputs to the exclusion of all other sensory or mental inputs. Rather, a specific input is perceived within the context of all other perceptions. Thus, the spirit is uncluttered by a single exaggerated sensory input. The spirit is uncluttered so as to experience and accept all sensory inputs for exactly what they are. In my Karate Dojo, I use the following as a means of describing the mind/no-mind state of perception found in the dynamic meditation rites.

Focus and the leaf and see the tree, Focus on the tree and see the leaf, Perceive all and none.

Again, the point is that no one sensory input, or object thereof, is focused upon to the exclusion of another. All sensory inputs are perceived within the physical, environmental, sociological and ideological context of the others.

Mushin distinguished from traditional forms of meditation:

 Traditional forms of meditation seek to either “quiet” the mind or intensely focus it. One may sit in meditation for prolonged time periods and seek to actively think of nothing in an attempt to quiet the mind. This is not the Mushin state of mind. Mushin and the dynamic meditation rites of Jiriki Kata-Do recognize that the natural state of the organic human being is an active state that tends towards motion. Like all other aspects of the human body, the organic brain naturally tends towards action. This is true of the higher state of mind, which is incubated by the organic brain. To willfully direct the brain, and thus the mind, to a state of inactivity is unnatural and therefore, requires the exertion of one’s energy so as to overcome the mind’s natural tendency. This is inefficient and a waste of one’s mental capacity. Thus, Mushin rejects the unnatural exertion of energy and embraces the natural state of the organic brain, and higher mind, by embracing and enhancing the natural state with an omnipotent heightened sensory perception.

The opposite of the quiet mind is the focused mind. One may sit and meditate so as to focus the mind on a single physical object, such as a candle flame, or on a thought such as a sutra, or on another mechanism, such as a chant. Again, focusing one’s mind expands energy for an unnatural effect. Mushin, as a heightened natural state, does not seek to focus or direct the mind to one specific arena. Rather the mind flows naturally to all.

Mushin allows one to welcome and embrace all sensory inputs so that each input is perceived within the context of all other inputs received from the five senses. Once attained and maintained, Mushin allows one to experience life in a fully enraptured state of being.

Future submissions in this series will discuss:

1. Mushin as it relates to the mythology of Bodhidharma;

2. Examples of how Mushin is incorporated into daily life;

3. Mushin as a sacrament to spirituality.

For additional information, please feel free to visit my website at WWW.Dynamic-Meditation.Com.

An expanded discussion of Mushin may also be found in my new book The Dynamic Meditation Rite Of Sanchin: Gateway To The Three Battles To The Plateau Of Human Serenity.

You may also find additional information on Jiriki Kata-Do, by reading my article herein dated December 15 , 2009. Entitled “Kata evolves into a methodology and ideology …”

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