| A very special kind of training is critical | | | | discernment must be developed together. |
| in martial arts because martial arts is about | | | | |
| life and death. In one split second, your | | | | When focusing the mind, the mind must be |
| life will be either spared or taken, and that | | | | concentrated. Then, after the mind becomes |
| outcome depends entirely upon your | | | | concentrated, discernment must be developed, |
| preparation. | | | | which means that the mind must use its |
| | | | concentrated qualities to penetrate the |
| The adversary you face will be stronger, | | | | illusions of existence with discernment and |
| faster, better trained, and more determined | | | | wisdom until existence is abandoned and |
| than you will be. Count on it. To think | | | | reality manifests. This is critical, because |
| otherwise is fatal. He or she will also | | | | reality is the ground of the warrior, while |
| understand that body follows mind; that mind | | | | existence, and all the falseness of |
| comes before body, and therefore they will | | | | existence, is the ground of the defeated. |
| train their minds, as well as their bodies, | | | | |
| to perfection. | | | | To focus the mind, begin by sitting |
| | | | cross-legged on the floor. Keep your back |
| If you are up against an opponent who has | | | | straight and you hands lying palms up in you |
| taken the time and tremendous effort required | | | | lap, one hand cupped within the other with |
| to stabilize his or her mind, and you | | | | the right hand on top. Then concentrate your |
| haven't, there is a good likelihood that your | | | | mind. Concentrate your mind on your |
| body will fail in that split second when your | | | | breathing. For whatever length of time you |
| life hangs in the balance. | | | | decide to sit, which is your own |
| | | | determination, resolve not to move regardless |
| Mind has its own split second of truth, just | | | | of the pain or discomfort, and determine not |
| as body has its split second of life and | | | | to move the mind off the breath regardless of |
| death, the difference being that life is | | | | what thoughts or emotions come up. You will |
| temporary, whereas mind continues. This | | | | know every in breath and every out breath |
| distinction has tremendous inferences | | | | from beginning to end. Your success or |
| regarding your psychological preparation for | | | | failure in accomplishing this will indicate |
| combat and how you will face a mortal enemy - | | | | the control your mind has over itself. If |
| whether you face your enemy with confidence, | | | | there is no control here, there will be no |
| clarity, and courage, or whether you face him | | | | control in that split second where life or |
| with a split second of hesitation, a split | | | | death is determined. |
| second of subconscious fear. | | | | |
| | | | As you focus unerringly on every breath, the |
| Since body and mind are connected, both must | | | | mind will become calm enough to remain on the |
| be developed in tangent. If one is developed | | | | breath without effort. Then, the body will |
| over the other, then that fine balance | | | | react from this unusual peace from conflict |
| necessary to cut through the illusions and | | | | of thought and emotion by physical reactions. |
| falsity of sense impressions will not be | | | | You will feel your hair standing out from |
| maintained. This balance that is critical if | | | | your body as if you have seen a ghost, and |
| you are to have the courage to come face to | | | | shocks will rack your body like lightning |
| face with the reality of each situation and | | | | strikes. You will feel as if pure water is |
| be able to maintain that reality each and | | | | washing over you, and then flooding your |
| every split second without fail. Once that | | | | body, and you will feel as if you are |
| fine balance is disturbed, you will either | | | | floating. Then you will feel a tremendous |
| underreact or overreact, and either could | | | | joy, and a uncanny focusing of the mind, |
| prove fatal when facing an adversary that has | | | | followed by a feeling of equanimity where the |
| mastered the balance of body and mind. | | | | mind no longer discriminates between |
| | | | anything. All things are now equal, all |
| When training your mind, two things are | | | | emotion and judging is gone. There is only |
| critical -- focus and discernment. If focus | | | | the reality of 'what is' in this very moment. |
| is weak, you cannot gather your strength | | | | |
| accurately into a point of explosive contact. | | | | As you are training the mind in |
| And if discernment is not mastered, you will | | | | concentration, you will begin your training |
| never have the extreme confidence necessary | | | | in discernment by investigating your physical |
| to act decisively and without hesitation. | | | | body. You will investigate your body hair, |
| | | | your head hair, your nails, teeth and skin, |
| But training the mind takes a warrior, | | | | and envision every organ. You will envision |
| because in the process of training the mind, | | | | the death of your body, and see it lying dead |
| you will be effectively dismantling the very | | | | on the ground, bloated after a few days, |
| things that will keep you from victory, which | | | | being eaten by insects, and then animals, |
| are your false illusions of what and who you | | | | until there are only bones and sinews left |
| really are. In other words, you will face | | | | with a smattering of blood, and then only |
| your own physical, psychological, and | | | | bones, and then a pile of bones, and then |
| spiritual death, and no one but you will be | | | | bones scattered here and there until they |
| the executioner. You will fall into a hole so | | | | turn to dust and melt into the earth with |
| deep, so real, and so lonely that anything in | | | | nothing but the forest floor. |
| the unreal world that we call existence will | | | | |
| become as nothing. | | | | Then, after the mind tires of investigating |
| | | | the body, it will rest in concentration |
| This kind of experience is not for the | | | | again, until it is ready to investigate |
| weak-willed, or the ones who are merely | | | | again. Then, it will further develop |
| experimenting with the martial arts; this is | | | | discernment by investigating itself; how it |
| for the ones who will triumph regardless of | | | | (the mind) contacts the world through its |
| the adversary, the ones who will be fearless | | | | sense organs, and how the sense organs are |
| in the face of impossible odds. The ones who | | | | made of elements of the earth, no different |
| are a true warrior in every sense of the | | | | from any other creature or substance, and |
| word. | | | | that the body is not only part of the earth |
| | | | but is the earth, and eats the dead bodies of |
| It is extraordinary for martial arts students | | | | the earth, and dead plants of the earth, and |
| to be exposed to the real methods of mind | | | | will someday return to the earth. |
| training that will insure victory, and rarer | | | | |
| still for that student to follow the | | | | You will investigate how these sense organs |
| instructions to completion. Only a few, a | | | | make contact with an object seen, heard, |
| handful will ever attain that pinnacle of | | | | smelled, tasted, felt, or thought about, and |
| perfection of body and mind that this | | | | how after that initial contact there is an |
| training intimates; which is the deathless | | | | impulse to love it or hate it, and how during |
| realm. Only a few will be successful because | | | | that initial feeling thoughts and emotions |
| the training is rugged, not easy, and the | | | | arise to facilitate drawing that object close |
| most difficult thing that one could attempt | | | | if you love it, and pushing it away of you |
| in life. The martial arts student will be | | | | hate it. And how all of this distracts you |
| dismantling the ego; which is everything that | | | | from your focus. |
| he or she believes in and counts on, and | | | | |
| everything that they believe to be | | | | You will investigate existence itself, and |
| themselves, because it is these beliefs and | | | | see if there is anything within existence |
| images that insure defeat. | | | | that doesn't change. Whether anything within |
| | | | existence can provide such lasting happiness |
| The amount of time spent training in Martial | | | | that you are afraid to lose it, and whether |
| arts should be split evenly between mind | | | | there is a little man or woman behind your |
| training and physical training. Mind training | | | | body and mind, a self that experiences |
| should not take a second seat to body | | | | existence. Or is there only mind? |
| training, or an imbalance will be the result. | | | | |
| If the ego grows and is not controlled, | | | | Then you will rest again by concentrating |
| defeat is certain. This is because the ego, | | | | your mind. You will concentrate the mind |
| now built up psychologically, will | | | | until the mind transcends itself with a shift |
| subconsciously be afraid of its own demise, | | | | in consciousness where you will let go of |
| and that subtle fear will be enough to make | | | | body and mind together, all in one brief |
| the difference when facing a seasoned warrior | | | | release. Then the discernment and wisdom will |
| without his or her ego in the way. When you | | | | be automatic. Regardless of what you see in |
| face the deathless person, you can see it in | | | | the world, there will be the reality of its |
| their eyes, and you had better be ready, for | | | | impermanence, the reality of its stress, and |
| there will be no hesitation on their part, no | | | | a reality from the freedom from ego that |
| illusions or images, just what has to be done | | | | allows you to become a true warrior. |
| in the next second, and it will be done | | | | |
| efficiently and from an uninhibited center. | | | | All of this requires training, however, |
| In other words, a place of transcendent | | | | physical and mental training. It requires |
| focus. | | | | faith, determination, vision, mindfulness, |
| | | | effort, and wisdom. But the rewards are |
| As previously stated, when training your | | | | great; a thirst for truth and a disregard for |
| mind, two things are critical -- focus and | | | | falsity that creates boundless joy, unlimited |
| discernment. If focus is weak, you cannot | | | | energy, tranquility in the face of danger, |
| gather your strength accurately into a point | | | | equanimity when faced with adversity, a |
| of explosive contact. And if discernment is | | | | focused, concentrated mind, a heightened |
| not mastered, you will never have the extreme | | | | awareness. |
| confidence necessary to act decisively and | | | | |
| without hesitation. Both focus and | | | | And the courage of a lion. |