Tag: transitions

Self as Myriad in Zen, Democracy as Self

Transitions in the Nation and in My Life

Well, this past week was full of changes. Our nation of the United States held an election. It held more drama than either side expected. AP called the results just yesterday. In some states, election officials are still counting votes.

I changed jobs. Thursday was my last day at my old employer. Friday was my one day between jobs, and tomorrow I will start at a new place. The new company also allows for remote work, so that was a relief.

This past week was also my “meditation” week. That means that, in lieu of push-ups, sit-ups and squats, I meditate for ten minutes. I continue to do my ten minute writes on a daily basis, though those are not always making it to this blog.

Ten Bulls, or 10 Ox Herding Pictures

Also, sometime last week, I finished reading the Mumonkan. I’ve started a small section called 10 Bulls. According to Wikipedia, the 10 Bulls, or 10 Ox Herding Poems, are drawings accompanying poems which describe the stages of attaining enlightenment in Zen. These stages include bringing the wisdom of enlightenment back into society.

Senzaki and Reps transcribed my copy (Zen Flesh, Zen Bones). Tokuriki, a contemporary of the more modern transcribers, illustrated it. “Contemporary,” I should note, is about 1935. This is more recent, certainly, than the twelfth century original of poems and drawings (now lost). The original first appeared in China. The illustrator for mine, Tomikichiro Tokuriki, according to a site called “Japanese Woodblock Prints,” lived in Kyoto. His family produced twelve generations of woodblock artists!

I’ve read five so far. They are an easier than the Mumonkan. The Bull seems to be a stand-in for the mind, and many of the poems, so far, deal with “taming” the mind with meditation and breathing.

Discovering the Footprints
(10 Bulls, second poem)

Green Ox statue at a Sinclair Gas, July 2019; photo taken on RV trip on the way from California to Colorado; yes, that’s the RV we drove in the background!

Along the riverbank under the trees, I discover footprints!
Even under the fragrant grass I see his prints.
Deep in the remote mountains they are found.
These traces no more can be hidden than one’s nose, looking heavenward. (Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Ten Bulls, pg. 244)

Already in the second poem’s commentary, we see the Buddhist idea about the illusory self actually introduced as multiple selves:

Then I learn that, just as many many utensils are made from one metal, so too are myriad entities made of the fabric of the self. (244)

Kakuan, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, compiled by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki

This idea of the myriad within the self I find to be one of Zen’s, and Buddhism’s deepest and most interesting insights.

Democracy and the Myriad Self

Sometimes I think of the myriad entities like the many people making up a democratic nation. Because we are a democracy, we have as many “influencers” as we have people, and as many “deciders” as we have voters. If the self were the United States, then each of us is part of that myriad making up its self. We are not always of one mind. Often we are conflicted, even divided against ourselves, chaotic and messy in our tactics and decisions. Yet we are one. Yes, we change directions often. When we are honest, those switches can lead us to equilibrium.

Most of the time, in our politics, there are two roughly balanced sides. Sometimes there are more than two sides. Each side is actually a collection of interest groups, and they agree to support each other. Finally those groups are made up of individuals. Individuals, like this nation, are each a self which is really a myriad, too, and internally conflicted.

In karate, we seek to strengthen both sides of our bodies, the left and the right. During kihon, each exercise alternates those sides. We practice blocking as well as various strikes. Karate seeks balance, between parts of the body, but also between the aggressive and defensive skills. Kanku, the advanced kata we are learning, is full of mirroring: what you do on the right, you repeat on the left. You travel forward, backwards and side to side during Kanku.

Balance and Meditation

Karate also teaches us to focus our fragmenting mind through meditation. Meditation, then, becomes a unifying force. I hope karate will also serve to strengthen and unify its practitioners, despite the differing politics we may each hold.

Likewise as a country, we need to acknowledge the two horns, two eyes, two nostrils, four legs but one nose and one tail of the bull. The bull can move forward, but it must coordinate its many limbs to do so. We must not forget how to walk together.

Competency and Writing as a Shodan

How is a shodan different from an ichi kyu? The answer may surprise you.

Sunday, August 23rd, 2020

As you will hopefully see, I’ve created a new category for posting thoughts as a shodan. I will try to keep this up to date. Honestly, I found it helpful to both my karate and my writing practices to keep this on-line journal up-to-date. At the same time, I also feel that the transition from ichi kyu to shodan deserves a “marker,” so creating a new category to post under helps with that psychological transition.

Photo taken in my yard after our Shodan test, August 8th

I have continued to keep a personal written journal of daily ten minute writes, and have not missed any days. My first journal entry after the shodan test, however, was a bit tongue in cheek.

Of course I’d like to draw a line at the shodan test, and say,”On August 7th, I was an ichi kyu, and now, on August 9th, I am a shodan!” While this is true, it is only partially true. First, Sensei will normally invite folks to promote who have done the work to be ready to promote. So typically, you are ready to test for shodan when you finally have the skills to do that test. But also, shodan really means “first rank,” or “competent.” Again, when absorb that information, it is more a reason for humility than for pride. I’ve moved out of kindergarten and into first grade, in the karate world. Yay me!

This entry is actually from August 9th, the day after my shodan test.

Shodan versus ichi kyu

So what does a new shodan need to do, besides finish Masutatsu Oyama’s book?

  1. Laundry! But how would laundry be different for a shodan than an ichi kyu? Perhaps a shodan will pull the laundry out of the dryer when it finishes, rather than restarting the dryer in the “fluff” cycle a few times throughout the day before getting around to taking it out and folding it, like an ichi kyu.
  2. Yard work! Perhaps a shodan will carefully examine the old collection of ocean rocks on the patio for one she can break, rather than pushing the rock box out of the way of the weed eater.
  3. Parenting! The shodan shall take the other shodan and junior shodan to Baskin Robbins to choose a celebratory ice cream.
  4. Dishes! A shodan will part with Tupperware that has no lid, rather than shove it back under the cabinet to deal with later. Unless, of course, this particular lidless Tupperware would work as a replacement for the cardboard box holding ocean rocks.
  5. Cooking! A shodan will pull the old, frozen fruit from the freezer and use it for cooking a large batch of oatmeal, knowing that my junior shodan and young adult shodan like oatmeal. An ichi kyu might put it off for another week.

Why would a shodan be better at chores than an ichi kyu? A shodan understands performing time-consuming, tedious chores can build character, and that these will not become easier if more time is allowed to pass before tackling them. Also, some of these chores will result in happy children with ready-made breakfast for the next several days.

So that was it: my first journal entry as a shodan.