 | Volume No. 2 | Issue No. 3 | March 2000 |
Inside this Newsletter
1
The MASTER SpeaksWords of wisdom and guidance for the young and old alike.
2
HealthwatchBecause a healthy body is the natural counterbalance to a healthy mind.
3
Perfect PracticeConnecting technique with philosophy and purpose at the dojo.
The MASTER Speaks
A
novice Zen monk approached the master and asked how he should prepare himself for his training. "Think of me a bell," the master explained. "Give me a soft tap, and you will get a tiny ping. Strike hard, and you'll receive a loud, resounding peal."There is an ageless folkism that "You get out of something what you put into it." Equally true is the fact that the more you try, the more a good teacher will help you. Enthusiasm is a pleasantly contagious disease for both the teacher and the student. The more a student demonstrates that he or she is interested in learning, the more a good teacher will be there to help. If you don’t understand, ask. If you believe you understand, ask and make sure you do. This is a simple truth that some fail to teach their children. It is the easiest way to maximize your education.
You can also think of the master as a parallel to living. You derive from life what you contribute to it. If you look for and are open to knowledge, beauty and happiness, all can be found. If you huddle in misery, self-pity, resentment, or other negativity any fulfillment will pass you by.
"Give and you shall receive, seek and ye shall find."
Another ageless folkism connected to this story is "Be careful what you ask for. The universe may just provide you with what you seek." This is a central tenet of Buddhism generally, and of Zen in particular. Today we encounter many pseudo "masters" who seem to say "Pay me a lot, and I will help you with a speedy and painless solution for your problems." Our society is both fascinated and captivated by the idea of speed: fast food, get rich quick seminars, fast cars, quick weight loss, and other similar schemes. The result is that fast foods are mostly unhealthy, high yields go hand in hand with high risk, a million fast cars simultaneously on the turnpike can’t move at all, and weight that is lost quickly usually returns with vengeance. The saddest self-deception regarding our obsession with speed involves shortcuts in learning, or the idea that if one is not learning fast enough, the reason lies outside of oneself.
Classical oriental philosophy proposes that all the student needs to know is within himself. The master cannot make you learn--no one can because the amount, speed, and depth of acquiring knowledge is inner-directed. The true master guides his wards to that knowledge by reflecting the thoughts, feelings, and questions that the student puts out to him.
All teachers should use this story on those occasions when a student questions their purpose, reasoning, or integrity.
Healthwatch
A
re there herbs that help control diabetes? The best way to controls high blood sugar is by monitoring carefully what one eats and incorporating exercise into your daily life. The main rule is no/low carbs, no sugar. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nuts--no refined foods. There is a wealth of dietary literature available at your nearest library, bookstore or the internet to help you change your eating habits. Also, don’t underestimate the role of your nervous system and stress. What helps your nerves helps your whole system and consequently helps many underlying causes of diabetes.Diabetes is a complex and serious disease. Please talk to your doctor first before taking any herbs or food supplements. Your pancreas needs to be treated with kindness. Give it some before it goes out on strike permanently. The following may be beneficial in the control of diabetes:
Chromium GTF (Glucose Tolerance Factor). Chromium is a missing mineral in many diabetic's blood. It is reputed to lower the amount of insulin needed.
Pau D'Arco has been used by many hypoglycemics. It can be found in most herb or vitamin stores.
Goldenseal and nopal may have beneficial effects on the pancreas and result in lower blood sugar.
Vitamin E and zinc may help aid in the formulation of insulin
colloidal minerals.
Teas made with dandelion, panc, ginseng, and ginger root. An old English remedy was using blueberry leaf tea. It contains myrtryllum which is reputed to reduce blood sugar.
Perfect Practice
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udo had its origin in the ancient Japanese art of jujutsu, a system of hand-to-hand combat. The bushi (i.e., noble classes) of medival Japan are credited for developing a fighting art known as Yoroi Kumi-uchi, a grappling method for warriors clad in a samurai’s armor. Additionally, the Nihon Shoki (Chronicle of the Japanese Nation) documents the existence of hikara-kurabe (public unarmed competitions) dating back to 230 B.C. What is unique to the art of jujutsu from it’s earliest time is that one did not use brute strength to overpower an opponent, but rather flexibility and redirection of an attacker’s momentum. Economy of energy, balance, and grace were also the outstanding hallmarks of the good jujutsu practitioner. Unlike the Western hand-to-hand fighter, the jujutsu fighter was expected to be soft and pliable, winning by appearing to yield. Indeed, the kanji (ideograms) ju represents "softness/pliancy" and jutsu is translated as "technique."Jujutsu was part of a samurai’s training along with archery, spearfighting, swordsmanship, horsemanship, maneuvering, caligraphy, culture, and etiquette. Its importance grew throughout subsequent periods of Japanese history (Kamakura, 1185-1336; Muromachi, 1336-1573 into the Tokugawa period, 1603-1868) the martial art became more diversified and specialized, being taught in ryus (schools). Ryus organized around different aspects of the art, perpetuating their founders' vision.
The schools differed in emphasis and strategy. Some specialized in throwing (nage), others in groundwork (osae, shime, kansetsu), and others in striking (atemi). In matters of strategy, some schools valued taking the initiative in combat while others preferred timely reaction to an opponent's aggression. Some that followed the principles of swordsmanship insisted on sudden, total attack. Others preferred to neutralize an attack once it was in motion.
Given the semi-constant state of war in Japanese feudal society, ryus tested their vision of jujutsu on the battlefield, where the emphasis was on survival. The three hundred years of peace that followed the Japanese civil wars led to a change in the nature of the art. Under the harsh Tokugawa code of behavior combat between bushi became rarer and warfare with heavy armor far less frequent. Continued in our next issue, don’t miss it!