February 2010

The Bible: Matthew 16:26

What will a man profit if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his life?

Try to remember the feeling that you get when somebody praises you , and accepts you and agrees with you.

Contrast that with the feeling that you get when you look at the dawn or sun rise, or nature in general or a work of art that you appreciate, or when you look at real ninjutsu master in action – for this example let’s consider Soke Hatsumi.

Understand that the first feeling comes from self glorification, and is an earthly feeling. The former is a feeling of fulfillment of the soul, of beauty of the creation, of unification of body, spirit and mind.

Look around and see if there are people that are not dependent on the first described feeling, on these earthly emotions, that are not controlled by them and which do no desire them even unconsciously.

If you will see, you will realize that people try to win the world but in the mean time they lose their soul and live empty lives with ought meaning.

I will explain with a short story. A group of tourists travels in a bus through a very beautiful natural area. But the curtains on the bus are extended. All during the trip the travelers fight over the best place in the bus and who will be the most respected one because occupies that “most important” spot. All during this time they never see outside, the amazing surroundings that the bus passes through. They have not the slightest idea about what exists outside their confined space. And they stay like this for the whole trip….

I will reflect this in the martial arts.

Imagine a group of practitioners that only train with the same average teacher, but self convinced of his own value, and only see the art and the techniques through his eyes. During all this time they think that they are studying a real traditional martial art. And unfortunately because of self gratification through lots of grades and external recognition through “the blackest” of belts have no eyes opened to see that fact that there are real teachers, teachers that on the other hand maybe do not offer grades (gratifications) so easily and whom themselves do not hunt these grades and do not expose them as the real accomplishments (grades empty of content because are in fact only arbitrary human labels). These teachers study and teach with passion and sincerity arts that honor the previous generations that developed and perfected them.

Search the real source of your interest with open eyes and soul, with modesty and humility, ask yourself questions and when you find it and if you find something even better and more correct do not be afraid to admit your mistake and improve your choices.

Martie 2010

Sfanta Evanghelie dupa Luca: 14:26

Dacă vine cineva la Mine şi nu urăşte pe tatăl său şi pe mamă şi pe femeie şi pe copii şi pe fraţi şi pe surori, chiar şi sufletul său însuşi, nu poate să fie ucenicul Meu.

Vezi cata nefericire exista in lume ? Uitate imprejur. Oare care-i cauza? Inteleptul Buddha a zis ca toata nefericirea este cauzata de dorinte. Programarea intensa pe care ne-o face societatea, si presiunea pe care aceasta o pune asupra fiecarei clipe din viata noastra e atat de puternica incat perceptiile noastre sunt afectate, gandirea este gresita si credintele sunt false. Daca cumva te declari nefericit, societatea pune asta tot pe seama ta, nu a felului cum ai fost programat, si de vina sunt considerate ideile si credintele tale. Care cred eu ca sunt aceste credinte gresite care ne tin departe de fericire ?

• Nu poti fi fericit fara lucrurile de care esti atasat si pe care le consideri prerioase. Total gresit. Nu exista nici un moment in viata cand nu ai abolut tot ce-ti trebuie ca sa fii fericit. Motivul nefericirii este ca te focusezi pe ceea ce nu ai in loc de ceea ce ai.
• Fericirea este in viitor. Nu e adevarat. Alegi sa fii fericit aici si acum, asa cum Takamatsu Sensei spunea: “Fericirea este in fata ta. Numai tu poti decide daca alegi sau nu sa o traiesti”.
• Fericirea va aparea daca reusesti sa schimbi situatia in care esti si oamenii din jurul tau. Nu cred ca-i adevarat. Cheltuim prea multa energie incercand sa rearanjem lumea. Gandirea pe care o avem ne poate face fericiti sau nu. Fericirea vine din interior si nimic dinafara nu trebuie lasat sa te afecteze intr-un mod negative.
• Daca toate dorintele noastre sunt satisfacute atunci vom fi fericiti. Gresit. De fapt aceste dorinte si atasamente ne fac tensionati, frustrati, nervosi, nesiguri si plin de animozitate. Indeplinirea dorintelor nu ne poate aduce decat momente trecatoare de placere si bucurie.

Cum putem atunci sa explicam fericirea ? Dar cum putem sa explicam lumina unui om care s-a nascut orb ? Sau cum putem descrie realitatea, unui om aflat intr-un vis ? Cum explicam diferenta ninjtsu si ceea ce se practica in majoritatea dojourilor? Ce putem face atunci ? Daca intelegem ceea ce avem in fata, v-om pricepe si cealalta parte a monedei. Intelege intunericul pentru a sti ce este lumina. Intelege cosmarul care-l ai si te vei trezi la realitate. Intelege credintele tale gresite si vor disparea. Asa vei sti gustul fericirii. Intelege greselile tehnicilor ce le practici si atunci vei reusi sa vezi cu adevarat realitatile artei adevarate din ninjutsu. Se pare ca nu exista cuvinte care sa descrie lucrurile ce transcend experienta noastra limitata de cele cateva simturi de care suntem constienti. Deci singura noastra sansa este sa intelegem cat mai bine ceea ce avem in fata, lucrurile cu care ne confruntam, greselile pe care le facem si asa v-om putea intelege imaginea completa ce pare pentru moment invizibila.

Acum se pune intrebarea de ce oamenii nu incearca sa inteleaga aceste gresili ale lor? In primul rand deoarece nici macar nu-si imagineaza ca aceste credinte sunt false sau ca sunt credinte si nu realitati. Si cred ca mai e un motiv, acela ca-s prea speriati sa piarda “realitatea” pe care o cunosc, lumea dorintelor, a atasamentelor, a fricii, a presiunilor sociale, a tensiunilor, a ambitiilor si sa fie nevoiti cumva sa reia totul de la zero. E intradevar foarte greu. Dar cred ca merita.

Asa inteleg si incerc sa explic paragraful din titlu. Deci pentru a putea fi fericit trebuie sa fii pregatit sa renunti prin intelegere la toate cele de care te agati si fara de care esti convins ca nu vei fi fericit. Dar nu trebuie sa renunti la acestea brusc si violent deoarece orice lucru la care renunti violent va fi intotdeauna legat de tine. Pentru intelegere adaug o povestire. Un psiholog vorbeste despre clientii sai: “Prostituata cand vine la mine nu vorbeste decat despre Dumnezeu, preotul in schimb vorbeste numai despre sex.“

Se pare ca atunci cand vei reusi sa renunti la posesii (inclusive la persoane) in sensul ca nu vei mai fi dependent de ele, nu ca te apuci neaparat sa le imparti sau donezi la altii, atunci vei experimenta starea aceea miraculoasa de pace si fericire. Si cred cel care nu va mai fi dependent de frati, surori, mama, tata, copii, terenuri, case, titluri de recunoastere a valorii sau grade va fi rasplatit cu varf si indesat cu fericire si deci viata eterna.

May 2011

– too much time.... since my last post ... I have thought about a lot of things but I did not get the chance to write them down :) Sorry

The Reality of what happened regarding Dr. Kacem Zoughary, in the moment in which a hole gathering of so called "shihans" united and signed a letter/petition through which they asked Soke to exclude him from the Bujinkan, always reminded me of a short story I read and which I would like to share with you here but before that I would like to shortly say what I know about the shihans’ action against Kacem. Because many of those with high grades in the Bujinkan felt offended by Dr. Kacem Zoughary because he practices what he says and bases his words on facts and many times in my eyes impeccable techniques executions but clearly imperfect in his eyes as he continues to perfect those, these practitioners without substance have decided to try to eliminate him from the Bujinkan by signing a petition addressed to Soke Hatsumi. These "shihans" have conspired not in proving Kacem wrong on the tatami, as this would have been a great show, I am sure you understand what I mean if you have ever seen Dr Kacem in action, but by signing a petition to kick this "disruptor" of their false image that they create about themselves out of the Bujinkan. Soke, as expected ignored such a hypocrisy and in true ninja style let the petitioners believe that their stupid petition might become a reality.

And not to lengthen my comments too much here is the story I was mentioning at the beginning:

“”The Master once gave an address on the danger of religion, affirming, among other things, that religious people all too easily use God to cover up their pettiness and self-seeking.

This provoked a sharp rejoinder in the form of a book wherein as many as a hundred religious leaders wrote articles to refute the Master’s words.

The Master smiled when he saw the book. “If what I said was wrong, one article would have been enough”, he said.””

OCT 2011 - Inspired words by Issai Chozanshi - an 18th century samurai.

Things to think about in everyday training (put yourself in both perspectives as student and teacher):

If from the time the student is a beginner without having learned any techniques well, you say something like, “Technique will come naturally without intention; establish the hard by the means of the soft,” or “Techniques are only trivialities,” he will become empty-headed and lazy, and will know nothing of where to stand. Thus he will be at a loss both in this world and in the next.

While your children are still young, they will not have the power to master the connection between technique and principle, so do not bring up details first. Rather have them follow along with their teacher, make efforts in the techniques that are appropriate for the moment, learn the movements of the hands and feet, and strengthen their bones and sinews. Beyond that, they should train ch'i and cultivate their mind. The deepest principles will be inferred from this training. This is the proper order of training.

When you do not know the advantages and disadvantages of the form, you will make mistakes.

In the past instructors would teach their students techniques but say nothing about the principles hidden within them They only waited for their students to uncover those principles by themselves. This is called “drawing the bow, but not releasing the arrow”.

If a student is not excited (about a subject), I do not instruct him. If I raise a single corner and express something, and he does not come back by raising three, I do not repeat myself.