Blog 12: Enlightenment, Martial Arts and Death, Part 1

Three Days More (from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones)

Suiwo, the disciple of Hakuin, was a good teacher. During one summer seclusion period, a pupil came to him from a southern island of Japan. Suiwo gave him the problem: “Hear the sound of one hand.” (a reference to the Zen koan, ‘What is the sound of one hand clapping?’)

The pupil remained three years but could not pass this test. One night he came in tears to Suiwo. “I must return south in shame and embarrassment,” he said, “for I cannot solve my problem.”

“Wait one week more and meditate constantly,” advised Suiwo. Still no enlightenment came to the pupil. “Try for another week,” said Suiwo. The pupil obeyed, but in vain.

“Still another week.” Yet this was of no avail. In despair the student begged to be released, but Suiwo requested another meditation of five days. They were without result. Then he said: “Meditate for three days longer, then if you fail to attain enlightenment, you had better kill yourself.”

On the second day the pupil was enlightened.

 

An Empowering Context

Death is real, and barring an incredible scientific breakthrough, it’s going to happen to me and you. Yet we spend so much of our lives trying to ignore that reality, or in fear of it. Is this helpful?

Buddhist Monks are often sent to meditate in cemeteries. When their resolve weakens and they open their eyes, these monks are confronted by the certainty of death. Then they shut their eyes and continue their efforts, less they die before reaching enlightenment.

Context is key. Practicing martial arts can help us develop a different way of looking at things. For example, think about what your feelings would have been about getting punched or even punching someone else before kung fu. Society and experience outside of martial arts teaches us that a punch is a bad thing. After spending time learning the technique of punching, after sparring a few times, hitting and getting hit, we develop a new understanding, a new context. It’s no longer scary. For me, after a few years of practice, getting punched (by a partner with good control) became enjoyable! I now experience it as a reminder to be mindful, almost like a momentary enlightenment.

When it comes down to it, we either have an empowering or disempowering context with death. Many of us have negative experiences with death, which can lead us to form a disempowering context. A persistent fear of death, for example, is crippling. While it keeps us alive, it stops us from thriving. A disempowering context with death involves thoughts like, “What if I die soon? What if I never do the things I want to do? That will be awful.”

Few of us have positive experiences with death, so we must choose or come up with an empowering context ourselves. For example, using the idea of dying as a motivating factor. An empowering context involves thoughts like, “I could die any day; it’s unpredictable. I’d better take steps today to accomplish what I want. I choose to be the person I want to be right now.”

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