Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.

Abraham J. Heschel

When I go into the garden with a spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A renowned genius once asked a student, "What are you watching when you sit on a hillside in the late afternoon as the colours turn from yellow to orange and red and finally darkness?" He answered, "You are watching the sunset." The genius responded, "That is what is wrong with our age. You know full well you are not watching the sun set. You are watching the world turn."

- Jeremy Kagan The Jewish Self

A jug of wine amidst the flowers
I raise my cup to invite the moon
My shadow makes three of us
But the moon does not drink
And my shadow merely follows my body

We three keep together briefly
Drink and be merry in the spring

The moon spins with my song
My shadow mimics my dance

Let's make the best of the moment
We'll part after we've drunk our fill

But let us cherish our friendship
Until we meet again, if ever. . .

A Touch of Zen (1971)

Root of the problem

The world is full of suffering, caused by the constant need to satiate our desires. Desire itself, is nothing more than an attempt to maintain balance in the universe.

Our body is equipped with different senses which detect and maintain the level of balance. The greater the imbalance, the harder these senses have to work. The harder something has to work; the greater the stress and strain upon the individual. Maintained periods of stress and strain lead to fatigue, malfunction and continued suffering.

We can rationally appreciate the need for balance but despite our best efforts, we always contradict the flow of nature and over indulge in sensory pleasures because we find balance boring.


I'm looking at the man in the mirror

The personality is a reflection of our senses. The more work our senses have to do; the more pronounced and extreme our personalities become. We all have varying degrees of balance and therefore have unique personalities.

We resonate with those that share our imbalances and find it difficult to relate with those that don't. As a result we construct ourselves a world of people, beliefs and activities which agree with our personalities and maintain our self-image.

Our self-image, therefore is nothing other than a reflection of our imbalances and like the image in a mirror, this reflection is not the real self.

Points to consider:

• History is nothing more than a record of the fluctuations in society as it seeks to maintain a balance.
  

• What type of people do we find interesting? Is it a coincidence that the lives of celebrities are often tainted with problems and extreme behaviour?
  

• What does it mean to 'get-on' with someone? To what extent are our preferences in life reflections of our strong and weak points?

• Consider the following: Religion in America is pronounced, but somewhat superficial. Religion in Japan is subtle, but profound.
  

• The "West" traditionally seeks and actively encourages diversity. What effect does this have on the stability of society. What role does it play in the generation of new ideas?

• What is required to develop expertise in any particular area? What does it mean to have refined tastes? How does quality relate to the efficient use of energy?
  

Skilfull application

We live in a world where the word 'Religion' has become shrouded with negative connotations, misunderstanding and corruption. As a result, the true essence of the original spiritual teachings have become lost and distorted.

What ever your cultural background or beliefs , I truly believe that the world's many religions have different, but equally pertinent lessons to offer those who decide to develop and follow their own path.

In my writing I will often refer to what I regard to as the essential teachings and I only ask you to respond with both critical instinct and intellect. The truth will always resonate in a way specific to you.

Today I want to define skill and how it relates to both Buddhism, Taoism and traditional Christian morality.

In Christian influenced Western thought, one of the biggest obstacles to spiritual evolution is the illusion that matter and actions are inherently good or bad. This generates a huge amount of guilt within the individual, stunting development and as a result serves to maintain the dogmatic authority of the religion.

The Buddhist would say the following.

Moral suggests that an action is good or bad.

Good and bad don't exist.

This is an illusion.

Actions are either skillful or not skillful.

So what is skill?

The Taoists would reply:

Everything in the physical world tries to maintain a balance in energy. This is represented in the duality of the famous Yin/Yang symbol. In chemistry, Chatlier Principle of entropy and in biology, the osmosis of water through a cell membrane, both illustrate nature's tendency to maintain the middle position.

The most skillful action is reflected by the most efficient use of universal energy.

An unskillful action is not a sin; it just lacks the subtle insight and mastery of universal energy.

As consciousness increases the individual becomes more sensitive to the energy of the whole opposed that of the self alone.

Points to consider:

• How would you define one who was skilled? Think about how the best sportsman make it look effortless. Players who have an abundance of talent often lack effort, whereas those that are less gifted compensate through their determination.
  

• Imagine trying to balance a pen on your finger. Consider that, the skill in doing so has no moral aspect to it.
  

• There is nothing morally wrong about eating McDonalds every day.

• What purpose do right and left-wing politics serve? To what extent do they regulate a fixed continuum of reality and maintain the status quo?
  

• Consider the moral implications of the current situation between the 'West' and Islam? To what extent does moral subjectivity lead to conflict?
  

Shidareyanagi...?

So I thought I'd explain why I chose to name this site with the Japanese word for the weeping willow tree.

As much as I would like to accept poetic acclaim for coming up with the name, it's actually taken from a form of unarmed martial art that was popular with the Japanese Samurai, known as Jujutsu (柔術). The 'weeping willow' school emphasised free-flowing movements, which although appeared soft, generated great amounts of force.

In it's development, Aikido (会氣道), which I'll talk about at another time, was heavily influenced by Jujutsu. Like the Shidareyanagi School, the flexibility and sensitivity of the movements are essential in generating the appropriate energy to overcome the opponent.

In addition, the more I researched and thought about the tree, the more it seemed appropriate for the purpose of this site:

• The bark of the tree, is commonly known for its pain-relieving properties. Salicylic acid, is the main constituent of aspirin.

• In folklore, the weeping willow is associated with the feminine energy of the moon and water. It was used in rituals to invoke wisdom, intuition and dreams.
  

• In mythology the tree is associated with death and re-birth, due to the ability to easily regenerate from off-cuttings. A willow tree grew outside the cave where Zeus was born.

• In the 1800's, the weeping willow was often depicted on grave-stones. Although, this reflected the grief of the mourning families, it also symbolised the link between earth and heaven.

• In addition, my family home in Norwich has a large weeping willow tree which I use to climb when I was younger.

• Finally, the weeping willow can grow up to 6 to 8 feet in a year. I hope after reading this website we can all match this rate of development!

Undefeated by the rain

Unbowed by the rain.
Unbowed by the wind.
Unbowed by snow or summer heat.
Sound of body.

Coveting nothing.
Never angry.
Always quietly smiling.

Eating four cups of rice, miso and a few greens each day...
Leaving himself out of the account.

Watching, listening, understanding and not forgetting.
Living in the shade of a pine grove, in a field, in a small thatched hut.

To the sick child in the east he tends.
To the tired mother in the west he bears sheaves of rice.
To one dying in the south he says "do not fear".
To quarrels or lawsuits in the north he says "Be not petty".

In drought he weeps.
In a cold summer he paces.

Called a fool.
Not praised, not criticised:

I want to be that kind of man.

Miyazawa Kenji