Tuesday, 14 November 2017

SHACK 178 THE DEER

dreams are so wonderful in many ways

“A deer knows it’s a deer. It has no inner conflict about its past, its purpose, its needs, or its destiny. It lives in the moment and is 100% resourceful at all times, minute by minute, its senses completely keen, its focus pure and unburdened.”
Apparently this quotation is allegedly taken from a Shaman somewhere in natures heritage.

To me this is like when one is in meditation, alert, hardly a thought, in the martial arts Sensei called it Muga Mushin 
Muga-mushin (無我無心) is a compound term of muga and mushin. Muga literally means no-self[2] (derived from the Sanskritanātman) and Mushin no-mind[3] (also from the Sanskrit a-citta). What is negated is the empirical body-mind as an ontological independent state of existenceMuga and mushin point to the same thing, the state of egolessness, but from different perspectives. Muga refers to the negation of the physical state, mushin to the mental state of empirical existence.

To understand better mushin one needs to understand acitta, or simply its Sanskrit-root cittaCitta is not easily rendered into English. As is the case with so many other Sanskrit terms, there does not seem to be a precise equivalent for it in English. Previous translations have proposed a variety of renderings, such as 'mind-stuff', 'thinking-principle', and similar compound words. In many instances, citta seems to convey consciousnessmindintellect or psychic mass that orders and illuminates sensations coming from without—can serve as a mirror for objects, without the senses interposing between it and its object. Thus the non-initiate is incapable of gaining freedom, because his mind, instead of being stable (still, non-fluctuating) is constantly violated by the activity of the senses, by the subconscious, and by the 'thrust for life'.(courtesy Wikipedia)

Sensei described it as 'mind permeating body' and to look at the Mune Oshi some say this is a chest push, however I was taught that awareness ' like the cat at the mouse hole or the cart with fast horse at winding path, not knowing what is around the bend' and just raising the anticipation, a sharp radar without image of what it might be. Mune Oshi was the eye at the breastbone cleft as above.

The hands holding lightly and breathing easily looking at the Judoka's chest breast bone and noting the breathing, watching the tip of the breast bone, the hollow 'eye' the breathe in before the strike or throw, the breath in for action and so by watching the breath of the Judoka one can avoid the action, the deer senses are completely keen.  Empty Mind. Thoughtless awareness.

I was shown how to develop this through Sensei's Kendo training. Surprise attacks in unfamiliar places or familiar ones, until one senses the movement but not what it is. I found this useful when seeing clients, not to jump at them but to feel their problem. One can develop this in meditation as long as there no imagery, visualization perhaps just watching the breath.

Nowadays it doesn't seem necessary to practice just relax and enjoy, trusting the awareness will click in when needed.


SHACK
Does the deer feel happy?  The few occasions in Randori (Judo practice and Shiai contest) I found it a beautiful relaxed feeling similar to sitting  in meditation.  It was meditation in
movement. Stillness and movement. (SHACK) 

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