Tabata - Secret tactics: lessons from the great masters of martial arts

THE BOOK OF SEVEN MASTERS

Hear the sound of wind and water.

THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR in studying the martial arts is not merely to understand, but to transcend rationale and technique. Mastering both of these concepts is necessary and, like the two wheels of a cart, neither will be useful if one is missing.

In the martial arts, the spiritual aspect is the most important, and our forerunners, who were swordsmen of genius, have left legacies gathered from their personal encounters. Here I have collected works that I feel are most pertinent to the true understanding of the martial arts. These books were written between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a time in Japanese history of warring states and attempts at unification. During this period, the art of war was not merely a sport or spiritual training; this was a time when ones existence depended on ones skill in destroying the enemy. These works, the records of men who lived by the sword in harsh times, contain valuable lessons for us today.

ENLIGHTENMENT

IN ORDER TO BE spiritually awakened one must train to understand the area of psychology; to discover the cause of phenomena which exists within the human mind. It is a way to pursue infinite truth. To seek infinite truth is to obtain the means to control ones life. It is training to realize what our ancestors have accomplished in their own spiritual awakening.

Personality can deeply affect ones training. Personality can be categorized into two typeseither thoughtful or intuitive. A thoughtful personality finds importance in practicality, practice, and observation. An intuitive personality finds importance in inspiration, imagination, and theory.

In order to be spiritually awakened, one must strike a balance between these two personality types.

PEOPLE WITH OPEN and noble minds are the most effective teachers. Those who teach must not be bound by a single doctrine of existenceor an absolute value system. Regardless of their level of knowledge, their guidance cannot be fully effective unless they have a selfless mind.

Leaders should also be patient and kind, and teach fairly and with great mercy to all the people. They should have a great sense of responsibility, and their respectable behavior should give the people theyre teaching a sense of well-being and peace of mind.

It is far more difficult to overcome ones own falsehoods and selfdeception than to defeat millions of enemies. Unless you overcome these difficulties, however, you cannot preach morality. Self-centered thoughts and desires will eventually destroy your self.

If you are to lead, you must first lay your own foundation. Creating such a foundation will give others a sense of relief. They will then live rightly in the way that created such relief.

Similarly, a good partner relieves fatigue and arouses courage. Its a rare person who pays attention to their partners strong points, corrects his or her direction if its wrong, and furthers his or her abilities. But a wise person sees the joy in spending their life following and being dominated by a loved one. They can maintain a positive influence on the loved one, influencing him or her to make the right decisions at critical turning points in life. This is a good partner. In other words, a good partner is both a good leader and a good follower.

TEN LEVELS OF ENLIGHTENMENT

By Kok Yim Ci Yuen

ABOUT 900 YEARS AGO in Sheung Tak Fu, China, the Buddhist sage Kok Yim Ci Yuen was saddened that the world had fallen away from spiritual enlightenment, and had become mired in the physical world. This sage was the twelfth or thirteenth in succession from Shaka Buddha (the founder of Buddhism). Kok Yim Ci Yuen hoped to restore true happiness to people by helping them to develop their spiritual selves. He realized that all people are born with complete freedom from worldly trappings, but that their spiritual mind becomes clouded during life. Recognizing the tremendous difficulty that the average person has in embracing spiritual precepts, he presented the following beautiful and insightful story as a guide, to allow one to measure progress along ones way to spiritual enlightenment.