On false truths

On this day of March 11, 2002 I write these words thinking that no one will read them as they are nothing but the truth and lies learned from others much greater then I.

Never feel that you need tools to the things that you want to do.

I have never found a case where something cannot be done without knowledge or tools. If you lack to knowledge, learn. If you wish to carve get a piece of wood and a knife and try. You will not succeed, but you will improve as you carve, and will be better for the next time you try. Ours is the day of great resources and leisure time us them as much as you can.

The world is full of teachers in many forms. Your mind is the greatest teacher of all, from birth you have learned by doing. Experience is the only way to learn. A baby does not learn that fire burns by a watchful mother but by touching the flame and getting burned. A swordsman doesn't become better at blocking by drilling but by being hit and not wishing to be hit again.

A true hero is one that makes mistakes and gets better. A mistake is not a fault but a way of learning. I dislike people who do not have to work for there skills. They rarely live up to what they can be, they tend to specialize in what is easy for them and avoid the difficult skills. There is no honor in this.

Look not for a teacher. One must not be of the mind set of a student but of some one who seeks knowledge. Never look to find a teacher, look to learn your way. A true teacher will not be sought out but will appear when one is ready. To rush to find a teacher will only slow you down. Have faith and patience.

Beware of teachers that are too eager to teach. In a town near me there is a teacher of hand-to-hand combat. His makes him name known to all as a teacher of the martial arts. He has many students and many dojo's. But he is not a true teacher, when a student comes into learn he will make a belt of rank with there name on it and place it on the wall. The students will look at their belt of rank and work for the belt. This is not the true way. The student is learning to work for an object and rank not skill. The students quickly learn what they need for testing to get their rank belt. Once achieved they loose interest in the way as they have achieved all that could be achieved under that teacher. They then leave the dojo with a weak mind and body. They wear their belt with false pride and little skill.

Burn the boat when you reach the bank. In walking a path you come to a great river, when trying to find a way a crossed the river you find a boat. You look at the boat and it takes you to the other side of the river. When you get to the shore burn the boat. It is no use to you on land and will only slow you down. Many people get enjoy the safety of their boats and never get out of them, thus never explore the world around them. We all have our boats even though we are not near the water.

Choose the seven samurai not Musashi to look up to.

I enjoy the book Musashi as a great lesson on the mind set to archive great things, but he is weak. A battle is not won with one man, battles are won by knowing when to group and when to divide. To understand this I look to the seven samurai, Together they worked as a whole, even 13 a peasant passing as a samurai became a strong and noble Samurai when with the teachings of the others. Only focused together as one could they fight and win. Musashi would have killed many and fought well but he could not have won as he was unwilling to accept the help and assistance of others. This is weakness and should be avoided.

Never start a journey by looking for a teacher, this shows lack of direction. When one is ready for a teacher one will appear.

Students that seek a teacher are not ready to learn, This is an understanding that comes only with looking for a teacher. Like most wisdom is cannot be passed down with words but only with actions and experience.

Be mindful to never forget your way. In life I have wanted to become honorable, fair and never remembered. The true way is a journey for no one but your self. To gain fame is not a way but a path. To make your parents proud is natural but worthless. The inner pull and desire must come from you soul…. your being , not your pride. Cast your pride aside it will only hold you down.

Love your self or you will always be running away from the truth. In my studies I have always been apart from the way as I never feel that I am where I should be. Most feel this way. You must trust your self and live, as you should. Never look to others as a bench mark, only look at what you can do, then do it.

Don't work on your way, be it. If your way is the way of a kindness then be kind. Start every second looking for kindness inside you. Find a door to hold open, say thank you pleasantly to all and be the better person. If your way is of the sword become your sword, train with it, keep it near to your heart, feel naked with out it, use it as you use your hands and feet. As in all things if you fail, understand why then vow to avoid it and continue on. Never dwell on regrets.

Be ever alert and always try to understand the lessons that are being offered to you. Teachers and lessons are very rarely presented in an obvious way. One day I was walking down the street and came a crossed a man with some condition where he had to walk with crutches. He was trying to climb some stairs to get onto the street and was having some difficulty making the last step. I offered him my hand and helped him out of the stairs. The gentleman had such strong arms I could not believe it He thanked me and we went our separate ways. I wonder did I help him or did he help me. To this day I wonder if I missed something in that encounter.

A missed arrow teaches more then one that flies true. Even the best archer has lost a quivers of arrows. When a person misses a goal or does something incorrect they will be displeased with them self and have regret. This is not good, No one is without fault and all things are learned from failing. One should be resolved to find the fault, understand it and correct for it and try again.

Distrust a friendly god more then the devil. Religions can distract from the way. I enjoy this poem:

If in ones heart,

He follows the path of sincerity,

Thought he does not pray,

Will not the gods protect him.

One does not need to walk a path of the religious man to know the way. Religions of the masses are no more then an easy way to feel like a good person. Lip service and a few pennies are all that are required to wash away sins and misdeeds. A person that walks the true religious path should be seen for their actions and heart and not the religion.

Always find something of worth to do. Try to never idly play with things. When talking with people give them your attention when thinking think. Doing worthless things only causes harm. Even when handling simple or worthless things you cannot know all the impacts of your actions in the future. One example: I was sitting talking to a friend, as the conversation was only important to pass time I began playing with a network cable on his desk. There was a network port on the wall and I am rather fond of the clicking sound of the latch so I amused my self by plugging the cable in and out a few times. Thinking that there could be no harm, as the cable was not attached to any system I left it plugged in to the dead port.

After some time I was approached by a member of our IT force who admonished me for looping their network. After honestly apologizing several times he told me it would be reported. This effect could not have been known to me but was directly caused by me. Never assume simple things cause no effect. I would have been better to practice control and pay more attention to my friend or better yet do something of worth with that time.

Correct mistake quickly as they do not grow. When one is wrong or does wrong never hesitate to correct yourself and apologize honestly. If you do not wait you will to be honest in your apology. It is best to settle theses things quickly and honestly. If left unsettled the misgivings may grow and fester beyond your control.

Embrace the book of changes. From a young child we look at change as a bad thing, but it drives us to then next level of being. Children do not want to be toilet trained, We do not want to go to school, we do not want to start working for a living and we do not want to die. But all these things help us evolve into what we are today. Small changes are like this as well. A new boss or policy change is not comfortable but will serve a purpose, be it seen or not. You cannot stop things from changing, flow with them look for the propose. If you do not like the direction of the flow try to help the flow to go to a better course. Just understand that you can never go back up the stream.

Never complain. But always correct what is incorrect. Many see errors in the world around them. Some feel the need to point out these errors. Few people will try to fix them. Complaining about problems is fruitless and harmful. If you see a problem and feel that it should be fixed, fix it. This will carry you far if you can practice it well. Never believe that a problem is to big to solve, This is a weak form of thinking. If the problem is big then other people will want it solved. Find out how to fix it by understanding why it is done that way. Very few problems are created by incompetence, but more by using the best solution available at the time. Many times you will find that the problem is being handled the best way possible once you find out why it is done that way. When a better solution can be found you will be able to go to the powers that be and convince them there is a better way. It is useful to understand a problem and change it, it is worthless to complain and do nothing.

A good mans sword shall not out live him, but a samurai never dies but becomes a shade in the polish of his sword. In times past a warriors sword would be broken at his death . but in Japan a family sword is passed from generation to generation. This confuses me greatly. A sword to a warrior is his soul and best friend, he knows his sword better then any one else, he cares for it and loves it as it was a part of himself. Together they are one, so how can these both be true? A sword should never rust, if on can pass a sword to a person of skill or heart to use, it should be passed from generation to generation. If a man dies with out a student of true heart it should be broken and placed by its master for eternity.

A sword is a weapon of death nothing more. By practicing you learn the way of murder. Nothing but pain can be achieved in drawing a sword. Buddha teaches this and it is true. Many claim to us a "life giving sword" on drawn in defense of the helpless. The life giving sword still kills and is a murderous device. So why is it that we look so kindly on this weapon of destruction? Much thought should be given to this.

Push your soul into only one sword. People are like children they like new things. New students of the way of the sword often "upgrade" their sword. This is understandable. But after beginning time one needs to focus. A master pushes his soul into his weapon with every movement. After time a sword reflects the master in its shine. A sword learns its master and the master learns his sword. Only with this harmony can a man truly become one with his sword. This is true of all ways.

Leave the gods in heaven, ours is the realm of man. People talk of the evils of man and wanting to bring the word of god to the world. This talk is worthless, we are living in the realm of man, evil is rampant and will always be that way. One should not try to change the world but ones self. By doing this you will change your world.

In my travels I have come to an interesting quandary, When should you help a person. Having always wanted for nothing I have always found it easy to be a generous person, This is not to say that I am a Generous person but that I have always shared what I have had more then I needed of. But in the past few years I have noticed a disturbing trend, A good friend of mine came to the conclusion that he was unable to continue to his wife and wished to leave her and peruse a divorce. This decision had not come lightly or quickly to my friend, To the point that he felt that it may perhaps be better to commit suicide in a way as to look accidental, thus releasing his burden of a loveless marriage without having to traumatize his children with a divorce. Luckily we where able to change his mind on the subject and arranged for him to leave is wife and move to another part of the country. As with all things his move cost more money then he had predicted and he was in need of money. I was more then happy to help a friend in need and loaned him a considerable sum of money. He honestly wished to pay me back, though I had no wish to be reimbursed for the money. But as time went on he started to get lonely and started to talk to his wife again.

When one is thinking of starting a clan or group on should never be in a hurry to grow ones numbers for the sake of being bigger. One should always choose members that will fit into the ones clan for the long run. Think of it as a builder, If the foundation is poorly laid, the rest of the house will crack and decay regardless of how carefully the new materials are chosen, as they will be layer upon the broken base. Its better to take ones time and build slowly and carefully.

Letting go of a person is a hard thing to do, be it a friend, clan member or lover. But in every persons life there will be a need let go of a relation that is not healthy. This becomes even harder for the masters of a clan. When the master is not attentive or lets slip actions that should not be allowed there will be trouble. It is best to strike down the problem as soon as one can. If left unchecked, like an infection it will go deeper into ones skin and will be more painful to remove it.

I have noticed in my travels that many people disregard and ignore troubled people. This saddens me, Troubled people see the world with different eyes. They react to the world as they see it, just as you do. I try not to judge people on there realities as they are no more real or actual then your own reality. Some may disagree with this point, but think of it this way. Graveyards in current times are clean, and mostly well kept places of reverence for the dead. Some people refuse to simply walk by a graveyard at night, some would be frightened to walk in one at night, Others have no fear, and some cultures have parties and picnics in graveyards to be closer to the departed ones they love. Who has the correct view of the graveyard? Is it a place to place dead bodies that should be feared and avoided for fear of evil spirits or an unpleasant reminder of ones own mortality. Or is it a place of rest for demised loved ones that should be visited with a smile.

Personally I enjoy walking threw graveyards to ponder the lives of those that came before me. I do enjoy at times the close understanding or mortality that comes with pondering the lives that have come before and will come after my own. I also get the feeling that in reading and reflecting on the gravestones I am paying homage to those souls that may still be wondering around. The Chinese believe that a departed soul is comforted in the afterlife by people thinking or praying of them from the world of the living.

I have often wondered about what reality is, The old story by Chuang_tzu is a favorite of mine. "Once upon a time, I, Chuang-tzu, dreamt I was a butterfly, flittering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly...suddenly I awoke... Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man." I have never wondered if I was anything other then a man but there are things that I do not understand. From childhood I have been able to feel emotions that are not my own, at times I have been so engrossed in these emotions that I is like I am seeing the world with someone else’s eyes. These emotions can be both good and bad. They do not seem to be connected with reality that I can see. But they at times allow me to be able to step out of my body and see the world in a different light and with understandings that are not my own. The doctors have labeled it Manic-Depressive Disorder, But I feel that it just another thing that allows me to simply be me and is not a disorder but being able briefly to be a butterfly even if I get caught in the wind for a moment.

I would gladly die to achieve one good deed but living threw one would be harder.

A man came to me the other day and asked if I knew the love of Jesus and forgiveness of god. I smiled and said that no god will ever judge me harder then I judge my self. The man stunned looked at me and said that god forgiveness is all one needs and we are lost with out it. Its hard for me to talk with a person that has to ask for forgiveness but not change ones ways. Don’t ask forgiveness for something you will do again. Change is the only true sincerity one can offer when apologizing for misdeeds, and forgiveness is worthless if one expects the same again.

I do not pray, I ask only to be remembered by my actions and deeds, not by praise I gave to the cross, god or stone Buddha. One should honor their God by living life with the fullest with strength, honor, charity and self reflection. If one does this and is turned away from the graces of a god then it is unworthy of praise.

I have watched many people in my life decide to make very poor choices for there children. This disturbs me greatly, A friend of mine of many years once asked me how I would handle his situation. My friend was living in a respect less and loveless marriage of many years. He was, like many men, a intelligent but spineless man. They where rather poor and without may of the finer things in life as his wife had bore him three children and would not work. She continually hounded him endlessly for another child to the point of driving him to the brink of suicide. His wife did little to care for the children other then giving birth to them. Like all children with little upbringing they where ill behaved and in great need of boundaries and manors. But whenever the subject of him leaving his wife came up he would always say that he would stay for his children. Perhaps it is that I do not have children of my own, and ones values and mindset change with the birth of a child, but I feel broken loveless home is no better then a single parent home. I come from a broken home as my father left when I was young. From what I can remember of him living with my mother is that all they did was fight and it was very disturbing to me as a young child. I ask how is this better then the two loving single parents that I was raised by? But as with most people of weak minds they are drawn to what is known and are scared to try something new.

Friends much like control are difficult to give up. Many times in my life I have made poor choices when dealing with friends. It is best to listen to all opinions when one is considering a friend or your power. Both friends and your power should not be considered to be infallible and one should never be afraid to correct either one.

One day while sitting in forest by my grandparents house I became briefly aware of my place in the Tao. The day was a warm and enjoyable and I had found a large hill to sit by and look over the yellowing leaves broken by the sunlight. As I stat and stared off into the nothing I wondered what would be different if I died that moment. As I pulled out to my body I drifted up into the sky and as I got farther and father away from my body I noticed that nothing had changed. My parents and those few that knew me would be saddened by my death but the world and all things would still be as they should be. The world and all of creation was the same with out me. Strangely I was comforted by this realization, and I felt a strange sensation of not being, it was as if my chest had a void of pure nothingness inside it. The sensation was the most wonderful feeling I have ever had. But just as the epiphany hit it was gone and I was back standing alone in the woods on a bight sunny day. I do not pretend that I have become enlightened nor that my experience is unique or special but I do take comfort that all is as it should be and will be that way with or with out me. Even if it is a fools comfort.

Take care to always see beyond mere friendship when choosing people for a task. We are all poor judges of your friends, You will grow more when listen and work with strangers.

The thought of earning or being due something is a strange line of thought. I have been recognized many times for my skill in various manors for different things. Some I have strived for, and have been every thankful for the award when given. Others items I have been passed by for praise when I feel I have done much more then the others getting the award. But what vexes me more then being missed or skipped over is when I get recognized for something I feel I have yet to earn. How should I react to this? I was awarded a title last night, The title is one that is rather rare to achieve and is given for service to the organization above and beyond the call of duty in a certain field (the particulars are unimportant). While I do hold other titles of a higher rank for other actions this award is something I have been striving for. When I say striving for I do not wish to convey that was doing the required actions to achieve the goal of the title, More that the few others that have the title are people of true service selfishly helping others and being awarded not for what they did but why they did it. I acted on the want to be a person a true service so that I may be thought of as one of them in time. The title was a minor milestone on which to measure ones progress. As I was being awarded the title it hit me that I did not feel that I have served enough to have earned the title. It is not that I have not served or will discontinue serving now that I have the title but I do not feel that I am worthy of the title yet. The question that vexes me is it enough to know that those who awarded me the title think I have earned it? Or should one risk offending the giver and return it explaining that one has yet to earn it. The only advice that seems relevant was given to me by a close fried “Be a true to your way and the honors will follow”. Perhaps some honors may come before they are due, some when they are due, others after they are due, and some will never come. That does not change that you have become what the honors are created to recognize. I must then strive not to have the title till I am due it but to continue down the path that I have started regardless of the title. Much thought should be given to this.

I have watched the struggle for recognition in many ways, from those struggling for promotion at work, to gaining rank in a dojo, to striving for honors in a past time. I have watched may people forget what is important when trying to achieve something. Within my group the highest title possible is knighthood also known as getting a belt. It is the highest honor possible in the group and is reserved for those of honor and skill above all others. It is a great ideal to strive for. It is a position of honor, but there is hidden demon that strikes everyone who try to walk that path That demon is pride, Everyone starts to think that becoming qualified for the belt (doing the minimum of what is needed) means that the belt is due to them. I believe that this is mostly due people forgetting that highest honors are given because the recipient is doing and will continue to do, not having done something. To me an honor is awarding something that one does freely, where as working for the goal only is a job. To put it another way, what is more worthy of praise some one that can build a bridge that will help others travel a crossed a river or one that builds a bridge and continually repairs and improves a bridge. Both are tasks that require effort and skill but the highest honors are for those that devote them selves not to the act of building a bridge but need to help others able to cross the river. The builder of a bridge has one purpose the bridge, once the bridge is built his goal is done nothing more is needed. Where the person that wants to make a path to the other side is always achieving more and more, His devotion is to getting to the other side rather then to the bridge its self. That to me is the true way of honor. Though it may be hard to remember and understand even though the builder is never thanked for making the bridge the goal should always be to be able to get to the other side of the river not to get an award making the bridge. The same should be applied to all awards and honors. The belt is not the goal being knightly, worthy of the title and honor you are given is the role. If the belt is your only goal you will only gain a piece of leather and will soon understand your time to be wasted, if you become worthy of the belt and are never given it you are still worthy and only out the leather. Be mindful when setting goals.

Being passed over for an award or honor should always be welcomed. Hard words to hear and even harder to follow. I like most others very much enjoy being recognized for my achievements. I do believe this to be a very natural want, without encouragement and nurturing we will tend to not take risks and grow. But being passed over for an honor does not take away from your achievements. The awards that I have been passed by for have given me time to reflect on why I did not get them. Some times I did tell and show others what I have done, others upon further inspection where not as grandiose as I thought they where or was not even an achievement, and in a few rare cases (many fewer then I think there are) I was passed by for political reasons. Do not be quick in deciding the reason, Many times the reasons are complex and will only be understandable with a lot of investigation. Understand your faults and continue with your way with a bit more knowledge then you had before and put the past behind you.

Do not confuse wise advice with a wise person. As with all things people try to see only the best in those they respect. This is a dangerous way of thinking, Every one has faults there are no perfect people in the world and if you do not see the imperfections in those you respect and learn from you will become disillusioned after time and think there is nothing of worth in them or what they teach. Seek the wise in others, discard the faults and try to understand both.

In our culture of equality and individualism I fear the skill of self reliance and self motivation are being lost. Children and adults are thinking that they are entitled to what every one else has regardless of the effort or skill the other person has put forth to get what they have. I have read that schools have stopped posting honor students as it makes the underachievers feel bad. This is weak thinking, children should be pushed to the limit they are able to achieve, Shame can be a very powerful tool if used correctly. One should not spoil a child to make them believe they are doing things they are not, Children should be shown that they are responsible for making their own path. If they do not learn they will be dependant on others forever and unable to understand what is needed to change their position. This can be seen in adults as well. Baby boomers are suing their employers because they are paid less and are promoted less often then others that perform better then they do. This angers me in a way that few other subjects can. We are not equal, We should all be judged on what we do and do not do. Everyone must find their own path, how far you walk is up to you. Never judge your progress by looking at others they walk a different path then you. Opportunity is available to all who want it, but it is rarely exercised with out struggle and effort and personal change.

Some things should be said, others should not, this one that never had the chance to be said when departing the company of a friend, it is a great regret of mine.

The end in all things is important. Lord Yasuda Ukyo’s wisdom may be forgotten in this age, when so much is always left unsaid and dampened with the passing of time. I hope that I have been able to pass a sense of honor and strength to you in our fleeting moments together. I hope you have learned the courage to be yourself, the strength to strike down the weakness in your own heart and the honor to accept your mistakes and move on. When we follow these three things and the path will be clear. I will leave you with this quote: Human life is a truly short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like. It is foolish to live within this dream of a world seeing unpleasantness and doing only the things that you do not like.

Questions? Comments? Insults? contact the web master at: Ichiban@wakagashira.com