ZEN AND MARTIAL ARTS: A Brief Background for Birankai Members
What is Zen?
The Japanese word zen () comes from the h!nese word chan" wh!ch !s from the Sans#r!t word dhyana:
med!tat!on$ The Zen %!nea&e was transm!tted from Ind!a to h!na !n the '
th
cent(r)$ It was %ater transm!tted
thro(&ho(t As!a" and !n the modern era to the *est$
What am I? What is this life for? Why is there suffering? These are (n!+ersa% h(man ,(est!ons$ Some come to Zen
when s(ch ,(est!ons can no %on&er -e !&nored$ Zen" howe+er" !s not the!st!c or doctr!na%%) centered" and !s therefore
not a re%!&!on !n the western sense$ Rather" !ts foc(s !s ps)cho.ph)s!ca% pract!ce wh!ch /d!rect%) po!nts at the h(man
m!nd0$ Thro(&h s(ch pract!ce" essent!a% h(man ,(est!ons are reso%+ed w!th!n rea%!zat!on ar!s!n& as one1s own
e2per!ence$ The a(thent!c ha%%mar# of s(ch rea%!zat!on !s compass!on$
About Zen Training
The essent!a% po!nt of Zen tra!n!n& . and !ts &ate . !s to -e awa#ened thro(&h a d!rect see!n& of one1s own tr(e nat(re$
3pen and free of fa-r!cat!on" &rasp!n& or fear" -e)ond effort and d(a%!st!c ha-!ts of see!n&" th!s !s the rea%!zat!on of
one1s 4or!&!na% face$4
Zen has man) approaches to re+ea%!n& and deepen!n& th!s rea%!zat!on" (sed !n accordance w!th the character and needs
of each st(dent$ 5or s(per!or st(dents" a d!rect see!n& of the nat(re of m!nd ma) -e !n!t!a%%) -ro(&ht a-o(t thro(&h
enco(nter w!th!n the ba (4f!e%d4) of a ,(a%!f!ed master6 th!s approach !s essent!a%%) method%ess$ More t)p!ca% st(dents
m(st f!rst remo+e +ar!o(s o-str(ct!ons to rea%!zat!on$ Zazen" seated med!tat!on" !s one of the most !mportant pract!ces
for st(dents of a%% capa-!%!t!es" as are pract!ces tra!n!n& the -reath!n& and s(-t%e ener&et!c s)stems$
Zen !s a%so we%% #nown for adapt!n& a ran&e of comp%ementar) d!sc!p%!nes to ref!ne the h(man -e!n& and man!fest
w!sdom !n act!+!t)$ 5!ne arts s(ch as ca%%!&raph) and f%ower arran&ement" and ph)s!ca% c(%t(re %!#e mart!a% arts" are
trad!t!ona% e2amp%es wh!ch fac!%!tate Zen !ns!&ht thro(&h the -od)$
Thro(&h pract!ce of th!s #!nd one ma) sw!ft%) &a!n a deep conf!dence !n the rea%!zat!on of one1s own nat(ra% m!nd as
-oth path and fr(!t of the Zen wa)$ Tra!n!n& cease%ess%)" re+ea%!n& th!s w!sdom !n the p%a) of da!%) act!+!t!es" freedom
and %!-erat!on nat(ra%%) (nfo%d$ Thro(&h Zen" one1s ent!re %!fe ma) -e sa!d to -ecome the dojo: a p%ace of
en%!&htenment$
Zen and Budo
In Japan -e&!nn!n& !n the 7ama#(ra per!od" the pract!ce of Zen -) mem-ers of the samurai c%ass %ed to a d!st!nct
trad!t!on of 4warr!or Zen4$ In response to the!r (n!,(e needs" -oth nat!+e Japanese and !mm!&rant h!nese Zen
masters de+!sed spontaneo(s" and at t!mes e2traord!nar)" means to &(!de the pract!ce of these warr!or tra!nees$
8!stor!ca% f!&(res %!#e 8o9o To#!m(ne and :amao#a Tessh( are famo(s e2amp%es of those who mastered th!s #!nd of
Zen$
The enco(nter -etween Zen mon#s and the warr!or c%ass o+er the cent(r!es a%so re+ea%ed an !nterest!n& fact: certa!n
bujutsu (mart!a% arts)" !f pract!ced proper%)" co(%d ser+e as d!sc!p%!nes w!th the power to c(t thro(&h ph)s!ca%" menta%
and ener&et!c o-stac%es to Zen rea%!zat!on$ L!#ew!se" !t was o-ser+ed that Zen pract!ce not on%) ser+ed to f(rther the
&oa%s of mart!a% art tra!n!n&" -(t pro+!ded an eth!ca% and sp!r!t(a% rat!ona%e for the!r pract!ce$ In short" commona%!t!es
!n sp!r!t" tra!n!n& d!sc!p%!ne" and m!nd.-od) (sa&e -etween the two paths were o-ser+ed and c(%t!+ated$
E+ent(a%%) Zen contr!-(ted to the deepen!n& percept!on that mart!a% arts co(%d offer m(ch more to h(man soc!et) than
s!mp%) techn!,(es of offense and defense$ The J!#!sh!n#a&e R)(" for e2amp%e" came to state that the deeper p(rpose
of swordsmansh!p was act(a%%) to 4remo+e a%% -ad ha-!ts and add!ct!ons ac,(!red s!nce -!rth and to restore the
or!&!na% p(re and -r!&ht permanent -od)$4 A Zen wa) of sa)!n& th!s wo(%d -e that s(ch tra!n!n& c(ts thro(&h one1s
jikke (4ha-!t ener&)4)" or #arm!c o-str(ct!ons" wh!ch !mpede the f(%% man!festat!on of w!sdom$ *!th!n s(ch
statements we ma) sense the (n!f!ed p(rposes of Zen and ;(do$
Man) prom!nent mart!a% art!sts !n Japanese h!stor) < Ts(#ahara ;o#(den" M(sash! M!)amoto" 3no Tadaa#!" Ts(9!
=ettan" :a&)( M(nenor!" 8ar!&a)a Se#!(n" :amao#a Tessh(" and others < came to f!nd !n Zen pract!ce a +!ta% e%ement
that !nformed the!r bujutsu Toda) we can st!%% sa) that man) ,(a%!t!es needed !n o(r own tra!n!n& of persona%
de+e%opment are !ndeed s!m!%ar to those needed -) the warr!ors of the past$ The same fear%essness" ener&) and foc(s
are needed to p%(m- the depths of one1s own e2!stence as the) are !n the m!dst of a conf%!ct$
*hen pract!ced toðer w!th th!s rat!ona%e" the deepest mean!n& of the mart!a% arts from a Zen standpo!nt ma) th(s -e
re+ea%ed: th!s !s the rea%!zat!on of muteki" the state of 4no enem)4$ *hen the d(a%!st!c separat!on of 4se%f4 and 4other4
!s transcended thro(&h the for&!n& of deep m!nd.-od) tra!n!n&" !t !s seen that no one !s an enem)$ The f!nest and
sharpest sword !s not for&ed of stee% and !s not for harm!n& others" -(t !s the sword of w!sdom we a%% ha+e w!th!n (s$
>!ew!n& mart!a% arts !n th!s %!&ht" we can (nderstand how the) ma) -e tr(%) -enef!c!a% 4*a)s4 of se%f.rea%!zat!on" and
e+en too%s to esta-%!sh peace$
A%tho(&h m(ch has -een wr!tten !n pop(%ar" !nacc(rate -oo#s concern!n& connect!ons -etween Zen and mart!a% arts"
there are +er) few !nd!+!d(a%s toda) who act(a%%) (nderta#e the e2treme%) se+ere com-!ned pract!ce of -oth paths$
And )et we are fort(nate !n ;!ran#a! to ha+e h!-a Sense!1s e2amp%e$ ;e)ond h!s own persona% pract!ce" h!-a
Sense! has !ntrod(ced zazen !nto h!s teach!n& c(rr!c(%(m and enco(ra&ed h!s st(dents to e2p%ore th!s as a comp%ement
to the!r A!#!do st(d)$
Benefits of Zen Training for Birankai Members
;!ran#a! s(pports Zen tra!n!n& for those mem-ers who fee% ca%%ed to (nderta#e !t$ ;eca(se Zen po!nts to a w!sdom
wh!ch !s !nherent w!th!n the st(dent" !t cannot -e sa!d that an)th!n& new !s &a!ned from Zen pract!ce$ Ne+erthe%ess"
the fo%%ow!n& -enef!ts of Zen pract!ce wh!ch are re%e+ant to budoka ha+e trad!t!ona%%) -een c!ted:
The power of !ntense concentrat!on (joriki)$
Int(!t!+e percept!on (kan)$
Ener&et!c power or +!-rat!on (kiai)$
Sens!t!+!t) to the (sa&e of t!me and space (kokyu! maai)$
E2pans!+e +!s!on (/ten d!rect!on e)es0) and &enera% sense ac(!t)$
5ree.f%ow!n& and concentrated awareness !n wh!ch d(a%!st!c f!2at!on and concept(a% fa-r!cat!on !s
%essened (zanmai"samadhi)$
?sa&e of -od) and -reath centered !n the hara (the %ower a-domen)" (n!f)!n& (pper and %ower -od) and
a%%ow!n& eff!c!ent a-sorpt!on and transference of power to and from the earth$
(%t!+at!on of the -od).m!nd1s s(-t%e ener&et!c s)stem" w!th profo(nd effects on hea%th as we%% as depth
of tra!n!n& atta!nment$
ompass!on: the ne&at!on of /se%f0 and the ded!cat!on of one1s %!fe to the we%fare of others$
L!+!n& each moment as the a-so%(te moment: /E+er) da) !s a &ood da)0$ Jo)f(% acceptance of -oth %!fe
and death$
Rea%!zat!on of the *a) (#o) w!th!n one1s own -od) and m!nd$
$or More Information on Zen and Zen %ractice &''ortunities( p%ease &o to www$-!ran#a!$or& for a %!st!n& of
;!ran#a! do9o wh!ch offer Zen tra!n!n& and a ca%endar of (pcom!n& Zen tra!n!n& e+ents$ The art!c%e /Zen and A!#!do0
-) h!-a Sense! !s a%so essent!a% read!n&$
