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TRAINING PHILOSOPHY
It has always seemed strange that many practitioners of the
Martial Arts who know that the Shaolin temple is the
birthplace of Zen Buddhism & most forms of Kung Fu & Karate
do not go into details about the meaning of Zen or even the
meaning of Buddhism.
If the art is founded on Buddhist philosophy, then the failure to
acknowledge its roots amounts to practice without a foundation.
This is why the Chinese Martial arts cannot and should not be
considered purely as a sport, but as a way of life. In that sense,
there can be no one sided training , because this would only
capture the external aspects, but training also has a practical side.
Too much intellectualization without application is also
meaningless.
Our discussion will start with Buddhism then move on to Zen and will finish
with the implications for the practice of martial arts.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a rich and complex philosophy. The Buddhist path
can not be easily explained in a few words ,However I will try
1, to lead a moral life
2, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and
3, to develop wisdom and understanding.
The teachings of the Buddha are based on the tenets of the Four
Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path.
The Four Noble Truths
1, life is suffering
2, suffering is caused by desire
3, suffering can be overcome and true happiness can be attained
4, the end to suffering can be achieved by following the Noble
8-fold Path
The Eight Fold Path
1. Right View - Understand the Four Noble Truths. It is desire
that brings suffering, and letting go of desire can bring peace.
2. Right Thought - remove the fifteen defilement's (greed, ill-will,
hostility, denigration, dominance, envy, jealousy, hypocrisy, fraud,
obstinacy, presumption, conceit, arrogance, vanity and negligence)
by the six methods of removal (restraining, using, tolerating,
avoiding, destroying, developing).
3. Right Speech - Speak only words of honesty, kindness,
nurturing and worthiness.
4. Right Action - Do no harm (Respect life, Earn all that you have,
Control your desire)
5. Right Livelihood - Does one's way of life support or hinder
the ways of Peace? Only the heart knows.
6. Right Effort - Discipline and diligence in following the
Eight-Fold Path.
7. Right Mindfulness - Aware of the body, feelings,
mind and mental qualities.
8. Right Concentration - Focus on the Eight-Fold Path.
Zen
A special transmission outside the scriptures;
No dependence upon words and letters;
Direct pointing to the soul of man:
Seeing into one's own nature and attainment of Buddha hood
|
Bodhidharma, First Patriarch of Zen
|
The differences in the various schools of Buddhism (Theravada,
Mahayana, Vajrayana, etc.) are found in their method and
approach.
The teachings of Bodhidharma are based on self-cultivation
through meditation and enlightenment, which occurred the
moment he comprehended his Buddhist ego. This approach
was a radical departure from the scholasticism of the traditional
Buddhist sutras at that time.
This change resonated within the Chinese minds and resulted
in the dominance of this philosophy in South East Asia.
Implications for the practice of Martial Arts
The influence of this philosophy on the practice of the martial arts
should be clear. Unlike a sport, the practice of Spiritual Kung Fu should lead to control of the ego. The basic principals of the Four Noble
Truths and the Eight-Fold Paths are an inherent assumption
underlying the spirit of the practice. In traditional views, the
training in this art is done for oneself, and the desire to engage in
it for sport represents a contradiction. On one level, the forms
and postures are for fighting,
but the ultimate goal is harmony between mind and body. Having
a strong body and a strong mind will create a balance of mind body & spirit.