Things End As They Begin

Many great wisdom traditions have offered up “The Way.” Often it is said there are many Paths (or Ways) but only one Mountain (a metaphor for Truth.) Right here, at the outset of this journey, I will state that MY TRUTH is that THERE ARE MANY TRUTHS. (“How Meta!”)

Has there ever been such a contentious idea as Truth? As for the children of that idea: right and wrong; sacred and profane; just and unjust… Has any collection of concepts ever caused more pain and human suffering? Countless wars (be they political, religious, technological or purely ideological) and their innumerable victims lie at the feet of this idea: Truth.

And yet, perhaps by changing the perspective through which we view this idea of Truth, we can allow the unnecessary to fall away so that the necessary may appear. Here I propose that we release the mental constructs and habitual associations around this idea of Truth. Try it with me:

Take one very, very, very deep breath in. Now hold it.

Hold it.. Hold it… Hold it..… as long as you can.

And finally……. Exhale!

Was there Truth in your need to exhale? There was in mine! And we require no mind or sense of right and wrong to Know That Truth.

The samurai were great practitioners of Zen. The letting go of things. The achieving of stillness of mind. Sometimes the path to this stillness was the breath. At other times the paths were many. But the Mountain was This Sense of Knowing. This Knowing was not an Idea but a KNOWING.

When we let go the ideas of past and future. When we simply sit with and be with What Is. Only when we allow the mental to fade away can we begin to detect the quiet voice of the Heart. Why am I speaking of the Heart? I speak of the Heart because to me it is the Path of Heart that leads me inevitably to my most precious Truth.

When I follow my Heart I am following my Passion. When I follow my heart, I am following my Excitement. When I follow my Heart I am working my Craft and Time disappears. The path of the samurai is the path of Heart.

The ancient samurai of Japan believed that "If by setting ones heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way." (Chapter 1, Page 1 Hagakure 葉隠; In the Shadow of Leaves by the samurai scribe Tsuramoto Tashiro)

While it may not be necessary today, for us to live as though our body is already dead, it is useful to imagine what it would feel like to be free of all distractions of the mind and the need to sustain the body. What would it be like to live in our Passion? Is this Flow? Is this Truth? Certainly this is Art! And in my own life, Truly, this is The Way of The Samurai.

Since each of is is unique in our Mind, Body and Spirit (Heart?) we may each carry our own Truth. And that Truth may be different from moment to moment. Many of the Western wisdom traditions describe living life in the moment; following one's bliss; being all that we can be; giving all we have to give; being here now... Each seems to point to the path of Heart and discovering one’s Joy by fully committing oneself fully to the task at hand.
More modern masters like Stephen Covey remind us to "Begin with the End in mind." To the samurai who is fully committed to the moment, time ceases. Mind becomes No Mind. Future and past fall away and there is only the moment. Truly, when one follows one’s passion there is no beginning and no ending. They are the same. There is only Now, Flow, What Is… or as the samurai described it “Action without thought.”

The samurai becomes the arrow and the target. The samurai becomes the sword. The samurai becomes The Way.

MetaDojo is a community of individuals who live their passion and follow their Truth. We are many individuals and we have many Truths. In Japanese dojo (道場, dōjō) literally means "place of the way". This is the place where we each discover and practice our Way.

We honor your Truth and your Way.

May they bring you great happiness and Joy.