TuMo Meditation

 

Sit straight, either cross legged, lotus position, or feet flat on the floor and relax.  Breath deeply in the nose, hold, breath out the mouth completely, hold, breath in again and repeat.  Do this for 9 to 10 times then relax.

Concentrate first on an area approximately 2 to 3 below your navel and breath in deeply allowing the breath to fill your entire abdomen like a balloon.  Hold and visualize the area below your navel, the dantien. Breath out slowly controlling your breath until you are empty, hold.   Repeat 9 to 10 times then relax.  

Concentrate on the top of your head and Breath deeply in the nose filling your balloon as above and hold.  Breath out visualizing the breath leaving the body through the top of the head, crown, until there is no breath left, hold. Breath in again and relax.  

Visualize a flame, I use the vision of a candle in a mason jar, comfortably burning at your dantien.  Breath in deeply through the nose and fill your balloon, hold.  Breath out slowly visualizing the flame flowing up through your body and out your crown until all air is out, hold. Breath in and relax.  Do this 9 to 10 times, then relax.

Finish by visualizing the flame flowing up through the body and out the crown with each rhythmic breath in a normal pattern.  Relax and focus on the third eye in the center of the forehead, hold in that focus for as long as you see fit, Relax...  Fine'.  

The above is a beginning, and an advanced TuMo Meditation and Breathing exercise.  It was developed by Tibetan monks almost a thousand years ago as a way to teach the student how to regulate the breathing process of the body, the body temperature,  and connect the physical body with the breath moving in and out of it.  The word TuMo, Tummo, or Tumo, pronounced DuMoe, translates to "The Fire Within"  It is also the name of the Hindu goddess of the inner fire.  

Peace and Balance, 

John

Zen and The Art Of Fishing

 

Humming birds and bees amongst the flower and trees

Where spirits dwell and ferries tell stories of times to come

Out on the horizon the sun dips low as mist rises from the forest

and the river below

Sounds of running water gurgling from the brook

where trout swim rapidly avoiding the hidden hook

Is it the book that brought them here

from where to there they were before

No fish are caught by the lad asleep atop

a soft log where he had flopped

As he sleeps the birds stop to stare what is it that is lying there

Just a boy with a pole dreaming of his best fishing hole

and ferries speaking of future toll

And still the sun dips below the misty forest forever and again. 

Peace and Balance,

John

Zen And The Art Of Watching The Grass Grow

 Cha or Zen meditation as it is called in Japan involves concentrating on the breath, in the nose and out the mouth, and focusing on a Mantra or Kaon, either a repeated short phrase in which to focus the mental energies, or a paradoxical riddle to prove the inadequacy of logical reasoning and promote enlightenment.  The actual definition of enlightenment is fluid as is the actual understanding of Zen.  

There is an old song about, "Watching the Grass Grow", by an obscure British band from the 80's called, "Hawkwind".  The lyrics of the song are very Zen like, however the bands performance of their music isn't up to my standards, they suck.  Here are the lyrics of the first stanza:  

We are the survivors

The eternal survivors

Androgynous energies 

Traveling through time...

Zen Meditation involves focusing on the breath, and giving your mind a puzzle or question to ponder as you breath.  The combination of the breathing and the riddle can lead the meditator to an enlightened state freeing the mind from the body allowing the practitioner to separate the delusion from reality.  

The old adage about moving slow enough to watch the grass grow is itself a riddle and gives the Zen kaon purpose.  Sitting and Breathing in the nose, out the mouth, deeply and rhythmically, while pondering the Mantra, "We are the survivors, The eternal survivors, Androgynous energies, Traveling through time, while gazing about 45 degrees downwardly at the lawn with the intention of actually watching the grass grow.  Breath, repeat, and Gaze, do you see it moving?

Peace and Balance,

John

From Chan to Zen

 Cha or Chan Buddhism traveled from China to Japan somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 years before the current era (BCE).  Chan Buddhism, also called Mahayana Buddhism traveled from India to China on the shoulders of Bodidharma, student of Gautama, and eventually landed in the Temple of Hunan, the home of Shaolin.  The monks of the Small Forest. 

The Japanese transformed Chan meditation into Zen meditation by adding the practice of the Koan.  Koans are riddles that a Zen Master gives the student to focus the mind and quiet the thoughts during the meditative practice.  Chan mediation doesn't focus on a single thought as much.  In Chan Meditation it is more important to sit quietly and let the thoughts flow through the mind eventually leading to a quieting of the thoughts approaching emptiness allowing enlightenment to enter the mind.  The Koans of Zen allow the student to focus on one thought or series of thought in order to achieve a state of emptiness allowing enlightenment to enter. 

Other than the addition of a Koan and the Quiet sitting of Chan, the practices are very similar and both are versions of Mahayana as taught by Bodidharma, who the Shaolin called Tamo.  Tamo has many meanings in the various languages of China, we will stick to Venerated One.  

Emptiness is a statement that is greatly misunderstood by those who read, but don't practice.  Emptiness is not the state of being absent or empty headed.  That would be a dangerous path to follow.  Emptiness in the realm of Zen or Chan meditation is actively participating in the quieting process of the mind.  It is the intentional focusing on a small part of the mind and calling it empty.  The ability to focus on one spot at any given moment takes much concentrated effort, and when achieved lasts for moments before the concentration process must start over again.  The more practice that is put into it the longer the quiet moments.  This is where Enlightenment is hidden.  Within the quiet moments of meditation.  

What then is Enlightenment?  It is not all knowing, nor is it the tell all state of being.  However, enlightenment is different for every seeker of truth.  The word Truth and Enlightenment are interchangeable.  How we get there is purely a unique process for every individual on the path, We are all Buddha.  

Peace and Balance,

John

Tools of the Samurai

 

Pulling the bow is not pulling, but pushing the bow forward.  With the arrow notched push the bow forward while breathing in the nose.  Hold two fingers by the ear, open both eyes and look out to the target.  Breath out the mouth slowly and at the mid point of the exhalation let loose the arrow and watch.  

After a lifetime or two, if your practice is true, you might hit your target, maybe.  Luck leads you forward and if it is on your side you begin to hit the target more and more with each notch. Before you know it luck has left it's mark on you and you are consistent and capable of hitting your target at will.  You have entered the realms of Zen.

The Samurai where originally master archers, the bow was their weapon of choice.  The Katana was carried as a secondary defense in case the opponent became to close to shoot with the bow.  A mastery of both the bow and the sword were necessary for survival. 

A lifetime of constant practice and intimate contact with the bow and the sword endowed both with a portion of the Samurai's soul.  It is said that the master sword smith, Hanzo, endowed the last sword he made, the "Hanzo Hachi", with his own soul just before he died.  It is still considered the finest Katana to ever come out of Japan.  His Master Piece.  

Just as a bow is pushed when notched, and not pulled, a sword is pushed forward from scabbard to target back to scabbard in one arching motion.  This is Iado, the last ring of Musashi in his school of five rings. Inward, Outward, Over, Under, and One continuous motion.  The five Rings.

Peace and Balance,

John

What is Qi?

I start with, "Breath in the nose, Breath out the mouth."  Then I'll work into, "Relax and make your Breath going out longer than your Breath coming in."  We'll play with that game for awhile and I'll suggest that slowly moving the arms and hands up and down might be a good way to experience something special.  At this point my students usually give me a little bit of a sideways look, most fearing to ask, "What's special mean?"

I have a few guys I try things out on before I indulge John Q. Public with the things I'm trying out on my few guys.  The Special is one of those things.  At this point the reader is going to blurt out, possibly, at the screen, "John, dude, what the hell are you talking about?"  

The Special is Qi pronounced Chi.  What is Qi?  Classically Qi is an expression that represents Breath.  We breath it in, we breath it out every few seconds of every day.   For this reason Qi has been referred to as the "Life Force."  It's simple, if you don't breath, you don't live, "Life Force." Get it?  

So, now we've traveled from a term that represents Breath, to one that sustains our very living processes.  But, that's not all.  Qi is also a word that expresses the flow of electrons from one place to another. "Holy Shnikies John, what the hell are you getting at now?"  I can hear your minds reeling.

What is the term for flowing electrons?  Electricity.  Electrons flowing from one place to another are all around us every day.  We've harnessed this power a long time ago and wrapped it in cloth and plastic as the electrons flow along a wire made of a conductive material.  This amazing power, and it is amazing if you put your head to it, is the energy in our electric wires feeding all of our toys and gadgets.  And, we are becoming more, and more reliant on it every day, physical Qi.

Let us summarize for a moment; Qi, we breath it in and out, sustains our lives, and flows through the wires of our things to give us pleasure and a happy living experience.  Yep, so far that's it. 

Technology is a fascinating concept.  We, through the power of our minds, the juice flowing from our brains can change the way we look at the world.  Today we have the ability to throw those electrons from one location to another without wires.  We have the ability to charge, control, and energize our toys at a distance through the air.  Oh my god, what's next.  Now, Qi is a flowing force of moving electrons that travels from a power source through the air to a receiver that uses those electrons to power it up.  The electricity is airborne.  We've created directed power technology, Qi.  "John, stop your giving us a headache."  I can tell what your thinking.  

Ok so here it is, So far;  Qi, we Breath it in and Breath it out giving us our source of life force, Qi moves from one place to another through our created wires a flow of electrons lighting up our lives, Qi and directed energy source flying around through the air giving our technology the juice it needs to thrive.  Yep, that's about it, but I'm not done yet.

Now we're at the Jedi factor.  In our crazy technical multiverse we have created the ability to mentally guide that flow of Qi, electrons, from one point to another by thinking about it.  We now have the ability to control computer screens, toys, medical equipment,  and other cool stuff with our minds.  There have been studies and experiments done at virtually every Ivy league school in the country and the findings are conclusive, human beings can control our environment with our minds, Qi.  Oh my God the electrons are now the energy flowing from the Brain.  What comes next? John Stop.

Yes, now we're back to the beginning, something the ancient Chinese knew millennia ago.  Qi, Breath in Breath out, the Life force.  Becomes Qi, the electricity flowing through our wires, which in turn becomes the Qi, wireless technology that runs our toys through the air, then we have Qi, the power directed from your mind to the toys and gadgets we use every day, back to, Breath in, Breath out, and live a good life.

Peace and Balance, 

John