"GO STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF DANGER, THERE YOU WILL FIND SAFETY.”
 SIFU LARRY HARTSELL

 

INTRODUCTION   Written by Admin

SELF ESTEEM

If I am of low self esteem or suffer from lack of joy, then ANY exercise of bringing joy and happiness requires effort. Joy, happiness does not come from effort.. When there is no effort, when you are completely open, when you admit to low self-esteem and loneliness, then here is no effort. This is because you are being completely honest, and with complete honesty there also is no effort, At that point there is joy and you will embrace your inner talents: singing, practicing martial arts, dancing; it is in that state that the ‘poem’ joy of your heart are born without effort. Here, you take and accept yourself as who you are-without judgment from others, without effort to be like other’s appear on their outside. Now you are inside yourself, your castle.

In effort, you cannot posses a quiet mind. And every martial artist will tell you that you must have a quiet mind. In effect .without a quiet mind you cannot have a peaceful and loving heart. In effort you can only have two incongruent points pushing against each other. In effort, you are unable to redirect the energy of that which makes you feel less than. In effort, there can be no JKD. 

“The idea of becoming arises only where here is a sense of insecurity, and that insecurity comes when one is aware of the inward void” Krishnmurti” 

It is indeed a Paradox: 

“It is only if you are aware of inward insufficiency and live with it, without escape, accepting it wholly, that you will  discover an extraordinary tranquility, a tranquility which is not put together, made-up, but a tranquility that comes from understanding what is. Only in that state  of tranquility is there creative being.” Id 

Indeed it is extremely difficult to turn oneself inward. But all healing must begin from the inside. Basic metaphysics, Energy. I wake up take a list of what I am grateful for. Look, everybody has 3 things in common:

have loved one, has lost one, and is scared of something Now don’t you  think that we might have a little gratitude about something?  Even if it is the fact that there is not a string of yellow tape around you .Write out your gratitudes,  think of them, get coffee, think about gratitude some more. Forget your keys to the car. That is an easy one. So what if you are a little late for work?  We work to hard at the wrong things. Work in something you  are passionate about.   Smile more. If your late, well maybe this isn’t your passion.   It will become a morning practice Get out bed, and hit the floor. Later when you do it as a habit, do –it with fun, do it with the Universe out there, The Universe may mislead you. Only a test, my friends. A test of your resolve. 

Did you know there is a great debate about whether Shakespeare really wrote Shakespeare. What? That’s blasphemy! You know whom the most probable writer of the Great Bard? Sir Francis Bacon, and he was a Rosicrucian. What is a Rosicrucian? Go open one of those old books. Find the answer for yourself. Learn what they have too learned- throw away what you find which serves you no purpose. Take off on the trail. Verily taking what you find and use it. Take what you only use and discard the rest. Simple, very JKD. 

The writers of the Great Mystery Schools, Bacon, Boehm, Pike, Dante, Hugo, Milton, Hall and countless others, which are now parroted by New Age writers, all follow the same track. Passion. Passion for the truth-for the Great Mysteries that gave way to all the great minds expanding thousands of years. Did you know that a rock, yes every rock takes one breath a day? Sounds like something I’d like to know about. Something called, knowledge, Gnosis, God.  Does anyone know the symbolism of the Sword and the Stone.” Disney may have, but the Hermetics did, the Rosicrucians did, the Templars did, The Alchemists did, Budhha did, Lee did, Hartsell did and Inosanto does. 

Now we come to fear. I have come to fear as being always in relation to the now, not to the unknown. Certainly we can over come our fear of people, by becoming passionate in the study and practice of Martial Arts.  However, as was stated by Kazumi Tabata in Secret Tactics. :”One who excels in swordsmanship but does dot excel as a human being has no value.” Secret Tactics p44 “One who has attained  ‘Tai A’ swordsmanship is a master of life. A sword is not a killing weapon.” Id. Simply put a person, through out the practice of their martial art, becomes able to completely transform themselves., therefore becoming a person of value. 

          “Actions stem from desires.

          Desires should be respected similarly as life,

          Desires cannot be killed” Author unkown

Desires are brought to life depending upon one’s wisdom

This wisdom is conveyed to people by Buddhism.

Buddhism creates the path to ponder questions such as ‘what am I/ and Why are things the way they are?” ibid 

The true self can only be seen through our actions. The PFS Credo:

1.       Quiet Mind;

2.       Loving Heart;

3.       Dangerous body 

Without actions the true self become invisible. It lives beyond our death and existed before our birth. Those who are given to the study of Buddha awaken themselves the tremendous and power of faith and do so by diligently studying Buddhism, Martial Arts, The Great Mysteries- maintaining their resolve like a warrior, ever seeking his princess in combat. The Hierophant, Philosophers Stone, the Holy Grail. Ever thinking, ever seeking and finally arriving at the place they began their journey, For, the way in, is the way out. 

Tantamount to the study and practice in martial arts requires a mind that is quiet. A mind, which only exists in the present.  It is by this form, the study of martial arts or any other pursuit can be performed. The quiet mind transcends life, materiality and death. By awakening the quiet mind- you become present. You will be tested, constantly until, with practice, you will be able to achieve the state of Mu-Shin (No mind). 

In the above book Secret Tactics it is spoken of the ultimate sword, the ‘Tai A’, capable of slicing through anything ;equivalent to the quiet mind, it can be possessed by no one, but one’s self. 

“Each human being posses it, no one lacks it. The ‘Ultimate Sword’ is a state of mind This ‘mind” is not something we receive at birth and ceases to exist when we die. It is our original nature. It is eternal and indestructible. Fire cannot burn it; submerging in water cannot make it wet. There is nothing in the world that can obstruct he mind.” Tabata p47 

Paradoxically, the person who has this state of mind is of, with total understanding, perceive the Universe. A perception that is incorruptible and everlasting. 

Ancient Shamans, Magis and Seers from all points of the globe are able to grasp this concept. To them, it is equated with the ‘Philosopher’s Stone. All agree that even those with evil intentions or practitioners of the Black Arts know to keep distance from those who possess the power of Mu Shin. I refer back to the credo of Progressive Fighting Systems: Quiet mind; Gentle Heart; Deadly Body. 

But it is one thing to say that one possesses a quiet mind. But one must walk as they talk.  One must have he faith and power to act in accordance with the unwavering laws of the Universe “Faith without works is dead.” Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma. The weaker of those lacking faith are seen by the Dark Forces and become more susceptible because their faith is called ‘Monk Pride.’ So prevalent in this “new age” society, their cures and remedies are for show. Purely Smoke and Mirrors. True law, Universal Law cannot be taught-it must be known within. Doubts equate fear, but knowledge that you have doubt, admission that you are human, puts you on the warrior’s path. It signifies spiritual and martial growth It is of no use to calculate future events, In times of doubt, focus your mind on the quiet mind-“no-mind.” 

Paradox Martial Arts shows you this, allows you to find your own path both as a spiritual and martial warrior. 

For information on becoming a member of those who took the “Red Pill” of the Matrix, contact info@paradoxmartialarts.com