Because in May it is possible "to do as we please" (from the french: "En mai fais ce qu'il te plait"), it is not a reason to mess around.
You sometimes have to put some pieces back in the correct order so that you can go in the right direction.
Here are several areas of questioning that can help us on the Way.
Competition and the fight
For those who view the Way as a school of self-defense, which it is, we must understand that we are talking about combat.
Survival combat, seen as a real situation of confrontation and not an ego competition, demands other qualities than those of combat sports.
The fantasies that we can have about violence, fed by Japanese movies and easy reading, orients us toward bad choices.
Combat sports of course develop qualities related to fighting for survival, but certain reflexes make the difference between reality and sport.
The qualities for survival in a physical confrontation are:
- Decision: to go or not to go (negotiation skills, dialogues)
- The impact force of our strikes: no techniques, just brute percussion force
- Realizing the distances of combat: far or close, but never in a sparring distance
Combat sports develop a sparring distance, a, exchange distance, that allows competition, not survival. Those who confuse the two are in front of a rude awakening.
The fault of the Way
It must be understood that the Way of spiritual development, of self-realization, is a tool.
It is a great and magnificent tool, but it's still a tool.
The teacher is the one that shows the use of tools, thanks to his experience and sometimes with his qualities as a teacher.
But like all tools, it can be used badly, If we listen to our prejudices and our ego more than what is said ... The result being that the tool does not do what it is supposed to do.
Does that undermine the tool? No, of course.
To evolve in the Way, to enjoy it fully , we sometimes may need to lose a lot of time to get rid of of sick behaviors, of our inability to listen, of our false superiority.
If we accept the work to be done in a clearer vision of our faults and our behaviors, changes take place.
And the tool is still the tool. It has not changed much since the beginning and it will not change much after.
So if you feel that the Way "is hard", "it's not what we thought" or "it's not fair" ... if you feel any disappointment or injustice, if you see inconsistencies, shadows, if you feel lost, abandoned or in confusion ... if you see lights, hear voices and contemplate your superiority ... if you do not understand why not you, why it does not happen to you or why you do not understand anything...
This is not the Way, it's you.
Work learning and practice
The teacher and the teaching are sources of wisdom who ask to be put into practice: we have to learn and then work on the subjects learned.
There are places to unwind, for sports or for tea with friends... These areas should not be confused with learning the Way.
In a traditional way, learning is done on bases learned during the lesson. This research is a solitary research first and and then put into actions with other members of the school.
The teaching is shared with other members of the school, not anywhere, not in a mess. Respect of the teaching gives it its value and the importance of the changes it brings.
The place to learn the Way with the teacher is not a daycare or a branch of a gym, it is not the place of practice, it is the place to learn.
The confusion of it all gives the disappointment and confusion leading to criticism of the Way.
Practice should be a personal experience, if the changes are to be profound, metamorphosing.
The required commitment
The Way will give back what you put into it.
If you agree to engage yourself from 8:21 p.m. to 8:34 p.m., watching FOX News, with a beer and a cigarette, you can imagine what will emerge.
The concern is also the opposite: if you engage in the Way for it to reveal your greatness and your uniqueness, if you ritualise your practice time in an exaggerated manner, if you practice all the while knowing that you are above all that ... Realization will be longer... Much longer.
Practice should be a daily time where the teaching is put into action with a particular intention.
In addition, the concepts of the Way should accompany you throughout the day.
An indifferent glance, criticism or contempt towards the Way leads you to a guaranteed disappointment.
Practice should elevate you to a healthy body, an united body/mind and an awareness of your own spirituality.
If you do not feel in agreement with all this, it is necessary to clarify the practice, talk with the teacher and redefine your position in the engagement on your way.
Again, the Way will allow you to reap what you have sown into it.
Time for change
We are fortunate to live a great moment of change and global awareness, a time evolution of the human consciousness.
This period is a big wave on which we can surf with our personal practice, a personal achievement to help by example (not hollow concepts or crappy advice).
This is an ideal time to forge a body / mind that will inspire those around us.
Changes of our society, of the group, of the known world, require a dynamic individual to achieve a personal realization.
We are in a search, a practice that allows this understanding, this work of evolution.
We must forget that we practice taoism, buddhism or aikido and change in order to evolve towards the realization of our human condition.
This time of global change where awareness gets out of her garden and takes into account life on our planet is a great opportunity for introspection.
The microcosm and the macrocosm evolve in a similar way and in our daily practice we can help this movement.
The time is no longer for styles quarrels (knowing that we have the best), but it is for a personal work will lead to a universal sharing.
That's enough for fueling your questions.
