Sincerity is the ‘‘ way of Heaven’’ to make oneself sincere is the way of man. The Hagakure itself is the way of absolute sincerity.
With the introduction of Zen to Japan, Samurai and warriors alike were attracted to it for its simplicity and lack of ceremony and discourse, with an emphasis on self reliance and self discipline , also Muga, non existence of the Self. For without the self how can there be Ego. Without Ego , how can there be separation.Each a drop, all part of the great Ocean.
Samurai remove the illusion of Ego, which is fed by memory, culture,and the five senses, by becoming dead through the inevitability of death, hence the phrase ‘‘ the Way of the Samurai is in death’’. For others the illusion of Ego may be removed by the discipline of meditation or ZAZEN. To achieve this one needs self discipline and concentration with a strong resolve.when the Ego no longer exists one has achieved what Zen calls ‘‘ DAISHE’’. The Great Death. One has become free.
The Zen poem that goes
The blue mountains from the beginning do not move. The white clouds of themselves come and go
‘‘ The Way’’ composed by the radicals for movement and head, indicating movement governed by intelligence . In Aikido ‘‘ The Great Way of Sincerity completes the self. The Way leads one on of its own accord. With sincerity all things are completed and Harmony is achieved . Enlightenment comes from sincerity and sincerity comes from enlightenment. Perfection also comes from Sincerity and correctness . Mysticism in all forms from poetry to shamanism helps us navigate the mystery. Writers Artists , Philosophers , Mystics and Healers lead the way.
In the world today Russia is unique . Physically straddling the East and the West, while being culturally part of both worlds. Since time immemorial the east and west have been separated by mountains seas and great distances. This has facilitated their cultural separation .this is why you find a fundamental difference between the two in thought religion and philosophy.Russian writers being part of both worlds realized this difference . Fiodor Dostoyevsky recalled how ‘‘ I had wanted to write a story about a strong beautiful man, but I am reluctant to put pen to paper, to make people understand , because neither civilized Europe or my country know what that Ideal of beauty is! En stead he decided to write a nineteenth century version of Don Quixote entitled ‘‘ The Idiot’’. So named because in the ‘‘ West’’ a selfless man is considered ‘‘ Mad’’. The tragedy lies in the fact that. Don Quixote eventually went Mad because of his convictions.
In Chekhov’s the ‘‘ Cherry Orchard’’ this isolation from eastern thought is evident. His characters live in a dream world,an enclosed world, where materially their world is collapsing around them, yet t5hey hold on to their ideas and hopes for a better life. The tragedy is that they don’t know the way there. In not dealing with ones problems one cannot achieve ones ends.the nature of your character the sanctity of your soul. Believe in yourself only, live by your own work, that’s what freedom is. There will always be a solution, stay positive. Stay with the way
Lao Tzu
Stay with the ancient Tao Move with the present. Knowing the ancient beginning I’s the essence of Tao. The way of Nature is unchanging. Knowing constancy is insight. Not knowing constancy Leeds to disaster. Knowing constancy the mind is open. With an open mind you will be open hearted Being open hearted you will act royally Being Royal you will attain the devine Being Devine you will be one with the Tao Being one with the Tao is eternal. And though the body dies the Tao will not pass away.
Something mysteriously formed ,born before heaven and earth. In the silence and the void. Standing alone and unchanging. Ever present and in motion. Perhaps it is the mother of all things. I do not know its name. Call it Tao . For lack of a better word I call it great. Being great it floes . It flows far away. Having gone far away it returns. Therefore Tao is great. Heaven is great. Earth is great. The king is also great. These are the four great powers in the Universe and the King is one of them. Man follows the earth. Earth follows Heaven. Heaven follows the Tao . Tao follows what is Natural.
Chekhov wrote ‘‘ Try to understand a story about a young man, the son of a servant, a former shop assistant, a member of the church choir . A student indoctrinated into worshiping other peoples ideas. Hypocritical in the sight of God and Man, without understanding just why on earth he was living this way, with the realization of just how miserable he was in doing so. Write a story of this young man, how he tries his best to no longer be a slave, and how he feels now that there is red blood flowing in his veins, instead of that tainted by his old servitude. Leo Tolstoy , the great seeker of truth , said about him ‘‘ Chekhov is always sincere’’.This Sincerity imparted truth and bridged the gap between East and West. True greatness is universal. He achieved that without using reason or logic, but with what is natural.His wife Olga Kenipa wrote about him’’ People who didn’t know him just liked him and were desperate to meet him, when I asked them why they had been so keen to see him, they replied, just to sit beside him for a few moments made you feel like a new man’’.
Live by the Great Way, Rule by the Great Way . When men lack a sense of Awe there will be disaster
Do not intrude in their homes. Do not harass them at work. If you do not interfere they will not grow weary of you. Therefore the Sage knows himself but makes no show. Has self respect but is not arrogant. He lets go of that and chooses this. The way of heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who do not have enough. Mans way is different , he takes from those who do not have enough and gives to those who already have too much. Caring for others is the way of heaven.’‘ In caring for others and serving heaven there is nothing like using restraint . Restraint begins by giving up your own ideas. This depends on virtue gathered in the past. If there is a good store of virtue then nothing is impossible. If nothing is impossible then there are no limits , if a man knows no limits he is fit to be a Ruler. The mother principle of ruling holds good for a long time, this is called having deep roots and a firm foundation. The Tao of long life and eternal vision.
From the Tao ; Rule a nation with justice. The more laws there are The poorer people become. The sharper men’s weapons. The more trouble in the land The more ingenious and clever men are. The more strange things happen. The more rules and regulations. The more thieves and robbers
In the Brothers karamazov Dostoyevsky eludes to an erosion in society,an erosion of values. Writing about the decay of family relationships, moral degradation and the distressing life of the poor. His heroes and stories exist within an unjust society that imposes upon us the idea that there is no justice in the world.
Today humanity is rushing headlong into a confrontation with itself . Age old problems are bearing fruit. Old grievances , along with new aspirations are driving a new dynamic in the world.. two worlds East and West are colliding. A clash of ways and wills. Luck and karma will decide the outcome of the struggle.all houses in time fall. With the end of one Age and the beginning of another change profound is the rule. Today, more than ever vigilance and self reliance are important attributes.This great schism between East andWest is an ominous warning
From the Hagakure ; ‘‘ people with intelligence will use it to fashion things both true and false and will try to push through whatever they want with their clever reasoning , this is injury by intelligence. Nothing you do will have any effect if you do not use truth.
With the world in disarray , as it is today, its best to be flexible and clear headed , able to make quick decisions that are successful . Die to your Ego. Know that you are nothing but everything,one with everything. Live in the moment, be sincere. Have a true simple mind, without complication. Return to the center.
A Chinese proverb
A conversation with a wise person is worth ten years reading books
A Japanese poem
The life of a man Burn it in the fire. The life of an insect. Throw it in the fire. When you realize. The world is dark. Life is just a dream. Lose yourself.