I wrote this essay today as a submission for "This I Believe."
Humankind's history is replete with warfare and violence not because (as some would say) engaging in warfare is part of our genetic hard wiring, but because going to war is easier than maintaining or creating peace. Hitting, hurting, raping, and killing is far easier, I believe, than developing compassionate understanding and true self-knowledge.
Our education systems have failed us in that they have taught us to value peace, but they have not really taught us how to be peaceful. Peace is hard work! Therefore, we need to study nonviolent communication and anger management. We need to develop our capacity for empathy and our ability — and our willingness! — to resolve conflicts through respectful dialogue and intelligent negotiation.
We are as much a part of nature as the trees, the sky, and the ocean. We are one with the unfathomable and miraculous matrix of life. We should consciously reconnect ourselves to sunrises and sunsets, to the stars in the sky, to the animals in our oceans and forests, and to the plants that spring from the soil.
As Dr. Wayne Dyer says, "we are not organisms in an environment; we are 'environorganisms.'" It is imperative that we become active stewards of the environment who are cognizant of how our actions affect the whole. For if we do not take care of Mother Nature, she will surely "take care" of us.
So long as I'm alive, I'll have to do my living in the body I was born with. So, if I'm going to enjoy the ride we call LIFE, it's my duty to take care of the vehicle. That means a healthy diet, plenty of physical exercise, daily meditation and contemplation, continuous learning, and constant cultivation of positive relationships and attitudes.
We are here to maximize our potential, and as our potential grows, we must put our talents to use to benefit others through community service and acts of kindness. We belong to one another. I envision the day when everyone looks beyond their own family, ethnicity, neighborhood, and nationality to see that we are all fundamentally and inseparably connected.
We do not need more warfare, but we do need more warriors. Cultures around the world and throughout history hold warriors — those who will stand up and fight for what's right, precious, and worthwhile — in the highest esteem. Warriors are responsible leaders who embody compassion, integrity, discipline, courage, and honor. Warriors are predisposed to take difficult action, to sacrifice, to serve.
But there really are no enemies "out there." This means we can all benefit from cultivating and living a warrior's life beyond all fighting, beyond all warfare. Confidence, character, and a passionate devotion to others are the best and highest forms of "self-defense."
My path to self-mastery involves engaging in peace education, environmentalism, healthy living, and community activism. I'm pursuing the most worthy and authentic kind of "warriorship" I know so that my life may someday become an inspiration for others to go beyond all self-perceived and externally imposed limitations.
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This blog is part of the Ultimate Black Belt Test Program, which is an undertaking of The 100., and a part of Emerald Necklace Martial Arts in Boston, MA.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Self-Defense Lessons at the Intersection of Mindfulness and Salad
A brief word of warning: The content of this blog entry represents a special kind of realization for me. For just the other night, the actual culmination of my decades of martial arts training came down to a few simple moments in the kitchen with my daughter — when a number of "radical" approaches to "self-defense" suddenly united in harmony.
You see, for a few years now, I've been writing about how self-defense is more than physical — more than blocking and punching and repeating forms on the training deck. Now, all of that is important, of course. I still do a lot of punching and kicking every week. But I've said a number of times and in a thousand different ways now, that the aspects of meaningful self defense also necessarily include the quality of our diet and our relationships, our level of mindfulness, and our ability to create spontaneously and joyfully in response to our environment.
So what happened in the kitchen? Well, the other night, my warrior's response to the age old question "What's for dinner?" Came down to this: Make salad. Consciously. With whatever materials are at hand. Do it with maximum creativity and fun, and use it as an opportunity to TEACH.
So with no real plans for what I would be making for a meal, I rummaged through the fridge and pulled out everything I could find that was edible, live, and colorful. I spread the materials (a yellow pepper, blueberries, strawberries, an apple, grapes, and salad greens) — along with some almonds and some cold leftover rotisserie chicken — out on the counter, and I asked my daughter Ava to help me prepare a meal. Not really knowing what to expect or what exactly was about to happen, I grabbed my camera:
In about ten wonderful minutes, I taught my daughter a quick lesson on healthy eating. I also taught her — she's not quite five years old, mind you — how to safely handle a 10-inch kitchen knife. (This, required a lot of patience, and a great deal of trust!)
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We playfully chatted about the different colors and textures and origins of all the foods on the counter, sampling and savoring each individual ingredient before tastefully arranging it on the plate. In the end, we ate good, healthy food. We spent quality time together, working as a team. We both learned a few things. We had fun. We created ART.
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Which one of us was the student that night? Who was the teacher? Somehow our usual roles got reversed. My opportunity to teach turned out to be an opportunity to LEARN. In the end, I think I learned more in 10 minutes about life, love, and being in the moment than I have in a long, long time. And now, I'm looking forward to my next lesson. And the one after that. (And the one after that...)
And someday, maybe I'll teach Ava how to punch and kick!
Sensei Jason Gould
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts
http://www.karateinboston.com/
You see, for a few years now, I've been writing about how self-defense is more than physical — more than blocking and punching and repeating forms on the training deck. Now, all of that is important, of course. I still do a lot of punching and kicking every week. But I've said a number of times and in a thousand different ways now, that the aspects of meaningful self defense also necessarily include the quality of our diet and our relationships, our level of mindfulness, and our ability to create spontaneously and joyfully in response to our environment.
So what happened in the kitchen? Well, the other night, my warrior's response to the age old question "What's for dinner?" Came down to this: Make salad. Consciously. With whatever materials are at hand. Do it with maximum creativity and fun, and use it as an opportunity to TEACH.
So with no real plans for what I would be making for a meal, I rummaged through the fridge and pulled out everything I could find that was edible, live, and colorful. I spread the materials (a yellow pepper, blueberries, strawberries, an apple, grapes, and salad greens) — along with some almonds and some cold leftover rotisserie chicken — out on the counter, and I asked my daughter Ava to help me prepare a meal. Not really knowing what to expect or what exactly was about to happen, I grabbed my camera:
In about ten wonderful minutes, I taught my daughter a quick lesson on healthy eating. I also taught her — she's not quite five years old, mind you — how to safely handle a 10-inch kitchen knife. (This, required a lot of patience, and a great deal of trust!)
We playfully chatted about the different colors and textures and origins of all the foods on the counter, sampling and savoring each individual ingredient before tastefully arranging it on the plate. In the end, we ate good, healthy food. We spent quality time together, working as a team. We both learned a few things. We had fun. We created ART.
Which one of us was the student that night? Who was the teacher? Somehow our usual roles got reversed. My opportunity to teach turned out to be an opportunity to LEARN. In the end, I think I learned more in 10 minutes about life, love, and being in the moment than I have in a long, long time. And now, I'm looking forward to my next lesson. And the one after that. (And the one after that...)
And someday, maybe I'll teach Ava how to punch and kick!
Sensei Jason Gould
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts
http://www.karateinboston.com/
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