Still rambling...

  The life of Jetsun Milarepa is not unlike that of Miyamoto Musahshi, the historically considered to be the greatest samurai swordsman in all of Japan, Where Milarepa had Marpa for his teacher, Miyamoto had Takuan the priest as his.Miyamoto when in his younger days was a rouge of a swords fighter who was hot headed and had killed many due to his rambunctious character both as a youth and as a swordsman. The name Takezo kun struck terror and disgust among the local villagers as he was considered a killer, out of control, beyond reach, over the edge, kind of kid who lost it. Milarepa on the other hand used black magic to wipe out almost an entire wedding party held by his adopted parents his uncle who rbbed him of all and everything and driven his mother and him out of their home eventually, or something like that and this pissed Milarepa off badly. Revenge was in the form of magic, black magic and Milarepa found and practiced this art and upon mastering it called down death upon those who attended the wedding at his former home by his uncle and his family. It was aid that all hell broke loose and the roof came down upon the entire congregation and for this Milarepa had to found himself trapped in a karmic delusion of the worst kind; guilt.

The detail to Miyamoto Musashi's life story is still one of the most popular and well studied character of a warrior poet and artist who found redemption through selfless act as a master swordsman. Musashi was caught and tide up and hung from a big tree for a few days with no food or water. Came rain or shine Musashi hung there like a rag doll. Thus began the education of Miyamoto Musashi at the hands of Zen Master Takuan Osho. Milarepa was not punished as severely as Musashi was at least not immediately, Milarepa was tortured from the day he was accepted as a disciple of Marpa till the day he attained self liberation. Marpa was unmerciful in his effort to heal Milarepa and liberate his mind from being strangled by a sense guilt. Miyamoto Musashi too was put through similar rigorous spiritual exercizes and mental discipline by the monk Takuan Osho,  For more accurate details, if it interests you to enjoy more of these historical characters you may google it or go on You Tube; what a Miracle!

They are stories I picked up along the way throughout my life, at some point I took a great love and interest in the Japanese culture and history especially in the life of the Samurai warriors and theri code of Bushido and their Zen practice in the art of the Swordsman. I have a very high regard for the form and etiquette displayed by the master samurais especially when in audience facing their Lord. This to me is the most clearly manifested Zen practice while in daily life; Zen or meditation in Action. Even though it was just in movies like the series called "The Blind Swordsman" or The last Samurai, or as depicted in many Kurosawa's movies, the Samurai carry with him an air of deadly elegance. A man determined in his action that acts spontaneously  without any single thought in mind for his life was on line. To strike down an opponent without remorse or regret, nor out of anger or maliciousness, is the way of the Sword. As spoken in the Bhagavad Gita, there is no doing or a doer, there is just spontaneous action and similarly to die from a battle means that there is none who is stricken nor one who fell. The warrior's Way was a very noble path that belongs to the Shakya Clan of the Buddha's time and the Historical Buddha was said to be a great warrior himself when he was still a prince living is his father's palace.  

The Way I speak of is what I perceive as a practice a form of Yoga of the mind and body that a person has adopted to be his Way. His way of expression, of caring of sharing of giving of being in a wrath while existing on this plane of existence which the Buddhist cal the Nirmanakaya of Sahkyamuni Buddha. This is the realm of forms and emptiness coexisting, the realm of maya of illusions and of suffering. The Nirmanakaya is also the doorway towards the freedom from this cycle of Life, Death and Rebirth. It is n this human form that one can easily attain to liberation or the state of complete absorption into peace and tranquility. It is through this human form that one stands a great chance of crossing over onto the shore across from where you are, where life is suffering. The Way I understand is,  'No Way' and every which Way that works for each and everyone of us riding on this same train or sinking in the same boat; we are all looking for the Way! Bottom line iti is all about the Way of Survival, the Way to keep your head or mind above matter and water; it is the Middle Way.

Miyamoto Musashi left a legacy that to this day it has been well read and followed by many across the globe, it is called the Book of Five Rings. This is the book of Way of the Warrior, similar to the Art of War by the Chinese master Sun Tzu, The works manifests Musashi's awakened mind after all the years of his journey in seeking a Way for himself. It is a book of a warrior's strategy in facing the challenges in life of while in the heat of the battle and when off. For a warrior it will always be walking the rope or on thin ice and it is paramount that one be in a constant meditative state to sense the dangers from all around you at once, in a battle there is no room to second guess. I know this from my own experience while I was in the martial arts school and later went on to become an instructor when I was in my teenage years. One of the beauty I found in putting on a performance in public was that martial art was a dance movement that follows the similar rhythm of a dance steps, especially like doing the tango.

Then ego got involved and all discipline and commitment down the hatch and martial arts became just another memory in the cause of my life story. Suffice to say that I hold many fond memories of positive and negative events that happened while I was in my martial arts years. I might have written about this earlier can't remember, too many posts over the years and it has become like a broken down record repeating itself while stuck in a rut and cannot move on. But the man said,"The Show must go on!"   .