Enlightenment (Or mental health) and martial arts.
Hello all, Liam here, as I'm sure you've noticed. This is an entry on how martial arts can supposedly lead to the idea of enlightenment, which I hope people will find interesting, as in my own belief, enlightenment is a glorified word for what we often call 'mental health' in the West, and that people tend to glaze over because it just doesn't sound so exotic and dramatic. As far as I'm concerned, they're very similar - I actually find the term 'mental health' more helpful as implies a continuum, where as to me 'enlightenment' implies something that happens once and then people just don't need to think of anymore - which to me seems overly simplistic, and not something I really want to get into in this entry.
As far as NLP goes, there is an awful lot that can be said for martial arts. The idea of trance has been around for centuries, and never so direly trained as in martial arts, where failing to grasp adequate trance could lead to defeat and death. There will always be a link between hypnosis and martial arts, as well as any sport, and in my opinion is a very good way to show the 'extent' of a persons trance, because sporting outcome is very easy to measure.
An introduction: Martial arts and Enlightenment
Commonly beleived to be the first coupling of the martial arts and 'enlightenment' was when the Buddhist monk Dharma stayed with the Shao Lin monks in Song Shan, in China. Here he foudn the monks physically and mentally too weak to endure the long days of mediatation that was typically required in the search for enlightenment.
There is a perceived link with enlightenment and other concepts that it appears with, namely being able to know what is right, to have some sort of power in the world, emotional strength, will power - and now we face the tedious point that every in depth essay goes into, where we focus on definitions - Does enlightenment result in the ability to see right from wrong?
According to Wong Kiew Kit (1996) when Dharma found the Shao Lin monks centuries ago he taught them the basics of what we know today as Kung Fu:
'He (Dharma) found the monks too weak to practise meditation, the essential way to enlightenment, he taught them a series of external exercises known as the Eighteen Lohan Hands?"
Lohan is a Chinese name for ruffians and low-lives, that changed their ways through the intervention of Buddhist monks and eventually became worthy of enlightenment. Lohan is the Mandarin from of the Sanskrit word Arhat, which means 'one who is worthy.' 'Through perseverance, vigilance and self-restraint a wise person creates a safe-harbour that no storm can overwhelm,' (Khim et al 1979)
According to Khim The Lohan are said to have the following abilities:
"Instantaneous view
Ability to hear any sound anywhere
Ability to know the thoughts of all minds
Knowledge of all former existence of \self and others
Power to be anywhere or to do anything at will
Supernatural consciousness of the waning vicious propensities."
Although the Lohan form, and back story would suggest that it is partly through the martial arts that the Lohan changed their ways from low-lives, to the enlightened. It later became folk legend within the Shaolin that those who practiced Lohan, would too be worthy of enlightenment.
And since then, various legends have been made throughout the martial world,. This single legend exemplifies a common theme of martial arts movies and media, that martial arts is somehow connected with the idea of enlightenment.
The original Kung fu, that relates martial arts to Buddhism, Lohan Quan and Tong Qi Gong, was developed primarily as a fitness and exercise regime, and had no links to actual fighting. This does not make it a 'martial art' as such, but rather a patern of movements - like calistenics. In this sense, what relevance does the 'martial' aspect hold? How do we have this view that the martial aspect of practice results in any form of spiritual growth, seeing as the Shaolin did not initially train in it?
It is impossible to explore the idea of enlightenment without at least trying to define it, but the definition of enlightenment is so key to peoples explanation of how to get it, that in exploring various accounts of it, we inevitably face that particular thinker's very own definition of it. In fact, it could even be said that understanding a definition of enlightenment is in a sense enlightenment itself, as in understanding wholly how to be the individual has already taken their first step towards it.
Any argument is hugely dependant on definitions of the words 'martial arts' and 'enlightenment' there is much evidence to suggest that physical activity in general promotes mental health - but does it do anything more profound? Does there have to be intent, or expectance to hurt another?
It is known that physical exercise on it's own can ease depression and anxiety (Taylor et al 1995, Shepherd 1983) but what is it that suggests that martial arts, and not any other exercise or sport, has greater effect?
Martial arts has many benefits over other sports. Firstly it requires all aspects of the human body, more so than other sport as martial arts has an incredibly loose definition - it emcompases all movement dependant on the desired outcomes of the exponent. Secondly Martial Arts (Often needlessly.) insists that those that practice understand ideas of responsibility for doing harm to others, and the idea of personal and non-personal mortality. There is a great deal of philosophy tied into martial arts that other sports, and physical activity just don't have the same level of. In modern times it may seem irrelevant to connect something practiced so carelessly with such dire philosophy, but the fact remains that the two are interconnected now by the violent histories of the world that created such arts.
Egoless Expression
In terms of modern martial arts philosophy, nobody is as well-documented and quoted as Bruce Lee. Lee wrote and talked about the state of mind needed for martial arts, and the state that sincere practice in martial arts would cultivate through the destruction of the exponents ego.
In the Tao of jeet Kune Do' Lee gives his definition of Jeet Kune Do in reference to enlightment - 'Jeet Kune do is the enlightenment. It is a way of life, a movement toward will power and control, though it ought to be enlightened by intuition.'
And also:
'the tools, your natural weapons, have a double purpose:
1. To destroy your opponent in front of you - annihilation of things that stand in the way of peace, justice and humanity.
2. To destroy your own impulses caused by the instincts of self-preservation. To destroy anything bothering your mind. Not to hurt anyone, but to overcome your own greed, anger and folly. Jeet Kune Do is directed toward oneself.''
So for Lee, through martial arts practice, one learns about their own limitations, and in understanding them, is free from them. Enlightenment for Lee, is to be free, from ego, from tradition, and from self-limitations - and all of this can be expressed and explored through martial arts.
Although this brings up the natural counter-argument, that martial arts could be used in the name of self protection, self-isolation, and the strengthening of the ego. Components of martial arts that allow a more attractive body, physical strength and power over others can surely become tools of arrogance. There is nothing to suggest that martial arts is the only way to express yourself sincerely, but also is it is not explained how martial arts can have any value over any other pursuit - painting for example.
Also, is it not misleading to assume that there is a link between martial arts in particular and enlightenment, when clearly others have reached enlightenment through other mental faculties? The philosophy of Jeet Kune Do, although freeing in some respects, is not free from the fact that it's foundations are deeply set in martial arts alone, and there is no justification for this.
Lee's assertion on the martial arts, in it's structure, separates itself from the traditional teachings of Zen that Jeet Kune Do was in part inspired from. As Shunryu Suzuki (1970) points out in this passage, a person in any rigid form will find circumstances that it is forced to change:
"In our practice we have no particular purpose or goal, nor any special object of worship. In this respect our practice is somewhat different from the usual religious practices. Joshu, a great Chinese Zen master, said, A clay Buddha cannot cross water; a bronze Buddha cannot go through a furnace; a wooden Buddha cannot get through fire.'
Whatever it is, if your practice is directed towards some particular object, such as a clay, a bronze, or wooden Buddha, it will not always work. So as long as you have particular goal in your practice, that practice will not help you completely. It may help as long as you are directed towards that goal, but when you resume your everyday life, it will not work."
So in this sense, to have any particular mental faculty in mind when on the journey to enlightenment will result in failure. An exponent trying to achieve enlightenment through martial arts practice along could be compared to the 'bronze Buddha' that cannot get through fire. In giving ourselves shape, we give ourselves limitation, when many will suggest (even Lee himself.) that enlightenment is absolute freedom.
Suzuki explores how zen thought functions without any martial arts, or any mental faculty:
"When we practice zazen we limit our activity to the smallest extent. Just keeping the right posture and being concentrated on sitting is how we express the universal nature. Then we become Buddha, and we express Buddha nature. So instead of having some object of worship, we just concentrate on the activity which we do in each movement. When you bow, you should just bow; when you sit, you should just sit; when you eat you should just eat. If you do this, universal nature is there. In Japanese we call it ichigyo-zammai, or "One-act Samadhi." Sammai (Or Samadhi) is 'concentration.'
So, for Suzuki and other practitioners of 'One-act Samdhi' it is not necessary to do martial arts, but rather any day-to-day actions, wholly. Perhaps it could be said, that where this Zen practice focus's on overall awareness, a holistic approach to the world, that becoming fragmented in the idea of martial arts being the only path to enlightenment would be counter-productive to a persons spiritual growth.
Can enlightenment be reached through other art forms? If so, is enlightenment just an ability to express? Are sincerity and enlightenment the same?
Wong Kiew Kit (1996)"You will achieve the full benefits of meditation training only if you are physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually fit? ?.The holistic training of Shaolin Kung Fu with Chi Kung makes one physically fit, emotionally stable and mentally fresh: if one is not physically fit, one can hardly fight; if one is not emotionally stable on cannot apply ones combat skills; if one is not mentally fresh, one cannot make split-second decisions. In the past, when fighting was commonplace, the lack of any of these qualities might mean the difference between life and death.
This point perhaps narrows down the ingredients for enlightenment slightly, as it requires physical fitness, emotional stability, mental freshness - that can all be trained through martial arts - which then leads to an ability to meditate on things. This does not suggest that martial arts is the best way to enlightenment at all, simply a very good way because of the qualities that it cultivates in a person.
The Art of Dying
The second point the Wong makes in this statement, is about mortality, which is perhaps another reason that martial arts can lead to spiritual development. In having to face the idea of death head on, an possibly overcome it, a martial artist may reach a new stage of maturity.
Seeing as expression is at it's highest point when there is no fear of failure - does martial arts in particular have the advantage other all other sports, as the failure represents something naturally terrorfying - either pain or death. Martial arts may cultivate a freedom from physical fear, from the body on this basis.
This a point that Bruce Lee made in his films and books, that life begins when a person is free from the idea of death
"The art of dying - Like everyone else, you want to learn the way to win. But never to accept the way to loose. To accept defeat - to learn to die - is to be liberated from it. Once you accept, you are free to flow and to harmonize. Fluidity is the way to an empty mind. You must free your ambitious mind and learn the art of dying."
-Bruce Lee (Refered in 'Striking Thoughts', 2000)
Although largely open to debate because of it's loose definitions, enlightenment surely has some link to martial arts, through it's cultivation of physical and mental health, and the emphasis on ones own mortality, that is unique to martial arts within the sporting world. Maybe enlightenment is not a helpful word to be focused on, as it implies a plateau, an ending - where as martial arts seems to be an ongoing journey into self discovery and maturity - which maybe cannot end.
Personally I believe that martial arts is a wonderful art form - but I believe that a person can reach mental, emotional, social, and spiritual fulfiment through dedication to any form of expression or artform, be it painting, dancing - whatever. I do also, however, think that martial arts comes in a very good 'package' in terms of promoting mental health and enlightenment, because it also encompasses many wonderful philosphies, that can only be grasped completely through the physical practice of martial arts, taking the risks of it, and experiencing the various physical freedom it allows.
Thank you for reading
-Liam
References
Khim P, Draeger D (1979) 'Shaolin Lohan Kung-fu' Tuttle Publishing, Boston
Lee, B (1975) 'The Tao of Jeet Kune Do'
Lee B (2000) 'Striking Thoughts' Tuttle publishing, Boston
Shephard R J (1983) 'Physical activity and the healthy mind' Can Med Assoc J, Vol. 128 March 1,
Shunryu Suzuki (1970) "Zen Mind, beginner's mind.' Weatherhill, New York
Taylor C, Sallis J, and Needle R (1995) 'Relation of physical activity and exercise to mental health.' (March-april 1995, vol 100, no.2 pg 195. Public Health Reports.)
Wong Kiew Kit (1996) "The art of shoaling kung fu" element books, London
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