In order to more formally introduce my life philosophy I would offer this definition as an introduction to promoting understanding:
The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior is to live a moral, lawful life in accord with your true nature and the true nature of reality
I regard success as being the ability to do exactly that. Sure, I like the nice things in life too and I enjoy a sense of accomplishment, but I don’t place money and trophies (real or of the mind) above the integration of our selves and the integration of that unified Self with wider society or the Universe.
Essentially, what I am describing is a journey. It is a journey from the left (conceptual) hemisphere of our brains to our right (non-conceptual) hemisphere and back again. The latter point, so often overlooked by spiritual teachers and seekers, is of crucial importance. Your spiritual journey does not simply stop at the experience of satori (‘enlightenment’, but which I more accurately define as a brief moment of complete right hemisphere dominance with no left hemisphere interference).
You will notice that there are two primary components to the pursuit of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior: one relates to a primarily internal quest of self-discovery and enlightenment (the discovery of your true nature and of the true nature of reality) while the other is concerned with the external world and living a moral and lawful life within the society and the Universe in which you live.
Unlike many spiritual teachers I do not teach or embrace the idea that the discovery of the divine trumps all else. I have no desire to ensconce myself in a temple somewhere and ‘be spiritual’. Spiritualism to me is an important part of one’s life…but it is only a part and should not be pursued at the expense of other areas of development or at the neglect of other responsibilities.
Similarly I am also opposed to the idea that success can be understood in the simple terms of accruing more and more (wealth, intellect, possessions, status, trophies and so on). I want all of those things, but I don’t only want those things. I want to gain those more tangible assets while being true to myself and while being a moral and lawful member of society and without being bogged down and confused with deeper questions along the lines of ‘What is the meaning of life?’. I am not interested in sacrificing my morality or in breaking the law to ‘be successful’; nor am I interested in neglecting my spiritual development. Nor am I particularly excited about doing something that is at odds with who I am as a person…at least not for a prolonged period of time; I do of course accept that I can’t do exactly what I want 24/7. Nor do I want to stumble through life blindly with a sense of wonder turned fear regarding the true meaning of life and the nature of reality.
Now admittedly, exactly what it means to be ‘moral’ or ‘lawful’ can be quite fluid and trying to find and define one’s ‘true nature’ can be discussed ad infinitum. These are rather imprecise terms. However, that is also an attractive point of the language I have chosen to use as it allows for multiple definitions that will vary from person to person, from society to society and from epoch to epoch. A core ingredient of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior is that it is both a journey of self-discovery and external investigation and examination. It is not about absorbing and regurgitating information that I or some other person provides. It is about using the teachings of myself and others as ‘a finger pointing’. What it means to be moral is different for different people at different times and in different places. Recognizing this is as much a part of the process as anything else and formulating your own moral code, no doubt borrowed in part from wider society, is an important step. Then these factors are ultimately governed by your need to act as a lawful member of society (assuming you want to retain your freedom of course).
The moral and legal aspects of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior are important to consider and weigh against living an authentic life in accord with your true nature. Following your instincts is not always the best approach; similarly following a pre-established moral or legal code is also not always where you want to be (I, for example, would have no problem spending 20 years in prison if that was the price to pay for protecting one of my children against harm). It is this constant, dynamic interaction between your understanding of your true nature and the true nature of reality (found in your right brain hemisphere) and your awareness of a world that is impersonal and that hasn’t been designed specifically for you to express your true self in (understood and recognized in your left hemisphere) that lies at the heart of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior.
What I am teaching and what I will be writing about in more detail is the need to be both rational and intuitive; both self-expressive and self-controlled; both internally driven and externally motivated. Which aspect you emphasize will vary from situation to situation as per the demands made upon you. The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior then is a quest for both an understanding of the divine and success in the secular world. It is an investigation of both the right and left brain hemispheres. It is a quest for balance and harmony. It is about taking an holistic approach to the entirety of life and achieving happiness through this.
'Parting the clouds, seeking the Way' by Gichin Funakoshi
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