While having lunch after training today, we buzzed in two of our long time Shaolin brothers - Hannah T. and Chris E. Chris came to say goodbye before moving to Ohio. We had a mini Buddhism class talking.
We discussed how most injuries happened when you started thinking. How your body is smarter than your head. The conclusion is that while training - don't think - just do it.
But is this true?
Training is action meditation. But what's meditation? I think it's being present and focusing on the action, and the surrounding. Thinking about a meal after training isn't part of the meditation. I understand that. How about thinking about the space between the person in front of me and behind me in the line? Or how I should always keep my weight on the standing leg while kicking? What does that count as? Is that part of meditation? Is the goal here to have nothing in your head at all or some sensible things are OK?
I think it is. I think any positive thoughts involving the present is my meditation.
We discussed how most injuries happened when you started thinking. How your body is smarter than your head. The conclusion is that while training - don't think - just do it.
But is this true?
Training is action meditation. But what's meditation? I think it's being present and focusing on the action, and the surrounding. Thinking about a meal after training isn't part of the meditation. I understand that. How about thinking about the space between the person in front of me and behind me in the line? Or how I should always keep my weight on the standing leg while kicking? What does that count as? Is that part of meditation? Is the goal here to have nothing in your head at all or some sensible things are OK?
I think it is. I think any positive thoughts involving the present is my meditation.
Is it silly to comment on a post from two and a half years ago? I've been reading my way through the blog and this section right here is particularly meaningful, because this is when I first joined the temple. Very end of May, 2009.
ReplyDeleteI also was very struck by this post, since it's something I think about. I think there's a difference between not thinking, thinking and over-thinking, and it's over-thinking and not thinking that are dangerous. My feeling is that the ideal is thinking, but in a very focused meditative way. When I feel the meditation most, it's when my thoughts are something like, "KICK, and KICK, stronger, KICK, come on, KICK."
As opposed to over-thinking, which is like: "ok, ceshoufan, the last time I did this, I fell over, I don't want to fall over again, so let's go, left foot then left hand, remember to be strong, am I leaving enough space? ok, let's go in just a second, ok, I'm ready."
But not thinking seems like distracted or spacey, which I often catch myself doing around zhentitui, when I go "wait, am I kicking here? I was just thinking about the movie I saw last night."
What do you guys think? (or not? or over?)
Are any of you still here?