True Love and New DNA - LIFE's basic Principle

What is LIFE's basic Principle?  Given the limitation of words to express the inexpressible, the sentence below is my best answer that I can think of at the moment:

Confirm True Love*, (or connection to the heart through intimacy/oneness) and find new DNA (and fully expressing the potential) with the realization that there are infinite ways to do so.

I realize that such is the basic principle of my life that I aim for.  Or, what I call here, The New Hero's Journey!!! And if so, then, how do I confirm the true love (or connection to the base/source/heart - so to speak)? Answer: Through the sense of intimacy... oneness .... Again, given that words have limitation, in the post, Deeper level of Connection and Communication,  I proposed various signs of "connection to the Heart" (shortened as follow):

-  Sense of being present, here and now

-  Vivid sense of inner body sensation, aliveness, liveliness 

-  Calm, clear and quiet mind

-  Body/muscle is totally relaxed

-  No ego/self; desirelessness, effortlessness, no boundaries

-  No doubt, questions, concerns

-  Mind and body are one; I am the universe

-  Sense of serenity, peace, feeling at home

-  Delusions/errors are nowhere to find; If there are, there is no significance.

-  Sense of living truthfully; being absolute

-  Sense of Ki (Life energy) flowing

-  Sense of oneness; non-duality; connection to unconscious/infinite potential

-  Sense of love, bliss, and intimacy to all

-  Sense of time lost its meaning/significance; everything is OK as it is

Then, finding the new DNA (and fully expressing the potential) will be assured as the following points are witnessed:

-  Brain and Heart find a connection

-  Heart to heart communication between people, and everything else is made possible
-  Kegon (interpenetration - everything is connected to everything else)

-  This deeper level communication may be manifested as wisdom and compassion

-  Paradox of human existence is resolved (in oneness)

-  Bliss in various activities, e.g., work, hobby, relationship, health, and the sense of genuine security in any situation 

-  Discover new meaning of intimacy, e.g., sexual union, non-sexual relationship, Aikido, etc.  The list is infinite.

-  All of these corresponds to "living truthfully" - the new hero's journey


To illustrate, here are but a few quotes related to such a state/process:

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places..." -  Pissarro

"Happiness that does not depend on anything"  - Daisetz Suzuki
"You are the master of your own destiny" - The Buddha

This experience/state/process whatever you may call, to me, is a realization of the whole, where nothing is missing, while all possibilities are being manifested. Yet, us being human, we may go in and out of such experience/state as our mind moves. That is the same as going between duality and oneness. Or, it is like going between mind and no mind. Or, it is like 1) mind, 2) mind but not losing the base ("mirror mind"), and 3) oneness (intimacy/melting into one/no mind). Although such description may be seen as unresolved or incomplete, I see it is so as humans.  In other words, as we go through ups and downs in life, we also appreciate to find the bliss....and find our way in life's journey. Only humans have this privilege. A Myokonin (a group of often poor, illiterate people in Shin sect of Buddhism in Japan) says, "Thank you for not taking all of my delusion away!"  In such words, I see the humble, yet bottomless appreciation of LIFE.

It is interesting when we see our own mind moving.. 

It is like us watching us in the mirror: objects in the mirror moves but not the mirror.

This is what I call the experience of "mirror mind"

Picasso said, "I've reached the moment.. when the movement of my thoughts
 interests me more than the thought itself"  

Taking this occasion, let me also talk about, what I call, the "Mirror mind." With mirror mind, the picture of the world we live in may look like this. We see the contents of the mind moving... as if it is a play on the mirror or movie screen.  Yet, screen or mirror itself does not move.  Interestingly, I found that mind (citta) has a meaning of container or envelope - which is like the image of screen or mirror where play of events takes place.  So, although we can relate to the play in the screen or mirror, it does not have an immediate impact to the watcher (as if he is just watching the movie - calmly and quietly).  There is no significance. This however points to transcending the paradox, where we see not just content, not just  mirror, but as a whole.  (Here, Kitaro Nishida, close friend of Daisetz Suzuki says, "self-identification of absolute paradox." or ”絶対矛盾の自己同一”)


Some call such state as "delusion is enlightenment." Why? Because the watcher see the delusion (mind movement) not as real. It is like a dream, unreal. This is because HE is connected to the source/heart/ground - the very secure ground. There is silence, eternal stillness, and serenity.  (again, the words are just a pointer and not to be scrutinized with mind/logic but to be felt as direct experience).  Again, although it appears that there may be two states, or observer and observed, this paradoxical situation is to be seen as one.  Instead of caught up in the mind, if one can watch his own mind, he is detached, and find the calm quiet mind - mirror mind.    Mr. Levenson said, "You won't be disturbed even if you are killed." This statement points to the functioning of the mirror mind. It is that base, the ground, the heart, true love - or "I am that I am" where "ultimate happiness" is found.

If such statement is not resonating with us now, we may realize that sometime as if from no where... if we keep our inquisitiveness and awareness sharp as if with the mind of new born child with calm and quiet mind....we may find us total openness/release to all of happenings without fear, defensiveness, ego, power, but true love.  (The message of Daisetz Suzuki on Love and Power is, as I believe, nothing but that!)

Perhaps as if adding legs to a snake, here are examples of those moments that may trigger or correspond with such state of being:

In Taichi - inner body sensation...sense the Ki/Chi (life energy) - Ki in Japanese; Chi in Chinese

In Meditation - same as above, mind and body as one, Awareness and equanimity

in Everyday events - sound of guitar, fresh breeze through the window, spider net in the sun - refer to my Poem, symphony of light, joy of life

In Nature - Feel one with nature, sense life energy, or Ki (Ki is Japanese; Chi in Chinese)

In Sex - In pure spiritual experience of intimacy - oneness with the partner, not just in orgasm in the conventional sense but spiritual ecstasy, is the pure moment of creation covered by bliss.

In Aikido - The master uses Ki, the life energy, based on compassion/true love. As if opponents are the extension of his mind and body, the master may read the mind of opponent as if he has a third eye, to resolve the situation harmoniously.  

In Sports, Art, and Business - Some common traits of masters are, effortless, desireless, witnessing, and faith (conscious of unconscious)

Note:

* I plan to write in the next post Re: Characteristics of the Masters (revisiting the Appendix form my book "Results from the Heart")

- True Love*:  I use this expression often, yet I have not defined quite clearly as IT is indescribable, yet to be experienced.  Other terms that may be used as synonym are: God, Law of universe, nature's way, Tao, emptiness, stillness, here/now, presence, ground, absolute, imperturbability, true self, original self before your father and mother were born, I am that (I am), etc.  Or, it may be felt at the moment as one notices one's mistake/delusion.  Or, to see things as they really are and not as they appears in our mind.

Man and Woman - Intellect and Emotion

There is a well-known Japanese saying: "When you let the emotion prevail, you will be swept away; When you let the intellect prevail, you will be too pointy like a sharp rock.  Either way, this world will be an uneasy place to live."  (Original words by Soseki Natsume)  The bottom line; we have to have a clear mind eye (the third eye) not to be swung by emotion or dwell too much on logic.  We need to find a balance/middle way.  Or, as Ho'oponopono may say, we are responsible for all happenings.

In this post, I want to share my view on man and woman, man representing logic (as in focus) and woman, emotion (as in dispersion).   OK, such may be an exaggeration.  Yet, going over my experience with woman and having gone through hurdles as if to solve a puzzle - like passing a Zen koan, I would like to characterize the difference of man and woman and offer possible solution.  If you do not like my characterization, you may just replace man as Kio (me) and woman as my girlfriend or partner (yes, this is my interpretation):

1)  Man tends to be focused on achieving his goal rather single mindedly, as in hunting deer.  He is focused and put all energy to achieve his goal as if the family depends on him to live.  This is in man's limbic system, programmed over millions of years.  If this is not accomplished, our life cannot be sustained.  So, all of his talent is focused on such task, and he cannot afford to diffuse his energy.  Any disruption to do so is seen as deterrent.  Bringing food to the table as well as finding the woman and procreate are two major focus in his life.  Developing a strategy to be very competitive/productive is in his genes.  One of my image then is a picture of billions of sperms trying to get to the egg.  Looks stupid in a way, reminding me of commuting in Tokyo subway decades ago when I did that, but in Rome you may need to do as Romans do.  So, let's leave it with that for now.

2)  Woman tend to be dispersed in taking care of varieties of tasks at home.  Preparing food, raising kids, taking care of sick, and creating/assuring the secure and nurturing home.  Of course, woman cannot do this if there is no man helping to provide the shelter and bring food.  So, there has been a division of labor between man and woman so that there is a shared responsibility to have harmonious whole like Yin and yang.  Of course, sexual intercourse is a representation of such unity and produce anew.  So, finding the right man is certainly critical for the couple to live fully and harmoniously - an eternal task lasting millions of years.  Woman entice man with all possible means (yet much more passively compared to man's assertiveness), making them attractive to man who meet her criteria.

Attracted like by magnet, millions of sperms swim toward the egg, 

one will get in and lock out the rest. 

So, woman competes for man like man does for woman as there are about the same number of woman as man.  Yet, woman's way seems to be in her subtle, obscure 'femininity' as if man gets hypnotized by their unknown attraction which is beyond the logic - commonly called as 'love.'  But wait!  As the civilization 'progresses,' and technology provide more means to pay attention to those subtle and obscure 'femininity,' have we not prepare our own demise by further creating an unbalance?  Here are some trends:

1) In these days, aren't there more woman than man to lay in the sun and go to yoga/pilates class, etc.?  Or, was it like that all the history?  Somehow, I do not think so.

2) Aren't there more single parent mother than any time in history, even raising kids by themselves?

Reflection about My Life's Journey (Short side trip)

Talking about the "progress(?)" of our civilization, we have more options to do so many things in life.  This is tied to information overload.  Yet, if not careful, aren't there more room for confusion as to how we live our life?  Where is the harmony in life?  Aren't we too opportunistic materially and else - even spiritually?  If we are not careful, we hit wall somewhere, somehow - eventually, and that is the reason to go through this what I call "new hero's journey," isn't it?

Yes, there is an end to our freedom of choice.  It is built in in our own mind when we notice it.  In other words, freedom is not liberation so far as we extend externally too much.  It is as if ego expands its own limit infinitely.  Greed connected to freedom is not freedom, it is a bind to our own ego.  So, I offered that Life Profile was a way to find the balance we needed to have as I realized after my spiritual experience (compared to that of Eckhart Tolle).

But, taking this opportunity, let me quickly review, what has been 'my' life's journey all about?  Starting with the escape from Tokyo as I wanted to explore the world, and to find more meaningful job/life experiences.  I fought against competition to do this and that, then divorce and re-marriage, and next, more altruistic mission to contribute to the society's future through business, writing books, producing videos, traveling to 40+ countries, and making money, and raising family along the way.  Then, I started to lose interest at work after accomplishing my original mission to come to the US.  Why?  Because why repeat what I knew already?

So, I went deep into my inner search, followed by spiritual awakening, and to realize new orientation toward simple, quiet life.  After several years of peace and serenity, and another separation/divorce, and I am back into the world with new orientation as if to find a new relationship with this world - to confirm the true love as the base.... and I am writing, reflecting... externally and internally....connect to True Love...distinguish primary and secondary... I am revisiting all of these in this blog... and to synthesize the entire field of my trip as I keep moving forward...to live truthfully and sincerely.

Man and Woman - and True Love

Now, with those as background, let's look into man-woman relationship.  Whether hunting deer or conducting business, man has to make judgment to go right or left often at the moment notice and this is in our genes - at least so I feel.  For example, although I need not to be too uptight as I age and with certain financial security, if I see my son goofing off, I do not feel comfortable even if I may not say anything to him.

But what about the case of a woman where she is already financially troubled but is confined due to her lack of attention or aptitude in running her business?  When I was explaining to her the way out of the trouble in a sincere manner, she mentioned suddenly such things as...  "the western sky looks so beautiful,"  "I see a couple enjoying their time at the other table," "Let me check what is in the refrigerator," etc.  I just could not understand when she could divert her attention from serious talk that may impact her future to something totally unrelated.  (However, we may say that she was living the now as opposed to be occupied in thinking like I probably was, then.)

I cannot generalize this as common trait to all women, but my male friends supported my view and agreed that men and women are so different.  Again, men are more focused and logically oriented whereas women tend to be more dispersed and emotionally driven.  Another friend pointed that women are typically like this: "She goes to kitchen to eat lunch, but on her way she found plants need watering, but while watering, she remembered to send an e-mail.  And as she finished e-mail, she wanted to clean up the room so she did,,,, and forgot to eat lunch until very late.

Whether tied to our limbic system or not, men and women are so different.  As to the talk about her business, I realized that I was too caught up in it due to its urgency.  Committed to help, yet, it could be seen as if my ego wanting to run her life even though I believed in self-management.  Seeing where each of us were, I resigned to help in a very committed manner, and created a space in between us.  It was a hard decision to make because it might open up more unknowns leading to the end of our relationship.

So, facing such difficulty and not seeing what can be done any more, I sent this text to her:  "Whatever happens between us, I love you as you are."  It is the same to say, "Although I feel my hands are tied (i.e., things are out of my control and we may be separated because of that), my heart is with you - always."  What I realized is, this is the same as, there are ripples and waves in the realm of secondary, but connected to the Primary, or True Love, which is the eternal base of our being, they are just ripples and waves - not too overpowering any more.  (I call such state as mirror mind)

And paradoxical as this may sound, while there may be sadness when things do not work out, or feel that my hands are tied (ripples or waves - secondary), yet, at the same time, I realized that there is this infinite reserves of Love - true love (ocean - primary).  So, I may cry when something happens, but with deep smile to accept all and extend my love to everywhere without any sign of negative feeling.  That is what I mean, when I say, "I love you."  If I have ego as if to look for something in return, I realize that I cannot say so.  To me, that corresponds to what I call "Living truthfully."

Perhaps some may view my stance as idealistic or even naive, yet, truly and genuinely I felt that I reached the true love, accepting who she is even if there are many areas of disagreement in how we use our mind.

As reference, here are words of Eckhart Tolle re: compassion:

"At... deep level, compassion becomes healing...  In that state, your healing influence is primarily based not on doing but on being.... When you are fully present and people around you manifest unconscious behavior, you won't feel the need to react to it, so you do not give it any reality.  Your peace is so vast and deep that anything that is not peace disappears into it as if it had never existed... You become the "light of the world," an emanation of pure consciousness, and so you eliminate suffering on the level of cause.  You eliminate unconscious from the world."  (p.167 Eckhart Tolle, Power of Now)

* Note: I see the above discussion of compassion/true love connected to Levenson (actionlessness = being) Aikido (state of "centering" or "invisible") and Ho'ponopono (100% responsibility).

Meaning of Spiritual Experiences: Eckhart Tolle vs Mine

Just recently, I found the video re: Spiritual experience and teaching of Eckhart Tolle (2004). I have read his books, and saw various videos before.  Yet this 7-part video was very informative especially tied to my similar experience that happened in 2000 and my journey that followed since then.  FYI, here are excerpts of the interview on his experiences with my comments:





Part 1:  His awakening experience - 29 yrs old (video length: 10 min.)

-  It was his 29 yrs old when the major shift happened - He was in state of fear till then
-  "I cannot live myself any longer" - "I" and "myself": is there two or one?  (like Zen Koan)
-  There was no answer in intellectual level - This triggered inner shift
-  I was drawn into voltex of energy
-  "Resist nothing" (I heard the inner voice) - so I gave up.. and I went into nothingness
-  Next morning, everything looked as if seeing them the first time
-  There was "aliveness and peace" - but did not know why

* Like Tolle, I had a similar experience and the journey that followed since the event in 2000.  At the time, I was suffering in worst physical pain (on the 8th day of my 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat).  In the middle of pain, I questioned to myself; "Is this so because I am trying to escape the pain?"  Similar to Tolle's noticing two identities, "I" looked at "myself" having a pain.  As Tolle said, "I" and "myself": is there two or one?, was the last thought, it was the last thought.  Then, I also experienced the massive voltex of energy.  I was a twirl of billions of blight light particles.  I was like plasma myself.  In the report I wrote about this experience, I also said it was like having sex with the universe.  After the experience which lasted perhaps 7~8 min up to 20 min, I felt my body was lifted from the burden I carried in life, and noticed a genuine smile on my face.

As Tolle did in the following years, I also studied the meaning of this experience through various scriptures, and sayings of spiritual teachers very carefully.  The whole intensive investigation is posted in my homepage ( in English till ~2003 and  in Japanese  from 2003)  Out of many findings and confirmation I went through, here is one finding that points to my experience of me and the universe become one as if having sex.  As Tolle mentioned, it was that aliveness that I connected since then.  (Borrowing Tolle's term, the experience I had was to see "me" (ego) trying to resist the pain as having no reality.)

Part 2
-  There was inner peace as background to all experiences, sense perceptions,
even background to my thinking, that they never left me again (This is similar to my feeling of what I call, "Mirror mind" (see the file under the same title in my Japanese Home Page - sorry, written in Japanese)!  Different from Tolle, however, such state went away every now and then although I can get back to that state at moment notice.

-  It took long time to understand and put it into words; started to check with
spiritual teachings, e.g., Buddhism, Christianity ,etc.
-  I could see the truth hiding behind cultural.. interepretations etc. They shed light to what happened to me
(I did the same - taking about 8-10 years to totally convinced.  Yet this is a journey still.)
- For example. "Peace not related to external world"
- "Zen is not about thinking"
- I had peace as I was not thinking much any more
- Useless continuous noise, or thinking, came to an end
(In my case, there are noises/delusions popping up every now and then, but I can see the end/resolution of it fairly soon, e.g., minute to hours, usually)
-  I could still use thinking when I need it
(In my book Results from the Heart, I wrote; "Use the brain,listen to the heart, live with the mission.")
-  Long stretch of no thought was wonderful inner peace
-  Realized that inner peace was there before but was covered up (3.16)
-  Then this became the spiritual teaching
-  People have within themselves what they are looking for outside
(This corresponds to :"If you seek for it, you will not find it." - Yuima sutra)
(Or, as my experience proves it, I can say this way, "If you try to avoid it (e.g., in this case suffering, not enlightenment/realization), you cannot.")
-  [The answer] comes only when there is inner alignment with now, or LIFE itself (6.15)
(This is the primary I mentioned before, i.e., the connection to the heart)


Here are my brief summary: On my spiritual experience:
-  Past Karma may not dissapear easily (It took years to accumulate)
-  Being in present will expose problems and staying there will bring insight (e.g., eliminate delusion/suffering)
-  Illusionary nature of self/ego cannot be recognized by thinking.  (It is to be recognized by, say, the third eye, or awakened mind's eye)
-  Continuous practice of this will eradicate many problems in life
-  There are infinite ways to move on with our life (thus, be liberated)
-  From the beginning to the end, the nature (the law, or God if you like) will always take care of itself

How may we proceed in life? (Again, my summary):
-  We need to have (psychological) "condition" for the breakthrough to take place.
-  Pain/suffering (physical or mental) is a good teacher (so far as we can see through it - by observing what is really happening)
-  Being in presence, we live in this dualistic world - with mirror mind (This is to transcend the paradox of me and ME)
-  We can appreciate life, this existence because of the fact that we are human who can transcend the suffering.
-  Be conscious of unconscious.  (Yes, we can.  Why?  Because we came from there and we are there when awakened.  Fortunate or unfortunate, this paradox is to be transcended.  Intellect alone cannot do the job.)

Note: It was told that Tolle reduced mental activity by 80% after that experience.  In my case, the answer is, it depends...  I think when it is needed especially in writing but I am often in the state of non-thinking/trans-like.  Yet, sad memories and desire pops up and I go through cleaning these taking seconds, to hours sometimes, perhaps.  Bottom line, I cannot say:  Useless continuous noise, or thinking, came to an end as he did.  But I am not unhappy about it as "I" know the way out - by practicing silent observation of what is going on with the calm and quiet mind - I call it mirror mind.