Mind without mind – Mushin
Over the years of my training and the special code of karate class I attended last Friday, Sensei Oliver has shared the meaning and its relevance to developing as a student of Isshinryu. While I can understand this conceptually, actually achieving this mental state of “no mind” is much more challenging. As with many things, it starts with robust practice and repetition and for some may never be something truly achievable. Mushin is also part of and correlated to meditation and zen (in simple terms being relaxed, tranquil, at peace). To this point in my life I believe I only truly achieved this once, at least whereas I was fully conscious to the experience. I remember it well; About a decade ago I was sitting quietly on our couch at home one fall afternoon, the sun shining bright and the birds chirping outside. Not a care or concern. I literally was not thinking about anything, there was no background stream of thought or preoccupation whatsoever; in a blink of an eye a feeling came to me that was before this time something I had not experienced which was a complete sense of serenity and peace in the nothingness of my mind. It was very short lived as I jumped up from this strange experience, the thoughts of what just occurred rushing back in.
I must practice! My daily 15 minutes (often broken up into smaller 2-3 minute increments throughout my day) is helpful. Being mindful of this yet seeking to put out of mind my constant barrage of thoughts and musings, especially preparing for or while demonstrating kata and during sparring is a difficult thing to do, but certainly not impossible. I can intellectually understand how this “mind without mind” can be of significant benefit to how I perform and react; every thought we have expends energy and disrupts focus. Moreover, I believe that mushin is also a means to achieve self-awareness, being present in the very moment, but not preoccupied with superfluous thoughts that can impede or delay a response. For a martial artist, this is an invaluable asset, indeed.