budo

This morning I was thinking of budo -- the way or path of the warrior. The essence of the warrior path is spirit. As Jesus said, have little or no concern for those who can kill the body, but look out for that which can kill your soul. He is speaking budo speak -- the path and code of warrior training.

As a Zen Baptist, I find this training reflected in Jesus' character and in all of Jesus' teachings. Jesus was and is one of the mightiest warriors who ever lived.

Please open your Bibles to Matthew 22. Find verses 36-40.

Lou Ellen, will you read that aloud?

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Thank you. One of the lawyers hanging around Jesus asked him this question, hoping to trap him in his answer. As usual, Jesus nailed him.

But look at this. Look at the question first. Apply it to yourself. You have a relatively short life to live. How should you live it? The question is of great importance, of much more importance than should you have the double-flapped frapping frappe' as your coffee of choice for the morning, or even which human, if any, you should choose to bunker with for life duration.

This is a budo question, a warrior question. And asked of a great warrior, one who could slice right through b.s. to bedrock.

The question had already been answered, in what the Christians call the Old Testament.

And that answer gives us the budo way, the path of warrior training. Love the Source that is birthing you right now with your whole being. With all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. Nothing held back. Nothing in reserve.

This is both the warrior's training goal and the warrior's training practice.

And this means to love all around you as yourself. So it means you have to love yourself too. And even first of all. Now you know that doesn't mean you are kissing yourself all over. Or constantly staring with moonstruck eyes into a mirror. An essential part of the practice is to know what love is.

Try this on for size. Love consists of unwavering awareness. Zanshin. Bare ass naked awareness with no thought of and no clinging to the one who is aware.

Then Jesus threw in the clincher.

He said that on these two principles (which are really one) and their practices "hang all the law and the prophets."

Humankind's entire system of jurisprudence, what is right according to law, and the teachings of the entire body of human visionary and intuitive awareness rest upon this budo code: the giving of our lives with love, nothing held back, nothing in reserve.

Let us sit for a moment in silent contemplation.