Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Mind of no Mind

We've been learned to think before we act. Nothing wrong with that. But sometimes when you have to act fast, it's better to be trained in such a way that you don't have to think before you act.

The "Zen expression" for this state of body and mind is called:

Mushin no shin


which means more or less "Mind of no mind".



Mushin no shin is a state into which very highly trained martial artists (e.g. samurai fighters) are said to enter during combat.

When you are in a Mushin state you don't experience disturbing thoughts and you can totally respond to your environment, without hesitation.
It's not just a question of "not thinking". You can only act on your gut-feeling when you are intensively trained to do so.

The time you save by not having to think, can be lifesaving and bring you in a position of total focus en dedication.

Don't use Mushin just for fighting, but use it to contribute to achieve a better performance for your friends and a better world.


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