Mushin 無心 and the Hara 腹
According to the Taoist calendar, from September 7 to October 6 we move from late Summer to Autumn. The time of external growth is slowly coming to an end; it is time to slow down. Last month we worked with Wu Wei 無為 (Mu-i in Japanese), and we're going to put that into practice even more by adding the 無心 Mushin philosophy this month.
At this time of year, it is vital to assess what no longer suits you and distance yourself from it. You’ve built up a lot in recent months and now it’s time to collect the benefits. It is essential you remain humble and grateful, to maintain the balance.
無心 Mushin
無 'Mu' we discussed last month; it's the same kanji 無 ('Wu' in Chinese and 'Mu' in Japanese) of Wu Wei (Mu-i), meaning 'none, nothing’.
心 'Shin' you may remember from the first half of this course: it's the 'heart kanji', also called 'consciousness', or in this kanji, a combination explained as 'mind'. 'No mind' is a beautiful English translation. It is the state of being you strive for during your Zen Buddhist meditation practice - but also within Japanese martial arts and our Dō-In practice: the clear mind/empty heart free from disturbances or thoughts.
Bruce Lee explained Mushin in the movie ‘Enter the Dragon’ in this way: “When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And, when there is an opportunity, I do not hit - it hits all by itself.” The beauty of this explanation is that it contains the foundation of the Taoist philosophy: the expansive yin energy and contracting yang energy of everything in the universe.
Practicing Wu Wei and Mushin combined is a great to combat worry, because worrying is an expression of a weakened Spleen Meridian. This month we will focus on strengthening the Spleen energy, and thus the Earth element.
Hara 腹
Just like 'Mushin' 無心, 'Hara' is an important concept in Japanese martial arts and Dō-in. The kanji for Hara 腹 is translated as 'belly' in Japanese, but can also mean 'courage, willpower, generosity, feelings or emotions'. Physically, it is the area between the ribcage and the pubic bone, where our digestion takes place, and where most of our daily energy and self-healing power is generated.
On a mental and emotional level, we see this area within Dō-in as the 'sensory brain'. For example, a shiatsu therapist can sense from the Hara alone which meridians are out of balance and which emotions are most present. In Dō-in, Zen Buddhism, and Japanese martial arts, we train to do all movements from the Hara, as this is our center of gravity and gives a sense of stability, calmness, strength, tranquility, and concentration.
Practicing moving from your Hara has a direct effect on your Mushin 無心 practice, it also ensures that you can ground yourself better, and thus strengthens the Spleen energy. In addition, this practice is great for your daily life, to calm down during an important presentation or a difficult conversation. Next to that, it improves your physical and mental balance during your daily activities.