Tag: thought

The power of thought and concentration

Posted on by joeharman8 | 10 min read | 102 views

The mind is continually open to suggestion, which means moment by moment it is subject to the influence of whatever is influencing it. This means if you entertain negative or counter productive thoughts, it creates an imprint which you gradually come to identify with as it leaves it mark. Fortunately, the same is true of positive thoughts. 

Basically, If a particular message or suggestion is continually reinforced, it becomes impressed on the mind, for better or worse. How does this occur? Over time, our thoughts and feelings, which we create, form habitual behaviours in us, which become second nature as we develop. These states  become imbedded in our subconscious, the core of our being. Therefore it is essential to keep the mind occupied with thoughts of a constructive nature, and hold on to feelings of  energy which enhance our strength.

Many religious, moral, and spiritual teachings have attempted to instil certain and symbols and behaviours into the minds of people. This has been done by providing model leaders, codes of conduct, and various exercises and ways of life to follow. Some systems have gone further. For example, there are certain Yogic methods which advocate the seeker identifying with specific deities. In tantric practice, powerful imagery is created in the mind which gradually takes on a form of its own by influencing the state of the Yogi. These are said to have such a powerful effect that they influence his physiology and personality, so that he can overcome various hereditary tendencies. Of course, often practitioners of these systems have gone about it the wrong way and ended up psychologically damaged by these powerful procedures. Caution is needed.

More recently in the West, psychological methods have focused on enabling the practitioner to create literal images, for example, mental rehearsal of skills in athletics. This is no different from tantric Yoga, except imagery rehearsal is self centred rather than aimed at transcendental experience. For example, the drive to enhance a tennis serve is useful as far as it goes, but it is hardly enough to absorb our attention at the highest level. Such imagery requires mental effort, rather than effortless absorption in something which is captivating by itself. The trick is to use an image as a stepping stone to something greater. If contemplating a tennis serve allows you to do that, then go for that. But don’t stop there.

Recently, Western psychological methods have been criticised for drawing attention to the individuals current state of development and capabilities. For example, it has been demonstrated that ruminating over ones problems simply reinforces them. For example, you might imagine overcoming a fear that you have created and reinforced, and often it might be better to forget about it entirely by viewing some awe inspiring stimulus instead, such as a waterfall or sunrise in the minds eye. Such imagery can have a positive impact and enhance concentration, so that the mind is not distracted by petty problems, which it often blows lout of proportion. Of course ones problems are very real, but a lot of the time it can be a better use of ones time to tap into a certain state of mind and feeling of harmony, so that negative states are simply dissolved and given nothing to feed on. 

In any case, the attention of the individual for a period of time can directed towards some meaningful goal or principle which enhances motivation. As such, it does not matter whether the imagery practiced is aimed at individual performance, adoration of a deity, or contemplation of the sunrise. The important factor is what sort of state this activity creates, and what feelings of warmth and energy are transmitted to the body. In other words, the thoughts and feelings do not necessarily need to correspond with the current physical reality if they can be used to create an entirely new experience of life.

Thought can be directed towards anything, whether that is towards making money, scientific discovery, battling mental illness, or whatever else. The methods for achieving success in this vary, but the principle is always the same. The idea is to moment by moment, day by day, keep the mind occupied with thoughts of a purposeful nature, being careful to avoid lapsing into a counter productive mindset. This often starts as a daily routine, scheduling in a practice session at certain times of the day. For example, someone might join a class and practice positive thinking with others, or simply devote fifteen minutes in the evening towards thought training. For some, it becomes a habit, an addiction even, that they can’t do without. It is even possible to become absorbed in constructive thought at every moment. Of course, even Masters of this art forget from time to time, but they just remind themselves to push forward relentlessly.

A good exercise for martial arts is to imagine yourself doing footwork or aligning yourself to deliver a punch, perhaps during certain moments of the day. The whole body does not need to perform this action necessarily, just the core and centre line. For example, you can twist and align the body in a similar way as you would in martial arts when walking down the street. This is a very basic exercise which allows you to see the connections between every day activities, and martial arts practice. Your health and fitness will be greatly enhanced without wearing out the body, providing you become fully involved in the activity.

All motivationally charged movements, whether that is powerful speech, throwing a spear, or reaching for an apple, share the same underlying movement patterns. Actually, even if the body doesn’t move, the neurons of the nervous system transmit energy which stimulates the cells. Science has even shown that by thinking about recovering from illness, it greatly enhances health. Lets take this further. By thinking about a state that you want to be in, you engage in an activity which allows you to evolve and transcend physical limitations imposed on you in the past. In this way, you become involved in an process which directly experiences life as it is, so that you become a transmitter of life rather than a shadow.

If you try to act with purpose in whatever you are doing in the day, you can enhance motivated behaviour. This method gives you an advantage over the typical one, in that you will experience a lot more training time. Rather than waiting to go to the gym, you will be training as much as you like. A disciple once asked his master: “How much time do you train in the gym?” The Master replied: “About ten minutes a day. You see, I have become martial arts”. What this means is that the time you spend doing the specific drills becomes less and less the more you apply the lessons to every day life. The mind and body reach such a degree of development, that the underlying experience of energy and motivation come much more effortlessly. Of course, the traditional exercises are useful as a means of achieving this inner unity of mind and body, but if the mind can make these connections more broadly then there is less and less need for them.

As we have seen, the mind can turn everyday activities into highly motivated pursuits by simply perceiving them as such. This does not mean that every action becomes dazzling to look at. Not at all. In fact, such a practitioner might look so ordinary that you wouldn’t suspect them capable of such powerful practice. To them, no action need take place that can be read by anyone else. In fact, this prevents hostilities from being drawn towards them. If a bacteria wants to invade the body, it cannot latch onto the subtle activity of the mind. Recent research has shown that viruses can learn to predict our behaviour because it reads our often rigid biological activity. The trick is then, is to work at the level of the mind so that biological activity itself can be influenced and given a new direction. If the body doesn’t decide what the outcome is, then a virus can’t follow the logic. In a similar way, if an opponent can’t tell what you are going to do, it is simply because you are acting intuitively and beyond simply instinctive intelligence. 

Just as the religious man enters the kingdom of heaven within, The athlete enters into the inner mind gym. Mental practice can take place in an effort towards winning the world championship, whether that is during specific training slots or subtly throughout the day. Importantly, the accumulation of these small instances of practice has a large effect size. Many prominent scientists are said to have created ideas in their minds, which years later have materialised into inventions or grand theories. This is an ongoing process with far reaching consequences. The same laws which govern creation of the physical world apply to the mental world, and there appears to be no limit because the universe is expanding all the time. There are no rules in creative thought, it is just a question of how productively ones uses their energies according to their own individual needs.

The possibilities for the application of thought and focused attention are endless. Anyone can think, but not everyone is able to sustain the thoughts they desire by focusing exclusively on them. However, some individuals have learnt to develop in this area so much that it becomes the number one goal and the ultimate experience.

The creative imagination of the individual is limitless in its potential. This more closely correlates with the reality of physics than the the potential of the physical body as it is now. This allows for the possibility that our performance can be measured against high ideals rather than past achievements. In the same way, the process of scientific discovery always aims at truth but never actually arrives. It is always in the process of becoming, which is what human beings are doing too. Human beings as they are now are not the finished product. However, the limitations the impose on themselves with their attitudes often create obstacles in the path to self realisation.

Powerful imaginative ideas cannot help but have a positive effect on the ignorant and weaker side of our nature. This is because we harness our true strength only when we overcome our limitations in spite of ourselves. It seems impossible, yet we do it anyway. Whether such an idea bares any resemblance to our current physical experience is beside the point. It didn’t matter to Galileo whether his ideas resembled what was already out there. Nor does it seem to matter whether motivated thinking even materialises into anything that we had in mind. As long as the mind is occupied and moving forward, then it is moving in the right direction, and an individual is at worst removing some aspect of their own ignorance. It often happens that a person has to move through successive stages of ignorance and suffering before they get much tangible success. The absence of constructive thought has the reverse effect. In our ignorance, it can seem as though everything is going well, until our health and well being are undermined later on. It is true what they say, that “Nature unaided fails”. What this means is that nature has a habit of pressure testing us and taking away our allowance after a certain period of upbringing and indulgence. This is to develop the side of our higher nature, which is not subject to the same laws as our lower nature, bringing us the necessary conditions for inner evolution. The higher nature works at the level of the mind, so that we can dissolve certain physical and mental states.

The Martial arts Community.

Posted on Last updated on by joeharman8 | 12 min read | 94 views

With the recent uncertainty facing us, the work of the immediate future is to make sure we can train alone as we would as part of the group. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying we can do the same things alone as we could when physically part of a team or group. No, it is the mentality and attitude which is important. So, what I am saying is that we need to draw upon the same commitment and enthusiasm when training training alone as we do when others are spurring us on and challenging us, if we want to progress further under the restrictions of recent months.

It can be hugely encouraging to view people around the world taking the initiative and getting creative in their training, even when no one is there to encourage them or set them exercises. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think its at all important what technical proficiency they might be demonstrating, or how polished the content is, this doesn’t bother me. If they have some wisdom to give, I am inspired to hear them out. To me it is the attitude that is important, the spirit of a community of ideas and developing those ideas with the help of others who share a common goal.

When people are motivated just by arrogance and lust for views, it becomes apparent that it is all about their personality rather than say, art or contributing to something greater. It is as if something inside warns me that just be associating with such a person I run the risk of becoming less focused on important things, because the individual is made the centre of attention, and so a barrier is put up between myself and such a person. I keep them at a distance and I find it impossible to learn anything. Personally I just engage with something less egotistical to ensure my progress is not distracted, because in my experience when people want to be of service they rarely behave like this.

In my view, that is what is often missing from the Martial arts community today – this inner community of individuals linked together for a common cause, each one of them on the outposts somewhere holding their fortress. Even if you have nothing much in common with others, or they aren’t physically present, this is no reason to feel separate. People can always relate on the basis of some uniting cause, where they forget who they otherwise are. For example, in a traditional Martial arts club you might be a black belt, but outside you are a shop assistant. Similarly, you might be the King of England outside, but inside you are a beginner. This shows us that how we relate to others is situational, and that, in my opinion, it is better to relate to people according to the high ideal of seriously committed work and action in the wider sphere1, not just the little group.

I would go as far as to say that the vital thing is to feel connected to the great ideas and inspirations of others, past and present, and to live in harmony with the spirit of this community. To draw on this source of inspiration, and contribute to it to the best of your abilities, however small, is the best way of relating to this. The more this is practiced the more naturally it will come to you. At first, it might seem like a waste of time and of little benefit, humiliating even. But just like breathing this seemingly insignificant act, this innate tendency, can be brought to the level of consciousness and trained so that it becomes a source of great strength.

It is not so much that some authority should do all the work for us, this would just impoverish us inwardly. However, in being expected to actively contribute, in whatever capacity that might be, we are practicing the qualities and abilities which must be cultivated in order to be productive and useful.

It is a shame that people often feel obliged to leave the community spirit once they have gotten to a certain stage of development. They feel it limits them, and in many ways they are often right because the aims of the group are often too narrow minded. It is true that political considerations, such as turf wars over who is in charge, or differences of opinion often get in the way the group, when instead they would be better of growing and becoming more powerful. In such a situation it is understandable to leave for elsewhere, because when you are obliged to absorb yourselves in the petty squabbling’s and tensions of the group it is difficult to focus on outgrowing the situation.

Many people suppose that the best way to encourage community is to foster inter group conflicts. For example, it is common within Martial Arts circles to only train at one club, or to discuss the short comings of other groups. The idea that training with others inside a like minded community encourages improvement is no doubt correct, however it isn’t enough when there is a negativity in the air which promotes separatism and ill feeling, however well intended. Under this kind of influence, you will at best see only part of the whole picture. It is usually the case that leaders within Martial Arts circles fight with competing groups not because they are superior, but because they feel inwardly limited.

Already this situation is different from the remote past where everybody lived within their own little sectarian bubble. And nowadays practice is much more informed because of work in this direction of evolved thought. But there is still a lot to be done, particularly with the potential for the online community. The best way to communicate and link up to others is by contemplating their ideas. To feel unified with the great minds and the ennobling ideas of others, all of this appeals and stimulates the Hara centre, or the solar plexus2. Yes, this centre can’t be deceived. It’s activity is best stimulated by thinking the best of others, and relating to them through all that is good. This can have a beneficial impact on the brain, and everything else.

“Don’t think, feel” said Bruce Lee. It is then possible for the body to influence the mind, by linking up with the community of ideas as the source of inspiration. Because, when we think only of personal gain, we aren’t working at full capacity. Under such narrow mindedness, we can have all the instruction in the world and it will be of little value. It is often best to cultivate certain feelings and thoughts before attempting further practice. Viewed this way, the brain is a screen for bodily states to be imprinted on, which manifest as mental representations in the minds eye. In other words, the feeling comes first in order to manifest powerful thoughts which lead to progress and clarity of vision3. When the brain thinks first, it often comes out with all sorts of insufficient intellectual theories and transposes them onto an unbalanced body. This is often the case.

So feelings of the right quality should be developed fundamentally. And what more powerful feeling than to be part of a great cause in order to surpass yourself? Surely this is better than merely surviving and considering yourself alone and isolated, unless of course you dominate others. This attitude is prevalent among many leaders. A certain level of short term success can be achieved by dominating others, but one day when those who have been trampled on feel that the situation has gone too far, they take the first opportunity to fight back. Then the poor leader becomes the victim, perhaps when he is dried up and weathered from all the disorder and chaos he has sown, and then he is the first to complain about how he has been betrayed.

Just as warfare has two sides, building and destroying, so too must the community aspect of Martial Arts. It is simply not true that you must force your ideas on others for them to listen, as you would say, force someone to back off by physical means. Fostering and attitude of cooperation, even onto aggressors, is a form of combat in itself and requires other tactics. I am not so naïve as to think this is always possible, but it is worth considering.

It is true that every Martial Art has its form based on principles. Boxing is based on the principles of punching. However, every attitude, feeling and desire also has its own form, which although different from physical combative Martial Arts, is actually complimentary. For example, helping others to surpass themselves requires an affectionate attitude and certain humility and warmth, even if you are being rough with them. This kind of behaviour has certain influences which are curative of bad attitudes, such as selfishness. In turn, this tends to nourish not only us but those around us. It is then possible to turn a cold and indifferent relationship of exchange into a vibrant and expressive one. You may not feel like doing this at first, but this is the true are of fighting without fighting, in other words turning what would be an enemy into an ally4.

Martial Arts teaching can produce results and evolution within somebody by way of the soft, in the same way that hard intensive training improves physical technique. If somebody imagines they are engaged in meaningful work which helps others (once of course they have overcome their own helplessness), then they set off impulses within them which increase their will power instantly. This is an exercise to do often, even if you don’t actually materialise such help, it is the desire, the will in action that’s important. If you stay there, with that felt sense of the will acting, then you can remain in a state of high motivation. It is simply a form of practice, as you would practice say, a punch in isolation from the real life context. Instead of physical practice, it is an exercise of the will, which requires dedication and work.

Before we have even helped anybody, it is often the case that we can sense we will do good for others, or even that we have done so just by thinking. Though is all powerful. And in return we get the sustained feeling and thought of surpassing ourselves through our contributions to others. This is a whole science in itself, and will empower you more than any physical practice. In a sense, the truly selfish person, if he knows what’s good for him knows his true interest lies in acting less selfishly.

When there is this unity to a common struggle, peoples attentiveness opens up and they are receptive to each others ideas and innovations, instead of on the guard for being manipulated. And then you cannot help but be inspired by others under this spirit of relatedness, and you improve having been under this collective influence. It is entirely up to you whether you enter into this state. For example, watching someone’s example in an online instructional video, you can get the impression of having been offered pearls of wisdom. Sometimes, you feel as though it is not about them showing off, but for the benefit of those watching.

There is still a lot of work to do here, because a great deal of the content viewable online has the effect of making you feel like you are being manipulated or “influenced”. People then sit there and wait for others to approve of their content before they do anything. But when you are working for a high ideal, a great cause, you cannot let the derision of others deter you, because of course criticism will arise.

Bad ideas are inevitable, but instead of influencing others with such mediocrity, wouldn’t it be better to swallow them up, work on them, digest them, eliminate them, etc., and only present them when they were a genuine help to others? This is the way to develop the best ideas individually before presenting them. And then you can inspire feelings in others that unite or reinforce them to a common cause, rather than repel them.

Yes, everyone must clamour to be heard, but an arrogant attitude aimed at others, as if they were simply supplicants to be sold a sales pitch, should only be used against enemies, not potential friends. Indeed, I would say that the true meaning of training in hostile environments, that is fighting others in sparring or otherwise, is to discern this negative attitude in others so that you are not taken by surprise in real life. When you have developed this in built detection device, you are then ready to go out and avoid trouble safely. You can them avoid petty squabbles and compete with others cooperatively to do the best work. Because competition cannot be avoided, it should only be properly directed. And because your perceptions have changed within, you are in a position to do some real work on yourself to project positivity on others, work which is sorely needed.

References

1 See The High Ideal https://harmanater.com/2020/07/26/the-high-ideal/

2 See The Hara Centre https://harmanater.com/2020/10/25/the-hara-centre/

3 See The imagination https://harmanater.com/2020/10/04/the-imagination/

4 See The True Meaning of Martial arts https://harmanater.com/2020/05/18/the-true-meaning-of-martial-arts/

Will Power

Posted on Last updated on by joeharman8 | 7 min read | 123 views

What is meant by will power? Whilst the brain and body are not always highly active and alert, the spirit should remain alert through will power. In other words that aspect of you which observes what’s going on inwardly should always remain attentive, even if everything else is resting. Some might call this the spirit, or the minds eye. But none of this means you should be concentrating on something so intensely that you exhaust yourself and then need to switch off. On the contrary, remaining vigilant and alert about your thoughts and channelling them in a productive direction should energise you and save you from losing direction and motivation1. Because the mind simply wonders if left to its own devices, usually into negativity.

What does will power do? It directs and cultivates ideas principally. And these ideas are based on eternal principles, or archetypes, which we develop through thought. We later fashion such ideas into outcomes, such as behaviours, strategies, or physical objects depending on their direction. Think of will power as the directing force of currents, just as a river bed channels water. Because usually we don’t actually create ideas, we just inject a bit of ourselves into existing ones. If they were ours we would hold on to them as we do an arm or leg, but often ideas fail us and become unusable without the right mental approach. This is where will power is vitally important. Think of ideas as your children if you like, and tend to them and bring them up as best you can with all your energy. Because they will enrich your life if you take responsibility for developing them.

Think of will power as the first port of call which sets everything in motion. In other words, the change is immediate as soon as you think a positive inspiring thought, it just hasn’t materialised yet into a product or an outcome. It needs time. This is why it is important to always insist on thinking positive, inspiring, and motivating thoughts. Many people say “I just can’t resist this or that” or “I can’t get motivated”. But these initial negative thoughts, which occur in the absence of effort1, have the power to create the reality which we fear. Similarly, will power can define who you are once you recognise that thought is the foundation of action, the source of manifestation. The actual outcome of thought is unimportant and often obstructs progress, because the goal is the impetus, the great and driving force. This process is what we should relate to rather than outcomes.

In the exercise of will power change wont be visible outwardly immediately. Will power is useful for sowing the seeds of progress. And as I was saying, the effects are only immediately visible on the level of the mind, and it is this level you should relate to rather than what’s immediately in front of you. The fruits don’t come until later, which is why so many people give up easily. For example, say you wake up one morning and decide you can’t be bothered to train, telling yourself that you are no good anyway so what’s the point. Soon enough, without any will power directing thoughts in the opposite direction you have given in to this negative idea which started off as a passing thought. “Thoughts are things” and they must be nourished moment by moment, so other bad things don’t take their place.

Whilst physical training gives us a degree of confidence by creating a history of success, as well as good habits and routines, it’s not enough on its own. Without an ideal to strive for, a motivational force, even the most thrilling training yields little in the way of long term success. So it is in the mind that any physical achievement originates, by relating ourselves to our high ideal or grand goal. The physical outcome of these mental creations symbolise these ideas, and give them form. By adding something of ourselves into them physically, or altering our behaviour through the inspiration of such ideas, we give them physical expression. But it all begins in the mind. It is up to us to revisit ideas and thoughts constantly to nourish them and blend them with other great ideas so that evolution can continue.

Even the greatest champions have convinced themselves at one point or another that they were no good and were going nowhere. They let negativity take over because there was no counterbalancing influence to this natural retrogressive tendency. Either they got into drugs, became egotistical, self indulgent, or whatever.

Any negative state of mind is liable to take over quite naturally without will power setting in motion a counter offensive of positive ideas and productive thoughts. Think of it as a war going on inside of you, good versus evil. If you hate the idea of war, consider it a form of delivering justice against injustice. In fact this is why Martial arts have insisted on virtue and responsibility, so that inwardly you side with the good, that is the productive and sustainable, avoiding demoralization. The idea isn’t just to bow in front of the master and then be done with it, showing no respect for others as you go out into the world. The Positive outcomes appear later as a result of relating to certain principles. So don’t go rushing this process or looking for a quick fix.

Many people think “If I just had the right training” or “If I just had enough money” that things would be easy. In fact the opposite is true because then there would be no need for will power to assert itself against such easy conditions and senescence would set in. Instead, see your disadvantages and adversity as a gift, or what scientists call “selection pressure” to adapt. In other words, a reason for will power to assert itself and propel your upwards. There is no other logical way of looking at it, there must always be an equal and opposite force.

The thing about will power is that it needs to be directed actively, whereas doubt and negativity are passive states. Such states are the absence of will power rather than a bad state in itself. Nobody holds on to an inspiring idea or makes a work of art without the will to do so. This is why it’s so important, it’s a fundamental prerequisite for an outcome. In other words, the outcome doesn’t come before the work, anymore than the flower comes before the seed.

We all start off weak and ignorant, and it requires monumental will power and work just to maintain what little we have achieved. Because we are free to will thoughts in a direction of our choosing this means we can adapt the form of our ideas to suit our circumstances and tastes. We can become whatever we like. It also means that we are free to become lazy and lose our edge, making way for the next generation of artists, creators, and leaders.

Through will power alone we can stop this natural tendency to decline and therefore we must never rest on our laurels. Ideas are flexible and adaptable, which reflects our changing and evolving circumstances and needs. This also explains why we must ceaselessly act in order to develop our thoughts and capabilities.

If we want to develop our thoughts into abilities later on, we need to put in the work first. Insofar as a spirited energy dwells in us it must be nourished. This means we need to be alert and vigilant in order to sow the seeds that may take years and years to become giant creations. This is the first step of any great endeavour and we should identify with this perspective rather than the narrow view of material circumstance. It isn’t enough to realise that action needs to be taken at the eleventh hour, so we must be forward thinking and ready to see the slightest change in the landscape which calls for new creations in the future.

References

1 https://harmanater.com/2020/04/27/active-relaxation/

2 https://harmanater.com/2020/05/04/the-higher-and-lower-self-in-martial-arts/

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