True Self

[Dana Sheets]

The mirror contains the old image, for we look with old eyes on its
necessary similarity to remembered images of ourselves.

Our mind forces us to connect the picture we see with past pictures,
creating a false continuity.

But we are new every moment. Every moment we have the possibility of
breaking the old pattern, which is just a mental construct, and creating
something new.

Every cell in your body is different fron the cells you had six months ago.
This is an analogy. In reality we are trapped by wanting to be the same as
our false self, the self we use for living, what we call "me".

But, this is false..

Do you know who you are?
Break the mirror and find out.

[maxwell ainley]

The big stumbling block to seeking the true self ;is actually the fact that we already possess it ,but can't see it ,because we really attach to things that stand in its place ,so we must remove the things that stand in its place .
But how can this be practiced if there is a clinging to things that are past .there are really three stages to do this ;prepare is the first which opens to the second a singleness of focus ,a singleness of focus leads to realisation .
Most people don't take this into account ,they may want some realisation yet don't possess singleness of purpose ,they are scattered within themselves ,they are not as one ,a hydras head lives inside ,that stops singleness coming into events ,so preperation is vital ,such as you have a method ,and within that method is a process , you now prepare yourself to carry out this process ,two to three day weeks are okay to start off ,but are next to useless in these preperations that lead to a singleness of purpose ,because its singleness of purpose that arrives at realisation .

This singleness of purpose is a special type ,and not one that maybe can work seven days per week but the object is money ,we work for a seven day process but the ultimate objective is realisation ,of our true self .

[Jackie Olsen]

Ah, but can you stay within your center once you shatter the mirror of self-reflection? If we can access our Inner Strength we learn to live in this world of illusion but not become addicted to or affected by it. Whatever happens, happens.

Whatever happens is an illusion and it remains a part of the whole illusion. Whatever happens has no effect on the "real" us because the "real" us is an objective observer watching this illusion much as you or I watch a movie.

We learn to live in this world but remain unaffected by it. Whatever we think, we think. Whatever we think is an illusion, and it has no affect on the "real" us. Whatever we feel, we feel. Whatever we feel is an illusion and it has no affect on the "real" us.

Quite the paradox isn't it?

[Stryke]

People will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time they will pick themselves up and continue on.

[Mills75]

Geeze now this is a topic I've thought about so many times in bed at night..what is the nature of my true self or do I just have an idealic picture of who I would like to be rather than who I am in reality..I like to think I know myself and I like to think I seek the truth and honesty and fairness but alot of times even though I believe in truth ultimately..I also wonder with so many people believing so many different things is there really a single truth or are there many versions and concepts of it..Honestly I believe in God and I love to think there is one single truth so I stand there but this is a very hard question for anyone I think..I try to be simple and uncomplicated and I find it's the best way to know my true self..my true self doesn't like complexity or jumbled meanings..I seek and desire not puzzles but clarity and in that way I hope I'm on the road to what I could call my true self..It is a wonderful question I think everyone should ask themselves so they can look into their soul and really find out who they are. I love the thought of living in the now and having that presence but I must admit I'm one who does tend to hold onto things and sometimes I wonder if it is something that aids me or takes away from my journey in this world..in the end I think like anything there is a balance of good things to hold onto from the past while being in the present and looking toward the future..all I can say is my true self is something that I aspire to find and I feel I'm close but I would be guessing or wishful thinking to honestly state I have found it at this point...and on the point about cells changing every six months and that may very well be true but I would think that hearts and minds change on a much more rare scale so who knows..

[Dana Sheets]

I should mention that what I posted isn't my own writing but an adapted translation of a 17th century Samurai Warrior.

We tell stories to ourselves and to others about who we are every day. It is worthwhile to pay close attention to those stories to see if they are true, if they serve you and your well being and if they are perhaps, holding you back.

We tell stories like:
I'm shy
I don't do math
I was never very smart
I've got quite a temper
I'll always be alone
Noone understands where I'm coming from
I'm not organized
I'm no good with money

These and other statements can be limiting. They can stop us from moving out of our comfort zones and reaching for our greatest abilities. All the while offering us the comfort of familiarity to stay where we are, without change, without discovery, without growth.

[Stryke]

Nice post Dana

That`s not the way Sensei does it
That`s not what they do in Japan
that`s not Uechi
we do it with tucked hips
untucked hips ...

etc etc

the only way to really learn is to try new things and constantly adapt .

The human body is incredible at finding the middle ground .

change is the only certainty in life , embrace it

I think in martial arts as in life we can constantly limit ourselves .

The law of diminishing returns , we constantly do somethng the same way we eventually get less and less benifit from it .

every moment is a fresh start to try and to grow

[Mills75]

I bet this is the very reason that the Amish people don't use or have mirrors because they don't want to know who the hell they really are...I sure wouldn't if I drove a wagon and if you brake the mirror you get seven years of bad luck so you might find your real self and get run over by a truck..but at least they will finally know who to write the obituary about lol...

[maxwell ainley]

"The great way knows no difficulties, except that it refuses to make preferance ".
This is a after statement ,and not a before one ,but its right in the heart of the moment when uttered by some one awakened to their true self.
Before the true self emerged ,there was a heavy clinging to like and dislike .
max.

[maxwell ainley]

Defining the state that the true self lives in is difficult ,words some how struggle to define in most cases ,to me I see things as either before or after statements ,such as the preperation stage is obviously a before statement ,and in a process it could be long and drawn out or of a much shorter duration ,shorter would indicate the speed you enter being fired up ,focused or single minded ,like or dislike enter this state of affairs also but the quicker someone can overcome those tendancys ,is by a process of firing up ,as you fire up inertia is shoved out of the way ,but only temporary ,so its during this firing up that the true self can make a entrance .if we fail etc, loss of faith in the method and the process could be a out come .so recharging of ones batteries is paramount .
Realisation is the outcome of the other two ,also it would depend on the drive to give this realisation depth ,this depth would then give knowledge of this true self .
This knowledge would be universal ,so these after words [statements] would cease to baffle also these words would have a bell like ring to them ,and there would be no trace at all of like and dislike .

[maxwell ainley]

The preperation stage is riddled with like and dislike ,but the fired up stage isn't ,when people sometimes think they are fired up ,I normally detect a lot of like and dislike ,a lot of inertia ,its still very preperation like .
I don't mean fired up for a hr or two ,or ajacent days .In a true fired up situation there isn't the feeling of time off ,such as mini holidays ,you arn't wondering what others are doing in their methods ,oh no the method you are on with is fired up ,to keep it fired up it must be constantly stoked up with your fuel ,the fuel of singleness ,all the energy wasted on like and dislike is now thrown in to the stoking up process along with silly fantasies ,while you are stoking up there is no time for talking ,energy can't be wasted on talking ,the single method is now present ,preperation as ended ,the true self will enter into this undivided focus .