Martial Arts Meditation!
I had been studying Karate for a while, and I was considering martial arts meditation. I had read of esoteric meditation concepts in such arts as Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan, and it definitely did seem like something I desired to do. Heck, one book I reviewed pointed out that if a guy might focus on merely one thing for as little as 3 minutes he could rule the planet!
3 minutes? Heck, that was absolutely nothing!
And if I did it I would certainly be the most effective martial artist in the planet! I could easily knock over walls, be a wafting, disembodied intelligence. No wall could control me! No changing booth could be immune from my kung fu powers!
At the time I was working in a plastics factory in San Jose. Being rather burnt out with making heat shrinkable tubes, I made a decision that the day had actually come when I would certainly understand martial arts concentration and command the planet.
Lunchtime, and I walked out to the parking lot and into the orchard next door. I chose a round stone for my one thing, and sat down on the curb. My thoughts filled with plans for exactly what I would probably do when I had actually vanquished the globe, I consumed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and psychologically equipped myself.
Done with sandwich, I positioned the round stone on the ground and sat cross-legged just before it. I could not do a zazen sitting posture, or a yoga lotus asana, or anything like that, so I figured sitting Indian fashion might probably need to do it.
I gave myself a shake, lowered my gaze, and concentrated on the stone.
It was round. Probably I touched on that, however I did observe that it was round. And the colour dirt. Well, of course, I had actually gotten it from an orchard and … I psychologically shook myself and required myself to cease thinking. I needed to concentrate, be a laser, command the planet. My eyes stared at the rock.
A short time passed. I speculated just how I was expected to realize when 3 seconds passed. It sure was a very long time. I tossed that thought out of the way and stared at the stone once more.
After a while, I was sure 2 minutes had actually passed. I proceeded, awaiting the heavens to open, anticipating God to bow down, awaiting the cosmos to open and enjoy me as their rightful ruler.
And, 3 minutes … at least I think it was 3 minutes … I was bored. Absolutely nothing was occurring.
I picked up the rock, tossed it over my shoulder and back into the orchard and … I all of a sudden recognized something. The rock had not been dull … I was boring. The rock was merely sitting there, doing nothing, it was me that had actually made it, and reality, and life … boring.
I stood then, and life was never ever the same after that. I was never ever bored ever again. I occasionally ponder where that round stone is. Heck, if I could possibly discover it I might be up for one more 3 minutes of martial arts meditation … the things I could quite possibly discover!
