Rodney J Owen - Blog

Foundations

5/25/2020

The key to engaged living is having a strong foundation. Building one's foundation takes time, patience, and effort, also known as sadhana (intense, regular disciplined practice; progressing towards one's ultimate expression of being). A key element of Zen-Budo practice is Shugyo, interpreted as intense training. In a traditional sense Shugyo refers to a warrior or monk leaving the comfort and security of his/her family/village/zendo/dojo and venturing out to test his/her grounding in the world beyond. Contemporarily, Shugyo is often considered synonymous with sadhana. In the context of Daishin Zen-Budo, sadhana is dedicated, routine practice and Shugyo is a more intense version of this, perhaps sesshin (intense zazen meditation practice), or randori (freestyle martial practice), typically training to near the point of exhaustion. The distinction is important. Sadhana is regular, typically daily, practice. Shugyo is intense, not daily practice, but still considered on a regular basis in order to test one's limits and increase one's skill. Sadhana is the building of the foundation, Shugyo is pushing and testing the limits of the foundation.

In order to practice in the manner of Shugyo, one needs a strong, stable foundation. This is typically established through the regular practice of yoga (procedures used to strengthen and purify the physical body, clarify and nurture the energy body, and reveal and increase awareness of the spiritual body). Keep in mind, the term yoga is used here in the broadest, traditional sense. The yogi will train the body/mind on a regular basis, sometimes in retreat, often as part of a daily routine. A complete yoga practice may include aspects of Aryuveda, Qigong, yoga-asana, pranayama, Tantra, and of course, meditation. Needless to say, yoga practice is sufficient in and of itself to condition and fortify the practitioner without any other practices. For the Zen-Budo practitioner it is typically a component of training that also includes Zazen, martial arts, Zen lifestyle routines, and perhaps artistic expression (music, poetry, sculpture, calligraphy).

In this current period of quarantine and lockdown, social distancing, and virtual sangha, most practitioners are prevented from or at least limited in group practices typical of Shugyo intensity. Therefore the time is ripe for yoga. This is the time to build one's foundation, keeping in mind it may be tested unexpectedly through the many challenges, physical and/or economic that we all face in this environment. One doesn't need to sit in sesshin or spar with a partner to be challenged. Coronavirus and economic upset are enough.

A Return to Zero

5/7/2020

In Mind Training, we work to remove all that isn't essential, the things we use to identify ourselves, others, the world, mental addictions, obsessions, attachments. It is what Sri Ramana Maharshi identifies as "neti, neti". Not this, not this. In the process we strip down apparent reality to the absolute essentials. We are left with nothing but the void, our breath, the moment. All else is window dressing. This is tough training and is just not for everyone. Not everyone is ready for it, most are simply not interested. As Morpheus said, "most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it." Further, many who think they are ready for intense training later find out they aren't. We grow accustomed to our attachments, our ego dressings, our illusions. It may just be easier to live with them, even knowing they are illusion.

Enter COVID-19. In the current situation, many of us are engaged in an involuntary version of Mind Training. Take away your job, your dojo, your gym, your favorite bar, the give-and-take of social interaction and then who are you? I am sure for many this situation is unsettling just for that reason, though they may not realize it. For those who are interested, this is a perfect opportunity for deep reflection to some degree. In fact, I think it can be healthy in this situation, because as we come out of lockdown we will not be going back to the world we left. The external things we once trusted for impression management and social support may no longer be options, and will at least be very different.

There are lots of thoughts and ideas being shared right now, some postulating about the strange new world. One thing we know at this point (early May, 2020): we don't know anything. We will be working with a clean slate to create this new world that will be socially-restricted and economically deficient, at least for some time. All the better if we approach it with open minds and no-limit attitudes.

Life Lessons from a Redbird

4/30/2020

For the past month or so, I have been watching a cardinal attack its reflection in my neighbor's window and in the rear windshield of my truck. He is only protecting his territory, as he thinks the reflection is another cardinal moving in. And while I obviously understand this bird doesn't have the rational ability of a human, I still keep waiting for him to get it, to realize he is only fighting his reflection, that the other bird doesn't exist.

My wife and I were sitting on the deck watching his antics and wondering if he was going to spend the totality of his short lifespan bouncing off a window when it dawned on me that is what we all do. We spend our lives fighting illusion. Our lives are in reality not that different than this bird's. The things that concern us, that we will fight for till the end are nothing more than a reflection of inner mental gymnastics, our irrational fears, emotional card tricks, and senseless desires. And our problem, like that of my red-winged neighbor, is that we don't realize it. We think the illusions are real. And until we see them for what they are, if we ever do, we will continue to live in bondage.

Right now we are restricted by COVID-19, like it or not. Coronavirus doesn't care a wit if we like it, if we believe it is real, or if we think it is all a government plot to take our candy away. The reality is this is not a pleasant situation for most of us, for some it's the final situation on this trip around the sun. But it will in the end be a transformative situation. Fr. Richard Rohr calls it a liminal time, a transitional period typically found in rites of passage. For me, that is the only way to see this. But, I am trying to keep in mind that this time period itself and not what is to follow is the important aspect right now, as this is what is happening now. There is a blessing in all of this, not only in what is to follow but in what is happening right now. With that in mind, it is still a struggle to remember to not bounce off of windows fighting an illusion.

Thisness

4/23/2020

Sometimes we need to be reminded that the most important things are often the simplest (I do tend to forget this way too often).
"The Zen practice of just sitting, says Lewis Richmond, doesn’t help us to reach our destination. It allows us to stop having one. But how do you “go” nowhere?"

Just Sitting, Going Nowhere.

Post-Quarantine

4/22/2020

As I write these words I wonder if there will really be a post-quarantine, at least in the sense that we may not do it again. At this point, I don't think so. Quarantines, or public restrictions, may be a feature of our lives for some time to come. It is likely we may have to go on and then off, then back on again for at least a couple of years. I can understand the potential necessity of that. What I can't wrap my head around is how we are supposed to function with those constraints.

The greatest challenge with being in a lockdown situation is the ability to secure resources. Basically, everything we know about economics tells us that this current situation is not sustainable. So far, here in the US, the government has bled trillions of dollars through congressional bailouts and Federal Reserve market intervention. That is understandable and appreciated on one hand. But that money did not come from a stash somewhere. It is debt incurred on a system already deeply in debt. While even that can be understood and appreciated, the trick is in paying it back.

The basic foundation of economics is human action. If humans are not acting, they are not generating income. If they are not generating income, they can hardly pay taxes to cover the government bailouts. So until we can start doing things again, that hole will just get deeper and deeper. And that can be a major problem. A large portion of the original bailout funds for small businesses went instead to large corporations. Instead of remedying that, congress is authorizing more bailout money. At the same time, various different industries are requesting industry-specific bailouts: travel, medical, oil, etc... Apparently the federal government has unlimited capacity for giving money away. Understand, I'm not saying that people don't need help. I'm just asking the question: where does it come from?

At the same time that individuals and businesses are suffering losses, so are governments. I just saw a report that the DOT in our state is cutting back spending on road construction and repair by 75% over the next year. Income in the form of fuel taxes and speeding tickets are all but nonexistent. I also saw a report today where the US Senate is advising states to file for bankruptcy rather than asking for help from the federal government. At the very least, local and state governments will be forced to lay off large numbers of workers and may end up defaulting on pension plans. Our thinking has apparently been that governments will sustain us till we can get back to work. The problem with that is the various levels of government were never prepared for that and will be strained to the breaking point soon. All of this at a time when it is not safe to go back to work. When we do, said work will be different as well.

The post-quarantine economic world is going to be a very different place and will only be sustainable with many tough, unpleasant choices. In fact, we are going to need to reconsider practically everything we have done heretofore. Personal protection and social distancing will change everything, maybe much more than we can even imagine. As of this writing, while we are still in lockdown, the prediction is that airplanes and restaurants, for example, will have to basically remove seating to allow for proper social distancing. For operations that base their income on a certain number of seats, they will have to raise prices to stay viable. That is simple mathematics. And even that is for those who can afford to reopen or stay open at all. This new standard will obviously apply to many more operations than food and travel. It doesn't take much imagination to envision the resulting inflation across the board. That is inflation on top of increased taxes to pay back all that government has done to sustain shuttered businesses.

Going forward, the post-Corona world will require governments able to respond and apply public health measures and management much better than they have been doing--which is basically not at all. So government needs to be larger or at least much different. Perhaps we are near the end of the Pentagon Dynasty. By changing our focus from policing the world to keeping this nation safe, we could change the overall mission and maybe save lives. But that is still unlikely. Either way, government will also be much more intrusive. Very few want that, but many will allow it. To manage public health, some civil liberties will be lost. I don't like it, but I think it is a given at this point. In fact, I imagine a lot of changes in government will occur because of this virus, very few of them endearing to many of us. In the US, I imagine we are on the brink of a national healthcare system and may even be seriously considering universal basic incomes in the very near future. I don't think this is pie-in-the-sky. In fact, I can see many problems with these approaches. However, my point is not in how things should be but in how I think the likely will be.

I am not trying to make an argument for going back to work before science says it is safe. I am pondering the future world we will inhabit once we do go back--whenever that is. The sudden decrease in oil consumption has many oil and energy companies in trouble. At the same time, the actuality of COVID infections is causing massive disruptions in food distribution channels. These problems will snowball downhill to the least of us, possibly causing shortages and price inflation. A lot of the potential problems I have mentioned, and others that might actualize that I have not mentioned (or can't imagine), could have been mitigated with better management at the federal level. On the other hand, a lot of them could not have been controlled or accounted for, no matter. That also is not my point. There is plenty of blame to go around and plenty of recipients. I'm not interested in that. What I am really concerned about is the true nature of reality, the world we inhabit now and the one we will inhabit shortly. We each need to prepare mentally and strategically as best we can to prepare for it. And we need to stay aware and nimble to best navigate it once it arrives.

Personal Preparedness

4/14/2020

Well into a month of semi-isolation and we are all antsy about getting back to our normal lives. No one wants to stay locked-down, and most of us need to get back to work. However, at this point (mid-April, 2020) the potential danger has not passed enough to allow for that yet. As best as I can understand this, we are waiting for the infection rate to go down and for a vaccine to be developed. But even that scenario brings as many questions as it does answers.

Once the rate of infection goes down and we assume it is safer to go back to work, isn't there every possibility that it will start to creep back up again? I understand that the countries who have been able to manage this have extensive testing and contact-tracing protocols in place, which we do not have in the US. At least not yet. So, while I understand we will need to go back to work to survive, we will obviously do so at a tremendous risk to our health.

Once a vaccine is developed, how safe will it be? And will everyone be required to have it?
These are important questions. There are viable reasons to be wary of vaccinations, especially ones that have not stood the test of time. There will be those who will be opposed to being injected with something that for all intents and purposes is experimental. There is no way to know the long-term risks of something just developed. To that end, will those who oppose being vaccinated be forced to have it anyway? That is a viable concern, both in terms of health and individual liberty.

Of course, I'm doing a better job of asking questions here than I am of answering them. I don't have those answers. At least not yet. In any case, these are crucial concerns for all of us and we will do well to take these things seriously, sooner rather than later.

The other thing we need to consider is the possibility that this may be an on-going situation. It is possible that we might not develop a good vaccine or build a solid herd immunity, and/or that another strain may be released into the world population. Corona virus may be a fact of life as we know it for some time. Obviously not ideal, but possible.

Please understand, I am not an alarmist and I certainly don't predict any of these nasty scenarios. But at the same time, we would be foolish not to consider that. There was a time in the span of human development when science wasn't a part of existence. Plenty of people died of diseases and common illnesses that we can easily control now. So, if we were to be confronted with a virus that we can't control and that could take out a serious portion of the population, that would not be unprecedented in human history. In fact, given a broad enough timeline it would typical.

So what can we do if that is the case? The only thing we can do is to be as intentionally healthy as possible. While I recommend that anyway, under situations like these it is life-critical. This is a good time for anyone who hasn't been living an intentionally healthy lifestyle to start. It can literally be a matter of life and death.

Essential Form

4/1/2020

Those of us who have trained with Yang, Laoshi in Chen-Hunyuan 48 have probably noticed that he teaches and practices the 48 form differently than most Hunyuan practitioners. Basically, we don't have all the circles. This has been explained away as him simplifying it so as to make it easier to learn. I don't think that quite captures it.

A couple of years ago during Taiji Camp, Laoshi explained that his version of the 48 is more inline with the Chen Village Laojia, or Old Frame, and that this is the way GM Feng first taught the form in the early 80s when he formulated it and when Yang began training with him.

The idea behind the Essential 48, compared to the Refined 48, is an emphasis on Gongfu, or basic skill development, especially the Eight Energies. This makes a lot of sense if you look at the way Taiji has been taught historically. In Chen Taiji, the first form (48 for us) is the Gongfu form. Its purpose is to develop and nurture basic skills. This is fundamental to any art, especially Taijiquan. We get the opportunity to develop the extra circles, and the attending Neigong, as we learn the Er Lu, or Pao Chui form, the Sabre form, and all the various Hunyuan Gong exercises. And we should be better prepared to learn the advanced forms with a solid Gongfu foundation built through extensive development of the Essential 48 Form. To that end, the 48 form should be our primary, most-practiced, form.

A year or so ago I was listening to a podcast with a guy who is a strength coach for professional basketball players. He told a story of how when he was first getting started he had the opportunity to meet Kobe Bryant. Kobe invited him to one of his workouts. This guy arrived early to find Kobe already in the gym with his personal coach doing basic movement drills. Apparently these drills were real basic, the kind of thing one learns in middle school basketball. Afterwards, he asks Kobe why, being the best basketball player in the universe, he was still doing basic skill drills. Kobe's reply was that doing basic skill drills daily was the reason he was the best basketball player in the universe.

To illustrate what I am saying consider the following. Below is a video of Wang Feming doing the Refined 48. This is exceptional. However, notice the difference compared to how we practice.

Now consider the below video of Chen Zhenglei doing the Old Frame, or Laojia Form. Note, that while the arrangement is different (it is a different form), the energy is more inline with the way we (students of Yang, Laoshi) practice the Chen 48.

Please understand my point here is not to criticize or to advocate for practicing Taiji one way or the other. We all hopefully follow the path that is right for us. However, I do hope this clears some misunderstanding about how we practice and why. Essential doesn't mean easy or simple. It means essential. Consider that.

Polarities

3/28/2020

On the subject of good and evil in our world:

There is one power in the Universe manifesting as ten thousand things. We call this power Ultimate Reality. It is neither good nor bad in ultimate terms. Good and evil, as absolute self-existing separate entities, do not exist. Good and evil are values we assign to situations, developments, events in our lives that are still nothing more or less than the expressive aspect of the Universe in manifestation. That doesn't mean that there are not extremely bad, dangerous, and/or nasty situations. We all know good and well that there are. However, they are not evil. That is, not if we define evil as a somehow errant power opposed to and separate from Ultimate Reality.

Ultimate Reality is pure potential without any attributes or aspects. In actualization, it has an expressive aspect that creates and nourishes universes, or the Ten Thousand Things. Like all energy it has two poles, known as Yin and Yang, or Shiva and Kali, the creator and the destroyer. Inherent in the process of creation is destruction. This is always true. In our personal lives destruction may manifest as illness, death, perhaps pandemics and plagues. While these things are not desirable, they are not evil. It may be beyond our grasp in the moment, but they are ultimately necessary. The Taiji symbol indicates one unified reality with two extremely opposite qualities. Taiji is not really expressed as Yin and Yang, but Yin-Yang; one thing, with different qualities, always changing. What is Yin this morning will be Yang tonight. This too shall pass.

Our challenge in challenging times is to be patient and attentive and to try and learn from destruction. This is hard, easier said than done, but necessary all the same. In the end, the expressive aspect of Ultimate Reality, what we may know as Hunyuan or Primordial Energy, is a benevolent power that is nurturing our world. We won't ever be able to fully understand it, and the quicker we realize that and accept it the better off we are. We can, however, learn to recognize and cooperate with this power for our ultimate good. This is a specific goal of spiritual practice and something that is not only within reach, but closer than most of us realize. At the same time, it is something we are always working on, reevaluating, relearning. That's why it's called practice.

Relax. Fear not. All is well.

Varieties of Wuji Standing

3/25/2020

In answer to questions concerning Neigong practice:
"What is the difference between the Wuji and standing we do in Neigong practice and that of Taiji-Qigong? is there a difference? When do we use one or the other?"

This is my answer based on my perspective at this time (which means it might change as we learn and experience more).

I see two approaches to standing.
(1) as martial and Qigong practice. This is the Wuji, Santi, Mabu standing as taught by most Taiji, Qigong, and Gongfu teachers/lineages. This would be Hugging the Tree, Standing Pole, Kung Fu Temple Stances, Yiquan Zhan Zhuang, etc... The goals of this type of teaching are relaxation, meditation, improved body awareness, improved mental awareness, and improved Qi flow, all of which lead to better health (Qigong) and martial effectiveness (Gongfu).

(2) as Neigong practice. The goal of Neigong is to activate and cultivate Jing and convert it to Qi. In the context of our training, Neigong includes Daoyin, which is interpreted as guiding and pulling. The conversion of Jing to Qi happens naturally anyway and is quickened via Taiji/Qigong practice. Neigong/Daoyin is just an intense amplification of this natural process. So, compared to the goals of Qigong-Wuji standing, the goal of Neigong is to intentionally activate and cultivate the Jing-to-Qi process. Which is why we condition the body, to be able to withstand the intense energy flows and then position the body so that Qi flow is efficient and intentional. In Qigong standing the goal is to relax and maintain frame and develop mindful awareness. In Neigong, the goal is to adjust the body and guide the energy flow such that it activates Jing. When that happens we often get the shakes, a sure sign that Jing is firing.

In a nutshell, Qigong standing is meditation. Neigong standing is Tantra.

In Qigong standing, we stand in Wuji and/or Santi and relax while maintaining frame. The body is soft and relaxed and allowed to move gently as will naturally happen, as if one is standing in water. We are nurturing our inherent energy and mindfulness.

In Neigong standing, while we are relaxed, in fact intentionally practicing Fang-Song to release energy, we are also holding our bodies a bit more rigidly in the attempt to direct energy down to the ground on the outside channels or our legs, and back up via the inside channels. Thus, we are setting up a differential in our bodies between the slightly rigid and fully relaxed. This differential acts much like two poles in a storage battery to allow the Jing to fire. Neigong standing is typically done in Mabu and Wuji. Our intention is to intentionally activate Jing so that it is converted to Qi.

Next Question: "If we are turning our Jing into Qi, doesn't that leave our Jing depleted?"

My answer:
Jing, Qi, and Shen are all the same thing, ultimately. They are all energy vibrating at different frequencies. If you think about it, so is everything. All things are just different vibrations of the same thing: Hunyuan (Primordial Energy). All things are Primordial Energy. Jing is equivalent to the physical body, Qi the energy body, Shen the spiritual body. The conversion of Jing to Qi is a natural process. Neigong quickens that process. I don't think it increases the speed of the process, or necessarily depletes our natural store of Jing. What depletes Jing is worry and stress, dehydration, excessive sexual activity, lack of sleep, alcohol, bad food. I think Neigong increases the intensity of the process and our awareness of the process equally. In fact, at a certain point our awareness of the process is the process. Also, I believe we have far more potential energy available to us than we ever actually access and process through internal practices. That is why the sudden awakening of Kundalini has been a devastating experience for some people. They were not physically nor mentally prepared for it.

We replenish Jing as we replenish Qi: through Qigong, diet, exercise, proper sleep, controlling emotions, conserving sexual activity, engaged living. Since Neigong practitioners are working with all these energies more intensely, we should have a program of strength training, stretching, and mindful movement. In particular to replenishing Jing, I think care of the physical body is crucial. We should be engaged in some form of strength training, something more than that offered by Taiji-Qigong and/or Yoga: lifting weights, running, hard-style martial arts, Crossfit, HIIT, etc... We should be very careful with diet and alcohol consumption. We should get ample sleep every night. Jing is related to the physical body, so physical strength is crucial. I emphasize this because so many Taji/Qigong players and teachers do not emphasize or teach this, some even discourage it.

So, I don't think Neigong depletes our Jing. However, our bodies must be strong enough, supple enough, and our mind/intention should be aware enough to be able to deal effectively with the process. I think the results of Neigong training are basically the same as Kundalini awakening, so the same preparations should apply. Strength training, stretching, and meditation prepare the body for the Niegong process. Qigong, diet, exercise, sleep, etc... replenish Qi, which is replenishing Jing.

Life in a Time of Death

3/22/2020

March 22, 2020. We are living in a time like no other. Covid-19 will change, has changed and will continue to change, our world. Life as we have known it will never be the same. There are few left who survived World War II, the closest approximation that we can arrive at to describe our current situation. Few of those still alive from that period are in positions of power or management. We are on our own with no template for how to act and/or react.

Here in the US, the government is throwing money at it as fast as they can. And while that money will likely help, I don't understand the economics of it. As of today, official estimates of lock-down are from two-to-eighteen months. Where is that money coming from and what is going to happen when it runs out? Economics is not a science of numbers as much as it's a science of social action and interaction. If we aren't interacting, how will we replenish the flow of money coming from the government? I don't know that we have a formula for how a society under quarantine is to operate.

On the other hand, we can't lay down and die. I am certain some business, perhaps some complete industries, won't survive this. But humanity will. Our focus should be to support each other and determine the form said survival will take and institute it...., sooner rather than later.