C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

History and Application of Budo as an Other-Power (Tariki) Practice      I wrote the following essay in a “fit” of inspiration over a few hours.  I have been “sitting on it” for a day because I’m not really sure, if I’m entirely honest, what to make of it.  For some reason, the subject was haunting my mind, and when that happens the only way for it to stop haunting me is to put pen to paper and see what comes out.  I have written other things in a similar manner, only to never publish them because I was unsure what readers would think.  I have decided to post this despite my reservations about it.  Perhaps it will have some appeal to a reader interested in the subjects.      In Japanese philosophy, the concepts of “self-power” ( jiriki ) and “other-power” ( tariki ) have always fascinated me.  Primarily a concept found within the Jodo Shinshu sect of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism, it has made its way into Ja...

  Embracing the Pain and Hard Work of Budo Zen      Real Zen training sucks.  Real budo training sucks.  And that’s okay.  In fact, that may be the point.      Another fact: If your training, in budo or in Zen or in the combination of the two, doesn’t suck—at least some of the time—then you might not be training correctly.      First, both disciplines suck because they require hard work, and this is especially so if you’re combining the two.  Lots of hard work!  And this isn’t something that should just be “passed over.”  You need to embrace the pain, and embrace the hard work if you want to succeed, which is exactly, by the way, how it should be.  If you’re going to succeed at budo, at Zen, or—even better—at both, then you need to understand this early on in your training, and you need to embrace it early.  If you do, then something will happen that doesn’t suck : ...

Budo Zen, Just as with the Martial Arts, is Hard Work but It's Worth It! In my last essay on Budo Zen, I discussed how Zen, real Zen, is hard work. I would like to explore this idea a little more in this present essay, especially as to how this applies to, and is good for, the budoka or other martial artist. Martial practitioner or not, most who take an interest in Zen don’t stick with it. Not once they realize the hard work that is involved. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Not really. That’s just human nature. But what does surprise me is when actual Zennists, or perhaps practitioners of any form of Buddhism, believe that more and more people in our modern world will become keenly interested in the dharma. Some believe that Zen will somehow grow into one of the west’s most popular religions. I’m not buying it. Never will. If it does become that popular then trust me, it won’t be real Zen of any type. Apparently, I’m not the only one that feels this way. I...