Greetings;
I am Riddle of Steel. Some of you know me from my writings on other boards; some of you do not. My ethnic origins are Irish/Spanish-Carib Indian. My upbringing was in the European-American tradition. As a boy I was schooled in the Catholic faith and the Lutheran faith as my parents followed those churches.
Early on I had an empty feeling about the rituals and trappings of mainstream Christianity. In spite of the fact that I completed my training in both churches there was no fire in my beliefs, any active feeling that the church was changing my life for the better. For many years I wandered without commitment to any organized faith. I lived a life driven by material desires and motivations. Like so many of the youth in our modern world I searched for a belief system that felt alive and personal to me. Along that path I turned to psychotropic substances and eastern mysticism in search of a vision of the truth.
The "Truth", indeed there is only one truth. Have you ever wondered how a butterfly or dog sees the world? I doubt if they perceive this universe exactly as we do. The reason is there is only one universe, one truth. However, we all perceive it a little differently through the filter of our perception. That perceptional filter is laid down through years of learning and living. For the dog, the butterfly, the man, the world is as it is because we perceive it to be that way.
My filter was reshaped big time in 1978 by a cactus native to southwestern America. After ingesting a large amount of this cactus I was wandering in the woods near my home. I came upon a large oak tree growing alone in a pasture. I felt the spirit of plant wanted me to sit by this tree. Trees and humans are very close, energy/spiritual wise. My Irish and European ancestors worshiped at the stone and the tree and I have always felt a close kinship to them. While sitting there I had a vision. I perceived the tree in its spiritual form. I observed that it existed in two worlds or planes, one the world of air and light, the other, the world of soil, water and darkness. At The point of connection, at the soil line, the two worlds joined. From that point the life force of the tree emanated. I saw the brilliant light of perception streaming out from the tree at that point. The astral or spiritual body of the tree was oval or egg shaped covering both worlds with a brilliant focus point at its center. It struck me that the trees were two-dimensional beings living between two worlds. In my normal vision I had only seen the obvious, the portion of the tree above the ground. I might have intellectually known about the roots but that was only a philosophy to me before this vision. Much like the teachings of Christ or Buddha before true realization. What I was missing, what my soul yearned for, was the spiritual aspect not seen or experienced in the material world.
My real surprise came when I returned to the world of men. For weeks I saw every living thing this way. Plants, animals and people all existed in two planes of existence. One was the normally perceived world of day to day life, soil and darkness. The other was the spiritual world of energy and light. At the junction of these two plains each living thing emanated the brilliant light of perception. It was then it struck me that all things share the same universe, the same world, the same truth. All people seek on different paths the truth of their existence and the meaning of their lives.
After that experience I set out to compare the many faiths of the world. I tried to seek the common thread that ran through them all not their differences. In doing that I realized that the aboriginal belief systems of all the continents were fundamentally the same. All of them taught on the material plane, the same respect for all living things. Their way of living was close to nature and the earth and had a respect for the dignity our fellow humans (at least of our own tribe). On the spiritual plane they taught the process of self-denial, purity and vision quest to try and contact that aspect of our dual existence.
Around two thousand years ago a series of teachers appeared on this planet whose teachings sought to transcend the material plain and elevate us to the spiritual plane. These teachers taught us to deny the material world and to root our behavior in spiritual motivations not reaction to the world around us. It has dawned on me that morals as taught by the world's religions are little more than energy conservation.

In this life we have two choices.

We can focus on the material aspects of life. Harden our attitudes and ourselves and contract spiritually. Focus on intolerance, hate, revenge and the material world. If we do we become more contracted energy wise or spiritually and as such we become more likely to be buffeted by the world and the opinions of others. As tightly contracted beings our energy fields are smaller and less likely to interact with others, less likely to experience true friendship or love. We will be alone, bitter and unhappy.
Or we can focus on the spiritual aspects. In doing so we let love, acceptance and tolerance rule our lives. As spiritual beings we expand and become more permeable. As expanded beings we are less to absorb the buffeting of negative energy around us, less likely to be motivated by our carnal and material desires. In doing so we become happy, love others and are loved, enjoy friends and friendship and we grow spiritually.
Is all this that much different than what Christ taught us? Read the scepters with an open mind. If you have a red letter edition more the better. Cut to the chase and read what the master says. In response to the material world he was consistently expanding being. We have that choice also. To trip over the droves of people that have become caught up in the ritual of religion, whatever its origin or to cut through to the marrow of religion and faith.
Our quest on this ball of mud and rock is to love and tolerate each other, to realize that the Earth is our mother and our only home. To realize we can not make it here on our own.

Riddle of Steel



Hagakure



From a work called Hagakure, chapter one. It was written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo in the early 1700's. Who is responsible for this internet version? I don't know.
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Although it stands to reason that a samurai should be mindful of the Way of the Samurai, it would seem that we are all negligent. Consequently, if someone were to ask, "What is the true meaning of the Way of the Samurai?" the person who would be able to answer promptly is rare. This is because it has not been established in one's mind beforehand. From this, one's unmindfulness of the Way can be known. Negligence is an extreme thing.

The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either-or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim.

We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line. To die without gaining one's aim is a dog's death and fanaticism.

But there is no shame in this. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he pains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling.

A man is a good retainer to the extent that he earnestly places importance in his master. This is the highest sort of retainer. If one is born into a prominent family that goes back for generations, it is sufficient to deeply consider the matter of obligation to one's ancestors, to lay down one's body and mind, and to earnestly esteem one's master. It is further good fortune if, more than this, one has wisdom and talent and can use them appropriately.

But even a person who is good for nothing and exceedingly clumsy will be a reliable retainer if only he has the determination to think earnestly of his master. Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness.

According to their nature, there are both people who have quick intelligence, and those who must withdraw and take time to think things over. Looking into this thoroughly, if one thinks selflessly and adheres to the four vows of the Nabeshima samurai, surprising wisdom will occur regardless of the high or low points of one's nature.

People think that they can clear up profound matters if they consider them deeply, but they exercise perverse thoughts and come to no good because they do their reflecting with only self-interest at the center.

It is difficult for a fool's habits to change to selflessness. In confronting a matter, however, if at first you leave it alone, fix the four vows in your heart, exclude self-interest, and make an effort, you will not go far from your mark. Because we do most things relying only on our own sagacity we become self-interested, turn our backs on reason, and things do not turn out well. As seen by other people this is sordid, weak, narrow and inefficient.

When one is not capable of true intelligence, it is good to consult with someone of good sense. An advisor will fulfill the Way when he makes a decision by selfless and frank intelligence because he is not personally involved. This way of doing things will certainly be seen by others as being strongly rooted. It is, for example, like a large tree with many roots. One man's intelligence is like a tree that has been simply stuck in the ground.

-Hagakure

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