Large Fierce Mammal

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains of the moon.

~ The Hobbit ~

My 24 June 2012 article, Art, Science, Life, and Reality – Certified Organic, attracted a lot of attention, and some supportive observations from more than a few of my fellow travellers on The Path. The list included some notables that I hold in the highest levels of Respect, among them my esteemed Friend Gary Carbone who left a comment there last evening that was the catalyst for what you’re reading today –

I enjoyed reading through this, several times. The path taken by Musashi began with the sword and evolved into the way of living, the kung fu of living in the world. A most worthwhile path, but surely not respected or valued in this “culture”. For me, there is one great thing that comes of it – the joy of finding others on this path. Beware of posers though!

After reading Gary’s kind and astute reaction, one sentence stood out – “A most worthwhile path, but surely not respected or valued in this ‘culture’”. He is absolutely right, and his words touched on so many aspects of the world that I have powerful feelings about, I set about writing a reply that quickly got out of hand … and so, this.

My readers will no doubt have noticed that I adhere to a personal convention that governs how and when I apply capitalization to the first letter in a word. For example, when making written reference to Mrs. LFM, I call her my Mate, my Woman, my Lover, my Wife. I speak of Nature. The Path. The Way. I acknowledge my good fortune that I have a small but trusty assemblage of those on whom I can unreservedly bestow the title of Friend. I capitalize the names of animals – Dog, Eagle, Raven, Bee. I refer to humanity in a different spirit than I do Humanity. I do these things as a way of encapsulating and conveying that the word capitalized is, to me, more than just notation of an utterance. That it defines the essence of a thing as I have studied it and come to know it.

Whether it’s the Way of the Sword, of the Hunter, the Martial Artist, the Husband, the Wife, the Parent, the Teacher, the Dog Handler, the Farmer, the Fisherman, or the Street Sweeper, all “Ways” are the same when viewed correctly. In every endeavour that requires a creature of Nature to interact with its environment – which is EVERY endeavour – there is a Way, and no room for “good enough” or, “I don’t know, I just work here”. Likewise, Life is not made of short cuts. To quote Miyamoto Musashi in Hanshi Stephen F. Kaufman’s exquisite interpretation of The Book of Five Rings – The Definitive Interpretation of Musashi’s Classic Book –

It is important to understand what the goal of an “art” is. Once that is understood it is easy to pursue the “spirit” of it. To study carpentry you study the correlation of materials and so I can compare the Way  of the warrior to the Way of the craftsman. To study the sword you study war, weapons, and men. To study craftsmanship you study  the project, tools, and men. You succeed or fail in either one depending on your attitude towards the “spirit of the thing”. There can be no let up to your study, regardless of the path you choose, even though you may have mastered a particular level. You must search constantly for still more understanding of your chosen art.

And further –

A warrior is responsible for his own weapons just as a craftsman is responsible for his own tools. It is simply not possible to get good results without the necessary respect for one’s tools or one’s weapons. Time must be devoted to training, practicing, and maintaining one’s tools or weapons, however gifted a man may be. Each aspect of the craft must be examined over and over again without regard for time and energy spent, whether physically or mentally. The “spirit of the thing” is what will guide a man to his own greatness. There is no Way that can be approached for immediate gratification. The Universe does not work that way. How could it and at the same time expect any perfection to develop? If you permit the spirit to permeate your being, the spirit will permeate through you by  permitting you to be its instrument.

Regrettably for the “culture” Gary referred to in his comment, the one that has evolved around all of us, all Ways have become subjugated and dumbed down for mass consumption into being paths to selling something, promising fitness, beauty, or notoriety, and a quick, easy, effortless way to get there – all you need do is throw enough money at your heart’s desire. After all, money represents effort already expended, so why should it not suffice as a perfect substitute for labour?

In Musashi’s day, as in ours, society could be broken down into fairly specific classes of people, each defined by their function –

In our society there are four classes of people. each fulfills appropriate functions and each is able to attain levels of perfection according to its own means. The specific ranks of the classes in order of their importance are: 1) the Samurai; 2) the farmers; 3) the artisans; and finally, 4) the merchants. Each is respected and disrespected equally by the other classes. The Samurai are warriors and live a “higher ideal”. The study of their weapons is their prime motivation. Farmers are next because they provide the food needed for the masses. Artisans are the craftsmen and makers of weapons and other products. Merchants are a ridiculed class because they produce nothing except profit from the work of others. Yet it must be understood that each has a viable and functional part within the structure of the society and even though, for example, the warrior class may despise the merchant class, we are all too aware of the need for them to maintain the economy. Money must be made to pay the army.

While a specific and visible social “class” approximating the Samurai of Musashi’s time no longer exists in ours, the Path they followed still does and is travelled daily by people all over the world. They are the ones who seek oneness and absolute presence with everything they do and everywhere they are. Who will resolutely, and without hesitation, stand up for a “higher ideal” with total, unflinching commitment. Who live by a personal code in full knowledge that few around them do or ever will. Nevertheless, this invisible “class” is no bloodthirsty anachronism. Visible or not, its continued vitality remains essential to the survival of Truth and Humanity by infusing a breath of reality and hope into a world that has placed the merchants at the top of the societal food chain, the Samurai into the realm of shadows, and the farmers and artisans in thrall.

I have written and spoken often of the grievously erroneous path that urbanized human society has taken in an effort to cushion its population from the realities of Nature. The way people so easily embrace and build on what can’t even be glorified by calling it a “philosophy” – for to do so would imply conclusions drawn from rigorous, sober, rational, intelligent, perpetual study – that humanity has evolved beyond the reach of Nature. Beyond the basic fact that, for one thing to live, another must die. That every emergency can be solved by dialing 911. That actions no longer justify consequences. That everyone has the right to express an opinion, anywhere, anytime, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. That no animal has the “right” to bite a human, and the price of doing so, no matter the circumstances, is summary execution. That “… if it saves just one life …” then it must be done. That every human life is sacred and valuable. That there is no degree of freedom that can be justifiably shielded from surrender in the same of “safety”. That death should be curable. That the pinnacle of achievement can be reached on a ladder built of lies, stupidity, and bullshit.

But Nature doesn’t work that way. I once wrote, “In the wild, Nature kills the lazy and stupid to improve the species, and whether you believe it or not, the wild is where you are right now.” I still stand by that statement and always will. Where once our ancestors lived, of necessity, closer to Nature, and were therefore much more finely attuned to Her moods and seasons, today’s “culture” has set up an artificial substitute for Nature’s Reality and convinced a majority of its teaming, fun loving masses that it represents a better way. Something that is substantial and real. Until the power goes out with no clue when it will be turned back on, if ever. Circumstances cut supplies of food and water. Your house burns down. You’re told you have terminal cancer. When seconds count and the police are minutes away. You have to rely on yourself and find that you have no substance to rely on.

So, don’t give up Gary. You’re right, and “culture” is wrong. Nature is not a democracy.

In closing, good readers, I will offer a few articles from the LFM archives that will further illustrate my point, and that you might enjoy. Until next time, thanks for staying awake this long.

After Action Report;

Contemplations on a Really Bad Idea; and

How Tragically Refreshing!