Inspired to Greatness

Inspired to greatness What does it mean to be great? What makes an individual great and what do we mean by greatness. Throughout time, there have been many who have tread the path of greatness upon the earth plane, and I often wonder what was the essence that made them that way, what really is greatness, and can we all achieve this level of ‘ness’ in our own lifetime? Individuals such as religious leaders, scientists, artists and warriors of all eras have changed the face of humanity in some way. Whether it is the fight for freedom, justice, forgiveness or the inherent search for peace, these men and women have etched their lives into our hearts over time - again and again. Moreover, it is their desire to serve humanity in some way that drives them forward ceaselessly upon heir path. What we must remember is that each individual is just that, an individual, who is the same as you and me in every physiological way, the only difference being the vibration they emit. What this means is that everyone is made up of energy and therefore vibrates at a particular frequency, and the frequency that is omitted attracts the same. Therefore, if you resonate on a higher vibrational plane you will attract to you those of similar vibration. Consequently, the same goes for the lower end of the frequency range. The individuals of whom we speak, perhaps are also separated from the lower vibratory individual Is primarily due to the level of enlightenment they have already achieved, either by lives lived throughout time, or the culmination of many experiences, both good and bad. And so, vibration and level of enlightenment attained could pal a key factor. Greatness then can be likened to knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment, and the truth is that we can all reach a level of greatness, even though this may seem so far out of reach. The desire and spiritual growth is what is needed and is reachable for us all, it is your birthright, though not easily attained. Everyone who has achieved something great in their lifetime has experienced the desire to change things for the better either in the immediate environment or on a larger scale. Think about the suffragette movement many years ago. One woman decided that equal rights should be awarded to the female race, and so, she changed the face of ignorant belief and repression. Ghandi fought for freedom and peace by using the desire for peace as his weapon and never once raised a fist in anger. Jesus of Nazareth taught many lessons of the spirit and was persecuted for sharing the knowledge. Another common facet of those who achieve this greatness is the element of suffering that one seems to go through. Personally, I do not feel that suffering is necessary and we should be careful how we cause suffering for the balance has to be restored at some point. But what is remarkable is that everything that was achieved by those individuals came from an innate desire to make things better - even by their own sacrifice in some way. They found their voice and spoke up against what was driven by ignorance, greed and the need for power. Power is certainly no aphrodisiac but an energy that consumes the individual, then manifests in something great within or something negative because of the beliefs and the desire for more. Power is a dangerous thing and many who seem to have this energy, would do well to respect it and recognize the responsibility they should have. This life is short, what will you do with that power when you pass and have to face up to how you have lived in this lifetime. Will you see yourself for what you really are or be faced with your bill of Karma that has to be repaid. Greatness then cannot be linked to power, for greatness is divine in nature and is the right of every human being on the planet. Every one can make a difference in this lifetime if only they can raise themselves above the ignorance that man has created. A question still unanswered is “what is the greatness we speak of”? It would seem that one would consider greatness to be an achievement of something out of the ordinary that has caused change for the better in some way. It is not, for greatness can be measured by a simple thing such as service to your fellow brother or sister. What makes you great is the ability you have to exercise your right to be of service, to show some act of kindness, forgiveness or to decide to change something that is of no benefit to something that is of benefit. No matter how small or how large, your greatness is measured by your intent to be of service and your desire and capacity to effect positive change in the world - in speech, the written word or by action. Being mindful of your speech and how you talk to or about someone or something is great. You can achieve greatness in mindful speech by infusing it with positive energy rather than negative energy. Being mindful of your thoughts is great because only you can choose positive or negative thoughts. This is mindfulness of thinking. Deciding to be of service in some way by offering alms or help to someone less fortunate, or deciding to change the way you feel about something or the way you treat someone, this is mindfulness of decision. Every great thing was borne of thought intent and decision. The way you choose to write your words can make you great if done with the right intent. The truth is that greatness is inspired in everyone throughout the day and we all have the right and the ability to achieve greatness in thought, in deed and in action. Therefore greatness cannot be measured by the amount you have done, but perhaps of the souls you have touched or aided in the journey no matter how you have achieved this. Greatness is not the measure of man’s achievement but his service for the greater good of mankind no matter how large or how small the act.

Are you willing to stand and be counted?

Are you willing to stand and be counted?

The martial arts and Budo are steeped in spirituality and the development of intuition. So why is it that we do not hear of it that much within the martial circles? Unfortunately, like anything in life, if the subject is not understood fully; it can often be bypassed and replaced for something that is ego driven and not born of the spirit.

There are many who believe in the development of the intuitive senses through the study of Budo, but unfortunately will often refuse to raise the discussion due to the fear of ridicule. However, let me say that it only takes one voice to begin the domino effect that can spread the positive energy like ripples on a pond. The martial arts exist, not to promote violence or combat, but to promote the mastery of the self on all levels of mind, body and soul as one unit.

The Martial way can become the catalyst to peace and harmony, but only if this is your true intention. Your soul cannot lie and you cannot lie to another’s soul. You must uphold the beauty of nature to ensure that you fully understand the power of budo in your life. You can become the warrior of the spirit, and this is not held for just anyone who dons a uniform and prances around in the dojo believing they are becoming an ultimate warrior. To be an ultimate warrior is more than superficial perception; you must look beyond your physical being to realize the true spiritual unity of universal harmony that flows through you, "The very essence of true budo.”

Are you willing to stand and be counted and admit that it’s this path you would like rather than a material view of the world or the ability to down an attacker with no real mercy In your heart. Do not fear ridicule for the fact that you wish to follow a more spiritually rewarding development in your own Budo. The truth is that all facets will develop and you will become a more rounded individual capable of living in peace and harmony, with an ability to make wiser life choices. It does not matter how long your path will be, for ultimately it is the journey that ends in satori (enlightenment) that will be your final destination. This has been the goal of all martial masters, the combatant aspect takes a sedentary role and only serves as a basis to learn lessons of life is you open your heart.

Can you Change

Let he who has sinned cast the first stone?
Do you really believe that everyone can change his or her lives for the better? Of course you can and it takes only one decision. The issue exists that even when you decide to change your life for the better, you are up against the sum total of all your missed opportunities (past mistakes). So, it does not seem as easy as just a decision. However, the decision is the starting point. Anyone can change because we know that change is a constant, therefore we are always evolving. This means that we are always in a period of change. The blockages that you come up against are those that are created by yourself – believing that you cannot change and from others who want to see you hurt because it makes them feel better.
Let’s look at each blockage a little more in detail, which will hopefully enlighten you as to the methods or ways to overcome these blockages. The human being is a very resilient animal, yet if you bring in the spiritual aspect into the equation – life becomes a rollercoaster and you are the one in control. It takes on a new meaning, rather like panning for gold and recognizing that you have just struck the mother load.
Believe in yourself! How many times have you heard this statement? I bet you have heard it many times over. It’s not as easy as you think, but the truth is that if you do not believe in yourself, you will find it very difficult to change anything or achieve anything. Many people fail at this first hurdle and it seems that everything you really want to be or change for the better is so far in the distance. If you believe in a higher power you can believe in yourself and if you have difficulty with believing in a higher power, yet you are beginning to believe in yourself – you can bet the higher power is at work. This is because you are a spiritual being and have an amazing power that you can harness to better yourself. No matter what you think of yourself, you have the right to happiness and this is a matter of choice. Perhaps if you begin to really feel that you deserve happiness and no matter what causes lay in the past, you have the power to make the present wonderful by knowing that you can make the changes that are necessary. Every positive thing you do for yourself and in service to others strengthens your resolve for change to be affected.
Now even after you have gotten over that hurdle and you are beginning to feel better about yourself, you find another hurdle. This is the hurdle that is erected, not by yourself but by those who are damaged themselves and who do not want you to succeed in anything. The truth is that many people are suffering needlessly and normally due to the three lacks. The Three Lacks are the same spiritual lessons that the Great Spirit has always wished to impart to us and that is;

These are the three lacks that are also the spiritual lessons of life. If we lack in any of these three lessons or attributes, then we cause suffering not only to ourselves but also to those around us. This also means these people will act in such a way that will cause suffering to you because it makes them feel good, powerful and self gratifies themselves. Hurdles that are borne from the Lack’s are erected by those who do not wish you to change and who show you no compassion, love or forgiveness because it fuels their ego and makes them feel good. This is the worse type of suffering and no one deserves to suffer in life.
So how do you deal with those Damaged People? What you have to show or give is what they lack in themselves. Never retaliate, use loving speech and do not feed your negative seeds or the negative energy that may surround you. This reminds me of an old Cherokee Indian story that denotes the profound spiritual truth.
A Chief from the Cherokee Nation was talking with his son.
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight between two wolves." The young boy listened intently. "One wolf is evil, unhappy, and ugly: He is anger, envy, war, greed, selfishness, sorrow, regret, guilt, resentment, inferiority/superiority, false pride, coarseness, and arrogance. He spreads lies, deceit, fear, hatred, blame, scarcity, poverty, and divisiveness."
"The other wolf is beautiful and good: He is friendly, joyful, loving, worthy, serene, humble, kind, benevolent, just, fair, empathetic, generous, honest, compassionate, grateful, brave, and inspiring resting wholeheartedly in deep vision beyond ordinary wisdom."
The son paused in deep reflection of what his father had just said. Then he exclaimed; "Oyee! (In recognition). His father continued; "This same fight is going on inside you, and inside all human beings even though they fail to recognize it." The young boy paused in deep reflection and recognition of what his grandfather had just said. Then he finally cried out deeply, "Oyee! Grandfather, which wolf will win this horrific war?"
The elder Cherokee replied, "The wolf that you feed. That wolf will surely win!"
Sometimes the greatest weapon you have is silence for within the silence is the nourishment for the soul. Don’t feed fear for the fear will become the angry wolf and do not feed those that would seek to block you with your fear. You have the right to happiness as everyone has that right, and not one person should judge. You have to forgive yourself before you can forgive others and even though your path may seem blocked your light will shine and resilience will become stronger. You will leap over the hurdle that others erect.
The last and final hurdle that you will come across in your quest for change is the support network that you have around you. If you have no support you cannot stand. If your legs are taken from you, will you crawl on your belly or will you recognize that your spiritual legs can carry you further than the physical and material? As a spiritual being, you can transcend any problem that is presented in the material world. Maybe your support network does not seem to be around you. The truth is that you have the support of the spirit and when the spirit is strong, it can answer the call that nature requires of it. You are a spiritual being that can overcome these hurdles and all you have to do is recognize the power of the spirit no matter what life throws at you. The past is gone; the future has not arrived so the only time to live is now in the present moment.