Miyamoto Musashi says a true martial arts master knows when to break rhythm. Sometimes, the predictability of a beat will lead to your defeat. If you want to best your opponent, take control of the cadence, and change it to your advantage. In other words, think…
In my last post on wisdom, I shared an easy, accessible way to practice wisdom: read wise words daily. Today, I want to talk about the second step of that practice: be mindful of your media diet. This second step is harder, and usually met with…
Just in time for the weekend, here is an easy, accessible way for you to practice wisdom: read wise words daily. I know, this is appallingly obvious. But it bears repeating that we do not gain wisdom through osmosis. We gain it through attention and proximity.…
Cardinal rule of the ninja: hold your tongue. This meant never speaking frivolously, never giving too much away, always choosing to listen far more than you speak. Long before “loose lips sink ships” became a war slogan, the ninja realized that their silence ensured their safety.…
Did you know there are three lists of paramitas? Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism have similar lists, but a few unique to each one. And in the Mahayana tradition, one sutra names six paramitas, while another names ten. (I’m practicing the ten Mahayana paramitas.) In all, wisdom…
It’s a new month and that means it’s time to practice another of the ten Buddhist paramitas. The paramita for February is wisdom, or prajna. In Buddhism, prajna consists of two parts: right view, and right understanding. Right view means seeing things as they truly are; in other…
The Bansenshukai, the primary ninja manual, begins with not one but two books about the importance of correct mind. The first book shares this excerpt from The Great Learning in Confucianism: If your mind is not present in the ‘here,’ you cannot see even if you…
In Tibetan Buddhism, the paramita dhyana can be practiced on three levels. The first level is called worldly concentration. (Some of us hear ‘worldly’ and have been trained to think ‘bad.’ If so, try calling it object meditation instead.) In worldly concentration, we practice meditating on something…
When you first begin meditating, it’s natural to feel like you need some “props.” You want to listen to a guided meditation. Or you need music to help you quiet your brain. Or incense to set the mood. None of these things are inherently bad. But…
When you’re traipsing around in the night, in an unknown and unfamiliar place, it’s important to know how to find your way back home. The ninja call this the art of not losing your way. The tactic is simple: when you’re infiltrating one of these places,…
