Personal tsunami, yoga and the bushido code
Just seconds before a tsunami crashes into towns and cities, where unsuspecting men, women and children go about their daily business, the earth begins to rumble and shake, giving very little warning of what is to come.
Within moments, a crushing wall of the ocean hits the land, destroying everything in its path. And suddenly the great almighty sea recedes only to strike again and again, slowly sinking to leave utter devastation in its wake.
A personal tsunami is similar in that there is very little warning of the destruction that will occur on your world within a few momentous seconds. And like a tsunami, as the wall of tragedy collapses, aftershocks and minor waves continue to shake the ground of your being, leaving little time to recover from the head-on collision, let alone rebuild what is now your new life. .
New, being the operative word. Not “new”, like shiny and shiny. But new as the old you, the old life you lived is forever torn apart, swallowed forever in the deep, dark underworld of the sea. When the roar of violent destruction is finally silenced, the haunting silence screams in disbelief.
During a time when the gap between aftershocks from our own personal tsunami grew more distant, my brother called to invite my family to his home, where we would meet a good friend of his who was visiting Japan. My brother thought my son would especially like to meet Sensei, since when he was a boy he earned a brown belt in karate. Although as a yoga teacher for many years, he would appreciate not only Sensei’s level of mastery, but also his dedication and commitment to the discipline.
Sensei had agreed as a favor to my brother to perform a Kendo demonstration. He traveled from Japan, via Las Vegas, to Scottsdale AZ carrying whatever heavy equipment he deemed necessary to give us a proper introduction to the art.
What I remember most from that day several years ago was Sensei’s calm presence and his Dali Lama smile. His quiet strength was palpable and his sense of humor contagious.
After demonstrating himself, he invited us to repeat some movements that he himself patiently instructed. It was much more difficult than it seemed to hold and handle the Kendo stick, as he focused the movements with his breath. On this beautiful spring afternoon, as we each took our stand, we realized that what Sensei was imparting was a gift of great meaning and value not only to him, but also to us as we regained our balance after the storm.
What we did not know at the time was that this kind, unassuming gentleman was Japan’s foremost and renowned Sensei of Kendo and the Bushido Code teachings.
Although Sensei did not know that my family and I were in the midst of recovery, he felt our pain and sadness. And his gift to us was to plant the seeds of the Code in our wounded hearts where they would grow and bear fruit as we struggled to reshape our lives.
The Bushido Code refers to the code of ethics, or virtues, in relation to the Samurai. Samurai originally meant “one who serves.” Although the Code seems to vary quite a bit, the most commonly agreed upon consist of: Righteousness, Courage, Compassion, Respect, Honesty, Honor, Loyalty, and Character.
Although originating from the warrior class of feudal Japan, the Bushido Code today is an invitation to any man or woman seeking to live an ethical and upright life. In the same way that The Code, Yoga and asana, (postures) has its roots in the warrior caste system, since it is considered the physical and forceful discipline of the spiritual warrior.
The code of Yoga, The Yamas and Niyamas, are also centuries old. And also, these established ethical guidelines for the yogi are considered relevant to contemporary life. The Yamas and Niyamas are a support system for the yogi, or spiritual warrior, who wishes to build a life of integrity and personal worth.
They are: loving kindness to self and others, honesty, greed, moderation, detachment, orderliness, contentment, self-discipline, self-study, and willingness to serve.
In both cases, the code of the samurai and the code of yoga are frameworks, or perhaps even lifelines, in which the individual stands powerfully above the waters of despair to build or rebuild a life.
Because a life that is consciously sculpted from a strong internal and external moral compass will be a life that, given the chance, will not only survive a personal tsunami, but far exceed what was previously imagined.