When I was a child I was often bullied and hurt by violent youth. My father told me stories of great warriors and verbally introduced me to Martial arts and my beloved mentor, Master C.O. Neal. In those early days, I went to the librrary for every book I could find. One such book had a picture of Morihei Ueshiba, O sensei, founder of Aikido. Knowing nothing at all, I was taken by his spirit. At that age, I was already a "Christian." I was not dogmatic. As simply as I can put it The Holy Spirit had streaming contact with my spirit. Thus, I accepted without question that O sensei was "connected." All these decades have passed, and I often find myself teaching in Aikido circles. Technically, I am not an Aikido practitioner but Aikido means, "The Way of The Spirit...and therein lies the "connection" and the similarity. O sensei found his roots directly.   Zen Mushin Ryu. is a fancy way to say that I teach "No Thing." Be that as it may, there is something in motion that affects others, just as I was moved by contact with my own teachers. Such is the power of The Way. Sabine Kleftogiannis, Director of Zen BodyMind Works attended my "Ocean of The Spirit" seminar at Aikido Maastrich in Holland. She had no Martial arts background but was inspired to come. The former excutive at Conzendo had a life-altering experience. In her own words, she tells you what that was, and why Zen BodyMind Works has invited me to lead "A Mind Like Water" seminar in Germany. Long ago, Sadguru Sant Keshavadas received such an invite.  We go where we are sent or called. There is no looking back. The Path is one step long.

Sabine Kleftogiannis enjoys a cup of coffee
in her office. She is the Director of
Zen BodyMind Works in Germany,
and an administrator of
the Soul Sword Zen Online Community.

Talk is not good enough.

See the full experience on the video and more.

A MIND LIKE WATER/Video

Despite the teachings of Semantics, most people believe that the word is the thing. There are names for just about every thing or concept. People become trapped in a world made strong by walls built of thought. When What is Enlightenment? magazine interviewed Zen master, Vernon Kitabu Turner (Kitabu Roshi) some years ago, one thing became clear in the  17 page article. His teachings were based on a living experience which kept on breathing. He could demonstrate what he spoke about through his own body/mind. The field where this "Mind like water" experience was most apparent was in the action-driven world of the Martial arts. Kitabu Roshi was able to rely on the liquidity of  "Mind like water," or Mushin -(No-Mind) to circumvent, re-drect or outright defeat seasoned experts and masters with  minimum or no-effort, all, without causing a single bit of harm to the opponent. He could do this over and over again. Of course, there were those who read the article who were skeptical or just did not believe that a person born in the West had achieved No-Mind status. There were others who felt in their spirits that something extraordinary was going on. Among them was Aikido Master, Patrick Cassidy, then of Aikido Fresno. He invited Kitabu Roshi to fly to California and conduct a three-day seminar and demonstration of what he taught. Ten hours of video was shot by the seminar sponsors.  Now you can see what happened live in the present of masters in this video edited for time only. Video shipped to your address.

Sadguru Sant Keshavadas of India, (Temple of Cosmic Religion) my Spiritual mentor, radiated love through the air. Without needing to speak a word, his message to me was profound and unforgettable. We can manifest the love of God, if we surrender our ego to God.

When I was a child, long before I knew a word for it, I felt a fire moving through my cellular being whenever my mother and father came near me. I felt a similar feeling when I was near my grandmother or others who nurtured me. At an early age I became aware of another dimension to this experience. Perhaps the key to this awareness was the prayers my mother prayed for me and later with me as I lay in my crib in semi-darkness. It was more than the sound of my mother's voice. Beyond the quality of her soothing words there was something else I could feel. It enveloped me. It comforted me. It was a living presence when my mother left the room. By age three I would sit up and bathe in the glow of this feeling. I had no words to call it. I needed no words. I just rested in it. As I grew, this fire, this glow did not go away. It expanded in many directions. It was my friend, my teacher. The fire was my center. It was the gyroscope which always restored my balance. The world has always seemed somewhat foreign to me. I felt myself to be a visitor but home was not a place. Home was a feeling. There was something that connected me to people, however, places were just backgrounds. As a youth I enjoyed silence. I was a loner. I did not have a great need to share my thoughts. I thought that all human beings were experiencing basically the same thing. I did not talk about my inner-feelings during the early years. I felt, I observed.

At age nine, as I sat in the balcony of Zion Bethel Church in Portsmouth, Virginia. I heard a story that revealed the vibrant presence behind my mother's prayers. I recognized the same spirit. The preacher spoke of Jesus Christ on the Cross, suffering for the world. Everything vanished and I saw him there. We touched mentally and spiritually. At that moment my soul embraced the man, the suffering, the love and the peace. My mind was changed and I felt a universal connection with the peoples of the world. Suddenly, there was a reason to talk, to share, to do something with the fire. The fire I felt was called love.

Love is not a mere word. It is a motive power that transforms and enriches all who embrace it without resistance. The foundation of the mission of my Spiritual teacher, Sadguru Sant Keshavadas was love. He wrote:

Love is the law of life. To love is to live. This divine love is prem (Sanskrit)

It is the one sun which reflects on all ponds It is the one water which slakes the thirsts of all. It is the one air that sustains all life; it is the one fire which burns in all houses;colors of the cows may be different but the milk is the same; systems of faith might be different but God is one; nectar drunk through any vessel will bestow immortality.

Hate no one, love all, for God is love.

The spirit of love, its way, is to give. Love gives of itself. Love is expanded through the act of giving. As a nine-year old having a mystical vision of Jesus on the cross I was moved by his supreme act of giving. I knew that he was suffering by choice for the sake of others. I was one of those he was sacrificing himself for. In merging with him my experience of myself changed. I knew without analyzing the knowing that I,too, must give my life away, if called for. I knew this because my heart overflowed with compassion and the burden of the world was mine. I, too, felt a love for the people in the world too great to speak of.

God is love, it s taught. It is also taught that mankind was fashioned in the likeness of God. If we use scripture as our spiritual guide then we should understand that the core, the very nature of our being is love, itself. We can measure ourselves by how close or far away we are from love. We are also taught that God is one. Love reflects. The light of love returns to itself. Love is not an object. Love is not a thought. To satisfy thirst we must not look at water nor discuss it's properties, we must drink it. To taste the truth of our being we must allow it to emerge. That is the Zen aspect of this journey. To truly express love we must be love. Only then can we express it effortlessly. Only then can we be genuine.

Love is not a concept with rules to remember that we put into practice consciously. That is only a mental construct, an imitation of the real. The real moves naturally, like breathing oxygenates our blood. Those who have faith in God and believe we are born of His nature must go one step further. We must let go of our intellectual scaffolding and allow ourselves to fall back into the very source of our being. This may be terrifying to the thought-driven person but love can conquer even that fear. The word Religion comes from the Latin, religare. It means to bind. In Religion we tend to place all of our hope on embracing or binding ourselves to a symbol of love, be that a person or revered object. At its highest point that object or person is only the symbol for what is represented. The Manifested One. The Loving Master admits this freely, “The Son can do nothing without the Father.” In embracing the object of Love, the wise disciple realizes he must go even further. He must embrace the very Source of Love by surrendering in love to the Unknowable. If we are born out of love, only love can heal us. We cannot heal ourselves no matter how skillful our machinations. If you believe there is such a thing as love, you believe in God by another name. Let love take you, if you would truly experience its power.

Calista, the daughter of Pedro and Kelly Silva, demonstrates Forgiving Mind.

If you live long enough someone is going to do something that hurts you. The wound could be physical but more than likely the blow that upsets your equilibrium the most will be emotional or spiritual in nature. Sometimes a single act passes through all categories. Sexual abuse has a physical side but imbalances the mind and disturbs the spirit of its victims also. We can be bothered by the taunts or misdeeds of strangers who are quick to find and underscore our inadequacies or take advantage of our weaknesses but nothing harms us more than malevolent acts of family members and friends, real or imagined. We may find ourselves filled with rage. Rage, however strong, is a storm. It does not last forever. If we are able to pass through the worst of it without acting we come out of the other side with nothing worse than a headache. What is far worse and far more dangerous to our longterm well-being is lingering anger, hatred or borderline hatred. This emotion tears into our psyche, eating away at out soul while masquerading as an assault on our antagonist. The one you have labeled “the enemy” may be aware of your feelings but the one who is damaged by them is you. You have taken a cancer into your mind. Its tentacles will reach into your soul and sap your life unless you take a deep drink of an elixir that may seem bitter at first. I highly recommend that you drink of this special solution blended from the essence of Mind and Spirit. It is called forgiveness. Forgive!

Forgiveness is a precious gift. Give it!

Ill-will is like holding a hot stone in the brain. It easily becomes the central focus and motivating factor in your behavior. Pain, even cerebral pain contorts the facial muscles and hardens our responses to the people around us. We find that we are more defensive than we have ever been because we unconsciously superimpose our negative feelings for one person or a situation on whoever or whatever we happen to be facing in a given moment. Like the hot stone we become hard and virtually untouchable because our tender and sensitive nature is obscured by a wound we have chosen to prod with the fingers of thought over and over. In this way we keep the wound open to fester.

When a clam is irritated by a grain of sand (In our case, a word or deed) it secretes a protective fluid that hardens around the intrusion. Eventually the sand is transformed. Not only does it lose its power to irritate but it becomes a pearl, an object of great beauty. It does not work that way with us. As human beings when we heap great attention upon a negative experience we only amplify the effect. The irritation does not become encased in something beautiful and positive. We become consumed by it. We begin to lose our luster as living souls.

There are those who think they are justified in holding onto grudges. Perhaps the acts against them cut deep. Perhaps they lost so much from the callous behavior of others., Nevertheless, the greatest danger lies not in what others have done or will ever do to us but in what we do to ourselves. Another person can take many things away from us, people walk out of our lives, places are suddenly off-limit and things can vanish without a trace. Yet, for all their taking, no one can take away the very essence and true treasure of life, itself. That is...they can never take away the vehicle of joy that is your own being. Only you can shut that vehicle down. Only you can cut off the flow of healing that is yours alone. Your soul is your treasure.

Ironically, perhaps, the only way to make room for deeply healing your wounded psyche is to pardon the offender. You must escape a double bind-double-mind situation. When we perceive that a wound is caused by another person that person takes up residence within our mind. Like a noisy upstairs neighbor he or she generates distractions that constantly bring attention to itself. If you are listening to noise you cannot appreciate the music. How a soul responds to music is vastly different from how it responds to noise. A decision must be made. Do you want to hear the music or the noise? If you decide to listen to the music you can wear headphones. Suddenly, the music prevails. The neighbor may still be noisy but that noise cannot disturb you because you have made a place of refuge in the midst of it.

In order to forgive, we must put aside thoughts of retaliation. We silence the negative buzz of those barbed thoughts by giving a blanket amnesty to the offender. This only works when we can do that sincerely. Only with spiritual input can we experience the kind of transformation that permits us to turn back the clock before the offense. It is taught that the forgiveness of God in Christ washes the sinner as white as snow. In other words, the person is made pure and faultless by God's forgiveness. Like-wise, enlightenment restores the mind to its original perfection, all blemishes vanish in The Light. This is not a process we earn. It is an act of grace. You must learn to offer grace.

Seekers of forgiveness rejoice to learn that their darkest deeds can be erased but it is far easier to desire forgiveness than to give it. It is a great virtue to forgive. It brings with it great blessing.

If there is some one in your life you harbor ill-will toward, consider what you feel as you contemplate that. Who receives the pain? It is time to let it go, to really let it go, to cast it out of your heart and mind. If Man is in the likeness of God then you, too,have redemptive power. You can redeem a person by offering your unconditional forgiveness but there is more to this challenge than just saying “I forgive you in secret.” You must make it real, you must make it clear. You must throw open the door of your heart. Forgiveness is not real until you give of your self. Forgiveness dissolves hurt, pain and guilt in one spiritual application. It is a way of emptying the mind and setting the soul free to soar, to breathe to live again. Forgiveness is a gift to yourself, most of all. If you find it hard to summon up the mental strength to set your grudges free, remember that grace is not mental. Use the power of prayer to seek a change in your attitude. Meditate without a goal...just meditate. Forgiveness really is divine. Surrender your ego to The Divine and something extraordinary will happen.

Kitabu Roshi performing "WingSpan" from Zen Mushin Ryu:The East Sea/Germany

Hamburg, Germany, March 2010 a weekend of   transformation.

A MIND LIKE WATER/seminar

Sadguru Sant Keshavadas paved the way. The video below was an introduction to the event. Videos to follow reflect a successful mission.

Another session in Germany

It is  said that "travel expands your mind." Travel also opens my heart and spirit. In the different environments and diverse cultures I not only see the rich contours and variations of the land itself but I feel the kinship of other people. I sense our inherent connectedness beneath the layers of skin and the separation of language. Each country is different. Each people have a uniqueness. All cultures have their place. That place, I find, is in my soul.

Many years ago, Sadguru Sant Keshavadas, my own teacher and spiritual father was told that he would go to the West. The  messenger  was the famed and legendary Yogi, Babaji. Sant Keshavadas did not know when or how this mission would unfold. He did not know where he would go. When an invitation finally arrived he discovered that his first trip to the Western Hemisphere from India would be to Germany.

Recently I sat outside of the magnificent Town Hall building in  Hamburg, Germany.  Admiring the  imposing building which was no less impressive than the Parliament edifice in Britain, it was easy to remember my teacher's story. I was wearing a shawl like he wore. It was presented to me by Soul Sword sangha member, Karma Pema Shakti, who felt she had to present it to me. At the time, she did not know that my guru, Sant Keshavadas, always wore the same type of shawl. The message was suddenly clear. My visit was in a way the return of my teacher. It was where he began his Western ashram and planted the seeds of the Vishwa Dharma ministry to the West. Germany was the birthplace of The Temple of Cosmic Religion (Ashrams). Remembering this and feeling it. I knew that Germany was important to my own Dharma.

Some years ago It was suggested that I attend a Zen retreat established by Roshi Bernie Glassman in Germany. The purpose of that retreat was a healing one dedicated to the souls of Auswitz. I did not make it during that time. My journey was far different. I did not land in the Germany of old but the Germany of right now. Germany citizens attended my seminars in Switzerland and Holland. The attendees made their presence known in such a way that I could not forget their faces. There was intensity of purpose. They also reached out.  I  felt something, a hint of the light within them. Suddenly Germany had a new face to me,the old Historical Germany gave way to something fresh and different.

From the transportation systems to the layout of the cities, I could see the technological genius, charm and discipline of the people of Germany, and I saw much, much more. I saw that there was much to learn from them and somethings to be taught that could come only from The Spirit, from No-Mind.
I mingled with the people, visited farmlands and had dinner with the people in their homes. I meditated by the great sea and met German yogis in the park. I chatted with a Nigerian musician, on the streets of Hamburg.
I lived the experience and my heart was filled with love for the people.

In the courtyard of Hamburg's Town Hall, an archaic celebration demands that an unmarried 30 year old toil until freed by the kiss of a  passing virgin.

And so, as Sant Keshavadas planted the Dharma seed in Germany so long ago, I felt compelled
to water that seed by establishing a link to American Vishwa Dharma Zen (Soul Sword) on German soil.
It was Zen Mushin Ryu, my "Mind Like Water" Warrior Zen, that fanned people's interest in my teachings. Guruji saw that connection before I did. It is fitting that the seminar I will be doing grows from Warrior Zen because True warrior-hood is a path to peace. It is a way to heal the conflict within oneself. When that conflict vanishes there is no violence to be found. There is balance and restoration of balance.

The Dharma Wheel has many spokes radiating from the center of No-Beginning. Sadguru Sant Keshavadas expressed its East Indian flavor. My Dharma is decidely Afro-Asiatic/American, a natural reflection of my own cultural influences. Like water, The Dharma is beyond such designations. It has no given taste of its own, no form to cling to. I  honor my ancestors before the Hamburg seat of goverment.

Human beings need to adapt to varying situations, environments and circumstances.

Many people become awed by what other people achieve, even more so when there is a hint of spiritual or supernatural ability. This other-directed appreciation is due to a general misunderstanding of what MAN is. What MAN is, you are. You are THAT also. There are experiences beyond the intellect, yet they are still accessible. THE MIND LIKE WATER SEMINAR has been created to help you discover the essence of your being in a real way. The warrior frame-work will permit you to embrace form, movement, mind, spirit, conflict and resolution by various means. It is not a linear practice but a means of Self Realization. It is holistic in nature but also a fun way to learn a cosmic secret.

This is not a path for everyone. Do not be deceived. There must be a longing in your spirit to answer this call. The quest for mere information or knowledge is not strong enough to pass through these barriers. If you feel that urging you will be right where you need to be. Faith in the unknowable, "the ungraspable", The Divine, is a vital key. This is not blind faith. It is a very inter-active power

Go to Soul Sword Radio to hear an interview with Sabine Kleftogiannis, Director of Zen BodyMind Works, sponsor of A Mind like Water Seminar Germany

"Young Warriors," Joseph kneels between the first two boys on the left. They are being taught the positive side of "warriorship."

Joseph Duncan of London, a member of the Soul Sword Zen Community, is a mentor to youth in the United Kingdom. He is seen here kneeling, front row left. Most recently he flew to Sierra Leone to reach out to former Child Warriors.

Ideally, the life of a child should be one filled with love and security. A child should be free to discover the mysteries of the surrounding world with joyfulness.  Spontaneity and innocence is the child-like way  A child's mind should not harbor fear of imminent danger or death. In reality, the adults whose place it is to protect the young ones often fail in that most sacred responsibility. Sometimes their failure is so great it defies comprehension. There are those who snatch children from their mother's care and their father's guidance to seduce their souls into the most violent of paths. They make killers of them in the name of some imagined noble cause. Those who do not die in the struggle are scarred, perhaps for life.

Christ said,

"Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for such as they is the Kingdom of Heaven."

From Christ we learn that the nature, the mind of the child is the gateway to Heaven within us. So how great a crime is it to destroy one of these little ones? Anyone who has any degree of inner-perception can feel the purity power of a child...and each of us has come through that same gate, the gate of childhood.

Child warriors have been used in many parts of the world. Many Vietnam veterans tell stories of children used to kill, either consciously or unwittingly. It does not matter what country they are born in. The child and childhood is universal in nature. Only cultures differ. To really understand the gravity of the problem we need to take a moment to sincerely contemplate the nature of the problem. Then we can seek solutions. Please look at the following video and then continue.

Joseph Duncan, a member of the Soul Sword Zen Community from London is now in and about Sierra Leone working with former child warriors. As a Masters student, his focus is concerned with youth.  If adults who return from wars need help to return to society, it is certain that children whose normal childhood was abruptly and brutally halted would need help, love and understanding.

Following is an interview held with Joseph  the day before he left for Africa. There will be more updates coming.

JOSEPH DUNCAN: REACHING OUT TO CHILD WARRIORS OF AFRICA

TRUE VICTORY/SOUL SWORD RADIO WITH KITABU ROSHI

Note: How quickly we forget that our sojourn on earth is short. How marvelous it is when we do something remarkable in that space between hello and goodbye. Here at the Soul Sword Zen Community we would like to pause and reflect on a soul who transfused us with his loving energy...Michael Jackson.

Vernon Kitabu Turner

"Kitabu Roshi"

The analytical or legalistic thinker may be baffled at the effect the death of Michael Jackson had on the public, considering the charges he once faced. The charges were never proven but the power of his spirit and his message bore witness of itself time and time again.  That message was beautiful. By reclaiming the soul they once loved without apology the public embraced redemption, the gift of Heaven to all who seek it. In this drawing, Soul Sword Zenist, Manaah Blackwell shares his vision of Michael Jackson in heroic fashion.

The Zen of Michael Jackson
Vernon Kitabu Turner
(Kitabu Roshi)

My current book is called Soul to Soul. Zen by simple definition is a direct pointing at the soul of man. While Religion purports to reveal the Lord of Heaven, Zen strips us bare to reveal that reflective essence focused as a single being. When we cut through distortions of the mind the pure motive power of our being shines through unimpeded. Asians call it by many names. African Americans just call it soul. Michael Jackson delivered it full force decade after decade. The Bible poses a question, “What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visiteth him? When I watch Michael Jackson perform I feel the spiritual current flowing back through me to the source of all things. The answer is so simple. God loves us because we can send the current of Him back with our own spin on it. We can touch Him when we act from soul (spirit). When we drop the trappings that bind us to a solid world we are like our Eternal Father....free. We are taught that only one who comes like a child can enter the “kingdom of heaven.” No adult in the modern world blazed a more obvious path to that sacred place than our Michael.

Zen activity, soul force, is electric. Once it starts it goes on until spent. Michael Jackson held nothing back when center-stage. Each performance was his only performance, the last one. Perhaps to some people he was just an entertainer but that which comes from the soul directed to the source of creation affects the fabric of the world. It travels, if you will, soul to soul. How clever to disguise a cosmic agent as a child-like singer. While man adores flesh or his carnal nature, God abhors that attachment. “There is no good thing in the flesh,” the scripture says. If a mirror could reflect God there would be only spirit. It is that part of ourselves that we must learn to cultivate.

Michael went deep into the well of his being. When he reflected on his first trip to Africa he spoke in marvelously poetic terms of the rhythm of the people and the land. In doing so he revealed his sensitivity to his environment. That was amplified more when he orchestrated the “We are the World” campaign. Suddenly a better world was in the making.

Michael was humble. Despite his tremendous accomplishments, fame and money, he spoke gently, and with respect to others. That is a significant sign to those who understand. The current of The Spirit flows through us not from us. Man is like a wire through which electricity flows. While he plays a part in the function, he is not the power but the conduit. Many will take the credit for their achievements outright developing a hardened ego. They do not understand. The effect they have will be different...limited.

All human beings are multi-dimensional whether they realize it or not. That is the reason why all cultures have a spiritual tradition. There is a difference between belief and being and between knowing about and experiencing. Many experts know a tremendous amount about things but the Zen of anything is simply  living and doing it from Source, a "place" beyond prior thought. The act explodes or flows from the spirit of being. There is no dualism in such action, no hesitation. So Michael danced and we moved. He sang and our vocal chords vibrated. He was one soul expressing for many bodies. Don't just take my word for it. The following depicts the response of people in Sweden to the soul that was Michael Jackson.

We have the ability to move each other in positive and loving ways. Truly this is a testimony to a mission accomplished.

Using a single human being to effect many is God's way, after all. One light bulb can illumine a room. What is important to remember is the light and the lamp are different. The lamp can be imperfect. . It does not have to be perfect to hold up the bulb. Its job is to stand. Sometimes, ...those in the dark curse the lamp which holds the light. They don't realize that if no lamps stood they would stay in the darkness. There are no more perfect lamps to be found in this world, only those willing to stand in the flawed vessel of flesh and blood. They can only give the best they can, that and no more. There is a light at the end of the tunnel because someone is holding it.

There have always been beings on the planet who are “born of The Spirit.” For them the body is like a heavy overcoat. Thus the message of gurus and Zen masters have been directed at stripping away the facade to reveal the truth of our being...what is man? Do you really want to know the answer or do you want to become the answer. When a person comes along who can make you feel your spirit, it is a powerful reminder that there is more to us than we can see. Michael reminded us that we are not alone. He, the spiritual man, was right there with us...and so it is. We, too, can be there for each other in our true identity.  It is unfortunate that in his darkest hour Michael felt alone I know that Michael is not alone now. It is .those of us who remain here who may be more alone.  Many of you  grieve for the lost. You can no longer see him. I remind you, however, that when you stand before the mirror you do not see yourself either. Meditate on that.

A reflection of Michael by Ron Johnson, Soul Sword Zen Community.

For a few moments in time we find ourselves in  bodies, children of the universe learning our ABC's. Unfortunately, we often think we know everything when in fact we know next to nothing but how to play in the sandbox. The Creator is always speaking to us through us but we are not always listening. We criticize the lamp and fail to appreciate the light. Those who have magnificent gifts and give them freely are often victims of great suffering and unknown sorrow. There is a price to pay for serving humanity. Money cannot pay the cost and human beings are so fickle so as to turn on their heroes at the first hint of a supposed crack in their armor. If you love people and you desire to give them of your soul those people can wound you more viciously than the enemy. When Michael faced accusers in court I wrote then that we had a choice to make. I choose to believe in the innocence of his childlike nature because the currents flow back to Source. I believed, and did not waiver.

The artist has fallen and now his greatness is apparent, highlighted. The music lives on. The rhythm is unbroken. The curtain has not closed on Michael Jackson. A curtain has two sides. He 's just backstage until the rest of the show plays out. You must perform also. Will you pour out the best you have to give without looking back, without seeking approval from those around you? Will you give from the essence of your soul?. Will your activity have the power of Zen because it is real?

Michael Jackson demonstrated a great Zen lesson. He lived Michael Jackson. There is a Zen saying, “When you are really you that is enlightenment.” Who's bad!? Give of yourself completely and your light will burn brightly also. By that I do not suggest that the world will honor and adore you but God, your eternal Father will embrace you directly. The lotus will open. You will have an insider's view of the “show.”

Thank you Michael, you were sensational. we will see you at the family reunion.

Postscript:

We have learned now that many of the so-called eccentricities of Michael Jackson had a medical basis. He suffered from an extremely rare form of   Lupus which contributed to lost of skin coloration, great pain, was a danger to his heart and perhaps more revealing, may have been the reason his began wearing the one glove. One doctor said that the glove, one or even two were more than reasonable to wear when suffering from such a condition. Michael, as was his right, chose to remain quiet about his illness for over 12 years. He let the media have its way. Those of us who feel a sense of mission often sacrifice our well being, even our lives for the "cause," as we perceive it. Some ways are not so dramatic. We don't get enough sleep. We don't eat properly, we don't slow down enough. Michael's mission was played out for all to see.

Perhaps, only now do people recognize the cost Micheal paid to perform so well. He pushed his body and mind to the limit. He took painkillers so he could dance just one more time for you....a soldier going into a different kind of battle Some soldiers willingly risk a bullet or being the target of a bombing to fight a war they may not even comprehend, should they turn and run? People want too much from their "stars/warriors." They think they want sainthood from them.  If someone seems to rank that exalted status there will be those dedicated to seeking their flaws to crucify them. Such is the nature of Mankind. All human beings are flawed.  Shakespear did not recommend that the "good be interred with the bones. He noted that that was often the case because men focused on the "evil." Fortunately, such is not the case with God. God sees the light within us. It is his reflection. Michael Jackson was one of his mirrors. You can be too, if you remember that the good thing in you is not a product of this world.  Let your light shine regardless of the critics. The One, who is the light of your life, sees only that. Celebrate it and I for certain will celebrate and rejoice with you, even if your rap sheet is book length, just leave it in the past and give the best you have now.

Mariah Carey (and Trey Lorenz) sang "I'll Be There," better than she thought at the memorial service for Michael. Her human-heartedness added the perfect quality.

Inherent in our nature, well-hidden from the ego and intellect, is the essence of our creator. We communicate That quality when we are being true to the moment. We can feel THAT in each other.

Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson (The Jackson Five) were right, we must bring salvation back. To do that we must be quick to love, quick to  forgive, quick to redeem each other and slow to condemn. We are connected in a circle. The current comes back to the sender. You can be sure of that.

Jai!

To see one needs more than eyes.

 Master Po demonstrated that THE WAY functions beyond the limitations of our physical senses.

"Looked for he cannot be seen."

Most people knew nothing about Shaolin Monks until David Carradine played the role of Kwai Chang Caine. Set in the old West and China, the Kung Fu series allowed westerners to peer into the distinctive culture of the exotic East and enjoy the rough adventures of the developing West on the same show. Half-European and half-Asian, the character Kwai Chang Caine reflected the very nature of The Tao, itself, the bringing of harmony between diverse forces... balance. Nowhere is that power more needed than in ourselves. When I learned that David Carradine, the actor who brought the Shaolin to life, died in Bangkok, the news struck me personally for several reasons.

My own contemplative way of life bore fruit that expressed itself more freely through what others call Martial arts. In the seventies, I was, perhaps, more of an enigma to my peers then than I am now. Kung Fu, the television series spoke to the same feelings I often expressed . The words of Kwai Chang Caine were poetry and a healing balm to me. My friends saw the similarity and treated me with both greater respect. They needed a frame, a reference point to view me from. The Shaolin, as played by Carradine provided a bridge for them and others. In many ways the series opened a greater dialogue between the East and The West so that water cooler conversations were now possible regarding the teachings of The Tao Te Ching and its place in a Judeo-Christian society. I was grateful for that. Television has a way of substituting itself for the real, so it was not long before David Carradine was Kwai Chang Caine. Even I did not want to miss a single episode of the show. Carradine was showing us Tao (The Way), not as just words but as living action.

Years passed. The Kung Fu series was off the air. My book, Kung Fu: The Master was out and I went to the ABA (American Booksellers Association Book Fair to promote it. At that time I was also an active free-lance writer so I kept myself mindful of possibilities for a story. The news was that David Carradine was giving a press conference. I decided to attend with the idea of getting an interview. There were hundreds of reporters crowding the room. Since  my satori I did not act in the same way. I would not yell above the crowd. I left the room and walked through Jacob Javits Center. Suddenly a woman in a green dress bumped into me. “Oh! I 'm sorry, “ she exclaimed. Then she pointed to the book in my hand and asked to see it. It was a copy of Kung Fu: The Master.

“My husband should meet you,” she said.

“Who is your husband?” I asked.

“David Carradine.” The woman was Gail Jensen, David Carradine's third wife.

One again I was being shown how smoothly The Way of The Spirit moves. A few hours later, David and I were face to face, two authors with a love of The Way and a common thread. We  both loved and lost our fathers but David's wounds were more recent and he showed me his tears. They were the links to brotherhood. As we sat on the raised platform above the convention floor, we were beyond interference. Even Gail  left us alone to talk, and no one seemed to notice the famous star while we chatted about our fathers and the Martial way. Then he told me something exciting. He was doing an updated version of Kung Fu. It was to be called, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. At that moment he promised me an exclusive interview. I had just the magazine in mind, Body, Mind and Spirit. He gave me his phone number and the plan was set. I learned from David, himself, that he knew nothing about Kung Fu when the original series started. “I am a dancer and I know how to use my body. That helped,” he explainedn  He learned movements for each fighting scene, first by working with stunt men and later under the guidance of David Chow, the Judo master and Kam Yuen, the Kung Fu master who became the fight choreographer of the show.

David ended the original Kung Fu series for two reasons. He felt the quality of the show was going down and the character of Kwai Chang Caine had too strong a hold on him. I learned that he was very sensitive, perhaps, even delicate. His mind was a fine tool for reflecting characters but that same mind could reflect darker forces, left unchecked.

The new series, The Legend of Kung Fu, catapulted David to the future as his own grandson, who is also steeped in the ways of the Shaolin. The younger Caine does not fit into the present world. His soul is ancient. At the time of this writing there are two reports of how Carradine died. One story says he died of natural causes at age 72. The other said he was found hanged, the possibilty of foul play was being suggested. He was working on a movie and apparently in a good place. Would he have killed himself, intentionally.  By now most of you have heard the stories of what might have happened in those last moments of Carradine's life. If we linger there our minds become dark and gloomy. I prefer to remember what he gave us. I prefer to remember how his depiction  a Shaolin monk introduced the spiritual element  back into  the way of  the warrior more effectively than anyone had done in modern times. The role he made famous paved the way or opened doors for others with that understanding to speak and act more boldly, including  the new breed of Shaolin. Of course, Carradine was an actor but this character touched him more deeply than others.  In some ways, Kwa Chang Caine took over. The spirit properly nourished is stronger than mind. Kwai Chaing Caine will always be the  Eurasian Shaoline. You see, a Shaolin monk can walk through walls. Looked for, he cannot be seen. Reached for, he cannot be grasped. ,A  Shaolin monk is a virtual spirit, and spirits cannot die but at at some point in time and space we must all make an exit. David Carradine left his birth suit on the rack, leaving us to contemplate why...a mystery...a koan...foul play or just a twist in the plotline of the play of life?

On the day we met I was pushing my book, Kung Fu: The Master. David was promoting his book, Endless Highway. We shared that vision of an endless path. By this time, David had become a genuine student of Master Kam Yuen, s I was talking to a man who had really taken a drink from the “West River.” People like to put halos on others and act disappointed when they slip or crash broken to the ground. No human being is worthy of a halo. When Jesus Christ was called "Good master," he denied the truth of the accolade, "Know ye not that only your Father which is in heaven is good," he admonished the speaker. We may do good work, we may serve well. If we are wearing flesh, blood and bones in this world we are prone to error and the displeasure of others. In pleasing ourselves, whether in private or public in some way, we will earn the distance of others. We cannot please two masters, whether the master is  the public and ourselves or God and mankind. Sometimes we opt for higher ground but just as often we choose what others decry as beneath us. There is no one worthy to judge since the very reliance on a judgmental attitude towards others  is to admit our duality  of mind and to fall further from the grace of liberation ourselves. Our true and orginal face lies beyond the designation good and evil, it is awakening on ones own hidden soul, not a licence to point the fingers at someone else.  And so it is, that the final scene of this real-life drama is not a happening ending as we would hope. It is, higher, a reminder that we must always be vigilance. The enemy does not always come from outside, he is proficient at using the mind, the very mind we call pur own, against us. Pay attention!

As the songwriter wrote, “Life is a highway, I'm going to ride it all night long. Just between us the division between day and night, life and death is just a blink. Focus on the life current, AKA, The Holy Spirit, and the distinctions fade. .David Carradine, the person, I can say he was easy to love.  That he was flawed is obvious. That I am flawed is obvious to me, are you so aware?  The best we can be is the instrument that serves in the hand or under the spirit of the master.  Christ say that there is  no good thing in the flesh. Life is spirit. Celebrate the triumps and forgive the failings. Forgive us our debts.  The secret of the Shaolin was that they did not rely on their ego selves to do great things. They surrendered to Tao, what Christians call to The Spirit of The  Lord. The grace of The Lord, the virtue of The Lord is the light of the master, herein lies his humility. He is but a vessel of The Good, not the good. I will remember the spirit of David, the one who cried about his father's death before me. The star who chatted with me as a friend. I will remember Kwai Chang Caine.