Free-Flowing Mind, True Education, and The Art of Zooming In and Out
Existential Espresso Vol. 3
What I’m reading:
"The Unfettered Mind" - by Takuan Sōhō
"The Unfettered Mind" is a treatise on Buddhist philosophy and martial arts, consisting of three essays, written in the 17th century by a Japanese monk, Takuan Sōhō, of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.
Takuan Sōhō is considered to be one of the most important figures in the Zen Buddhist tradition.
He was a friend and advisor to people from all parts of society.
One of them was Yagyū Munenori, one of the greatest swordsmen of his time and a rival to the more well-known, legendary Miyamoto Musashi.
The first essay of the book is actually a letter from Sōhō to Munenori.
Some believe that Sōhō was a friend and advisor to Musashi as well, but there is no historical evidence for it.
What is undeniable is the fact that "The Unfettered Mind" influenced all Japanese texts on Buddhist philosophy and martial arts after it, and one of the books where the influence is evident is Musashi’s "The Book of Five Rings."
What I’ve learned from the book so far:
In Japanese culture, a sword is a spiritual object as much as a physical one. It is a tool of creation and spiritual development as much as it is a tool of destruction and violence.
In Zen Buddhism, or at least in the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, the ultimate goal is not stillness of the mind, but its freedom. The goal is mind that is free to flow at all times.
In Sōhō’s words:
"...we abhor this stopping and the mind remaining with one thing or another."
"...we respect the mind that flows on like this and does not stop for an instant in any place."
What I’m listening to:
Re-listening to Eric Dodson’s lectures on Humanistic and Existential Psychology.
More specifically, I’m re-listening to his lectures on Abraham Maslow as I supplement my own reading of Maslow with them.
Even though I haven’t met him in person, I consider Eric Dodson to be one of my most important teachers over the past couple of years.
Not only does he explain ideas from philosophy and psychology in an accessible and engaging way, he challenges you to look at yourself, this world, and this life in a different way.
Maybe education is not about accumulating as much information as you can.
Maybe it’s about learning to open yourself up to the mystery and wonder of this thing called existence. Just a thought.
Click here to visit “Eric Dodson Lectures” YouTube channel.
What I’m thinking about:
The importance of knowing when to zoom out and when to zoom in.
Sometimes, you get overwhelmed with the things going on in your life, or with a single thing that you have in front of you.
Maybe what you need to do is zoom out and realize that, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not as big as it seems. It’s a grain of sand in a desert. It's not a grain of sand that doesn’t matter, but it's still a grain of sand. Maybe realizing that you and your problems are not the center of the universe can provide some relief.
On the other hand, sometimes you need to zoom in. Sometimes, what saves your sanity is zooming in on the one thing that’s in front of you, and neglecting the bigger picture for a moment.
"What is the one thing that I can do right now?"
"What is the one thing that I should, or must, do right now?"
Zooming in and taking it one step at a time.
That’s it for this Monday’s Existential Espresso.
I hope you got something valuable and interesting from this one.
Talk to you soon.
Until then, stay strong, love life, and never feel sorry for yourself.
P.S. One of my best friends while creating daily instagram content and multiple newsletter posts per week is coffee.
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