Seeing Through Illusion In Blogging
THANKS TO ALL
First, I want to say thank you to all the people who have come to this humble site this week and left some awesome comments. I have made several new friends and I say to you all, welcome to my blog! As my good friends here already know, this blog is my passion and my commentators and friends are THE MOST IMPORTANT single thing that drives me.
I LOVE BLOGGING
Ah yes. . .I love blogging. It is powerful, beautiful and filled with love. Some of you may say, “Filled with love?”
Yes, filled with love. Love, friendship and compassion are the foundation for everything I do! These beautiful ideas are more from life than blogging, right? Well, I think of blogging as being part of life. I know how much of an effect it has had on me and it keeps getting better. I am so excited and happy right now and much of it comes from blogging. All of us are joined together from every part of this big blue planet of life as we celebrate our incredible journeys together! YES. . .TOGETHER!!!!!
Doka
What are Doka? Doka are didactic poems used by masters to instruct disciples. These are used in a haiku structure and contain endless depth for all of us to enjoy and learn from. I will show you something I find simply incredible! What I am showing you is from a rare book which is virtually impossible to find. It is called “The Last of The Great Dragonfly Hunters” by Dr. Dan Netherland. Dan is both an Aikido and Jujitsu master whose book has left an indelible mark on my soul.
This book is about seeing the suchness rather than the illusion of things. I hope you read my post “Tales of Blogger-X” about the illusion in blogging. Also, you may if your interested, want to read “Beyond Thought I” and “Beyond Thought II: Detachment“. These are two of my older posts in which I examine the depths and complexities of human thought. All quotes are from “The Last of The Great Dragonfly Hunters“.
See Through the Eyes of a Warrior
Correct perception of life determines decisions. Decisions determine action… Action determines victory or defeat, life or death. Destiny is not a chance rather a decision fulfilled in action.
As you can see, the suchness of reality is captured so perfectly in this quote, it is something I live by. My new friend Dawn from Antibarbie.net wrote a post entitled “Using Jesus as a Crutch” which sees through illusion. It’s about how the old phrase goes, “God helps them who help themselves“. I wanted give a little shout to her as I think she is a very talented writer who pulls no punches (I like that). And now I present these beautifully powerful Doka:
PLAIN, UNADORNED SWORD
LIKE THE OWNERS OWN SPIRIT
POLISHED AND FEARFUL
CONFRONTING A FOE
BRING ALL INTO SHARP FOCUS
ONE THING HIDES MANY
WHAT A WARRIOR
TO EVADE MY STRONG ATTACK
YELLOW BUTTERFLY
WITH NO SINGLE THOUGHT
I CUT THE CORD OF NEVER
NOW … INVINCIBLE
SEVERING THE EDGE
BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER
THE BLADE OF TODAY
NOT MEETING THE FORCE
A WILLOW TURNING THE WIND
A WARRIOR AT HEART
DO WITHOUT DOING
RETURN TO THE BEGINNING
VICTORY IN STILLNESS
TIGHTENING THE STOMACH
ONE HEART, ONE SIGHT WITH ONE BREATH
FEARLESSLY FACING
The Power of the Female
There is much wisdom in these Doka. Read them several times and do not seek deep meanings, for the meanings are simple. If you notice, there is a powerful female trait within the text. Females are powerful. Females really run the world but don’t get the credit. Females are soft. Females encompass all the things that make a warrior a warrior and they do it naturally.
In the third Doka you notice the yellow butterfly. How pretty and soft yellow butterflies are! The most powerful martial art I have ever felt was in Aikido. Aikido is a martial art which uses no physical strength. Yet when you are slammed on the mat by a skilled Aikido practitioner, especially a female one, you will know POWER. A man cannot be a real man until he comes to embrace his female half. Yin and Yang, female and male; all life is both and neither at the same time.
I hope that you can develop your inner warrior and understand what focus and total commitment are all about. “To raise the sword and die” is not a fatalistic choice, but is a choice for life.
Final Words
I have come down hard on the conduct of many top bloggers and for that, I make no apologies. I would do my readers a disservice by fluffing things up. I especially want you to read the 1st Doka. Plain unadorned sword; what does this mean? If a “Karate Master” wears a uniform with all kinds of fancy patches, and on his uniforms back there are big letters that say “Undefated Champion and Master of Karate”, does this mean he’s really a master? Of course not! He probably has 2000 students and makes a ton of money. How similar he is to many of the top bloggers!
I leave you with one final Doka. Please let me know which of the Doka you like best! Lets discuss it!!!!! Have a great weekend!
ALL LOOK
FEW SEE
THE SUCHNESS OF THINGS
Read my good friend Seiche’s post “The Belts Matter” for a look into the true suchness of martial arts. What I like about Seiche the most is when it comes to martial arts, he defines “suchness” in it’s purest of forms!!!!!!!!
The beautiful painting is from www.jillwlang.com
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Beautiful, inspirational post Bobby. This was my personal favorite Doka:
PLAIN, UNADORNED SWORD
LIKE THE OWNERS OWN SPIRIT
POLISHED AND FEARFUL
To me it makes perfect sense. It’s so appealing to me when someone has the kind of character and integrity that they remain humble despite their fame, fortune, or skill. Those are the type of people I would like to get to know in depth.
I just don’t like attention mongers and see them as completely tacky and classless. I tend to ignore people like that. They have enough people fawning over them and I don’t intend to feed an already overgrown ego.
Thanks so much for the mention.
See what you did? You got me blushing and all…
[...] Oh, by the way, if you want to read some nice Doka (didactic poems) posted today visit: Seeing Through Illusion in Blogging [...]
Dawn: Thank you SO MUCH! I absolutely love it when someone actually reads what I have written! We all, as humans like attention. You are like me, attention is great, but it depends on the kind of attention and the intent behind it. That too is my fave! It’s powerful and there is a message in it that cuts to the bone. So many people only see what is on the surface and sadly fail to see the suchness of things! You are welcome for the link. I will also, over time read more of your older posts. I still need to read your horror stories!
Bobby!
I have heard of Haiku. Thanks for letting me know and appreciate Doka. I would have to look up the links that you have introduced to understand more about them.
My favourite one? Which one would you guess would be my favourite?
It was a very hard choice between the following two for me:
“ALL LOOK
FEW SEE
THE SUCHNESS OF THINGS”
&
“DO WITHOUT DOING
RETURN TO THE BEGINNING
VICTORY IN STILLNESS”
I especially like your reminder to me to just read them a few times and not try to seek for deeper meanings. Sometimes the Truth is there standing right in front of us. But we seek lands too far away.
Reading the Dokas that you have written one more time. Can I add just one more line to my favourite? I yearn to also be that Unadorn Sword. Simple on the outside. Yet sharp and aware on the inside to observe the divine meanings of Life.
Thanks Bobby!
Waterlearner: Thanks so much Karen! I loved writing this post and found it very fulfilling. I love all of them and in the book there are hundreds. Perhaps later on, I will write another post to show more of Dr.Netherlands incredible Doka! The truth is that a pretty sword or a plain sword really don’t matter. What matter is the intention behind that sword. It’s like a saying I created, “The most poisonous snake in the world is the one that just bit you”!
Indeed Bobby!
The most recent setback haunts us the most!
WaterLearner:Things are what things are! The person we are is the person we are on the inside not the outside! I love setbacks and problems, it gives me more fuel for the fire of life!!!!!
Suchness? I have never thought of it in quite that way… but it fits! Martial Arts is just something that has become so ingrained in me, I can’t think of not training. It centers me, when everything else just wants to pull me this way and that.
Thanks for the link and the mention, Bobby.
Seiche: Dr.Dan Netherland is a SWAT teams weapons retention trainer for police departments and has written 12 theological college textbooks. He is also a tameshiwari champion with a 21″ concrete break (without spacers) using his two foreknuckles in a 2″ punch.
His teachings come from the scars of actual confrontations. I thought you’d enjoy the post! You are welcome for the link Seiche!
We love blogging too Bobby! Why? Because of all the wonderful people like u. Blogging is not just filled with love. It is actually just like love! There’s so much about blogging that we can talk about but we do not know where to start, just like love.
A great list of Doka u have there. Our personal favourite would be:
ALL LOOK
FEW SEE
THE SUCHNESS OF THINGS
And it’s interesting to know that females are in actual fact more powerful than males. But perhaps their power lies more in their spirituality rather than their physique. Just an opinion there!
Well sure the muscles of a man are stronger in general. However, if a woman develops her internal Ki energy she can throw a man twice her weight and 10 times her strength across a room using her internal energy! Thanks Nafa!!!!!
I love the concept of ’suchness’. The book sounds like something very special… and the Doka are succinct and profound. (Not sure whether plural of Doka is Doka or Dokas.)
Like anything that one undertakes in life, I think blogging, or writing, comes down to intention. As soon as anything is undertaken expressly to earn money, it enters a completely different arena.
I personally don’t have a strong opinion about commercial blogging because I quite like the idea of getting paid to do what one loves to do… who doesn’t?
I see myself on the periphery of the bloggosphere - so I don’t think of myself as a ‘blogger’. But I do love to write. And I love to read. And I love to network. So, in a nutshell, that’s why I blog. (That, and also the fact that I have an opinion on just about everything!)
I always enjoy reading you. You inspire me. Thank you
Candy: I believe Doka is both singular and plural in Japanese. I am combining both commercial and personal as one. I believe that building blog friendships is powerful from a marketing standpoint as well as a pure writing standpoint.
I am the blogger of bloglessness or the blog of no blog. I have an unusual mix of different readers. From 90 yearold grandmothers writing about their rusty wheelchairs to computer language code writers I try my best to really become friends with them all.
I really enjoy your blog too, and you inspire me also! Thanks so much Candy
what a wonderful post…..
Darlene: Thanks Darlene! It was fun to write and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Females are not only more powerful, they’re much smarter too.
It’s 6 am here and I’m just about getting ready to sleep when I stopped by. Now I can sleep with a clear mind. Thanks Bobby.
Bobby - what an awesome post. I especially loved two of the Dokas
WHAT A WARRIOR
TO EVADE MY STRONG ATTACK
YELLOW BUTTERFLY
ALL LOOK
FEW SEE
THE SUCHNESS OF THINGS
I love the fact that you blog about such a variety of things - always makes coming to your blog a pleasure.
Brown Baron: Don’t forget much better looking too…ha ha ha!!!!! Thanks BB, now go get some sleep!
Random Magus: Thanks Amber!!!!! I love them all. I find variety to be the spice of my blogging life! Too much on any one subject can make Bob a dull boy
Bobby, I always felt I am left out if I din visit your blog for a day. Yours cannot be missed. Whether it is some cool linky love, terrific blogging tactics or beautiful post like this. I have some new bloggers coming over to mine. I am glad to find out that they are most likely from yours here. Thanks for the link to bring traffic over to mine :):)
Bobby is my good friend :):)
Janice Ng
Janice: You are so welcome my dear!!!!!!! I remember the 1st time I met you and how great we got along. Your blog made me smile with so many cute pictures of You, Amos & Zac. You told me once that you weren’t really that sociable but you are super-sociable and your charming personality has won me over as your faithful reader forever!!!!!! Janice is my good friend too
Excellent post Bobby! Such passion and energy. I just wanted to kick someone I had so much energy just from reading it, lol.
I like this Doka the best:
PLAIN, UNADORNED SWORD
LIKE THE OWNERS OWN SPIRIT
POLISHED AND FEARFUL
I like it because it best describes myself, in my eyes, in my small world.
Thanks for sharing.
Rolando: Wow…thanks so much!!!!! I agree, it fits you. You shine from the inside and that makes you as bright as the sun! It’s obvious that you don’t look at person and judge them based on the surface, with a shallow viewpoint. You have a BIG heart and that makes your spirit shimmer!!!!!!!!!!!
The top bloggers are that way because they’re perceived as being such, and going on two years now, I just remember why I started writing, and what it means to me. Out of sight, out of mind (in regard to the ‘top bloggers’).
Anastasia: Hi!!! I love to criticize them and I do enjoy it. Why is it that when someone (bloggers and anyone in power) gains power and makes a lot of money, people expect them to the way they are? I want to be in a similar position but will never sacrifice my love for writing or people to get there.Money and integrity seem to be on opposite sides and to watch how people follow these individuals makes me sick. If I just ignore what I need to do to gain power and be in a position to be listened to, I cannot just ignore what I need to do to get there. If I make any money, 50% of it will go to clothe and feed starving children.
This was a captivating post, Bobby. There is so much beauty in all of these words. I have never been exposed to Doka until now. It is a pleasure to learn about something new. Please, accept my thanks. I appreciate how you have offered us all something so gorgeous.
Erina Hart: Wow! Thanks Erina!!!!! I am so happy that you really enjoyed this post. I find it amazing that simple posts, like memes, take me hours. This post I wrote in about 15 minutes. I write best when it just comes out in an improvisational manner. What wonderful things you have said! Thank you!!!
You said pick one, so I picked the one I could relate to. As always, excellent post! I really felt the energy in this one! You rock Bobby!
Rolando: Thank you!!!!!! I loved writing it and it is YOU that rock!!!
[...] dot Com - Seeing Through Illusion In Blogging Well, I think of blogging as being part of life. I know how much of an effect it has had on me and [...]
Hola Bobby, am gonna be off topic again.
Just here to give u some comment love. I see ur comments are gettin higher n higher for ur posts. Ur gaining a lot of new fans too, very happy for u!
Genie Princess
Genie Princess: Thanks!!!!! I learned from the comment master! You are my comment mentor!!!!!!