(The following is various sections taken from http://moraldk.net/topyjoy/greybook.html. I think one of the most significant aims of the martial arts is to forestall one's own death. The actual article is a bit more controversial, but I'm going for something non-antagonizing enough to be thought-provoking to just about everybody. The unorthdox spelling is all faithful to the original) Thee first lesson from which all other grow is thee simplest. We are mortal. We all die. This is not a morbid wallowing in hopelessness. It is thee ability to genuinely coum to terms with our physical transience that liberates us all. Many visionary philosophical systems include 'The Small Death' in their ideas under one name or another. We all die. This realisation truly assimilated can be turned to positive use, in that it spurs one into action aware at all time is limited and no life span is certain. Every second counts and must count. This realisation can also be used unproductively, crippling an individual man or woman's search for fulfilment ov all their needs and preventing for all their life a complete integration ov every aspect ov their character and thoughts. Mankind spends a constant amount ov energy in self-preservation. Thee very phrase 'self-preservation' implies a threat ov annihilation and is triggered by fear ov death. So in a very real sense fear ov death is present behind all normal functioning, it resides permanently in thee subconscious, moulding our image ov ourselves in relation to an inevitable, inexorable crisis ov death. But fear ov death could not be constantly present in our day to day conscious mental functioning, this would be an intolerable burden, as things are, but to behave 'normally' thee biological organism, thee animal man represses its knowledge ov death to acquire comfort. As things are, so must they change. So we are all socially and biologically conditioned to put away our fear ov death yet in a real paradox we becoum too efficiently oblivious to this fear in our conscious life. In actual fact, none ov us know how much time we have, when we do die it ought to be with Zero Regret. Zero regret is thee magickal state ov inner balance and calm acceptance ov thee mortality ov individuals and thee use ov Zero Regret to channel all future action. Thee prefect state is to be sure that no time is wasted, no energy repressed and no fear hidden. In old language, we must experience thee small death ov literally facing ourselves and thee reality ov a temporary metabolism, a limit on time. Time can be a tool, a liberator, or an oppressor. When we claim time back for ourselves we are at last learning to be free and effective. Learn to cherish yourself, appreciate intuition and instinct, Learn to love your questions. Value your Time. Use mortality to motivate action and a caring, compassionate and concentrated life.
