So it's a new year, and possibly one of my best yet. I've been heavily studying Zen Buddhism, and by studying I don't just mean watching videos and reading tabloids, I mean reading sutras and the work of actual zen masters and practitioners, and I think I finally have a grasp of what it is exactly. It is, at least by my understanding, the practice of getting rid of everything except the present in your mind. The past, no matter what it contains and no matter what has happened, is still the past, it cannot control you any more than the tail controls the dog. Along with this I've also been reading the Tao Te Ching and learning Taoism as well. A quote that I've committed to memory about Taoism reads as follows: "The scholar gains something every day, while the man of Tao loses something every day." It's essentially the practice of forgetting all of the "trash" that you've picked up and learned throughout your life, and only living in the present. Just today I spent a while cracking open almond and walnut shells so I could roast them, and I learned of a technique for roasting them that I feel perfectly explains this. Rather than setting the oven to a specific temperature and roasting them for a specific time, you simply turn the oven on, put the nuts in, and take them out whenever you can smell them. I followed this technique and it worked perfectly. No need for any systems or strategies. It is a difficult thing to explain, but once you've felt it, you will always know when you see it. I also apply this sort of thinking to medicine somewhat. I've never been very fond of pharmaceuticals as there's nothing natural about them. Of course in some cases their usefulness cannot be denied, as in the case of severe illnesses, however I feel that in trusting pharmaceuticals to solve ALL physical ailments, many people miss the point of health and medicine. Say you have a headache because you're dehydrated. Many people cannot tell for certain that the cause of their headache is dehydration, usually because they are so disconnected from their own body, so they take acetaminophen to "cure" their headache. This does not solve their dehydration, though, so the problem has not been solved, it's simply been treated. I believe that focusing more on solutions rather than treatments is key to escaping this world of hypochondria that we live in, and in the process, moving ourselves further toward nirvana.

Aside from all of that, I just started back with Jiu Jitsu. Now that I've got myself a full-time job I can finally afford the classes, and I was actually pleasantly surprised that they were cheaper than I expected. I've only been to one class so far, but I intend to go most days of the week. I joined on what I might describe as an impulse, though a very strong one. I've also been reading about Miyamoto Musashi and his duels and interactions throughout history, and I came to realize that the reason I enjoy martial arts so much is this: in fighting someone, you can learn them inside and out without saying a single word, and by the time the fight is over, you feel like you've met up with an old friend. I was actually lucky enough to experience this on my first night back. Prior to a fight, my opponent and I had a small conversation just as two friends would have. Again, it's a difficult thing to explain, but it's a truly amazing feeling. I hope that some day, after I've spent enough time in Zen and Tao and all the other eastern philosophies, and martial arts of course, I'll be capable enough to open my own school for martial arts. Obviously this is quite ambitious, but ambition must start somewhere.