The Secret Business

Many people who have heard about different martial arts are familiar with the term ‘kumite’ (sparring), and ‘kata’ (codified forms). A layman directly understands sparring as fighting and the word made popular through the films like Enter the Dragon and Blood Sport. But the aura of mystery that shrouds the word “kata” is very much prevalent even among many-experienced martial artist. “Codified form”, What does the word codified indicate?

Isn’t it like the religious people who say that the “shastra’s” are written in secretive ways and is only for the chosen few? If martial arts are now taught all over the world in the open market, what is the need for the secrecy? The secrecy was needed in the olden times when martial arts was not practiced as a profession, but a way of life. When the practitioners did not want polluting agents to misuse the science of the arts, to be applied in wrong ways. Also the lords of the land had banned the practice of the art by the common masses, incase they might rebel against the lord.

In-fact for the genuine, sincere practitioner of the art there is no secrets. As the adept progresses the mystery unravels itself. The art opens its doors to the artist. Secrets are only for the people who are not genuine, who are having ulterior motives to exploit others. The business of ‘secret’ by it self is very mysterious.

Today we see many of the ancient sciences and arts being taught in the open market. Those that were considered to be sacred and even religious are available at a price. Where were these sciences 10 or 20 years ago? The common man was not even aware of most of them and did not even feel the need to know them. Like martial arts, the science of ‘Yoga’, ‘Reiki’, ‘Vedas’, ‘Traditional dances’, ‘Ayurveda’, and many more are commercially packaged, marketed, and sold to the gullible customer at a very high price. These are available to the people in short courses of few weeks or few months, and these certified experts open their shops for the next batch of clients.

These ancient sciences and arts that took years of dedication and practice have now entered the ‘jet age’. Grand-masters are available just round the corner. Master’s are known by the certificates they carry and not by their knowledge and experience they acquire through their dedication. Maybe that’s why the fast learning!

The circus gymnast who is very flexible and can twist and turn their body in various postures can very easily teach yogasana. But does he become a yogi? A person undergoing a two-day course of various levels on a payment of an X amount of fees, becomes a reiki grand master? Many health clubs teach the steps of traditional dance forms and/or martial arts to the tune of pop music, and give this package an attractive name like, dancercise (traditional dance movements and calisthenics) power yoga, tae-bo, etc.

A common prescription of ayurvedic capsule is available across the counter. Whereas ayurvedic preparations are actually made according to each individual needs and body types. The uneducated people (since they have no education in these art forms and science), fall prey to such quick-fix people. The sad part is that all these art form deals directly with the human body, the human psyche and also at the mental and emotional level, it does more harm than good if learnt from inexperienced practitioners.

There are many seminars and workshops that offer instant solutions through the application of esoteric arts. Of course most of them will not allow you even to enter and observe the proceedings. They will of course allow you to participate in the seminars at a fee. They will sell the mystery of “God” at a high price.

One of the greatest scientific minds of the recent centuries, Einstein, has quoted his understanding of God, “The Sea of ignorances beyond the fringes of human knowledge is God”. Until the secret and mystery unfolds, all that is unknown is pushed on God.

I have heard….a story of a zen monk who had no possession of his own, except a black book. This book he would carry with him wherever he went. When asked about his attachment to the book, he claimed that the black book carried the secret of the ancients to achieve enlightenment. The monk said that he would pass the secret book only to the most deserving student when he died. Naturally, every student would want to be the successor. So that he can have the ‘black book of secrets’. When the day arrived to give the book to the successor, the monk called for the assembly of all his best disciples. All came except one; he was meditating in his kitchen, making food for the others, not worried about anything outside of himself. The master realizing the absence of the uninterested disciple called for him. The master handed over the black book to the cook. Everybody in the assembly was stunned at the masters’ act and shocked when the cook threw the black book in the fire. The master roared with laughter and declared the cook as his successor. The black book was empty. There was nothing written in the book. That was the secret. The secret of secrets is that “All secrets are empty and emptiness is the secret”.