Mysticism II

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaker#Experiencing_God

[edit] Beliefs and practices of Friends

On Pendle Hill in 1652, George Fox felt "moved of the Lord" to climb the hill, and see "in what places he had a great people to be gathered". Today Quakers have a wide variety of views and beliefs, and they still place a strong emphasis on direct experience of God, for everyone.

[edit] Experiencing God

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The intention to "see the light" or see "that of God in everyone" is an effort in Quakers to cast aside more superficial differences and focus on the good that they believe to be in all people.

Since Friends believe that each contains God, much of the Quaker perspective is based on trying to hear God and to allow God's Spirit free action in the heart.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaker#Mysticism

Quakerism is often termed a mystical religion because of its emphasis on the personal experience of God. But at first glance it differs from other mystical religions in at least two important ways. For one, Quaker mysticism is primarily group-oriented rather than focused on the individual. The Friends' traditional meeting for worship (see Unprogrammed worship below) may be considered an expression of that group mysticism, where all the members of the meeting listen together for the Spirit of God, speaking when that Spirit moves them. On the other hand it is also possible to consider the Quakers as a special kind of religious order (like the Franciscans, who also practise group mysticism), living the mystic and monastic tradition in their own way. For example this idea is represented by the Anglican minister and Quaker, Paul Oestreicher, who gave the Cary Lecture at Germany Yearly Meeting in 1991.

Additionally, Quaker mysticism as it has been expressed after the late 19th century includes a strong emphasis on its outwardly-directed witness. Rather than seeking withdrawal from the world, the Quaker mystic translates his or her mysticism into action. They believe this action leads to greater spiritual understanding — both by individuals and by the Meeting as a whole. It is also possible to consider the Quakers as a kind of humanistic religion in the sense of Erich Fromm.^{[citation needed]} In this view mysticism includes social and political activities. For instance the German quaker Heinz Röhr, who held the Cary Lecture in 1992, saw himself as a Friend between Marx and mysticism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaker#Education

[edit] Education

Friends have founded many schools and colleges; however Friends have often cautioned against the admission of education credentials as either a form of honouring humans instead of God or as a substitute for a relationship with God^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Oaths and fair-dealing

For more details on this topic, see Testimony of Integrity.

Early Friends believed that an important part of Jesus' message was how we treat our fellow human beings. They felt that honest dealing with others meant more than avoiding direct lies. Friends continue to believe that it is important not to mislead others, even if the words used are all technically truthful. Early Friends refused to swear oaths, even in courtrooms, believing that one must speak truth at all times, and the act of swearing to it implied different standards of truth with and without oaths; this doctrine is attributed to Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (specifically Matthew 5:34-37).

Some Friends have accepted the use of "affirmations" rather than oaths, believing that "taking oaths implies a double standard of truth".^[17]

“Rank Versus Skill”

http://www.aikidojournal.com/blog/2008/12/15/rank-versus-skill-by-salvatore-forestieri/

“Rank Versus Skill”

by Salvatore Forestieri

In the martial arts we all strive for a purpose. Some of us may have multiple purposes, but in general most of us strive for physical and mental development through shugyo. Some individuals might want to develop a certain skill level; others are more concerned with rank - especially the untrained newcomer. In a recent situation that I’m sure many will recognize, an individual walked into our dojo after contacting me previously on numerous occasions. Almost immediately on arriving, he asked me, “how long would it take me to get a black belt?”. I chuckled and replied, “Oh… around 2-3 days for an average one and about 7-10 days for a really nice one from Japan”. After he looked at me quizzically for a few moments, I explained the joke to him. Fortunately he chuckled and the ice was broken.

Of late though, I have given the underlying essence of this subject some significant thought. Not long ago, I read a particularly interesting article authored by Stanley Pranin regarding rank. Mr. Pranin made a number of pertinent observations on this subject, which hit home with me.

These days, it seems that increasing numbers of people are becoming overly-concerned with their rank, and from whom it is received or awarded. In the past, it was almost always a given that a certain level of skill in the art was required in order to achieve a recognized level of rank. Rank then, was an outward sign of progress in the acquisition of such skills. One therefore has to question the point of awarding higher levels of rank, in the absence of a significant set of skills in the art. Just as perplexing, is the all-too-common issue of individuals with outstanding skills not having an appropriate level of rank, due to unfortunate politics.

Surely in the martial arts, we should all be working on our own path to progress, and not get caught up in the specific successes or failures of others? Surely part of our training is to help those who may need us in a mutually beneficial environment – an environment that gives us the courage to ask for help when we ourselves need it. The outcome of such an environment is integrity. It is this integrity that diminishes thoughts of acquiring or possessing rank for its own sake, devoid of a connection to a particular and recognizable skill level. What good is your training, or your rank, if it has no practical value for you or your family? Perhaps we should ask ourselves the question: if we were really in danger, would we want one of our dojo mates to be present, based on how they train in the dojo?

There was a time when someone had rank, and it was understood clearly what it meant - where that individual’s mind and body was at. With all of the inconsistencies in rank today, how can we give merit to something that everyone has? What separates us from the superficial? I put it to you that the difference is in our attitude to our training – in how we train and in how we use our training off the mat and outside the dojo. The difference is in how we behave as individuals in society – in our work ethic, in how we practice what we preach. It is found in our communicating Aikido to others through the skills we have worked hard to acquire, through blood, sweat and tears, and not simply by talking about rank or the color of one’s belt, or the level of one’s dan.

For the sake of preservation, perhaps we should reflect often on those warriors who have gone before us, on those who have passed these skills on to us. Being able to receive these skills is a privilege, and so for us, our very training is a privilege. Perhaps striving to work hard in our training, striving to improve our skills, first and foremost without giving thought to rank, might make us better people.

When, in time, the rank follows, perhaps then we might then feel better about receiving such rank, because then it truly represents that for which we have worked so hard.
This, for me, is paramount.

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