Lingering Mind - Zanshin
From The Sword and the Brush by Dave Lowry
Zanshin, the "spirit that lingers on," is an inevitable characteristic of the more experienced bugeisha. He exhibits it in the most chaotic moments of battle as well as in the periods of his life that are perfectly peaceful.
The concept of Zanshin is a complex one, integrating physical presence, technical skill, and emotional attitude. Vigilant calm. Action in repose. Mentally, Zanshin is the quality of diffusion, a steadfast awareness of all that transpires without focusing on, and so being distracted by, any one phenomenon. Bodily, Zanshin is expressed through a posture that is relaxed yet resonant with potential power. When an accomplished bugeisha moves decisively, his technique appears to vibrate past the conclusion of the action. Facing multiple opponents, his concentration is never arrested by one of the many. Both these occurrences reveal a state of advanced Zanshin.
The beginner is apt to mistake a fierce grimace and a stance of rigid aggression for Zanshin. But such artifice is only a charicature that cannot be maintained for very long. It is too exhausting an effort, and in misses the point. True Zanshin developed over a lengthy period of rigorous training, is never so concentrated a force. It is not a tsunami, a single wave expended at one place in one moment and then gone. Zanshin is like a great ocean, bottomless and alive with latent, surging energy. Like the rhythmic pounding of its surf, the force of Zanshin lingers on.
From Jodo: The Way of the Stick, by Pascal Krieger
The concept of Zanshin is handed down in two stages. At the first stage, the beginner will have to be content with copying only the external aspects. Attention concentrated on the opponent's eyes, body position straight and firm (but allowing rapid displacements), and a "always just out of range" meticulous observance of distances. Energetic Kiai, a good control of the movements and proper timing add the final touch to the overall picture of Zanshin. A feeling of powerful bearing and strong presence should emanate.
But this is only an image if it does not reflect an inner Zanshin, a Zanshin much deeper, more real. The second stage consists of giving a deeper dimension to these right movements and correct attitudes, a much more arduous task than the first stage. It is a process of elimination, until one attains total inner emptiness. One can be completely receptive only when one is devoid of all subjective emotion. Alertness is not the same as a state in which worry, fear, anxiety and nerves rule. Neither is it a state of overwhelming calmness. If an attempt at defining Zanshin is to be advanced, it is the attitude of someone whose physique is in a latent state of alert and whose mind is totally emptied, and is hence receptive to the most subtle signal. Zanshin in its pure form is a state of grace where one feels totally ready. This is one of the most amazing experiences felt by a Budô trainee. From an undefinable vibratory phenomenon, Zanshin then becomes a practical reality. The concept of Zanshin is developed very early and throughout all stages in the study. From the first Kata onwards, an extreme alertness is required of the beginner. Unaccustomed to this effort, he will sometimes experience a seemingly unbearable strain.
Moreover, it is quite interesting to watch people go about their everyday activities to realize just how much our civilisation lacks Zanshin. To stand behind a door that might suddenly open at any moment, tripping over an obstacle, grabbing a hot plan, bumping one's head when getting up, shoving back when being shoved, plus all the countless oversights of day-to-day living: keys left inside the car, mislaying valuable objects, etc. It is all typical of a cluttered mind, a sensitivity lacking in the body.
The notion of Zanshin, developed to a high level, will not fail to have very positive consequences on one's everyday activities.
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