you behave.
- Sonya Friedman
I think that this quote by Dr. Friedman is true in many ways. I like to think of it like this, You can only control yourself. What you think is your business but be warned that what you do and say is a reflection of your thinking. So I suppose it is in your best interest to keep your thoughts clear. Otherwise you run the risk of losing control of yourself in many ways seen and unseen.
Musashi Miyamoto, a poet and swordsman from Japan's warring states period wrote about this idea in his book, The Book of Five Rings."Do not think dishonestly."
Very cut and dry, but it is to the point. He was a samurai and when your life is on the line, things tend to become very black and white.
In martial arts the idea of clear thoughts really is no-thoughts or no-mind, mushin (無心). It is a state of pure clarity. One that David Allen suggests in his book, Getting Things Done, can be achieved by empting your mind of everything into a trusted collection bucket for future reference, review, and processing.
I don't think that Miyamoto-san had this idea in mind when he penned those words, but perhaps he would have approved. His idea was that to have no preferences and to master all weapons and to know all walks of life is the task of the warrior. Once you begin having preferences you become comfortable and potentially weaken your position. If you prefer to use a spear and have to fight indoors your spear suddenly becomes useless. Learn all weapons in all environments, seems like a tall order but again, its your life. He was reputed to have been involved in over 60 duals and lived well past the retirement age of most Americans. He certainly was on to something. Knowing all walks of life provides the frames of reference and the insight into how your chosen path relates.
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Comparing the Way of the carpenter to strategy
The comparison with carpentry is through the connection with houses. Houses of the nobility, houses of warriors, the Four houses, ruin of houses, thriving of houses, the style of the house, the tradition of the house, and the name of the house. The carpenter uses a master plan of the building, and the Way of strategy is similar in that there is a plan of campaign. If you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book.
The teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practice constantly.
Like the foreman carpenter, the commander must know natural rules, and the rules of the country, and the rules of houses. This is the Way of the foreman. The foreman carpenter must know the architectural theory of towers and temples, and the plans of palaces, and must employ men to raise up houses. The Way of the foreman carpenter is the same as the Way of the commander of a warrior house.
In the contraction of houses, choice of woods is made. Straight un-knotted timber of good appearance is used for the revealed pillars; straight timber with small defects is used for the inner pillars. Timber of the finest appearance, even if a little weak, is used for the thresholds, lintels, doors, and sliding doors, and so on. Good strong timber, though it be gnarled and knotted, can always be used discreetly in construction.
Timber which is weak or knotted throughout should be used as scaffolding, and later for firewood. The foreman carpenter allots his men work according to their ability. Floor layers, makers of sliding doors, thresholds and lintels, ceilings and so on. Those of poor ability lay the floor joist, and those of lesser ability carve wedges and do such miscellaneous work. If the foreman knows and deploys his men well the finished work will be good.
The foreman should take into account the abilities and limitations of his men, circulating among them and asking nothing unreasonable. He should know their morale and spirit, and encourage them when necessary.
This is the same as the principle of strategy.
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---- from the earth scroll
His words resound deep into the areas of management and productivity. How does this relate to the idea of a clear mind? The foreman mentioned above is concerned in completing a task not in any kind of selfish activity. Therefore we can assume that his goal of completing his task to the best of his ability is foremost in his thoughts, nothing deceitful.
Perhaps I would like to idealize this passage in that regard, but I do think it shows how clear thinking can manifest itself in true actions and further into true communication.
Thanks and beat on!
Matthew, MB
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