The Zen and Samurai.

ध्यान, युयुत्सु और युद्ध-कला 

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Zen, Ju-jutsu and Martial Arts.

Whatever intuition I have, wakes up and wakes me up around at the right moment when it's most needed.

I began studying Gita in 1968, when I was 15 years of age. Just to have a preliminary and introductory understanding of what Gita is.

Basically I was just curious and had no idea or opinion what Gita was about and where shall I be, having gone through this book. In a way, I felt about Gita like kind of any other  text-book of a subject that I had to study in and during my student-life.

The very first verse took me by grip and I had to contemplate a lot to comprehend its  meaning and sense.

Because of reasons beyond my knowledge, I have been trained in the way of learning the scriptures in and according to the recitation. (Only later on I realized how fortunate I was to follow this way of practicing the Dharma.)

I thought of and pondered over exactly what the word Dharma in Gita might have meant. But that didn't help me much.

Then I tried to understand the text according to its storyline. That was however easier and interesting also.

The whole chapter 1 narrates the storyline in a nutshell.

Then I had to go slowly. The second chapter is truly the turning point. A road-block and also a block-buster too. 

The genre, the text had in the chapter second was altogether almost quite different from and onwards the third chapter.

As is the way of the intellectual, I felt as if I was caught into an intellectual labyrinth.

Exactly after 25 years, as if chalked out and pre-destined, I could discover and feel, what I could say; the comprehensive, the whole approach and the understanding of this text might be. I felt my understanding was quite appropriate, in line, and suited with the way  Adi Shankaracharya has explained in His commentary in Gita :

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता भाष्य / Gita Bhashya.

He beautifully relates and connects all the threads in chapter 18.

In between, and during my college days I tried to delve deeper into philosophies and 'ism-s' and the same pushed me into  dark even more, and fortunately I could rescue myself after a short stint there in time.

I already had with me a copy of ;

J. Krishnamurti's 

"Poems and Parables" ,

Which helped me in understanding how :

"Ideals are Brutal Things." is true. 

But the interesting part of all this exercise is, I found out a "pattern" where I could relate all these old / new notions and concepts that often hinder :

The Exploration into the Reality.

Again, while pondering over the words

युयुत्सवः / युयुत्सु -- yuyutsu (ju-jutsu?) and ध्यान -- Zen, by chance, I seriously felt that Japanese Religion, language, culture, tradition are so  greatly influenced by the doctrine of Gita.

Lord Shrikrishna was no doubt the Hero of the text, yet He too had (to play) a role in the war that took place in Kurukshetra.

As an individual person like Arjuna, due to circumstances only, He too was pushed into this war.

He was only the charioteer, not a warrior as such. Still He was the convener indeed. He did not take part in the war, yet everything that had any role in the war, was controlled and ordained by His order and Intelligence.

And there, He was this spontaneity about the war.

While Arjuna was ridden with conflict and was just unable to decide what is his duty or the Dharma, Lord Shrikrishna helped him in removing his doubt and in overcoming the conflict.

So,  in a way Arjuna could be likened to the Samurai that could commit "Hara-kiri"; the ultimate sacrifice done by a warrior while performing his duties.  An honorable and adorable death that takes one to the gates of heaven.

This Hara-kiri is no escape from the war but also an act of the Self-respect, --a ritual too.

So a Samurai does not commit suicide, but observes the duty,  - the Dharma.

In Sanskrit; the words war (युद्ध) and yoga (योग) could be conveniently derived from the root-verb

√युज्- युज्यते,  √युध् - युध्यते..

युज्यस्व 2/38, 2/50,

युध्यस्व, 2/18, 3/30, 11/34,

युयुत्सवः , युयुत्सुम् 1/28, 

योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् ।। 2/50

1/4, 2/38, 2/50,

समर ~ samara in Sanskrit means Battle / War.

May be Samurai is a cognate! 

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