Getting Stronger

At the beginning of Tae Kwon Do classes, after honoring the space, and greeting the Master, we begin with Mukyam, Korean for meditation. Kneeling, or sitting cross-legged, we close our eyes, focus on our breathing and prepare our minds for the rigorous practice ahead. It is a chance to enter the right frame of mind, clear away distractions, and focus on our goals for the class. Sometimes, I simply try and quiet my mind, but most often, I pray. It is not your typical Jewish prayer. There are no psalms, and no set liturgy. But I almost always pray for the same two things. 

First, I pray that I not be injured. Tae Kwon Do is a martial art. We work hard, we kick hard, and we stretch our bodies to their limits. I know that if I get injured, I will not be able to practice for a long time while I recover, and pushing 50 years old, I don’t recover as fast as I used to. I want to remain healthy and able to practice, so I pray for no injuries.

Then I pray for strength.

I want to be stronger. I want my kicks and punches to be faster and stronger. I want my back, shoulders and core muscles to be stronger. But this is just the beginning. I want not only to be physically stronger, but also spritually and emotionally stronger. These strengths, rooted in the mind and soul, are not as easy to measure as physical strength. Spiritual strength may mean different things to different people, but it seems to me that it shares many aspects with physical strength. 

Whatever else it may be, getting spiritually stronger, like getting physically stronger, means developing our capacity for spiritual living and making it more expansive. It means growing better in our spiritual practice and gaining a deeper understanding of the world and people around us.

The challenge of my short Tae Kwon Do prayer is the simple, nagging question, “How do I get stronger?” In a certain sense, we all want to be stronger, but how do we get there? How do we become greater in our capacity to kick, pray, care, sense, and live.

The first step, I believe, in becoming stronger is to realize that you ARE stronger. Just, not yet. Your body already has the capacity, the ability to do remarkable things. However, such capacity needs to be developed. It needs to be practiced and nurtured, pushed and excercised in order to turn it from the dormant, or potential capacity into kinetic, active and realized. 

1) It takes time. Strength - physical, emotional or spiritual - takes time to build. There is no simple shortcut or magic routine to make you stronger immediately. Strength is a long range target and grows cumulatively over time. It requires patience and dedication.

2) It takes variety. Our body can not really become stronger than it is if we only continue to do exactly what we already do. That is maintenance, not development. If you want to be more, better, stronger then you need to mix it up. In phyiscal exercise this means a well rounded training routine, working our muscles in different combinations with different specific movements. In spiritual life this means praying differently, using different words and changing our pace and our religious practice so as to stretch the musculature of the soul. So many religious people wrongly believe that if they just do the same practice over and over again that they will get better at being religious. What they will do is maintain their current religious capacity, and over time will begin to lose flexiblity and routine will turn into rut.

3) It takes a teacher. While some growth is always possible on your own, to truly develop a greater spiritual or physical or emotional capacity, you need a master or teacher. None of us know everything, and few of us know enough to become better at the art form we choose without a more knowledgeable and generous teacher encouraging and refining our practice. Martial arts and spiritual arts are practiced in shared communities – synagogues, churches, dojangs – with students of all levels learning together from veteran masters who bring both tradition and innovation. Get a good teacher. You can not do it alone.

4) It takes practice. Once is not enough. Ten times is not enough. Growing stronger means working hard and dilligently with your goals in clear focus. It means going to practice even when you are tired, and it means repetition to develop the muscle and spirit memory necessary to internalize the practice. Growing stronger requires discipline. You have to believe and persevere through the arduous workouts in order to gain the benefit and be able to deliver the strength and capacity on demand.

Growing stronger means that you will feel stronger. A change in perspective is collateral with developing strength. It is practically impossible to grow substantially in strength and capacity – spiritually, physically or emotionally – and to maintain an identical perspective on the world and on you practice. It could even be said that recognizing such a change is how you can know that you are, in fact, stronger.

If your perspective, opinion, and experience have NOT changed, you are NOT stronger. On the road perhaps, but not yet at the destination or the mile marker you desire. If the view out the window hasn’t changed, you haven’t moved. 

So next time you go the the gym, to shul or to church, to the dojang or to a family reunion. Take a few moments for Mukyam. Before you begin, pray. Ask for wholeness and for no injuries, because without a basic level well being we can not have any serious progress. Then ask for strength. Be patient, flexible, diligent and dedicated. And keep your eyes open for a new perspective to let you know you have reached your destination.

The Biathlon – A Very Spiritual Sport

My favorite sport at the winter Olympics is the biathlon. It is not nearly as popular as alpine skiing, snowboarding or figure skating, and I admit there is something a bit esoteric about the combination of cross country skiing and marksmanship shooting. I like most shooting sports, and I grew up cross-country skiing every winter in Rochester, but it is not only my personal affinity for these pursuits that makes it my favorite.

What really catches my interest is the intentional combination of these two distinct disciplines – skiing and shooting. One, skiing, requires tremendous strength and aerobic ability. When you watch the athletes, they seem to be sprinting for the entire race, no matter how long the track may be. Their arms and legs are massive and muscular, and their speed and endurance compete with those in any sport. Strength and endurance thin the pack of competitors, and you can tell that they are pushing their heart and lungs to the limits with each stride. Occasionally, they rest and coast downhill, but for most of the race they are working at full throttle.

Then, comes the shooting.

Depending on the specific biathlon event, athletes spend between 20 and 25 seconds at the shooting range. Having already precisely zeroed their .22 rifles before the competition, top competitors shoot all 5 targets in 7-10 seconds. Targets are either 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) or 4.5 cm (dollar coin) and are placed at 50 meters.

While you can’t be a top competitor if your skiing strength is not adequate, races are often won or lost in the shooting portion. For each miss at the target range, athletes must run a 150-meter penalty loop. This adds significant time, and more than a token number of misses means you will not have a possibility of winning the race without an unrealistic lead.

50 meters is not that close when we are talking about hitting 5 targets the size of a small coin. And the task is complicated by the fact that any small movement in the sights of the rifle results in a miss down range.

In order to hit all the targets, the athletes must be able to slow down the full steam ahead pace of the skiing portion, and achieve an almost motionless calm before pulling the trigger. Target shooting of any kind requires slow and methodical breathing, and a conscious reduction of even slight movements of the body. This is extremely difficult under ideal circumstances, and nearly impossible with your heart rate and breathing elevated from sprinting or distance skiing.

Biathlon marksmen must be able to slow their breathing and their heart rate, and work diligently to develop the ability to do so. At the level of top competitors, marksmen strive to be aware of their heartbeats (even that can throw off the sights) and to pull the trigger IN BETWEEN TWO INDIVIDUAL HEARTBEATS.

Unlike during the skiing portion, in this part of the race, strength and speed play no part, and in fact, create errors. Even a small movement at the rifle, a tiny fraction of an inch, can result in a miss 50 meters down range. What is required is focus, method, calm, and minimal movement. An acute awareness of body and breath allows for hits and gets the athlete back on course faster.

The spiritual message of this sport is powerful, and conveys an important aspect of mastery of any endeavor – arts, athletics, marksmanship, or religious discipline. If the target were only one meter away instead of 50 meters there would be no need for the intense change of pace from sprint to calm. When our goals in life are simple and easy, errors in preparing and executing for them are less significant. If you have a specific goal that can be accomplished by tomorrow, there is very little that you could do to upset your chances of hitting your target and achieving your aim. However, when your goals in life are farther away, lifelong goals, or complex goals, things that cannot be accomplished quickly or easily. If they require a combination of steps to get there, then any small disruption can set you off target. If your goal is to go to the museum, you can simply go and pay the admission. If your goal is to become an artist, the time and perseverance required will be vastly different.

We all have goals. Some are more immediate and therefore easier to get to, and some are more remote, requiring longer commitments, complex relationships, practice, mindfulness, slow and steady pacing. Whatever your goals in life may be, it is, I believe important to identify the “distance to target.” Lifelong goals of self-discovery, mastery and wisdom demand that we become aware of our breathing and our heartbeats, the internal rhythms that measure our path and that we aim carefully and slowly, between the small vibrations of life, and then pull the trigger.

Jewish Lessons From and For Ferguson, Missouri

 I made a decision this summer, to watch less news on TV and on-line.

It’s not that I do not want to know the news, or that I don’t care about global and local issues. It’s more that most televised and internet news has become so polarized, and I have become angry at the misuse of language. This partisanship has blinded these outlets, and ultimately the people they serve to what is usually a more subtle and nuanced truth.

News abhors nuance.

When I speak in synagogue about current events, politics, or issues, instead of trying to impose my politics and perspective on everyone in the congregation, I try to express my views and lead the community by sharing the Jewish vocabulary that I believe reflects how our tradition understands and interprets the issue at hand.

Here are some Jewish observations and lessons from and for the people in Ferguson, Missouri

1)      Racism and the struggle for civil rights are not a remote part of our history. They continue to define our country, its complexion, and its social progress. We will certainly have different ideas about why these challenges and bigotries remain and about what should be done to help correct them. But there can be no denying that there are two different experiences for white people and for black people. And we can never hope to be “One Nation, under God” so long as we do not share a common experience of the American dream.

2)      The police are neither good nor bad. Like everyone else, in every other occupation and institution, there are good and noble law enforcement officers and there are thugs with badges. I have LEOs among my family and friends and have very high regard for the role and challenges they face on our behalf. Judaism teaches that we must have regard for those who enforce the law, and must stand up for them and empower them to fulfill the agency we ask them to undertake. At the same time, I know that police officers are human, and as humans, they are flawed, and we must not simply hand over blind trust and authority to them. Even cops know that you have to keep a civilian eye on the cops.

3)      America is deeply religious. The daily stories in the news are peppered with Christian expressions, the community leadership freely expresses their prayers, and includes many church leaders, and the demonstrators can be seen praying spontaneously and deeply, expressing their anger and sadness to God. While Judaism often focuses on fixed and standardized prayer, I am reminded of the power of prayer to express our deepest concerns and emotions. If you feel it, pray it.

4)      Peace and Justice. When Captain Ron Johnson spoke of the priority of restoring peace and order to the streets, he was greeted with shouts from those assembled to prioritize “justice” over “peace.” This reflects an understandable frustration on the part of the black residents of Ferguson, but I believe it runs counter to the shared Jewish/Christian way of justice. In the Torah, and in Jewish life, “Justice” is not a thing that can be given. Justice is a disciplined process that must unfold according to the law . . . always. It is precisely when we feel frustrated, angry, vengeful, and embattled, that we must NOT set aside the process of law due to both the police officer and the young man whom he shot. Neither of them is served by simply chanting “arrest him.” Justice demands, not that we rush to judgement of guilt and innocence, but that we presume innocence, and examine the facts. The bottom line is we don’t know what happened between Michael Brown and the police officer who shot him. There are many possible scenarios, some that justify the actions of the officer, and some that do not. Even more precious than peace OR justice is truth, and the truth can only be distilled through a deliberative process.

I hear some commentators remind the audience, that “it is not only this particular case” that is driving the protests. I am sure this is true. Generations of racism, hundreds of instances of police brutality, and years of disenfranchisement, must be addressed. But NOT in this case. This police officer is not personally responsible for all those decades of injustice, and prosecuting him to avenge those wrongs is neither just nor helpful. If he is to be charged, for the trial to bring any justice and relief, there must be clear boundaries to what constitutes a valid consideration and what does not. If any of us stood trial for murder, none of us would want the “sins of the fathers” to be called as testimony against us.

Perhaps we can best respond to this grave challenge by rededicating our vision, renewing our commitment to: OPEN our eyes to the racism and brutality that can be the daily experience of African Americans. LOOK closely at the underlying causes and honestly work to address the fundamental problems in the communities most afflicted by violence. EXAMINE the facts of this case without prejudice or quarter to vengeance. LIFT up our eyes and SEE the face of God in the faces of others.

Breaking Boards and Breaking Through Barriers

 

In my Tae Kwon Do studio, when a person tests for their next belt level, the final stage of any test is to break wooden boards. Each level has its own specific breaks, certain kicks or punches with which to shatter the pine. It is inspiring to watch and fun to do. A person gets a lot of satisfaction from solidly connecting with the board, and sending some splinters flying. There is a profound sense of accomplishment when you use your own, unaided strength to do what seems like it is beyond doing.

 

The board breaking comes at the end of a fairly arduous test, and by that time, we have already spent more than a full hour exerting our energy with kicks, punches, one-steps, pumsae, and sparring. It is not easy to muster the necessary strength and precision for breaking the boards. Sometimes, a student will deliver the blow, and the board won’t break. They kick again. Nothing. They try again, and still, the board remains whole. This is not unusual, nor does it disqualify you. You simply have to keep on trying until you successfully meet the challenge that the board represents, until you literally break through the barrier to the next level.

 

Does breaking the boards hurt? After all it is solid wood, and our fingers and toes don’t seem so fierce. Breaking the board does not really hurt, but hitting it and not breaking it stings pretty bad. It is a painful reminder that you didn’t hit it right, and a let down of the spirit, that you didn’t get that immediate positive response that lifts your confidence.

 

But you have to keep on trying. No matter how many times you don’t break it, you refocus, recommit, and kick again. If you miss a few times in a row, the Master will remind you to deliver “more power”, or “You’ve got to HIT it.” People who are watching or also testing, might call out “Come on, you can do it.” But nobody jumps in and breaks it for you. We all recognize that part of the test is meeting standards that were previously beyond your abilities, and that the greatest satisfaction and self confidence comes from doing something you couldn’t do before.

 

This is an essential part of any practice, TKD, other athletics, art and music, and certainly prayer and spiritual disciplines. Good teachers, and fellow community members will encourage you, but they won’t do it for you, or take away the difficulty of the challenge. They realize that this does not really help you, and in the end takes away from you the real satisfaction that comes from accomplishment.

 

A Shul Story:

 

Recently in synagogue, just before the beginning of the Torah reading, I was standing in the middle of the sanctuary, and since I did not have my Chumash (Hebrew scripture) in my hand, I announced the Torah portion by name and location in the Pentateuch instead of by the page number. This has often been my way, as it requires the members of the congregation to work a little bit to find the passage, and to become familiar with the traditional order of the portions and the flow of the literature. Yes, there are page numbers, but they can be a crutch, and I expect my congregants to become more fluent with the Torah as they grow in their learning.

 

So I gave the parsha citation, and immediately two of the parishioners called out the page number. Now you need to know that I have talked with these guys many times about calling out in services, or announcing pages, but they did it anyway. So this time, I called them out, and said; “Why would you do that? The people here are capable of finding it themselves. Why would you take away the struggle and the challenge? Don’t do it for them, or they will not learn to do it for themselves.”

 

I know they were trying to be helpful, and I suspect they will dismiss my reproach. But I also know that however helpful they were trying to be, they actually stood in the way of others making progress. By trying to make people comfortable, and by removing some of the negative experience that comes from feeling lost in shul, they perpetuate those feelings, and end up discouraging the members of the community from discovering the deep reserve of strength and knowledge that can be theirs.

 

We seem more willing to let kids “try, try again” but when it comes to adults, some people think its best to spoon feed them rather than encouraging them to struggle and strive, and fail on their way to greater strength. Playing to someone’s weaknesses and shortcomings, only serves to emphasize those weaknesses, whereas playing to someone’s strength, reminding them to use more power, emphasizes the power we all have to achieve mastery.

 

What good does it do the student to break the board for them? None. Calling out pages does not help people become better in their shul practice. Jumping in and making sure they feel comfortable, only reminds them that they feel UNcomfortable, interrupts their experience, and stunts their growth.

 

Sure it stings when you miss. So use more power, kick again, don’t miss, and break the board. Of course it feels bad to lack knowledge and expertise in our spiritual practice. So learn a bit more, find the right page, and break through the barriers.

 

If you are going to shout something out in shul, don’t call out the page numbers. Instead try this: “Come on, you can do it, keep on coming.”

Political Discourse in America: A How-To Guide for Beginners

1)     Invoke American greatness (choose any/all that apply)

a.      Your humble beginnings

b.      Your parents’ humble beginnings

c.      Greatest country in the world

d.      If you play by the rules you can become anything you want to be

e.      Your children

2)     Express shock and concern about the decline of America as exemplified by: (choose any/all that apply)

a.      The way things used to be

b.      The American family

c.      Decline of parenting

d.      Decline of church or prayer in school

e.      Lost freedoms

f.        No more ethic of hard work

3)     State your deep conviction, and remind everyone that you will Never stop fighting for what is RIGHT. (Declare that you are NOT a Washington insider and that SOMETHING must be done).

4)     Advocate for legislation that is: (choose any/all that apply)

a.      Reasonable

b.      Common Sense

c.      Biblical

d.      Scientific

e.      Fact-based

f.        What the American people want

g.      For “The Children”

5)     Quote from one of the following to show that they would agree with your position: (choose any two – you don’t want to give the impression that these people might have held multiple views)

a.      The Founding Fathers

b.      Abraham Lincoln

c.      Your Grandfather/Grandmother

d.      Martin Luther King, Jr.

e.      Ronald Reagan

f.        Bill Clinton

6)     Express disgust at your opposition for being: (choose any/all that apply)

a.      Unwilling to negotiate

b.      Racist

c.      Homophobic

d.      Anti-women

e.      Anti-Christian

f.        Pro-Muslim/Muslim

7)     Demonize: (Choose any/all that apply)

a.      Hollywood

b.      Video games

c.      The Democrats

d.      The Republicans

e.      The White House

f.        The Congress

g.      The 1%

h.      The Washington elite

i.        The _____________ Union

j.         The Powerful _____________ Lobby

8)     Remind everyone that your position is _____________ (see #4)

9)     Close by invoking: (choose any that apply AND d)

a.      Future generations of Americans

b.      The Middle Class

c.      Working Americans

d.      The Children

10) Make sure you say: “God Bless America”