Choices, Choices, Choices!
The modern human species is believed to be around 200,000 years old - the Neanderthals about 600,000. That's a long time for a species to undergo natural evolution and manifest change. But DNA analyses show that there is only about ~0.2% difference between the Neanderthals and us today. When we consider that there is ~0.1% DNA variation amongst just our species today, the 0.2% seems rather small. So, if DNA markers are the right metric to use, then our species has evolved very little in the physical sense since the Neanderthals! Could the same be said for our emotional bodies?
When we dissect the psyche of the modern human, we come up with the usual suspects: Anger, Hate, Greed, Jealousy, Compassion, Rage, Self-doubt, Ego, etc. So, the question I'm posing is whether these emotions got manifested as an evolutionary change in our species or have they been there right from the start - kind of like Hydrogen and Carbon?
I don't believe evolution had any part in our nature. I believe these emotions are synonomous with life itself - as if it were a universal law like gravity between masses. Furthermore, these emotions are not unique to our species since I have seen many of them in animals - including my own pets. So, it's easy for me to say that these emotions have accompanied mammals since the very beginning.
But my real question is "why?". Why are these emotions synonomous with life?
The answer to this question is of course - survival! These emotions have been critical to keeping us alive. But, there is a better way - a way that frees us of petty conflicts, needless stress, greed, and clouding our judgement. That way is "Ninpo" - the wisdom of Ninjutsu. If you are interested in exploring this concept further, please contact our dojo. If not, I will close with these thoughts:
1. The emotions you feel are all a matter of choice and what YOU choose to experience. If you are met with negative energy, it really is your choice to allow yourself to get caught in the petty conflict, or if you choose to ignore it and maintain your state of "fudoshin" (immovable heart).
2. Where Fudoshin escapes, Ego enters. The ego indeed has a place in this world - it's what allowed us to survive this far - but we now need to re-learn the wisdom of ninpo, to limit engaging in conflict unless combat is the only option, it's use if we as a society want to start evolving.
To learn more or join our dojo, please contact us.
(c) Paul Mann, 2016
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