The Bodhisattva Warrior
by Shifu Nagoboshi Tomio (Terence Dukes)
Samuel Weiser, Inc.

This is an exhaustively researched history concerning the development and symbolism of Buddhist martial arts which originated in India and their better known fighting variants as they migrated east to China, Korea and Japan. The author, a 4th degree black belt in Mushindo Kempo Karate worked as head Khempo, teaching at Cambridge University. He studied with Buddhist teachers in Asia and was ordained as a teacher at the Ryushini Temple in Japan. He also practiced as a Yamabushi or mountain ascetic. A book this thorough must be the culmination of his life's work and I have tremendous respect for that. I just wish it weren't so problematic.

What exactly is a Buddhist Martial Art? The answers lie scattered throughout different chapters, encompassing the elements, human characteristics, symbolism and experience, and healing and movement. However well thought out its presentation is, the first two chapters are a serious ride across archaic terminology. Passages which state that, "The essential nature of an integrated canonical and experiential endeavor meanings fully encompassing within one's nature, and without restriction, the whole potential of life in all its breadth and depth," are statements which left me gasping for air. I don't know if the editor understood the material or was cowed by it but I do know that all of the martial artists I spoke with, all of whom were all black belts, were initially very enthusiastic about the release of this book. In fact, they were hungry for it. But when it came time to actually read it, no one I knew could get through it because of its rambling style. In order to glean its treasures it seems you really do need to be a well-read Buddhist with the stubbornness of a mountain goat.

And there are treasures. The book finally breaks stride after about 200 pages. There are tiny, thoughtful revelations sprinkled all over if you look hard enough, such as "The Chinese and Japanese terms for purifying practice come from the Sanskrit root Kri, which indicates a spiritual activity of body and mind. From this root comes the Buddhist term Karma."

The warrior class of India, the Ksatreya, have origins in the Rig Veda, the most ancient literature of India with references to "Vajramukti" or "thunderbolt clasped hands," a basic military posture. In ancient India, Acaryas (masters) taught students Nata, or movements in both times of war and peace. This was considered a common, even necessary training for the ruling class. In fact, before he became the Buddha, Prince Siddhartha was a master archer and well versed practitioner of martial arts. Nata, currently thought of as dance in India, is actually mentioned as far back as the White Lotus Sutra, where it is broken down into "four classes of people who practice it" and viewed as a "skill in acts of non-harmful defense towards one's opponent." Dukes has enough political savvy to say that "Whether Buddhist or Taoist advisors rule at court had a direct bearing as to what form of martial art training was expoused by the populace."

The appendices in the book of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese terms are brilliant. One example defines Bodhi Mandala (Sanskrit); Tao Chang (Chinese) and Dojo (Japanese) as being the same thing, which is quite provocative to consider. There is a plethora of illustrations defining various points, and a useful historical chronicle of the first 1000 years of Buddhism. This book throws everything at you all at once, so you have to pick your way through what is actually useful. If you are not a historian of the martial arts, as I am not, it is difficult to know what in this book is true and what is open to interpretation. I leave this argument to future scholars to discern.

The real pith lies in the book's discussion of Chuan Fa, the Chinese monastic tradition based on Indian Vajramukti, which "teaches that while personal defense is ultimately pointless, the opportunity to help or teach others exists continually." The real revelation is in the discussion of "The Inner Meaning of the Nata". Dukes defines the smaller elements of martial arts training that I knew were true from my own experience, yet I did not have adequate terminology to discuss. He begins by defining the Sanskrit word "Pratima" as "shape or outer form". "Pratima" is the building block of shorter "Nata" or movement sequences which work simultaneously on a students' mind, body and breath. Each "Pratima" expressed a particular psychological pattern or orientation which is not revealed to the student so the master can assess the effect of various "Pratima" on their pupil. The central point of "Pratima" is to let a student to recognize "Sthana", defined as the "student's perceived and acknowledged self understanding". In training, both physical and mental "Sthana" are continually assessed by the master. Then, "by applying the(ir) various meditative practices students revelation of the personal "Sthana" entails direct confrontation with the totality of unskillful mental conditions called "Klesa". "Klesa" are the traditional Buddhist term to describe one's obscurations. To confront one's "Klesas", one acknowledges one's blind spots, the aim of cutting through one's habitual patterns. These blind spots manifest directly and physically in one's martial arts training. Dukes says "If exercise is not interrupted and goes on to the purification of mind, it will make what is immature become mature."

The process of a student becoming aware of their "Sthana", which is part of the practice towards enlightenment, was called "Samasthana" or "configuration." In Chuan Fa, the goal is achieve mastery over these "Samasthana" and the deepest level (laksya) of influence, thereby experiencing enlightened mind. Dukes also bemoans the fact that much of the original, spiritual understanding of martial arts practice has been lost. By publishing this book and hopefully a 2nd, more skillfully edited second edition, perhaps it can again be regained.

Ellen Pearlman is a writer living in New York City. She trains at New York Budo under the guidance of Jean-Pierre Seibel and may be contacted via e-mail at: ep128@columbia.edu.