F is for Fūrinkazan

In the Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote, “Move as swift as a wind, stay as silent as a forest, attack as fierce as fire, undefeatable defense like a mountain." Fūrinkazan is a composite of the Chinese words for Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain and embraces this concept. Think of it as shorthand to remind commanders and troops the principles of conducting warfare.

One of my very favorite concepts in the Art of War, the principles outlined in "Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain," clearly speak to a place we can all find in our own paths. This place, which we'll adopt the term Fūrinkazan to describe, can be defined by two words - clarity and commitment.

Clarity

Clarity is a concept that we badly misinterpret when it comes to ourselves and our paths. It doesn’t begin with seeing the challenge before us clearly. Clarity's origin is not even found with us being able to clearly see our own path. True clarity begins in one place and one place only - understanding yourself.

The crazy thing is, most of us don't know ourselves at all. Imagine that you stopped in a local coffee shop and were approached by an older person. As your eyes met, you instantly recognized them as an incredibly knowledgeable and enlightened spiritual teacher. In that same instant, you also suddenly realize that they have been waiting for you.

"What would you like to learn?" they ask you.

Most of us don't have an answer.

Those of us who can answer the first question are often stopped with the second question. "What is your biggest obstacle to learning this?"

The questions continue to flow. "How will learning this change you? What will the next lesson be for you once you have learned this? How will this better prepare you for your path? What is your path? What are you called to do on your path?"

These are essential questions for each of us to be able to answer and our personal clarity is intimately tied to our answers. We don't have to have details to have clarity. A clear and confident, "I don't know - but I'm at peace with not knowing," or a simple, "That's what I'm discovering each and every day," is clarity in its own right.

Commitment

What we have to understand in Fūrinkazan is the complete commitment to each action. You don't simply move, you move "swift as a wind." You don't simply attack, you attack "fierce as fire." The concept isn't a tentative exploration of each concept, but a total giving of one's self to the moment.

In my own studies, I refer to the concept as "stillness and suddenness" and it's something that I've been consciously practicing for several years. When you are not engaged in a moment, you are mindful and aware, but your energy is relaxed. When you are engaged, you give yourself fully to the moment. When having fun, fully embrace the moment; when working, do the same. The instant that a new portion of yourself is called upon, for instance, when conflict arises, fully engage the moment with your entire being.

A perfect example of this concept is a parent visiting with friends while an infant sleeps in the next room.  Many of us are only partially present in the social interaction, our ears trained for any sound the child may make.  In this moment, our focus is divided between adult interaction (which every new parent needs) and being available for our child.  In Fūrinkazan, we would fully embrace the social interaction, setting aside our worries, concerns, and protectiveness in order to engage in the moment with our friends.  The instant that our child begins to stir and cry out, we completely shift our energy, moving quickly to the side of the now-awake and crying infant.  Most of us feel torn, either unable to engage with our friends or worried that we'll offend them if we interrupt the moment to engage elsewhere.  Much of that fear is directly related to a lack of clarity.  We are a parent visiting with friends.  When a parent is called upon, they move to the child's side and their friends understand.  That clarity provides us with the ability to fully engage in each moment and shift our focus as needed.

This may sound tremendously complicated, but the biggest challenge for most of us where commitment is concerned isn't the willingness to engage, but the ability to let go.  We can't embrace the loving welcome of a partner or spouse when we're still rooted in the frustration of our day.  We can't reach for our dreams when we're still held captive by our fears.  We can't go to our child's side when we're worried about interrupting our speaking friend.  The secret to this entire process is clarity - and clarity begins by knowing yourself, accepting yourself, and learning to love who you are with all of your strengths and weaknesses, quirks and gifts.

Commitment in Fūrinkazan is the ability to release one moment to fully embrace the next. When you "move swift as a wind," you shed the concepts of self and focus completely with every level of your being on the concept of swift movement. When you "stay as silent as a forest" you don't simply stop moving, you allow your spirit to settle and achieve a state of peace and stillness. The word commitment, in this context, is a complete and total surrender of the previous moment and fully embracing the moment at hand without reservation.

Through clarity, you gain a complete understanding of your core self and act only in accordance with who you are - your unencumbered spirit and your core values and ethics. Through commitment, your actions are swift, powerful, and decisive. Through experience you gain wisdom and through wisdom you choose the action to take that is most harmonious with your spirit. You literally become Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain - and any variation of these concepts that fits harmoniously with your true self and the path you have chosen for yourself.