I have received an overwhelming response from the last newsletter and I thank you for this, but I am not responsible for it. I pulled some of this information from my notes and, unfortunately, I cannot give credit to all the monks that assisted me on this endeavour and, therefore, I would like to express thanks to all of them for their guidance and their patience. If it were not for them, I would not have learned about the law of cause and effect or the "Truths" about suffering.

We all know when we are suffering. We know when we are having unpleasant sensations such as when we are hot or cold, hungry or sick. But, like in the last newsletter when we had to become aware of our fear, we also have to become aware of our suffering of both the subtle and the obvious aspects if we wish to have less of it in our lives. Its obvious aspect, we notice in the very moment and we tend to have difficulty with it. This is known as the suffering of suffering. For me now, it is this house. In the words of the wise, "Be careful what you wish for you might just get it." Subtle suffering is more difficult to grasp because it begins with fulfillment, happiness and satisfaction. By its very nature, subtle suffering is the impermanence of pleasure. This is known as the suffering of change. This would be what I felt when I started building my dream home. The third one is the suffering of conditioning.

With subtle suffering, one thinks that a particular situation will bring the most happiness one can ever imagine, but actually, within the situation, there is a tremendous amount of anguish. In the Bujinkan, many students are more concerned about getting a rank for their "business" rather than training to improve their skill. They place their monetary needs before the physical needs of their students. Once they get the rank, they feel great, almost as if it was given to them because of their skill. When these students are faced with wearing the rank in front of those people that have trained harder and for many years longer, they become uncomfortable and suffer. Once they have the rank, they become so insecure about it that they feel too threatened to encourage their students to attend another teacher’s seminar for fear that they will lose their student to the more experienced teacher. I have always encouraged my students to attend training anywhere they can get it. These teachers are ignorant. They fail to realize how meaningless their rank is. Think about it!. If you asked for a University Degree and the University handed you one for X dollars, how much value would you place on your Degree. Where would you work and how long do you think you would be working there? These people are like filters. Good students will eventually leave in search of knowledge and find those teachers that possess it. The original Shihans have trained for more than 35 or more years. I have trained continuously for 25 years and received a Tenth Dan rank that I feel I did not deserve. I accepted it, after initially refusing it, because Sensei pushed me to. Ten years! Sensei used to say that this was the time-period necessary for Godan.

If one thinks of those who are very fortunate to be human beings with a very rich and healthy life, it seems as though they have nothing but happiness. It is hard to understand that the very root, the very fiber, of what is taking place is suffering, because the situation is subject to change. What is happiness? By its very nature it can often mean that there will be suffering later on. Is there a worldly happiness that lasts for a very, very long time? No! Worldly happiness includes an element of change, of built-in suffering. Why? Let me quote the Dalai Lama on this one since I feel he sums it up perfectly. "The point is that we perceive them to be states of pleasure or joy, because, in comparison to painful experiences, they appear as a form of relief. If they were truly joyful states in and of themselves, then just as painful experiences increase the more we indulge in the causes that lead to pain, likewise, the more we engage in the causes that lead to pleasurable experience, our pleasure or joy should intensify; but this is not the case." This return to suffering maybe explosive and painful.

If one is suffering but is not aware of it, one will never be motivated to eliminate it, and will continue to suffer. When one is aware of suffering one is able to overcome it. With the more subtle forms of suffering: if one is happy and becomes aware that the happiness automatically includes the seed of suffering then one will be much less inclined to become involved in an attachment to this happiness; one will then think "Oh, this seems to be happiness, but it has built-in suffering," and then one will automatically dissociate from it. The first Truth is that one should be aware of ones suffering. Once one has a very clear picture of its nature, one can really begin to avoid it. Of course everyone wants to avoid suffering and to emerge from it, but to accomplish this one needs to be clear about its nature.

When one becomes aware that the nature of day-to-day existence is suffering one doesn't have to be miserable with the thought that it will always be present. Suffering doesn't go on forever. Buddha entered this world, gave teachings and demonstrated clearly what suffering is. He also taught the means by which it can be ended, and described the state beyond suffering, which is liberation. In Ninjutsu, we know this as Satori (Enlightenment). One does not have to endure it and can, in fact, be happy. Even though one cannot immediately emerge from suffering by practicing the Buddha's teachings one can gradually eliminate it, and, in this way, move towards eventual liberation. This fact, in itself, can make one happy, even before one has actually completely emerged from suffering. Applying the Buddha's teachings, I am happy in the relative phase of my progress, and one day, near the end, I hope to gain wisdom and liberation, and be happy in the ultimate sense as well. I may never achieve it in this lifetime, but I can attest to the teachings experientially.

The first Noble Truth makes it clear that there is suffering. Once one knows what suffering is, one must eliminate that suffering. It is not a question of eliminating the suffering itself, but of eliminating the causes of suffering. Once one removes the causes, then automatically, the effect, which is suffering, is no longer present.

One of my dedicated students came to me about a financial problem he was experiencing. He had become so depressed over his situation, even though I had not accepted his money for sometime, he had doubts about the continuation of his training. Of course! It is difficult to motivate oneself to do anything when one is suffering; ninjutsu or otherwise. But, one must practice "Nin" and endure this suffering to gain insight and wisdom. This is happening to him because it is supposed to. Do you think that the ninja of old could just lay down their arms and give up because they couldn’t seem to motivate themselves to go off and fight? "Nin" is not necessarily about getting off our ass’ to train. It is about penetrating the mind to understand how it is trying to prevent us from training in the first place. If you listen to it, you will find that it will provide many reasons/excuses not to train and are especially invalid when the Ego is in the driver’s seat. Whom will you let drive? After all, we are not fighting for our lives yet, but that too may change one day. Do you think that your problems will mean that much if faced with possible death?

We are fortunate enough to live in a country that takes care of us when times are difficult. I am not saying that makes it any easier. It is about perception and misperception and the Ego’s desire for materialism. Who has time to just enjoy the flowers, a sunrise, or an ant’s life anymore? Talk to some of the people I spoke about in the MMNL III and maybe you will be motivated enough to experience more than you ever dreamed you could in an entire lifetime. Sometimes it is the simple things that mean more to us than any amount of money, fame or material possessions.

I wish him well and I wish all of you real happiness in your life.

"Just keep going!"

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