Philosophical Definitions

This month I thought I’d try and define a couple of philosophical concepts we often discuss within our Hapkido and Ki training. I would love to hear your own thoughts/definitions.

Karma
Karma comes from a concept of Indian philosophy meaning action. It is a part of living and cannot be avoided. It is something which we cause, not which is forced upon us by other people. If we can control our thoughts, our speech and our actions then we can change our Karma.

Because of the principle of Karma we should not judge people in the same way simply because they do the same thing at the same time. Each person has different Karma, different motivation, which forces them to act.

To clarify Karma, firstly one should empty one’s mind; Ki Meditation is a fantastic tool to help us with this. Negative Karma can then be cleansed by positive action and positive thought. Provided our new habits are stronger than our old habits then we don’t have to worry.

Mushim
No-mind or mindfulness. It is a state of being fully alive, an ongoing expression of pure human nature.

Mu-Wei: No-action
Lao Tzu in his famous book The Tao Te Ching, spoke about Mu-wei. Chapter thirty-seven starts,
Tao abides in non-action,
Yet nothing is left undone.
In other words it is a state where actions are in accord with nature. Doing something unnaturally creates problems; it creates karma. Mu-wei is acting in Mushim; it is about getting out of one’s own way: nothing doing but everything done.