The Puzzle
Ken Harding

I have previously written about the "puzzle" analogy. It is a very good way of understanding your role as a student, and the process of comprehending this art. Each student is completing a puzzle. When the puzzle is complete, it will be a picture of them, and this art, in a fully balanced and blended way. The finished picture will be the complete person.

During any class, I come out and show techniques and methods, and share philosophy. These are all pieces of your puzzle. I walk out with these pieces in a box, reach in, and cast them onto the floor. There is plenty for all. As you train, you are searching for the pieces you need. Some pieces are harder to find than others– some are easily identifiable, others have nothing on them. When you figure out a technique, you are taking a piece off the floor and putting it into place within your puzzle. The more pieces you have fitted into place, the more of your picture you can make out. In the beginning, you can't even tell what it is. But as you go along, you can see more and more of what the picture should be, and then it starts to get easier. Some days, however, it feels that you haven't picked up any pieces. Other days, that you picked up several. Sometimes, you think you have picked up a piece, only to realize later that it doesn't fit like you thought it would, and you have to throw it back.

But it's okay. At the end of the class, I scoop up all the pieces, put them back into the box, to throw them out again another day. What you did not pick up this time, maybe you will pick up the next time. They will all be thrown out until all the puzzles are completed. You need sharp eyes and an alert mind to piece together your puzzle.

Now I would like to extend this analogy to the rest of your life. This is maybe even more important. One area of philosophical inquiry that is very important to people is in the area of finding "The Meaning Of Life" and the "Nature of the Universe". Some people think they have found out the answer to these questions, and for these people, it is easy to come across especially confident, if not downright cocky. If you think for a moment, you can see what I mean. This "We have the truth – the rest of you are in denial" attitude is everywhere.

But how are we to arrive at a state of mind that we can be comfortable with? How can we gain an understanding that is both mentally satisfying and yet in accordance with reality? Again let me use the "puzzle analogy" to illustrate– but the rules will have to be changed.

Imagine that you've been given a puzzle. Before you on a table is a pile of 500 unassembled pieces, and you've been given the task of putting these pieces together. The puzzle here represents your conception of "The Meaning of Life", or the "Nature of the Universe". There's just one catch. You don't have the box the puzzle came in – no picture – so you don't know beforehand what it is you are trying to piece together.

What you do have is a crowd of helpers, among which are your parents, a few concerned friends, teachers, spiritual leaders and politicians, several other people you don't even recognize, and a couple of scientists. There to help you figure things out is also a crowd of tarot readers, astrologers, chi masters, and other assorted gurus, mystics and masters of the "cosmic forces of the universe". Most of these people seem anxious to tell you how to "correctly" assemble your puzzle. Although a bit pushy, it's clear they just want to help.

Before you even have a chance to get started, several of these "helpers" inform you that the pieces, when assembled correctly, will result in a picture of a tree. Without asking, they reach into your pile of puzzle pieces, grab a dozen or so light-colored ones, and begin forcing them together into what they want you to believe is a tree.

You look at this "tree" and admit to those around you that you don't quite see the tree they are talking about. "Oh, you're too close to the pieces," they say. "Stand back about 15 or 20 feet and squint your eyes. Then you'll see the tree." You try this, but still you aren't convinced that what you're looking at is a tree.

So the people start showing you their own puzzles— all trees, they claim. Interestingly, each person's tree looks different from the others. Even more interesting is the fact that about half of these people haven't even tried to construct a tree for themselves, yet they still seem convinced that the pieces will make a tree. They base their convictions on the efforts and assurances of the others.

Some in the crowd have taken scissors and cut off parts of the pieces in order to make them "fit". You find that particularly strange. Something else you find strange is that out of 500 pieces, only a handful, a couple of dozen at most, are used in the construction of these trees. When you ask why so many of the pieces go unused, you are assured by the others that all the pieces – many of which do not appear to have any tree in them at all – are indeed part of the tree, but how they assemble is a mystery. Furthermore, you are cautioned that it's not polite to ask questions about the other pieces because it tends to confuse children who are just starting on their own puzzles.

You notice that there's a lot of arguing amongst the tree people. They argue over the shape of the tree, how many pieces it requires, the color of the pieces, who has the authority to assemble the trees. One guy said his tree was the only "correct" tree and that all the other trees were false trees and as such should be destroyed. This attitude created quite a bit of tension and in some cases even led to fighting!

One of these tree zealots went totally psychotic and started killing people whose trees were different than his own, after which he burned his victims' puzzles with fire. Another guy came in with dynamite strapped to his body and blew himself up, along with about a dozen or so other people whose trees he didn't even bother to look at. Before he detonated himself he shouted, "My Tree!" Boom!!

Amidst all this commotion you notice a man and a woman sitting quietly together, working on their puzzles by themselves. To your astonishment you notice that they have assembled roughly half of the total pieces – not just a few dozen, but a good two hundred or more, at least. What's more, all of the assembled pieces fit tight and clean – no gaps, no forcing, no cuts. All perfect fits. You marvel at how one piece is shaped in such a way as to perfectly accept the adjoining piece. You notice too that when the pieces are assembled in this way that the colors and patterns of one piece continue on to the next. Amazing!

Most astonishing of all, however, is the fact that the picture emerging from their puzzle isn't even a tree! Instead it's a picture of a beautiful snow-capped mountain with a sparkling lake in the foreground and a rich blue sky in the background. And lo and behold there were even trees in the picture. But these were real trees – ones you didn't have to stand back 20 feet and squint to see. In fact, if you got close enough you could see individual leaves and bark and even a bird or two resting on the tree's branches. The real and sharp beauty of the scene nearly takes your breath away. You turn to these people and say, "This is truly remarkable. How did you do this?"

They explain that they have developed a rational method for assembling pieces that demands that each piece fit perfectly with the next. If any part of a piece fails to fit with an adjoining piece, then another piece must be tried in its place. No forcing, no half-fits, and no cutting corners. They tell you that by remaining faithful to this system they can double-check their work by noticing whether or not the colors and designs on one piece continue into the colors and designs of the adjoining piece. Put enough pieces together in this manner and before long some very interesting pictures begin to emerge.

These calm people tell you that when they started this project they had no idea what would come of it all. "We weren't trying to construct a tree, a mountain, or anything. We just remained true to our methodology. And are we ever glad we did! Otherwise we would have totally missed out on the scene you see before you now. We just count ourselves lucky that the scene is as beautiful as it is."

You notice several pieces off to one side that have yet to be assembled. "What about these pieces over here?" you ask. The man replies, "We aren't sure where they go just yet, although these brown ones over here look like they might be part of a cabin or small house. We can't say for sure just yet, but we're working on it."

During the course of your conversation you notice that one of the unassembled brown pieces has some green in it, like bushes. You notice a green bushy area on the assembled section. One of the pieces in this section appears to have a shape exactly opposite the one with the brown in it. You chime in, "Excuse me, but do you think this piece here might go with that piece there?"

The woman takes a closer look, smiles and says, "You might be on to something. Why don't you try it and see if it fits." So you pick up the piece – a bit nervous – compare the two pieces at closer range and then gently press the piece into place. A perfect fit!

"Hey, good job!" the man says. "Thanks!" adds the woman.

Elated, you reply, "Wow, that's really cool! Thanks for letting me do that!"

"No, thank you." replies the woman, adding "You know, the greatest thing about this little system is that when one person benefits, we all benefit."

Letting Go of Distractions
We sometimes need to let go of preconceived ideas before we can see all the great stuff we've been missing out on – stuff that's been in our lives all along but we were unaware of because we were too busy looking for imaginary trees. Unfortunately in today's culture, thinking for ourselves is not always easy. We have people from every corner of society encouraging us towards superstition and irrationalism, to get with the program, to stop questioning things that don't make sense and to just go along with everyone else.

What I have found through constructing a reality paradigm based upon experience, independent of the dictates of tradition, is much like what the two scientists in the analogy found in their puzzles. Letting go of my beliefs made it possible for me to witness the emergence of a paradigm that is not only more fascinating, ethical, and beautiful than what I had before, but one that resonates true with reality. And because the paradigm is based on reality, and not some supernatural wish, it can withstand the most vigorous scrutiny.

When I first got involved in Budo Taijutsu around a decade and a half ago, everyone in the art seemed to be involved with "manipulating cosmic energies", tapping into the warrior continuum, kuji-kiri, mandalas, meditating while holding the vazshra cosmic lightning bolt trying to "become one with the universe", shugendo training under ice cold waterfalls, developing your psychic powers, and other such fantasies. Eager to please, and eager to learn, I bought into some of that stuff, and tried to see the "trees" that were not there. I probably even convinced myself that there were "trees" there. But after several years of honest training, I began to see with my own eyes. When you really stop to think about it, finding the meaning of something is really to gain an understanding of that something. Our training is all about understanding. We promote the discovery of the fundamental principles that define our movements, our techniques, our ethics, and our beliefs.

If you want more meaning in your life, you may have to let go of your "trees". But let me assure you, as one who has been on both sides of the fence, you will be well compensated. For in giving up that tree, you will discover the world!