Well, well. It’s been quite a year.
After my Bodhi Day service, I had a “bodhi moment” found in my daily Zen reminders I set up for myself. Almost 20 years ago, I found a site listing some good judo sayings. They were attributed to more than judo luminaries. Some were attributed to (often wrongfully) the usual cast of wise folks – too many to list, and I don’t want to leave any of them out. I picked my favorites from that site and created a daily calendar reminder that repeats every month.
Today’s reminder was one I had never read carefully: “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
All those years ago, I mistakenly read it as something I heard pretty much every day in judo or karate class: “Violence is the last resort.” I’ve heard it so many times that I thought that’s what I read on that site of those “judo” sayings”.
So, usually on the 18th of the month, I would just automatically delete the reminder. Today, for some reason, I decided to read it carefully.
While “violence is the last resort” is very much true, there is a subtle difference with “violence is the last refuge of the incompetent”.
The quote “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent” seems to be attributed to Isaac Asimov. This quote suggests that those who are competent in their dealings, whether in diplomacy, strategy, or communication, will typically find non-violent solutions to problems. The idea is that resorting to violence indicates a lack of skill, intelligence, or resourcefulness in handling complex situations.
It’s not necessarily true that we must avoid violence under any and all circumstances. But if you must resort to violence, even if some Major League asshole “left you no other choice”, it does indeed mean there is still room to grow in your capabilities. And, continuous growth is the path of Zen, as The Man With the Bag, one of the three Zen stories underlying the Teachings of the Eternal Fishnu instructs. There is always room for growth – at least here on Earth.
I’m not sure why after all these years I decided to read this reminder carefully. Well, it also highlights another of the Three Zen Stories, The Empty Cup.
I glossed over a saying that looked like something I know well, without mindfully listening with an empty mind. The Universe is always talking to us and we’re usually not mindful enough to hear it. Even something we think we know too well evolves because we never step into the same river twice – Heraclitus, another of the usual cast of wise folks.
Faith and Patience,
Reverend Dukkha Hanamoku
Bodhi Day 