The US Election & The Ninja

The Chinese character ren — nin in Japanese translates as: endure, to tolerate, to bear suffering and to have patience in sight of the intention. Nin is the root character for the word ninja.  Ninjas were famed for their seeming supernatural skills. Thought to be invisible and magical in their accomplishment of an impossible mission, the truth was their amazing capacity for patience and endurance in sight of the intention. The word nin is a core martial virtue that explains their resolute spirit. It exists within each of us, though it requires cultivation.

No matter which candidate you favored, or where you are on the earth, this US presidential election is an incredible moment in history: the first African American president. This shift is more than a campaign process, it is an important passing of the torch lit long ago. Those before bore the crushing wait of holding it aloft amidst suffering, intolerance and sorrow, and the flame has endured. It is the spirit of nin — to keep the faith in spite of oppression, disappointment, failure and setbacks. It is a change in our consciousness. We bear witness. Transformation is possible.

In the words of James Baldwin, “…nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out…”

As the evolving martial artist in the resolute spirit of nin, patience and endurance in sight of the intention is up to us.

Lawrence & Toni