Nasty is the New Black
Nasty is the New Black

Over the last couple of years we’ve all seen politics turn distinctly nastier. Whether it’s the abusive rhetoric of Donald Trump, the Maoist-style ‘calling out’ by campus protestors, the paranoiac accusations of media conspiracy against Bernie Sanders or Jeremy Corbyn, or the barefaced lies of the ‘Leave’ campaign, few of us have witnessed anything like this before. But these disturbing tendencies are by no means confined to politics. They are increasingly also found in the world of work.

Read More
ESSAYSMark Walterjames souttar, Negativity, Narcissism, abuse, bullyComment
Deathbed Visitors
Deathbed Visitors

According to neuropsychiatrist and neurophysiologist Peter Fenwick, who carried out extensive research into the experience of dying, the perception of ‘deathbed visitors‘ — visits by the dead to a dying person — are a very common occurrence in the last days and hours of life. Often they are from a parent or grandparent…

Read More
ESSAYSMark Walterdeath, dreams, james souttarComment
The Positive Side of the Heartbeat
The Positive Side of the Heartbeat

I had employed a practice that I’ve only recently been taught: positioning my awareness slightly on the positive or leaving side of my heartbeat. I had no idea of its meaning, yet the instant I turned to this practice a realization immediately emerged.

To be clear, I'm not declaring an understanding here. Rather, I'm simply sharing realizations that instantly emerged when I began practicing something I didn't understand.

Read More
PRACTICESMark Walterexperiences, principles, jiu jitsu, class, mark walter, ClassesComment
The Power of Universal Principles
The Power of Universal Principles

Part of my martial arts journey involved learning to become more relaxed. Problem was, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t relaxed. Understandably, this particular ‘inner journey’ took time for honesty to creep in. It wasn’t that I was being dishonest, but rather that my definition of honesty and self-awareness had to expand. Frankly, it was a process that took me years to unfold.

What’s interesting is the way in which Jiu Jitsu helped me unwrap all this.

Read More
ESSAYSMark Walterjiu jitsu, principles, awareness, mark walterComment
The Order
The Order

The Seven Fundamental Principles for Standing in the Face of the Truth represent a relationship between the balance and harmony of standing in the face of the truth. There are many, many forms of truth that can matter in countless ways. In understanding the Seven Fundamental Principles better, it’s important to be mindful of what they are addressing.

Read More
PRACTICESMark Walterjiu jitsu, principles, Great River, scott walterComment
The Continuum of Resistance
The Continuum of Resistance

When an aggressor grabs our wrist, our tendency is to use resistance as our course of action. Perhaps we attempt to jerk our hand away, or maybe we suddenly start pushing, twisting or even shouting. We tend to react one of two ways: fighting it or giving in to it. Similarly, we employ the same practices when encountering difficulties in our everyday life circumstances. In Jiu Jitsu we train to not meet force with force. Instead, we practice to ‘become one with’.

Read More
JIU JITSU, FIELD GUIDEMark Walterjiu jitsu, Great River, classComment
The Mindset
The Mindset

Recent Jiu Jitsu classes have been delving into the mechanics of what occurs when resistance emerges. But more importantly, we have been learning that there are glimpses of awareness that can take place, but typically only if we have ‘the eyes to see’.

Read More
JIU JITSUMark Walterclass, Great River, jiu jitsu
The Old Witch
The Old Witch

The Old Witch would chase me in my dreams. She was terrifying and I would always flee in great fear. But the more times I saw her, the more advanced my fleeing efforts became. At first I would run and she would chase me. Eventually I took to flying, but the terrifying chase scene was unrelenting because she readily adapted to my flights no matter the destination and no matter whether on or above ground. Strangely, she never caught me. But I couldn’t shake her, no matter my strategies.

Read More
FIELD GUIDEMark Walterdreams, belief, certainty, mark walter, experiences
The Old Hag
The Old Hag

When I was between 12 and 15 years old I had an event that would occasionally occur. It always happened spontaneously and it was easily the most terrifying thing in my entire youth.

I would see something, It always appeared in my bedroom, and it always took place exactly the same way. It was a spiritual being, but it wasn’t a vague wisp of light nor was it a shadow. It was a fully featured woman, clothed and sitting in a rocking chair. She always appeared the same way, seated and rocking in a wooden rocker at the end of my bed.

We had a busy house with a family of eight. There were six kids, three boys and three girls, and we only had one bathroom and three modest sized bedrooms for the whole family. My parents had the biggest room. The three girls had a room and us three boys had a room. That put three beds plus dressers in each small bedroom. My bed was positioned on a wall with enough open space at the foot for a closet door to swing open. When this woman appeared, she would appear in that space.

Read More
ESSAYS, FIELD GUIDEMark WalterGreat River, scott walter, spirits, experiences, field reports
Early Travels into the Light - ***** Recommended
Early Travels into the Light - ***** Recommended

“For as long back in this life as I can remember, I have found myself captivated when looking at people. My mother would constantly correct me saying, “Don’t stare”. But even with her admonitions I would simply engage in peripheral vision. When I looked at people with this focused stare, I saw things that opened the multi-dimensional door for me in a myriad of ways. I could do this without thinking and yet I’d become lost in thoughts I could not describe.”

Read More
FIELD GUIDE, REPORTS, TEACHINGSMark WalterGreat River, light, experiences, eternal awareness
Harmony: Birth of a Roadmap
Harmony: Birth of a Roadmap

Balance and Harmony’ is an often-used phrase that sounds good on paper but isn’t always so easy to achieve. Quietly residing between those two seven letter words lays a simple three letter word — ‘and.’ As we shall see, it’s all in the ‘and,’ because hiding in that modest conjunction are five secret principles to improved balance and harmony. The power of the ‘and’ reveals how to transition from Balance to Harmony.

Read More
ESSAYS, JIU JITSU, PRACTICESMark WalterGreat River, principles, universal principles, mark walter
The Secret of the Golden Flower
The Secret of the Golden Flower

“The golden flower symbolizes the quintessence of the paths of Buddhism and Taoism. Gold stands for the light, the light of the mind itself; the flower represents the blossoming, or opening up, of the light of the mind. Thus the expression is emblematic of the basic awakening of the real self and its hidden potential.

In Taoist terms, the first goal of the Way is to restore the original God-given spirit and become a self-realized human being.”

Read More
PRACTICESMark Waltercleary, golden flower, mark walter
The Practice of Overcoming Afflictions
The Practice of Overcoming Afflictions

I attended three comprehensive lectures and several initiations given by HH Dalai Lama this past weekend and I was attentive to each of his messages, his reasoning, his concerns and warnings and what he said was mandatory to understanding and effective practice. I took his suggestions to heart and practiced what he suggested while listening to him, after the lectures were over, during our group discussions, in between the discussions, in my meditation time, when I was driving, when we were eating and even when I was feeling tired and ill. I tested his teachings in every application I could find and they held up well for me. They did not hold as well when they were not practiced and when they were not understood it was hard to practice them.

Read More
PRACTICES, FIELD GUIDEMark Walterdalai lama, scott walter, Great River
The Hereafter
The Hereafter

When it comes to death and dying I think it pays off for us to be practical in these matters. Take the idea of a hereafter, for example. Why are we compelled to think about the hereafter in times like these? It’s because we look to hereafter for answers that may comfort us in our sorrow and uncertainty.

When we think of things like the hereafter, however, we should not be reluctant to remind ourselves that we are the ones who are here, after someone else has moved on.

Read More
ESSAYSMark Waltermemorial, eulogy, mark walter, death
The Folded Hands of Time
The Folded Hands of Time

“The essence of relativity is that there is no absolute time, no absolute space. Everything is relative. When you try to discuss time in the context of the universe, you need the simple idea that you isolate part of the universe and call it your clock, and time evolution is only about the relationship between some parts of the universe and that thing you called your clock.”

Read More
ESSAYSMark Waltertime, relativity, mark walter