David Burmeister offers an article in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter issue from Summer 2005, Number 49 about Ethics. This, and all issues of The Main Central, are available at http://www.jsjinc.net.

A Speech Made by David Burmeister

At the 2004 Porto Alegre, Brazil, Forum

“Compassion is what makes our lives meaningful. It is the source of all lasting happiness and joy. And it is the foundation of a good heart, the heart of one who acts out of a desire to help others. Through kindness, through affection, through honesty, through truth and justice for all others we ensure our own benefit. This is not a matter for complicated theorizing. It is a matter of common sense. There is no denying that our happiness is inextricably bound up with the happiness of others. There is no denying that if society suffers we ourselves suffer. Nor is there any denying that the more our hearts and minds are afflicted with ill-will, the more miserable we become. Thus we can reject everything else: religion, ideology, all received wisdom. But we cannot escape the necessity of love and compassion.” – His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from Ethics for the New Millennium.

The definition of Jin Shin Jyutsu, the Art of the Creator through man/woman of compassion which has sprung from Jiro Murai’s devotion to the Art, is anchored in compassion. Furthermore, Mary taught that the Japanese character for compassion means Man/Woman connected from heaven to earth. This suggests a balanced life that brings forth the inspiration of heaven, and all that we hold as sacred and beautiful, onto the earth.

It then becomes the task of any earnest student of Jin Shin Jyutsu to discover how they can best express the ideals of compassion through their Being. The following quote taken from the book Compassion in Action, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, serves as a guidepost for this exploration.

“Acting with compassion is not doing good because we think we ought to. It is being drawn to action by heartfelt passion. It is giving ourselves into what we are doing, being present in the moment – no matter how difficult, sad, or even boring it feels, no matter how much it demands. It is acting from our deepest understanding of what life is, listening intently for the skillful means in each situation, and not compromising the truth. It is working with others in a selfless way, in a spirit of mutual respect. Compassion is the basis of all truthful relationship.”

So, it seems that for students of Jin Shin Jyutsu, our ethical practice hinges upon our ability to surrender to the moment and be present with one another. It is when we don’t worry about the potency of our touch, and are not concerned about having something meaningful to say, that healing happens.

Mary often said that in order to go far with the Art, it must be practiced with a pure heart… As teachers, we can place ourselves humbly in the community, recognizing that we are all students. As students we can remind ourselves to exhale, so that we may receive cosmic wisdom. As practitioners, we can quiet the background distractions, inside and out, so that we may hear the secrets the pulses have to reveal. And as a community, we can work together cooperatively, not politically, to bring forth the greatest potentials of the Art. Letting compassion inform our actions ensures that Jin Shin Jyutsu will be guided by the highest ethical considerations.

Thank you, David.

Thank you, Master Jiro.

Thank you, Mary.

Gassho, Namaste, Blessings