Reaching a Stage of Makoto

Grains or cereals are the foundation of Wa (harmony).
Dynamic physical activity, i.e. energy in hara as focal point.
Thinking in a focused manner.
Establishment of order through will, both internal and external environments.
Service to others for unified benefit of social cohesion.
Daily, diligent and continuous, self-reflection toward self-transmutation.

A healthy mind, brain, is imperative toward reaching a state of makoto, truth; reality; sincerity; honesty; integrity; fidelity, etc., to reach "being oneself" through a wholehearted being in the light of the way. What does this mean, read the post on Makoto: http://martialartterms.blogspot.com/2012/04/makoto.html

Here, in this post, we discuss the path to makoto through the practice of "gyo." Lets look at the above atomistically with knowledge that it must be implemented in a holistic "whole" way.

Grains or cereals through out history have been the nourishment that is believed to benefit human conditions more than any other and it is known that until the industrial period the food consumed was based mostly on grains or cereals. The human teeth were designed by nature to grind up and assimilate properly grains and cereals.

The food we eat is converted into those various nutrients that provide nourishment to our very cells along with the energy circulated through both the blood and the energy meridians that fuel the body and mind.

The dynamic activities the best develop the hara are martial arts. The variety and difficulty of martial practices have shown through out the history of the Asian peoples to build the greatest hara.

Right minded thinking with morality and other such contexts provides the mind those thoughts derived from attained knowledge that allows us right thinking for the benefit of the group, tribe and society. Only through this mutual understanding of one another as to cultures, beliefs and perceptions can we achieve the next which is proper order that benefits all.

This leads to "service to others" which in life there is no greater goal of man but to give service to others that benefits the whole. To achieve this level of mental and physical achievement takes the type of open minded self reflection that leads to a willingness to self transmutate.

Bring all this into "one" wholehearted way of living life through a practice such as martial systems achieves this goal. This is how the I Ching and other ancient classics written by the sages guides us toward enlightenment.