Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal

Monday, October 26, 2026

How Buddhism shaped Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee beats up all the students of the Japanese martial arts school at once | Fist of Fury

What philosophy did Bruce Lee teach?

Intercept the fist to disarm the opponent
Jeet Kune Do (Chinese 截拳道, Jyutping, lit. "Stop Fist Way" or the "Way of the Intercepting Fist," abbreviated JKD) is Bruce Lee's hybrid martial art, which was conceived of, practiced, and taught by Lee.

It centers on the principle of counterattacking an opponent in order to impede that opponent's offense [12, 13].

As an eclectic martial art, it relies on a fighting style heavily influenced by Wing Chun, tai chi, taekwondo, boxing, fencing, and jujutsu [14, 15].

Dead far too young

Asian stardom threatened USA?

How did Bruce Lee die? Only one doctor knows for sure: Dr. Joel Wallach (youngevity.net), who says it was severe nutritional deficiencies due to fad dieting.

One thing that can be said for sure is that Lee was not following the age-old dietary habits of Buddhist Shaolin Temple martial artists, Zen practitioners in Japan, or even well-established Asian customs, any of which could have kept him healthy and still with us.

There's something to be said about a "curse" and foul play since his son, Brandon Lee, also died under mysterious Hollywood circumstances.

Bet I could beat Bruce

MJ White reacts to Floyd Mayweather punching

Hah, Bruce Lee, you're not so tough!

China's "Three Teachings"
Jeet Kune Do, which Lee intended to have practical life applications without the traditional routines and metaphysics of conventional martial arts, incorporates a set of principles to help practitioners make quick decisions and improve their mental and physical health [13, 16].

Lee based JKD on his experiences in unarmed fighting and self-defense, as well as on his eclectic, Zen Buddhist, Confucianist, and Taoist philosophies... More

In a conversation with the abbot of Shaolin Temple, the abbot asks what Lee thinks about when he faces an opponent. "There is no opponent," Lee answers, "because the word 'I' does not exist." That line echoes one of the Buddha's central teachings [anatta, the impersonal nature of all existence and phenomena]. The fixed idea of "me" that "we" [the aggregates] cling to so tightly falls apart the moment you look for it closely [systematically through satipatthana].

Bruce Lee: White men can't fight, Chuck Norris

(Binge Society) Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris in The Way of the Dragon (Return of the Dragon)

Did Buddhism shape Bruce Lee’s martial arts philosophy?

Enter the Dragon (Bruce Lee)

(Buddha's Wisdom) 🥋 Was Bruce Lee a secret American Buddhist [partial to China's Three blended spiritual Teachings]?

The man behind the saying, “Be water, my friend” reportedly said he had no religion at all, like most Americans. Yet ZEN, Taoism, [Confucianism] and the Buddha’s teachings (or Dharma) run through his life, his films, and his own blended philosophy he called Jeet Kune Do.

And one famous “Bruce Lee quote” actually traces back to Chinese Zen Buddhist Master Linji (Linji Yixuan), who passed away in the year 866.

Let's follow Bruce Lee from a rowing boat in Hong Kong Harbor, where he punched the sea, to the Oakland, California (next to Berkeley) fight that made him rebuild his art, the back injury that put him in bed for months.

Let's culminate with the Hollywood movie set for Enter the Dragon, where Bruce Lee refused to show up until his Buddhist-Taoist-Confucian philosophy scenes were put back in.

Along the way, we separate what the record shows from what the legend claims.

💡 DISCOVER

Why Lee punched the sea—and why “Be water” begins with a Taoist image
How a disputed 1964 fight made him question his fighting style.
The Buddha’s Parable of the Raft, and how Lee rebuilt his fighting style
Why Lee insisted on philosophy in Enter the Dragon and the Buddhist image in one of its most famous scenes
The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path hidden in Bruce Lee's sickbed notebooks

Fat Happy Budai (Hotei) pointing at the moon

What, the hand, the hand that points?
Buddhist roots of “Don’t think, feel” and the finger pointing at the moon (as in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra)
Zen master whose words ended up under Lee’s name

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Matt, Buddha's Wisdom, AI. Oct. 17, 2026; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Pfc. Sandoval, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Cali surf's up: king tides. Secret to 🧘‍♂️. Rap

COASTAL FLOODING - SECRET TO FLOW STATE MEDITATING

Good thing I figured out how to stand up on this slippery board when it was easy and level.

Settle down, Pretty Woman. Hold still. Relax. Ease into it and pay undistracted attention.

I'm not afraid of no high tides. Whatever!

(Watchers.news) Warnings remain in effect for the San Diego and Orange County coasts through October 29, 2026, as high tides and elevated water levels threaten roads and low-lying properties.

The National Weather Service (NWS) also has Coastal Flood Advisories for other shoreline areas, including Los Angeles-area beaches, San Francisco Bay, San Luis Obispo, Monterey Bay, and Humboldt Bay.

Coastal flood alerts remain in effect across the Los Angeles, Oxnard, San Diego, and San Francisco forecast areas through Thursday, October 29th.

Water looks pretty skanky and poopy today, Bro

The National Weather Service (NWS) has a Coastal Flood Warning for San Diego and Orange counties and Coastal Flood Advisories farther north, with high tides and elevated coastal water levels forecast to flood vulnerable low-lying locations and contribute to shoreline erosion, loss of precious sand, and road closures. More

Urgent flood alert issued across California as monster king tides sweep in | New York Post

Is surfing the most Buddhist sport?

Man, I'm just ONE with waves

What is a "Buddhist sport"? To be sure such activities exist. One thinks of yoga postures and stretch-series, skateboarding, public speaking, performing, standing on a stage freestyle-rapping trying not to shake or let anyone see you sweat, getting into THE ZONE. That zone is what modern psychology calls the flow state and what the rest of the world has long called "Zen."

Zen has a literal meaning -- jhana, dhyana, chan... But most Zen practitioners do not know much about it, being nowhere close to satori or kensho, just sitting in their shikantaza, imagining they're making progress to no goal.

It's "beginner's mind" everyday

Let's study shoshin or beginner's mind today in Zen Garden School

Oh, I thought "Zen" was blissfully zonking out.

"Zen" used to mean "meditation" but in the sense of meditative absorption rather than contemplative practices in the fourfold setting up of mindfulness (sati).

Any sporting activity that allows one to be mindful -- that is, not discursively thinking like that oppressive inner voice slave-driving us most of the time, but rather inner silence, focus, attention excluding all distractions -- could be "Buddhafied," made more natural (less consciously effortful, less of a struggle, more of an allowing, more of an accepting of what is).

What's the secret? Please tell us the secret!!!

How to become a great surfer. Step 1: Practice balancing on surfboard when it's still and easy.

How can you tolerate all that heat, sir?

What is the secret? The secret is obvious, so obvious most of us would rather have a "better" secret for instant enlightenment and no effort at all.

Those secrets follow and unfold from the first and most obvious secret: practice. In the mystical East, India and the Indosphere in particular, this sort of "practice" is called sādhanā by adepts.

It is regular rather than irregular, persistent rather than on-and-off, daily rather than just on the weekends, continuous rather than broken... Imagine getting into a very warm tub. How is that done, assuming there's a "best" or "right" way?

How does the old joke go? Musician lost in Manhattan asks a taxi driver, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" The driver smiles and snaps, "ANSWER"?

The best way to get in untested waters?

One jumps in, scalding the skin, splashing most of the tub water onto the floor, screaming, flailing, biting down on the tongue, squinting, scrunching, holding one's junk? No, obviously not. That's no way to do it. What are we, children?

Be as an actual child, behaving naturally, with sensitivity, responding to the immediate environment, testing, starting slowly and gently.

One slides in smoothly, hardly disturbing the surface, easing into it until it's tolerable and relaxing, letting go, unclutching, untightening, undoing -- allowing. The water washes over one, soothing and softening the muscles, with a smile on the mug. This is the way to the first kind of Buddhist meditation called serenity (samatha).

It's easy at first then it's impossible. Why impossible? The Buddha pointed out Five Hindrances, obstacles that ruin everything. Introducing them, he teaches how to overcome.

Oh, I get it, just relax and allow the soothing.

It's natural, so if we "allow" it rather than "trying" to do it, "struggling," "muscling," "over-efforting," "pushing," "shoving," or tormenting ourselves, poof there it is suddenly, like magic. Now, how to hold it? Hold it as a gentle child would hold a butterfly that doesn't fly away, most delicately, gingerly, tenderly, not staring at it or wanting anything from it, just radically accepting it and ALLOWING.

Ooh, I can do it right here, right NOW.

The second kind of Buddhist meditation (vipassana bhavana or "cultivating liberating-insight") takes a skilled teacher, which are not easy to find. The purpose here is to directly know-and-see things as they really are. What things? Just two, matter and mind, physics and psychology, the world and self, or as the great living Meditation Master Pa Auk Sayadaw puts it, ultimate materiality and ultimate mentality. How?

With a foundation in serenity (stillness, samma-samadhi, concentration, the eight absorptions), attention is turned from the breath (or nimitta) to setting up the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. But in the meantime, just to get to the flow state, the surfing, the rapping, the accepting, allowing, the peace to be experienced here and now, exhale, let go, smile.

In a flow state? Now, how to freestyle rap?

I'm the king of this shiznit, the linguist, all scientifical, like an English major of da streets!

The flow state in psychology

Freestyle rap, simply known as freestyle, is a style of hip-hop music where an artist normally improvises unwritten verses, with or without instrumental beats (or beatboxing). The lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] until it becomes a challenge, slam, or competition. It is similar to other improvisational music, such as jazz [6], where a lead instrumentalist acts as an improviser with a supporting band providing a beat. Freestyling was originally verse that is free of style, written rhymes that do not follow a specific subject matter or predetermined cadence. A newer style with improvisation grew popular starting in the early 1990s. It is now mainly associated with hip hop and takes a calm, cool, and collected (unstressed) demeanor to do well. More

Freestyle Rap Battles get vicious

White Food Scheme | Anderson Burrus vs. Charlie Clips | Rap Battle - Reason Illmac is a legend 🤟🏾

Who is Asian American actor Ken Jeong?

Asian actor dunks on fat basketball Shaq

Ken Jeong shows Shaquille O'Neal how it's done: Drop the Mic Hilarious Rap. (Prewritten?)

Flow for creativity and charisma

(Anderson Burrus) Anderson Burrus vs. Charlie Clips | Rap Battle

British biddy beats Burrus bad

Anderson Burrus vs. Joy France | 33-year-old vs. 70-year-old | Rap Battle

What about B-Balling (basketball)?

Charles Barkley was the GOAT until he faced Jordan - Best Rap Battles of all time Pt. 2

BEST FREESTYLE: Tory Lanez, Juice WRLD, Eminem, DaBaby, Kanye West, or Drake?

(Josh Johnson) Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar explained to white people

(HOT 97) Kendrick Lamar freestyle raps on Flex

Drake vs. Eminem Rap Battle - who wins this? - What if Drake dissed Eminem? 🤬

RAP: "Look at Me Now"

Best rap? Chris Brown "Look at Me Now" ft. Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes

Chris Brown avoids prison time for brawling at London nightclub | ABC7

Ain't no way no white man can rap!

☠️ (Harry Mack) Every time they thought I couldn't rap ☠️

Classical music for California calm: Top 101

You want me to get in this and drive around listening to classical music? - Yeah, go to Berkeley.

We voted. CC counted. Now hear the results!

I💗it with real instruments!

All of California’s favorite classical music is in one place (classicalcalifornia.org). It’s the ultimate playlist, chosen by the ultimate experts, California’s listening public!

Classical California’s Ultimate 101 is the listener-powered countdown of the most beloved works in the Golden State.

Tune in all this week as the station (KUSC.org, 91.5 FM, Los Angeles) plays them back for listeners, from 101 to Number 1.

Oh, is what they mean by the good Vibe Zone?

From soaring symphonies to some new surprises (and yes, that one piece most people can’t stop humming), it’s California’s favorite classical music, all on one amazing list.

Classical California will update the list several times a day right here. To follow along with up-to-the-minute updates on the latest piece to make this year's Ultimate 101, please visit the PLAYLIST PAGE.

KUSC 91.5 FM (kusc.org); CC Liu, Crystal Q., Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Sunday, October 25, 2026

India's Saint Mahatma Gandhi was evil?

(The Infomatics Show) The Ugly Truth about Mahatma ("Great Soul") Mohandas Gandhi

Elaine shocked by a senior who had an affair with passionate Mahatma Gandhi | Seinfeld

Can Mr. M. Gandhi even rap?

Gandhi vs. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Epic Rap Battles of History)

Saturday, October 24, 2026

Drake: Drizzy goes Goth, ded mon wokkin?

(Louaista) Kendrick Lamar was right about Drake...

Drake is the biggest "industry plant" of all time 🫡#rap #hiphop #Drake

Drizzy, what is a "drake"?

I done did sum things, but I'm rich like Epstein and Trump! I mean, I Started from the Bottom.

Illuminati wants a white Goth wife

A "Drake" is a rapist male *uck that goes after helpless young female *ucks, whereas birthday boy Aubrey DRAKE Graham (aka "Drizzy," born October 24, 1986) is a human, biracial, Jewish, Canadian, "nepo-baby" (nepo baby?), industry plant rapper, singer, TV actor, and sore loser. He is credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities in hip-hop music through "rap-singing." Drake first gained recognition playing Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008) and began his music career by independently releasing mixtapes before signing with Young Money Entertainment [5]. More: Drake (musician)

(VICE) What's up with Drake texting teenage girls? Both 17-year-old Billie Eilish and 15-year-old Millie Bobby Brown have said they text with the 33-year-old rapper...⁠ ⁠More

Drizzy allegedly tried to seduce child Billie Eilish (and other children), texting, talking, and advising the kiddies, but when they put him on blast for doing so, he had to find other girls to groom, allegedly.

Drizzy, what's an "industry plant"?