The mind is an abstraction of the body, and the body is a manifestation of the mind

The mind is a bundle of desires, an abstraction derived from the body. The body is the manifestation of that mind.

In modern Western natural science, it is assumed that matter precedes the mind. It is believed that at the beginning of the universe, matter existed first, and the mind was born later. In Eastern cosmic philosophy, it is believed that the mind exists first, and matter is created by the mind.

Both views treat the mind and body as separate entities. We treat feelings of depression as a problem of the mind, and if the body feels heavy, we categorize it as a physical problem. However, fundamentally, these two are not in a relationship where they should be perceived as separate. To put it more simply, the mind is an abstraction of the body, and the body is a manifestation of the mind. They are merely the same thing perceived through different filters.

For example, consider a state of mind called "anxiety." When that happens, what is happening to the body? Breathing becomes shallow, the shoulders and neck tense up, and the field of vision narrows. Conversely, if you relax the body and regulate your breathing to be deep, the feeling of anxiety also changes. This is not just the mind affecting the body (matter), nor is it just the body affecting the mind. A single phenomenon is being perceived in different forms: as an abstraction and as a manifestation.

People often try to manipulate the mind directly. They try to think positively, change their mood, or get motivated. But it is only natural that this does not work well. It is because they are trying to tinker directly with an abstraction. An abstraction is not an object to be manipulated; it appears as a connection of manifestations. In other words, if you want to change your mind, it is more realistic and easier to start by regulating your body. At the same time, if you try to change your body, you cannot ignore the intentions and perceptions that run through it—that is, the quality of the mind.

In the world of martial arts, this relationship has an extremely practical meaning. No matter how correctly you imitate a form, if the inner intention does not accompany it, the movement becomes hollow. Conversely, even if you have the intention, if the body does not move accordingly, the technique will not function. To be established as a movement, the mind as an abstraction and the body as a manifestation must be in alignment. The degree of this alignment manifests directly as the quality of the technique.

The same can be said for daily life. When your posture is collapsed, in many cases, it is not just a physical problem. Your attention becomes scattered, your thinking becomes vague, and your judgment becomes dull. Conversely, when your back is naturally straight and your breathing is regulated, your thinking becomes clear, and unnecessary emotions are more easily calmed. Here, too, the mind and body do not exist separately; the same thing is appearing on different layers.

That is why the mind and body must be regulated simultaneously. The idea of dealing with only one or the other creates a discrepancy with the other, and that distortion will eventually affect the whole. If you want to regulate your mind, regulate your body; if you want to regulate your body, pay attention to the state of your mind. By repeating this back-and-forth, the gap between abstraction and manifestation will gradually decrease.

What we ultimately aim for is a state where the mind ceases and the body returns to nature. That can also be called the true self. Unnecessary tension and useless thoughts are stripped away, and selfish intentions disappear from the abstraction. The manifestation connects directly to the true self. At that moment, a person begins to have a sense that their inside and outside, self and world, are not divided.

The mind is an abstraction of the body, and the body is a manifestation of the mind—understanding this relationship and deepening it as a physical experience is the key to handling yourself more accurately. There is no need to be impatient to change your mind, nor is there a need to force your body to be trained. Just look at them as two sides of the same thing and regulate them. That accumulation becomes a path to effortless change and to your true self.

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Returning the mind and body to the true self
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