Zen, Budo and Flying.

Back to the Pilot analogy

You can try to learn everything about the theory of flights. You'll never will be able to fly. 

Buddhism and Martial Arts are the same.  If you spend your life trying to understand, you will become a Buddhist or a Martial Arts Scholar. You won't have acquired any useful skills and all you'll have learned won't really help you when you need it. 

On another hand, some believe they practice Zen by spending hours in a row sitting without moving or thinking at all. They are like someone who would sit in the cockpit of the plane, close their eyes, and believe they really are flying. 

Some other people practice and teach crazy things (Yes, you can become a certified light saber fighting instructor !) and believe they could actually fight. 

Buddhism and Budo first and for all are practices. 

Find a teacher, learn how to fly ! 

 

Zen Monkeys

In regions populated by many monkeys, one can see them seated in a meditative posture – eyes closed and hands resting on their lap, but they are sleeping. 

 

Just sitting like that and thinking one is meditating is rather useless and helps no one at all...

Practice and Understanding.

If I have to fly across the desert, I'd rather be flown by a guy who's been flying all kind of birds for 30 years than by an aeronautic engineer, who knows  theory of flight and could explain to anyone how an airplane flies, but has never flown one once in his life. 

How about you ? 

When it comes to real life, actual practice and experience are more important than mere intellectual knowledge. 

However, if the plane breaks down and the pilot lands it safely in the middle of nowhere, the presence of an engineer aboard might be a blessing. After all, I might be able to fix it.

That's why in the old times of the Aeropostale, each plane was manned by a pilot and a mechanic. 

Trying to understand things has its benefits,  but - in my opinion - it should come second.