Oh yeah, I have that.

Zanshin is actually a different concept than the “mind like water” concept David Allen is talking about. The phrase “complete action” refers to a specific action, and not action in general. As far as I understand, it’s about the completion of the action. What Allen refers to in “mind like water” is a mind that is completely undisturbed until action is necessary. Subtle, but different.

In the movie “Gattaca”, Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) says to his brother: “You know how I beat you? I didn’t leave anything for the return trip.” That is the mind with no remainder.

Similar to Zanshin is Mushin (though still not quite what DA meant by “mind like water”). The word mushin is made from the characters “negation” and “heart”, usually translated as “no mind”. It is another concept that is central to martial arts, an egoless state similar in function as described in Flow (Csikszentmihalyi). Action spontaeously occurs, without waiting for the mind to direct it.

Concept and History of Mushin Mushin in Aikido Philosophy

On the Mind Like Water concept I posted the following at http://wiki.jeffsandquist.com/default.aspx/GTD/MindLikeWater.html

At http://soulsword.org/ it states, “We use the term “Mind like water” to illustrate the adaptive nature of the Zen/Enlightened mind. One may think of this metaphor in terms of its benevolent aspects. However, water has no fixed form. It accords with the nature of the environment and conditions it accounters. It has no intent. It just flows and adapts.”

And in Kendo, zanshin shows a state of readiness after finishing an attack.

That didn’t take long. I found another reference to “mind like water” in a book I’m reading for my kung fu class. The book, “Zen in the Martial Arts” discusses Multiple Options(p.126-127):

When asked about the source of his tranquility, Oyama’s answer is oblique, as are many of the answers given by Zen masters: “Karate is not a game. It is not a sport. It is not even a system of self-defense. Karate is half physical exercise and half spiritual. The karateist who has given the necessary years of exercise and meditation is a tranquil person. He is unafraid. He can be calm in a burning building. … The American karate master, Ed Parker, likens this state of tranquility to having “a mind like still water” (miso no koro).

How does one achieve “a mind like still water?” One learns to go with the flow of life, the current of existence. When an untoward event occurs in your life, react to it without haste or or passion. Realize that in almost every instance you probably have more alternatives than you think you have. Hold still a moment before acting or reacting and consider the alternatives. Then, having decided upon a course of action, proceed calmly.