July 31, 2017

After Reading Lao Tsu: Chapter 27 老子:第二七章を読んで

タオの人は無駄がない。無駄に動かず,無駄に話さず,無駄に考えない。武道家もまた然りである。無駄に動けば,敵を効率よく捌けない。無駄に話せば,不要な争いを招く。無駄に考えれば,迷いや隙を作ることになる。無駄を捨てて,シンプルにある。そこでは同時に,価値判断も捨てる。一見悪にも学ぶところ,利するところがある。だから本当は無駄なものなど何もない。そうしてあるがままに扱うのが,タオの人であり,禅の人であり,武道家である。

People of the Tao are not wasteful. They never move wastefully, speak wastefully, nor think wastefully. Budo-ka also never do so. If you moved wastefully, you could not efficiently control your enemy. If you spoke wastefully, your words would cause unnecessary conflicts. If you thought wastefully, you would come to have hesitation and inattention. Put off waste and be simple. In addition to it, discard value judgments. Apparently bad things have a part that we can learn or benefit from. Therefore, actually there is nothing wasteful. It is people of the Tao, people of Zen, or Budo-ka who deal with things as they are in such a way.

July 11, 2017

After Reading Lao Tsu: Chapter 26 老子:第二六章を読んで

落ち着きや静けさこそ,武道家の在り方である。武術家は,稽古を通して自身の呼吸と身体を観察する。その結果養われる集中力と観察力は,落ち着いた静かな心となる。これがマインドフルネスである。マインドフルネスを練る武術家を武道家と言う。武道家は軽々しく騒ぐことはない。常に心穏やかに八方に注意を向け観察する。本当に強い人は根を張って動ぜず,そこに静かにたたずむ。そうしてタオとつながっている人には,自ずと人がついてくる。

Calmness or tranquility is the way of being Budo-ka. Martial artists observe their own breath and body through the practice. Such cultivated concentration and observation skills can eventually become calm and tranquil mind. This is mindfulness. Martial artists who cultivate mindfulness are described as Budo-ka. Budo-ka never easily get agitated. They always gently keep attentive observation on all directions. Genuinely strong persons are rooted immovably, being there in peace. Those who are in tune with the Tao would be spontaneously followed by people.

July 03, 2017

After Reading Lao Tsu: Chapter 25 老子:第二五章を読んで

世界はタオに従っている。タオとは自然そのもののことであり,天も地も人もすべて自然に従っている。これに気づき,ありのままにあろうとするのが,タオの人であり,禅の人でもある。武道家であれば,その身法も心法も,自然に逆らわず,ありのままに在ろうとする。無理に抗すれば勝つどころか負ける。だから勝たないようにしつつ負けないようにする。我々凡夫は,つい勝とう勝とうとする。武道家は,勝ち負けを越えて大いなる自然に従う。

The world depends on the Tao. The Tao means the nature itself, and then the heaven, the earth, and the people all depend on the nature. It is people of the Tao, or people of Zen who try to be aware of this fact and be as they are. Budo-ka would try to be not against the nature and be as they are in terms of both physical and mental skills. If we were forcibly against anything, we would lose rather than win. Therefore, we should aim at not losing as well as not winning. We, as ordinary people, always can't help trying to win. Budo-ka would depends on the great nature beyond winning or losing.