November 25, 2018

After Reading Takuan: Part 15 不動智神妙録を読んで15

武術は,形(型)を練ることが稽古の本体である。形を練ることで古の偉大なる武人達の身体を今この瞬間に再体験しながら,我が身を武術的身体へと変えていくのが武術本来の修行である。この中で,例えば,突く動作をするときに拳にだけ意識を向けてはいけない。突くという動作は,足先から頭の先まで全身が全体として動作して初めて成立する。こうして全身を意識し,連動する身体を感じながら練ることで,突き一つの修行となる。形には,その連動性のメカニズムが詰まっている。古の武人による身体知の結晶であり,これを丁寧に象ることで武術的身体となっていく。だから稽古では,内なる身体という宇宙へと意識を向ける。どこにも意識を止めることなく,かつ,どこにも意識を向けていく。こういう稽古を地道に続けることで,やがて自然に,意識が凝らない柔らかな状態になっていく。すると,日常生活も同じく,意識の凝らない柔らかな心持ちになっていく。これが武道である。

In martial arts, practicing Kata is the true form of its training. It is the original practice of martial arts that is, through practicing Kata, to experience the body of ancient great masters at the present moment and change our own body into the body of martial arts. In doing this, for example, we must not focus on only the fist when we do an act of punching. The act of punching can not be executed before the whole body from top to toe works totally. In this way, being aware of the whole body and practicing kata by feeling the coordinating body refines the training of a punch. Kata contains various mechanisms of the body coordination. Kata is the embodiment of somatic knowledge cultivated by ancient martial artists, and tracing it carefully enables our body to become marital gradually. Therefore, in the practice of martial arts, focus attention to the cosmos of the inner body. But, never keep consciousness on anywhere, while distribute consciousness over everywhere. Consistently continuing such practice as this leads naturally to the softer state in which we have a consciousness attached to nothing. Then, similarly in everyday life, your mind will become soft and non-attached. This is Budo.

November 16, 2018

After Reading Takuan: Part 14 不動智神妙録を読んで14

心をどこか一点に止めず,広い視野と柔らかい足腰を持つ。これは何も敵と対峙した戦いの場のみに限らない。日常生活や仕事の場でも,その場の状況を取り巻く様々な物事や人間関係への目配りを怠らないことが大切である。もちろん,余所事に気を取られず,今まさに目の前のやるべきことに集中することが第一である。ただ,そうありつつも,そこから全く離れられなくなってはいけない。それは「居着き」と呼ばれ,武術では戒められる。注力すべきところに集中しつつも常に鳥瞰的な感度は保ち,何かあればいつでもそこを離脱できる用意をしておく。事も人も,様々な何かとつながり,常に変化している。想像力と感受性でもって,できる限り場を広く捉え,つながりと変化を見極める。もちろん上手くいかないことも,失敗することもある。しかしそれでも広い視野と柔らかい足腰を保てば,事態はやがて好転するにちがいない。下手や失敗を悔い続けることもまた,「居着き」である。

We should not fix our mind to a point somewhere, but have a comprehensive perspective and soft footwork. This is not limited especially within a situation of confronting enemies. Even in the cases of both daily and professional situations, it is important to keep a watchful eye over various things and interpersonal relations around the present situations. Of course, the first thing is to concentrate on what you have to do in front of you at present, without being distracted by the other things. But, when doing so, you must not getting unable to leave from what you do at present. That is called "itsuki," which is cautioned in martial arts. Not only focus on what you should pour efforts on, but also always keep a bird's eye sensitivity and be ready to get detached from it whenever something happens. Both occurrences and humans are related to various things and ever changing. With imagination and sensitivity, grasp the situation as broadly as possible and find out both the relationships and changes. Of course, sometimes it doesn't go well, and sometimes it come to no good. But then, if you have a comprehensive perspective and soft footwork, the situation must get better soon. To continue regretting your poorness and failure in the past is also "itsuki."

November 08, 2018

After Reading Takuan: Part 13 不動智神妙録を読んで13

意思でもって心を制御しようとするのは,想像以上に難しい。例えば,考えたくない思考や感情を心の中から無理矢理押し出そうとすればするほど,皮肉にも考えてしまう。これを逆説的効果と言う。そうして悪戦苦闘するかと思えば,気がつくと知らぬ間に,我々の心はその場と関係のないことをあれこれ考え始める。これはマインドワンダリングと呼ばれる。マインドフルネスとは集中力と観察力を養うことで,勝手に駆け回る心と上手に付き合う術である。まず呼吸の一点に意識を向け続けて,集中力を身に付ける。さまよいに気づいたら再び呼吸に戻る。これによって徐々に心がさまよいにくくなったり,嫌な思考や感情が勝手に消えていったりする。しかしこれはあくまで修行の前半である。集中力を身に付けたら,徐々に一点集中からその観察対象を身体全体へと広げる。やがてその場をも含む世界全体を見渡す俯瞰的な視野を得る。この集中と観察こそが,修行者の武と生を豊かにする。

Controlling the mind on one's own will is more difficult than we expected. For example, the more we forcibly push unwanted thoughts and emotions out of the mind, ironically the more we think about these thoughts and emotions in the mind. This is called paradoxical effect. Though we fight desperately against them, on the other hand, we unconsciously begin thinking about this and that, which is not related to the present task or situation in front of us. This is referred to as mind-wandering. Mindfulness is an art to get along with the uncontrollable galloping mind by cultivating the ability to concentrate and observe. First, continue to pay attention to one point --- your breath --- for improving concentration. When you are aware of your wandering mind, pay attention back to your breath again. By practicing this, gradually, your mind will hardly wander, or bad thoughts and emotions in your mind will disappear without your intention. But, this is actually the first half of the mindfulness practice. After you learn the skill to concentrate, gradually broaden your attention from the one point --- your breath --- to your whole body. Then, acquire a comprehensive perspective to overview the whole world including the present task or situation in front of you. This concentration and observation just enriches the practitioners' martial art and life.

November 02, 2018

After Reading Takuan: Part 12 不動智神妙録を読んで12

心の探究という実践を伴わないで心を語る人の言説は軽い。心について語る上で必要なのは心を徹底的に実践することだと,沢庵は言っている。道元の言葉で言えば,「仏道をならふといふは,自己をならふなり」である。心あるいは私を徹底的に観察する。そういう実践をし続けることで,心が少しずつ分かっていく。そして同時に,心が少しずつ分からなくなっていく。これは武術の修行と全く同じである。武術は,強くなろうと稽古すればするほど弱くなる。探求する度にその深みは増していく。そして自分がいかに弱いか,分かっていないかが分かるようになる。こうして終わりなく徹底的に習い続け,探求し続けることが武術の修行という営みであり,やがて私という在り様を少しずつ体感していく。それは禅の修行そのものであり,だからこれを「武道」と言う。心も武術も,実践しないと分からないが,実践するほど分からなくなる。だからどちらも,実践する人ほど軽々しく語らなくなる

What people, who have no experience to explore the mind, state about the mind is empty. Takuan said, what we need to do for stating the mind is to practice the mind entirely. In the words of Dogen, "To learn the Buddha way is to learn the self." This means observing the mind or self thoroughly. Continuing this practice leads to knowing our own mind little by little. Simultaneously, we gradually become unsure of our own mind. This is exactly the same phenomenon to the practice of martial arts. In martial arts, the more a person practices the art to become strong, the weaker he/she becomes. The more he/she explores the art, it becomes deeper. Then, he/she knows how weak he/she is and how he/she does not know it. In this way, the endless thorough learning and exploration is an activity of the martial arts practice, and later the practitioners will somatically feel how their self exists little by little. That is the practice of Zen itself, and then this is called "Budo (martial way)." Concerning both the mind and martial arts, we can not realize before we practice it, but the more we practice it the less we become sure of it. Therefore, the more people practice it, the less they state about it.