武道家は，今ここにある身体でもって，ただ在るのみであることを知らなければならない。武道修行はしたがって，身体でもって今ここにのみ在ることを知るための方法論である。過去でも未来でもなく，また，あちらでもそちらでもなく，今ここに在ることに覚めていることが肝要である。ただ在るのみである。そして，ただ在るということは，結局，無いことと同じである。在ることと無いこととには，究極的には違いはない。つまり，武道家として生きる，ということは，ただ在ることを知ることであり，何も無いことを知ることである。
Budoka must know that he/she himself/herself just exists with his/her own body that exists here now. Hence, practicing budo is a methodology to know that we just exist here now with our own body. It is important to be clearly aware of being here now, not being in the past or future, not being there or over there. We simply exist. And then, simply existing is ultimately identical with non-existing. Being and nothingness ultimately have no difference with each other. Therefore, living as budoka is to become aware of just being and just nothingness.
December 18, 2012
December 11, 2012
The Essence of Living as Budoka
武道家として生きる本質とは何か。その人が武道家でなければ，生きる本質は何かと問われれば，おそらく生きる目的のようなものを答えるに違いない。世界中を旅行すること，美味しいものを食べること，好きな人と添い遂げること，名誉や地位を獲得すること，お金を稼ぐこと。しかし，それらは単に人間の欲であり，この世のゲームとして構成された脚色であり修飾である。禅的に言えば，それらはすべて色であり，実際そうしたものはすべて空である。つまり，目的であって，本質ではない。武道家は禅者であり，禅者はこのしくみを正しく理解していなければならない。武道家にとって生きる本質とは，このしくみにまざまざと気づき，今ここに覚めることである。
What is the essence of living as budoka? If a person is not a budoka and asked what the essence of living is for him/her, he/she must say something like purposes of living in answer to the question. For example, it may be traveling the whole world, eating something delicious, getting married with a person whom he/she is in love with, winning honor or status, and making money. However, all of them are simply desires of human beings, that is, dramatizations or decorations constructed as games in this world. According to Zen, these are all "shiki" (which means matters or forms in Japanese), while actually these are all "kuu" (which means nothingness or emptiness in Japanese). In a word, these are the purposeful, not the essential. Budoka is a Zen practitioner, and Zen practitioners should have a proper understanding of this structure. The essence of living as budoka is to be aware of this structure and conscious of the here now.
What is the essence of living as budoka? If a person is not a budoka and asked what the essence of living is for him/her, he/she must say something like purposes of living in answer to the question. For example, it may be traveling the whole world, eating something delicious, getting married with a person whom he/she is in love with, winning honor or status, and making money. However, all of them are simply desires of human beings, that is, dramatizations or decorations constructed as games in this world. According to Zen, these are all "shiki" (which means matters or forms in Japanese), while actually these are all "kuu" (which means nothingness or emptiness in Japanese). In a word, these are the purposeful, not the essential. Budoka is a Zen practitioner, and Zen practitioners should have a proper understanding of this structure. The essence of living as budoka is to be aware of this structure and conscious of the here now.
November 27, 2012
Death Preparedness of Budoka
武道家は，常に死ぬ覚悟を持つことが大切である。人間は誰しもいずれ死ぬ。もしかしたら明日死ぬかもしれないし，明日と言わずこの次の瞬間に死ぬかもしれない。結果的に老いて長く生きる者もいれば，若くして短い人生を終えるかもしれない。この厳然たる事実は否定しようがないものの，我々は普段の生活の中で常時死を意識する，ということはない。ここであえて武道家は，常に死を意識して普段の生活を送ることが肝要となる。死を覚悟するとは何も，どうせ死ぬのだからと自暴自棄になる，ということではない。刹那的に生きることでも，また，命を粗末にすることでもない。死ぬ覚悟を持つこととは，むしろその逆である。武道とは，生き残る術と生き方を教える道である。常に死を意識することで，自分を偽ることなく，生きている今ここを精一杯噛みしめることこそが，武道家としての生き方である。
It is important for budoka to have death preparedness at all times. Every human beings will die in time. Possibly we may die tomorrow, or not tomorrow but in another moment. Some people may turn out to get old and live long, while others may have their young short life ended. Though we can not deny this grim reality, it is not that we are always conscious of death in everyday life. Here, it is of vital importance that budoka always dare to live their daily life with awareness of thier own death. Preparedness of death never means that we throw ourselves into despair since we all will die, sooner or later, in any case. It is not to live in a ephemeral way, as well as to be careless about our own lives. If anything, the fact is opposite. Budo is a way to teach us the way to survive and live our own lives. It is a way to live as budoka that is to appreciate our living here now, as well as not deceive ourselves, by being always aware of our own death.
It is important for budoka to have death preparedness at all times. Every human beings will die in time. Possibly we may die tomorrow, or not tomorrow but in another moment. Some people may turn out to get old and live long, while others may have their young short life ended. Though we can not deny this grim reality, it is not that we are always conscious of death in everyday life. Here, it is of vital importance that budoka always dare to live their daily life with awareness of thier own death. Preparedness of death never means that we throw ourselves into despair since we all will die, sooner or later, in any case. It is not to live in a ephemeral way, as well as to be careless about our own lives. If anything, the fact is opposite. Budo is a way to teach us the way to survive and live our own lives. It is a way to live as budoka that is to appreciate our living here now, as well as not deceive ourselves, by being always aware of our own death.
November 08, 2012
How We Live Our Daily Life as Budoka
武道家として，我々はいかに日々の生活を送るべきか。武道家は，常より周囲の状況や出来事や人々に注意を払うことを怠らず，いついかなるときでも最善の対処が可能な状態を維持することが求められる。これは何も神経質に回りのことを気にし続けよ，ということではない。何か一つの物事に囚われることなく，水のごとく自在に流れる状態を保つことである。何か予期せぬことが起こっても，柔らかく対応する。予期せぬものに固く応じるのは，敵の剣（拳）のみに意識が向かってしまうことと同じであり，それでは攻撃をさばくことはできない。また，あらかじめ予見される危機的状況に対しては，それを冷静に迎える。危機ゆえに思い巡らされる不安や心配は，起きてもいないことに対するエネルギーの浪費である。武道家は，今ここに生き，今ここの状況から生き残るための最善を尽くす。さらに，不必要な危険を自ら呼び込むようなことは決してしない。武道とは，生き残る術と生き方を教える道であり，いかにあらかじめ危険を察知しそれを可能な限り回避するかが，武道家としての本領である。
How should we live our daily life as a budoka? Budoka needs to always keep giving attentions to the situations, events, and people in his/her surrounding, and maintain the state that he/she can cope with them the best at any time. This never mean that we should keep attentions to surroundings neurotically. It is not being stuck to a certain thing or event, but keeping such a state as water flowing freely. If something happens out of our expectation, we should cope with it softly and smoothly. Reacting to the unexpected stiffly is similar to being conscious with only the enemy's sword (fist), and if so, we could not control his/her attack. Additionally, as for the situation that we have expected beforehand is critical, we should react to it in a calm and dispassionate way. Anxiety or worry we ruminate due to the expected crisis is a waste of energy for the things or events that have not yet happened. Budoka live here now, and do the best with surviving from the here-now situation. He/she also never do any act to be willing to court danger. Budo is a way to teach us the skills to survive and how to live, and it is budoka's real ability that is that he/she detects a danger in advance and evades it as far as possible.
How should we live our daily life as a budoka? Budoka needs to always keep giving attentions to the situations, events, and people in his/her surrounding, and maintain the state that he/she can cope with them the best at any time. This never mean that we should keep attentions to surroundings neurotically. It is not being stuck to a certain thing or event, but keeping such a state as water flowing freely. If something happens out of our expectation, we should cope with it softly and smoothly. Reacting to the unexpected stiffly is similar to being conscious with only the enemy's sword (fist), and if so, we could not control his/her attack. Additionally, as for the situation that we have expected beforehand is critical, we should react to it in a calm and dispassionate way. Anxiety or worry we ruminate due to the expected crisis is a waste of energy for the things or events that have not yet happened. Budoka live here now, and do the best with surviving from the here-now situation. He/she also never do any act to be willing to court danger. Budo is a way to teach us the skills to survive and how to live, and it is budoka's real ability that is that he/she detects a danger in advance and evades it as far as possible.
October 23, 2012
How We Are in Our Mind as Budoka
武道家として，心はどうあるべきか。武道とは，武術，つまり，戦いの術だけではい。武道とは武の道であり，すなわち，武術を通した禅である。したがって，武道家は，禅的に生きることを求める。禅的に生きようとするのが武道家である。となれば，心は禅的に在ることが求められる。禅的に在るとは，一つの事に囚われず，全てに在ることである。それは，水の如く，常に流れる心である。武道を習えば，即，水の心が得られるという保証は一切ない。しかし，心が水の如く在ろうとする，それが武道家としての生き方である。ある一つの感情や思考に囚われることは，武道的に言えば，死につながる。ある一つの感情や思考に囚われないことが肝要である。感情や思考に囚われないとは，決してそれを抑制することではない。また，次々と現れる感情や思考に引っ張られてさまようことでもない。そこから離れること，それを捨てることである。水の如く，自由に変化し，自由に流れ，一つの所に滞ることのない，どこにもあってどこにもない（自由自在），マインドフルな心の在り方が，武道家としての生き方である。
How should our mind be as budoka? Budo is not just marital arts, or it does not have fighting skills only. Budo is marital "ways," or Zen through practicing combative techniques. Therefore, budoka seek to live in Zenic way. Who are willing to live on Zen philosophy is budoka. If so, we would seek to have our mind be in Zenic way. Be in Zen means that we are not stuck to one thing, but directed on everything. It seems to be ever-flowing mind like water. It is not guaranteed at all that learning budo immediately gets you have water mind. But, the attitude that we seek to have our mind like water is the way of life as budoka. Being stuck to a certain emotion or thought, putting it in a way of budo, leads to death. It is of vital importance not to be a slave to a certain emotion or thought. Not being stuck to emotions and thoughts never means suppressing them. It also does not mean wandering in mind with involuntarily giving attentions to every emotions and thoughts incessantly coming up to mind. It is leaving from them and getting rid of them. Mindful state of mind, which is like water, changing freely, flowing freely, not stagnating at a place, everywhere and nowhere, is the way of life as a budoka.
How should our mind be as budoka? Budo is not just marital arts, or it does not have fighting skills only. Budo is marital "ways," or Zen through practicing combative techniques. Therefore, budoka seek to live in Zenic way. Who are willing to live on Zen philosophy is budoka. If so, we would seek to have our mind be in Zenic way. Be in Zen means that we are not stuck to one thing, but directed on everything. It seems to be ever-flowing mind like water. It is not guaranteed at all that learning budo immediately gets you have water mind. But, the attitude that we seek to have our mind like water is the way of life as budoka. Being stuck to a certain emotion or thought, putting it in a way of budo, leads to death. It is of vital importance not to be a slave to a certain emotion or thought. Not being stuck to emotions and thoughts never means suppressing them. It also does not mean wandering in mind with involuntarily giving attentions to every emotions and thoughts incessantly coming up to mind. It is leaving from them and getting rid of them. Mindful state of mind, which is like water, changing freely, flowing freely, not stagnating at a place, everywhere and nowhere, is the way of life as a budoka.
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