To achieve "Satori" is a personal experience based on awareness through our dedication and commitment to our training. Satori can only be experienced by accepting who and what we are in relationship to our existence in the Universe. It is through an unselfish understanding of life and the importance we place on our morals and values. Many a sacrifice has to be made to achieve even the fundamental principles that lead to the proverbial "enlightenment".
Spiritual enlightenment cannot be taught or explained in a classroom or dojo. Following a religious order have given many a chance to experience this concept of overwhelming love and rapport with the Universe. This path requires individuals of a special aptitude who are capable of sacrificing a major part of their "earthly" lives to meet the demands of their chosen vocation. Religious vocations are not the only "paths" for seeking enlightenment but the essence of altruism must be present in whatever "way" we have chosen.
Martial arts may appear to contradict the morals and beliefs that we place on life. We are conditioned to believe that “martial" ways are an excuse to justify destroying life and developing individuals to becoming physically stronger than our fellow human beings. Physical strength is a quality for the survival of mankind but not at the expense of the weaker members of the human race because then it becomes a selfish acquisition. It is this "conditioning” that has created a world of confusion, apathy and aggressive attitudes with demanding expectations. We now take for granted the media reports of war and destruction that permeates from every corner of the world. We accept the political and religious conflicts that leaves the very heart of human nature bare and exposed to further degradation. We have created a monster of drugs, violence and dishonesty that is running amok in our own back yards. We find it easy to lie, cheat and betray our morals because we have lost the strength, courage and will to perceive the real us. Many cling to false hope and faith to survive the day and deny the existence of their spiritual self's.
The world may be in turmoil but it still survives and perhaps the balance of nature may not be perfect, there is still hope in the fact there are individuals who yearn to seek themselves and face the truth of life. They realize there are hidden "paths" that once discovered offer a chance of self-realization and therefore reach out to dimensions well above the acceptance and understanding of so called normality. Most of these paths tend to be of Eastern origin and have maintained certain fundamental principles through their cultures which have resisted the dynamic advancement of Western concepts. Their evolution is like a great river that meanders calmly but with immense power as it flows through the forest of life. Whereas modern perception of life is like the mad rush of the proverbial rapids ferociously tearing away at the earth and rock, continually changing the environment of humanity.
It cannot be denied that most, if not all of the Eastern paths we understand tend to have a strong "martial" influence but they have their roots embedded deep into religious origins. In the early days, the discipline of these traditional beliefs required a physical approach. Certain techniques were developed to strengthen the body and promote good health. It was believed, a healthy body promoted a healthy mind and therefore lead to a better understanding of the spiritual self. If the mind was to be cultivated then the body had to be refined.
Over a period of time numerous "techniques" were developed and these became profoundly important in martial ways. These movements became so refined that they were adopted by the military and slowly a significant change occurred that allowed the true essence of the spiritual side to be isolated. The legacy of these changes were inherited by the modern day budoka and they too tended to perceive the martial arts as a way to develop the physical self. They see the martial arts as a way of self-defense and as a means to indulge in the competitive aspect to acquire egotistical acknowledgement. Many feel that by reaching the black belt level they have reached the apex of their training. The spiritual side has become an unrealistic dream that is only related in stories of the great warriors of the past.
Because today, much emphasis is placed on the physical side of martial training which is a sad reflection on the value we place on our existence. People appear to measure their worth on a materialistic level, which in turn demonstrates the shallowness of our thoughts and actions. People want to take and never give unless there is a selfish motive.
No matter how sincere one 's motives may be, it is difficult to find a dojo that allows one to search past the superficial benefits of modern martial arts. However, there is a definite undercurrent of change as individuals are beginning to search for the deeper meaning of budo and perhaps for a better understanding of life. True budo is not about defeating or conquering another. It is not about winning or testing our competitive spirit. Budo is normally accepted as the study of "martial ways" but in reality it is the study of love, peace and harmony. It is the study of life and the existence of the Universe.
O'Sensei, Morihei Ueshiba, chose the name "Aikido" to emphasis the "essence" of his art. Ai means love, unity and harmony. Ki means the essence of life in all it's forms and the spirit of the Universe. Do, profoundly defines the philosophical path or chosen way. Like many others, both before and after him, O'Sensei's initial training began in the study of the military arts, hence why so many techniques are so easily recognized by the martial arts practitioner. Sometimes this recognition quite often takes people off on a tangent. However, the techniques chosen by O'Sensei were chosen for a reason, because, in the latter part of his life he allowed his religious beliefs to mingle with his perception of "budo". Skeptics sometimes label Aikido as a form of religion as opposed to a martial way. True, Aikido can easily be referred to as a religion but it is a religion that is not a religion. It is a religion that has no boundaries - it is a universal concept that enhances all religions and belief.
When he experienced his divine inspiration realized that through their spiritual enlightenment in budo, there was a way for every human being to seek their own enlightenment. He didn't have any set rules or demands for others to follow "his" Aikido. This belief made aiki an open door for individuals to go through and perceive what they wanted to see. He realized that each person had their own "enlightenment" rather than copy his "path" and loose their individuality. It is this freedom that gives Aikido it's uniqueness when compared to other "martial arts". It allows Aikido to grow and adapt in an ever changing world while allowing the individual to make Aikido their "Aikido". It is not restrained by "style" or trapped in a rigid frame of techniques that restricts so many other martial arts from flowering to a full blossom. Takemusu is a term that so aptly defines these principles when related to aiki as it means "the infinite fountain of creativity...". It was this humility and humbleness that gave his followers the courage to have faith in him and what he represented by being loyal and devoted to the path of aiki.
He found a way that we as individuals can hone our characters so that we can become better human beings. He never promised an easy route of self-discovery but left us a method of acquiring certain goals. He was humble and realistic enough to realize that if this was a true path then he had to maintain the freedom of individuals to expand the philosophy of aiki by allowing succeeding generations to continue to be more creative and hopefully steering the world off it's path of self-destruction. Aikido is now practiced worldwide with different approaches and methods of guidance. Even the closest of O'Sensei's followers have adopted their own philosophies to promote Aikido but most have retained the essence of his original teachings. Some have brought in a competitive element, some have concentrated on the Ki aspect while others have retained the original jutsu techniques as a basis of their study. Many place great emphasis on the sword because the roots of budo evolve around the symbolic and profound meaning the sword played in the evolution of Japanese culture. None of these approaches are wrong because they all follow the teachings of O'Sensei in one way or another. As individuals we have to choose a path that best suits our needs but unfortunately we don't in reality have this choice and have to accept what is available. This is a hindrance on how far an individual can be guided in their search for spiritual knowledge and experience. There is also a rivalry between schools which is sad because if we claim to do Aikido, then we should respect there is only one Aikido - the universal Aikido of O'Sensei's. He represents the tree and we are the branches and the sap is the spirit that keeps the tree alive. To deny the tree we deny our existence. Each sensei will endeavor to nurture their dojo to flourish and grow in "their" way, yet they will realize, that without the main trunk whose roots are embedded deep into the earth, they are nothing. One day every branch will spread to it's limits and the tree will reach into a new dimension as aiki will spread to cover the whole forest.
We are the seeds that are carried on the winds of human despair, pain and instinct of survival and take responsibility in bringing a new joy and creativeness into a world so barren of inspiration. All who take and experience the wonders of aiki must have the courage, strength, and motivation to face, firstly ourselves before attempting to face the truth of life. We must first understand the true meaning of ai or love before we can even begin to understand the spiritual love that O’Sensei discovered and experienced in his "divine inspiration". we must cleanse our bodies, minds and conscience off the negative emotions that have made us prisoner's within ourselves. Aiki is only a path or way to reflect and lay bare our souls. It is then up to us to deal with ourselves with honesty.
Aikido "techniques" are important but only if we can look past the physical and apply the psychology of the technique to our lives. This is where we need the courage and honesty to understand who and what we are. Most aikidoka can reach a high level on a physical plane and strive in their faith and loyalty to their sensei to acquire the philosophy and psychology of the physical movements. Those who are afraid of themselves or are unable to relate to trust and love will never be able to go past this stage and no doubt will find ways to justify their inadequacies. Unable to face the truth about themselves they will readily manipulate time and space to rationalize their existence, thinking they can mask the truth from everyone else. Hopefully, in time they may have to face themselves and return to the path of aiki, because it they don't they will end up destroying themselves and those close to them. By having faith in oneself, we can have faith in one's teacher who will use his knowledge to bring each "student" when the time is right, to a level of understanding so they too can contribute to the experience we all crave for.
As already mentioned, it is a difficulty that all teachers face trying to unite the concept of body, mind and spirit in a way that the student can relate too and appreciate. This is where psychology, patience and perseverance are stretched to the limits and where the true motive and morals of the student are exposed.
The implications is, only those whose morals and conscience's are pure and who lead lives which borders on the sanctimonious, will have a chance to discover their inner self's. It doesn't mean they are incapable of making mistakes but have made decisions with a clear conscience and are able to face up to their mistakes. We have to learn from our mistakes to get a better understanding rather than retreat into a cocoon of self-pity or try to defend our mistakes with self-righteousness.
Western or modern concepts tend to isolate the body, mind and spirit as separate qualities, hence find it difficult to cope with non-materialistic side of life. We can, up to a point, survive with these three qualities independent of each other but at what price to ourselves.
Perhaps a diagrammatic explanation will help to give a better understanding of how one can perceive the importance of seeking an "oneness" and therefore an acceptance that there is a way.
Three
concepts:
BODY =
PHYSICAL = Physical training through Aikido techniques to develop posture,
flexibility, strength, coordination, etc.
MIND =
PSYCHOLOGY = Evaluation of the physical and applying psychological
elements that relate to who and what we are, i.e. distance, space, timing,
commitment, relationship between uke and nage -- trust, cooperation,
compassion, etc.
SPIRIT =
SPIRITUAL = the hardest to explain but as individuals understand the
bonding of the body and mind in honest realization to experiencing the opening
of the spiritual door. This can only be achieved by recognizing the faults and
virtues of one's own self.
Most people can reach a physical peak and perhaps accept the mental aspect, and that may even lead them to appreciate there could be a link between the three concepts without really gasping the potential that lies within their grasp! A situation which could give individuals a confused perception of who they are and what they expect in life. A good teacher will be able to guide his students understanding on a personal level to recognize the importance of bringing these three concepts together as one. When we have managed to bring all three concepts together as one - physical, mental and spiritual self's we then begin of seeing ourselves as "whole" person.
Another way of getting a better understanding is perhaps using the Yin/Yang symbol that shows that everything has an opposite and complementary side. There is a positive and negative to everything that exists in the Universe and none so profoundly as humanity. Female is the opposite of male just as night follows day and this even manifest in our emotions and attitudes. Listed below are several human emotions and virtues in their positive and negative form representing Yang and Yin, where M (positive) represents Yang and F (negative) represents Yin.
It would appear the above emotions would make a stable relationship impossible yet there has to be something there to make the Yin/Yang symbol complete. A basic understanding of Yin/Yang philosophy might be useful in following the diagrams, however, I will try to simply the explanation.
We know that love is a creative emotion and it's opposite is hatred which is destructive. Attacks on love can be made with the emotion of hate. Love can defend truthfully with love but how can hatred justify defending against an "attack" of love? Likewise one can be loyal to one who has betrayed but how can a betrayer relate to someone they have betrayed? This theory can be applied to all the positive and negative emotions respectively and we come to a very interesting result. Basically the positive emotions can justifiably defend against any negative attack but a negative emotion can't realistically defend against a positive "attack".
There has to be a common ground where Yin and Yang can marry and become the one and the only way that can happen is for both to have an understanding of the other, in other words the little "dot" of the opposite. If there was no common ground Yin and Yang will not be complete and grow in the opposite directions. Yang will rise and Yin will sink, one getting stronger and the other becoming weak.
Using the emotions listed before, lets take the word LOVE and it's immediate opposite HATE. There has to be an emotion that relates to the two, an emotion that fills the shaded area in the diagram. JEALOUSLY for example, which can be the negative emotion of love but not quite the opposite? To experience JEALOUSY in HATRED implies that there is a "love" perhaps in a small way but then that can be a positive emotion of HATE. so, jealousy can be the "dot's" that makes the Yin/Yang symbol whole by uniting the two extreme emotion that could replace "jealousy", depending on individual characters and personalities. to reinforce the explanation let's take another word, for example - HONESTY and it's opposite - LIES. If we make even the smallest of mistakes and we feel guilty then guilt becomes the negative "dot" of HONESTY. However, if have just the slightest feeling of guilt after LYING then it shows that there is a small chance that we have some honesty within us and guilt becomes the positive "dot" of LYING. The common factor has to be an emotion that bonds the large positive and the large negative to form the whole Yin/Yang. It must be remembered that each person will have a different configuration of emotions that relate to the balance of Yin/Yang which is continually changing.
A true relationship between a man and a woman is related to this eternally changing balance of Yin and Yang. There could be times when the woman or the Yin may have to be stronger as she supports the weakness of her partner. Using the male/female analogy, helps to get the point across but it is not to advocate that the only way to seek this "oneness is to a find a partner! Just like in Aikido techniques, we have to look beyond the movements we share with our partner but it has to be an experience for ourselves too.
The love that is referred too is the spiritual love that encompasses the whole Universe but manifests in the soul and hearts of human beings. It brings an understanding of the Laws that govern the existence of life with our partners to make our earthly life complete (kimusubi), but we have to be complete within ourselves. We can, through each others love the world around us and live in harmony with nature (musubi).
In conclusion, we need to evaluate ourselves through our emotions, attitudes and personalities. This can be done with true meaning of budo. Once we can accept the unity of body, mind and spirit we have the key to open the door of spiritual enlightenment, otherwise all we have is an unrealistic dream.
"Look at the flower, if it smiles at you - you have discovered enlightenment"
