13.5.06

 
This weblog entry is an excerpt from an artice I wrote, published in, Aikido Today journal, #27, Vol. 7, No. 1; April/May 1993. 'The Budokan Run': Following the Path of Enlightenment to Japan.

I was absorbed beyond time, in the Sufi mandala pattern on the cover of, A Derviswh Textbook, by Sheikh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi, when I looked up and saw "AIKIDO MARTIAL ART" in bold block letters on an old poster I keep pinned to the wall. In the center of the poster is a photograph of Yamada Sensei throwing an Aikidoka who seems to be swirling in orbit around him. In the background of the picture, a small image of O'Sensei, Morihei Ueshiba--genius, mystic, and founder of Aikido--appears to be smiling. I sense a positive creative energy in the movement, and I begin to write on Aikido and the Path of Enlightenment.

I had recently returned from a journey in Japan where I had travelled with three Aikido masters and with Aikido students from Canada, Curacao, France, Germany, and the U.S.. One of the masters--my teacher, Yamada Sensei--had designed the itinerary so that we would experience the practice of Aikido in modern as well as traditional Japanese settings.

More than sixty of us travelled together, communicating in various languages. All the while we lived in the moment, eradicating and creating time at will, guided by Kanai Sensei, Tamura Sensei, and Yamada Sensei. Each of these men, in his own way, served as an example of living Aikido, as applied not only in the dojo, but on the battlefield of everyday life.

Where should I start the story? Perhaps at the seascape in Tanabe where early one morning, an observer could see a line of Aikidokas, hiking across a lengthy seawall that led toward lodgings in the distance. Or perhaps at our Great Teacher, O'Sensei's tomb, where each of us took turns burning incense, paying homage, and praying for guidance on the Path. Or perhaps at the Budokan in Nagoya, a center constructed for the study of enlightened warriorhsip, where many students practice several forms of martial arts, including Aikido, Judo, Karate, and Kyudo. Or perhaps on the mats, at the National Aikido Demonstrations in Tokyo, where our group represented Canada, Europe, and America.

The essence of all martial arts is spiritual discipline, which ultimately leads to conscious illumination. Whether they know it or not, students of the martial arts are disciples of teachers who travel Paths similar to those traveled by Sufis, Zen adepts, students of Hindu Vedanta, Christian monks, and devotees of Tibetan Buddhism. In this sense, martial arts and meditation are closely related, and Aikido is the quintessential martial art. It is a Pathway that can guide people beyond mere opinion and belief to a centered clarity and permanence. After all, didn't O'Sensei say, in a moment of mystical enchantment, "I am the Universe"?

....outside the Shogun's Palace, in Kyoto, I asked Tamura Sensei a question that had been catalyzed five years earlier, when I had seen my first Aikido demonstration at Hunter College in New York City. Surrounded by six men (all black belts) who were vigorously slashing at him with bokken, Tamura Sensei smiled and threw his attackers around the mat, with an elegance of power that made his actions look stunning but effortless. I had studied Ninjutsu, Karate, and Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) and had seen perfomances by many martial arts adepts, but never before had I experienced the magic of Aikido. I distinctly remember thinking at the time, "What was in Tamura Sensei's mind when he engaged in action?" Now, years later, there he was, waiting for a group of schooll children to enter the Palace grounds ahead of us.

I asked him the question: Sensei, what was in you mind at the time?"
"Moi?", he answered in French, smiling as he spoke, "Me?" Then he touched his chin pensively and said three words: "Nothing. Void. Empty."

A student from Canada laughed and asked me, "Did you get your answer?" I certainly had--the same answer I had read about and contemplated in meditation for many years. During certain stages of Aikido training, students are taught techniques that assist them in becoming centered and balanced while they are engaged in movement. At the level of action practiced by a master, all conscious effort vanishes. It is as if one is certain of one's True Nature.

O'Sensei left a legacy for the modern day Samurai--an effective and harmonious Way of using cosmic energy, Ki, for creative human development. I take this opportunity to thank all teachers of Aikido for spreading the Way throughout the world.
posted by Ronn 04:02