Journey to the Heart of Aikido by Linda Holiday

Author:Linda Holiday [Holiday, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-58394-660-2
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Published: 2013-09-09T16:00:00+00:00

Study the Leaf

Sensei, you often say that what you received of O-Sensei’s teaching is only a fraction of what he taught. Now that we are studying with you, we have the same feeling, that we are able to receive only a fraction of what you are teaching. And if in turn, our students receive only a fraction of what we can teach, what will happen to Aikido in the future? Will Aikido students learn a fraction of a fraction of a fraction?

That is a possibility.

If Aikido is a tree, then what you learn from your teacher is one leaf. But if you apply yourself to studying that leaf and its purpose, for instance its role in producing food and its relationship to the trunk of the tree, it is possible that you can come to understand the whole tree. If I am taught one part, then I must study it very deeply in order to understand the whole.

Why do human beings have two ears, two eyes, and two nostrils? I was taught that the reason we have two of each is so that we can perceive—hear, see, and smell—all aspects of something. When you hear O-Sensei’s teachings, listen well with both ears so you can receive the meaning deeply. When you look at something, don’t just look at the surface of it, or what is on the front. Look keenly at what is inside as well. That’s why you have two eyes, to see the omote and the ura, the front and the back. That’s the way you need to pursue your learning.

Why do we only have one mouth? This is important to consider. Having only one mouth teaches us the importance of words. Once you say something, it is out in the world and you can’t take it back. So you have to be very careful about what you say.

Ears, eyes, and nostrils are all for absorbing. We need to be aware of what we are drawing into ourselves, and absorb only the good. When we put things out into the world through our mouths, we need to think carefully about what we are saying, and put out only the good. But people say many things that should be left unsaid, and neglect to say many things that need saying.

In the Japanese tea ceremony, when you receive the tea bowl, you turn it around so you can view all sides of it before you drink the tea. Until you look at the other side of the tea bowl, you can’t see what is different on the other side.

I have a teacup in my hands right now. You could say simply, this is Mihama-yaki, a piece of pottery made in Mihama. The calligraphy on the cup lets people in other areas know about the Kumano Kodo, the ancient Pilgrimage Paths of Kumano. If you look even more deeply at the cup, you may comprehend more of its meaning. You may get a sense of the person who made it, and the person who gave it to you.

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