The strength of nature/innocence

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[Thalib]

My nephew came to visit Saturday morning. Still a baby, only just learned to walk.

I don't know why but I did Tohei Sensei's test on him. He was sitting down on the floor, minding his own business, I tried to push him using only two fingers. And you know what,he was unmovable, he just sits there on the floor as if nothing happened. I can't believe it at first, so I tried again. It was the same result, his body was still, immovable, doing what he was doing, without a care in the world.

Now, I followed a few Ki no Kenkyukai classes, and being still while tested proves no easy task. My sensei also followed these classes. I've applied this test also during my regular Aikido classes to check for unified mind and body among fellow students. Before we started integrating Ki training into the curriculum, so many students were easily off-balanced, even before we touched them.

My sensei often reminds us how a baby's hold is not so easily freed. He told us that this was because it's just natural to the baby, no prejudice, no discrimination, just innocence.

Is this what is called by living calmness (stillness)?

My conclusion was that this baby was stronger than I am. And that made me think. What do you think?

[mj]

Huh.....if you think that's resistance....

Try feeding one of the little buggers, when they don't want to be fed ;)

[j0nharris]

I think that babies just haven't been taught to be "un-centered" yet, their eyes are still open for all the possiblities around them. And they are totally focused on whatever it is they are doing.
Maybe it's kind of like starting out with a white belt, and training for years until it turns black.... Then training for more years until it turns white again.

-jon

[Thalib]

Interesting analogy.

We were all really focused at one point. But as time progresses, we learn new things that takes us away from that focus, all of our concentrations became divided.

From white to black, but then we ignore our learned skills, stop becoming better at them, therefore we fade to white again.

Thank you Harris-san.

[ranZ]

Hi Mal,

u know what, i tried that test to my dog, she wouldn't budge either.
I've just read some Tao stuff, it's very much similar to Ki no Kenkyukai motto "To unify mind and body and become one with the Universe is the ultimate purpose of my study. "
To become one with the universe.
and then i had a discussion with some friends about this, what does it mean to "become one with the universe".. the answer was, to become like a child again. As a child there was no right, no wrong, and we were once one with the universe, still is, we just
forget oftenly.

Also read a Tai-Chi book. Very interesting and deep study of ki / chi. Also why babies are stronger than old guys.(the theory is, when a baby crawls, the center of gravity/one point is still very close to the earth, as human get older, the center of gravity shift upwards. If we got angry the one point rises up, that's why it can cause heart attacks sometimes.)
A really good read. Wanna borrow?

[Thalib]

Well, 4 legs are better than 2, my sensei always says. Human is the most unbalanced creature on earth.

"We are all one with the universe", beautiful concept.

Suddenly I just remembered, "The Shadow". He had seen evil, done evil, but was pulled out by the help of a monk. From the most evil of men bacame that who fights evil. This is too idealistic, though it is not impossible.

It is, "emptying the cup", unlearning what we have learned. To rediscover ourselves again like a growing baby. We are too bound with our modern living, too pre-occupied with our discrimination and prejudices, that we forgot what truly matters. I don't even know what truly matters... but the truth, only the truth matters to me now. But, I hope I will learn to know more.

Our knowledge is nothing compared to what the universe have in stored for us. I could only dream of the day, but dreams have a tendency of coming true.

As for the book, I have so many I haven't read in my possesion right now. Maybe sometime in the future.