Doka?

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Tsubaki Kannagara Aiki Taisai - 4/27-29 Aikido, Misogi & O'sensei memorial in Shinto Jinja, Granite Falls, WA

[Ta Kung]

On this websites first page, you can always read a "Doka of the day". Today (wed. 6/6) the doka was:

"The "Cross Of Aiki" (Love-Ki)
Of the structure of the Great and Swift Kami.
The meritorious deeds (samuhara) of the
Kami of the Eight Powers."

Am I the only one who doesn't get it? Are these "dokas" some sort of poems or another kind of haiku? Some of them makes sense, both others (like the one above) I just can't understand. Please help me!

Regards,
Patrik

PS. Don't tell me it's 'cause I'm Swedish! =)

[Kami]

Originally posted by Ta Kung
On this websites first page, you can always read a "Doka of the day".
Am I the only one who doesn't get it? Are these "dokas" some sort of poems or another kind of haiku? Some of them makes sense, both others (like the one above) I just can't understand. Please help me!
Regards,
Patrik
PS. Don't tell me it's 'cause I'm Swedish! =)

KAMI : No, it isn't, Patrik! Even japanese have the same problem. Kaiso was very mystic and his doka involve knowledge of ancient Shinto texts, tempered by his Omoto-Kyo involvement and his personal interpretation.
Some of them are really impossible to understand.
Best

[ian]

Yeh, if you read some of John Stevens stuff on Ueshiba and aikido some of them make more sense - but I wouldn't recommend it as it isn't likely to improve your aikido.

Ian