xuzen

Once I come across a Taoist saying:-

Man follows the mandate (rules) of heaven;
Heaven follows the mandate of the Way (Do or Tao);
And the Way follows that which is natural.

-Lao Tzu, a Taoist sage

When I think abt this, I feel that aikido or any of the do art is a system of education that points to the direction of being natural or in compliance with what is natural or in harmony. Mysticism should not be attached to it. Mysticism denotes a very low level of intelligence to explain things.

The concept of Ki or chi is IMO a concept that man develop to explain certain physical aspect that maybe modern science has yet to provide an answer. After more than 5,000 years, this term is still in use. I am wondering whether if we are so attached to this term or rather, if mankind still have need for this term/concept as we still have many issues that cannot be answered by conventional scientific knowledge.

IMO Aikido is devoid of mysticism. It is only practitioners who attach mysticism or supernaturality to it. Hence it can be said mysticism is man-made not natural.

FWIW and my two cents,

Boon.