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Matthew Zsebik wrote:
What inspired O'Sensei to use those shapes to describe things in Aikido?
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Those or anything else.
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Their use appears in several other cultures like ancient Greece where the circle triangle and square appear in Plato's Timaeus. Do Asian religions and philosophy often use these?
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Those and anything else.
Basically the discourse-style is very promiscuous. Any one thing can become anything else. This is why science uses the term "mysticism" as a term of derision. I happen to think this misses the point, but a lot of people take the map for the territory and turn the mystic heuristics into things.
Kannon, Goddess of Compassion becomes the ferocious God Fudoo. Shinto becomes Buddhism. A mountain in Japan becomes the mountain in India where Buddha preached becomes a mountain in Buddhist heaven.
Circle Triangle Square are "elemental" shapes and quite suggestive of association--no-brainers in the mystic pantheon of mnemonics and meditative devices. (Fred, step in here if I over-step myself.)