MM

Not a lot of time for a detailed reply. After reading TIE 13 and this one, I feel as if you have described the details of a forest when only a few trees really needed to be addressed. In other words, I'm finding that I'm starting to understand Ueshiba's discourses on kototama from aiki but without having to understand sanskrit, Man'yoshu, Konishi, etc. That doesn't mean that I don't require some cultural and linguistic understandings. I do. But, I find that tracing Ueshiba and Deguchi back to the Man'yoshu, Konishi, etc, hinders more than helps understand Ueshiba's discourses. IMO, anyway.

Even though I disagree with the level that you've researched, I am completely thankful for the work and energy that you have done.

Mark