Re: Aikido and being Christian
One thing I keep going back to is:
Ki is what happens when your mind and body (and spirit) are perfectly coordinated.
This really addresses the Christian concern if they listen to it. Ki - whatever else is happening - can't exist unless all parts of your being are in perfect agreement.
I actually like the horse-drawn carriage metaphor. A carriage pulled by two (or three if you include spirit) horses goes nowhere if the horses pull in different directions. The carriage books along if the horses pull in the same direction.
So, if your mind is trying to do good, but your body (or spirit) wishes to do ill, you are not coordinated and ki cannot exist. So, to some extent, it's your personal responsibility to work this out. Is your spirit essentially evil? If so, your ki will be as well. Is your spirit essentially good? If so, your ki will be as well. I believe that none of them is essentially good or evil, but you can make choices to make yourself good or evil and the results are the same.
Whether there is a conflict between Aikido training - particularly with regard to ki development - is a question of the choices you make. Choose good in all things - including Aikido - and there is no conflict. Choose good in one, evil in another and the conflict is inescapable.
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