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Old 03-23-2013, 09:36 AM   #23
graham christian
Dojo: golden center aikido-highgate
Location: london
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,697
England
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Re: Relate to your mind as a clear spacious sky and to the thoughts as clouds.

Quote:
Dan Richards wrote: View Post
You keep sticking to the idea that there's some sort of cave-sitting, navel-gazing discipline suggested here, when I'm talking about something that's quite active and dynamic.

Graham, have you actively worked on the technique of self-observation before? And if you have, could you tell a little about how you ran into the idea and what your experiences were?

And since you mention aikido as an "action" discipline; what those actions are and are not comprised of has a lot to do with the practice. There are some actions that people make that need to be turned into non-actions. And other non-actions that people make that need to be turned into action.

Discovering those switches, and becoming conscious of them is a big part of the art. As is which switches need to get turned on and which need to get switched off.

A large part of aikido is making the various switches conscious on the part of the practitioner. And it's only then, that they would have the ability to consciously decide whether or not to turn specific switches on or off.

So, what we're talking about is active and practical.
Dan, self observation? Please. You start the thread asking to look at thoughts and do exercises to do with looking at thoughts. So don't try to twist things. That is not aikido, not even in the same ballpark as observing actions or energy etc.

Reality Dan. You stand in front of me while I put on let's say a nikkyo. You don't go down so you are keeping good centre or whatever else. I then just ask you to look at some thought. Bang your down!

Reality. Should be done in 'caves' free from interference.

Plus switches, non-actions? Not my terminology and conceptually don't see how they fit either.

Peace.G.
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