View Single Post
Old 03-24-2009, 03:45 PM   #80
Erick Mead
 
Erick Mead's Avatar
Dojo: Big Green Drum (W. Florida Aikikai)
Location: West Florida
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,619
United_States
Offline
Re: Finding our own way in and out of Aikido

Quote:
Blair Presson wrote: View Post
This is one of the differences between the philosophy of aikido as opposed to Christianity.
...
The peace which is the ultimate objective of the Bible revolves around reconciling (seeking harmony)( of sinful man to a righteous God through a process of salvation (which itself involved violence).
...
Aikido can be said to focus on the finding of peace or harmony directed inwardly toward the individual's attitude and his relationship with the world around him or her.
...
The peace which is the objective of the Bible focuses on peace through reconciliation with God which extends beyond this current world or nature itself.
Quote:
St. Luke, 16:15 wrote:
The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and every one enters it violently.
Violence is not merely in Jesus' sacrifice but in each of us, and among us, and as necessary to our entry into the salvation offered as the key is that opens the lighted door. The essential teaching on peace and violence (as with so many of the teachings in the Gospel) lies in these paradoxes:

Quote:
St. John, 14:27 wrote:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Quote:
St. Matt., 10:34 wrote:
Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Aikido teaches us to surpass anger and fear in violent circumstance, a circumstance that is an inevitable part of our salvation in Christian terms. The path of peace is the narrow way, narrow as a blade's edge.
Quote:
St. Matt. 5:21-22; 5:44-48 wrote:
You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire.... But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
In aiki, I am the sun -- I am the rain. I fear not, neither do I judge. Aiki is a force of nature -- not a set of techniques. We learn through training to invest it with our own body, soul and spirit. As sun makes flowers grow or burn -- and rain makes them grow or drown -- its manifestation depends on the circumstance -- and it is truly not a willful act to do, though it is a matter of will and effort to attain. Aikido, as the Founder seems to have meant it, frees us to love -- although it cannot make us love one another. That requires grace.

Quote:
St. Matt. 26:51-52 wrote:
And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear. ` Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.'
Quote:
St. Luke, 22: 36-38 wrote:
But now ... ; if you have no sword, sell your cloak and buy one, because I tell you these words of scripture are destined to be fulfilled in me: He was counted as one of the rebellious. Yes, what it says about me is even now reaching its fulfilment.' They said, 'Lord, here are two swords.' He said to them, 'That is enough!'
We take the instrument of our knowing destruction in hand.

But more than that -- it is also a welcoming act.

Quote:
Thomas á Kempis -- Imitation of Christ wrote:
MY CHILD, in this life you are never safe, and as long as you live the weapons of the spirit will ever be necessary to you. You dwell among enemies. You are subject to attack from the right and the left. If, therefore, you do not guard yourself from every quarter with the shield of patience, you will not remain long unscathed. Moreover, if you do not steadily set your heart on Me, with a firm will to suffer everything for My sake, you will not be able to bear the heat of this battle or to win the crown of the blessed. You ought, therefore, to pass through all these things bravely and to oppose a strong hand to whatever stands in your way. For to him who triumphs heavenly bread is given, while for him who is too lazy to fight there remains much misery.… Let no man fear any terrors. Let us be prepared to meet death valiantly in battle.

Cordially,

Erick Mead
一隻狗可久里馬房但他也不是馬的.
  Reply With Quote