Quote:
David Orange wrote:
Actually, the primary Japanese pronunciation is "shin". That's the main reading and its meanings are "heart, mind, spirit".
You know, the original readings of kanji come from the Chinese pronunciation with indigenous Japanese words and pronunciation matched to the kanji. So "kokoro" is an alternate reading of the Japanese term "shin".
I wonder if you do see, Graham. And I don't think that's where things get a bit mixed up. I believe that could all be cleared up wonderfully if you would become more educated about Japan.
They're the same character, from the same and only source, and the meaning is the same.
As do all the Japanese teachings on the subject. I'm just wondering where your information comes from. I think everyone here would like to know that.
de mo shoganai, ne...
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They come from the wise mind.
The fact that Japanese kanji originates from chinese is pretty much irrelevant as English comes from Latin, greek, etc. It's like someone wanting to prove you must understand the roman way because the words you use all come from there.
No, how we use them here and now is what needs to be understood. How each Japanese used the words they used at the time is all that matters, not the chinese origins. This trying to turn all of Ueshiba's views into old chinese bagua type views is a great mistake in my view.
Now as I have said on numerous occasions understanding English is hard enough, especially when dealing with these kind of topics so I see clearly where others trying to translate such things can easily, and I mean easily go wrong. This means heart and this means spirit and this means Ki and it's all the same.........woahhhh....no it's not. Can you tell me the difference between spirit, soul, heart, void, or even just spirit and soul in English?
Spirit has many meanings in English. Heart has many too. The word 'be' has about 14 definitions. So when someone tells me kokorro means 'x' 'y' or 'z' well already I know it might or might not. It depends who said it, when and relating to what.
Ueshiba used the word Kami quite often. Another word with different meanings and thus contexts. Mostly I hear people saying that makes Japanese a very complicated language but not to me for English is in fact much more complicated. Words have definitions and most have more than one.
Kokoro is Japanese for heart. Xin is chinese for heart. Shin is Japanese and it's basic definition is not heart. So then the question is when can it be used to mean heart? Under which definition? In what context? So saying it means heart you are inferrring that's it's basic definition and also commonly used as such by Japanese by saying it's an alternate reading of kokoro. It's like saying spirit is love. Well spirit is spirit and love is love, one is obviously not the other.
Peace.G.