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Old 03-02-2012, 08:05 PM   #120
TheAikidoka
 
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Dojo: Tenshinkan Dojo UK - mid sussex martial arts school
Location: Brighton
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Re: How to be non-competitive in a competitive world

Quote:
Graham Christian wrote: View Post
Hi Kevin.
That which you point out I call bad, based on selfish, cravings etc causing suffering and that also being competitive mind yes, I accept that and that is my understanding.

So if you agree with that then we are starting on the same page, thank you for explaining.

Then you ask how does the physical practice of Aikido help us in alleviating suffering. My answer is Physical practice doesn't. Aikido is not a physical practice to me, it is a spiritual practice, a practice of applying spiritual principles in order to finally see just how real and concrete they actually are. Then we can look at life from a new view which actually gives better solutions.

The 'war way' the 'violence way' does not help alleviate suffering is the point. It and thus the competitive mind cannot alleviate suffering is the point. The point I believe O'Sensei continually stated.

Thus Aikido is the discipline and path of peace. That's my view.

Aikido and how it stops violence put as you put it as a simple question deserves thus a simple answer. No competitive mind, no violence. To stop violence takes non-resistance, compassion to gain the correct understanding, humility to act without fear or hidden agenda, center, zanshin, the spirit of loving protection, and those virtues O'Sensei talked about and demonstrated.

Such is my view.

I have too many examples in Aikido of demostrating this in action to students coming from such perspectives with such questions. Thus they find a reality, they experience this different reality, they see the potential use of this different reality and thus have a personal experience which shows their competitive attitude could not handle but yet made 'too much sense' as they tend to put it whilst laughung their socks off.

Regards.G.
Right on Brother, right on. Fantastic response, right to the heart of what I'm talking about.

In Budo

Andy B
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