The Bridge

For the sake of my heart
There appeared a perfect void
On the floating bridge.
A benefaction of the Lord.
O'Sensei


Does anyone have any idea of what this bridge is which O'Sensei mentions?

Also called the golden bridge.

I thought it was something like:
this place/realization you could hold in your mind - specifically when you realize we are here on earth, - bodies fragile, yet holding our indestructible spirit - constantly standing on the bounds of the unknown
(i.e. if you stop breathing, you die and head to the unknown, or with God's grace: heaven)

..this realm of not knowing, yet being willing to follow God's divine will...

i don't know.

Any other ideas (please)?
I have been thinking about this for a while now...

Thank you.
//josh

josh phillipson (thisisnotreal) wrote: Also called the golden bridge.

In "Budo" First Doshu quotes O'Sensei in Hawaii in 1961:

"I have come to Hawaii to build a 'silver bridge.'

Until now I have remained in Japan, building a 'golden bridge' to unite Japan, but henceforward, I wish to build a bridge to bring the different countries of the world together through the harmony and love contained in aikido. I think that aiki, offspring of the martial arts, can unite the people of the world in harmony, in the true spirit of budo, enveloping the world in unchanging love."

josh phillipson (thisisnotreal) wrote: For the sake of my heart There appeared a perfect void On the floating bridge. A benefaction of the Lord. O'Sensei Does anyone have any idea of what this bridge is which O'Sensei mentions? Also called the golden bridge. I thought it was something like: this place/realization you could hold in your mind - specifically when you realize we are here on earth, - bodies fragile, yet holding our indestructible spirit - constantly standing on the bounds of the unknown (i.e. if you stop breathing, you die and head to the unknown, or with God's grace: heaven) ..this realm of not knowing, yet being willing to follow God's divine will... i don't know. Any other ideas (please)? I have been thinking about this for a while now... Thank you. //josh

"Ame no Ukihashi", "Heaven's floating bridge". Izanagi and Izanami, the Kami of the male and female principles stood on this bridge, stirred the primordial brine with a jeweled spear, and created the islands of Japan.

Morihei Ueshiba often used this when talking about the unification of heaven and earth.

Best,

Chris

Hi ya Josh, O'sensei must have used the word bridge many times in his life but I'm just wandering whether in this instance he may have been using it in a spiritual context? as Chris has mentioned. Like in this quote from northern India of about 600yrs BC, ‘There is a bridge between time and eternity, and this bridge is the spirit of man. Neither day nor night cross that bridge, nor old age, nor death nor sorrow. Evil or sin cannot cross that bridge, because the world of the spirit is pure. To one who goes over that bridge, the night becomes like unto day; because in the worlds of spirit there is a light which is ever lasting‘. malc

‘We can say that Aikido is a way to sweep away devils with the sincerity of our breath instead of a sword. That is to say, to turn the devil-minded world into the World of Spirit. This is the mission of Aikido,'

I think the simple answer is that the "bridge" is ... or Ki.

That's what



is all about, isn't it? Without it, we're just using people to take out our frustrations.

2 cents

IMHO, Ma-ai (distance) and Musubi (connect).

In JKD, we would "bridge the distance" which translates to enter and close Ma-ai, to connect (Musubi and blend) with the opponent.

Usually metaphors have a practical application.

Now, get out of your head and back on the mat.

I have to agree with Li-san on this. "The bridge" is more from a spiritual perspective. I also agree with Boswell-san that the bridge that connects heaven and earth is Aikido.

The bridge itself is a road, a path, michi. The bridge of Aiki, the path of aiki, aiki no michi, Aikido.

Pick up a copy of William Gleason's "The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido". He talks about this very topic, and many others in relation to O'Sensei's esoteric language...it is the best explanation of the Shinto background that O'Sensei came from that I have had the opportunity to read. Gleason obviously did his research and has a very good way of explaining the very complex depth of Shinto and O'Sensei's spiritual views. I highly recommend it if you want to pursue research into the spiritual history and focus of Aikido.

Mike