A Silly Poem

Natsume Soseki is one of the great authors of modern Japanese literature. He was the first Japanese student of literature to attend Oxford. While there, he suffered some kind of depression and locked himself away in his dark room for weeks. He eventually returned to Japan to write many novels, many of which reflect his life experiences. In one of his novels, "The Three Cornered World," the protagonist, an artist, is walking through a beautiful field, filled with flowers and grasses and tall trees. He is in awe at Nature's beauty and what a wonderful feeling he is experiencing at the moment. Suddenly, it begins to rain, trying to make his way back to his hostel before he is drenched, he loses his way, slips in the mud, falls down a slope and wrenches his ankle - so much for the momentary beauty of Nature and the adventure begins. . . . . .

Once a wealthy, old man came to the priest Ryokan and said, "I am old and have done many bad things in my life, now I am sick, in pain, and am going to die. I feel so bad and there is nothing I can do!"

Ryokan replied: "When you are feeling bad, it is OK to feel bad. When you are sick, it is OK to be sick. When you are going to die, it is OK to die."

The sick old man was greatly relieved and was at peace. . . . .

As I see from my own experiences, we always want things to be the way we want it to be and are not happy when things go the "wrong" way. One aesthetic of traditional martial arts which is absent in our discussions is that the warrior often must accept his circumstances, however dim, very quietly and with courage - quiet courage. Sometimes, we must appreciate things just the way they are, as they are.

My Zen teacher often said, "Things never seem to go the way we want them, but everything in the end always turns out for the better!"

I have enjoyed another section here in this web about Haiku. There is a well-known haiku which expresses this feeling nicely by Chiyo, a female poet of note.

"The morning glory on the well,

I must venture to my neighbor for this morning's water."

Chiyo went to the well in the early morning to get a bucket of water. When she arrived at the well, the bucket was entangled with beautiful morning glories in full blossom. Not wanting to disturb such a beautiful scene, she left the well alone and went further on to borrow some water from a neighbor. . . . . This idea of "things as they are," ("sono mama" in Japanese) is also applied to us who often must deal with situation far beyond our control . . . . but see the beauty in everything as it is, whether the bus is too crowded or whether someone is shouting too much or angry or a tiny flower stops us from drawing water in the morning. . . . .

Slowly drifting away into madness

I sit here contemplating

To unite what was broken

Keeping my center

Regaining my sanity as I fall asleep

Open your mind, and let out your anger, please.

We decide it is wrong and so it is wrong,

We decide it is broken and so it is broken.

From the very beginning of original time, nothing wrong - nothing broken!

I have yet to learn to let out anger

I have yet to learn to express emotions

I know it is not wrong

To whom could I direct this

For the only conflict I have is with myself

The constant battle I have yet to learn

Here I am, here I am! I am quite accustomed to it over all these years, give me all the anger and frustration you can here. . . . Please be my guest!

The people I have met

The things I have learned

I no longer see them as coincidences

Nor circumstances

Why does this knowledge left me so empty?

Many things in life come and go as they please.

Many things in life have no answer.

Sometimes it is hard to live in a world which we cannot explain or reason to our own satisfaction. . . .

This is what they mean in martial arts when they say, "no form."

To follow our own Nature perfectly, does not necesssarily mean you understand your own Nature.

Water perfectly follows the nature of water, yet has no consciousness of being water. . . .

My anger, a spark;

I will bring it to Sensei.

Open hand, empty.

(echoes of Bankei!)

This angry spark!

Look, it is already gone,

Like a flashing light!

Children in a candy store

Children outside at play

Children laughing all around

Children seen everyday

These are the children of Aiki

They live around the world

They gather together, near and far

Their love they let unfurl.

We rise and fall, twist and turn

And many fly through the air

With smiles about and a light in their eyes

Harmony is learned as we share.

Happy Holidays everyone on Web!

Christmas lights!

Happiness born,

2,000 years ago. . . .

My study desk,

Growing bigger each day,

That pile of work!

Up above his head

Whistling bright Katana

yet, victory is mine

Attacked by foes

No-mindedly deflect their fists

Irimi into the flame

A peaceful mind

Sees no inherent horror

In deaths grim face

Downwards flows

The descent into pain

Come up pure

Make light and heat

from the wisdom dwelling within

true compassion

Grasped from behind

Yet the air cannot be held

Ushiro waza!

The Aiki Path,

Covered by so many autumn leaves,

Our cluttered minds!

Falling leaves, cool nights,

Summer's fights are now over,

Still our roots entwine.

How can I return?

Bright red, autumn leaves,

Distracting me from the Path?

Path not seen? Just sit.

Bright red leaves vanish in rain.

Attachments will fade.

My teacher's broom,

Sweeps the Path so clear,

So long ago!

The cranes migrate now,

Same path since I was a boy.

Not same bird in front.

In one million, even two,

I see my mother's smile,

My teacher's voice!

With monks in China I broke my fast

with hot soy milk and pastry (you tiao).

With monks in Italy I broke my fast

with espresso and pastry (croissant).

Now back home I break my fast

with Starbucks soy latte.

What a beautiful cup of memories,

drinking in East and West together!

(I skip the pastry---most days.)

Mmmmm, you have been all over the world - so nice! Did you ever have hot peanut soup with your yu tiao in the morning in China? It is also very tasty. There is a branch restaurant here, Yung He, which still serves it. Yes, yes, I usually skip the pastries these days - but in your Honor, I will have one for lunch! hahaha!

Wonderful flavors from afar,

Warming my innards in early morn,

Tasty memories!

I should tell you a funny story about breakfast in China. Donnie Yen is now one of the top kung-fu actors in Hong Kong. He is one of the stars of Iron Monkey choreographed by Yuan He Ping of Crouching Tiger. . . . fame. His mother is Bow Sim Mark, one of the top, veteran Taiji masters in this country and an old friend of mine. When Donnie was 14 years old and returning from China, his mother asked me to take care of him for a few days in Los Angeles before his return to his home in Boston. Everyday after Aikido practice, he would practce his kung-fu jumping and leaping everywhere! I was so surprised how much such a skinny, little boy could eat! Always three breakfasts in the morning. I asked him one day - what did you eat when you were training in China? He said that they took a bus from the dorms to the gymnasium where they practiced from morning to late at night, seven days a week. On the way, they stopped at a little stand and had "bao" but these buns were hard and the meat was black and had no taste.

i said, "Well, if they didn't taste very good, why didn't you order something else?"

"That's all they served!" he replied to me with a disappointed expression. I was so embarrassed and let him continue to eat the three breakfasts he ordered in the restaurant. His tough, hard training in China really did him well and I am so happy for him.

Peace!

All shout its name but,

Who answers?

Who answers but me?

"To fulfill what is lacking"

quietly practice.