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Triangle_Circle_Square
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Author
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Suru
Registered: August 2000
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 453
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I enjoy having understanding of the various nouns represented by these three fundamental Aikido shapes. Some of the shape-to-nouns kind of just click and seem to fit, while some of these shapely metaphors are true enigmas to me. If you're up for it, maybe you could either add a brief explanation as to why each noun is with its particular shape, Circle and Life, for example seems somewhat universal to me, from at least some Native American tribes (I think Black Elk wrote a piece on this) to highly developed first-world, modern civilizations. Elton John's song comes to mind. Then, I see Triangle and Intellect, and unless that is a common pattern of axons between neurons, I have no idea. You may have sparked the interest in me to do some study, and if you have more clues, please post them or let me know somehow. Maybe the hexagon would be better for recycling of energy since that's the honeybees' proper choice.
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Rev.K. Barrish
Registered: March 2005
Location: Granite Falls, WA
Posts: 42
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Hello,
Now I have not had any contact with Sensei Francis Dunken or seen his book Aikido- a Beginner’s Guide. However I could see his chart re: Sankaku Maru Shikaku posted by a Mr. or Ms. Dps on the website of Aikiweb.
I could not help but notice it was copied without reference from the website of Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America http://www.tsubakishrine.org/ after copying Dunken Sensei added Tohei Sensei's "weight underside " to edge by copyright laws. Below is the chart from Tsubaki Grand Shrine:
Iku Musubi
Gas
Mission
Future
Sword
Stars
Salt
Intellect
Truth
Nervous System
Sankaku-no-Irimi Taru Musubi
Liquid
Life
Present
Jewel
Moon
Water
Emotion
Virtue
Circulatory System
En-no-Irimi Tamatsume Musubi
Solid
Destiny
Past
Mirror
Sun
Rice
Will
Beauty
Digestive System
Chokusen-no-Irimi
this website of Tsubaki Grand Shrine is the copyrighted site and the chart has the additional copyright notice as it is the property of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Mie prefecture Japan.
As a historical note, this information was transmitted to O'Sensei by the 96th Generation Chief Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine, the late Rev. Yukitaka Yamamoto. The information has been been used by the US branch shrine Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America under a rather specific agreement governing use of symbols and copyrighted materials. Of course we want to make this information available freely but prefer that copywrited material be used with permission and credited. In such a case people can better appreciate the background and depth of the thinking involved and receive better understanding.
as part of the webpage Sensei Dunken used as a template for his slightly (but within the letter of the law) variation of the Tsubaki Grand Shrine information I wrote:
Archetypically, aiki progresses as follows:
triangle -
Sankaku-no-irimi: Sankakutai - the hanmi prior to deai (initial physical contact) . Establishment of angle and radius of entry (triangle) is power of harmonization.
circle -
En-no-irimi: The spiralic movements (omote and ura) of aiki technique
square -
Chokusen-no-irimi: The explosive power (shunpatsu rokyu) of a kokyu nage like extension and the expanding echo (zanshin) or osae waza (pinning technique)
I think it is really useful to understand this well to understand the " mission" of Aikido and how it relates to the doctrine of Oharahi (great purification).
Kaiso (O'Sensei ) said: The movements of Aikido which unite human being with great nature are all given by Sarutahiko-no-O-Kami. Aikido is Misogi..a purification of ourselves…the way of the universe.
the triangle means mission. Mission means a share of the work that helps realize the ideal of O'Kami. The circle is Life. Life stands between mission and the flow of fate. This is vertical and horizontal musubi. The square is fate. Fate is the result of all things based on the actions of the past - the flow of fate is horizontal musubi.
"Those who are aware of mission (future) and boil their blood to do their best in their lives (present) are able to alter the currents ([and purify] the past) of fate."
This is the mission established by the vertical tie and unmediated connection to the breath and heartbeat of Kami. This is the teaching of Sarutahiko Okami.
yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Koichi Barrish
Senior Shinto Priest
Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America
www.TsubakiShrine.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Tsubakiko/
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Suru
Registered: August 2000
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 453
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Barrish Sensei,
I appreciate the peek into the extremely foreign to me, major religion of Shinto. You have some fascinating photos up, but I ranked them low because I didn't have a clue what was going on! I doubt I'll take up big-time religion, but I have done some studies on other ones, and I'll continue such research.
Drew
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Rev.K. Barrish
Registered: March 2005
Location: Granite Falls, WA
Posts: 42
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Dear Mr Drew Gardner
You wrote:
“I appreciate the peek into the extremely foreign to me, major religion of Shinto. You have some fascinating photos up, but I ranked them low because I didn't have a clue what was going on! I doubt I'll take up big-time religion, but I have done some studies on other ones, and I'll continue such research.”
Arigatou desu….usually we say Shinto is the “natural spirituality” in contrast to the Religion. Natural/ primal spirituality existed long before the appearance of religion and can be said to be the teching of Nature as there is no historical founder. As the Aikido practitioner you have some connection to Shinto as Aikido is something of a “Shinto Yoga” having evolved from and reflecting Shinto Spirtuality.
Kaiso (O’Sensei) stated: Thus, aikido advances toward the perfection of the entire world in order to establish a Heaven on Earth.
Aikido is the Great Way to completely purify the entire world. It purifies and clears away sins, malice and evil thoughts of the Universe and takes care of them.
My teacher Yamamoto Yukiyasu Guji the 97th Generation High Priest of the Sarutahiko Daihonguu, Tsubaki O Kami Yashiro (Main Shrine of Aikido’s guardian Kami/Tsubaki Grand Shrine) teaches: The country and the world we live in are defiled by tsumi and kegere (impurities) and must be purified by oharae. They must be restored to the original conditions by the rituals of purification.
May I say,I have always felt that: ultimately, both Shinto and Aikido aim to answer the common desires of humankind (FUTOMANI).
There are a number of Kami with special meaning/connection for the activity of Aikido.
1) Primal among them would be SARUTAHIKO OKAMI http://www.tsubakishrine.org/history...no-o-kami.html who presides over all matters within the atmosphere of Onogorojima (Earth) as ancestor of all earthly kami. SarutahikonoOkami carries the great mission of activating/ vitalizing the soul, enhancing spirituality and guiding humankind. Ooharahi-no-kotoba teaches us that the mission of Human beings is to become interchangeable with the Kunitsu Kami...this is exactly as Kaiso (Aikido Founder) stated when he said " all movements of Aikido were gifted by SarutahikonoOkami and the ultimate aim of Aikido was to become like SarutahikonoOkami.
2) Interestingly enough Tsubaki Grand Shrine and it US Branch, Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America also enshrines Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto http://www.tsubakishrine.org/history...no-mikoto.html who is Kami of Arts and entertainment (so special meaning to Mr. Gardner who is the painter/ fine artist) as well as meditation, joy, marriage and defense.
Mr. Gardner, if you are curious about any of the images I posted please let me know and I would be very happy to do my best to put them in context.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Koichi Barrish
Tsubaki Jinja
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Rev.K. Barrish
Registered: March 2005
Location: Granite Falls, WA
Posts: 42
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Suru
Registered: August 2000
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 453
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Dear Reverend Barrish,
From everything I have seen from the offerings to group misogi to the three basic shapes, Shinto seems like a profound, enriching, and positive religion. I don't think K(k)ami are interested in the food you offer, but it might instill a sense of gratitude among those whom offer it. I plan to pick up a book at the library or in the religion section of a bookstore, probably not to convert, but at least to enhance my knowledge of an ancient, major world religion that may be quite practical even today. Thank you, Reverend, for bringing about a stimulus for my study.
Drew
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Rev.K. Barrish
Registered: March 2005
Location: Granite Falls, WA
Posts: 42
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Dear Mr. Drew Gardner,
Shinto is not a religion, so you cannot convert to Shinto.
As for the Kensen- the offering of food. No Shinto Ceremony takes place until Shio (salt), Omizu (water), Okome (washed rice) and Omiki/Sake (rice wine) are offered to Okami. These sorts of things may be of interest to people involved deeply with Aikido as Kaiso (O’Sensei) was the very serious Shinto practitioner and so by having some contextual understanding of Shinto we may gain insight regarding his thinking/ process.
The word Matsuri (festival or ceremony) originally referred to Osokuni no Matsurigoto, meaning country where food for deity is produced. During Kensen when the product of the sea and the land and human effort are offered to Okamisma rice is always the first element.
Rice is the perfect food (according to Macrobiotic thinking it is the most yang element of the yin world and so is the perfectly balanced food for Human beings in a temperate climate).Rice itself is considered to have the soul ..there is an old word inadama meaning rice soul. Grains other than rice are referred to as zakkoku (miscellaneous grains).
Tennoheika (the Emperor) personally tends a rice field----the core rituals of Koushitsu Shinto (Shinto of the Emperor) relate to rice harvest.
Niinamisai = the harvest and offering to Okamisama of the first rice. Shin-mai (new rice) is eagerly awaited even today in places like Seattle..although traditional Shinto people will not enjoy to eat shinmai until after Niinamisai when it has been offered to Okamisama.
Onamisai or Daijosai= a pivotal rice ritual of the Sokui-no-rei ,or ascension rituals of the new Emperor (of special interest to practitioners of Chinkon Gyoho is the Mitamashizume ritual that last from midnight till dawn of the night prior to Daijosai).
Kannamisai= is the ritual of offering the first of the rice harvest to Amaterasu Omikami at Ise Jingu (Shrine).
The first Niinamisai was when Jinmu Tenno (Emperor from 660 B.C. to 585 B.C.) offered New Rice to Takamimusubi-no-O-Kami (one of the 3 original deities to appear during the emergence of the Universe)
During the TENSON KORIN when Ninigi-no-Mikoto was guided to earth by Sarutahiko-no-O-Kami he brought the secret of rice cultivation. (That is why he is also known as Amatsu Hiko Hiko Ho-no-O-Kami/a name meaning rice stalks with abundant grain).At the time of his coming to Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni/ Earth he was given the original grain of Takamahara/High plain of Heaven by Amaterasu Omikami.The Gokoku/5 grains were the product of Ukemochi-no-O-Kami and represent the 5 elements:
Wood= wheat,oats and rye
Fire= corn
Earth= millet
Metal= rice
Water= Buckwheat
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Koichi Barrish
Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America
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Suru
Registered: August 2000
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 453
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I must have realized in high school or a bit sooner that rice is of vast importance to Asians, and in the case of Shinto, specifically the Japanese. Many months ago I studied Nihongo, the Japanese language, quite diligently. I overwhelmed myself some, and I have been on a break for quite some time. I was excited when I learned hiragana, as well as basic sentence structure and some vocabulary words. I can recall much hiragana now, but not every character.
Something fun to learn was the names for breakfast, lunch, and dinner: asa gohan, hiru gohan, and ban gohan. Since gohan means rice, I was reminded that this grain has been paramount to the continued survival of the Japanese people. Nowadays I know their meal choices are less limited, and a Japanese language professor once told me that as an option In McDonald's restaurants in Japan, rice cakes can be substituted for a bun on a hamburger. I need to travel more because even trivial facts like this enrich me. I have actually never been out of the U.S. except to the Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and Puerto Rico, and even those are connected to the U.S. in one way or another.
I have been reading William Gleason Sensei's book, "The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido." Once I have read it a couple of times, I may want to learn more about Shinto, or it may freak me out some since I was born and raised in such a Western world. The more I learn about Eastern philosophies, the more I lean in that direction. I don't think it's about escapism either; my best guess is I just agree with many aspects of many Eastern outlooks. Sometimes it is confusing living in the West with a partially Eastern mentality.
Drew
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