Bowing in the Dojo

[Bill Glasheen]

Anthony

Actually the two claps don't show respect for the dead. All they are designed to do is let the spirits of the dead know you are there. We can't knock on their door or say "Hey, dude!" with any conviction, so we clap instead. Once we have the attention of these spirits - whether it is at a gravesite of a relative or in the dojo of the style of a deceased master - THEN we show our respect. That respect can be shown by bowing, by meditating, or (in the dojo) by working out in a manner that would make the old master proud.

All this of course is tradition based on Asian religious/spiritual beliefs. In the dojo it is merely ceremony designed to get ourselves in the frame of mind where we will work out AS IF Uechi Kanei and Kanbun themselves were watching.

Bill

[joseph]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

The concept of mushin (loosely translated as "no mind") is very important in the practice of kata. The bow is meant as a ritual to prepare your mind to enter into the state of mushin. At the end of the form you mind should be in a state of "zazen" which I understand is a state of total alertness and yet complete calmness.

--MikeD

Hello Mike,

The state of mushin or mosshoseki or samadhi (Sanskrit) is often referred to as one-pointedness, naturalness or "cool, calm and collected". The practice of zazen refers to "sitting meditation", the vehicle of choice in zen circles for training the mind to arrive at and maintain the state of samadhi in our daily activities.

That you can attain to this mushin state in the presence of J.D. in drag is especially admirable and inspiring...

bowing is only natural

joseph

[maurice richard libby]

Mike, Joseph, et al,

I think Mike mistyped, writing zazen when he meant zanshin, which is the state of mind, relaxed, yet totally aware, that one strives for at the beginning and end of a kata.

If not, he should have .

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maurice richard libby
toronto/moose jaw

[miked]

Maurice wrote:

Mike, Joseph, et al,
I think Mike mistyped, writing zazen when he meant zanshin, which is the state of mind, relaxed, yet totally aware, that one strives for at the beginning and end of a kata.

If not, he should have .


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Maurice,

Mea culpa. I was confusing zanshin with zazen (and I don't even want to get into the topic of santori). Thanks for the correction.

All the best,

Mike

P.S. J.D's tutu and pasties are a bit distracting but ignoring such distractions is a good way to practice mushin.

[The Editor]

Gentlemen:

Whilst J.D. recovers from the inuendos launched by Mr. Glasheen on another thread; we could take the opportunity to describe MikeD in his pumps and teddy. We conceed this is an improvement over the leisure suits and Nehru jackets.

Should brown come in fashion again, he has it made.

--The Editor

[maurice richard libby]

Mike,

err, would that be satori ? or were you talking about an Italian guy named Santori?

Sorry, I couldn't resist

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maurice richard libby
toronto/moose jaw

[This message has been edited by maurice richard libby (edited 03-03-99).]

[miked]

Maurice,

You got me again.

I turned 40 in january and it seems like Alzheimer's is hitting me early. From now on I'll leave the zen dissertations to your learned self :-).

Thanks for the correction, now can you explain it?

Mike

PS JD, Nehru jackets, Bell bottom jeans and other 60's funk attire are now "all the rage". Where do you live - Squaresville? I enjoy the Mod Squad look, don't you?

[maurice richard libby]

Mike,

There's always ginko biloba .

As for satori, to paraphrase a learned judge (I think) --i can't define satori but I know it when I see it.

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maurice richard libby
toronto/moose jaw