“It is the very mind itself that leads the mind astray; of the mind, do not be mindless.” Takuan Soho
The best Aikidoists have mastered quietude of the mind. Aikido training teaches us how to quiet our minds so that we can be present in the moment.
Yamaoka Tesshu was one of the greatest swordsmen of his time. Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku. Desiring to show his attainment, he said: “The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, and no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be received.” Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Tesshu with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry. “If nothing exists,” inquired Dokuon, “where did this anger come from?”
Like Tesshu, most of us aren’t aware of what is truly there. Our minds speak to us and we don’t realize that most of the time the voice is either not even ours or is telling us things that aren’t entirely true.
The other day, I heard something interesting about self-talk. The person on the video said that the self-talk has to be real in order for our minds to accept it. Most times, negative self-talk is based in a past reality. Someone either really said it to you, it really happened, or you were actually made to feel that way. Therefore, to re-train our minds for positive self-talk it has to be somewhat real for our minds to believe it and for it to work faster.
In Japanese traditional arts, we are striving to attain mushin (無心) or “no mind.” When we say no-mind we don’t mean brain-dead or to be mindless. Mushin is a mental state where one is devoid of holding on to conscious thought. This is where Aikido training comes in. In most classes, the training is done in silence. Students and teachers alike are supposed to keep the talking to a minimum. One reason for this quietude is so that the students can hear their inner voices clearly. Once we can hear our inner voices clearly, then we can decide if what is being said is true. At the same time, that moment is happening in real time, and someone is attacking us. This immediacy forces us to turn off our minds. With time and training, this state becomes easier to get into and becomes almost a habit and silencing our inner voice becomes an all the time thing.
Aikido training teaches us how to quiet our minds so that we can be present in the moment. Ken Watanabe Shihan said, “When your shoulders sit, the technique has entered your body.” On a certain level, the only way for the technique to enter our bodies is when we have quieted our minds. The best don’t talk to themselves, but when they do it is always positive and based in reality.
Today’s goal: Practice mindfulness by quieting your mind, stay present in activities, and cultivate positive self-talk.
Watch this video to better understand self-doubt