地鉄が出る
Jigane ga deru
The steel appears or to reveal one’s true character
A warrior polishes themselves to reveal their true character. With every cut, a warrior reveals their true nature. In the making of a Japanese sword, it is the sword polisher which reveals the true beauty and sharpness of the blade. The polishing of a sword reveals its steel or “jigane ga deru” which the Japanese interpret to mean “to reveal one’s true character.” In warrior training it is the same, our true greatness is only revealed as we polish ourselves and remove our rougher outer layers. As we try to “build” ourselves we can accidentally become burdened by desire, stress, or other baggage because we believe that we need to add something to become complete. That is why the process of developing one’s self can actually be thought of like the beauty of a sword that can only be revealed by a process of subtracting all that which was unnecessary or irrelevant. In Buddhism and in budo, one goal is to return to a mindset of heijoshin (平常心) or the “original or ordinary mind” which was the mind that we were born with before conditioning and circumstances formed us. The bumps and bruises of life become that which clouds our true nature and so we struggle to develop ourselves, learn new things or act decisively. In practice, with every punch, cut or throw practiced, we are polishing ourselves by a process of learning to let go which in turn teaches to let go of that which is causing us to fail. Therefore, budo training is not a process of becoming or adding to ourselves because we are incomplete, but a process of taking away to reveal our true nature. Training enables the warrior to reveal their greatness and ultimately act with mindfulness, precision and efficiency. Practice not to attain, but to take away and reveal your true inner self.
Today’s goal: What you are holding on to that needs to be let go of?