Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on September 7, 2005.
In the martial arts, it is said, "Kokoro wa meikyo no gotoku." This means “The mind is like a bright mirror."
We all know that when we take care of ourselves, we always need a mirror. When we brush our teeth or comb our hair, we always need a mirror to make sure that we did a good job. When we put on nice clothes to go out, maybe we need to see ourselves in a mirror to make sure that our outfit is ok. When we check ourselves, it is, of course, too hard to see ourselves so we need a convenient and useful mirror to check ourselves out.
On the mat, we do not have such a convenient mirror so we always use our partner, to check ourselves out and make sure that we are practicing well and correctly. If our partner is happy with practice and is getting a good work-out, we are probably doing a good job. If our partner appears unhappy and the movement doesn't flow and they don’t seem to be getting a good practice with us, then we should think that something is wrong and that we need to correct or adjust something in what we are doing.
We are always aware of how we ourselves feel but this really does not tell us much. We are always trying to fool ourselves. To be sure, we always watch our partner to see if we are doing a good job of practice or not.
Our biggest, clearest mirror is our teacher. We can always tell by our teacher, if we are on the right track or not. Of course, their job is to keep us on the right track of correct practice so it is important to listen to the instruction carefully and with awareness and with a proper mental attitude, just as it is important to look in the mirror when we comb our hair so we know that everything is in the proper place.
It is not ever a question of good or bad, it is always a question of whether everything is in its proper place or not. This is what the student should always keep in mind on the mats. Always see yourself in the “mirror" of your partner and teacher and always be a bright mirror yourself for those around you.
This is true not only on the mats in the dojo, but in every aspect of our lives. Be a clear mirror which shines brightly and lights the way for others around you.