“Engender the mind with no place to abide.” -Takuan Soho
All martial artists are trying to reach a state of mushin (無心) or “no mind.” Having “no mind” doesn’t mean “no thought.” On the contrary there is thought but in this state the mind doesn’t hold on to any one specific thought. We can think of this state as a perpetual practice of “letting go.” Long ago there lived a famous sumo wrestler named Onami (大波) which means “Great Waves.” Onami was very strong. In training, he even defeated his own teacher but was so shy that beginners often beat him in tournaments. Troubled, Onami decided to visit a wise Zen master. The priest listened to Onami tell his story and said, “Your name means great waves, so please spend the night in the temple and imagine that you are a wave and not a wrestler who is afraid. Imagine yourself as a powerful wave sweeping over everything.” The teacher left and Onami sat meditating and imaging himself as a wave. As he meditated, the waves became larger and larger. At one point he imagined the waves engulfing the temple. At dawn, he no longer saw waves but only a calm vast ocean. When the teacher returned he found Onami seated in meditation with a big smile. He said, “Now nothing can disturb you. Become the wave and you will never again be defeated.” Onami was never defeated again. Like Onami, Aikidoists practice mushin but we practice it within our movement. We call this practice ki no nagare (氣の流れ) or “The flow of ki.” Most people think that by just being in continual motion that they have achieved ki no nagare. However, ki no nagare is actually a state of mind. It is the movement version of mushin. With every step within each technique, we have to keep reminding ourselves to let go, relax and stay centered. It is only when our minds and our bodies have jointly “let go” that we can achieve ki no nagare and step into mushin. In life and in Aikido, we should all be practicing the art of “letting it go” and let our ki flow.
Today’s goal: Figure out what can you let go of which is holding you back?