Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on March 26, 2002.
Sometimes we have to start the learning process at its most basic level. Sometimes it is important just to look and listen very carefully and then try to "understand" or "do" what has just been taught. I say this because I find that most people only "see what they want to see," “hear what they want to hear," and "do only what they want to do." At these places, there is no room for any learning to take place. To open up to another, to be vulnerable in this state, or to be a little humble and obedient to another's suggestion or ideas is very difficult for many people. We like to be in control. In learning, we are never in control, we are always in a state of flux, - growing, changing, developing, emerging, discovering, questioning, learning, receiving, giving. There is no control for us here - we must lose many of your defenses, walls, closures, and protective mechanisms in our brains and become open and receptive and then something will come to us. This is very hard. Learning is like investigating an unknown land. We do not know what to expect but we have to be prepared for everything and at the same time be able to absorb everything around us. Only a few students have the humility to undertake this brave quest for discovery and growth.
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