March 27, 2018

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A few years back when I was first approached by a syndication company concerning my comic strip Holy Molé, the senior editor asked me to describe the characters. When I told him that the path was an actual character he said that he had never really heard of such a thing. I tried to explain that “the path” is the thing that we engage everyday, the subtle voice that speaks to the growth of our spirit - leading one to live true to their nature with authenticity. I offered an example to the editor with the simple illustration that if you are a truck driver and your inclination is to write poetry, you may want to consider being a poet, or vice versa. I’m still not convinced he totally understood the nature of my “path” character.

In terms of everything we do, there is the path character whispering to us, with a subtle invitation to live a life of authenticity that by its very nature is true to our spirit. My aikido teacher Mitsugi Saotome Sensei often says, “To be or not to be.” Paying attention, listening, learning to see, and trusting the heart are all in the realm of “to be.” Often on courses I tell folks to embrace their awesomeness. It may sound whimsical but it is my attempt to encourage karate-ka to befriend the beauty of their unique existence and then to listen to the inner dialogue that follows. It is from that dialogue that personal epiphanies are found, the spirit grows, and the path emerges. If there is any secret to karate besides hard work, it is in the quality of the questions you ask yourself — in essence what you are looking for. Perhaps it is important to pay attention to your inner dialogue and refine the construction of the emerging path that is your authentic self. Be warned however that others will be fearful, for it is difficult to constrain the empowered individual that is in touch with their existential core.

In our Sunday Morning Keiko community, this is one of the qualities that I would like to encourage. It is a departure from the “institutionalized man” encumbered by politics, at odds with those of opposing views and always in comparison with others. Rather it is a level of personal inquiry congruent with your independent nature, at peace with the world, respectful of others, and ultimately a celebration of the Blessing of a life.