May 31, 2019

As our community of Sunday Morning Keiko continues to grow, it is important within the framework of the individual journey to maintain the integrity of a truthful approach. I am reminded of another beginning, when I inherited my sensei's dojo in 1976. When my teacher passed the dojo down to me, his last bit of parting advice was, “Always teach etiquette first.” It took me many years to fully appreciate the beauty and wisdom of his direction. I also recall my first impression observing a karate class. I happened to arrive a bit late and entered as everyone was seated in seiza during mediation. I often think to myself how important that first impression was in formulating my level of appreciation for what was possible. Karate practice is filled with etiquette and ceremony.

In today's culture we tend to abandon many rituals as artifacts that have little practical value. I would argue that it is precisely those rituals that set the stage for the paradigm of one’s approach, a type of filter in which all further experience is processed. When I am asked to work with a new group, the first thing I pay close attention to is how students transition from the seiza to a standing posture at the beginning of class. For me, it is an indication of the level of mindfulness and ability to connect with the “now”. Everything has a feeling, and that feeling is how you are connecting with the phenomena of this moment. When you realize that there are no ordinary moments, you discover the sacredness of every action as a type of connection to the miracle of your life. It is a uniquely particular form of education and embodies a quality of awakening. Ritual is there to serve as a reminder to PAY ATTENTION. To bow without thought has little meaning, but to bow with a sentiment in your heart that is unique to the circumstance and with deliberate timing serves to connect you with the moment and in a very real way, “brings you to life”. Every bow, every action, has a different sentiment. Whether one is bowing to the dojo, or a fellow student, or one’s teacher, each has a particular feeling behind the gestures. The importance of the bow is as a reminder of the unique reverence of each relationship, a connection to the sacred, the essential. I would relate it to how a master calligrapher, when writing the character for mountain, will often first think of the mountain and only when the image is anchored in the mind will the brush touch the paper. Similarly, every ritual has behind it a sentiment, feeling, or intent that is the heart of a transcendent lesson of connection — it serves as a metaphor for all moments. Imagine if this practice became second nature how much more alive you would be in all things. And is not being more alive a type of self-defense?

Sacredness has always been there, it is just learning to awaken to the miracle of your life that is required, and remembering that all you really have is “now”. Rise up from a seated posture with your back straight, with just the right timing and deep awareness of your surroundings, and when you do, it will have an air of elegance. It IS the transcendent nature of “Grace”.