October 22, 2019

In the morning I train in the upstairs zendo of the Sanctuary, the hombu dojo of the Sunday Morning Keiko community. It is a great space, particularly inviting in the early morning hours due to its spatial orientation. The sun cuts through the training floor offering a warm invitation to practice. I like the feeling of the “birth of the day”. It is filled with hope and possibilities. I have adopted a comfortable routine of beginning my practice with a meditation and a sentiment of gratitude. Often during this time Funakoshi Sensei will pass through my mind, oddly not intentional, yet he seems to be there. It’s strangely similar to how I often dream of Saotome Sensei when asleep, even though during my waking hours he is not nearly as prevalent.

These experiences have caused me to question the nature of “transmission”. What I’ve learned is that there is a physical reality that is obvious and tangible, but that there is also a metaphysical reality that manifests in our mind/being that is just as significant in its influence. We dance with it like the reading of a poem. I have learned to pay close attention to this unseen reality because I now recognize it’s the epicenter of intuition and spiritual perception. You may say it’s just the musings of my subconscious mind, but I cannot deny that it influences the deepest aspects of my inquiry that then manifests in a form of spiritual guidance.

The real trick, I suppose, is to learn to listen.

Shotokan karate is imbued by this spirit, as are all things. It lives in the echo of Funakoshi Sensei and the aliveness quality of that thread in the collective consciousness. Although technique or training methods may change, the essential spirit should remain unadulterated if the approach is to be authentic — aligned with the vision of the founder’s intention. Like Ueshiba Sensei’s aikido, Funakoshi’s karate was not purely utilitarian but had a deeper ambition. It was intended to transform the spirit. What better sociocultural contribution? The ability to connect with this quality of intention is a profound point of origin. Although Ueshiba Sensei and Funakoshi Sensei have passed, their intention, ideas, and approach endure; they are the center of the mandala. All that’s required is to form a relationship with the vision as if you, and it, are one. Revelation occurs when the metaphysical world of ideas and spirit manifests, ultimately to concretize into physical reality, like water carving a stream. I had an interesting conversation with Saotome Sensei recently as we sat behind the dojo enjoying the late afternoon light. He spoke of the quality of “genius” and as I pressed him for a definition, he said, “It is the ability to connect to the unseen world.” He then stated, “Creativity, perception, intuition, this is martial art!!!” Hai, Sensei.

I have learned to place this aspect, this unseen thing, at the heart of my practice. It illuminates personal meaning and a connection to the tapestry of the “everything”.

It is the sun cutting across the dojo floor.