Kugyou (Penance)
Tanren (training) must not be kugyou (punishment). Do not forget that higi (secret tactics) exists in enjoyment.
How to acquire higi:
1. Have an open mind. Stay calm and composed.
2. Always be considerate of yourself and others.
3. Lend your ear to many people.
4. Become aware of your real feelings and discard your obsessions.
5. Feel regret for what you have done. Although feeling regret cannot take back what you have done, it can change your opponent and yourself.
6. Always have joy in your mind.
OBSTRUCTIONS TO TRAINING
Dou
Dou never answers in words. It makes you realize the existence of internal wisdom of the mind. It shows you the way of life. It teaches that the way you are is the truth.
People are swayed by worldly desire and obsessions. You don’t have to worry. While you have a life, do the best you can. When you die, you simply need to die.
Satori is achieved when your mind and the mind of the universe connect. When they connect, you start to bear supernatural power.
The World of Ku
While you are in meditation, there is a moment when you don’t hear any sound. There is a moment when only reverberations remain. When you are in the quiet moment, you are standing at the gateway to ku, where the power of mighty nature exists. You are standing at the gateway to sinmyouryoku (superhuman power) that is considered to be mu, the ultimate in technique. And in the world of sinmyouryoku, you see quick movements in slow motion. At that moment, you reach the gateway where geniuses and saints have reached.
Do not mistake the gate for the house (the truth) that stands inside.
Do not forget that you are on a parallel with the training to enable the low-layer fourth-dimensional sii, which draws negative power.
The most important thing is to use the mind of chudou as a monitor and carry out your goal of attaining satori of higher levels.
The internal fight is to try to control your fate by learning to control your spirit and feelings during a fight and facing the result of your decision and choice.
KNOWLEDGE OF TRAINING
1. Consider the mind to be pure, innocent, and good-natured. You should not violate it.
2. Be aware of a feeling for others.
3. Believe that by brushing up and enriching your mind you become a distinguished person.
4. You can only do things within the size of your caliber. Be aware of the training of creating your caliber. When your mind is rich, you have the caliber than can sense spiritual power.
5. Believe that spiritual power and mental power exist in the invisible world, soundless world, and insensible world.
6. Be aware of the fact that the mighty nature and the great universe are your textbooks.
7. Discover that the mind is greater than the universe.
8. Conquer your fear.
9. Appreciate the joy of having a life in this world.
Obstructions to Training
Obstructions to training are desire for money, an appetite for power, sexual appetite, a hunger for fame, desire for scents, desire for voice, desire for tastes, sensual appetite, a hunger for law, joy, anger, enjoyment, fear, jealousy, lust, and so on.
Anything should not be beyond chudou (middle of balance, center). If the mind is obsessed, it bears worldly desire and creates a cause of ku (trouble).
MU AND KYUDOU (JAPANESE ARCHERY)
Kenzou Kawami, known as kyusei (master of Japanese archery) had the following philosophy of mu for kyudou.
To hit the target, it has to be as if the arrow heads toward the target voluntarily, regardless of your aim. You need to be mu to achieve it. When you are mu, the arrow you shoot will naturally hit the target without your aiming at it. It is not to hit but to be hit.
Keep looking at the target until it starts to blur, and then close your eyes. When you close your eyes, you feel as if the target is approaching toward you. The target and you become one. God and you become one. When these are united, they become immovable center. Then, the arrow hits the center of the target. The arrow goes out from a center and goes into a center. The arrow hits the target. When you reach this state, do not aim at the target, aim at yourself. Hit both the targets of you and God at one time.
Kenzou described the secret of kyudou as follows. When you come to know who to see, what to see, and who to put in instead of you, you don’t need a mentor any longer.
A Record of a Dialogue Between Musashi and Lord Hosokawa
Musashi stands for Musashi Miyamoto (1584–1645). He left a great name behind him as author of Goryinsyo, which is now read as a utilitarian and practical book.
Lord Hosakawa stands for Lord Tadaaki Hosokawa (1588–1642). He was the lord of the area that is now called Kumamoto City. Musashi served him.
Lord Hosakawa : You say that you risked your life more than 100 times in deadly duels. Were there any opponents who seemed formidable?
Musashi : They were all great sword fighters.
Lord Hosakawa : While you were in a duel, haven’t you ever been afraid that you might lose?
Musashi : Never.
Lord Hosakawa : Life is very dear to every human being. I suppose every swordsman must think about life when he meets the opponent who is more skillful than him. How about you?
Musashi : I have never learned swordplay from a master. I train myself in the mountains. I hang dozens of strings from branches of trees and strike them at random from below, the strings rebound. My swordplay is the extremity of the timing of not being hit by the strings. You cannot win humans’ duels if you see the duel as killing each other. I dodge the branches so that they do not hit me. I only deal with the opponents in the same way.
Lord Hosakawa : Why do you do that?
Musashi : Trees do not fear. Only I feel the fear. When I fight against human beings, my opponent fears me and he escapes from my sword. The strings hanging from the trees never escape. When I fight against the strings, I sometimes lose and get hit. However, I never have been defeated nor hit in humans’ duels.
When your mind is positive, it is not weak. When your mind is absolute, you don’t feel that you are fighting to dear life even during a deadly duel.
There are two kinds of positive. As for the secrets of swordplay, if you become defensive to the opponent’s technique, your body becomes defensive and then you lose your balance. You should not be defensive, just fend off the attack.
Similarly, as for events in your life, you should disregard them as if they were swords that attack you at random. Then, the opponent will stumble on oneself and falter.
—From a Record of a Dialogue between Musashi and Lord Hosakawa.
Fudoshin
Chapter 3
Tactics for Actual Fighting
Waza – Techniques
The martial arts training starts from sensitizing five senses.
In the beginning, learn how arms and legs function, then learn how to use waza. You will then continue