I was of the mind to let this topic slide until the next encounter …however…with the large feedback and some of the content of that said feedback I felt I should touch upon this briefly. Also having heard from a few others on similar matters which redirected my thoughts back to this topic…I’m dong this for a couple of reasons. 1. No one is talking about this part of Kyudo…yet ! Everyone talks about how wonderful an art this is. and they are right! It is a wonderful Art, however like anything, formal Religion, Art, Politics, Sport, it is the whacked people behind these things, that put the bad slant on it. NOT ALL but enough that there is some taste of bitter and some are more sensitive let’s say than others to the taste. 2. From the comments I am guessing some people think that it is all abut me, I’m the only one seeing, feeling these things. WRONG! 3. Sometimes it is good to rock people’s world. wake them up. Like the wack the monk gives the mediators in Japanese Zen sittings to help them with their enlightenment. Perhaps the smell of this dirty laundry on front street will help with someone’s enlightenment.
There is a Go-Dan who is writing an article for Black Belt magazine. Some of the things I spoke about he is writing about, not the same thing, but in general. I wrote about my experience. I was asked what I thought about his article now after my experience. Do I still think he was too hard. I said, The article was good then, it is good now. However my opinon had not changed on the modification I suggested. Which was to use more ” tack” on certain areas. Shaolin Tao is one of Compassion.
His words : “The sensei in Japan want you to learn, they want you to feel good about your training experience and I feel they go out of their way to make you feel welcome . Not in the United States”. This is a person who has trained here for many years.
Ok, here is another thought from a Go-Dan, a Renshi here in the states not from CA. ” I’m a believer that all forms of Kyudo polish the heart of the participant. Some people who have spent years walking the Way of the Bow seem to not understand any of this. Then again, I wonder, what would they be like if they had spent no time at all on the Path.”
say it together …WoW,
How about a view from another, a Ni-Dan this time:
“Members of one school are not allowed to practice with the others, and members of one dojo are not allowed to practice elsewhere. This creates an insular culture and inhibits progress, for everyone.”
There is another teacher, who is now considered a “Ronin” he was a senior member in the Zenko clan. This is due to no wrong doing on his part, but someone’s ego got all in a knot, perhaps behind some jealousy …
The moral of this: words from a Go-dan:
“You would think this group would not have politics like other martial arts groups with political problems. It does because we all are human and as long as we are human we will have ego “
One of the biggest challenges, evils, demons we face in this world is ourselves, our egos. This is our largest mountain to climb. I heard the other day at the Extreme Buddhist gathering, the Leader said. “We need our ego, to interact with the world. To do business, etc, etc. However we can not let the ego control us.”
I say, The ego it is a tool for us, we should not be it’s tool or it’s fool…
All this means, if you have a good teacher, be grateful, if you have a good practice, be grateful, Just becasue you are walkingin Sunshine does not mean there are no clouds somewhere. If you are struggling with your practice be grateful you are not alone and yours is not the only Dojo, seek out your spot, if you can not locally, there are things coming, developing, falling in place to help you walk the middle way of Compassionate Kyudo…BuddhaKyudo I’ll call it. (^_^)
Anyway have heart , as I said there are some Kyudo Lotus flowers. I tracked through some mud and muck just in my short time and found some…for now Ganbatte!
Here is the thing as I said before, in my most popular post, Kyudo – life in a small space. It is about the shot, doing your best shot. Just like life. You have good days, bad days, good bosses, bad bosses, good relationships, bad relationship, but each day, each hour you have to give it your best shot. Deal with the Politics, the haters, the ego, the general BS that life throws at you and still give it your best shot. It is about the shot, not the Kuso. Look for the flower in the desert, the lotus in the mud. Ganbatte, Be the Shin Zen Bi.
| Flower In The DesertWritten by Loki |
| A short story from Loki of the Sioux nation approximately 200 years ago. It is said to have been given to her by a medicine man. This happened many many summers ago. There was a young flower in the desert where all was dry and sad looking…It was growing by itself…enjoying every day…and saying to the sun “When shall I be grown up”? And the sun would say “Be patient”—Each time I touch you,you grow a little”…And she was so pleased.Because she would have a chance to bring beauty to this corner of sand…And this is all she wanted to do—bring a little bit of beauty to this world.One day the hunter came by—and stepped on her.—She was going to die—and she felt so sad.Not because she was dying —but because she would not have a chance to bring a little bit of beauty to this corner of the desert.The great spirit saw her, and was listening.—Indeed,he said …She should be living…And he reached down and touched her—and gave her life.And she grew up to be a beautiful flower…and this corner of the desert became so beautiful because of her. |











It was said, “a Rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. ” The Tao says that for every yang there is a yin, it also applies to this statement and could be phrased “a Bull Dung by any other name would still stink”













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