Breathing for Life - Ki Breathing

This is a good exercise to do. If you can make this a regular practice it can alter the way you breathe in your everyday life. Try a cycle of ten inhalations and exhalations and see how you feel. Read More

Hara - The Vital Centre of Man

The central problem that Dürckheim seeks to address in Hara – The Vital Centre of Man is the spiritual decay in the West that has resulted from an excessive dependence on rationalism. While conventional Western religious practice - in Dürckheim’s view – cannot resolve this problem, he argues that there are techniques derived from Eastern spiritual practice that can.


Whereas the Western attitude to the body is a “chest-out-belly-in” approach, the Eastern view is from the ‘belly up’. Hara denotes not only the abdominal area, but a way of living, or Haragei – activity perfected through Hara. The Tanden, an area in the lower abdomen below the navel, is traditionally regarded as the seat of vital energy in Japan and China. Read more

Reason for Life - Happiness

“Happiness is our natural heritage as human beings", according to the Dalai Lama, but doesn't Buddhism tell us that we suffer because of attachment?

What is wrong with attachment? It could be argued that it’s not possible to live without love, affection, relationships and a whole gamut of needs and desires. It might even be supposed that it is precisely the satisfaction of these needs and desires that provides the motivation to live a full and happy existence.

Attachments are necessary and unavoidable. We can’t all retreat into the forest and live in a blissful state of nirvana…and so we may argue. But where does all this takes us? The reason for suffering, according to the Buddha, is ‘attachment’. At the root of attachment is desire. What do we desire? We desire the end of suffering.

Attachment can only argue from the viewpoint of attachment. It is a circle. But can we break out of it? The situation is analogous to a dog chasing its own tail. While this may be a temporary and amusing distraction, it inevitably results in boredom. For the dog, this is only a game - unless it is disturbed in some way. Human beings do the same thing, but unlike the dog we are serious and we persist in behaving this way.

How many times do we go on repeating the same thing over and over again before we learn? The clients of therapists may be interested in working through the trauma of divorce, but they seldom acknowledge their own contribution to that divorce - even though it may be their third or fourth! An emotional band aid is secured, but the real problem is avoided.

Love is something that we want; affection becomes something that we demand; relationships become instrumental, a means of gratification or an antidote to loneliness; and lasting satisfaction is always just around the corner. We are seldom truly satisfied with our lot.

In the same way ‘happiness’ is treated like an object, a right enshrined in law, and in our haste to acquire it we forget the admonitions from our poets and singers, such as William Blake (“He that ….winged life destroy”) and Bob Dylan (“There’s no failure…success at all”).

We are born, we live and then we die. That is the nature and pattern of all living things. Our life is not a practice or a dress rehearsal - this is the real thing! Yet every day we engage in what can seem like an unending struggle, alerting us to the inescapable realisation that something is missing in our lives. What is that something? That something is happiness. It’s what we all seek. It is our reason for existence, and its loss our greatest sorrow.

Fight or flight seems to be our stock response to many of our everyday life situations, creating tension and stress and making each day a struggle, if not for material survival, then certainly to feel at home with ourselves, with our neighbours, and with our environment. Denial, blame and absorption in endless consumption and distractions do not assuage the pervasive sense of unsatisfactoriness that we can all feel from time to time.

We all want to find happiness in our lives. We search, and if we find it, it’s often a fleeting, transient phenomenon – nothing seems to last for long. Perhaps we need to change our approach in our search for that something that can be so elusive. Can we change ourselves - do we need to? Morihei Ueshiba, the Founder of the Japanese Martial Art of Aikido said that in order to find your 'true' self, you must "forget self".

There are many forms of self-cultivation that encourage self-realisation; cults and therapeutic regimes and systems abound to cater for our numerous neuroses. There are many prescriptions for attaining that which we lack - so we are informed. Are we really so bereft of resources? Of course training can help, but a teacher cannot give us what we don't already have:

Daiju visited the master Baso in China.

Baso asked: "What do you seek?"

"Enlightenment," replied Daiju.

"You have your own treasure house.

Why do you search outside?" Baso asked.

Daiju inquired: "Where is my treasure house?"

Baso answered: "What you are asking is your treasure house."

Daiju was delighted!

Ever after he urged his friends:

"Open your own treasure house and use those treasures."

George Bernard Shaw, commenting on the subject of happiness had this to say:

” We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it."

We can change focus, shift the emphasis, and concentrate on the production of happiness rather than its consumption. If we find that we have some, then give it away! In this way there will be no shortage. It is after all the reason for life.

The Ox Herding pictures of the Zen tradition chart the developmental stages of liberation and end with a depiction of a fat, jolly priest with wine and trinkets. He is in the ‘market place (the world) and giving it all away. In other, notably Chinese traditions of Zen, this last stage is often portrayed as an empty circle - freedom.

Calling Card

Keichu, the great Zen teacher of the Meiji era, was the head of Tofuku, a cathedral in Kyoto. One day the governor of Kyoto called upon him for the first time.

His attendant presented the card of the governor, which read: Kitagaki, Governor of Kyoto.

"I have no business with such a fellow," said Keichu to his attendant. "Tell him to get out of here."The attendant carried the card back with apologies. "That was my error," said the governor, and with a pencil he scratched out the words Governor of Kyoto. "Ask your teacher again."

"Oh, is that Kitagaki?" exclaimed the teacher when he saw the card. "I want to see that fellow."

My Aikido Background

I began practicing Aikido in 1982 in Glasgow. My interest in Aikido came directly from my interest and practice of meditation - Soto Zen. I had studied and practiced Zazen for many years, attended Sesshins, and went on retreats. But I wasn't entirely satisfied. There was something missing.

When I first encountered Aikido it was if a light had been switched on. In a strange way I could understand exactly what was happening on the mat. It was many years later, however, before I could even begin to reproduce anything like those graceful and effortless movements - I'm still learning!

It seems to me now that while Zen is not Aikido, and Aikido is certainly not Zen, I am able to understand them both a little more. The 'not' of something can be very illuminating, and this is perhaps one of the reasons why I am uncomfortable with dogma, 'true ways', and definitive ways of doing things or understanding. It is contrary to my life experience and the nature of an ever-changing universe. My attitude towards Aikido is much the same.

There are many excellent teachers around and I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from them. These include countless Ukes and Toris, Billy Coyle Sensei, Ken Williams Sensei, Okamoto Sensei (Daito Ryu Roppokai), Maitre Daniel Bran, Hamada Sensei, Sunadomari Sensei, Maruyama Sensei, Endo Sensei, Ueshiba Moriteru Doshu, Yamaguchi Tetsu Sensei,Yasuno Sensei, Yamashima Sensei, Ikeda Sensei, Tissier Sensei, Stephane Benedetti Sensei, Kanetsuka Sensei and Terry Ezra Sensei.

No matter how long or how short a time spent with these teachers each has contributed something, and I am grateful to them all. But all of these teachers have one thing in common: the 'way' of Aikido is not something that they can give to a student. People must find it for themselves! It is for this reason that I call the group that I teach Aikido Kenkyukai (research or experimental group). I like to encourage students to learn technique, look into it closely, and let it go.

In daily life there are many opportunities for development, and many forms of guidance along the way. In the dojo the mat is like a mirror for us, offering us the opportunity to develop fine tuning skills and elicit, from the practice of Aikido, glimpses of our true nature - a nature that is no different from the nature of the universe.

Of course we have to identify and let go of many things, our pride, self-will, egotism, stubbornness, etc. It is training for life. The training process of action and reflection never stops. It spills into our daily lives and life itself becomes our dojo. In time we realise that there has never been any separation. We are what we practice. Out of emptiness form manifests itself, and form dissolves into emptiness. The spontaneous expression of technique is no other than this. For me this is the joy of Aikido.

Aikido Training

For students training in Aikido, it is possible to find Aiki; but this has very little to do with technique - though it is of course related.

Aikido is a ‘Way’, and therefore like all other ‘Ways’, a path of continuous development. Aiki, though difficult to define, could be described as a sensibility that has both physical and psycho-physical dimensions, emphasising both relaxation and an attitude of non-dissension - characteristics or qualities that are capable of infinite refinement.

O Sensei once commented on the way that people where training at Hombu: “When will you realise that there is no uke or Ueshiba”. When caught up in a dualistic way of seeing things there is an attacker and a defender. Training in Aikido can help to dissolve this sense of separateness.

From this pespective, one of unification, there is no bus, no driver, and no destination. On the other hand, in the every day world there are mat fees, gradings, rental payments, politics, etc. Reconciling these apparent differences is always a challenge - the Yin and Yang of it all. Personally, I just like to practice and explore the kata to see what it has to teach.

Buddhist Joke 3

Q. Why did the Buddhist refuse to fill in the job application?

A. Because Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form.

Buddhist Joke 2

Q. How many Buddhists does it take to change a light bulb?

A. Three -- one to change it, one to not-change it and one to both change and not-change it.

Change As Part of the Cycle of Movement in Aikido

When we talk about change it's usually from the standpoint of an observer - we think that we are outside the process in some way or other. Amongst other things this enables us to arrogantly assume that we can save the planet, save the country, save other countries .... Let's get back to basics and take care of ourselves, each other - the simple things!

I agree with most of what George says in his article, but it does somewhat beg the question regarding change in Aikido. Certainly the winds of change are blowing. They have been blowing from the outset!

When O Sensei and a few followers left Sokaku Takeda they could not have foreseen the development of modern-day Aikido. Similarly, when O Sensei instructed Bansen Tanaka to recruit the sons of wealthy parents as students, or entrusted Hombu Dojo to the care of his son Kisshomaru, he could not have foreseen the creation of a corporate Aikido. When the founder left Tokyo for Iwama, sick in body and mind, I feel sure that his intention was not to create a definitive style of Aikido as a legacy for future generations. Read More

Buddhist Joke

Q. What did the Buddhist say to the Hot Dog Vendor?

A. Make me one with everything

Open Your Own Treasure House

Daiju visited the master Baso in China.
Baso asked: "What do you seek?"
"Enlightenment," replied Daiju.
"You have your own treasure house.
Why do you search outside?" Baso asked.
Daiju inquired: "Where is my treasure house?"
Baso answered: "What you are asking is your treasure house."
Daiju was delighted!
Ever after he urged his friends:
"Open your own treasure house and use those treasures."

The Challenge of Not Competing

Aikido is non competitive, but there are times when you can't practice for tripping over egos. Competition exists on many levels: this style v that style, this teachers' interpretation v that one, this way or that?

This can be more than confusing for beginners, who thought that they were studying the Way of Universal Peace and Harmony. No wonder the drop out rate is as high as it is!

But this competitivenes is exactly what the training is, amongst other things, attempting to teach us to overcome - contesting with disharmony is a contradiction in terms!

Kumamoto Country of Fire

Early in the summer of 2007 I received an invitation from Dennis Clark in Kumamoto to attend an International Gasshuku hosted by Aiki Manseido, an organisation headed by ‘Dai Sensei’ Kansho Sunadomari. I had corresponded with Dennis by email on a couple of occasions, and was genuinely surprised to be invited.

I was one of several foreigners drawn from various parts of the world, including the United States, Korea, Slovakia, France and the UK. For me it was the opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to go to Japan! I accepted immediately, once I had got permission from my wife.