Expert: Bodhicitta - 3/12/2005

Question
Hello again. I'm writing from Poland. I'm a Catholic, however this passage comes from "The Poetic Songs of the Way", people who train martial arts or would like to train martial arts, usually read such stuff, and because martial arts are a bit of connected with Buddhism, Shintoism and the Eastern culture, i decided to ask you this question. Thanks!  
Question -
Hello Bodhicitta!

While reading i've come across such a passage:

"Blend with (ki-musubi) the
Universe of Heaven and Earth (tenchi)
Stand in the center (of all)
In your heart take up the stance
Of 'The Way of the Mountain Echo.'

Do you know maybe what 'The Way of the Mountain Echo' is? What kind of stance is it? Do you have any ideas?

thanks!

Answer -
hi luke
thanks for your question and your interesting reading.

before giving you my thoughts may i ask you where you live?
have you any background in any tradition and where did you
come across this reading?

Warmest wishes
Bodhicitta

Answer
Hi Again Luke,
thanks for the extra information.

I think we have spoken before? You sent me one of the previous verses of this same poem. It is from a long
poem by O'Sensei the founder of Aikido.

He wrote a lot of beautiful poetry. The poetry has a hidden
message. He himself was a Buddhist priest and practiced meditation. I think to really understand his poems you would have to study buddhism and practice meditation.

Most people who follow his tradition these days seem to stick to the physical movements and ignore these inspiring verses which is quite strange. i guess you would be hard pushed to find someone to five you a commentary on these verses from withing the martial arts traditions. But it might be interesting to try.

It might be possible to read verses like this and just let the words flow over you without knowing their meaning and then sit quietly.

"Blend with (ki-musubi) the
Universe of Heaven and Earth (tenchi)
Stand in the center (of all)
In your heart take up the stance
Of 'The Way of the Mountain Echo.'


I perhaps could give you what comes to mind to me from these words. But i should stress a few things.
- the verses have many levels of meanings some which cant be simply put in words.
- the translation is probably poor. i can see from other lines of the verse that it is almost  certainly wrong in places. to translate it correctly you would need someone
who understood both languages and the meaning which is rare.
- some of the terms might have a technical meaning in aikido which i am unaware of. my answer is a buddhist answer.

Having said that here is an idea for you...

Echo is a recurring theme in Buddhism. We live in the world of Maya, illusion. Traditionally there are a number of images to describe that - such as life is like a dream, or magical illusion. The path of meditation and buddhism is to train is to awake from Maya.

A mountain echo is strange. You make a noise and you hear it some time later but it has changed. It might not sound like there are other beings or dragons on the mountain. You might get several noises given one initial noise due to reflections etc.

Just so in Buddhism the Mountain Echo is an image of Maya. You look at the world and see many appearances and take them to be real and solid. However they are just your own confused mind making "noises" . what is really there is hidden by these false echoos and strange noises.


If you stand at the centre of all you are at a point where there is no confusion. You see the world as it really is.This is the true centre of your being which is in your heart. The stance is to put your mind in that place.

You blend into harmony with truth of heaven and earth at this time.

I suspect as well that there is an aikido exercise which mirrors this. but i can only guess at this. i guess as well
you might find it hard to find an aikido master in the west would could tell you but i might be wrong.

Sincere wishes

Bodhicitta