Today's Schedule:

9:00-10:00am Children's Class

10:15-11:15am Aikido.

Everyone is welcome to join our practice today.

Guests:

Many guests yesterday and I missed one at practice. Many apologies to Brent and I hope I have a chance to meet you again very soon in the near future. Please come again for practice. And again, my apologies for missing you today.

Why Is Life Like Life?

Perhaps, it is a odd and funny question to ask - but I ask it to myself all of the time. . . . I think it comes from not knowing the answer at all. We like to think that we know what life is and we like to think that we have the intellect to understand all that life brings us but, in actually, it is not so at all. In Japanese we say, "Hana no issun saki wa yami da." This means, "just one inch in front of the nose on your face, is all the dark unknown. . . "

Today, we had our early Instructor's Intensive class and afterwards we have a bit of breakfast before the regular 9:30am class begins. I had one important guest coming to the 9:30 class as I mentioned above, so I needed to hurry back to meet him. As I was talking with a friend who had come to our early class, he told that his father, after a long history of health issues, was not doing very well these days.

Although I knew this was inevitable and well as my friend, when the time comes that loved one becomes sick and are in their final days. . . . even though we know it is coming long before and prepare ourselves for the eventual news, it is still a great shock for us to hear it.

Of course, I can say, I have seen death before and I have read all the great books on death and I have a good education so I can figure it out for you. . . . or I can say that I am a priest and have participated in many funerals and have dealt with death in many forms so I have a lot of experience. . .. but all of this does no good at all. When one is experiencing the final days of a loved one and there is nothing our great science, technology or medicine can do. . . when even if we call to God or Buddha, it seems like no answer or great miracle is forecoming, we can feel so helpless and weak. "What can I do to help this?" No - there is nothing you can do at all. . . . Oh my, it is very sad. . . . that we realize or come face to face with our own powerlessness.

"Why does this happen to me?" "Why do I deserve such suffering?" Why is it that my loved ones must go?" "It is not fair!" But there is no answer at all. . . . . even the great masters ans sages of the past are silent. . . even the greatest doctor of today cannot say one word. . . .

Even if I say, "well, so and so had the same problem two weeks ago. . . . " It doesn't help at all. If I say, "so and so had it much worse than your case. . " It really doesn't help at all!

Then to simply say, "Well, that's Life!" does not bring any comfort at all. . . .In fact, stating such "truths" only makes it worse, I have to say. . . . .

What is Life, we have to ask? So I ask myself, "Why is life like life itself?"

We have intellect and knowledge and great science and technology are at our finger tips, even the great words of the Bible and the sermons of the Buddha are before our eyes. . . .we must think that every moment and experience is unique and wonderful in all of the universe. . . . The illness of the friend's father is not the illness of my own father's final days - or any one else's in the millions and millions and millions of deaths in the history of the world and mankind, in all of the universe, one man's life and one man's death is totally unique and of itself. . . this is why there is no knowledge or wisdom to help us. Whether we have seen death a thousand times, each life, each passing is totally unique and therefore not subject to past "dead" knowledge or idle thoughts and surmises. . . . .

Just as death is unique and totally of this one person - it is totally wonderful and profound. Please think about this. . . . .

Ultimately, we can only experience and be in each moment, and in each moment our so-called "understanding" also changes and grows with each moment. And finally, Life is Life. . . .

In our Aikido practice as well, each moment is precious, unique and once passed never returns again. . . . Each moment is precious and rare and miraculous.

Nothing I can say can ease the suffering of my friend and even if I pray day and night, nothing will happen. . . yet, it is what we must do for each other. . . just be there for each other because Life is just Life, and "being" in itself is the great miracle we must learn to see and live each day in each moment.

Many best wishes to my friend and his family. . . . .

From the Hannya Shingyo: "There is no life, there is no death. There is no no-life, there is no no-death. . . . .

On the mats, there is one kind of learning and teaching: off the mats, there is another kind of learning and teaching. . . . the duty of practice never ends even for one minute. There is a well known story of a humble priest in a temple who, upon hearing a stone hit the side of a tree while sweeping the temple grounds, suddenly gained great enlightenment and become a great teacher.

One great revelation: When I am happy, the whole world is happy. When I am sad, the whole world is sad with me.