Today's Schedule:

7:15-8:15am Iaido. Kensho Furuya

8:15-9:15am Iaido Individual Practice. Gary Myers

9:30-10:30am Aikido. Kensho Furuya

10:30-11:30am Aikido, James Doi

Please keep up your training schedule and attend classes regularly.

We are all so, busy, busy, busy, but Sawaki Kodo Roshi often said, "In 85% of our lives, we are pulled this way and that beyond our own control and much of what we do is a waste of time." In practice, we must find our True Selves, and our immovable, eternal centers.

Iaido is simple and pure. Yet, to penetrate to the depths of this simple purity, we must engage in a great battle with our selves, which is long and takes great courage and effort. Within this struggle, simple purity is already perceived and attained.

Drawing the sword is Life and Death itself. To transform this killing form into Life giving-enlightenment is enlightenment itself.

Everyone comes and goes in practice - this is the easiest way to run away from ourselves and Life itself.

People think there is no "battle" in Aikido - no, there is a great battle going on each minute within ourselves - we cannot afford to make one slip of the smallest action or a single word in this battle or we are lost - this is the meaing of real practice. Aikido abhors all minor, silly, petty meaningless conflict - Aikido is not referring to this great spiritual battle itself.

True happiness is an expression of enlightenment. Merely thinking to one's self, "I am happy," is not true happiness - to think I am happy - even this small effort means that it is not real at all. True happiness springs forth naturally from one's self like the pure waters of a mountain spring. . . . .

If you have to search for happiness in life, it is already the wrong action and direction you are taking. Happiness cannot be sought after or grasped or taken or received - it is there or not there.

Like the nose on one's face, one cannot see one's own happiness. Practice is polishing the mirror to perceive your own inherent, natural happiness.