ON SIMPLICITY

I do believe in simplicity.  It is astonishing as well as sad, how many trivial affaris even the wisest things he must attend to in a day; how singular an affair he things he must omit.  Wehn the mathematician would solve a difficult problem, he first frees the equation of all encombrances, and reduces it to its simplest terms.  So simpmly the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real.  Probe the earth to see where your main roots run.

-Henry David Thoreau to H.G.O. Blake, 27 March 1848

Yosemite Autumn, shin-hanga by Tokugawa Hayato.  

Copyright 2009 by Tokugawa Hayato.  All Rights Reserved.

JAPANESE AESTHETICS (Bigaku)

JAPANESE AESTHETICS (Bigaku)

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of traditional Japanese aesthetic thought is the tendency to attach far greater value to symbolic depiction than realistic portrayals. Another attribute to be considered is the supposition that in order to be true art, a work has to involve a discerning representation of what is beautiful and an aversion from the crude and profane. As a result, artists have traditionally tended to select nature as their subject matter, steering clear of depictions of everyday, common life.


It was the Heian court, often described as having an exaggerated taste for grace and refinement, which exerted an enduring impact on subsequent cultural traditions, designating elegance as a key measure of beauty. Numerous cultural and artistic concepts, such as okashi, fūryū, yūgen, and iki carry with them a nuance of elegance.


Another quality, one to which great value is attached, is impermanence or transience, itself a variation of elegance; exquisite beauty being regarded as both fragile and transitory. Metaphysical profoundness was provided through a merging of Buddhism, with its emphasis on the inconsistency and uncertainty of life, with this ideal. Numerous aesthetic conventions, such as wabi, sabi, yūgen and aware (with its subsequent amplification of mono no aware) all imply transience.


Over time, the presence of an artistically created void, in either time or space, became an important concept in aesthetic theory. The concept of simplicity became a culmination of the concepts of simulation and substitution, which stressed symbolic representation. Aesthetic concepts such as wabi, sabi, ma, shibui and yojō are all inclined toward simplicity in terms of their basic inferences, consistently demonstrating distaste for elaborate beauty.


Simplicity denotes a certain naturalness or lack of pretense. In traditional Japanese aesthetics then, the separation between art and nature is considerably smaller than in Western art, stemming from the belief that the mysteries of nature cannot be presented through portrayal, but only suggested and the more succinct the suggestion, the more effective it becomes.




Copyright 2009 by Shisei-Do Dojo and Shisei-Do Publications.  All rights reserved.

SHISEI-DO: SIMPLE LIVING

Simple Living

We live in a fast paced, consumer oriented society; indeed, we are constantly under pressure to consume.  The mantras of the 21^st century are:  “More is better” and “New is better.”  We are bombarded, twenty-four hours a day, by advertisements that tell us we are less than successful if we don’t own the latest luxury Lexus, or the 50-inch plasma TV and home entertainment center.  We are told that we are less than acceptable if we do not possess and wear the latest designer fashions, the newest make-up, or don’t eat in the trendiest, new restaurants.  We need bigger and better computers, video games, cell phones capable of texting around the world, taking photographs, videos, playing games, and keeping us constantly on the Internet.  All these things are wonders to behold, the best our technology can give us – for now.  In two year, a year, six months, some of our “cool stuff” will be totally outmoded, obsolete.  What are we told we must do, in order to be successful?  We need to discard what is outmoded and replace it with what is now “new and improved.”

So we spend what we earn, and then we spend what we don’t have but will earn – maybe.  We owe on our homes, our cars, our appliances, and our futures.  We suddenly wake up to find that we have mortgaged our entire lives; and for what?  Are we happier?  Do we now have peace of mind?  Are we more secure in our lives?  Probably not!

To quote Confucius, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”  How true!  Shisei-Dō offers a simple tenet by which one is able to change the course of their personal consumerism, to in effect, get off the “consumerist merry-go-round.”  The principle is itself simple, so simple in fact, that for our intents and purposes, it is referred to as “simple living.” 

One may also refer to the principle as “voluntary simplicity,” although, simple living sounds better.  It is a lifestyle which is distinguished by minimizing the modern ethic of contemporary “more-is-better” pursuit of wealth and consumption.  Advocates of simple living may chose to do so for a variety of personal reasons such as:  spirituality, health, increase in “quality time” for family and friends, stress reduction, personal taste or frugality.  Other people may allude to more socio-political goals that are aligned with other anti-consumerist movements, including conservation, social justice and sustainable development.  All worthy causes and reasons in of themselves to simplify one’s life.  One can describe voluntary simplicity as a manner of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich:  a way of being in which our true and active self is brought into the light of our consciousness and applied to how we life as individuals and as members of a community or society.

Simple living is a concept far different from those living in forced poverty.  It is a voluntary choice of lifestyle.  Although asceticism generally encourages living simply and refraining from luxury and indulgence, not all supporters or parishioners of voluntary simplicity are ascetics.

The recorded history of simple living can be found in the teachings of Taoism, of Confucioius and Mencius.  Buddha was an ascetic.  In Japan we find a strong advocacy for simple living in the teachings of Zen Buddhism and Bushidō, which made the ways and means of simple living something distinctly Japanese.

Some people practice simple living to reduce the need for purchased goods or services and by doing so, reduce their need to, in effect, sell their time for money.  Some will spend the extra free time helping family and friends.  During the holiday seasons, such people often perform various forms of alternative giving, such as volunteer work with the poor and homeless.  Others may spend the extra free time to improve the quality of their lives by, for example, pursuing creative activities such as sadō, shodō, or studying a martial art.

One approach to adapting a more simplified way of living is to focus more fundamentally on the underlying reasons and motivation of buying and consuming so many resources for what we are led to believe is a good quality of life.  Modern society tells us that me must, in essence buy happiness; however, materialism and consumerism frequently fails to satisfy us and in the long-term, may even increase the level of stress in our lives.  It has been said “the making of money and the accumulation of things should not smother the purity of the soul, the life of the mind, the cohesion of the family, or the good of society.”  Quite simply, the more money we spend, the more time we have to be out there earning it and the less time we have to spend with the ones we love.

Some simple suggestions to help simplify our style of living are:

Stop buying things that are not necessary.  Yes we may feel having a television is important; indeed it really seems to be a necessity these days. The question is do we need the 50-inch home entertainment center or is there something lesser, which does the job just as well.  If our neighbors the Yamadas buy a new TV, do we need to buy the same one or a little better?  If our boss at work buys a new car, do we need to cast aside our car and mortgage our lives more to buy the same car, or one just a little bit better?  Probably not.  One should buy what they need:  what gets the job done and not necessarily anything more than that.

Throw away, or better donate to someone in need, what you, yourself don’t need.

Focus on what is truly important.

Listen to the voice within you and pay attention to it.

Obtain what you really do need (food, shelter, company).  It’s nice, it’s great to have “stuff”, but perhaps we should think about what is really needed as to what we are told we want.

Keep a sense of perspective and humor about what you see and hear.

Keep in touch with your friends and family.

Don’t try to keep up with everyone else, especially because you are told you have to.

Have fun.

Grow as a person

Remember, everything will be all right!

Copyright 2009 by Shisei-Do Dojo and Shisei-Do Publications.  All rights reserved.

EMOTIONS AND FORMS: UNIQUELY JAPANESE

Emotions and Forms: Uniquely Japanese

 Much of my formal education and training had been in science and law; both disciplines based upon logic. As I grew older, and hopefully wiser, and as a student of traditional Japanese Budō and Bushidō, I began to read and study about the Japan of past days; and as I experienced life in Japan, not only in the dojo but in the small towns and villages, away from the cities, I began to think about such Japanese things as jōcho (emotion) and katachi (forms of behavior).People took tradition seriously. They often enjoyed dressing in kimono; they enjoyed eating together as a family, gathered around a low table in the living area of a simple home. People who were too loud or boisterous were given a cold shoulder. I witnessed Japanese unspoken communication and personality projection.  Away from the cities, the national character was entirely different. Customs and traditions, sincerity and humor, were considered of much greater value than the logic I had learned and trained in at school. Of course there were some people who clamored for “more”, “more is better”, “modern is better”; yet, those who shouted for more reform to the modern ways, were discreetly criticized by the elders as “lacking a proper sense of humor.”

 I began to realize that, yes indeed, logic had its place, but aesthetics, emotions and forms of behavior could be equally important if not more; things uniquely Japanese. When I mention “aesthetics,” I am speaking of such things as nihonjin no shizenkan, the concept of nature. When I say “emotion,” I am not speaking feelings such as joy, anger, sympathy, sadness or happiness, which we learn about in school and which we all experience naturally; I am refereeing instead to emotions that are cultivated through cultural experience; such emotions as natsukashisa, a sense of yearning for the lost, an mono no aware, an awareness of the pathos of things. By “forms,” I mean the code of conduct that has been with us for centuries, derived from Bushidō, the samurai code of ethics.

 When considered together, these things make Japan and the Japanese special, unique in the world. Just as Nitobé Inazo pointed out that Bushidō was the foundation of Japan’s national character, so also are these others. Even as far back as the Meiji Restoration, both emotions and forms of behavior began to go into a gradual, imperceptible decline. The rate of decline was accelerated in the Showa Era and sustained extensive deterioration after World War II, as the country suffered from Americanization and free market principles which reached deep into the Japanese heart to exert their influence on Japanese society, culture and its character as a nation. Even the Japanese educational system, has served to erode the Japanese pride and confidence in their country, largely at the hands of revisionist politicians and historians. People, particularly in the cities began to forget those things that were the country’s traditional emotions and forms of behavior, the things that should have given them the pride to be uniquely Japanese. Instead, the country falls prey to the logic and reasoning of the West and the decline continues through a process of globalization, which is nothing more than an attempt at making the world homogenous. Japan must find the means to realize and preserve its individuality and to recapture its simplicity in living, its emotions, and its forms; thus, remaining forever, uniquely Japan.

NOT JUST ANOTHER DOJO

NOT JUST ANOTHER DŌJŌ

     A dōjō is classically a place of training; typically the formal place for students of Budō and other forms of martial arts to study and train, but certainly, the education and training offered within a dōjō has never been limited just to martial arts.  A dōjō was and is a place of study in subjects also more spiritual, more introspective or meditative in nature, even artistic pursuits may be fitting subject matter.

     Yes, we do teach Budō, which has been one of our great passions for decades.  We offer students a detailed program in Amatai no Shugo-ryū or Multitude of Dragons School, a shinden or modern ryū (ryū can mean school or also dragon) drawn from several traditional forms of Budō.  Yet, beyond our martial program, the Way of the Sword and the Way of the Empty Hand, we offer the student an opportunity to learn how not just to live, but to live better, and can lead one to the path of health and self-cultivation as an individual and as a valuable, prosperous, contributing member of the community.

     The etiquette, training methods, equipment and techniques of Amatai no Shugo-ryū are the product of a long, proud historical development.  The philosophical concepts taught at Shisei-Dō Dōjō are the very concepts that have helped shape the art, aesthetics, ethics and philosophy that stand at the core of Japanese culture.

     For us then, Shisei-Dō  (至誠道 ) is the way of the height of enthusiasm in each project we undertake and the way we live. Everything we do, everything we study and teach here, whether it is Amatai no Shugo-ryū Aikijutsū, Iaido, Wa-Dō, or how to find peace, harmony and prosperity in our lives, is a work of love, done with the greatest enthusiasm.

     The name Shisei-Dō Dōjō is based upon the words and teachings of one of Japan’s greatest intellectuals and educators, Yoshida Shōin (吉田 松陰) who lived and died a premature death during the last days of the Tokugawa Shōgunate, a time of great political and social upheaval.He once wrote: 

Shisei ni shite ugokkazaru mono wa, immadakore arazarunari

"If one has shisei to do something, if one does something with shisei, if one does not forget shisei when one does something, one can accomplish anything."

     A part of our philosophy, our approach to what we do at the Shisei-Dō Dōjō, how we go about it, and how we live can be summed up in the following creed:

• To mold the mind and body.
• To cultivate a vigorous spirit,
• To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor,
• To associate with others with sincerity,
• To forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.

Thus will one be able:

• To love ones country and society.
• To contribute to the development of culture
• And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.

Copyright 2009 by Shisei-Do Dojo and Shisei-Do Publications.  All rights reserved.

SHISEI-DO DOJO: Defining Who We Are.

SHISEI-DO DŌJŌ : Defining Who We Are

SHISEI-DO DŌJŌ : The Meaning of Dōjō?

Dōjō (道場 ) is a Japanese term which simply means “place of the way,” and can refer to a formal place of training for any Dō or Japanese art.  Classically, the dōjō has been regarded as the formal place for students of Budō or Japanese martial arts to train in, but certainly, the education and training offered within a dōjō need not be limited to martial arts but can instead be (and often is) more spiritual, introspective or meditative in nature.

SHISEI-DO DŌJŌ : The Meaning of Shisei-Dō

至 誠

The name Shisei-Dō Dōjō is based upon the words and teachings of one of Japan’s greatest intellectuals and educators, Yoshida Shōin (吉田 松陰) who lived and died a premature death during the last days of the Tokugawa Shōgunate, a time of great political and social upheaval.

He once wrote: 

Shisei ni shite ugokkazaru mono wa, immadakore arazarunari

The first word in the quotation, shisei, is key to what we believe at the Shisei-Dō Dōjō and it is why we exist. Shi (至) means the height of or the ultimate in something; sei (誠) refers to what is called "heart's blood", unaffected or unrestrained sincerity, wholeheartedness, eagerness, or enthusiasm. Do (道) means the path or the way.

For us then, Shisei-Dō  (至誠道) is the way of the height of enthusiasm in each project we undertake and the way we live. Everything we do, everything we study and teach here, whether it is Amatai no Shugo-ryū Aikijutsū, Iaido, Wa-Dō, or how to find peace, harmony and prosperity in our lives, is a work of love, done with the greatest enthusiasm.

Shisei ni shite ugokkazaru mono wa, imadakore arazarunari.

"If one has shise to do something, if one does something with shisei, if one does not forget shisei when one does something, one can accomplish anything."

-Yoshida Shōin