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aiki-zen
26th January 2003, 12:17
Any thoughts as to whether or not we could start a section on Zen, Haiku or other related Japanese arts. Many practitioners of budo practice Zen, Haiku, Chado, etc; in hopes of bettering themselves. Personally, I would like to see a section on The philosophy of Zen, and subcategories like Haiku, Zen Poetry, etc…

Tell me what you think of this;

A flower dies
A weed grows
Through we don’t want it to
Such is life

The haiku under my signature took me forever to write, but I wonder how many people actually understand it. Haiku can mean so many things to different people. For me, it’s a positive escape from everyday life and it helps me to encompass nature, and how budo applies to every day life. I had teacher once tell me that, he who wins a duel, is not actually the winner, but the loser.

Explained in the Zen poem:

“a winters day “

A euphemism that describes the death of winter.”

“polished in thought”

I polish my skill to the point where the reflection in my sword is a polished image of myself.”

“my sword voids death”

Another euphemism to describe how my sword is cast or casts myself or others through the great void. A Zen Buddhists theory that describes how all things enter and leave the great void through life and death.

“alive, but dead”

I am alive because of a polished skill, but my opponent was cast into the void. (My ability is ONLY a hypathetical.)

“i weep”

Though I survived the duel, I weep because my skill wasn’t polished enough to save my opponent from entering the void.

Anyway, that's my favorte Zen poem. I wrote it shortly after reading a book on Haiku. I hope you enjoyed it. I really think we should get together a page related to Zen, and the positive aspects that it can bring to peoples lives without the need to call it a religion.