Don’t Believe Everything You Think!

“Our emotions, mindset, expectations, and the contexts in which our sensations occur all have a profound influence on perception.”

My blog “Aikido – The Spiritual Martial Art” attracted a lot of readers. There were more than the usual responses as well. Most seemed to understand the intention of the article, while a few did not.

When I write, I expect some disagreement. After all, we do not all think alike, and furthermore, I have been mistaken before. Therefore, occasional disagreement is only natural. But when people do not understand my intended meaning, I usually try to see if there was a failing on my part to communicate well. I have lived long enough to know that I am often not the easiest person in the world to understand. Sometimes I am too honest, blunt, or curt. Sometimes I am too wordy, indirect and abstruse. Face to face, one can usually tell quickly if one has communicated well one’s intended meaning, or not. In writing, it is darn near impossible to know, and equally difficult to undo any unintended consequences of misunderstanding.

When it comes to writing or talking about Aiki, I try to be as clear as possible. Even so, with regards to Aiki, writing, talking, and even seeing is a pretty poor medium of communication. Nevertheless, I try. Why? I believe that a poor medium of communication is better than no medium of communication. For example, when I ask myself if I would be better off if the experienced partitioners of Tai Chi, Bagua, Ching Yi, Daito Ryu, Aikido, etc. had left nothing to posterity? I quickly conclude that I most definitely would NOT be better off had they not taken the time and made the effort to express their views. These are valuable data points left to help solve a riddle that is challenging even while studying under an exceptional teacher.

Another example: When one is in a class or a seminar, one will often have only a brief opportunity for hands-on with the teacher. During the remainder of the class or seminar, one must rely upon what one hears, and/or sees. There is little difference between hearing in a group setting and reading (the big difference is that within a group setting one might have the opportunity to ask clarifiying questions.) There is almost no difference between seeing live and seeing on video (and in some cases video is better than live.) All of these modalities have major drawbacks. Nonetheless, people go to class and to seminars. Why? The answer is probably two-fold: a) for the chance to have hands-on regardless of how brief, and b) they find value in listening and watching for the remainder of the time. The point being: reading, listening and seeing are valuable, especially when combined with time hands-on with an experienced teacher.

Interestingly, in the case of “Aikido – The Spiritual Martial Art” the few that expressed “disagreement” with the article, did so by summing up the premise of the article itself. In other words, we were stating similar views.

In an effort to be succinct and clear, please allow me to restate my premises:

Allen’s Point 1:

The only person that can definitively and inarguably express and/or confirm Ueshiba Morihei’s belief’s, views and understandings, would be Ueshiba Morihei himself.

Unfortunately, he can no longer do that. One can directly quote Ueshiba Morihei, letting his words stand on their own. There are a few written (mostly not directly by Ueshiba himself), film, and at least one audio source of Ueshiba Morihei’s words that can be used for this. And, it is important that while doing so, the contextual forces influencing the words chosen in each circumstance must be taken into consideration. For example, what one says in a large public forum, in a group of like-minded individuals, in one’s home, and in one’s own mind, are normally not the same.

Beyond direct quotation, the best that one can do is express and confirm one’s own understandings whether they are inspired by another (Ueshiba Morihei for example), from another (perhaps the opinion of a scholar, teacher, or blogger), or if they come directly from one’s self.

Therefore, as stated earlier, I don’t believe any individual is or can be, a definitive authority on the beliefs, understandings, motivations, etc. of Ueshiba Morihei, and I most certainly do not claim as much for myself.

Facts are facts. Beliefs are beliefs.

I can only express my beliefs, understandings, etc., and how I came to believe, understand, etc.

Allen’s Point 2:

I think that Aikido (or anything else for that matter) can become what is commonly referred to as a “spiritual art” for anyone. All one needs do is believe that it is.

Likewise, if one were to choose to follow another’s beliefs, one would necessarily be inclined to follow what one believes to be the other’s beliefs . . .

So, while one or two readers assumed that in the article I claimed to be the supreme arbiter of all that constitutes Ueshiba’s spiritual beliefs, when I did not; in a similar vein, a few other readers have mistakenly assumed that, because I choose to emphasize scientifically based physical phenomena (so far) in the blog, I must believe that practice is bereft of spiritual element or benefit. Again, this simply isn’t the case.

It seems I made an erroneous assumption. I assumed that, given the fact that I have spent nearly half a century equally in pursuit of both martial and spiritual paths, it would be obvious that I find personal value in both. I really ought not to have made that assumption though. 20 years ago, when I was serving as a Buddhist Priest, some folks on the Buddhist side assumed that I valued Budo more than Bukkyo (Buddhism) since I seriously studied Budo. Simultaneously, some folks on the Budo side assumed that I valued Bukkyo over Budo since I seriously studied Bukkyo.

Both assumptions were mistaken, but firmly heald. I do not differentiate between Bukkyo and Budo as they did. Nor do I differentiate between those two studies and what constitutes the rest of my life, and my being. All together they are ever influencing and ever changing what and who I am.

But here I go, being wordy and abstruse again . . .

And now, just for fun:

I believe that Ueshiba Morihei believed what he believed when he believed it.

I believe that I believed what I believed when I believed it and I believe what I believe as I believe it.

I believe that others believed what they believed when they believed it, and believe what they believe as they believe it.

I believe some do not believe they know what Ueshiba Morihei believed.

I believe some believe they know what Ueshiba Morihei believed, and they believe they do not believe what he believed.

I believe some believe they know what Ueshiba Morihei believed, and they believe they believe what he believed.

I believe that those that believe they do not know what Ueshiba Morihei believed are probably correct in their belief.

I believe that those that believe they know what Ueshiba Morihei believed, and they believe they do not believe what he believed, are probably wrong about the former and correct about the latter.

I believe those that believe they know what Ueshiba Morihei believed, and they believe they believe what he believed, are probably mistaken in their beliefs.

I believe that one is on firmer ground believing that one’s beliefs about another’s beliefs are a belief and not a fact.

I believe that what I believe need not be of consequence to other’s and their beliefs.

I believe my beliefs are beliefs and not facts.

I believe my beliefs can change.

I believe this is enough.

I believe I’ll write

I be leave

I be

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