Trigram "Thunder"

Did you know that one of the primary trigrams that make up the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching is "Thunder" which also is representative of the first born son. This makes this particular trigram significant to "Isshinryu" practitioners as Tatsuo Sensei was the first born.

Fu: Return:

In the I Ching there is a quote that provides more in regard to one's "way" to being a balanced person. AJA Sensei has said many times that it is our responsibility to seek out the truth and make changes to ensure that what we say, do and teach is truthful and accurate. This quote from the I Ching also tells us of the importance of this value of self:

"A man should not take shelter in trivial excuses, but should look within and examine himself. And if he has done something wrong he should make a noble hearted resolve to confess his fault. No one will regret having taken this road."

To confess fault is to admit to oneself that they are in error and must resolve to correct it immediately for to delay would result in fault. If one takes this honorable way then although they erred initially they have redeemed themselves by making the adjustment and expressing that correction to all concerned.

This is the Way of Heaven and Earth, Kenpo Gokui first tome. It is a person of true "heart" who can see within themselves the way of Heaven and Earth and achieve a greater level of being a wholehearted person.

Yin and Yang Symbol - Updated

Click to see the larger version...this has been updated to reflect additional meaning derived from the I Ching and the Kenpo Gokui studies.

Yin-Yang and the Five Phases

China in the third century envisioned the work in terms of two interlocking systems: yin-yang and the five phases, also known less accurately as the five elements.

The duality of yin-yang is one of the constant norms of the universe. Though opposing, are also complementary in that one can never act independently of the other; the waxing of one invariably entails the waning of the other.

The familiar figure representation of yin-yang emphasizes the fluid symbiotic relation. The curvilinear areas of dark and light enfold each other within a perfect circle that knows no beginning or end; the tiny seeds of each are discovered in the swelling contours of its opposite. At the culmination of one, its opposite is born, and so on, in a constant process of advance and retreat, making and unmaking.

The list of the five phases includes water, fire, wood, metal, and Earth. The phases are essentially five different types of processes ergo the corrected term of "phases vs. elements."

Bibliography:
Nylan, Michael and Hsiung, Yang. "The Elemental Changes: The Ancient Chinese Companion to the I Ching." New York Press, 1994.

Yang and Yin

Click on the image to see the large version...

I was reading a new book that compliments the I Ching. In it I noticed that it defined the symbol for Yang-Yin or as it was originally called, "Firm and Yielding." I always wondered what the "dots" or as they call them the "seeds" were representative of and this seems like the most accurate description.

The circle represents "perfection." There are some other definitions of this circle which I will address on later postings. This is the perfect symbol to represent the way of the Tao or the way of nature itself here on the Earth.

We are all in a constant state of "flux" and the enfolding of light and dark with the seeds representing a rebirth of dark and light with no end can be equated to the cycles or phases of the sun and moon.

The swelling of the large area or contours with the seed in the "center" is also representative of the birth of its opposite and so on.

This is something worth delving into as it helps us understand the "way" of things in the world in which we live and can provide us insight into the answers of the myriad things we encounter following the path of the Tao.

[Kenpo Gokui referenced by the emblem, i.e. firm and yielding as in hard and soft with heaven and earth or sun and moon not to mention the changes of the symbol with the seeds being in a waxing-waning cycle, etc...think about it.]

Reality vs. Reality

The following quote from the Matrix Philosophy gave me pause so I connected it to the importance of training thus provide it here for your consideration.

"In 'reality', we make judgments about people and situations without having full information all the time - we must do this just to be practical, since the time it would take to gather all the information we assume would be prohibitive to living our lives. We fill in the gaps of knowledge with guesses and prejudices of our own. Thus, reality may not be as 'real' as we tend to think of it, since we do a fair amount of construction on our own."

You may want to read it several times as it states we tend to gloss over and insert from our own experiences. Thus my reference to training. "Focus," is so important especially when confronted with a self-protection situation. The choices we make as to action when confronted can determine outcome. Outcome could be productive or destructive simply from the "gaps of knowledge" we encounter not to forget the natural tendency to "insert" our own guesses and prejudices as collected from our experience in life.

Wars have begun for simple misunderstandings. Since we now realize that our "natural tendency" is to do this behavior then we must train ourselves to "focus" completely. This does not mean we do this in everything for the statements says this is not entirely possible but when it counts the most we can "consciously focus" or observation, "seeing" and "hearing" on that particular subject, i.e. actively listen with intent, etc.

Maybe if we in this world did more of this on such important issues we would not have to go to war or have physical destructive contacts.

This goes back to the "implications" of the gokui and the book of changes where we need to learn as much as we can about others, their customs, etc. so that we have the "full skinny" before making judgements.

Sound good to you?

I-Ching Quotes

"Openness and tranquility, freedom from preoccupation and agitation, are qualities that allow humanity to deal adaptively and effectively with change."

[remain present; clear the fog and see the light.]

Dragon and I Ching

Qian [1st hexagram]:

Line 1: This line is represented by a dragon flying low.
Line 2: The second line is symbolized by a dragon arising in the field.
Line 4: The fourth line symbolizes a dragon getting ready to leap out of the abyss and fly into the sky.
Line 5: This line says the dragon is already fling - a man of great virtue is ready to be a leader.
Line 6: This line says the haughty dragon reaches its limit.
Line 7: This line says that the ancient Chinese believed that, although dragons were the strongest and most powerful creatures, they never fought for leadership.

Qian is "heaven" and represents the "Creative or as Master Huang says, Initiating." If you view our style from this perspective you realize that Tatsuo Sensei followed it exactly. It was the process of the creative and initiating that brought about his development over many years of what he perceived as an eclectic form of Okinawa Fighting Art and thus named it appropriately "Isshinryu."

If you review the excerpts from Master Huang's edition of the I Ching you will see connections to various aspects of the Isshinryu system. If you look deeper into the meaning of each you will find connections to the process and the kenpo gokui which he provided us when leaving his dojo.

Knowledge of Tatsuo Sensei, his thoughts and beliefs, and his customs and the customs of his people; you can "see" beyond and into the depth of Isshinryu and find what it truly has to offer us as its children.

I-Ching Quotes

"Openness is the form of Heaven, tranquility is the form of Earth. Unceasing self-strengthening is the openness of Heaven, rich virtue supporting beings is the tranquility of Earth. Boundless spaciousness is the openness of Heaven, boundless breadth is the tranquility of Earth. The Tao of Heaven and Earth is openness and tranquility; when openness and tranquility are within oneself, this means Heaven and Earth are within oneself."

[self-strengthen with shugyo.]

Kenpo Gokui Revisited

Heaven and Earth - 1
Sun and Moon -2
Hard and Soft -3
Balance and Weight -4
Change -5
Circumstances -6
Eye and See -7
Ear and Hear -8

When you review the attributes of the eight primary gua which makes up the gua of the I Ching you will see that the qualities mentioned in the gokui fit under one of those eight which equates to the other sixty four gua of the book of changes.

Kun: earth, responding, quiet, yielding, docile, belly, mother
Gen: mountain, stand still, accomplish, resting, halting, hand
Kan: moon, water, sinking, venturing, moisturizing, below, ear
Xun: wind, penetrating, assembling, dispersing, lying, thigh
Zhen: thunder, moving, approaching, arousing, rising, foot
Li: sun, fire, clinging, illuminating, radiating, above, eye
Dui: lake, delighting, determining, pleasing, seeing, mouth
Qian: heaven, initiating, active, firm, virile, head, father

Kun and Qian are the yin and yang which both symbolize heaven and earth to connect the 1st and 3rd tome of the gokui.

Kan and Li are the moon and sun which also represent the opposites or yin and yang but represent changes so that connects the 2nd and 5th tome not to forget that they both refer to the eye and ear as well as seeing and hearing so the 7th and 8th tome are also connected here.

Dui connects to the 7th and 8th tome for hearing.
Circumstances or the 6th tome is referenced indirectly to the other gua which can be represented by their opposites as they are associated in the I Ching.

Qian of course the 1st tome of the gokui. Head can be a symbol of the eyes and ears so they connect us to the 7th and 8th tomes. Firm to the 3rd to symbolize hard and soft and active to the 6th to symbolize the ability to strike due to circumstances, etc.

Once you start to "look" or "see" between the lines and outside the box you can connect many things. One of the wonders of the gokui and by extension the I Ching, etc. is that depending on many factors they both "change direction" at any time allowing the book of changes to apply to all things, all persons, and at any time of life be it the ancient times or the "now."

Notice: I am not the all knowing or what ever of the I Ching nor the Kenpo Gokui but if what I write in my meanderings causes pause or the mind to say, "Hmm or Ah-ha!" then I have accomplished a service.

Tatsuo Sensei and the I Ching

The Concept of Time;

"It is not something that can be rationally induced at will; it is an attitude, through which the tools and the method can be brought to bear effectively."

"The most advantageous relation to time is naturally that of harmony."

The Creative Principle;

This particular reference in the I Ching points to the Creative and the dragon which I find to mean, in relation to my practice, the creative processes of Tatsuo Sensei in the creation of Isshinryu and since the dragon plays a critical role, i.e. Tatsu means dragon man and Tatsuo has the dragon in his "Me-gami design" that this is a significant verification as to his abilities as a man of the ancient texts.

"One is the word for Sun, not the sun as a heavenly body but as a giver of light, a word that is also to be found in the sign of yang, one of the two first principles in old Chinese philosophy."

[When yin and yang interact they create and the Creative here is hi lighted by the light of heaven as it shines on Tatsuo Sensei illuminating the inner understanding of the fighting arts as life to create a new form which will become "Isshinryu."]

"It is drawn down out of its heights into the human cosmos. The divine heaven becomes a human heaven."

[Tatsuo through his meditative practice accepts the heavens as they enter into his human heaven.]

"Success, the second word, is characterized as the coming together of all that is beautiful, as the beauty of excellent, valid forms, the forms of works of art, but also of the beautiful forms of social intercourse, of the mores."

[]

"The word 'furthering' is associated with justice, with what is right and fair, and thereby also with duty, what it is suitable that a man should do. Perseverance is consistency; it is fundamental to all actions."

[]

Hexagram 1: Qian
1. The sublimity of the Creative depends on the fact that it begins everything and has success.
2. Furtherance and perseverance: thus it brings about the nature and way of all beings.
3. The Creative, by positing the beginning (accepted as true; positing), is able to further the world with beauty and utility. Its true greatness lies in the fact that nothing is said about the means by which it furthers.

[]

"The movement of heaven is full of power. Thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring. He strengthens himself and does not give up; a further indication of the need for a strong creative will."

[Tatsuo Sensei as the dragon; nickname deals with dragons, etc.]

"Hidden dragon." "The word 'hidden', used here, literally means: submerged under the water, concealed in it, and water, naturally, is the dragon's original element."

[In relating excerpts from the I Ching I take this statement to mean, in relation to Tatsuo Sensei practice, etc., to mean that during those formative years in practice which he used to create his style the dragon, Tatsuo Sensei, remained hidden or submerged in the water where he in his element was able to conceive of the possibilities.]

"Dragon, the symbol of the Creative."

[Since the dragon and the dragon of Isshinryu, Tatsuo Sensei, both symbolized a Creative aspect of their life that this told Tatsuo Sensei the direction or change he must live in order to "change" and thus bring about Isshinryu.]

"The dragon on the bottom line is, for the time being, still hidden beneath the water with the advice: Do not act [This refers to his holding back to inform the karate community until the time was right]. At this time the primary need of the creative principle is concentration, the plunging downward into its own depths, whence it is uncertain with what one will emerge, a situation that naturally prohibits any action."

[This told me that Tatsuo Sensei understood the meaning of the I Ching and the resulting Kenpo Gokui because he remained true and loyal to the community while if focused his concentration on birthing Isshinryu through his study and teaching of the older styles of Goju and Shorin. As the I Ching and the symbolism of the Dragon in Chinese Philosophy dictates the submerging of the dragon into his or her own natural element allowed the creation to emerge from within Tatsuo Sensei. He knew that until the dragon emerged from the depths he was to remain focused internally.]

"The second line of the hexagram is where the dragon emerges from the water. The man comes forth among his peers with a message (I have a new style, etc.), which he has brought from the depths (while submerged he took no actions but when he was ready he emerged to speak with his peers and introduce changes to his practice of the fighting arts, etc.), and would like to obtain some response to his message."

[When Tatsuo Sensei determined from this excerpt that the dragon was to emerge from the water that he could now come forth to the karate community and announce that he created a new form of fighting art which was named Isshinryu. It also refers to his obtaining a response and initially the response was not favorable so it is understandable that he would switch back some aspects of his teachings to please his peers until the time of change was ripe for their acceptance. Maybe this was that period before he officially named the style. He would soon receive that favorable response from his peers leading the official naming of Isshinryu.]

"The dragons realm is in the water or the heavens, not on earth. The insight that has been gained in the course of the creative process is still unshaped, not yet in a valid form, and so not ripe enough to be represented. This is the time to apprentice to a master and to learn through work with the material."

[This can be coupled along side the other previous quotes as the reason he understood that his initial message would be received with doubt from the others, his karate peers. Due to his meditations he had the insight and foresight to resist pushing and allow the path to unfold naturally. He remained an apprentice to his masters until acceptance was assured.]

"The position of the Creative shows the danger of stepping out of established ways with a group of like-minded men and playing the revolutionary."

[The above also coupled in his readings of the book of changes also told him about their initial response by warning him of the dangers of stepping out of the established ways or the old traditions of the group of "like-minded" karate practitioners of Okinawa. He new his ideas would be revolutionary in two senses in that one was a direct conflict with his peers beliefs and the other is the revolutionary views Isshinryu would provide to the future.]

"Fellowship with men in a clan. Humiliation."

"The situation is characterized by the incessant work of creation and the intense anxiety to have the image come into being. Here a man must work consciously on what he has brought from the depths; he must work upon it and polish it in order to find the right shape for what he has to do or say."

[It was Tatsuo's diligent and constant practice and study of the arts that lead to his creation. His image coming into being was also foretold to him here and resulted in the image of the Me-gami which as you will see in the following also placed the dragon in the heavens flying above but underneath the "one" or the "three masters" that inspired his creation. He then took those many years to work on Isshinryu and to work until it left its rough state and was thoroughly polished into what we practice today. He did find the right shape and it is Isshinryu.]

"Treading upon the tail of the tiger (tiger is represented in the Me-gami). It does not bite the man. Success."

[I would want to assume that this particular statement in the I Ching is what told Tatsuo Sensei that he should move forward diligently as his treading on the tiger's tail or not as represented in the Me-gami of the tigers headdress on the goddess was his way of saying he was a success since his efforts were a success, etc.]

"The word 'metamorphosis' means a revolution, a transformation that makes something new out of something old [Tatsuo Sensei who created something new, Isshinryu, out of something old, Goju and Shorin]. Such a transformation is the first principle of all creation, cultural as well as artistic. The concept of artistic creation is very broadly understood here, almost all realms of life being thought of as ordered by art - not only those that we call art in a narrower sense, but the entire conduct of living, including such things as the art of taking a walk and the art of taking an afternoon nap."

"Every art, through insight, effects a transformation in the product that is created, and such a transformation is demanded here. One has a choice as to how the thing that has to be represented shall be formed."

[Another one that may have influenced Tatsuo Sensei in his creation...]

"Sincere points to the inner truth (hexagram 61) through which a man does justice to his own essence and remains true to his own vocation."

[Tatsuo Sensei may have read this one and it influenced his life to the extent that he remained true to himself, to the Okinawan Fighting Arts, and all his vocations be they sumachi or teaching karate-do.]

"The fifth line is the ruling of the sign of the Creative: Flying dragons in the heavens. It furthers one to see the great man."

[Ahhh, the dragon flying over the goddess as a representation of Tatsuo Sensei being the great man he was in life and in spirit now that he is passed. His flying dragon in the skies of the Me-gami, did he mean this to incite the continuance of creativity in his style? Did he mean to transmit his experiences through the symbolism of the Me-gami? Did he also mean for us to understand that we must continue our search for a "great man" within ourselves?]

"Here the dragon has raised himself to his own element, he wavers no longer, the decision is taken, he is in heaven and can now be effective. He stands in the place of Heavenly power."

[Tatsuo Sensei, may he remain in peaceful tranquility in the Heavens, he attained the ultimate of the gokui and the I Ching by his heavenly power transmitted through us hers on Earth practicing and carrying on his traditions of Isshinryu.]

"When the dragon is there he represents the divine, hence the success of the creations is assured. There are no more inhibitions, no further warnings. Here the creation comes to perfection."

[Is this another meaning of the Me-gami dragon in the Heavens above?]

"A flying dragon in the heavens is a powerful picture."

[Another reason for the dragon in the Me-gami?]

"A superior man obeys the benevolent will of heaven (that is, he follows it or is in harmony with it). Every development leads to its necessary consequence."

[The final word on the success of Tatsuo Sensei!]

Bibliography:
Wilhelm, Hellmut. "Heaven, Earth, and Man in the Book of Changes." University of Washington Press, Seattle and London. 1997

I-Ching Quotes

"When open, one takes in all; when tranquil, one perceives all. When open, one can accept things; when tranquil, one can respond to situations."

[Tranquility is natural to a newborn child. Growth introduces blockage that can only be removed through proper training and practice; see three "P's"!]

"Seeing" and "Hearing" - Kenpo Gokui

Is not our "ego" the equivalent of the "Matrix" where our minds as influenced by dictates of the ego on our lives. Can we achieve reality in our minds with out the ego's influences? Is what we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch reality or is it something that comes from the ego? Is the ego something that is influenced by what we see, hear, feel, touch, and/or taste and how do both influence the other to create the reality we perceive as individual minds held in the shell we call the body?

Such questions and the pursuit of the answers may be the key to unlocking the realty from the perceived reality. This is the "Way" and why the gokui makes vague references to both the mind and body. Remember that the body always follows the mind regardless of its perception of either the real or unreal.

We are what we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste as interpreted by the mind which is under the control of the "ego" so that if the ego is the "Matrix" then what we perceive as our true world my not be reality. We don't literally "see" but to achieve understanding we must first "know" and the knowing is influenced by the "seeing, hearing, etc" that is received in the brain and interpreted as influenced by the ego. We justify everything in our lives by what we "see", "hear", "touch", "smell", and "taste."

Our justification for our beliefs comes from all the experiences we have had and this remains true unless we have a reason to distrust those experiences. Who dictates this trust or non-trust? It starts with our ego's and sometimes we rely on our perceptions of others instead of our own "hearts" to tell us what is what.

Everything we feel is either normal or not normal, expected or not expected, or any other experiences is nothing more that a function or result of something else we have experienced or what we are used to.

The mind controls the body and what the mind senses determines what the body does in many ways. You can look at the senses as a type of interface or input/output device(s) that program the mind through the filter of the ego and tell us what we do both mentally and physically, i.e. the bodies reactions or actions. This is important. Is this the "Matrix" of our ego?

Our world extends as far as we can sense and tho this is minimalistic in truth it does form knowledge about the world although it is our limited world vs. the true world of which we live in on this planet.

One reason I understand when the gokui only refers to the two main senses of sight and hearing is that these senses are what is called the distance senses, for they function at a distance as far as the eye can see and the ear can hear. They do not require any physical contact to work and provide information. When we see or hear something is that sent directly to the mind as truth or is it filtered by our ego matrix first and then colored by that filter? If so, they we have to ask how to bypass that filter called the ego. We have to see how we can re-program that script of the ego so it does not send anything but the truth of reality.

Sometimes looks and sounds can be deceiving which is one goal of the gokui to teach us how to differentiate and act. A means of testing the sight and sound of something is to perceive it with physical contact. Once you make physical contact with something then it becomes more "real." As the I Ching says, "Seeing is believing, but touching is the truth. The body can not live without the mind, the mind makes it real." The mind is the focus then as to the Matrix of the Ego we are trying to take hold of because if the mind makes it all real then the addition of training and practice as well as the tactile ability to reach the truth is paramount.

We see and hear but we use other faculties to confirm the truth of it to reach reality. Even touch is influenced by the ego program so programming the ego is important.

The fighting arts utilize "chakugan" to be proficient in action. We are naturally reactive in our bodies when we "see" and/or "hear" something that triggers the flight or fight responses of the mind and body. When the bodies natural defenses start our heart rate, breathing, and adrenaline are pumped and our minds, if trained properly, assist us in re-directing those natural actions into a more productive action. Mental images, even if confirmed with hearing and finally other physical means, occur usually after the bodies natural protective responses are in action. So the training can also keep one from taking inappropriate actions if fooled by the eye or ear. There is only one way to accomplish this and that is through practice and training which may be the reprogramming of the ego so it filters fact and not fiction.

The I Ching refers to the duality of real and not real. Appearance and Reality can be two different things and our "seeing" and/or "hearing" may cause reality to be skewed. We have a mind and body which is the Creative results of the Tao, or the Great Tai Chi, which is the creation of yin and yang that lead to humanity and the Universe.

What is it that is common to all real things and common to all unreal things, that makes them what they are and different from each other? The unreal world depends entirely on things in the real world for its existence. Then again if my hypothesis is accurate then the real vs. unreal is influenced by our ego's which are influenced by our experiences in life as we grow up and the ego changes accordingly as information comes but if the program is not enabled to "truth and reality" then what we perceive and believe may not be reality.

Another point in this exercise is our ego program or ego matrix is a basic in and out program when we are born. This is why the ancients always strive to be like a new born child but if the ego matrix of those around us as we grow are not properly programmed then those programs code our program changing the ego matrix into a mixture of others into the "one" which is us.

Is everything we experience a mere appearance, or are these appearances manifestations of actual things which are more or less as they appear to be? What is the ego matrix telling us.

Minds are of the ability to make things real even if they are not. Maybe this is why we have so many factions in our fighting art because all the ego matrix's are programming their minds and why should they disbelieve their own minds?

When the mind receives input from the world by "seeing" or "hearing" or "touching" something then the body will react according to what nature programmed into our very being, DNA, Instincts, etc. We can change this deep set nature through practice and training but it takes continued, constant, diligent, repetitive training and practice to overcome the mind and bodies natural reactive instincts.

The idea is to reprogram our matrix so that we are not confused by what we see or hear so clarity becomes instinctual and the truth is real. This could be the way we overcome misunderstandings that lead to conflict. When we are free from confusion and reprogram our ego's so that we can identify the real then the mind will cease to be influenced by unreality.

Let training and practice teach our minds and bodies to recognize and understand the ability to distinguish appearance and reality so we can take actions that are appropriate. Maybe this is the true key to "not striking first" rule in karate-do? If we attain that ability then we can not be influenced unduly by events that normally cause re-actions. Let action be the rule and let re-action be set aside as something we do not do much like "not striking first."

Reprogram your ego matrix so that your mind has the power to overcome illusions, to achieve the ability to exit from any predicament in life with appropriate intent resulting in peaceful action.

We can only do this by taking charge of our matrix and opening the mind to reality.

I-Ching Quotes

"The embodiment of openness and tranquility, or emptiness and stillness, is sometimes likened to polishing a mirror so that it can reflect clearly."

[The three "P's"; polish, polish, polish; practice, practice, practice; presence, presence, presence]

I-Ching Quotes

The "rest" or stilling of automatic thought and behavior, intended to provide room for impartial awareness and deliberate action. When one is open, the mind is clear; when one is tranquil, the mind is pure.

[Remain present, in the present moment, in the now, as this is the only true way to achieve a tranquil mind that will be open to receive instinctive action in both word and deed required of a warrior. It eliminates the impulsiveness that leads to danger.]

I-Ching Quotes

"Empty the mind of its conditioned subjectivity, stilling personal predispositions so that unbiased understanding and action may take place."

[Mushin, Zanshin, Heijo-shin, Chosin, Fudoshin, Isshin]

I-Ching Quotes

"A complete human being is stillness and action, receptivity and creativity, are complementary and interdependent, all necessary to be complete."

[To be a complete warrior be still-rest and ready to be active-movement. Know the differences and practice diligently. Be balanced, establish equilibrium, and be complete.]