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Aikido-the way to transcend

I was always fascinated by the mysteries of the world. I felt a strange attraction, like a moth attracted by the light, to everything that had attached the words spectacular and mysteries. My mother used to practice yoga in her youth, and she gave me basic examples that still stay with me today. The most basic situation, one I couldn't handle, was when I had the hiccups and I could not stop, she taught me how to breathe and relax, while I was doing the exact opposite way, I was always suppressed by panic, and following her teaching, in the end I could control it.

The most impressive was to find out that my mother could slow down her pulse at her own will. I told her to teach me how to do that, but she refused. The reason was that she didn't practice with a teacher and also the fact that her heart stopped ones. She got so scared that she never did that again.

Her refusal was a reason for me to search.
Many years past by, with different situations and experiences, and when I was around 23 years old I discovered aikido. This was a very extraordinary thing for me, as I was founding everything I was looking for: the battle, the confrontation and the mystery.

A man of 1.5 meters and 55 kg, at the age of 80 years old could face many attackers, which were younger and stronger, simultaneously.
Morihei Ueshiba, whom was considered the biggest martial artist that has ever lived, succeeded to unite the human trinity: the mind, the soul and the body, but how? He was always talking about harmony, peace and love. All his life, he was an example in reaching harmony and peace through love. The warrior that used to break arms and legs when he was young transformed as a result of one divine experience in 1925. "I felt that the sky met the earth inside me and that the real budo is the one of love". He became a worrier of peace, light and love. The real Way is to love the other, not to destroy him. This way, Aikido was invented.

The word Aikido is made of three ideograms:
AI - harmony, love and peace
KI - energy, truth
DO - the way
AIKIDO means the way to the harmony of energies, and it can also mean the way to finding real love, or maybe it means The Way, The Truth and Life.

Does this sound familiar to you? "I am the way, the truth and the light". Personally, I don't believe in coincidences and in random facts anymore. Ueshiba used to say that a fighter has to unite the earth and the sky within him, and then he has to unite with the force of creation, with the Universe.
The meditation techniques of Aikido are part of the Zen practice, which is extremely popular for the high rank samurai and the Japanese aristocrats. One, who was practicing Zen techniques, was looking to illuminate himself through discipline and meditation. This used to be part of Buddhism techniques and was introduced to Japan in the XXII century by the missionary Buddhist monks (Dougen monk).
Are we Romanians entitled to practice Zen? Is it right for us, with all the western civilization, with our education and our culture? Can we adopt Zen as the way of transcendentalism? Maybe we can, but I don't think, personally, that we have to go to Japan to find the Way.
I used to be tormented by these questions for years, while looking with all my mind, my body and my soul for answers. I realized that the Aikido I was practicing was a form of battle, a fight, and it was lacking substance and spirit, because I could not unite my mind and my body with my soul. It was Ai with Ki and without Do.

At one point in time I took a Zen class that was organized by a Japanese master, but all I found was opposing resistance towards this meditating technique. "What do you mean with I shouldn't think of anything? I have to think about something!"
I saw that many of the people practicing Zen, even the advanced, were going to sleep during the practice and the Zen master used to wake them up with little strikes around the back of the head, using a special stick.
It felt strange to me, this form of meditation, because I didn't want to go to sleep, on contrary, I wanted to stay awake and feel what was happening to me and more, I wanted to be more alert and stronger.

I took a Qi-gong class, which is a Chinese meditating technique, but that wasn't for me as well. The Chinese master made me understand that I have to keep searching. But what was I supposed to look for? I didn't know what I was looking for. I abandoned the search and I continued training my physical combat techniques. I had the Earth and I was looking for the Sky, to be able to use Love.
Time past and around 33 years old I felt attracted by religion, not physically, but spiritually. I was still searching. I didn't have any big trouble or any big problems in my life and I don't know what turned me to go to church, because I didn't have any religious beliefs, I was baptized orthodox and that was all.

I didn't confess all my life and I felt the need to confess, so I went to Bucharest and look for the most famous churches, but no one had eyes for me. I was yield at and almost thrown out and all I wanted was to run, not because of the priests, but because of the parishioners: I felt they were all against me. But I didn't run, I stayed and was persistent, like Lapusneanu, one of the medieval Romanian leaders used to say: "If you don't want me, I want you all!"

There was someone that helped me, and he was closer to find than I thought, a young priest in a small wooden church that was barely brought from Transylvania. I walked into the church and the priest was there, talking to the congregation. I told him I wanted to confess, but didn't know how to and I didn't know what that would mean for me to do. He told me about fasting, praying, about the confession, communion, and about the holly sacraments. I was fascinated. I felt his passion and his power and that made me want to stay around. Was there something that we had in common? He told me that he used to practice martial arts for ten years, before becoming a priest. I couldn't believe my ears, of all the priests in Bucharest, there he was, and a priest at my age was practicing martial arts for ten years!!!
Who could understand and advise me better?
Nothing is fortuitous!

I found out that our religion had a way of praying that was close to the Zen techniques: the heart praying, or Jesus praying (isihasta). It looks very simple, like this: "Oh God, Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy of me, the sinner!" This is a true way of transcendence, a way to find your self in a real time.
Are there any similarities with Zen techniques? Yes, of course. First of all, you need a mentor in both cases. You also need a long time to go through all the stages.
The posture:
For the Zen techniques, you have to sit center on a zafu (a round pillow), with your legs in lotus position, with your pelvis forward, back straight, chin pulled back and oriented down your chest, nose align horizontally with your belly-button, left hand over the right hand, palms up oriented, the tips of the thumbs touching together, the mind eyes looking inside towards the center balance of your body.

For the isihasta prayer you are down on your knees or sat down on a very small chair, chin pulled back and oriented down your chest and with the mind eyes looking inside towards the center balance of your body.

The breathing and attitude
The breathing is crucial in the Zen techniques. The purpose is to get to a very stabile, string and natural rhythm. You have to breathe calmly, deeply and profoundly until this feels natural. You have to monitor your posture continuously. Your mind will shape its attitude based on your profound concentration, posture and breathing. Sitting in zazen, you have to let your thoughts roll, like the clouds on the sky, without opposing.

For isihasta prayer, Saint Nechifor says that you have to deeply breathe once you concentrated your thoughts within your mind. When you breathe in you say　Oh God, Jesus Christ, son of God and when you breath out you say Have mercy on me, for I am a sinner.
You do this so you mind would concentrate on the prayer and within your heart. The breathing helps you psychologically, but not spiritually. You can unite your mind with your heart pnly with the work of the Holly Spirit. When your mind is within your heart you don't need the breathing anymore, but you continuously have to focus on your prayer. This way your mind stays strong and the love for God grows every day, and also the love for your kind.
The purpose
The purpose is the same, the transcendence, with illuminating yourself and with becoming closer to God.
The only difference is that in Zen techniques you go towards illuminating your self, while in the Heart Prayer you include your kind as well. The Heart Prayer is not about your ego, on contrary it is about getting close to godliness. The mind is guided towards your heart and body, not towards the ether. The body is not the one to blame; you have to save your soul. The transcendence has to be done by working with your body, guiding it towards cleanliness and becoming ready for the transformation, not with the absence or with leaving your body.
Is this the Way we're looking for? Can we transcend the orthodox way over a martial art? I personally think, yes, because if I was to be a Buddhist, I would have been born in China or Japan. I was born in Romania, that's why I have to transcend between the orthodox way and aikido. Maybe I don't even need to call it aikido; instead this can be the Way towards the Universe, maybe.
I am still looking, but answers, this time.

Author: Razvan Peristeri

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