CONVERSATION WITH A MARTIAL ARTS MASTER
武道師匠との対話



師匠:お前は、前の師匠の元で長年研鑽しただけあって、形は良く出来ておるし、
   身体も頑丈だ。ただし、外形だけになっているようじゃな。

新弟子:長年、稽古しているのですが、何か身体が安定しないというか、、、
    そんな感じなんです。
    前の師匠がおっしゃることを信じて、真面目にやってきたつもりなのですが。

師匠:半分は前の師匠の責任だが、後の半分はお前自身の責任じゃ。
   師匠を信じてやってきた、と言ったが、本当に信じることになっていたのかな。

新弟子:だって、疑っていてはダメでしょう。

師匠:いや、徹底的に疑ってかかれ。師匠を、ではなく、自分を、だ。
   それがなくてはただの盲信じゃ。

   自分は師匠の言うことの理解が出来ていないのではないか、
   もっとこういう風に理解すべきではないか、師匠がなぜああ言ったのか、
   自分の中に何があったのだろうか、などなど、徹底的に自分を疑ってかかれ。
   それのない単なる盲信は、本当は信じていないのと同じだ。

新弟子:自分を疑うのですか。

師匠:そうじゃ。これは勇気のいることじゃな。誰しも自分を信じたいのだから。
   だからこそ、自分を疑ってかかれ。
   自分を本当に信じるためには、どうしてもこのステップが必要じゃ。
   怖がってはいけない。信じたければ、まず、徹底的に疑え。

新弟子:そうやって、徐々に自分が信じられてきたとして、
    その次、どのような態度で学んでいけばいいのですか。

師匠:そうなってくれば、自ずと師匠から最大限学ぶことができるように
   なっているはずじゃ。
   そして、これが大事なことじゃが、相手が師匠であろうとなかろうと、
   相手が優秀であろうとなかろうと、あるいは「敵」からでも、
   誰からでも最大限学ぶことができるようになるであろう。

   それができず、単なる盲信にとどまるならば、
   得られるものは、単なる外形と、危険な誤解とだけじゃ。

   こうして、いつの間にか、「敵」などどこにもいないことに気づいてゆく。
   これが武道の本質じゃ。

* * *


“ CONVERSATION WITH A MARTIAL ARTS MASTER

Master:
As you studied for many years under your former master, your movements are well-executed and your body is strong. But it seems to me that merely the outer form has been achieved.

New Pupil:
I have been practicing for many years, but somehow it feels to me as if my body isn't well-balanced ..., something like that.
I believed what my former teacher told me, and I thought I had practiced earnestly, but....

Master:
I would say that half of the problem is your former master's responsibility, but the other half is your own.
You say you believed your former master, but is that really the truth?

New Pupil:
Well, I can't very well doubt him, can I?

Master:
Yes! Go and doubt wholeheartedly!
Not your teacher, though, but yourself!
If you don't do that it simply becomes blind believing.
"Do I really understand what my master is saying? Should I understand it in another way? Why is my master saying what he is saying? What is going on inside of myself?" And so on, and so forth, doubt yourself wholeheartedly.

Simply believing blindly actually amounts to the same as not believing at all.

New Pupil:
Doubt myself?

Teacher:
That's right. It requires courage. Because everybody wants to believe in themselves.
But that's all the more reason to doubt yourself.
To really believe in yourself this step is absolutely necessary.
Don't be afraid. If you want to believe in yourself you first have to doubt yourself thoroughly.

New Pupil:
If I slowly start believing in myself by first questioning myself, after that, in what way should I continue learning?

Master:
When you start changing like that you should naturally become able to learn to the greatest possible extent from your master.
Furthermore ~ and this is an important thing ~ you will be able to learn to the highest degree from anybody, whether it is a master or not, a brilliant person or not. Even from an "enemy"! You can learn from anybody.

If you can't do that, if it simply remains blind believing, all you can get out of your studies are merely the outer form and dangerous misunderstandings.

By going through this process, before you know it, you will become aware that there are no enemies at all.
This is the essence of the martial arts.


translated by Barbara Inui



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