how is the japanese martial art of aikido (developed in the first half of this century by Morihei Ueshiba) like house? while reading Eric Sotnak's Aikido Primer, i was struck by the closing of the document:
The following are some of the founder's teachings concerning the essence of aikido:
Aikido is a manifestation of a way to reorder the world of humanity as though everyone were of one family. Its purpose is to build a paradise right here on earth.
Aikido is nothing but an expression of the spirit of Love for all living things. It is important not to be concerned with thoughts of victory and defeat. Rather, you should let the ki of your thoughts and feelings blend with the Universal.
Aikido is not an art to fight with enemies and defeat them. It is a way to lead all human beings to live in harmony with each other as though everyone were one family. The secret of aikido is to make yourself become one with the universe and to go along with its natural movements. One who has attained this secret holds the universe in him/herself and can say, ``I am the universe.''
If anyone tries to fight me, it means that s/he is going to break harmony with the universe, because I am the universe. At the instant when s/he conceives the desire to fight with me, s/he is defeated.
Nonresistance is one of the principles of aikido. Because there is no resistance, you have won before even starting. People whose minds are evil or who enjoy fighting are defeated without a fight.
The secret of aikido is to cultivate a spirit of loving protection for all things.
I do not think badly of others when they treat me unkindly. Rather, I feel gratitude towards them for giving me the opportunity to train myself to handle adversity.
You should realize what the universe is and what you are yourself. To know yourself is to know the universe.
the Primer is 25 pages. if you'd like a copy, let me know and i'll send you back the LaTeX source.
many of us here visualize a new world, whose people are happier and healthier. we act out of love. we thrive on challenge, growth, and evolution in everything, including these very thoughts. as we meet higher challenges in our individual lives, we turn more awareness outward. we view life as art, preferring to evaluate choices in pragmatic and aesthetic terms, rather than "right" or "wrong". we value fun.
one of our means of healing and growth is ritual celebration, where we gather once in a while to expand our consciousness and celebrate life with rhythm and dance. during our shared moments of ecstatic joy, we explore who we are, and we advance our visions of a harmonious planet.
house/rave culture is in the company of some tribal cultures, aikido, and many other phenomena that seem to be aligned in the same direction. when a critical mass of any given population tunes into this collective conscious, that population will be transformed into a new society - a rhythm society.
the wisdom to bring this about lives within each of us. it needs only to be awakened and nurtured.