A Way of Being

There is a way of “being” I am cultivating within myself during this sacred time in Kyoto.  It is slow.  It is mindful.  It is deep and deliberate.  It is in harmony with the Tao.  It is like gentle flowing, almost still water, amidst the rapid current I have been deeply conditioned to and much of the world seems to be floating down its rapids.  It is why I wanted to come to the old Japan that is to be found in Kyoto.  It can be felt in a city that is 1300 years old. 

It is deeply rooted in many of the cultural arts I have always been drawn to in Japan.  It is a “way” or “do” as it is referred to in Japanese.  It is nothing that can be rushed.  It has to be cultivated.

It is in the simplicity and quietness of my old, traditional Japanese house. It is in the Tao of Tai-chi, which I have been so fortunate to find in a Master Teacher of this Chinese art here in Japan.  It is in the Zen and solitude of Kyoto’s temples and gardens.  Since coming here I have discovered it in the mindful practice of Tea or “Chado” (“the way of Tea”).  It is in the universal flow of Aikido (“the Japanese martial art of harmonizing with universal energy”).  It is in the art of calligraphy “Shodo” (“the way of artistic hand writing or beautiful writing”).  It is found in my own attempts to daily practice writing, which I came here to further develop and cultivate.  It is in the stripping away of all that is non-essential.  

This way of "being" takes time and patience and slow deliberation to cultivate on the deepest level.  In my Western impatience, I am anxious to get "there."  But there is no "there" to get to.  Perhaps it explains why my Japanese friend has taken calligraphy since she was 4 years old and is still improving.  There is an underlying peace and energy to it.  It is as if there is something very natural, very calm, so very clear that is making its way through.

There is a philosophical principle in Japanese culture which I am becoming increasingly drawn into known as “Ma” (間).  It can be translated as “the pause or emptiness in between”.  

Silent empty space.   

It permeates much of Japanese life, aesthetics, art and culture.  It is why Japanese are not uncomfortable with long silences in conversations. It can be thought of as the space between the notes which make beautiful music.  It is in the stepping away from the outside world into a tea house in the middle of the day for the mindful practice of Tea.  It is completely contrary to our American way of filling every bit of space in our schedules and our living spaces and filling every moment of silence in a conversation.  I find myself more drawn to this other way of being, as one who has never been at a loss for words or to fill an empty spot in my schedule.

This way of “Ma" (間) or “empty space” which  I am discovering is as though I have found a gentle stream of water after hiking and climbing over desert and rocks to get to my destination for most of my years.  Recently, it has become much more challenging for me to be in the current of the Western mindset, the pace of our culture in general.  The principal of “Ma” allows for me to find clarity in the stillness.  When I allow this space, the Tao quietly begins to quietly flow through.  

My intentional decision to move to Japan for a year is very much a metaphor for “Ma", taking a year of space in between the chapters of my life to allow for “the way” to come through, what is meant to come through for me from the empty space.

Read more about “Ma" (間) or the love of emptiness here: https://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/ma-or-the-love-of-emptiness/