To be or not to be, that is the question
Alain de Halleux has published a video with Yoshigasaki Sensei under this title, just some 11 minutes long. The recording presumably dates back to the 1990s.
Here is the link to the video on YT.
The following text presents the key messages along with some photos from the video.
ONE. What is one? What is in my hand? Yes, one pen. Now, what is there? Nothing, no pen. If one does not exist it's ZERO.
And this is translated into English "To be or not to be. That is the question".
Computer work 1 or 0. This concept is very old.
If it is one, it is not zero. If it isn'nt zero it is one. And clearly for material, this concept works very well. I have one guilder, I spend it, now how many guilder I have? Zero guilder.
Shall we apply this concept for our mind or not. That is the question.
This you know, when you go at the atoms, electrons, very small particles, then this concept doesn't apply anymore, but that is specialists' work. For us doesn't matter.
But now how about our mind ? That's the question.
(Yoshigasaki Sensei calls an Aikidoka in front. She shall point at a certain person).
So, you point at this man. This is the man I mean. I mean him. So that is one mind.
Then, when this "one mind" is there, this doesn't move (does a Ki test at her arm towards her shoulder) and also ... (pushes sideways, arm moves) ...
No, him, not him ... (does again a Ki test). Yes this, this means "one mind".
Here, this one, not the other one. So, try here. And when I push the arm out (sideways) it comes immediately back.
So, this is ONE.
Now this ONE disappears. Now you want to talk about other things. (lets the arm hang). Now here this becomes ZERO (lifts the arm upwards).
So, when ONE disappears, is it ZERO or not? That's the question. If it is material, of course not ONE means ZERO, material. But mind is a bit different. That is Ki in daily life. The question: If ONE disappears is it ZERO or not?
But the the difficulty is that it is sometimes difficult to see your own mind. So let's practise.
Since it is difficult to see your own mind in your daily life we practise here, so that we have some help, some hint, to understand our own mind in the daily life. So that means a Ki test.
That one mind is easy to understand. When your mind is there, it is strong. Mind makes you strong.
This you know, no. If you know what to do. One mind.
Then, when this ONE disappears, body is weak. This is ZERO.
But then, now, there is another state.
When this (pointing to a person) my mind was there. (Lowers the arm) Then my mind is not there anymore.
Then my mind is everywhere. That means "ALL". You must understand this "all mind".
When ONE disappears then ALL remains. That is a relationship. That means, mind never becomes ZERO.
Mind is always there. The difference is, it is all or it is one. This is the difference. Then the difference between all mind and zero mind. Zero is this, completely no power.
All means, close eyes, perceive all. There is nothing interesting. So if there is nothing interesting, mind naturally goes all. Do you see something interesting inside you? There is nothing interesting. When nothing is interesting, really nothing really, mind naturally covers all. Or not?
That is the question of mind in the daily life. But now, she probably perceives all.
Then what is her body ? Then her body is unified. (Does a Ki Test pushing her arm to her shoulder.)
And the difference between this state and the "ONE" state is, it is still strong, but the arm moves freely. There is no resistance. That means "all mind".
(The aikidoka points again at a person.) And now, that's ONE. That is one mind.
Then what about this part (the other arm). Is it zero or not. That is the question.
So, when I do something really, I may forget eating. Now, how many days you forget eating? You may forget eating for some days. But sooner or later you eat.
When you do something really, you forget to go to toilet? Sometimes yes, but for how many hours? You still go to toilet.
That is one. However strong this one is, still the whole body is living. That means, still it is ALL. Not ONE, ALL.
When I walk but pointing at this, this arm does it move with my walking or it doesn't move? That is the question. If it moves, it means it's all. If it doesn't move it means it is one. That is the question for the daily life "which is true?"
But then since I am a teacher I present that "maybe even if it is one it is still all".
And why am I proposing this, because I see that many people unconsciously apply this concept of one and zero. Why ? Because you learned it at school. The school education is based on science, which is based on material principles. That is the big problem. Since you learned material concept I do this mind concept.
And after that Ki practise here, Ki in daily life. That means, is that concept true for my life or not? For MY life. Not YOUR life.
If I want to know if it is true for your life, then I am psychologist or philosopher.
Psychologist or philospher get a concept and see other people or the world and see whether it works or not. That is university work. But here we don't do university work.
I don't know whether it is true for your life. I don't know your life.