Iwama Uchideshi 2009: Tai Sai

Tai Sai

Tai Sai Festival was a wonderful day. We got there a little bit early to help with the final preparations and saw the Doshu as we walked up the path to the Shibu Dojo. The event itself was a ceramony conducted by Shinto priests, where they took turns to chant different sutras and make offerings to the various shinto deities. And assist the others present on stage to make their offerings. The Doshu his wife and son and other various high ranking Aikido instructors.

Nemoto sensei (and a couple of friends) with his Uchideshi group:

Shinto priests approching the Jinja and making offerings:

The ceramony itself took about an hour (I think), I have the paper with the chants in Hirigana and Kanji which will sets me up with reading homework for the next decade. After the main ceremony the Doshu performed a ~5 minute demonstration, I was quite close to the front (about three people) so I got quite a good view.

We then had lunch, all 1400 people eating together and drinking plenty of sake. Nemoto Sensei sent one of the Uchideshi to secure O Sensei's favorite lunch spot - which was a nice touch. Lots of people came over to say hellp and one of Nemoto Sensei's old Aikido friends joined us and organised a bus to take us all to the karaoke.

The Doshu and his family:

Nemoto Sensei lunch party:

Nemoto sensei does his thing in the Karaoke Bar:

We all had a lovely time and we went home around 10 o'clock, the next days morning training was delayed until 9am rather than the normal 5.30am in consideration of our sake heads.

The Heart Sutra
Maka hannya haramitta shingyo (The Heart Sutra) Kan ji zai bo satsu. Gyo jin han-nya ha ra mi ta ji. Sho ken go on kai ku. Do is-sai ku yaku. Sha ri shi. Shiki fu i ku. Ku fu i shiki. Shiki soku ze ku. Ku soku ze shiki. Ju so gyo shiki. Yaku bu nyo ze. Sha ri shi ze sho ho ku so. Fu sho fu metsu. Fu ku fu jo. Fu zo fu gen. Ze ko ku chu. Mu shiki mu ju so gyo shiki. Mu gen ni bi zes-shin ni. Mu shiki sho ko mi soku ho. Mu gen kai nai shi mu i shiki kai. Mu mu myo yaku mu mu myo jin. Nai shi mu ro shi. Yaku mu ro shi jin. Mu ku shu metsu do. Mu chi yaku mu toku. I mu sho tok-ko. Bo dai sat-ta. E han-nya ha ra mi ta. Ko shin mu ke ge. Mu ke ge ko. Mu u ku fu. On ri is-sai ten do mu so. Ku gyo ne han. San ze sho butsu. E han-nya ha ra mi ta ko. Toku a noku ta ran san myaku san bo dai. Ko chi han-nya ha ra mi ta. Ze dai jin shu. Ze dai myo shu. Ze mu jo shu. Ze mu to do shu. No jo is-sai ku. Shin jitsu fu ko. Ko setsu han-nya ha ra mi ta shu. Soku setsu shu watsu. Gya te gya te. Ha ra gya te. Hara so gya te. Bo ji sowa ka. Han-nya shin gyo.Thanks you for visiting my blog. Hope that it was enjoyable. Ja Mata The Heart Sutra (Maka hannya haramitta shingyo) Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when deeply practicing prajna paramita, clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty and thus relieved all suffering. Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness, emptiness itself form. Sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness are also like this. Shariputra, all dharmas are marked by emptiness, they neither arise nor cease, are neither defiled nor pure, neither increase nor decrease. Therefore, given emptiness, there is no form, no sensation, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind; no realm of sight, no realm of mind consciousness. There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance; neither old age and death, nor extinction of old age and death; no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path; no knowledge and no attainment. With nothing to attain a bodhisattva relies on prajna paramita, and thus the mind is without hindrance. Without hindrance , there is no fear. Far beyond all inverted views, one realises nirvana. All buddhas of past, present and future rely on prajna paramita and thereby attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, know the prajna paramita is the great miraculous mantra, the great bright mantra, the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra, which removes all suffering and is true, not false. Therefore we proclaim the prajna paramita mantra, the mantra that says: Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi svaha!

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