Italian group during a lecture of Sakiyama Roshi after Zazen at Kozenji
written by Sensei Paolo Spongia
When Higaonna Sensei came to Rome, on February 1997, we talked a lot about the Zen practice we both share, and his link with martial arts. Sensei talked about the octogenarian Zen Rinzai monk, Sensei Sogen Sakiyama: as a young man, he had been an apprentice of Chojun Miyagi and he was now his Zen Master and Master of the founder of Matsubayashi Ryu, Soshin Nagamine.
Higaonna Sensei promised me that, once in Okinawa, I would have the chance to meet him and even practise together.
So it was: the day after our arrival in Naha, Higaonna Sensei gave notice to Sakiyama Sogen Roshi that six italian karatekas (5 students of mine and I) would meet him in his temple the day after, in order to practise with him.
The following afternoon we reached the small temple of Kozenji, which is in Shuri, near the famous castle, and we joined the practice of Zazen in the dojo. After two sessions of sitting meditation (or better, "contemplation"), with walking meditation (Kin Hin) in between, Sakiyama Roshi invited us to his room and served us green tea with cakes.
Helped by an English-speaking student of him, he asked us many questions about our Zen and Karate practice; at first he seemed somewhat suspicious, probably because he feared we were just westerners in search of an exotic souvenir: but listening to our answers and questions he soon realised that we were sincere in our practice, and grew enthusiastic when he learned that in Italy we practice Zen Soto in its purest traditional form, in accordance with the teachings of the Master of Fudenji Temple, heir of Deshimaru Roshi and Kodo Sawaki Roshi’s Dharma, the Revered Taiten Guareschi.
The atmosphere was homely, and the master invited us to come again in the following days to practice Zen early in the morning, and then to stay and receive his teaching. He had his English-speaking pupil take us back to the hotel: on the way, the pupil told us what an extraordinary sort of person Roshi was, and how honoured he was in Okinawa. He said that in Japan and Okinawa, Zen monks, many of whom are married, have established a business by celebrating burial rites for payment, whereas Sakiyama Roshi doesn’t care about money: he only officiates burial rites for his pupils and their families, and he lives alone in the little dojo of Kozenji, devoting himself entirely to Zazen.
What follows is an attempt to gather together and summarise Sakiyama Roshi’s teaching and his answers to our questions (I thank also Sensei Sydney Leijenhorst who came with us in our last meet with Roshi and gave me some notes he took about the lecture of that day).
Italian group during a lecture of Sakiyama Roshi after
Zazen at Kozenji
Sometimes Roshi in his lectures has made reference to some concepts expressed in his speech gave in Budo Sai Symposyum so I suggest to read the speech to understand better his words.
Question: Master, how do you reconcile Zen Buddhist compassion with the practice of Karate-do, which is sometimes violent? How do you reconcile the killing Samurai with Zen?
Sakiyama Roshi: Your questions are very beautiful and clever. Few Japanese karatekas ask such interesting questions.
You can struggle to save life, as well as to destroy it. When you fight, you must know why you are fighting your enemy. If you fight only to overcome your enemy you are just like a fighting dog: when you fight to "go beyond", it’s different.
There is a sword which gives life and one which takes it. In the practice of Karate, there is a kind of "practical Karate" (Jisen), where you only train for fighting and self-defence; and then there is a kind of real Karate.
One night, Sensei Chojun Miyagi was walking in a dark lane when he was assaulted by an expert in "practical Karate" and punching; the man tried to seize Chojun Miyagi by the collar and hit him, but Miyagi dodged the stroke, which hit the wall behind, and the assailant was immobilised. If this man had practised real Karate, he would have recognised Chojun Miyagi’s higher level even as he was seizing him, and he would have given up. Every good karateka can feel what the outcome of a fight will be.
One day, the great swordman Yagyu Munnenori summoned his three sons, as he wanted to ascertain which was worthier of becoming his successor: thus he tested them by balancing a big vase upon the entrance door. He called the first son, who opened the door, and when the vase fell down, dodged it and split into two with his sword as fast as the wind. Then he called the second son, who caught the vase as it was falling. When he finally called his third son, the boy felt that something was going to happen before he opened the door: therefore he half-opened the door, saw the vase, took it gently and put it back after going in. The third son was appointed as successor to his father.
In any case, during practice the ratio should be 60% Kata to 40% Kumite. Moveover, teaching should include history, ethics and oral tradition. Chojun Miyagi used to teach both practice and oral tradition, in an equal manner.
With regard to the practice of Zazen Roshi said:
"Zazen is knowing yourself: when you know yourself you can surpass (abandon) yourself and go beyond. To abandon yourself It is not the same from losing some money: I mean that you give up your small ego in order to gain your true self, your great ego."
One of our group was moving during Zazen, and Sakiyama Roshi asked her whether she had any problem. She answered that she had pain in her knees, and he replied:
"Do you have any problems when you practise karate? No? Then you can practise Zazen! During Zazen you must be still, unless you are seriously injured. You must go beyond yourself, and never confuse having care of oneself with an easy-going attitude."
The Zazen posture, as the Master defined it, is dignified, noble, comfortable.
I told the Master that when I was just at the beginning of my Zazen practice, during a meet I confided to a Zen nun that I had a great pain in my knees, and I wondered how much I should endure it, whithout to mortify the flesh. She answered that her spirit was more important than her knees; and her words made their mark on me.
To my story Sakiyama Sogen replied:
"Both are important, the spirit and the knees"
Question: Often the phrase Ken Zen Ichinyo, which literally means "Zen and sword (or Zen and Karate) are one thing", is misunderstood and taken to mean that as Karate and Zen are one thing, then it is enough merely to practise Karate. I believe, on the contrary, that it means that Zen and Karate are complementary.
Sakiyama Roshi replied:
"Very right, Zazen practice expands the effects of karate-do and makes of it a lion’s Karate. Beyond a certain level there is a wide gap between the practices of karatekas who practise Zazen and those who don’t. The two ways part definitively.
Then the Master asked us to perform some Kata Sanchin respiratory techniques while seated, and then, enthusiastic, said:
"When you perform Sanchin your eyes are brighter, they sparkle. Sanchin is a basic kata: there will be a big difference between those who practice only others kata and who practice also Sanchin."
Question: Roshi, we know you have spent some time in the United States: what do you think about the western approach to Zen?
Sakiyama Roshi: Western people are only very seldom sincerely interested in eastern culture; whenever this happens, I am very glad of it.
Question: I think that for western people, the hardest principle to understand and accept is Mushotoku’s: no aim and no profit. What do you think about that?
Sakiyama Roshi: When Bodhidharma arrived in China, he was summoned by King Butei, who had guarded and spread Buddhism as well as built some temples and monasteries. The king asked him: "I have spread Buddhism with a great effort, and I have built temples. What are my merits?" "None", Bodhidharma said. "There is no reward in Zen practice".
Question: Master, didn’t the Samurai practice Zazen in order to fight more powerfully? If so, how do you reconcile this with Mushotoku?
Sakiyama Roshi: The Samurai didn’t practice with the aim of becoming stronger.
The Master commented upon the fact that the local newspapers had emphasised the exhibition tournament of Iri Kumi (Okinawa Goyu-Ryu close combat) which took place during Budo Sai, whereas they attached little importance to the Gasshuku and other important cultural exhibitions connected to it. With reference to this I told him what had happened during the opening ceremony of Budo Sai: a Japanese man dressed in the traditional white kimono introduced himself as a delegate of the Japanese Olympic committee, then offered Sensei Higaonna a certificate and invited him to join the project for including karate in the Olympic games, which he and Kunio Tatsuno had promoted. This unexpected intervention troubled the audience, especially because the man had spoken in quite an aggressive manner.
Then Higaonna Sensei began to speak and declined the offer, with his typical integrity: he explained that his thought and practice are completely opposed to the idea of Olympic karate, and added that the inclusion of karate in the Olympic games would even mark the end of traditional karate-do. Higaonna’s reply was followed by ten minutes of applause from the audience of his students.
After hearing Higaonna Sensei’s words, Sakiyama Sogen seemed full of joy and remarked:
"Higaonna Sensei is very brave. They must have addressed him such a proposal in that very moment with the aim of putting him in a difficult situation. If Higaonna Sensei had accepted the offer, the newspapers would have certainly emphasised that, whereas his refusal has been neglected. Even if thousand of people are against us, we must go straight on our way. Higaonna Sensei is honest, and he lives practice and teaching just as Chojun Miyagi did. You are very lucky to have such a teacher as Morio Higaonna: having a model with such high standards enables you to perceive the lower standards of others."
The Master said that he had had the chance to meet great Masters of karate such as Otsuka, Nakayama, and Yamaguchi in Tokyo.
Question: Do you think that Japanese Goju Ryu is different from Okinawa’s?
Sakiyama Roshi opened his arms wide, one hand towards the sky and the other towards the earth… a very explicit gesture.
Question: Did Sensei Chojun Miyagi practise Zazen?
Sakiyama Roshi: Sensei Miyagi attached the greatest importance to the mental and spiritual features of his art. He exercised his mind constantly. I never saw him practising Zazen in public, but he often retired into his room for a long time and I’m sure he did so to devote himself to meditation.
The day before our departure, we practised Zazen with Sakiyama Roshi for the last time. The farewell was very moving: the old Master said he would miss us, then came with us to the door of Kozenji and warmly said goodbye. We all wish to meet him again as soon as possible; perhaps he will come and see in Italy.
Sensei Spongia with Sakiyama Roshi in front of the Dojo
of Kozenji