Letter from a friend living in Japan

So far as ki and zen go, I haven't really been actively involved since I have been here. I went along to an Aikido class one time but it was an hour and a half sitting on my knees and I don't have strong knees in the first place.

However, from a purely outsiders view, it seems to me that most Japanese have little more than a superficial knowledge of such topics. They are proud to consider it part of their culture, but have no real practical experience with it, the way say most Australians identify with droving or whipcracking without any really skills to back it up.

Another observation is that there are some Japanese who use ki who are essentially crackpots. I am thinking of the ones who go on TV and try to bend spoons or contact the dead. They mix up the philosophy with show business and use it to hoodwink people. There are also a lot of people who confuse ki and religion and end up taking their followers money. Such cases have made me wary of getting involved with ki on a personal level.

However, I still do practice some of the techniques you taught me for relaxation from time to time.

I think I would be more likely to take it up again if I knew I could trust the teacher.

Replies:

Re:Letter from a friend living in Japan, by Dr. Cody William Miller, 07/18/01 Re:Letter from a friend living in Japan, by Lindsay Smith, 07/19/01 Re:Letter from a friend living in Japan, by Dave Birren, 10/22/02

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