Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ningenkeisei = To Become Human

Ningenkeisei = To Become Human
Ningenkeisei means to become a human being. Does this imply that we may not already be human? More likely that we do not completely realize or true humanness, or what it is to be truly human, and therefore appear to be more just animal than complete humans.

In kiko the process of Ningenkeisei is called Sho(u)Do(u). In kiko we translate Shodo as the upright path. Of course we begin with the buddhist HaShoDo or the 8 Upright Paths.
1. Sho(u)Ken = Upright View
2. Sho(u)ShiYui = Upright Thought/Thinking/Reflection/Resolve
3. Sho(u)Go = Upright Speech/Sound
4. Sho(u)Go(u) = Upright Action/Activity
5. Sho(u)Myo = Upright Livelihood/Way of living
6. Sho(u)ShoJin = Upright Effort/Striving/Exertion/Diligence
7. Sho(u)Nen = Upright Understanding
8. Sho(u)Jyo = Upright Contemplation

When we call this, 'Sho(u) Shin no Do(u)': The Upright and True Way, we add more practices.
Sho(u)Gaku, for instance, is Upright Study.
Sho(u)Setsu is Upright Exposition.
Sho(u)Kan is Upright Meditation.
Sho(u)Chi is Upright Wisdom/Knowing Reality.

When we call this Ho(u)Do(u), the Way of the Law/Teaching/ the methods increase to 10,000 (or infinity if you like).
Chu(u) Do(u) for instance is the all important middle path from which we often begin and then stretch this path from the middle to include everything; just as we find the middle of ourselves (Tanden) that connects us to our birth, the cosmos and everything else; then as we stretch ourselves from this center to find the depths and heights of our practice to include all that is.

When we naturally follow all 10,000 paths with one step, we call this NinGenKanSei.

No comments:

Post a Comment