Environment - Cause and Effect (2)

To continue on this idea of Environment... When we do any kiko we must be aware of our center, we call this Tanzen (or in the more common pronunciation tanden). From there we use the air to fill ourselves up which aligns the bones. This bone alignment creates the environment to relax without collapsing. With the bone alignment in place we can continue to expand without fear.

For the external spaces... we clean from the center first, the entrance next, and then the exit and find a place for the refuse. I like it when different aspects carry the same principles (there are always exceptions of course but basically they match up).

So we begin within ourselves (the very center or our universe) and then while always keeping our center work our way out to include everything and then bring everything back to us to find that we were all conjoined to start with. How cool is that?

Environment - Cause and Effect

For a certain effect to occur we need certain conditions. In our tradition, one of the most important awareness we develop is of the environment beging created.

Everything we think, say, and do interacts with everything and everyone else. This interaction creates an environment. The environment is either conducive to or not conducive to certain conditions.

We always begin with an inside out approach. So the first environment is our own internal one, and using this to settle the root of our practice. But since it's not really separate, is it? So we extend this awareness out as far as our current consciousness will go to include the entire cosmos. We call this Ten-Jin-Chi or Heaven-Person-Earth; with the person being in the middle and the link between the other two (that's not two, of course).

The center of the space is next. Sometimes this refers to the actual physical center and other times it refers to the Sacred Center; and these are often the same place too.

Next is the entrance and the approach to that entrance. We like this to be varied and meandering, so the energy proceeds in a nice mellow manner... ebbing and flowing like a gentle breeze that drifts along picking up a few dried leaves as it goes.

There needs to be an exit. Where this exit is, and how it is used, is very important. Of course a place for the refuse is needed to.

Then we take care of everything thing else we can find, searching for the last place of awareness, anything we may have missed.

Eventually time runs out and we begin again...

Universal Law

Kiko is based on Universal Laws (HoDo). Hodo is made up of two kanji. The first, Ho(u), refers to many things depending on how it is used. But in this case we mean Universal Law or Natural Law. The Do(u) is the same as any Japanese Art; do(u) refers to the Chinese Tao and tells us that this is a way, method, or path to balance our world's energies known as InYo or Shadow Sunshine.

In Shingon this idea of InYo 'Shadow Sunshine', like HoDo, also has many meanings depending on how it is used (this happens a lot when there are both (kenkyo)exoteric and (mikkyo) esoteric interpretations and practices. Also different lineages passed down different aspects, depending on what was needed and what was understood by those involved). But for kiko we are primarily talking about the interplay between opposites. In the movements we combine up down, left right, front back, in out, etc.
FuSui or wind water comes in to play, as well. FuSui deals with the flow of energy in the world and how we interact with our environment. Even we, as human beings are mostly made of air and water, we are very porous creatures. In the exoteric practice of FuSui it can be a kind of geomancy, which tells us where to place things in our homes and yards. In it's esoteric form it begins from within the very core of the 'central' individual and grows outward to include the entire cosmos.

FuSui deals with the 5 elements of Shingon (the exoteric school uses 5, the esoteric teaching has a 6th)(these include: Earth, Water, Fire, & Wind; the other two vary again according to how they are being used, but they deal with the relationship between humans, our thoughts, and Heaven / Spirit / other than man and earth stuff) that doesn't fit into an English translation (or words at all for that matter) very well. FuSui also deals with the cardinal directions, and it also works with the Sun, Moons, Stars and Planets.