The monk who lives among us
The monk who lives among us | By Ze'ev Erlich Here is a nice Japanese proverb I found recently. It reminded me of something nice I read in recent interview with an Aikido master called Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei who is 8th dan, and was a direct disciple of the founder of Aikido. The proverb is: 大隠は市に隠る Tai-in wa ichi ni kakru "A great sage lives in a town" Though a hermit may lead a pious life in a cave, in a forest or a lonely mountain, a trully great person, lives in crowded streets and is not affected by his surroundings. He can have a disciplined life in spite of his surroundings. from the book : Japanese Proverbs and Sayings. Yamada Sensei lives and teaches aikido in the very heart of Manhattan (NYC). Here are Yamada Sensei's words concerning the very same idea: "I am not a very spiritual man. I should have followed the lectures of Nakamura sensei, I would probably be deeper. I am not a mysterious person, I try to practice and