学習
LEARNING
There is a zen saying about learning that states:
“When you go to a house you must go through the gate first; arriving at the gate is an indication that you have arrived at the house. Going through the gate, you enter the house and meet the host. Learning is the gate and not the house. Learning is the gate to attaining the way.”
Learning is not the same as understanding or attainment. Just because one has a bit of new information doesn’t mean one understands it. In the martial arts this seems to be very important as some can confuse the gate for the house. Or they confuse learning as knowing and take the bit of information as understanding.
Taking the gate to be training and the study of a martial art, and the house as understanding and being able to put into practice what one has learned, then meeting the host would be mastery of the art or the way. But in order to meet the host you must first walk through the gate and enter the house.
There are no short cuts to mastery, you must go through the gate, enter the house, and meet the host there is no other way.
The dojo is an environment to learn, its a place to make mistakes and pick yourself up if you fall. Learning takes time, there is no need to rush to the end. How you handle failure and mistakes is the most important aspect to training. Just keep improving and one day you could achieve mastery of various skills inside and outside of the dojo.
