軸装いたします
“Japanese Spirit”
Japan boasts a rich spiritual culture
The prime example of which is Dō, “the Way”
Appearing in Shintō*, Kadō (flower arrangement)
Sadō (tea ceremony), Shodō (calligraphy), and Bushidō
Dō is a process leading to Universal truth
It starts with kata: style
While attaining a skill, understand its truth
To be recognized as a great master of any craft
One must have skill, a noble personality
And a mind that always seeks to improve
Dō has no completion
Place value on unfinished beauty
And find within it wabi-sabi:
Simplicity and imperfection
The aim of skill is to master a technique
While Dō is the pursuit of skill and spirituality
This is the way of a consummate being
Dō’s secret principle, which opens the door to any endeavor,
Is to be honest, steady, and disciplined
And to feel others’ joy as if it were your own
Take care in your actions to improve your human nature
It is not a religious commandment
It is the Japanese spirit
*Translator’s note: the second kanji in Shintō ( 道 ) is often pronounced doh in other words, such as Bushidō, but in this instance, the soft ‘d’ has been replaced with a clearer, sharper ‘t’.
「日本の精神」
日本には誇るべき精神文化がある
その最たるものが「道」だろう
神道、華道、茶道、書道、武士道
道とは普遍的真理に至るプロセス
「形」から始まり
技を極める中で真理を会得する
尊敬される師と認められるには
技はもちろん、人格が優れている事
そして求道心を持続させている事
道に完成はない
未完の美に価値を置く
侘び寂びの中にそれを見出す
術は技の完成を目指すが
道は技と精神の追求を目指す
まさしく人間完成の道
道の極意はどんな仕事にも通ずる
素直で実直で鍛錬を怠らない
相手の歓びを我が歓びとする
宗教的戒律ではなく
己が己を戒め人間性を高める
それこそが日本の精神なのだ