Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo In the Bujinkan (Ninjutsu) Dojo we say "Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo" at the beginning and end

of each training session.

he word SHI!IN has four dimensions. he first dimension is a mercifu" heart# e$%ressing "o&e for e&erything. Second is a sincere heart to fo""ow what is right. hird is a attuned heart in tune with the natura" order (ba"ance). 'ast is a dedicated heart# dedicated to a chosen %ath.

H()(*I S+ is the combination of these four e"ements and means great wisdom.

,n"y from great wisdom and a %ure heart can one obtain true en"ightenment# D(I!,*-,# the goa" of a"" great %eo%"e. he en"ightened %erson emits a %owerfu" aura that transcends ignorance and shines fore&er.

here is a warrior &erse that goes# ".hihayafuru kami no oshie wa tokoshie ni tadashiki kokoro mo mamoruran." rans"ated it means# if one does not ha&e a %ure heart# hea&en wi"" ne&er %ermit %"easurab"e times.

he /a%anese character for NIN consists of two %arts or radica"s. he u%%er radica" is ca""ed yaiba which refers to the cutting edge of a b"ade. he "ower radica" can be read either as kokoro or shin# both of which mean heart. he character NIN is a"so used to write NIN (I# which means %erse&erance or %atience# im%"ying the im%ortant thing for a ninja is to be %atient under im%ossib"e circumstances and %erse&ere when he0she cannot find a way to succeed on a mission. his form of thinking# the s%irit of %erse&erance# is ca""ed B+D, S1ISHIN. If one recei&es an insu"t from another# one must be ab"e to endure it without ho"ding a grudge and then discard such fee"ings as anger and jea"ousy.

he essence of NIN2, is a %ure heart. If a warrior %ursues the wrong course using trickery or %"ots# his heart cannot be %ure# and his judgement wi"" a"ways be misguided# ne&er %ermitting an honest course of action. He wi"" fai".

he &erse that is said at the beginning and c"ose of each training session deri&es from the %re34th .entury /a%anese Buddhist 2rayer. It rough"y trans"ates as "may the "ight in our heart bring the awareness of harmony %ercei&ed by s%iritua" awakening# and bring sincerity# "oya"ty and faithfu"ness in what we are achie&ing."

SHI!IN refers to these words as a %hysica" entity and a greeting to the sensation and the harmony %ercei&ed by the heart. Shikin a"so %roduces the great wisdom from the four hearts5 *ercifu" Heart 3 e$%ressing "o&e for e&erything# Sincere Heart 3 to fo""ow what is right# (ttuned Heart 3 to fo""ow the natura" order of things and Dedicated Heart 3 for the chosen %ursuit.

H()(*I S+ refers to the s%iritua" awakening being achie&ed and acts as the boundary between "ife and death6 the "ine on which the ninja used to stand. Haramitsu a"so nurtures sincerity# "oya"ty and faithfu"ness towards a common cause. It a"so he"%s to attain freedom from bearing grudges# %ain# jea"ousy# and bui"ds the re"ationshi% with the student and the wor"d outside the student.

D(I!,*-, refers to the bright energy bringing res%ect and re"iance to yourse"f. It is the bright "ight of "ife showing the student the way in times of darkness# and is de%icted by the cand"e "ighting during the %rayer. Daikomyo can a"so be e$%erienced as the "ight of your heart on the %hysica" %"ane.

7hen asked for a sim%"e e$%"anation of Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo# Dr. *asaaki Hatsumi# Soke e$%"ained the meaning "'et the training be safe and enjoyab"e" so if a student fee"s that for their own %reference that it is easier to say "amen" or "sha"om" etc# then this is just as a%%ro%riate# so "ong as it comes from the heart. Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo is used by most Dojo around the wor"d in a traditiona" way. (fter a""# the art that we study is known as the (rt of Distance# not because of the s%ace we fight in# but because of the thousand years (historica" distance) students ha&e ke%t a"i&e the traditions of the ninja. 'ast +%date5 899939:3;< 7ebmaster