One of the monochrome paintings he produced later in life "The Shrike" expresses his ultimate teaching of swordsmanship, namely, "the myriad principles are all of the Void." The insect that can be seen roughly in the middle of the painting, crawling up the branch of the withered tree, provides us with a hint of the meaning of swordsmanship hidden within the work.
Ono interprets the painting as such: The Shrike is waiting for the fish in the pond. She could shake the dead branch to make the insect fall into the water which will entice fish to come out and eat the bug. Before then, the insect has eaten up all the leaves of the tree which was transformed into a dead tree. The shrike could catch the fish, and strike her catch to the other pointed branch to kill it.
Thus: Fish kills worm; worm kills tree; shrike kills fish...; The unseen kills shrike; new trees grow around the dead tree; Shrike, fish, worm, dead trees all turn into fertilizer to grow the new tree. Such is a cycle of life..
Tonight I went to JICC to hear a talk and martial art performance given by Yotaro Ono. The topic is "The Warrior's Garden: The Essence of Miyamoto Musashi's Zen and Sword". The garden is an expression of the enlightened mind of Miyamoto Musahsi, the great swordsman who lived four hundred years ago. The garden relates the state of Musashi's body, intent, and mind during combat. His body, like a rock, is unmoving. His intent is constantly streaming, like the water flowing off the rock. It is represented by the unceasing flow of a river on a cold winter night. His mind is like the full moon reflected on the river, polished and refined like a mirror without blemish.
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