Haiku for the Lost One Who Remains Here
Grieve not because he is gone; rather, celebrate that he was here.
I humbly offer today’s haiku – one of two parts. This post and the next contain seven haiku that I wrote after the death of my beloved teacher, Zenko N. Okimura, Shihan*, who left us on 7 March this year, after a short confrontation with pancreatic cancer. He descended from a samurai clan dating back to the sixteenth century – perhaps older. He left behind a worldwide federation of dojos. He accumulated 6 decades of practicing and teaching Aikido, and he achieved a seventh-degree black belt** and fifty years of service as a Buddhist priest. A singular teacher who lived a remarkable life.
I wrote these seven haiku that were read at his Memorial last month. I could not read them myself as I was in hospital; however, a fellow chief instructor stepped up and read all seven to those attending. Today, I show you four of seven. Next week, I will share the other three. Though the subject is about a man, the poet is female. That would be me.
As you know, the most common haiku form is written in the traditional 5-7-5, three-line structure which is the structure of the seven haiku. The haiku are interrelated, yet each separately celebrates this beloved teacher, keishi (samurai lineage holder), and priest of the Buddha’s teachings.
The heart of the poems is an expression of love and respect for Zenko Okimura.
*“Shihan” is an earned title that means “master teacher.”
** I am a third degree (sandan) black belt.
In Honor of Rev. Zenko N. Okimura Shihan
Aikido Northwest Minnesota
Stenzel Sensei
None of us knows when
the last hunt will come, our swords
beneath our pillows
unrippled koi pond
shuffling feet in unison
chins bob near our chests
none of us deserves
such a teacher; but we try
one-winged dragonflies
Cherry blossoms fall
blessed Katana bows beneath
One dewdrop on steel
Background
Healthy teacher-student relationships have a long history. Jesus Christ and his Disciples. Socrates – Plato. Plato – Aristotle. Anne Sullivan – Helen Keller. And the hundreds of exemplary partnerships that go unheralded, without fame. Notoriety, of course, is no test of relationship.
To pay honor and to perform my duty, below I give a brief profile of Okimura Shihan’s three life paths: samurai lineage, Buddhist priest, and seventh-degree dan rank.
Okimura Shihan’s ancestors were samurai***, and in addition to practicing martial arts, the samurai code (bushido) featured prominently in his life. Bushido’s core is a set of virtues (values) chosen by each clan from a small pool of possible choices. Premiere among the virtues are honor and duty. Others include propriety/proper behavior, wisdom, courage, and benevolence. When Okimura turned fifteen, he became the lineage holder (keishi) for his family in a ceremony called genpuku. The three-hundred-year-old katana was passed to him along with other artifacts. All this meant that he was responsible for being true to the family virtues, to serve as a model for others, and to guard the family heritage.
Rev. Zenko Okimura followed in another family lineage: the Buddhist priesthood. He studied and was ordained at the prestigious Koyasan Monastery in Wakayama Prefecture. He was then assigned to Iwakuni City’s temple, and later to mission congregations in Hawaii.
Aikido is known as “the way of peace.” It is a Japanese martial art that uses only defensive techniques. In other words, an attack must occur before an Aikido technique can be used; no aggressive kicking or punching. This in itself defines the relationship between attacker (uke) and the one who is attacked (nage). In Aikido, teacher-student relationships are quite structured with prescribed protocol for interactions. Deep, and even loving partnership can evolve, for example following the principle of nage’s responsibility to care for uke. Such partnerships often last decades, with decorum and propriety never sacrificed.
The most important teacher-student relationships in Aikido are Sensei (teacher) as well as the etiquette of addressing a dojo’ chief instructor by last name followed by sensei. For example, in Aikido circles, I am addressed as Stenzel Sensei. Belt ranks also matter. The higher the belt (especially dan ranks – black belt) the more deference on the practice mat, and to a lesser extent (but still present) off the mat. Great emphasis is put on junior/senior ranked students. Seniors are expected to mentor juniors; therein, many wonderful student-teacher relationships evolve especially during preparation for rank testing.
Seven years ago, Shihan and I began writing a book about his life and teachings. The book was almost complete when he passed. The title: Tears for the Samurai. ©. It is expected to be available in 2023.
*** After the mid-twentieth century, proving samurai lineage became nearly impossible unless clan/family members had hidden artifacts, documents, weapons, and regalia where they could not be taken by occupying forces during the WWII years. As an example, three million swords were taken and confiscated during this time. The most important reason for the loss of lineage documentation was the mass destruction of records as well as the demilitarization of Japan.
The Okimura family estimates that the heritage katana (long battle sword) has been passed down for about three hundred years.
Exploration 1: What do you think of poetry being read at a memorial/funeral. Would you like this done for you? If so, do you have any poetry in mind?
Exploration 2: Would the essence and meaning of these poems be better expressed in another poetic form?
Exploration 3: Two other facets of the haiku are images and themes from nature, the seasons, and sentient beings such as the crane, frog that assist in reflecting the poem’s meaning. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of haiku is the pivot point wherein the poem unexpectedly changes direction by using juxtaposition of parallel images and meaning. If you wish, see if you can identify any of these in today’s poems.
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