Reiho: Respect in Practice - Spiritual Explorers

Japan, a country of timeless wonder and mystery. Our spiritual journey begins. I grew up in the United States where we tend to put the individual first. In Japan, people tend to put others first. And that's evident even in the most finite of manners from the way people hold their bags on the train to the way a shopkeeper will see you to the doorway and then take a very long bow just because you bought a shirt. I feel like there's a lot that I can learn from them. So I'm excited to learn about Japanese manners today. I'm visiting a family that has taught traditional Japanese etiquette, reiho, for 800 years. They've even taught generations of shogun. Hello. Please come in. Thank you. Hello. I'm Ogasawara. Nice to meet you. I'm Bell. Nice to meet you. I'd like to talk to you about the entrance. Please come in. Thank you. The Ogasawara family can trace its lineage back to an ancient samurai clan. Alongside martial arts, they teach traditional etiquette cultivated through daily life. Please sit down. Is it okay if I sit down? I thought the way you sat down was different. Up until now, at work, when you greet people, it's usually 45 degrees. When you want to apologize, it's usually 90 degrees. They've taught us in a very detailed way. What is the traditional etiquette that has been taught for 800 years? We are called the Ogasawara family. We teach reiho. I think it's hard to understand so I'd like to practice the traditional etiquette from now on. Could you show me how you usually bow? I'm a little nervous. Should I look this way? Yes. Thank you. I'd like to show you how the Ogasawara family bows. Let's do it. Go ahead. This is how we do it. I think the angle is a little different, but it's not just that. The movement is the same and when you stop, it's the same. I think it's like that. When we bow, we breathe in and lower our body. Then we breathe out and raise our body while breathing in. There is a Japanese word called ikigau. It means that two people move together. At that time, we don't match the timing, but we match the breathing. I often hear the word ikigau, but is it from this tradition? Yes, it is. That's amazing. Even now, everyone is conscious of matching the breath and breathing, but they don't have much chance to realize I realized that the Japanese bow is more than just a greeting. Traditional bowing etiquette is all about synchronizing one's breath with that of your partner. When you are tired and have a bad posture, I don't think you can convey your feelings to your partner. So by doing a bow that matches your breathing, you can convey your feelings to your partner Let's try it. How was it? Did you feel good? No, I was a little worried. I forgot to breathe. I kept breathing. If you do it while thinking about it, you'll get stuck. It's difficult. It's getting better than before. In other words, if you always your breathing, you can always convey your feelings. Reiho also covers how to stand in a way that allows you to breathe properly. The most important thing is balance. Let's do it. Put your feet in parallel. The inside and the outside are parallel. This time, your ears should be right above your shoulders. Also, your back should be slightly bent. The palm of your hand should be a little tight. By doing so, the center of gravity is applied If you can stand like this, you can breathe naturally and slowly. You can breathe naturally. If you bow in that state, naturally, you can breathe naturally and slowly. It's a little tiring because I feel like I'm putting strength in many places Sitting on the floor has been part of Japanese culture since ancient times. This daily action is also practiced as part of Reiho training. In Ogasawara-ryu, when you sit down, it is said that the stone sinks into the water and the smoke rises when you stand up. Now, I'm going to show you how to do it. Go ahead. When there is water and you put a stone in it, the stone falls at a constant speed. Stand up. When you stand up, the smoke rises in the air. You want to make a reaction, but it rises at a constant speed. Go straight down. Bend your knees. You're leaning forward. Go straight down. Put your hips on your heels. Move your body back and forth. Now, let's do it while breathing. Breathe in and sit down. Breathe out. Breathe in and stand up. It's pretty fast. You can get down at once, but it's important a steady angle and control of your body. Maintaining proper body alignment while sitting and standing up slowly and steadily, synchronizing your movement with natural breathing. This reiho is practiced again and again to maintain peace of mind. Formal sitting posture is another part of reiho. It's important to keep your body It's like putting a piece of paper between your legs. I see. I need a sense of balance. Then, you can move at any time. If you take a break, you can't move no matter what happens. Why is it important to be able to move at any time? We are the house of the Buke, so we need to be able to respond at any time. Of course, there is a battle, but in everyday life, sometimes you have to help someone or you have to respond to something. This is a living body. You should always use your body in a living way. I found that just one bow or one way of sitting is not really a gesture in Japan. It's about maintaining who you are and your base. At the same time, being able to, on top of that, be considerate for others around you. Many students attend the training sessions of the Ogasawara School of Reiho. How do you show respect to others? Can you tell us how you do that? I think it's very important in everyday life. First of all, you need to adjust your breathing and the axis of your body so that you can grasp yourself firmly. You need to feel the other person's breathing and adjust yourself to adjust yourself to the other person. Another important thing about bowing is that you need to feel the distance between you and the other person. This is important. First, you need to see what happens when you are in the same position as the other person. You need to walk a little closer to each other. Next, you need to see what happens when you are in the same position as the other person. I think the distance between you and the other person is a little far. In ancient times, samurai used to hold swords. So, it's safer to keep a certain distance between you and the other person. I see. In other words, the distance between you and the other person is important. The distance between you is important, not the angle. How does one gauge the suitable distance, or maai, that reflects the relationship between two parties? It's difficult. In ancient times, samurai practiced martial arts in order to gauge the suitable distance. In traditional martial arts, an opponent's form and posture tell you what kind of person you are up against. This is what allows you to gauge the suitable maai. If you make a mistake, you will be killed in a real fight. In other words, you will die. You will find out whether you can survive or die. The moment two parties meet and greet, they start to gauge the distance they should take. The distance between you has changed drastically. The distance between you and the other person has changed drastically in your life. You are definitely different. So, there is no absolute right answer. This is what you need to make the most of your everyday life. Now, let's practice making tea. This is the basic of reiho. Let's begin. In reiho training, the person serving tea gauges the recipient's stature to determine the suitable distance at which to present the tea. You are holding a vessel. If the vessel comes close to your head, you are afraid that you might fall. So, it is important the suitable distance at which to present the tea. It doesn't matter if the distance is too close or too far. In our case, it is more important the distance at which to present the tea. I can feel how practicing being the recipient made me more aware of the mai between myself and the server. This time, the server is much taller. How did you feel? Well, even though we are in the same position, he is much taller than me. So, I felt a lot of pressure because When serving tea, it is difficult to tell between yourself and the other person. So, it is important to know what you look like and what you are like to the other person and the distance between you and the other person. It is difficult just to hold the vessel. It is difficult just to hold the vessel. How did you feel I felt I was pushed out I am not fully aware I can't see the other person If I come closer, I may look down If you can walk and breathe and walk you can keep yourself I think I was the smoothest I think so too I feel the distance was appropriate I feel the distance was appropriate This time, I was fully aware of my breathing rhythm This time, I was fully aware of my breathing rhythm I was aware of my breathing rhythm The practice of Reiho is something that continues throughout one's life. I think it's about half a step. If it's one step, it's too far. Reiho is about getting to know yourself first. That's why we practice how to stand, how to walk, and how to use our body in a basic way. We also practice how to bow. I think we've practiced that as well. As a result of understanding ourselves, we learn what our own existence is, and what it means to the other person. It's a very meaningful practice. It's about understanding yourself. It's completely different from the image. I came into today thinking that Japanese manners were all about putting others first. But experiencing all of the different original Reiho that I did today, I found that the core is more about how you hold yourself and keep yourself. Reiho is really a way of living as an entirety. It's really about how one lives their life.