This is the “-dō” in the Japanese martial arts of judo, kendo and aikido, as well as shodo (calligraphy), sado (tea ceremony) and many others. Loosely translated, it means “way”, “route”, “path” or “doctrine”.
Studying a Japanese art is considered similar to taking a journey up a mountain. The summit is the refinement of oneself, and there are many ways to do this. Even though the paths are different, the final destination is the same.
Of course, there are many ways in which to refine oneself. Besides Japanese traditional arts, there are many paths to the top of the mountain. Whatever your activity or business, working at it is an opportunity to increase one’s skills and knowledge. Whatever we do is our own personal path and we can aim to live it fully.
The original of the artwork above is available from my Etsy site here.
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Calligraphy by Vicky 