Foundation Program

The Academy’s Foundation Program is to penetrate through all habits to realize one’s true self nature where All Ways are One.  The Foundation Program is guided by the Chozen-ji Canon and implements Chozen-ji Zen.  Six elements comprise the Foundation Program and are inseparably connected.

1. Kiai (concentrated spiritual energy) is of the utmost importance.  Kiai is the coming together of yin and yang where the Japanese character “ki” can be translated as energy and the character “ai” can be translated as coming together.

2. Shin Ki Ryoku Ittchi (mind, energy, and body in oneness). Practicing and developing the oneness of mind, body and energy leads to a fuller awareness of the self to where one sees that there can be no separation between mind and body.

3. Take away all habits is to cut the center of one’s being or to center oneness.

4. Munen muso (no thinking, no thought).  When there is no thought, non-ego or no self, the movements become natural to where there is no split between thinking and action and one is free to accord the myriad changes of life.

5. Stand in the middle (transcend all dualism).

6. Bokki (the ki or energy of the ink).  Bokki study helps to develop kan (the eye to se one’s spiritual development) and myo (the ability to use the working aspects of one’s spiritual development in one’s art).

All the activities of the Academy are based on a Foundation Program which is designed to help people penetrate through all habits to realize their true self nature where All Ways are One.