Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Metsuke part 1



Metsuke is basically what you are doing with your eyes...the gaze. It is sometimes defined as Eye-to-eye contact without focusing on a single point which permits awareness of the total field of vision.


What the famed duelist and swordsman Miyamoto Musashi had to say in the Book
of Five Rings.....

The Gaze in Strategy

"You eye things in a sweeping, broad fashion. As for the two manners of
seeing things, kan [observing[ and ken [seeing], the eye for kan is strong,
the eye for ken weak; seeing distant things as if they are close at hand and
seeing close things as if they are distant is special to the art of
fighting. Knowing your opponent’s sword and yet not in the least seeing it
[not being distracted by insignificant movements] is important in the art of
fighting. You must study this. The gaze is the same for single combat and
for large-scale strategy.

It is necessary in strategy to be able to look to both sides without moving
the eyeballs. You cannot master this ability quickly. Learn what is written
here; use this gaze in everyday life and do not vary it whatever happens."





The meaning of Metsuke is the attachment of the eyes. Continuing the
direction of the glance in a certain direction results in governing one's
energy. Since the glance is not focussed, peripheral perception remains an
available input channel.

Continuation of the glance's direction or visual concentration on a certain
object (eg. the flame of a candle) is utilized in several forms of
meditation.

1 comment:

  1. it may be that the defocused gaze at the distant mountians metsuke also is geared more to the activity of the subconcious mind and particularly the "second brain" aka the gut--which has been found to contain the largest body of nerurotransmitters outside of the brain and spinal cord process--an activity that has been closely linked to intuitive perception

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