Report: Global Taimyo April 2026 Gathering

by Connie Borden and Tomi Nagai-Rothe

Published: May 17, 2026

“The Great Way is not difficult For those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent Everything becomes clear and undisguised. . . . The Way is perfect like vast space.”

                                                                            Sengcan, third Ch’an patriarch

Inspiration: Effortless Action Connie Borden was inspired by Sengcan’s writing on trust in awareness/mind to set the tone for the Global Taimyo Community’s 2026 gatherings. Taimyo means Great Mystery and is a distillation of the creative experience of Shintaido founder Hiroyuki Aoki. HF Ito founded the Global Taimyo Network to facilitate small changes around the world so that we can find ease in our mind and our lives can shift from a negative direction to a positive one (i.e. ease rather than dis-ease). In 1999, HF Ito wrote about our Shintaido lineage. He included Bodhidharma, considered the first patriarch and founder of Ch’an Buddhism, who taught the Shaolin monks in China to develop physical stamina through what became Kung Fu, in addition to their meditation. Ch’an was pronounced Zen when imported to Japan, and the legacy of the Shaolin monks manifested in Japan through Okinawan Karate – a Shintaido predecessor. We can hear the echo of Shintaido when hearing ‘let everything be as it is’ and ‘move with the wild energy of the Cosmos’ (Wu-wei). Wu-wei is a core Taoist concept translated to “effortless action.” The Sengcan poem expresses the principles of nonduality, grounded in the earth and earthly mysteries.

April 2026 Gathering From 19 April 2026 to 2 May 2026 the Global Taimyo Network gathered over ZOOM to practice Taimyo and to gather in community. Taimyo sessions were offered by 11 individuals from 3 countries: France, United Kingdom, and the USA. With a total of 26 offerings, there were a variety of global times provided to offer participation including from Japan. On the 26^th of April 18 people participated in a two-hour community gathering to discuss the impact of practicing Taimyo on their lives.

Tomi Nagai-Rothe suggested participants read her article: Enacting Ito Sensei’s Legacy  prior to the Global Taimyo gathering. In this article Tomi states:

“On several occasions Ito reminded me that I could teach Shintaido with what is innate and deep – not the surface stuff – using my intention, experience, and imagination in a quiet way. A reminder to cast aside “preferences” as Sengcan says (see below his poem). So, I hope you will consider how the quiet ripples you already make in the world can be part of carrying on Ito’s legacy.”

Connie read this part of the Sengcan poem, Trust in Mind/Trust in Awareness, translated by Richard B. Clarke.

The Great Way is not difficult For those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent Everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction, however, And heaven and earth are set indefinitely apart. If you wish to see the truth, Then hold no opinions for or against anything. To set what you like against what you dislike Is the dis-ease of the mind. When the deep meaning of things is not understood, Then the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail. The Way is perfect like vast space Where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess. Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject That we do not see the true nature of things. Live neither in the entanglements of outer things, Nor in inner feelings of emptiness.

Connie closed with the last line of the poem:

Words, the Way is beyond Language, for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.

  These two questions were asked of GTC attendees: “When have you had an experience of everyday life falling away?” “Is there a part of Taimyo that enhances this type of opening/this type of experience?” We practiced Taimyo to enhance our discussion. Jean Marc Otto Bruc lead Taimyo Part I and Part II. Connie Borden led Taimyo Part III. We then went into small groups to talk about our experience of practicing Taimyo. Some impressions: the state of timelessness brings rejuvenation of energy; being in the timeless state is reality – not the exception, and doing Taimyo brings relaxation so when I am relaxed I can engage with others more openly; maintaining personal practice along with group practice helps in a fuller appreciation of Taimyo Kata. One person shared the differences between an intense experience that is focused like Shoko versus going deep as in Mokuso that expands broadly and outwardly. Another shared that the sound created in Mokuso harmonizes within each of us thereby bringing us to Aikukan, the space of love. Here are some comments from the participants from across the two weeks:

• • Marianne van der Tas (UK) said “ We are so fortunate to have ZOOM to allow us to participate from so many different locations.”
  • Nicole Beauvois (France) “ I would say that Taimyo Kata and Diamond 8 Cuts are a continual support in my daily life and that each time I practice it, it is like coming back to a more original self or part of myself that I did not know. I can see some luminous part but sometimes, I can also see some gray zone in myself and that helps me a lot in my life.  Since the departure of my husband who was also my dear sensei, these two kata have been helping me have a place where I feel good, like a cocoon of peace and softness.”
  • David Palmer (USA) on Reppaku and Saizan  “Moving forward, I felt myself crossing a threshold (of many kinds). Then, stepping back, a sensation of pulling away, a withdrawal inward.”

 

Our second gathering for 2026 is the 20th of September. We hope to see you then! Learn more about the Global Taimyo Community, read articles, watch videos from previous gatherings, and register for upcoming gathering here.