My Experience with Sensie Kenji Matsumoto

Sensie Kenji Matsumoto is a real human being. Having sailed across the globe in his boat, he holds experience in many things in life. He is a hack of everything. His technical mind is sharp and his muscles are tight and strong at the age of 70. Above all he is a humble, wise and simple man! I was on a journey with him. I learnt carpentry in his wood workshop in Auroville in 2016-17 . He finds depth and meaning in almost everything in life.  I truly had one of the most magical times of my life and I wish to share this magic with everybody. I have compiled the excerpts from the conversations we had.

Kenji San says, “Most of us are heading straight like robots. We are like, “I want this. Ok, Work work work. Get it! Ok, now I want this. Work work work”, and this goes on and on. We don’t look around. We don’t observe how complex the world around is. Even a blade of grass is so complex. But we live in complete disconnect, running after money, things, people etc.

But sometime in our life, this realization falls, “Ah! Where was I going? That was not real but this, all around me, is real.” Then we transform! We are then, in true connect with everything. Everything is in harmony. Everything is beautiful. It is hard to explain in words but this feeling exists and you can experience it while working with wood.”

09-07-16

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“If your wish is strong, you are already pulling what you want”

17-10-16

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Today, I found my love for wood again. The love which felt very distant, very far away! Love, which existed in the past but had been struggling against the test of time. I felt bound by the image that I am the craftsman of wood, I am its shaper and that this wood piece is only mine.

But today, I am at peace. My master gave me an advice today. He said, “When I was young, a fifteen or sixteen year old boy. It was only in my mind. I used to make boats and airplanes. But it was only in my mind. There was no connection with wood. It was only myself alone who used to be present in front of a material called wood. But when I returned from my sail, my idea of life became different. Previously, my mind was the centre of everything around. But mind is so small no? When I finished my sail around the globe, all this started looking strange. Strange feeling!

I started looking at the tree like myself. There was no difference! Then, I started feeling the connection. I worked in woodworking workshops. There, we 4 carpenters would finish 50 furniture pieces very quickly. That furniture which looks like this and opens from the front like zoop zoop zoop and zoop. I did not like that kind of work. We used to work with fine blades. If one is even slightly bad then they used to throw it away and replace with a new one. My feeling was if I could keep those used blades. Then, I came to India when I was 53. Then, I started, working like this. In old Japanese carpentry, there is this feeling that wood is living like us.”

17-10-16

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Kenji believes in sharing his creations with others instead of selling them.   

He says, “When we work with wood and make something, it feels like we are sharing our creation with others and in return we receive donation in the form of money.”

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When I work with machine, I go inside the machine. I go inside the wood, so that I can catch all that is happening. If there is any distance between me, wood and machine, then a mistake can happen. I go completely inside the both (wood and machine).

10-01-17

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Me: Kenji San, what is wabi-sabi?

Kenji San: I don’t know. I don’t practice wabi-sabi. But, I think when a person is looking at a tree and its trunk and branches look dry and dead but all of a sudden one green stem comes out which gives him hope- that is wabi-sabi”

Me: But it looks like you live a wabi-sabi life…

Kenji San: It is, maybe, in our roots...

 18-07-16

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A real human being

On an island in Japan, there is a mountain, the highest amongst all the mountains on that island. Some men and women go there to live and revitalize life and know the depths of real life. They go there to become real human beings. One day, I and my wife were going around that island in a jeep with our friend. We were crossing a bridge when we spotted a man. He was washing his clothes near a water body. We stopped the jeep and he looked at us. He had a little smile on his face; not laughter but a little smile. At that instant, we recognised that he was a real human being. His face was not like others. No mask! We were sure that he was real! 

18-11-16

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While eating Marie biscuits during our tea break

Kenji San: Marie biscuits are very old. They existed even when I was a child.

Jo (another apprentice with me): I never liked Marie...

Me: Me neither, as a child, because they were barely sweet.

Jo: yea...

Hahaha…

Kenji San: It is because they were less sweet, they last till now.

Me: Kenji San, is it same with other things, other work as in- woodwork?

Kenji San: Yes yes, a little less than enough is just right. Design is egoistic and nobody wants to see other's ego. Therefore, only little is good. Simple design lasts long. What is too much and very gorgeous can be beautiful to look at in the beginning. In such designs, there lies a feeling of ‘wow’ but it is momentary and eventually fades away. What is simple will be loved for long. A little subtle curve on the table top is just good.

17-11-16

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While I was working with a plank of African Mahogany, Kenji San came closer and said, “Sometimes, the spirits in the wood come out and the wood changes colours dramatically.”

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“With wood, there is a feeling… it can’t be explained in words, but sure, there is a feeling. It’s not conversation that you have with wood. Talking is in a straight line. This is more like an experience. It is hard to explain in words but it exists, sure!”

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“Where am I and what is the purpose of my life? That is important.”

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“When you become the work that you are doing, then you are no more a human being but only that work. When you have touched the feet of God, that’s when you become the Master.”

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“In the beginning of my sailing period, I had thoughts of society in me. I thought that I would sail across the globe and come back and tell people about it and make something out of it. But later when I was alone in the Atlantic Ocean, all these thoughts stopped, I stopped writing also (Kenji San maintained his diary every day while sailing except 2 months where he did not write anything). I was alone and something changed. I started to know myself. Earlier, I wanted to become famous and be known by people and win their confidence but later, I realised, winning the confidence of self is what matters. Being good in the eyes of others is dangerous. It's fake! Afterwards, I met another Japanese sailor in the ocean and we talked about our experiences and I came back to normal life. But the centre of me changed permanently. My shaft changed. I got to know about myself.”

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“When I was on the sail, I felt that the horizon and I are one. I am the horizon and the horizon is me.”

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“Nowadays, people are not happy. Happiness does not come to people easily. That’s why I say, it is important to find what you love. When you do what you love, your life becomes happy.”

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“Around 55 years back, when I was around 15, we would make model aeroplanes out of balsa wood; put an alcohol engine in it and fly. It had a wire (not wireless) and there was a control with wire coiled around like a kite. We would fly aeroplanes with friends. We also made radios. If you miss on the detail, then disturbance comes out or the voice would be shaky. Now, it is easy to give away money to get what you want. At that time, to get something, we had to do it ourselves.”

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“Not all can be answered with logic.”

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