Muga has many interpretations. Mu is ‘not’ or ‘no.’ Ga is ‘one’s self’ or just ‘a self.’ Therefore, quite literally, it means without self. It can also be translated as selflessness.
In order to understand what I interpreted muga to mean, I had to spend a long time with myself. I think that was the first step to realizing the truth about muga. Once you get to know yourself, you can start taking away all those things related to or concerning yourself. All that’s left, then, is what comes naturally to you, what you do instinctually.
Muga is only experienced in a moment. It never lasts more than that because things done instinctually are just spur of the moment. Eventually you begin thinking again and then it is no longer not about yourself.
Certainly muga is about thinking about others and doing things for others. They are simple things like helping someone pick up something he dropped or holding the door for the people behind you. If you do something enough times, you will eventually do it without thinking or without having to be told to do it. It will come and pass before you realize you’ve done it and in that moment, you experience ichi go ichi e.
Muga is about ma. It’s about knowing when and when not to give or take space. Allowing people to breathe is also thinking about them.
Muga is about wabi-sabi. Since it’s natural and instinctive, it is also simple and beautiful.
Muga is about the various senses. We come to appreciate the senses through cooking but that is only when we are concentrating on the cooking and preparations instead of on ourselves. So, when we forget about ourselves, we see more, feel more, taste more, hear more, and smell more.
Muga is about the awareness that you achieve. As a participant in the tea ceremony, you are thinking and looking at everything else. It is only when you remove your self from the moment that you are able to concentrate on the details of the tea ceremony.
Muga, therefore, is both being without self and being selfless. It is both having presence of mind and letting your instincts take control.
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As a class, we folded 100 cranes for the Peace Park in Japan. The crane is a pretty difficult one to do with thick paper since there is a lot of folding required (and I can never get the beaks right).
