Dohyo
What is Dohyo?
A "dohyo" is the ring or platform where sumo wrestling matches take place. It is typically made of a special kind of clay and covered with a layer of sand. The dohyo is circular and has a diameter of about 4.55 meters (approximately 15 feet). The boundaries of the ring are marked by rice-straw bales that are buried in the clay. The dohyo is considered a sacred space, and various rituals are performed to purify it before matches. Sumo wrestlers, or rikishi, compete within this ring, and the objective is to force the opponent out of the ring or to make any part of their body other than the soles of their feet touch the ground.
Related Article: Sumo Wrestling: The Traditional Japanese Combat Sport
We human beings choose to see things as we wish . Few people seem to believe this, though. We decide to be jealous, or angry, or depressed, or happy, or bored, and these choices are often based on our biased interpretations of the thoughts of others. It is amazing how much psychological control many people relinquish to others. If we think that someone else disapproves of us, we are worried. If we think that someone else is pleased with us, we are happy. If we think that someone else holds views contrary to our own, we are insulted. If we think that someone else is contemptuous of us, we are angry. With all these others determining how we feel, it is sometimes difficult to find the actual self.
Stephen K. Hayes