“When you bow deeply to the universe, it bows back; when you call out the name of God, it echoes inside you.”
The real way of the warrior is based on compassion, wisdom, fearlessness, and love of nature. So taught the great Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969), founder of the Japanese martial art of Aikido.
Aikido is a discipline Ueshiba called the “Art of Peace.” It offers a nonviolent way to victory in the face of conflict, and he believed that Aikido principles could be applied to all the challenges we face in life—in personal and business relationships, as well as in our interactions with society. These succinct and pithy teachings are drawn from his talks and writings. The collection is compiled by the renowned modern Aikidoist John Stevens, a disciple of Ueshiba. [From: Amazon.com]
“As soon as you concern yourself with the “good” and “bad” of your fellows, you create an opening in your heart for maliciousness to enter. Testing, competing with, and criticizing others weakens and defeats you.”
The inspirational teachings in this collection show that the real way of the warrior is based on compassion, wisdom, fearlessness, and love of nature. The teachings are drawn from the talks and writings of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of the popular Japanese martial art of Aikido, a mind-body discipline he called the “Art of Peace,” which offers a nonviolent way to victory in the face of conflict. Ueshiba believed that Aikido principles could be applied to all the challenges we face in life?in personal relationships, as we interact with society, and at work and in business.
This edition is a much-expanded version of the original miniature edition that appeared in the Shambhala Pocket Classics series. It features a wealth of new material, including a biography of Ueshiba; an essay by John Stevens that presents Ueshiba’s views on “The Art of War versus the Art of Peace”; newly translated doka, didactic “poems of the Way”; and Ueshiba’s own calligraphies. [From: Powells.com]
“In the art of peace, a single cut of the sword summons up the wondrous powers of the universe.
That one sword links the past, present, and future; it absorbs the universe.
Time and space disappear.
All of creation, from the distant past to the present moment, lives in the sword.
All human existence flourishes right here in the sword you hold in your hands.
You are now prepared for anything that may arise.”
Practice of the Art of Peace enables you to rise above praise or blame, and it frees you from attachment to this and that.
Inner principles give coherence to things; the Art of Peace is a method of uncovering those principles.
A good mixture is 70 percent faith and 30 percent science. Faith in the Art of Peace will allow you to understand the intricacies of modern science.
Conflict between material and spiritual science creates physical and mental exhaustion, but when matter and spirit are harmonized, all stress and fatigue disappear.
If you have not
Linked yourself
To true emptiness,
You will never understand
The Art of Peace.
Your heart is full of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout. Just as a lotus flower springs from the mire to bloom splendidly, the interaction of the cosmic breath causes the flower of the spirit to bloom and bear fruit in this world.
Every sturdy tree that towers over human beings owes it’s existence to a deeply rooted core.
To practice properly the Art of Peace, you must:
-calm the spirit and return to the source.
-Cleanse the body and spirit by removing all malice, selfishness, and desire.
-Be grateful for the gifts received from the universe, your family, Mother Nature, and your fellow human beings.
Large does not always defeat little.
Little can become large by constant building;
Large can become little by falling apart.
Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.
The Way of a Warrior
Cannot be encompassed
By words or in letters:
Grasp the essence
And move toward realization!
The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit.
Instructors can impart a fraction of the teaching. It is through your own devoted practice that the mysteries of the Art of Peace are brought to life.
The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love, and sincerity; The heart of martial valor is true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship. Emphasis on the physical aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited.
There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.
The Art of Peace is not an object that anyone possesses, nor is it something you can give to another. You must understand the Art of Peace from within, and express it in your own words.
The totally awakened warrior can freely utilize all elements contained in Heaven and Earth. The true warrior learns how to correctly perceive the activity of the universe and how to transform martial techniques into vehicles of purity, goodness, and beauty. A warriors mind and body must be permeated with enlightened wisdom and deep calm.
The Art of Peace is medicine for a sick world. We want to cure the world of the sickness of violence malcontent, and discord-this is the Way of Harmony. There is evil and disorder in the world because people have forgotten that all things emanate from one source. Return to that source and leave behind all self-centered thoughts, petty desires, and anger. Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.
Practice of the Art of Peace is an act of faith, a belief in the ultimate power of purification and faith in the power of life itself. It is not a type of rigid discipline or empty asceticism. It is a path that follows natural principles, principles that must be applied to daily living. The Art of Peace should be practiced from the time you rise to greet the morning to the time you retire at night.
The Art of Peace emanated from the Divine Form and the Divine Heart of existence; it reflects the true, good, beautiful, and absolute nature of creation and the essence of it’s ultimate grand design. The purpose of the Art of Peace is to fashion sincere human beings; a sincere human being is one who has unified body and spirit, one who is free of hesitation or doubt, and one who understands the power of words. [From: 1martialart.wordpress.com]
“To injure an opponent is to injure yourself.
To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.”
“You do not have to be an Aikido practitioner or martial artist to appreciate the inspiring messages presented in Ueshiba’s words. Ueshiba believed that the real way of the warrior is based on the compassion, wisdom, fearlessness, and love of nature, and thus his teachings are not strictly for the warrior, they are for the human race. [A Review from the Publisher on Barnesandnoble.com]
“The penetrating brilliance of swords
Wielded by followers of the Way
Strikes at the evil enemy
Lurking deep within
Their own souls and bodies.”
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