This article came from Sean
Madigan's Big JKD web site. It is one of the many great sites featuring Bruce
Lee's system of Jeet Kune Do. If you are a serious practitioner of the martial arts,
this site is worth a visit.
Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) was history's greatest martial artist. He was the founder
of Aikido, which can be translated as "The Art of Peace." Morihei Ueshiba is referred
to by the practitioners of Aikido as O-Sensei, "The Great Teacher". The following
quotations have been compiled from O-Sensei's collected talks, poems, and calligraphy,
and from oral tradition.
The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in
the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be
trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose
than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. Foster
peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.
One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of
Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.
All things, material and spiritual, originate from one source and are related
as if they were one family. The past, present, and future are all contained in
the life force. The universe emerged and developed from one source, and we evolved
through the optimal process of unification and harmonization.
The Art of Peace is medicine for a sick world. 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.
If you have not
Linked yourself
To true emptiness,
You will never understand
The Art of Peace.
The Art of Peace functions everywhere on earth, in realms ranging from the vastness
of space down to the tiniest plants and animals. The life force is all-pervasive
and its strength boundless. The Art of Peace allows us to perceived and tap into
that tremendous reserve of universal energy.
Eight forces sustain creation:
Movement and stillness,
Solidification and fluidity,
Extension and contraction,
Unification and division.
Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good
as dead. The Art of Peace is a celebration of the bonding of heaven, earth, and
humankind. It is all that is true, good, and beautiful.
Now and again, it is necessary to seclude yourself among deep mountains and
hidden valleys to restore your link to the source of life. Breathe in and let
yourself soar to the ends of the universe; breathe out and bring the cosmos back
inside. Next, breathe up all fecundity and vibrancy of the earth. Finally, blend
the breath of heaven and the breath of earth with your own, becoming the Breath
of Life itself.
All the principles of heaven and earth are living inside you. Life itself is
the truth, and this will never change. Everything in heaven and earth breathes.
Breath is the thread that ties creation together. When the myriad variations in
the universal breath can be sensed, the individual techniques of the Art of Peace
are born.
Consider the ebb and flow of the tide. When waves come to strike the shore,
they crest and fall, creating a sound. your breath should follow the same pattern,
absorbing the entire universe in your belly with each inhalation. Know that we
all have access to four treasures: the energy of the sun and moon, the breath
of heaven, the breath of earth, and the ebb and flow of the tide.
Those who practice the Art of Peace must protect the domain of Mother Nature,
the divine reflection of creation, and keep it lovely and fresh. Warriorship gives
birth to natural beauty. The subtle techniques of a warrior arise as naturally
as the appearance of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Warriorship is none other
than the vitality that sustains all life.
When life is victorious, there is birth; when it is thwarted, there is death.
A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle for Peace.
Contemplate the workings of this world, listen to the words of the wise, and
take all that is good as your own. With this as your base, open your own door
to truth. Do not overlook the truth that is right before you. Study how water
flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also learn from
holy books and wise people. Everything - even mountains, rivers, plants and trees
- should be your teacher.
Create each day anew by clothing yourself with heaven and earth, bathing yourself
with wisdom and love, and placing yourself in the heart of Mother Nature.
Do not fail
To learn from
The pure voice of an
Ever-flowing mountain stream
Splashing over the rocks.
Peace originates with the flow of things - its heart is like the movement of
the wind and waves. The Way is like the veins that circulate blood through our
bodies, following the natural flow of the life force. If you are separated in
the slightest from that divine essence, you are far off the path.
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.
Study the teachings of the pine tree, the bamboo, and the plum blossom. The
pine is evergreen, firmly rooted, and venerable. The bamboo is strong, resilient,
unbreakable. The plum blossom is hardy, fragrant, and elegant.
Always keep your mind as bright and clear as the vast sky, the great ocean,
and the highest peak, empty of all thoughts. Always keep your body filled with
light and heat. Fill yourself with the power of wisdom and enlightenment.
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 weaken and defeat you.
The penetrating brilliance of swords Wielded by followers of the Way Strikes
at the evil enemy Lurking deep within Their own souls and bodies.
The Art of Peace is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil
desires and all falsehood within. on occasion the Voice of Peace resounds like
thunder, jolting human beings out of their stupor.
Crystal clear,
Sharp and bright,
The sacred sword
Allows no opening
For evil to roost.
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 ever-grateful for the gifts received from the universe, your family, Mother
Nature, and your fellow human beings.
The Art of Peace is based on Four Great Virtues: Bravery, Wisdom, Love, and
Friendship, symbolized by Fire, Heaven, Earth, and Water.
The essence of the Art of Peace is to cleanse yourself of maliciousness, to
get in tune with your environment, and to clear your path of all obstacles and
barriers.
The only cure for materialism is the cleansing of the six senses (eyes, ears,
nose, tongue, body, and mind). If the senses are clogged, one's perception is
stifled. The more it is stifled, the more contaminated the senses become. This
creates disorder in the world, and that is the greatest evil of all. Polish the
heart, free the six senses and let them function without obstruction, and your
entire body and soul will glow.
All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love. And the
Art of Peace is the purest form of that principle. A warrior is charged with bringing
a halt to all contention and strife. Universal love functions in many forms; each
manifestation should be allowed free expression. The Art of Peace is true democracy.
Each and every master, regardless of the era or place, heard the call and attained
harmony with heaven and earth. There are many paths leading to the top of Mount
Fuji, but there is only one summit - love.
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.
Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops.
The ideal economy combines the spiritual and the material, and the best commodities
to trade in are sincerity and love.
The Art of Peace does not rely on weapons or brute force to succeed; instead
we put ourselves in tune with the universe, maintain peace in our own realms,
nurture life, and prevent death and destruction. The true meaning of the term
samurai is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.
Foster and polish
The warrior spirit
While serving in the world;
Illuminate the path
According to your inner light.
The Path of Peace is exceedingly vast, reflecting the grand design of the hidden
and manifest worlds. A warrior is a living shrine of the divine, one who serves
that grand purpose.
Your mind should be in harmony with the functioning of the universe; your body
should be in tune with the movement of the universe; body and mind should be bound
as one, unified with the activity of the universe.
Even though our path is completely different from the warrior arts of the past,
it is not necessary to abandon totally the old ways. Absorb venerable traditions
into this Art by clothing them with fresh garmets, and build on the classic styles
to create better forms.
Daily training in the Art of Peace allows you inner divinity to shine brighter
and brighter. Do not concern yourself with the right and wrong of others. Do not
be calculating or act unnaturally. Keep your mind set on the Art of Peace, and
do not criticize other teachers or traditions. The Art of Peace never restrains,
restricts, or shackles anything. It embraces all and purifies everything.
Practice the Art of Peace sincerely, and evil thoughts and deeds will naturally
disappear. The only desire that should remain is the thirst for more and more
training in the Way.
Those who are enlightened never stop forging themselves. The realizations of
such masters cannot be expressed well in words or by theories. The most perfect
actions echo the patterns found in nature.
Day after day
Train your heart out,
Refining your technique:
Use the One to strike the Many!
That is the discipline of the Warrior.
The Way of a Warrior
Cannot be encompassed
By words or in letters:
Grasp the essence
And move on toward realization!
The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish
the spirit.
Iron is full of impurities that weaken it; through forging, it becomes steel
and is transformed into razor-sharp sword. Human beings develop in the same fashion.
From ancient times,
Deep learning and valor
Have been the two pillars of the Path:
Through the virtue of training,
Enlighten both body and soul.
Instructors can impart only 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.
A true warrior is always armed with the three things: the radiant sword of pacification;
the mirror of bravery, wisdom, and friendship; and the precious jewel of enlightenment.
The heart of a human being is no different from the soul of heaven and earth.
In your practice always keep in your thoughts the interaction of heaven and earth,
water and fire, yin and yang.
The Art of Peace is the principle of nonresistance. Because it is nonresistant,
it is victorious from the beginning. Those with evil intentions or contentious
thoughts are instantly vanquished. The Art of Peace is invincible because it contends
with nothing.
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.
To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting
injury is the Art of Peace.
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 warrior's mind and body must be permeated with enlightened wisdom
and deep calm.
Always practice the Art of Peace in a vibrant and joyful manner.
It is necessary to develop a strategy that utilizes all the physical conditions
and elements that are directly at hand. The best strategy relies upon an unlimited
set of responses.
A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.
The key to good technique is to keep your hands, feet, and hips straight and
centered. If you are centered, you can move freely. The physical center is your
belly; if your mind is set there as well, you are assured of victory in any endeavor.
Move like a beam of light:
Fly like lightning,
Strike like thunder,
Whirl in circles around
A stable center.
Techniques employ four qualities that reflect the nature of our world. Depending
on the circumstance, you should be: hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth-flowing
like water, or as empty as space.
If your opponent strikes with fire, counter with water, becoming completely
fluid and free-flowing. Water, by its nature, never collides with or breaks against
anything. On the contrary, it swallows up any attack harmlessly.
Functioning harmoniously together, right and left give birth to all techniques.
The left hand takes hold of life and death; the right hand controls it. The four
limbs of the body are the four pillars of heaven, and manifest the eight directions,
yin and yang, inner and outer.
Manifest yang
In your right hand,
Balance it with
The yin of your left,
And guide your partner.
The techniques of the Art of Peace are neither fast nor slow, nor are they inside
or outside. They transcend time and space.
Spring forth from the Great Earth;
Billow like Great Waves;
Stand like a tree, sit like a rock;
Use One to strike All.
Learn and forget!
When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back,
send him on his way.
The body should be triangular, the mind circular. The triangle represents the
generation of energy and is the most stable physical posture. The circle symbolizes
serenity and perfection, the source of unlimited techniques. The square stands
for solidity, the basis of applied control.
Always try to be in communion with heaven and earth; then the world will appear
in its true light. Self-conceit will vanish, and you can blend with any attack.
If your heart is large enough to envelop your adversaries, you can see right
through them and avoid their attacks. And once you envelop them, you will be able
to guide them along the path indicated to you by heaven and earth.
Free of weakness,
No-mindedly ignore
The sharp attacks
Of your enemies:
Step in and act!
Do not look upon this world with fear and loathing. Bravely face whatever the
gods offer.
Each day of human life contains joy and anger, pain and pleasure, darkness and
light, growth and decay. Each moment is etched with nature's grand design - do
not try to deny or oppose the cosmic order of things.
Protectors of the world
And guardians of the Ways
Of gods and Buddhas,
The techniques of Peace
Enable us to meet every challenge.
Life itself is always a trial. In training, you must test and polish yourself
in order to face the great challenges of life. Transcend the realm of life and
death, and then you will be able to make your way calmly and safely through any
crisis that confronts you.
Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles
is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace.
Failure is the key to success;
Each mistake teaches us something.
In extreme situations, the entire universe becomes our foe; at such critical
times, unity of mind and technique is essential - do not let your heart waver!
At the instant
A warrior
Confronts a foe,
All things
Come into focus.
Even when called out
By a single foe,
Remain on guard,
For you are always surrounded
By a host of enemies.
The Art of Peace is to fulfill that which is lacking.
One should be prepared to receive ninety-nine percent of an enemy's attack and
stare death right in the face in order to illumine the Path.
In our techniques we enter completely into, blend totally with, and control
firmly an attack. Strength resides where one's ki is concentrated and stable;
confusion and maliciousness arise when ki stagnates.
There are two type of ki: ordinary ki and true ki. Ordinary ki is coarse and
heavy; true ki is light and versatile. In order to perform well, you have to liberate
yourself from ordinary ki and permeate your organs with true ki. That is the basis
of powerful technique.
In the Art of Peace we never attack. An attack is proof that one is out of control.
Never run away from any kind of challenge, but do not try to suppress or control
an opponent unnaturally. Let attackers come any way they like and then blend with
them. Never chase after opponents. Redirect each attack and get firmly behind
it.
Seeing me before him,
The enemy attacks,
But by that time
I am already standing
Safely behind him.
When attacked, unify the upper, middle, and lower parts of your body. Enter,
turn, and blend with your opponent, front and back, right and left.
Your spirit is the true shield.
Opponents confront us continually, but actually there is no opponent there.
Enter deeply into an attack and neutralize it as you draw that misdirected force
into your own sphere.
Do not stare into the eyes of your opponent: he may mesmerize you. Do not fix
your gaze on his sword: he may intimidate you. Do not focus on your opponent at
all: he may absorb your energy. The essence of training is to bring your opponent
completely into your sphere. Then you can stand where you like.
Even the most powerful human being has a limited sphere of strength. Draw him
outside of that sphere and into your own, and his strength will dissipate.
Left and right,
Avoid all
Cuts and parries.
Seize your opponents' minds
And scatter them all!
The real Art of Peace is not to sacrifice a single one of your warriors to defeat
an enemy. Vanquish your foes by always keeping yourself in a safe and unassailable
position; then no one will suffer any losses. The Way of a Warrior, the Art of
Politics, is to stop trouble before it starts. It consists in defeating your adversaries
spiritually by making them realize the folly of their actions. The Way of a Warrior
is to establish harmony.
Master the divine techniques
Of the Art of Peace,
And no enemy
Will dare to
Challenge you.
In your training do not be in a hurry, for it takes a minimum of ten years to
master the basics and advance to the first rung. Never think of yourself as an
all-knowing, perfected master; you must continue to train daily with your friends
and students and progress together in the Art of Peace.
Progress comes
To those who
Train and train;
Reliance on secret techniques
Will get you nowhere.
Fiddling with this
And that technique
Is of no avail.
Simply act decisively
Without reserve!
If you perceive the true form of heaven and earth, you will be enlightened to
your own true form. If you are enlightened about a certain principle, you can
put it into practice. After each practical application, reflect on your efforts.
Progress continually like this.
The Art of Peace can be summed up like this: True victory is self-victory; let
that day arrive quickly! "True victory" means unflinching courage; "self-victory"
symbolizes unflagging effort; and "let that day arrive quickly" represents the
glorious moment of triumph in the here and now.
Cast off limiting thoughts and return to true emptiness. Stand in the midst
of the Great Void. This is the secret of the Way of a Warrior.
To truly implement the Art of Peace, you must be able to sport freely in the
manifest, hidden, and divine realms.
If you comprehend
The Art of Peace,
This difficult path,
Just as it is,
Envelops the circle of heaven.
The techniques of the Way of Peace change constantly; every encounter is unique,
and the appropriate response should emerge naturally. Today's techniques will
be different tomorrow. Do not get caught up with the form and appearance of a
challenge. The Art of Peace has no form - it is the study of the spirit.
Ultimately, you must forget about technique. The further you progress, the fewer
teachings there are. The Great Path is really No Path.
The Art of Peace that I practice has room for each of the world's eight million
gods, and I cooperate with them all. The God of Peace is very great and enjoins
all that is divine and enlightened in every land.
The Art of Peace is a form of prayer that generates light and heat. Forget about
your little self, detach yourself from objects, and you will radiate light and
warmth. Light is wisdom; warmth is compassion.
Construction of shrine and temple buildings is not enough. Establish yourself
as a living Buddha image. We all should be transformed into goddesses of compassion
or victorious Buddhas.
Rely on Peace
To activate your
Manifold powers;
Pacify your environment
And create a beautiful world.
The Divine is not something high above us. It is in heaven, it is in earth,
it is inside of us.
Unite yourself to the cosmos, and the thought of transcendence will disappear.
Transcendence belongs to the profane world. When all trace of transcendence vanishes,
the true person - the Divine Being - is manifest. Empty yourself and let the Divine
function.
You cannot see or touch the Divine with your gross senses. The Divine is within
you, not somewhere else. Unite yourself to the Divine, and you will be able to
perceive gods wherever you are, but do not try to grasp or cling to them.
The Divine does not like to be shut up in a building. The Divine likes to be
out in the open. It is right here in this very body. Each one of us is a miniature
universe, a living shrine.
When you bow deeply to the universe, it bows back; when you call out the name
of God, it echoes inside you.
The Art of Peace is the religion that is not a religion; it perfects and completes
all religions.
The Path is exceedingly vast. From ancient times to the present day, even the
greatest sages were unable to perceive and comprehend the entire truth; the explanation
and teachings of masters and saints express only part of the whole. It is not
possible for anyone to speak of such things in their entirety. Just head for the
light and heat, learn from the gods, and through the virtue of devoted practice
of the Art of Peace, become one with the Divine.
The divine beauty
Of heaven and earth!
All creation,
Members of
One family.
Excerpted fromThe Art of Peacetranslated byJohn Stevens.
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