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The following is from The Art of Peace translated by John Stevens
MORIHEI UESHIBA (1883-1969) was history's greatest martial artist.
Even as an old man of eighty, Morihei could disarm any foe, down any
number of attackers, and pin an opponent with a single finger.
Although invincible as a warrior, Morihei was above all a man of peace who
detested fighting, war, and any kind of violence. His way was
Aikido, which can be translated as "The Art of Peace."
The Art of Peace is an ideal, but it developed in real life on many
fronts. Morihei in his youth served as an infantryman in the
Russo-Japanese War, later battled pirates and bandits during an adventure
in Mongolia, and then, after mastering a number of martial arts, served as
an instructor at Japan's elite military academies. Throughout his
life, however, Morihei was sorely troubled by the contention and strife
that plagued his world: his father's battles with corrupt
politicians and their hired goons, the devastation of war, and the
brutality of his country's military leaders.
Morihei was on a spiritual quest and was transformed by three visions.
The first occurred in 1925, when Morihei was forty-two years old.
After defeating a high-ranking swordsman by avoiding all his cuts and
thrusts (Morihei was unarmed), Morihei went into his garden.
"Suddenly the earth trembled. Golden vapor welled up from the ground
and engulfed me. I felt transformed into a golden image, and my body
seemed as light as a feather. All at once I understood the nature of
creation: the Way of the Warrior is to manifest Divine Love, a
spirit that embraces and nurtures all things. Tears of gratitude and
joy streamed down my cheeks. I saw the entire earth as my home, and
the sun, moon, and stars as my intimate friends. All attachment to
material things vanished."
The second vision took place in December of 1940. "Around two
o'clock in the morning as I was performing ritual purification, I suddenly
forgot every martial art technique I had ever learned. All of the
techniques handed down from my teachers appeared completely anew.
Now they were vehicles for the cultivation of life, knowledge, virtue, and
good sense, not devices to throw and pin people."
The third vision was in 1942, during the worst of the fighting of World War
II and in one of the darkest periods of human history. Morihei had a
vision of the Great Spirit of Peace, a path that could lead to the
elimination of all strife and the reconciliation of humankind. "The
Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood as a means to kill and destroy
others. Those who seek competition are making a grave mistake.
To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst sin a human being can commit.
The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent slaughter--it is the Art of Peace,
the power of love." Morihei secluded himself in the country and
devoted every minute of his life thereafter to refining and spreading
Aikido, the Art of Peace.
Unlike the authors of old-time warrior classics such as The Art of War
and The Book of Five Rings, which accept the inevitability of war
and emphasize cunning strategy as a means to victory, Morihei understood
that continued fighting--with others, with ourselves, and with the
environment--will ruin the earth. "The world will continue to change
dramatically, but fighting and war can destroy us utterly. What we
need now are techniques of harmony, not those of contention. The Art
of Peace is required, not the Art of War." Morihei taught the Art of
Peace as a creative mind-body discipline, as a practical means of handling
aggression, and as a way of life that fosters fearlessness, wisdom, love,
and friendship. He interpreted the Art of Peace in the broadest
possible sense and believed that its principles of reconciliation,
harmony, cooperation, and empathy could be applied bravely to all the
challenges we face in life--in personal relationships, as we interact with
society, at work and in business, when dealing with nature. Everyone
can be a warrior for peace.
Although Aikido originated with Morihei in Japan, it was intended to be a
gift for all humankind. Some have chosen, or will select in the
future, Aikido as their own particular Way, practicing it on the mats and
applying it to their daily lives. Many more have been and will be, I
hope, inspired by the universal message of the Art of Peace and its
implications for our world.
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