Morihei Ueshiba
Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) was history's greatest martial artist. Even
as an old man of eighty, he could disarm any foe, down any number of attackers,
and pin an opponent with a single finger. Although invincible as a warrior,
he 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." Morihei Ueshiba is referred to by the practitioners of Aikido
as O Sensei, "The Great Teacher".
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 acadamies. Throughout his life, however, Morihei was sorely
troubled by the contention and strife that plagued his world: his father's
battles with corrupt politicans 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 a 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 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 inspired by the
universal message of the Art of Peace and its implications for our world.
The divine beauty
Of heaven and earth!
All creation,
Members of
One family.
Excerpted from the Introduction written by John Stevens for The Art of Peace.
A collection of quotes from the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba, the Founder
of Aikido.