I want you to take a moment and imagine…
Imagine a young Japanese man by the name of Morihei Ueshiba, the eventual founder of the martial art Aikido, who has decided to take a walk through his garden to calm his racing heart.
You see he’s just been attacked by a naval officer wielding a big stick.
The young Morihei was surprised by the man’s anger, but with a little skill and grace, he subdued the brute without harming him.
So now he seeks the solace and tranquility of his Japanese maples. Beautiful pink blossoms. Gentle and delicate. A stark contrast to his warrior lifestyle.
He becomes immersed in the beauty of his surroundings. A deep peace begins to flood his mind and body. He can feel something stirring deep within him. The fight he had earlier with that angry man seems like a distant memory compared to the magic he feels within the present moment.
Something amazing starts to happen…
…I felt the universe suddenly quake, and that a golden spirit sprang up from the ground, veiled my body, and changed my body into a golden one. At the same time my body became light. I was able to understand the whispering of the birds, and was clearly aware of the mind of God, the creator of the universe.
At that moment I was enlightened: the source of budo is God’s love – the spirit of loving protection for all beings… Budo is not the felling of an opponent by force; nor is it a tool to lead the world to destruction with arms.
True Budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep the peace of the world, correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings in nature.
Morihei Ueshiba, a deeply spiritual man, has the first of many awakenings that would come to shape his life, hone his passions, and inspire his students.
At first glance you wouldn’t imagine that a man who could toss around a 300 pound lunatic without breaking a sweat would be a person pondering the deeper mysteries of life.
But Morihei Ueshiba was no ordinary man.
Everything that he did came from a place of deeply rooted wisdom and tranquility.
Aikido – The Mystery Within The Name?
Even the name Morihei Ueshiba chose for his martial art is beautiful. The name Aikido alone can lead a person to profound insight.
The word Aikido is created or formed by three separate but beautiful kanji characters:
- Ai means: to join or joining, harmonizing, unifying
- Ki means: spirit, universal life force energy
- Do mean: the way or path
So we can interpret Aikido as, “A path or way of joining, harmonizing and unifying oneself with the Universal Life Force Energy that flows through , surrounds and is within us all.”
Surprised that we can find so much beautiful wisdom within a system of martial arts?
Well this is probably because, as Master Morihei Ueshiba has explained in the past, the true way of the warrior has been lost in confusion:
“The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood. It is not a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek to compete and better one another are making a terrible mistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing a human being can do. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter – it is the Art of Peace, the power of love.” ~ Morihei Ueshiba
The Art Of Peace
Even more interesting is the fact that aside from Aikido training manuals and guides the only other work I can find by this Master combatant is a collection of his sayings entitled “The Art of Peace”.
It’s another little piece of a puzzle that reveals the depths of this mans wisdom.
“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.” ~ Morihei Ueshiba from The Art of Peace
Embracing Freedom & Releasing The Fight
The Aikido philosophy is an interesting one as well:
- To accept the spirit of the universe
- Keep the peace of the world
- Correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings in nature.
Maybe we all can learn something from Master Morihei.
Maybe what he was quietly showing us was a way to live our lives. He was gently leading us from fighting to freedom. All we had to do was notice the path he laid out before us.
Work in harmony with life, responding to it with a subtle force, that continually keeps us grounded in the deep peace that lays within each and every one of us.
Be Inspirational!
Ian
Inspiring You To Greatness
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