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“Hear the soundless sound, and see the formless form. At a glance, read your opponent’s mind, and attain victory without contention.”)
“Your mission on earth is to become a prophet of peace, to teach the world the real meaning of budo (“Way of Martial Valor”).
The purpose of education is to open your spirit.
Material martial arts fixate on physical objects. That kind of martial art is a source of endless contention because it is based on the opposition of two forces. A spiritual martial art views things on a higher level. Its base is love, and it looks at things in their totality. It is formless, and never seeks to make enemies.
The Art of Peace is required, not the Art of War.
In Aikido, we train not to learn how to win; we train to learn to emerge victorious in any situation.
Matter is female, a sword. Spirit is male, a spear. The left foot (leg) is male, and it stands in heaven. The right foot (leg) is female, and it stands on earth. Your body represents the central pillar of creation. The right foot is the base, the left foot responds in unlimited variations. Left represents masakatsu (true victory) and the male principle; right represents agatsu (self-victory) and the female principle; their integration is katsuhayabi (victory right here, right now), the birth of all techniques.
The Art of Peace is the art of learning deeply, the art of knowing oneself.
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.
There is no need to battle with each other—we are all brothers and sisters who should walk the Path together, hand in hand.
When you lose your desire for things that do not matter, you will be free.
Love is like the rays of the sun, shining left, right, up, down, front, back, bathing everything in light.
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 vanquished. The Art of Peace is invincible because it contends with nothing.
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.
An attack is proof that one is out of control.
The essence of training is to bring your opponent completely into your sphere. Then you can stand just where you like.
Each one of us is a miniature universe, a living shrine.
The Art of Peace is the religion that is not a religion; it perfects and completes all religions.
