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 invencible as a warrior, Morihei was above all
a man of peace who detested fighting, war, and any kind of
violence. His way was Aikido, wich 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 occured on 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 tok 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 tird 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.
(continue )
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 evolvedthrough 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 percieve 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.
Unificação e Divisão.
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 againg, it is
necessary to seclude yourself among deep mountains and hiden 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 the fecundity and vibrancy
of the earth. Finally, blend the breath of heaven and the breath of
earth with that of 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 togheter. 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
allways 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 slighest 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.
More, ...
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