The Art of Peace

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.

When you bow deeply to the universe, it bows back; when you call out the name of God, it echoes inside you.

To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.

Never fear another challenger, no matter how large; Never despise another challenger, no matter how small. Large does not always defeat little. Little can become large by constant building; large can become little by falling apart.

The true meaning of the 'samurai' is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.

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 inner 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.

Your spirit is the true shield.

Do not fail to learn from The pure voice of an Ever-flowing mountain stream Splashing over the rocks.

In the art of peace, a single cut of the sword summons up the wondrous powers of the universe. That one sword links the past, present, and future; it absorbs the universe. Time and space disappear. All of creation, from the distant past to the present moment, lives in the sword. All human existence flourishes right here in the sword you hold in your hands. You are now prepared for anything that may arise.

An attack is proof that one is out of control.

We can no longer rely on the external teachings of Buddha, Confucius, or Christ. The era of organized religion controlling every aspect of life is over. No single religion has all the answers. Construction of shrine and temple buildings is not enough. Establish yourself as a living buddha image. We all should be transformed into goddesses of compassion or victorious buddhas.

Warriorship is none other than the vitality that sustains all life.

Do away with emperors, kings, and artificial government; establish true equality; abolish capitalism; live in God’s heart, simply and purely!

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 instantly vanquished. The Art of Peace is invincible because it contends with nothing.

The penetrating brilliance of swords Wielded by followers of the Way Strikes at the evil enemy Lurking deep within Their own souls and bodies.

The Art of Peace is the religion that is not a religion; it perfects and completes all religions.

A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle for peace.

I’m not teaching you how to move your feet; I’m teaching you how to move your mind

The purpose of education is to open your spirit. Modern education has forgotten this. The entire universe is a huge open book, full of miraculous things, and that is where true learning must be sought. In that spirit, take responsibility, train hard, develop yourselves, bloom in this world, and bear fruit.

In good training, we generate light (wisdom) and heat (compassion)

I want to know everything; my curiosity is boundless

The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit.

Can there really be a martial art in which one downs his attacker with a smile?

The purpose of the Art of Peace is to fashion sincere human beings; a sincere human being is one who has unified body and spirit, one who is free of hesitation or doubt, and one who understands the power of words.

The universe is our greatest teacher, our greatest friend. It is always teaching us the Art of Peace. Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Everything—mountains, rivers, plants, and trees—should be your teacher. The world’s wisdom is contained in books, and by studying the words of the wise, countless new techniques can be created. Study and practice, and then reflect on your progress. The Art of Peace is the art of learning deeply, the art of knowing oneself.

Bushido is not learning how to die. Bushido is learning how to live, how to protect and foster life. Even in war, the taking of human life is to be avoided as much as possible. It is always a sin to kill. Give your opponents every chance to make peace

The divine does not like to be shut up in a building. The divine likes to be out in the open. It is right here in this very body. Each one of us is a miniature universe, a living shrine.

In Aikido, we train not to learn how to win; we train to learn to emerge victorious in any situation