Morihei Ueshiba quotes
1883 – 1969
Founder of Aikido
Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat an enemy.
It is the way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family.
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.
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.
Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.
The heart of a human being is no different from the soul of heaven and earth.
In your practice always keep in your thoughts the interaction of heaven and earth, water and fire, yin and yang.
Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice.
The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.
Your spirit is the true shield.
Kicking leaves you momentarily on one foot, and for that moment you are in a very weak position.
If you were to be swept off your feet, you would be finished.
This is why lifting your feet off the ground is crazy.
Your heart is full of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout.
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 to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment.
It is necessary to develop a strategy that utilizes all the physical conditions and elements that are directly at hand.
The best strategy relies upon an unlimited set of responses.
Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.
When life is victorious, there is birth;
when it is thwarted, there is death.
A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle for Peace.
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.
The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit.
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.
Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops.
The ideal economy combines the spiritual and the material, and the best commodities to trade in are sincerity and love.
There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing.
Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.
Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.
The divine is not something high above us. It is in heaven, it is in earth, it is inside us.
To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is 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 weaken and defeat you.
Create each day anew.
Mankind’s role is to fulfil his heaven-sent purpose through a sincere heart that is in harmony with all creation and loves all things.
The art of Peace I practice has room for each of the world’s eight million gods, and I cooperate with them all. The God of Peace is very great and enjoins all that is divine and enlightened in every land.
All the principles of heaven and earth are living inside you. Life itself is truth, and this will never change. Everything in heaven and earth breathes. Breath is the thread that ties creation together.
Opponents confront us continually, but actually there is no opponent there. Enter deeply into an attack and neutralize it as you draw that misdirected force into your own sphere.
If your heart is large enough to envelop your adversaries, you can see right through them and avoid their attacks. And once you envelop them, you will be able to guide them along the path indicated to you by heaven and earth.
When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.
A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.
Do not look upon this world with fear and loathing. Bravely face whatever the gods offer.
Each and every master, regardless of the era or the place, heard the call and attained harmony with heaven and earth. There are many paths leading to the top of Mount Fuji, but there is only one summit – love.
Progress comes to those who train and train;
reliance on secret techniques will get you nowhere.
In extreme situations, the entire universe becomes our foe; at such critical times, unity of mind and technique is essential – do not let your heart waver!
All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love.