"The Art of Peace" by Morihei Ueshiba, translated by John Stevens

[PhoenixToEmber]

Over the years I've returned to this little book of aphorisms many times and found a lot of wisdom in it. I've read it a few times - the first time in order, and the other times by simply rereading random passages over and over. I feel like some of what it teaches resonates with what we learn here on the forum. Morihei Ueshiba is the founder of the martial arts style "aikido", which translates into "the way (or path) of unifying [with] life energy (or spirit)". I guess Ueshiba could be classified as someone who followed what Gurdjieff called the way of the fakir.

I realized there wasn't a thread here on this book, so I figured I'd start one. I'm curious if anyone else has read this book and what your thoughts are regarding it. You can read it for free here online. But I recommend getting this tiny little copy by Shambhala Pocket Classics on Amazon. It's 3 x 4.5 inches - adorable size - fits easily in your pocket. I sometimes carry it around and flip to a random page.

I'm not a very athletic or physical person (I always tried to sit out in gym class and read books if I was allowed to). The most physical activity I engage in is drumming. But if I ever learned a martial arts style I think I would study aikido. I'm attracted to it because it's a form of self-defense that is purely defensive - the point is to prevent your opponent from harming you without harming them in return. It's based on knowing your opponent's attacks before they come and being able to redirect their attack/energy back at them in order to evade it or to stop it. A core of the techniques are based on flipping your opponent, disarming, and pinning them without injuring, and never killing them.

Here are just a few of my favorite aphorisms:

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

"The Art of Peace is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On occasion the Voice of Peace resounds like thunder, jolting human beings out of their stupor."

"Do not look upon this world with fear and loathing. Bravely face whatever the gods offer."

"Iron is full of impurities that weaken it; through forging, it becomes steel and is transformed into a razor-sharp sword. Human beings develop in the same fashion."

"The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love, and sincerity; the heart of martial valor is true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship. Emphasis on the physical aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited."

"A true warrior is always armed with the three things: the radiant sword of pacification; the mirror of bravery, wisdom, and friendship; and the precious jewel of enlightenment."

"Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace."

"Failure is the key to success;
Each mistake teaches us something."

"In the Art of Peace we never attack. An attack is proof that one is out of control. Never run away from any kind of challenge, but do not try to suppress or control an opponent unnaturally. Let attackers come any way they like and then blend with them. Never chase after opponents. Redirect each attack and get firmly behind it."

 

[Ruth]

It's funny how the title of this post reminds me of 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, although that is much older. Interesting how so many spiritual type ideas come from the East. Aikido looks like a good philosophy and discipline to look into.

 

[PhoenixToEmber]

It's funny how the title of this post reminds me of 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, although that is much older. Interesting how so many spiritual type ideas come from the East. Aikido looks like a good philosophy and discipline to look into.

His philosophy was actually meant to counter 'The Art of War', so it's no coincidence. From the introduction to the book it says:

Unlike the authors of old-time warrior classics such as The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings, which accept the inevitability of war and emphasize cunning strategy as a means to victory, Morihei understood that continued fighting - with others, with ourselves, and with the environment - will ruin the earth. "The world will continue to change dramatically, but fighting and war can destroy us utterly. What we need now are techniques of harmony, not those of contention. The Art of Peace is required, not the Art of War." Morihei taught the Art of Peace as a creative mind-body discipline, as a practical means of handling aggression, and as a way of life that fosters fearlessness, wisdom, love, and friendship. He interpreted the Art of Peace in the broadest possible sense and believed that its principles of reconciliation, harmony, cooperation, and empathy could be applied bravely to all the challenges we face in life - in personal relationships, as we interact with society, at work and in business, when dealing with nature. Everyone can be a warrior for peace.

Also, I just found this scanned pdf of the exact edition I recommend.