Everything – even mountains, rivers, plants and trees – should be your teacher.
Instead of foolishly waging war, hereafter we will wage peace, the true purpose of Aikido. We will train to prevent war, to abolish nuclear weapons, to protect the environment, and to serve society.
I am one with the universe. Who can lift that.
Do not try to guess how fast or slow a pitch will be. Just let the ball arrive at its own pace, and be there to greet it.
At the instant A warrior Confronts a foe, All things Come into focus.
You cannot see or touch the divine with your gross senses. The divine is within you, not somewhere else.
Bushido is not learning how to die; it is learning how to live.
I’m not teaching you how to move your feet; I’m teaching you how to move your mind.
Your voice is a very powerful weapon. When you are in tune with the cosmic breath of heaven and earth, your voice produces true sounds.
Every sturdy tree that towers over human beings owes its existence to a deeply rooted core.
Do not concern yourself with the right and wrong of others. Do not be calculating or act unnaturally.
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.
Budo means constant progress, and lifelong training.
Create your own universe and bring everything into your own sphere.
Do not stare into the eyes of your opponent: he may mesmerize you. Do not fix your gaze on his sword: he may intimidate you. Do not focus on your opponent at all: he may absorb your energy. The essence of training is to bring your opponent completely into your sphere. Then you can stand just where you like.
Progress comes To those who Train and train.
In Aikido, we train not to learn how to win; we train to learn to emerge victorious in any situation.
This is how the universe came into being: There was no heaven, no earth, no universe – just empty space. In this vast emptiness, a single point suddenly manifested itself. From that point, steam, smoke, and mist spiraled forth in a luminous sphere and the sacred sound SU was born. As SU expanded circularly up and down, left and right, nature and breath began, clear and uncontaminated. Breath developed life, and sound appeared.
The only real sin is to be ignorant of the universal, timeless principles of existence. Such ignorance is the root of all evil and all misguided behavior. Eliminate ignorance through the Art of Peace, and even hell will be emptied of tortured souls.
True wisdom comes from intellectual education, physical education, ethical education, and ki education.
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.