Morihei Ueshiba Quotes

I enjoyed being in the military when I was a young man, but even then I innately felt that war is never the solution to any problem. War always brings death and destruction and that can never be a good thing.

When facing the realm of life and death in the form of an enemy's sword, one must be firmly settled in mind and body, and not at all intimidated; without providing your opponent the slightest opening, control his mind in a flash and move where you will — straight, diagonally, or in any other appropriate direction.

May the Kami of Earth and Heaven watch our acts of purification.

Never chase after opponents

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

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

If your opponent strikes with fire, counter with water, becoming completely fluid and free-flowing. Water, by its nature, never collides with or breaks against anything. On the contrary, it swallows up any attack harmlessly.

Si la mente está tranquila y es pura, uno puede de inmediato percibir un ataque y evitarlo. Eso, me di cuenta, es la esencia del aiki (el arte de la armonización)».

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

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

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

Never fear another challenger, no matter how large; Never despise another challenger, no matter how small

The Art of Peace is based on the Four Great Virtues: Bravery, Wisdom, Love, and Friendship, symbolized by Fire, Heaven, Earth, and Water

Always imagine yourself on the battlefield under the fiercest attack; never forget this crucial element of training.

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.