Top 15 Morihei Ueshiba Quotes

"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."

The divine is not something high above us. It is in heaven, it is in earth, it is inside us

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

In Aikido 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.

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

Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.

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.

Your spirit is the true shield.

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.

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.

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.

An attack is proof that one is out of control.

When you lose your desire for things that do not matter, you will be free.