Book Review of “The Art of Peace” by Morihei Ueshiba
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“The purpose of The Art of Peace is to fashion sincere human beings; a sincere human being is one who has a unified body and spirit, one who is free of hesitation or doubt, and one who understands the power of words.” ― Morihei Ueshiba
Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969), the creator of the defensive martial art -- Aikido (usually translated as the Way of Spiritual Harmony), was and still is a greatly admired Ō-sensei to many. He served in the army in his earlier days and later went on devoting his life to perfecting his art. From the end of World War II until the 1960s, he spent his last years promoting the way of Spiritual Harmony throughout Japan and abroad. Even though Aikido may be derived from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, which is another form of older martial art, the two are distinctly different from one another.
The Art of Peace encompasses the teachings of Aikido in one handy book.
“I’m not teaching you how to move your feet; I’m teaching you how to move your mind”. This book will not teach you the techniques of Aikido martial art. What it imparts is the philosophy and wisdom of the founder Morihei Ueshiba.
The size of the book makes it easy for one to slip it into a pocket and get their daily dose of inspiring and thought-provoking prose whenever and wherever. The writings on each page may be short, but they are jam-packed with food for thought for one to deeply ponder and reflect upon.
The real way of the warrior is based on his compassion, wisdom, fearlessness, and love of nature, as taught by Morihei Ueshiba.
“The Art of Peace begins with you.”
The Art of Peace teaches its readers to resort to non-violent methods in the face of conflicts. The book is Ueshiba’s creation of Aikido stemmed from the intention to harmonize any actions of aggressions that arise out of one’s area of control. The goal is to assert as little violence as one possibly could while:
- Staying away from what you don’t want
- Move towards what you want
Ueshiba believed that the principles of Aikido can be applied in one’s everyday life when interacting with others or communicating with oneself.
'The Art of Peace is the religion that is not a religion; it perfects and completes all religions.'
Aikido has a way of becoming what its practitioners want it to be: whether for it to flow like a gentle stream, be relentless as rough waves would, or to remain as still as a water puddle. It has long been practiced to train the mind, strengthen the body, cleanse the spirit, or balance all three.
It wasn’t easy for us to pick only a few from the book full of short and sweet teachings, but here are 3 quotes we hope you’d enjoy musing on.
- “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.”
- “An attack is proof that one is out of control.”
- “A true warrior is always armed with three things: the radiant sword of pacification; the mirror of bravery, wisdom, and friendship; and the precious jewel of enlightenment.”
If you’d like to read the full version of this book, you can purchase it through Amazon here, and for our fellow followers from Asia, you can purchase it through Book Depository here.
Book Reviewed by Tan Yien Yien