The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit.
~ Morihei Ueshiba
The true meaning of the 'samurai' is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.
Warriorship is none other than the vitality that sustains all life.
Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.
The heart of a human being is no different from the soul of heaven and earth. In your practice always keep in your thoughts the interaction of heaven and earth, water and fire, yin and yang.
Create each day anew.
Your heart is full of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout.
Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also learn from holy books and wise people. Everything - even mountains, rivers, plants and trees - should be your teacher.
When life is victorious, there is birth; when it is thwarted, there is death. A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle for Peace.
Always keep your mind as bright and clear as the vast sky, the great ocean, and the highest peak, empty of all thoughts. Always keep your body filled with light and heat. Fill yourself with the power of wisdom and enlightenment.
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 look upon this world with fear and loathing. Bravely face whatever the gods offer.
There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.
To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.
The art of Peace I practice has room for each of the world's eight million gods, and I cooperate with them all. The God of Peace is very great and enjoins all that is divine and enlightened in every land.
When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.
Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.
Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops. The ideal economy combines the spiritual and the material, and the best commodities to trade in are sincerity and love.
