by Morihei Ueshiba, O-Sensei

[This article was originally published in Aikido, Volume 15 & 16, 1978-79.]

Aikido manifests a way to order the world to be united as one family. It is to help God build a paradise on earth.

The unity of the world comes from the unity of each country, and the unity of a country depends upon that of each family. As a unit of the universe as well as a part of a family, each person should fulfill his duty to unite the world. What he should first do is train himself well enough for the purpose. Without completing one's training, it is impossible to be of service to God. Every creature on the earth pursues its own way. Even if it is an animal or a plant, its way should not be thwarted. This is the law of Nature. Obey Heaven and God. Respect others and yourself. That is the spirit of Aikido.

God created man as a medium between heaven and earth. The spirit of man, which is his inner part is a means of communication with the heavens, and the body, his outer part, a means of communicating with the earth.

As the body is under the influence of the spirit, our mind should be one with that of God to bring peace and happiness to the human society. It is regrettable, however, that we are too involved in the matters of the physical domain to take the spirit into careful consideration.

Force is frequently used in the material world. Weapons of all sorts are needed there. So long as the two worlds, material and spiritual, are not in parallel with each other, demilitarization is just a dream.

There is no technique of killing in the true Bu, which is based upon the spiritual world. True Bu does not need any weapons. It absorbs everything with bare hands and has a perfect command of the opponent. Aiming to be in accord with the dispensation of nature, true Bu makes more of spiritual training than technical skill That is what Aikido has as its principle