Quotes from Morihei Ueshiba

Your voice is a very powerful weapon. When you are in tune with the cosmic breath of heaven and earth, your voice produces true sounds

Every sturdy tree that towers over human beings owes its existence to a deeply rooted core.

Do not concern yourself with the right and wrong of others. Do not be calculating or act unnaturally

Do not look upon this world with fear and loathing. Bravely face whatever the gods offer

The moon appears to be really present, but if you strike the water, nothing will be there. Similarly, your opponent should find nothing solid to strike

Eight forces sustain creation: Movement and stillness, Solidification and fluidity, Extension and contraction, Unification and division. Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.

your opponent is not really your opponent because you and your opponent become one.

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

Budo means constant progress, and lifelong training

Create your own universe and bring everything into your own sphere

Do not stare into the eyes of your opponent: he may mesmerize you. Do not fix your gaze on his sword: he may intimidate you. Do not focus on your opponent at all: he may absorb your energy. The essence of training is to bring your opponent completely into your sphere. Then you can stand just where you like

This is how the universe came into being: There was no heaven, no earth, no universe—just empty space. In this vast emptiness, a single point suddenly manifested itself. From that point, steam, smoke, and mist spiraled forth in a luminous sphere and the sacred sound SU was born. As SU expanded circularly up and down, left and right, nature and breath began, clear and uncontaminated. Breath developed life, and sound appeared

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

True wisdom comes from intellectual education, physical education, ethical education, and ki education.

El camino de un guerrero, el arte de la política, es detener los problemas antes de que comiencen. Consiste en derrotar a tus adversarios espiritualmente haciéndolos entender la ridiculez de sus acciones. El Camino del Guerrero es el de establecer armonía

You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your inner enlightenment.

Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace.

War always brings death and destruction and that can never be a good thing

Consider the ebb and flow of the tide. When waves come to strike the shore, they crest and fall, creating a sound. Your breath should follow the same pattern, absorbing the entire universe in your belly with each inhalation. Know that we all have access to four treasures: the energy of the sun and moon, the breath of heaven, the breath of earth, and the ebb and flow of the tide.

Contemplate the workings of this world, listen to the words of the wise, take all that is good as your own. With this as your base, open your won door to truth. Do not overlook the truth that is right before you. 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.

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.

Hear the soundless sound, and see the formless form. At a glance, read your opponent's mind, and attain victory without contention

The most perfect actions echo the patterns found in nature.

There is nothing in the world more harmful than war and more foolish than armament