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Re: If you could buy just ONE book about the spiritual side of Aikido, what would it

Quote:

Demetrio Cereijo wrote: (Post 176271)

There is also a Basil Hall Chamberlain translation of the Kojiki available in the web.

The problem with Basil Hall Chamberlain's translation is that you need to be able to read Latin, in order to understand some of the early sections.

Re: If you could buy just ONE book about the spiritual side of Aikido, what would it

Quote:

Peter A Goldsbury wrote: (Post 176302)

The problem with Basil Hall Chamberlain's translation is that you need to be able to read Latin, in order to understand some of the early sections.

Chamberlain was a thorough Victorian. The parts in Latin are largely the "naughtier" bits. In the "Courtship of the Deities" the Latin begins right after the passage dealing with the "erection of an heavenly august pillar" continues then in "scholarly" Latin to relate what comes thereafter and then resumes in English after the birth of the child.

Things like the Kanamara or Honen festivals, and various other matsuri did not arrive out of thin air -- ;)

That is still somewhat better than the fate of Sir Richard Burton's manuscripts detailing various Indian and Arabic tales and practices of "local color." His widow consigned them to the fire, in the weeks following his death.

Re: If you could buy just ONE book about the spiritual side of Aikido, what would it

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Karol Kowalczyk wrote: (Post 175981)

Hi everyone, I have been doing Aikido for about 2 weeks now, and as this is my first thread, I feel as nervous as during my first time on the mat! :o

The summer holidays are coming, and my dojo is going to be closed for about 2 months during that this period, because it is located in a school gym hall. As, by that time, I will only have trained for 3 months, I thought that it would be a good time to bring myself closer to the spiritual side of Aikido by reading about it (and also, I wont have access to the internet for most of that time then either, because Im going to visit my mummy!).

I'm aware that there is a 'book reviews' section on this site, and I can also go through the (literally) hundreds of reviews on sites such as Amazon, but I really wanted to hear what book(s)has/have helped the people on this forum the most, because some books have very few reviews, but high ratings, and also it's hard to tell how much experience some of the reviewers have on other sites.

So, my question to you all is: "If you could buy just ONE book about the spiritual side of Aikido, what would it be?"

(I'm limiting myself to one book because of financial considerations, as well as for ease of carrying in a rucksack, but if you think there is more than one indispensable book, then please tell me.)

Thank you all for any help you can give. :)

Welcome to Aikido Karol!

A question came to mind when I read you question. And that is, What books have you read in the past that you enjoyed (fiction,non-fiction,author)? There are so many books in so many styles that a little personal preference might narrow the field.

Short of that I love; Aikido for Life by Gaku Homma, Enlightenment through Aikido by Kanshu Sunadamori and, It's A Lot Like Dancing by Terry Dobson and Rikki Moss.

A very compact and educational book is The Spirit of Aikido by the former doshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba. I've had my copy for 15 years.

Re: If you could buy just ONE book about the spiritual side of Aikido, what would it

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Ted Ehara wrote: (Post 176024)

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For you, I would recommend KI : A Road That Anyone Can Walk by William Reed ISBN 0-87040-799-6. The author is an American who moved to Japan to study with Koichi Tohei. Since he has worked as a translator, his explanations of Japanese thought is especially clear for an English reader.

I am currently reading his other book. Ki:A Practical Guide for Westerners. Great stuff on breathing, posture and meditation. I got lucky, found it used and cheap on Amazon.
For about two years, I didn't read anything about ki/aikido. I just wanted to experience it firsthand. I still don't read much on the actual techniques per se, just the the philosophical aspects.
Great topic, I am enjoying all of your comments-thank you!

Re: If you could buy just ONE book about the spiritual side of Aikido, what would it

Oh dear, I have to apologize for not replying to Jennifer's question earlier, but I went away to think about it, and then forgot to come back!

I kind of guess that if someone had a suggestion to make about this thread they have already given it, and thank you all for your suggestions, but for what it's worth, a list of my favourite books on 'other' subjects:

"To Kill a Mockingbird" Harper Lee (a 36 year old man still cries at the end of this one, damn!)
"Cider with Rosie" Laurie Lee (no relation to the above :))
"The Unbearable Lightness of Being" Milan Kundera
"The Master and Marguerita" Mikhail Bulgakov
"On the Road" and "Big Sur" Jack Kerouac
"The Hobbit" JRR Tolkien
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" Robert Pirsig

Re: If you could buy just ONE book about the spiritual side of Aikido, what would it

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Eric Webber wrote: (Post 175989)

Gonna go out on a limb here and say Wendy Palmer's "The Practice of Freedom." She is open and honest in writing about her own spiritual journey and struggles, offering a look at how to apply aikido principles in a spiritual practice rather than just talk about them abstractly.

I have that book. I have honestly tried to read it about 5 times, and just can't wade my way through it. It's just a little too much left-coast confessional for my tastes.

Although it's more zen than omoto, I'm a big fan of Thomas Cleary's translations of Takuan Soho and Yagyu Munenori's works. I don't think Cleary is a martial artist, but he seems to have caught the spirit of things pretty well. Saotome's "Aikido and the Harmony of Nature" is really approachable.

Honestly, though, books on the spirituality of aikido are mind candy. The philosophy of aikido is on the mat.