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Old 01-28-2008, 03:02 PM   #1
Chenstar058
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Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

There are just somethings I'd like to share about Aikido i thought about. The first thing i thought about was that, I think Osensei did not create this to be a form of "self defense" although it is a part of Aikido.
But i think Aikido was created to be more of a type of mental training, a "martial art". Its not just self defense, but its is an art, its been crafted through the mind. This is where i wanted to get deeper at.

The main purpose of martial arts is to become stronger, mentally and pysically. It is Aikido that places a big emphasis on becoming warrior like, to become strong in the mind and body.

If we r weak, we will complain about all the things we cannot cope with, which brings us sadness and dissapointment. The ultimate goal of humans is to gain happiness, everything we do is to satisfy ourselves and to become more happy. Being a warrior through Aikido makes us stronger, to handle more problems, making us the sad or dissapointed. It isn't just self defense.

O'sensei also said that martial arts is based on love. We hurt people I know, but Aikido wasn't there to hurt people, but it was there for people to help improve other people, mentally and pyshically. Love is the true power of becoming strong.

Thats why, Aikido has become a martial that doesn't cause as much pain as striking martial arts. Our Aikido intention is to just stop them from doing anything else to hurt others. Other martial arts such as Karate and Taekwondo, hurt people too much. Why is it that we hurt people to stop people from hurting people?

Aikido was made to be more gentle, to give others a chance to realize that they should not hurt others anymore. This is the love that we must share, even to the bad people.

If we do not study the philosophy of Aikido, we r not doing Aikido, its only self defense.

If anybody has anything they want to share, i'd like to listen haha hope u all liked wat i wanted to share
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Old 02-01-2008, 09:38 PM   #2
mathewjgano
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Quote:
Angus Chen wrote: View Post
But i think Aikido was created to be more of a type of mental training, a "martial art". Its not just self defense...
From what I can tell Osensei wanted to create a holistic practice which betters body, mind and spirit. This creates a lot of ground to cover, but I wonder if a central focus point is the idea that mind leads body (and thus determines our responses to the situations we find ourselves in) and that by training the mind-body we become better at all things, not just self defense.

Quote:
The ultimate goal of humans is to gain happiness, everything we do is to satisfy ourselves and to become more happy. Being a warrior through Aikido makes us stronger...
I agree, but my view is that Aikido just happens to include these great ideas. One can gain the same thing through the study of karatedo or judo or any other system of study, so long as that individual actively leads their own "enlightnment" (whatever that may be). Looking to a system to provide some degree of it is limiting, though it may provide a great starting point.

Quote:
Why is it that we hurt people to stop people from hurting people?
Because it's easier than finding a common solution.

Quote:
Aikido was made to be more gentle, to give others a chance to realize that they should not hurt others anymore. This is the love that we must share, even to the bad people.
A great and noble ideal, to be sure.

Gambarimashyo!
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Old 02-03-2008, 11:18 AM   #3
statisticool
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Quote:
Angus Chen wrote: View Post
Aikido was made to be more gentle, to give others a chance to realize that they should not hurt others anymore. This is the love that we must share, even to the bad people.

If we do not study the philosophy of Aikido, we r not doing Aikido, its only self defense.
Good point, thanks for that!

A secret of internal strength?:
"Let your weight from the crotch area BE in his hands."
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Old 02-03-2008, 01:33 PM   #4
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Yeah, I thought about some stuff once.

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Old 02-03-2008, 01:58 PM   #5
mathewjgano
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote: View Post
Yeah, I thought about some stuff once.
Huhuhuh...Stuff is cool.

Gambarimashyo!
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Old 02-03-2008, 08:49 PM   #6
L. Camejo
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Quote:
Angus Chen wrote: View Post
If we do not study the philosophy of Aikido, we r not doing Aikido, its only self defense.
True but without thorough understanding and ability for self protection, this...
Quote:
Angus Chen wrote: View Post
... to be more gentle, to give others a chance to realize that they should not hurt others anymore.
will be nothing more than a delusion when one is placed in a world where the ideal is often far from reality. One can only promote the path of peace if one has the capacity to exercise that choice, even when under severe and direct personal threat from those who do not want to be peaceful. In fact, if one is not trained in self protection one cannot promote peace among those who see you as their next victim. The philosophy must be reflected in ones physical ability and vice versa.

Quote:
Angus Chen wrote: View Post
This is the love that we must share, even to the bad people.
It is my understanding from Ueshiba M.'s writings that if we start placing values on the good and bad in our fellow men then we create a place in our hearts for maliciousness to enter. Imho if we still see others simply as "bad people" we have not yet looked deeply enough into ourselves.

My 2 cents.
LC

Last edited by L. Camejo : 02-03-2008 at 08:53 PM.

--Mushin Mugamae - No Mind No Posture. He who is possessed by nothing possesses everything.--
http://www.tntaikido.org
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Old 02-04-2008, 04:25 AM   #7
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

All good points! I think it is a double edge sword as Larry Points out.

Walk softly and carry a big stick. Yet, use that stick to rule with compassion, not threat.

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Old 02-04-2008, 08:58 AM   #8
L. Camejo
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote: View Post
Walk softly and carry a big stick. Yet, use that stick to rule with compassion, not threat.
Well said.

--Mushin Mugamae - No Mind No Posture. He who is possessed by nothing possesses everything.--
http://www.tntaikido.org
http://www.mushinkan.ca
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Old 02-04-2008, 01:38 PM   #9
Will Prusner
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Quote:
Angus Chen wrote: View Post
The main purpose of martial arts is to become stronger, mentally and pysically. It is Aikido that places a big emphasis on becoming warrior like, to become strong in the mind and body.
Being a warrior through Aikido makes us stronger, to handle more problems... It isn't just self defense.
These statements reminded me some of the Zen Priest Takuan's treatise on the "Taia Sword". The greatest "weapon"/tool in the world is the concentrated focus and intention of the human mind. Becoming a warrior, or the development of any skill is a further refining and concentrating of the mind's ability for focus and concentration. Takuan essentially says, as I understand it, that once the full power of the mind is harnessed toward any particular goal, then all things become possible. Techniques will essentially become useless, to paraphrase his words: you will not even have to expose the tip of your sword, you will walk as easily upon the water as you do upon the land. The power at your disposal will be apparent to all, the conflict is resolved before it ever began.

An example of this might be the story about the tea ceremony master who get's challenged to a sword duel. He is frightened, but is given the advice to grip the sword with the same comfortability and assurance that he would grip the implements of the tea ceremony that he had mastered. His opponent, upon seeing his sense of calm and assurance while holding the sword, backed down from the duel, believing that he was in the presence of a master of the sword.

maybe.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration...

ART! - http://birdsbeaks.blogspot.com/
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Old 02-09-2008, 05:50 PM   #10
Rev.K. Barrish
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

The article below was written by Yamamoto Yukitaka Sendai Guji (previous high priest) who was the 96th High Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Mie, Japan and the man who enshrined the Kami in the Founder’s Aiki Jinja in Iwama. The gist of this thinking relate directly to an esoteric understanding of the OHARAHI-NO-KOTOBA (most important Shinto Prayer; lit: Great Words of Purification) and has to do with raising spirituality to the point where human beings can aid the Kunitsu (Earthly) in correcting errors of the past……

Written by the honorable Rev. Dr. Yukitaka Yamamoto
Master Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, visited Tsubaki grand shrine in spring of 1958, guided by master Michio Hikitsuchi of Kumano Aikido dojo. As soon as master Ueshiba arrived at the shrine, he told me he would practice the misogi (a waterfall purification) at Konryu-Myojin's waterfall of Tsubaki Grand Shrine, and he practiced misogi with me.

Then he participated in a purification ceremony at Haraiden (the Shrine purification hall), and prayed at Honden (the main sanctuary). After I finished reciting the Norito (prayer) he chanted, "Su-U-Ah-Oh-Uh-Eh-Ih" then took the wooden sword and offered several Aikido moves to OhKami. At that time he said, "these are the basics of Aikido. Moves which unite the being with the great nature, all of them given by Sarutahiko no OhKami." He continued, "Aikido is misogi. Misogi of ourselves. Aikido is the way of misogi itself, the way to become Sarutahiko no OhKami and stand on the Ame no Ukihashi (the bridge between heaven and earth). In other words, the skills of misogi are Aiki, the way of uniting heaven and earth, the way of world peace, the way of trying to perfect humanity, the way of the Kami, the way of the universe.
He rested at my house and he told me and my father, "I have been given many teachings by Sarutahiko no OhKami. OhKami told me, 'By the work of Takehaya Susanowo no Mikoto, you will worship the Ame no Murakumo Kukamisamuhara Ryu O (Kami of Takemusu) and build an Aiki shrine and dojo.' Then I built the Aiki shrine and dojo in Iwama, Ibaragi prefecture in 1940. Since then I have been searching for the main shrine of Sarutahiko no OhKami. I heard Tsubaki Grand Shrine is the main shrine of Sarutahiko no OhKami, so I visited here today."
After that day master Ueshiba visited the shrine many times a year. When he came to the shrine in 1959, he said he would like to enshrine Sarutahiko no OhKami at the Aiki shrine. In July 1960 I, instead of my father, took the Goshintai of Sarutahiko no OhKami (statue of Sarutahiko no OhKami) to the Aiki shrine in Iwama and performed the enshrinement ceremony. I went there with Mr. Shoji Gomi, who made the Goshintai, Mr. Akihide Isokai, and Mr. Masanori Fukuchi, shrine supporters. I remember that day: Master Ueshiba had great joy. It was a big ceremony with many participants, including master Kisshomaru Ueshiba of the Tokyo dojo.
After that he came to the shrine often. He planted a tree by the waterfall of the shrine. That tree remains there today.
I think master Ueshiba's words, "Aikido is misogi" are true. Human beings are born as children of the Kami and can become Kami. Misogi is the practice of uniting with the great nature and uniting with the universe. Of course humans have flesh and blood, but by practicing misogi we can elevate our spirits. At the same time, Aikido misogi is a way of harmonizing heaven and earth, a way of producing harmony and a way of uniting everything with the Kami. In other words, Aikido and misogi erase the mind that fights and and create a heart of harmony, a way of having a heart of Kami and a way of becoming the Kami of Takemusu.
Later, he had a trip to Hawaii. He went to attend the opening of an Aiki dojo. When he returned from Hawaii, he came to the shrine and reported his trip to Sarutahiko no OhKami. He told me that he finished the misogi of Hawaii and showed me the key he had received as an honorary citizen of Honolulu.
In 1967 Mr. Akihide Isokai came to the shrine. At that time master Ueshiba said, "I can't go by myself already. At last the time has come. I would like to give Sarutahiko no OhKami my address." So he sent mr. Isogai instead of himself.
Now I remember these things. These things remain with me, the faith of master Ueshiba and the Ueshiba who became Kami.
I would like to pray that the spirit of master Ueshiba shines on.
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Old 02-09-2008, 06:18 PM   #11
Aikibu
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Thanks for sharing this story Reverend Barrish. It's an honor for me to know you read and post here.

I sincerely hope that you will share more of your experiances of The Spiritual Side of Aiki in the near future.

Bowing Down to You Sensei.

William Hazen
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Old 02-10-2008, 01:40 PM   #12
Rev.K. Barrish
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Mr. Hazen, doumo….thank you for kind words/thinking…

The Oharahi-no-Kotoba, Great words of Purification is the fundamental Kami Doctrine of the Shrine (Jinja) Shinto…although the day to day work of the Jinja is to conduct Kigan (prayer ceremonies) on behalf of worshippers and to carry out the Nen-Chu-Gyoji (year-around-discipline-rituals) seasonal observances, Great Festivals of the Shrine…….each day at the Shinto Shrine (after the Misogi Shuho- purification in moving water) and Kensen (daily food offering to enshrined Kami) begins with Chouhai (morning ceremony) built around the group recitation of the Oharahi-no-Kotoba….the Aikido Founder also prayed these words daily……………………….

as part of my personal training I try to study the Kototama (word soul) meaning of " Oharahi-no-Kotoba" each day...an interesting way to view the line reading:YAOYOROZU-NO-KAMITAHI-O is that the Yaoyorozu-no-O-kami are the unlimited deities who work to establish the land of Onogorojima (self condensing ball/ Earth/ Earth Jewel). They tie the life powers such as moving and falling called "AME-NO-TAKEMUSU-NO-BU" with the work of carrying on life. These are the Kami of Kamunagara who activate living movements and operations and prepare other powers that rotate around the Sun to unify all forever..relating to the line" Kami-no-tsudoe ni tsudoe" which refers directly to the operations of weaving together the Uchiki and Sotoki (Yin and Yang)...my personal opinion is that was the thinking of Kaiso (Aikido founder). AND THAT THE FUNCTION OF THE Misogi of Aikido movement is to entrain (harmonize) with the restless infinite movements of Great Nature (kamunagara) with our own bodies…

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Koichi Barrish
Senior Shinto Priest
Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America
www.TsubakiShrine.org
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Old 02-11-2008, 09:14 AM   #13
jennifer paige smith
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Quote:
Angus Chen wrote: View Post
There are just somethings I'd like to share about Aikido i thought about. The first thing i thought about was that, I think Osensei did not create this to be a form of "self defense" although it is a part of Aikido.
But i think Aikido was created to be more of a type of mental training, a "martial art". Its not just self defense, but its is an art, its been crafted through the mind. This is where i wanted to get deeper at.

The main purpose of martial arts is to become stronger, mentally and pysically. It is Aikido that places a big emphasis on becoming warrior like, to become strong in the mind and body.

If we r weak, we will complain about all the things we cannot cope with, which brings us sadness and dissapointment. The ultimate goal of humans is to gain happiness, everything we do is to satisfy ourselves and to become more happy. Being a warrior through Aikido makes us stronger, to handle more problems, making us the sad or dissapointed. It isn't just self defense.

O'sensei also said that martial arts is based on love. We hurt people I know, but Aikido wasn't there to hurt people, but it was there for people to help improve other people, mentally and pyshically. Love is the true power of becoming strong.

Thats why, Aikido has become a martial that doesn't cause as much pain as striking martial arts. Our Aikido intention is to just stop them from doing anything else to hurt others. Other martial arts such as Karate and Taekwondo, hurt people too much. Why is it that we hurt people to stop people from hurting people?

Aikido was made to be more gentle, to give others a chance to realize that they should not hurt others anymore. This is the love that we must share, even to the bad people.

If we do not study the philosophy of Aikido, we r not doing Aikido, its only self defense.

If anybody has anything they want to share, i'd like to listen haha hope u all liked wat i wanted to share
Thanks for the post.
I agree with what you have written from the level that you are speaking , but I would like to add some of my own learning and understanding. Not to correct, mind you, but to add. Some will disagree, or perhaps want to splice hairs, but it is meant as sharing my insights.

O'Sensei did not 'create' aikido, he realized aikido through the path of martial arts, martial arts themselves include self-defense, some elements of which also assist in realizing the 'self' we are defending.

He said 'aikido Is love', not based on love, which is an important distinction in my mind because not only does the phrase point to love but it tells us what love is, it is nature, it is the relations we find in our connected flow. I find this an 'important' distinction because if we try to base it on love, knowing love in only a strictly sentimental self-serving way, we are still baseless. So by knowing that our discoveries in martial practice are discoveries of love we get an amazing 2-fer (as in 2 for one ), the understanding that MA are love and the definition of love based on universal flow. good stuff? Me thinks.

The beginning point of this love realization is first to remove violence from our thinking. Aikido is not 'non-violence', a double negative. It is harmony based on love as exemplified by natures operations. That is the positive. Not always touch feely.

I sure appreciate a sincere post like the one I'm springing off of . Definitely helps my creative forces flow.

Thoughts?

best,
JS

Jennifer Paige Smith
Confluence Aikido Systems
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Old 02-11-2008, 03:05 PM   #14
thomas.martinez
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Very nicely compiled--philosophy and Aikido!
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Old 02-11-2008, 03:38 PM   #15
thomas.martinez
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Talking Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Through my personal experience of martial arts over many years. I have learned through the masters--Aikido/Aikijujitsu is very graceful and peaceful from within.
Many young students have asked "...which martial art is better?" The reply was simple..."Neither, because they are sister related in some form of way."
I enjoy studying the philosophy and practice Aikido and will continue doing so. And maybe we will meet future Aikido practioners and share the common training of the ways of Aikido. Thank you for let me share. Arigato gozaimashita!
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Old 02-11-2008, 05:20 PM   #16
Erick Mead
 
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

My, my -- how timely --

http://www.aikidojournal.com/bibliog...details?id=299

Brand new John Stevens: "Secret Teachings of Aikido" -- authoritative (i.e.- Hombu vetted) translations of Kodansha lectures

Details here:
http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=4502

Last edited by Erick Mead : 02-11-2008 at 05:23 PM.

Cordially,

Erick Mead
一隻狗可久里馬房但他也不是馬的.
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Old 02-12-2008, 09:00 PM   #17
Dewey
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Re: Spiritial Aikido: the purpose

Quote:
Erick Mead wrote: View Post
My, my -- how timely --

http://www.aikidojournal.com/bibliog...details?id=299

Brand new John Stevens: "Secret Teachings of Aikido" -- authoritative (i.e.- Hombu vetted) translations of Kodansha lectures

Details here:
http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=4502
I always love your posts, Erick. A lawyer's mind at work...
I mean that sincerely.
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