"Art of Peace" Kanji

Thought a bit more about "Peace Kanji" and decided the kanji I am looking for are those for "The Art of Peace". Specifically, as these appear in the original text by OSensei which in English is translated as:

"The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace."....

Excerpted by William McLuskie from The Art of Peace a collection of quotes by Morihei Ueshiba translated by John Stevens.

Carl Thompson, Are you out there?

Demetrio Cereijo wrote:

Thanks, Demetrio.

Best regards,

RT

Btw,

I haven't seen the original japanese text. I'm working with what Stevens Sensei wrote in his book "The Art of Peace" (Shambala 1992, p. 5), where the following can be read:

His (Ueshiba Morihei) way was Aikido, which can be translated as "The Art of Peace."

The kanji I provided are usually read as Aikido.

Although I do not know the exact original text to which you (or Mr Stevens) refer, Rudy, but the phrase that I most commonly have run across that was used by the founder (eg in "Takemusu Aiki") that would correspond, in my mind, to the phrase "the art of peace" would be 「和合の道」("wagou no michi").

Hope that helps,

-- Jun

Jun Akiyama wrote: Although I do not know the exact original text to which you (or Mr Stevens) refer, Rudy, but the phrase that I most commonly have run across that was used by the founder (eg in "Takemusu Aiki") that would correspond, in my mind, to the phrase "the art of peace" would be 「和合の道」("wagou no michi"). Hope that helps, -- Jun

Jun--
The source I originally used was at http://omlc.ogi.edu/aikido/talk/osen...ace/index.html quotation # 01 but no footnotes on sources are provided by either the original translator or the website indexing the quotations.

After reading your post I found http://books.google.com/books?id=Mxj...page&q&f=false

Can I safely assume the calligraphy signed by OSensei on page 9 of that text are the ones he would have translated as "The Art of Peace"? I think it may be the most likely source of the kanji I'm looking for. However, if OSensei delivered his teachings primarily through an oral tradition and used different kanji to express the same concept in different contexts then the issue may require more study. I'm guessing there's more than one thesis out there which touches on this topic.

Best regards,

RT

Rudy Ternbach wrote: Can I safely assume the calligraphy signed by OSensei on page 9 of that text are the ones he would have translated as "The Art of Peace"?

The page 9 of the text that you refer to contain a calligraphy for the kanji characters for the term "aikido." Although others such as Mr Stevens may certainly interpret that term as such, I personally would never translate "aikido" as "the art of peace."

-- Jun

Jun Akiyama wrote: The page 9 of the text that you refer to contain a calligraphy for the kanji characters for the term "aikido." Although others such as Mr Stevens may certainly interpret that term as such, I personally would never translate "aikido" as "the art of peace." -- Jun

Thank you. Back to square one it seems.

Rudy, it would greatly help us find what your looking for if we knew the context of what you want. "Peace" is an English word; the Japanese have multiple words/characters that mean different aspects of the English term.

If you're just looking for the character for peace used in the phrase "Art of Peace", I'm afraid you're out of luck. The "Art of Peace" was simply Steven's ostentatious rendering of the term "aikido". If you're looking for the term and character most often associated with martial arts and peace from conflict, that would be 和, wa.

Joshua Reyer wrote: Rudy, it would greatly help us find what your looking for if we knew the context of what you want. "Peace" is an English word; the Japanese have multiple words/characters that mean different aspects of the English term. If you're just looking for the character for peace used in the phrase "Art of Peace", I'm afraid you're out of luck. The "Art of Peace" was simply Steven's ostentatious rendering of the term "aikido". If you're looking for the term and character most often associated with martial arts and peace from conflict, that would be 和, wa.

Joshua,
That clears up a bit of my confusion and seems to support Jun's post which points to a direct quote from OSensei「和合の道」("wagou no michi") as coming closest to the English phrase "The Art of Peace".

Regards,

Rudy

和合の道 can be translated of "way of harmony"

Demetrio Cereijo wrote: 和合の道 can be translated of "way of harmony"

I guess that's an ambiguity I can live with.

Hello,

I second Josh Reyer's question. Are you looking for an acceptable Japanese phrase to use as a dojo name or sign, for example?

Here in Hiroshima, the accepted term for 'peace' is 'heiwa' 平和. 'World peace', for example, is 世界平和: 'sekai heiwa' and 平和大通り'heiwa o doori' is the wide avenue that runs through the centre of the city. In English this is Peace Boulevard. There are a large number of enterprises and movements that include 平和 in the name, so there is not much exclusivity. However, as far as I know, there are no local martial arts dojo that use heiwa in their names.

I checked 平和の道 'heiwa no michi' (the way of peace) in Japanese on Google and received 21 million hits. Of course, one sense in which this term can be understood, a way to achieving a state as yet unachieved, would require 平和への道. In Hiroshima,however, 平和の道 is much more down to earth: it is a route that people can take to visit the various buildings and monuments to do with the atomic bombing. The name on the paving stones in English, however, is the seemingly more elegant 'Promenade of Peace'.

I have not ever checked all the references in Morihei Ueshiba's writings (published in Japanese) to see whether he ever uses the word heiwa. In the writings that I have checked, the word is usually 和合 wagou, as Jun stated, where gou is the same character as 合 ai in aikido. The problem with the translations of Prof Stevens is that he never gives or cites the original Japanese texts.

In modern Japanese, the meanings given of wagou are yawaragiau-koto 和らぎ合うこと (using the Japanese kun readings of the same characters): to soften and blend; mazeawaseru-koto 混ぜ合わせること: to compound this and that, to mix together, to mingle or blend (as in the blending of colours or sounds).

Best wishes,

P A Goldsbury

Edit to my last post.

"Never" is not correct. Prof Stevens gives the Japanese originals in his edition of the douka 道歌.

Peter A Goldsbury wrote: Hello, I second Josh Reyer's question. Are you looking for an acceptable Japanese phrase to use as a dojo name or sign, for example?.... Best wishes, P A Goldsbury

Hello Goldsbury Sensei,

Thank you for your reply to my post. I should have clarified the intent of my question when Josh first asked me so I will try to do so now.

I began quite simply by starting a thread asking for the kanji for peace which I wanted to use as an inscription on a wooden bokken and a jo which I plan to use both in individual practice and when working with a partner. I was also thinking of using the same phrase, or a related phrase, as calligraphy on a wall hanging in my home. Based on what I learned in the first thread I then started this thread asking about the kanji for "The Art of Peace". After reading your reply and the others in this thread I am thinking now I can specify that I would like to consider the kanji for "The Tao of World Peace" as well as "The Art of World Peace". Any assistance you can give me with this is sincerely appreciated.

Best regards,

R.Ternbach

Peter A Goldsbury wrote: Hello, I second Josh Reyer's question. Are you looking for an acceptable Japanese phrase to use as a dojo name or sign, for example?.... Best wishes, P A Goldsbury

Hello Goldsbury Sensei,

Thank you for your reply to my post. I should have clarified the intent of my question when Josh first asked me so I will try to do so now.

I began quite simply by starting a thread asking for the kanji for peace which I wanted to use as an inscription on a wooden bokken and a jo which I plan to use both in individual practice and when working with a partner. I may also use the same phrase, or a related phrase, as calligraphy on a wall hanging in my home. Based on what I learned in the first thread I started this thread asking about OSensei's kanji for "The Art of Peace". After reading your reply and the others in this thread I am thinking now I can specify that I would like to consider the kanji for "The Tao of World Peace" as well as "The Art of World Peace".

Best regards,

R.Ternbach

To R Ternbach,

Many thanks for your response.

Well, the Tao of X, the tao of anything, in fact, presents some major challenges for a translator, as you will see from the Japanese translation of Fritjof Capra's famous book, The Tao of Physics.

The full title of the work is The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism.

The Japanese translation of the title is: 『タオ自然学―現代物理学の先端から「東洋の世紀」がはじまる』.

Here is the transcription into Roman script, with spaces between the words: "Tao shizengaku--gendai butsurigaku no sentan kara 'toyou no seki' ga hajimaru."

The main title, the Tao of Physics, is translated as Tao shizengaku.
タオ is simply Tao in the Japanese katakana script and presumably means here what it does in English (though one should never take this for granted). Shizen means nature and gaku means study. However, it is a made-up word that does not appear in the dictionary and it does not quite mean 'natural science', this term being shizenkagaku. So shizengaku is looser, meaning something like, studying nature or natural phenomena.

As for the subtitle, only one phrase is translated word for word into Japanese. This is 現代物理学: gendai butsurigaku: modern physics. 先端: sentan: primarily means point. Its transferred meaning is spearhead, vanguard, in the lead, at the cutting edge.

Then you have a phrase in single quotes: 東洋の世紀 touyou no seiki. Touyou means the Orient, or, the East and seiki means century.

Finally, you have はじまる: hajimaru: begin, which is written in hiragana.

So if you put everything together, including the three different writing systems and the grammatical particles, you get something like:

The Tao (&) Studying Nature: From the Cutting Edge of Modern Physics, the 'Century of the East' Dawns.

Best wishes,

Peter A Goldsbury wrote: To R Ternbach, Many thanks for your response. Well, the Tao of X, the tao of anything, in fact, presents some major challenges for a translator, as you will see from the Japanese translation of Fritjof Capra's famous book, The Tao of Physics. The full title of the work is The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism. The Japanese translation of the title is: 『タオ自然学―現代物理学の先端から「東洋の世紀」がはじまる』. Here is the transcription into Roman script, with spaces between the words: "Tao shizengaku--gendai butsurigaku no sentan kara 'toyou no seki' ga hajimaru." The main title, the Tao of Physics, is translated as Tao shizengaku. タオ is simply Tao in the Japanese katakana script and presumably means here what it does in English (though one should never take this for granted). Shizen means nature and gaku means study. However, it is a made-up word that does not appear in the dictionary and it does not quite mean 'natural science', this term being shizenkagaku. So shizengaku is looser, meaning something like, studying nature or natural phenomena. As for the subtitle, only one phrase is translated word for word into Japanese. This is 現代物理学: gendai butsurigaku: modern physics. 先端: sentan: primarily means point. Its transferred meaning is spearhead, vanguard, in the lead, at the cutting edge. Then you have a phrase in single quotes: 東洋の世紀 touyou no seiki. Touyou means the Orient, or, the East and seiki means century. Finally, you have はじまる: hajimaru: begin, which is written in hiragana. So if you put everything together, including the three different writing systems and the grammatical particles, you get something like: The Tao (&) Studying Nature: From the Cutting Edge of Modern Physics, the 'Century of the East' Dawns. Best wishes,

Sensei Goldsbury,

Appears that some , like me, forget we are servants to language while at the same time believing the opposite to be the case.
May I safely conclude that "The Art of World Peace" would be a simpler translation to implement?

Best,

R. Ternbach

Demetrio Cereijo wrote: 和合の道 can be translated of "way of harmony"

Sorry, I meant translated as the "way of harmony", like in this other Stevens Sensei book:

http://www.amazon.com/Aikido-Way-Har.../dp/0394714261

Demetrio Cereijo wrote: ... I meant... "way of harmony", like in this other Stevens Sensei book: http://www.amazon.com/Aikido-Way-Har.../dp/0394714261

So, and I'm sorry if this is redundant, the kanji for "the way of harmony" are

Rudy Ternbach wrote: Sensei Goldsbury, Appears that some , like me, forget we are servants to language while at the same time believing the opposite to be the case. May I safely conclude that "The Art of World Peace" would be a simpler translation to implement? Best, R. Ternbach

The peace prayer is kind of long, but it would be nice...

The kanji are at the bottom of http://www.aikidohawaii.org/peaceprayer.html

Best,

Chris

Rudy Ternbach wrote: So, and I'm sorry if this is redundant, the kanji for "the way of harmony" are

Looks "Aiki O Kami" (great spirit of aiki) to me.

Demetrio Cereijo wrote: Looks "Aiki O Kami" (great spirit of aiki) to me.

Thanks Demetrio, I'll save that one for another time.

Christopher Li wrote: The peace prayer is kind of long, but it would be nice... The kanji are at the bottom of http://www.aikidohawaii.org/peaceprayer.html Best, Chris

Chris

Quite nice; you've moved me to me thinking about the wood I'll use for the prayer pole.

Regards,

RT

The kanji Rudy quoted in post #20 of this thread seem to be as Demetrio stated in English in post #22 , literally. It is interesting that these kanji are the ones that were framed and hung on the wall of New York Aikikai above O Sensei's portrait photo at the front of the mat area, in the place of honor... (Sorry, I haven't been to NY in a long time) and probably still are..

The difference was that they were arranged horizontally, right to left in the Japanese order, if I remember correctly, rather than vertically, as in Japanese books. For those not familiar with them, Japanese books are read with the pages in order from the right side of the book, ending with the left, the reverse from English language books.

The calligraphy I assumed was written by O Sensei and given to Yamada Sensei to bring to his dojo in the United States .... probably in 1964 ....

Anyway, fascinating thread, I'm just adding some old memories in case some are interested in where this phrase appears in a slightly different arrangement... thanks, Rudy for introducing this topic which has inspired many of us .... and thanks, Chris for the interesting link, I had heard of Professor Goi and and am happy to be able to read more about him and about your dojo.... And of course Professor Goldsbury's information is always a great help ....