It is a great pleasure for all of us who have been studying aikido day after day to know that Takemusu Aiki will be reprinted in a new and better binding.

Takemusu Aiki is a collection of talks by the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, and I express my appreciation to Mr. Hideo Takahashi for his wonderful work. I imagine it must have been an exceedingly arduous task to transcribe and edit so faithfully such difficult content.

As you know, the signficance of the Path O-Sensei illuminated has attracted attention in various fields since he taught about the relationship between body and spirit, especially at a time when mental disorders are considered universally to be a great social problem and this fact has contributed to the growth of aikido.

Of the numerous books on aikido, Takemusu Aiki is the work most representative of O-Sensei’s thinking and strongly speaks to us about fundamental truths. It is, therefore, a book we should always keep at hand.

Moreover, O-Sensei commented, “There is no one other than Goi Sensei who knows my mind.” Goi Sensei was my father’s intimate friend and Mr. Takahashi, a student of Goi Sensei, dedicated himself wholeheartedly to recording O-Sensei’s talks and the compilation of Takemusu Aiki. It can be said that it is high time to publish this new edition and that this book will be considered as a precious record to be read widely by people from diverse fields.

Please accept my sincere congratulations on the new edition of Takemusu Aiki.

Kisshomaru Ueshiba
Aikido Doshu
October 1986

(1)

Today, as requested, I will attempt to describe for you what aikido is.

• Aikido is the principle of eternal continuation throughout all ages of the one and same system of the Universe.
• Aikido is Heaven-sent truth and the marvelous work of Takemusu Aiki.
• Aikido is the Way of union and harmony of Heaven, Earth and humanity.
• Aikido is, moreover, the Way to take care of the entire creation.
• Aikido is the supreme work of kotodama¹ and the Great Way of Universal Purification (misogi).

Those who deeply believe in this Way must serve in the administration² of the founding of a Universal Nation.

We must accomplish our missions as human beings and become guideposts for the Great Union and Harmony of the Universal Family. Therefore, we must understand Universal Truth, the true state of things, and attain oneness with the mind of God. We must learn from the manifestations and works of God in this Great Universe, and assist in His administration serving as a sword (tsurugi).

In aikido, it is absolutely indispensable that we stand on the Floating Bridge of Heaven (Ame no Ukihashi)³. This is essential for us to return to and be unified with God, who is the spiritual source, the Original Parent.

And we must stand on the Floating Bridge even if we can find nothing else. Before God we must give up our ego, freeing our mind of all thoughts and endeavor to be able to execute divine deeds by calming our spirit (kon)⁴ and returning to God.

The primary divine work is attaining oneness with God, the Creator, returning to and unifying with God in harmony. We can realize this work by carrying out our God-given missions and unifying ourselves with the Divine Spirit, that is, becoming one with the Great Universe.

Therefore, we must put our spirit and body in order, but independently of each other. We prepare our spirit and body in order to advance into the world of ki, ryu, ju, and go.⁵

When we correctly establish the boundaries between ki, ryu, ju, and go and clearly master them, this is called shikishin, the ability of the mind to see things as they are.

Now aikido is the name given to our practice of the Way to attain oneness with the spirit and body of the Universe, and the Way of unification with the light of harmony.

For example, if there is something dirty on earth, insects come and clean it up. Insects, fish, birds and all other animals have their own way of taking care of impurities in this way.

As human beings we must purify ourselves from all sins and impurities and each accomplish our own God-given missions. This is what aikido offers, and it is for this purpose that you (addressing the Byakko Shinko Kai audience) offer “The World Peace Prayer” which Goi Sensei advocates. However, if you pray in words only, it does not work. You must actually live up to the prayer, otherwise it will be of no avail.

(2)

Aikido is the martial art (bu) of truth; it is the work of love.

It is the way to protect all living things of this world, that is, aikido is a compass that gives life to all things.

It is the manifestation of takemusu⁶ that has given birth to all martial techniques that have so far been created.

The martial arts born therefrom are the law to protect the growth of everything existing in the world in accordance with the law of life and growth of all nature.

It will take too long if I go into the details, so I will explain briefly.

Ubuya⁷ (houses for childbirth) are where we cultivate and perfect the Japanese spirit (yamatodamashii) that plainly protects principles of the truths existing in all nature.

Therefore, aikido abides on the way of Masakatsu-Agatsu-Katsuhayabi⁸ and is the wonderful work of kotodama that clarifies the true meaning of the unity of religion and states, that is, the happiest form of Great Democracy and Great Freedom.

Aikido reveals the way of misogi, guiding people to the World Peace Prayer and serving as a harmonious compass of the completed unity of all purified ki in nature.

Now we should not fail to accomplish the divine work given to us and should perform our part as children of God being Mercy and Light. We must render service to the work for the creation of a Universal Nation and for the perfection of mankind. Embracing the three worlds—the world of appearance-the subconscious world-the Divine world—we must give our lives to unite in harmony and to advance administration works. This is the way to complete ourselves and is the practice of aikido.

I would like to say this to all of you as one member of the Universal Family.

SU-U-A (Ueshiba Sensei emits kotodama) From these, A-O-U-E-I come into being. A-O-U-E-I are the manifestation of the eight powers (hachiriki).⁹ The Universe was created through the working of the kotodama.

The Universe is the manifestation of the divine will of the six spirits of TA-KA-A-MA-HA-RA, A-O-U-E-I, the living manifestation of the three elements and eight powers (sangen hachiriki), and the 75 kotodama.

Sangen (lit., three origins) refers to ki, ryu, ju, and go. They are also A iku musubi, + taru musubi, and 2 tamatsume musubi.¹⁰ This is the takemusu of aikido. Takemusu is training to cultivate the ability to use gravitation.

(3)

Aikido is the work of Ame no Murakumo Kuki Samuhara Ryuou.¹¹

Ame no Murakumo is the work of Universal Ki, the ki of Onogoro Island¹², and the ki that breathes and pierces through all the ki of everything existing in the Universe.

Kuki is a double-edged sword which cuts through and unites the appearances of the Great Spirit of the Earth and Heaven. That is, it is a two-edged sword of Heaven and Earth.

Samuhara is a word to praise the highest virtue and merits of the world. (Ryuou means literally “Dragon King”)

Thus, aikido advances toward the perfection of the entire world in order to establish a Heaven on Earth.

Aikido is the Great Way to completely purify the entire world. It purifies and clears away sins, malice and evil thoughts of the Universe and takes care of them.

This is accomplished through kotodama.

The Way of aiki is the way to protect love. Without love, nothing in the world can be realized. Therefore, I believe this world will be destroyed if the true work of aiki is not carried out.

We must protect this world by making our way through the three worlds—appearance-subconscious-Divine. This is the manifestation of Buddha (Saisho Myo Nyorai)

Aiki is a Way whose mission is the reconstruction of this floating world by standing in the center of the Universe.

We purify ourselves—people, nations and the whole world—and advance in the name of God.

Finally, the true work of aikido will commence. I do not know another way other than aikido capable of rebuilding this world.

We have to enter the main gate through budo, protect humanity from destruction, and dedicate ourselves in order to bring peace to humankind. This work is part of the work of the Great God.

The time has come. The work really begins this year.

Aikido is the way of sincerity and sincerity is the Way of loyalty. Loyalty means rendering service to the achievement of the construction of the Universal Heaven, and devoting ourselves to the spirit of construction of a Heaven on Earth.

In order to advance along this Way, first of all we must perfect ourselves. We have to improve and perfect nations, and reform and perfect humanity so that Earth will be transformed for the better.

Aikido is also the working of the five voices—A-O-U-E-I. This is closely related to the combination of nigen (two origins), water and fire. In Shinto, they are the two deities, Takami Musubi and Kami Musubi.¹³ The world was built through the actions of the flow of these two deities.

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