The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido

Description

Morihei Ueshiba, who founded Aikido early on this century, intended that his martial art would give form to profound spiritual truth, and lead to a unification of the world’s peoples. He saw Aikido not as a fighting method or as a competitive sport but quite as a means of changing into one with the laws of universal order–ki, or life energy. Unfortunately, the subtleties of Ueshiba’s teachings, veiled in the esoteric terminology of Shinto, will also be puzzling for even probably the most advanced practitioners. They don’t seem to be passed down nowadays, and have never been introduced to the West. Gleason, a fifth-degree (Godan) black belt in Aikido, recognizing the importance of the spiritual aspects of the discipline, researched its roots in Shinto, and on this book is in a position to offer a clear explanation of Ueshiba’s teachings.

• Unlike the common “how-to” manuals on basic technique, that is the first book to introduce the underlying spiritual principles of Aikido–the elusive concept of kototama (word souls), expressed as one spirit, four souls, three origins, and eight powers–and how they relate to the forms.

• Teaches the student tips on how to use Aikido to accomplish spiritual goals.

• Reveals little-known teachings of Shinto and Aikido, relating them to Buddhism, Christianity, and other spiritual teachings.