The Art of Peace

The counterpoint to the famed Art of War, Aikido’s founding master Morihei Ueshiba offers timeless teachings on fearlessness, compassion, love of nature, and victory over conflict through the practice of peace.

The inspirational teachings in this collection show that the real way of the warrior is based on compassion, wisdom, fearlessness, and love of nature. The teachings are drawn from the talks and writings of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of the popular Japanese martial art of Aikido—a mind-body discipline he called the “Art of Peace,”—which offers a nonviolent way to victory in the face of conflict. Ueshiba believed that Aikido principles could be applied to all the challenges we face in life—in personal and business relationships and in our interactions with society.

This is an expanded version of the original miniature edition that appeared in the Shambhala Pocket Classics series. It features a new introduction by John Stevens, translated doka (didactic “poems of the Way”), and Ueshiba’s own calligraphy.“This small, elegant book is filled with the wisdom and artistry of a great man. This collection of Morihei Ueshiba’s sayings and poetry resonates with deep meaning, making this a gem of a book. The book itself is of very high quality—compact and well-bound, with clear print and beautifully reproduced images of Ueshiba’s calligraphy. A CD of the book, read in a clear, calm voice, is also a very nice inclusion. It is an important collection for the reflective artist, and practically applicable to those intent on living a grounded, sensitive life.”—Journal of Asian Martial ArtsMorihei Ueshiba (1883–1969) was the founder of Aikido. At age eighteen, Ueshiba joined the Japanese military, during which time he also developed his skills in the martial arts. He eventually left the military, deeply discouraged by the death and destruction that results from combat. Ueshiba continued to experiment with a variety of martial arts, finding particular joy in the spiritual aspects of martial arts. He came to believe that a real warrior was one who was rooted in love, and it was in this spirit that he began to develop Aikido, a martial art that emphasizes harmony and the peaceful resolution of conflict.