Christianity and aikido
Since
this page is dedicated to Orthodox Christians, it will not be
translated to English. After all, most of the English speaking people
aren't Orthodox. People who belong to other religious communities
should build their own attitude in relation to Aikido since there are
no guarantees that thoughts and conclusions formed by people of
Orthodox religious denomination and located in the Balkan peninsula
will be of any help. The notion that Aikido shouldn't stand in too stark
a contrast to any peaceful religion, on the other hand, doesn't seem too
far fetched. For the sake of illustration, a few quotes from master
Ueshiba's book "The Art of Peace" will be provided: "The
penetrating brilliance of swords wielded by the followers of the Way
strikes at the evil enemy lurking within their own souls and bodies." "The
Art of Peace is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of
evil desires and all falsehood within. On occasion the Voice of Peace
resounds like thunder, jolting human beings out of their stupor." "Loyalty
and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-
sacrifice. The spirit of self- sacrifice creates trust in the power of
love." "Be grateful even for
hardship, setbacks and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an
essential part of training in the Art of Peace." |