It has been 40 years since I started aikidô. Looking back at my experiences, throughout this period, I have met many teachers, starting with Ô-sensei, been taught many things, read many books, and learned much. When I started aikidô. I practiced thinking only about becoming stronger. At the time, to become strong meant to learn techniques and strengthen my body. However, I gradually came to question this way of thinking and practicing. In order to resolve these reservations I began to read books about Zen and Budô.

Among these is an ancient Chinese text on martial tactics, "Liutao". From a section called "Hujuan" ("Chapter of the Tiger") is the following:

I understood this text in this way: Blend all encounters of opposition into harmony. If this can be done, it will be the most powerful thing. For this, know what is manifest and what is latent (yin and yang), and think of what is large as limitlessly large, and what is small as limitlessly small. Killing and keeping alive, moving forward and turning, all are instantaneous. Even when facing everything directly, it is necessary to maintain a steady and unmoving (quiet) heart/mind (kokoro).

At the time, I was already practicing softly, but in order to understand and realize those words in action, I began to try to focus my attention on the "now", on each moment, and to accurately capture the encounter (de-ai) with my partner, responding while feeling my partner's power and ki. As I practiced this way, when I saw inside myself (at first it was only occasional), I noticed that I was moving with my partner limitlessly, not forcibly but naturally, with no conscious thought or awareness, as I had never before experienced.

While practicing this way, I also revisited my previous ways of thinking and what (I thought) I knew. I came to the conclusion that, by not depending on physical power, throwing away ego, and moving softly and flexibly, one could directly, concretely, and intuitively respond in the moment - "now" - and blend (harmonize) with their partner.

In Cosmos 11, I wrote, "the idea of Tao(Dô) indicates the unification of things in opposition and the integration of variety. It stresses the importance of unity in all things, while things unified, universal, and absolute have priority over everything. Since pursuing aikidô from this viewpoint of Tao, my thoughts expanded from humans to society, from society to the Earth, and from the Earth to the universe.

Disorder and confusion will most likely never cease to exist in this society. But humans attempt to escape from such a society, deepening their isolation, learning insecurity. Thus, we may seek power in one form or another and depend on it. However, everything around us resides in "as it is" and occurs "as it goes naturally." This is not the result of some special power making it so.

What we see as opposing, what is big or small, what is diverse - all equally and mutually nurture each other.

To not use force, to put the opposing and diverse in order, but to grasp and understand everything as it is, unified - this is the idea of Tao. Accordingly, to seek the Tao is to separate oneself from all kinds of power, to discover by oneself only, and just go. Power and rankings are unnecessary for this endeavor. A person who practices aikidô as Tao should not see their grade as carrying a power to depend upon, but only as an indication of their position within the circle of aikidô and just another confirmation of the previous footsteps of their experience. (July 2001)

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