Top 150 Morihei Ueshiba Quotes (2025 Update)
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101. “Your heart is full of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

102. “Those who have a warped mind, a mind of discord, have been defeated from the beginning.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

103. “Your mind should be in harmony with the functioning of the universe; your body should be in tune with the movement of the universe; body and mind should be bound as one, unified with the activity of the universe.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

104. “The heart of a human being is no different from the soul of heaven and earth. In your practice always keep in your thoughts the interaction of heaven and earth, water and fire, yin and yang.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

105. “The penetrating brilliance of swords, wielded by followers of the Way, strikes at the evil enemy, lurking deep within, their own souls and bodies.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

106. “The Divine does not like to be shut up in a building. The Divine likes to be out in the open. It is right here in this very body. Each one of us is a miniature universe, a living shrine.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

107. “All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

108. “Create each day anew by clothing yourself with heaven and earth, bathing yourself with wisdom and love, and placing yourself in the heart of Mother Nature.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

109. “Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

110. “Opponents confront us continually, but actually there is no opponent there. Enter deeply into an attack and neutralize it as you draw that misdirected force into your own sphere.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

111. “Never fear another challenger, no matter how large; Never despise another challenger, no matter how small.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

112. “When life is victorious, there is birth; when it is thwarted, there is death. A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle for Peace.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

113. “An attack is proof that one is out of control.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

114. “In a real battle, atemi is seventy percent, technique is thirty percent.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

115. “Warriorship is none other than the vitality that sustains all life.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

116. “The true meaning of the ‘samurai’ is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

117. “Bushido is not learning how to die. Bushido is learning how to live, how to protect and foster life. Even in war, the taking of human life is to be avoided as much as possible. It is always a sin to kill. Give your opponents every chance to make peace.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

118. “I’m not teaching you how to move your feet; I’m teaching you how to move your mind.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

119. “The Art of Peace is the religion that is not a religion; it perfects and completes all religions.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

120. “In Aikido, we train not to learn how to win; we train to learn to emerge victorious in any situation.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

121. “Polish the heart, free the six senses and let them function without obstruction, and your entire body will glow.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

122. “The purpose of education is to open your spirit. Modern education has forgotten this. The entire universe is a huge open book, full of miraculous things, and that is where true learning must be sought. In that spirit, take responsibility, train hard, develop yourselves, bloom in this world, and bear fruit.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

123. “Every sturdy tree that towers over human beings owes its existence to a deeply rooted core.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

124. “Instead of foolishly waging war, hereafter we will wage peace, the true purpose of Aikido. We will train to prevent war, to abolish nuclear weapons, to protect the environment, and to serve society.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

125. “Can there really be a martial art in which one downs his attacker with a smile?”

— Morihei Ueshiba

126. “The moon appears to be really present, but if you strike the water, nothing will be there. Similarly, your opponent should find nothing solid to strike.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

127. “At the instant A warrior Confronts a foe, All things Come into focus.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

128. “Do away with emperors, kings, and artificial government; establish true equality; abolish capitalism; live in God’s heart, simply and purely!”

— Morihei Ueshiba

129. “Throw your partner by not throwing, pin him by not pinning.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

130. “Do not try to guess how fast or slow a pitch will be. Just let the ball arrive at its own pace, and be there to greet it.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

131. “Do not fail to learn from The pure voice of an Ever-flowing mountain stream Splashing over the rocks.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

132. “Life is a divine gift. The divine is not something outside of us; it is right in our very center; it is our freedom.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

133. “I am one with the universe. Who can lift that.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

134. “A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle for peace.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

135. “We can no longer rely on the external teachings of Buddha, Confucius, or Christ. The era of organized religion controlling every aspect of life is over. No single religion has all the answers. Construction of shrine and temple buildings is not enough. Establish yourself as a living buddha image. We all should be transformed into goddesses of compassion or victorious buddhas.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

136. “There is evil and disorder in the world because people have forgotten that all things emanate from one source. Return to that source and leave behind all self-centered thoughts, petty desires, and anger. Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

137. “I want to know everything; my curiosity is boundless.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

138. “True prayer has no set form.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

139. “Your voice is a very powerful weapon. When you are in tune with the cosmic breath of heaven and earth, your voice produces true sounds.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

140. “True wisdom comes from intellectual education, physical education, ethical education, and ki education.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

141. “The only real sin is to be ignorant of the universal, timeless principles of existence. Such ignorance is the root of all evil and all misguided behavior. Eliminate ignorance through the Art of Peace, and even hell will be emptied of tortured souls.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

142. “The purpose of the Art of Peace is to fashion sincere human beings; a sincere human being is one who has unified body and spirit, one who is free of hesitation or doubt, and one who understands the power of words.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

143. “Bushido is not learning how to die; it is learning how to live.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

144. “Progress comes To those who Train and train.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

145. “You cannot see or touch the divine with your gross senses. The divine is within you, not somewhere else.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

146. “This is how the universe came into being: There was no heaven, no earth, no universe – just empty space. In this vast emptiness, a single point suddenly manifested itself. From that point, steam, smoke, and mist spiraled forth in a luminous sphere and the sacred sound SU was born. As SU expanded circularly up and down, left and right, nature and breath began, clear and uncontaminated. Breath developed life, and sound appeared.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

147. “Do not concern yourself with the right and wrong of others. Do not be calculating or act unnaturally.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

148. “Do not stare into the eyes of your opponent: he may mesmerize you. Do not fix your gaze on his sword: he may intimidate you. Do not focus on your opponent at all: he may absorb your energy. The essence of training is to bring your opponent completely into your sphere. Then you can stand just where you like.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

149. “All at once I understood the nature of creation: the Way of a Warrior is to manifest divine love, a spirit that embraces and nurtures all things.”

— Morihei Ueshiba

150. “Budo means constant progress, and lifelong training.”

— Morihei Ueshiba