Aiki is a generalized universal principal governing the fields of samsara, and shares space with a variety of other principals1 in the same. The scope of aiki is vast, and the study and application profoundly transformative when wielded by noble practitioners. Those with a sincere heart and a wish to leave the world better than they found it are invited to practice together in Aikido. Having its roots in preserving peace and justice, aspiring for growth without conflict, through militaries, samurai, and governments, Aikido is an art that greatly benefits all life.
This practice is for the world, a divine gift, illuminated by Morihei Ueshiba (O-Sensei), shared compassionately by the Ueshiba Family (Kisshomorou Ueshiba, Moriteru Ueshiba…), and transmitted through Mitsugi Saotome and his rare peers to many practitioners around the world.
禊; Misogi
Its heart in the realm of purifying aggressive habitation, the practice of aikido shares roots with spiritual asceticism. Practice includes a series of purification exercises called misogi, meant to invite a practitioner to discover and develop insights and methods to leave the environment as well as their selves better than they found it. The heart of these exercises are critical for maintaining stability for higher valences of the application of aiki, and are revisited, increased, and innovated upon by all practitioners of aikido.
合わせ; Awase
Aikido practice, sharing its roots in preserving peace and justice, includes martial arts, for aikido practitioners recognize that within peace and justice lies principled behavior. These behaviors are honed and sharpened from the course to the fine sharpening stones of the interactions and interference patterns of life and all of its participants.
Roots are in koryu, we practice a variety of techniques that are eventually shed, in favor of principled behavior rather than scripts, copies, and clones of patterns, which initially are beneficial, like crutches when healing.
丸橋; Marubashi
Here, the practitioner may discover, when sincerity and stability is well established, the narrow bridge of world lines. Discovering the reality of falling off into a raging ocean or a raging fire, we call this bridge marubashi.
This bridge is where the fires imbued with anger, and water infused with clinginess are tamed [ fire abstract anger, water abstract clinginess ]. This bridge is where generosity, love, and compassion are born anew, fresh, in a stream of awareness that moves with penetrative insight and method through all of life.
Upon this bridge, obstacles [will]arrive[d], and there will be no exit save for the obstacle itself. Knowledge of the arrival on the bridge is clear, for there will be no doubt. Once here, this is where the practice is really done. The dojo was the training ground, the place of training in aikido. The bridge is for takemusu aiki. Real aikido is not practiced in the dojo, as the dojo could be broken in the process.
武産合気; Takemusu Aiki
The study and practice of aiki, is of deltas, of change, of iterations of change, folding within, folding without. The practice aiki, lead by a skilled leader, is the study and practice of changes in neural connectivity, in social-neural interaction, in social-intra/inter-neural communication, and progresses to wisdom of interference patterns within samsara.
Progress further on the path continue aikido to penetrate deeper into the ocean of wisdom, gaining an understanding, and merging with the divine spirit of Take Musu Aiki. A beginningless, endingless transformation process, where thoughts, words, and deeds take on new meanings, innovative transformation, and insights that have the potential to shock worlds into new directions. The fruit of takemusu aiki is not practiced in samsara, only invited, as samsara could be broken in the process.
天の浮橋; Ama no Kihashi
The practitioner then realizes the true meaning of marubashi. Here, misogi is properly oriented, and the causes and conditions ripe. One’s lineage changes, the meaning generative process is understood, and swift victory is understood. Now the practice continues in the heavenly planes, where the rains of wisdom fall upon the earth below and the rainbows of wisdom illuminate the heavens above.
祭; Matsuri
Together (awase), now there is a celebration of the activity of ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘you’re welcome’ in a great display of noble activity abstract time, and abstract space, right here, right now. Noble behaviors, purified from misogi, practiced together in awase, through the narrow gate of marubashi, spontaneously creative in takemusu aiki, and invited through humility and perseverance, yet the task is not yet complete.
天岩戸; Ama no Iwato
Then, at the last minute, when those insulted, trodden upon, and suppressed show the slightest interest in peeking in on the celebration outside of the cave, love grabs the frozen, the solid, and moves it with collective might. Love invites, there is celebration, thankfulness is expressed, and the heart is restored to the throne. For this is a world [to]create[d] together, not apart and it is sunlight, sheer radiance, the gift of something as simple as a photon, in great abundance, that [will]produce[d] the energy that moves all of this within samsara.
Life is matsuri, and through the practice of aikido wisdom and insight is discovered to throw open the rock door; to the realization of the naturelessness of valence, of form, which is revealed mind to mind.
Tada Ima!
1 see 八力；eight powers
This concludes the Valences of Aiki, as illuminated by wisdom, for the benefit of all beings.
Vajrasattva Appendix
the portability of invitation inceivance; upaya
memo sorting table
| 道 | |||||||
| 合 | 道 | ||||||
| 合 | 道 | 気 | |||||
| 合 | 道 | 気 | |||||
| 合 | 道 | 気 | |||||
| 合 | 道 | 気 | |||||
| 道 | 気 | ||||||
| 道 |