Among the modern martial arts most often mentioned in relation to 'spirituality' is the Japanese martial art aikido, created by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) in the 1940s. He described aikido as an art of peace and viewed its practice as a spiritual endeavour. Academic observers, however, have cast doubt on the authenticity of spiritual content in the martial art while others consider that spirituality is not possible outside the confines of established religion. This book refutes these arguments by exploring in detail aikido's relationship to Japan's spiritual traditions. Drawing extensively on Ueshiba's discourses and wiritings, it compares the aikido world view and practice methods with those of four belief systems influential in Japan-Daoism, Zen Buddhism, Shingon Mikkyo and Shinto. The book shows how Ueshiba pierced the meaning of these traditions and was able thereby to synthesise their spiritual practices creatively. It also sheds light on various sources of confusion surrounding spiritual aspects of the martial arts and should interest martial arts' practitioners and anyone concerned more widely with new forms of spirituality.

Margaret Greenhalgh has practised aikido since 1978 and has broad interests in East Asian culture, philosophy and religion. She has a BA in French and Spanish from the University of London and an MA in East Asian Studies from Durham University, England.

Contents

Introduction
Chapter One Spirituality in the martial arts
Part One Charting the territory
Sports and the sacred/secular dichotomy
Martial arts and 'spiritual education'
Issues of terminology: budo and bushido
Aikido's world view
Function as a means of evaluating spirituality
Part Two Main themes of Japanese spirituality
The syncretic tradition
Interconnectedness of being
Non-duality, cosmic vision and the 'path' to enlightenment
Knowledge by direct experience
The body as instrument
Transformaition through affirmation
The divine in the phenomenal
The concept of ki
Chapter Two Ueshiba Morihei's life and thought
Ueshiba Morihei-some impressions
Ueshiba's life: a brief sketch
Ueshiba and the spiritual legacy of the martial arts
Ueshiba's personal asceticism, spiritual practice and experiences
Ueshiba and the state
Ueshiba's thought: sources and transmission
Chapter Three: Aikido and Daoism-The transmutation of ki
Daiost infuence on Japanese culterue
Daoism and the Japanaese martial arts
Daoism and the nature of reality
Daoism and aikido: common concepts
Daoism and aikido: principles of spiritual practice
Chapter Four: Zen Buddhism and aikido-'Emptiness' and Buddha-nature
Ueshiba and Zen Buddhism
Zen in the martial arts: fact or fantasy
'Suzuki Zen' and Takuan Soho
Zen and aikido: common approaches to reality
Zen and aikido practice: no-mind and development of the heart
Chapter Five: Aikido and Shingon Mikkyo-body, sound and mind
History of Shingon Mikkyo in Japan
Identification with the cosmic Buddha
Aikido and Tantric perspectives on the body
The three 'secrets' as inspiration for aikido
Chapte Six: Aikido and Shintoist beliefs-Musubi, misogi and kotodama
Shinto in the Meiji era
Aikido and Omotokyo
Aikido and kami
Aikido and the spiritual practices of Shinto
Aikido and kotodama
Conclusion
Bibliography