“In order to establish heaven on earth, we need a budo that is pure in spirit, that is devoid of hatred and greed.” Morihei Ueshiba
The goal of budo training is to cultivate sei (靜) which means “inner peace” or “serenity.” To have this inner quietude we need to understand hatred. Yoda once said, “Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.” Understanding this, the best warriors train themselves not to give into hate. In the old days of budo or “martial arts” training, hate and anger were acceptable means of motivation because training was supposed to prepare warriors for the harshness of battle. Thus, in the short term, anger and hatred can be very quick and effective means of motivation. The problem is that sooner or later hatred and anger become toxic and we end up succumbing to them. There’s a Chinese proverb that is apropos, “Hatred corrodes the vessel that carries it.” Anger and hatred are really just outlets for dispersing fear. Psychologist, Carol Tavris said, “Depression is not 'anger turned inward'; if anything, anger is depression turned outward. Follow the trail of anger inward, and there you will find the small, still voice of pain.” Reading this, we realize that hatred and anger are really forms of self-violence, but we also understand that we cannot be truly at peace if we are filled with anger and hatred. We only hate others because we hate ourselves and that’s why we train to cultivate inner peace. Likewise, if we have inner peace then naturally we are at peace with ourselves and others as well. Training teaches us how to dispatch our opponents, but the real opponent that we are defeating is ourselves. The more at peace we are, the better we are at dealing with that which confronts us. Training educates the warrior to not fall into the trap of hating others because they know who the real opponent is and that’s why we train to cultivate inner peace.
Today’s goal: Cultivate inner peace and be the change you wish to see in the world - get out and vote!
Watch this video of Yoda’s wisdom to understand inner peace.