Today is when Osho became enlightened in 1953 and the world was never the same again. The Master of Masters has changed the world forever …. A small excerpt on Aikido, a part of his discourses on the 42 sutras of Buddha.
These talks are collated under the title “The Discipline of Transcendence” and this excerpt is from Volume 2 Discourse number – 5.
Aikido – A beautiful Science
“…. In Japan they have a beautiful science – aikido. The word ‘aikido’ comes from a word ‘ki’. ‘Ki’ means power. The same word in Chinese is ‘chi’. From ‘chi’ comes t’ai chi – that too means power. Just equivalent to ki and chi is the indian word ‘prana’. It is a totally different concept of power.
In aikido they teach that when somebody attacks you, don’t be in conflict with him – even when somebody attacks you. Cooperate with him. This looks impossible, but one can learn the art. And when you have learned the art, you will be tremendously surprised that it happens – you can cooperate even with your enemy. When somebody attacks you, aikido says go with him.
Ordinarily when somebody attacks you, you become stiff, you become hard. You are in conflict. Aikido says even take attack in a very loving way. Receive it. It is a gift from the enemy. He is bringing great energy to you. Receive it, absorb it, don’t conflict.
In the beginning it looks impossible. How? Because for centuries we have been taught about one idea of power, and that is that of conflict, friction. We know only one power and that is of fight. We know only one power, and that is of no, saying no.”
“…..Aikido says, ‘say yes’. When the enemy attacks you, accept it as a gift. Receive it, become porous. Don’t become stiff. Become as liquid as possible. Receive this gift, absorb it, and the energy from the enemy will be lost and you will become the possessor of it. There will be a jump of energy from the enemy to you.
A master of aikido, without fighting, conquers. He conquers by non-fighting. He is tremendously meek, humble. The enemy is destroyed by his own attitude. He is creating enough poison for himself; there is no need for you to help him. He is suicidal. He is committing suicide by attacking. There is no need for you to fight with him.”
“…..Aikido, t’ai chi, or what Jesus calls meekness, what Buddha calls meekness, depend on the same principle – the principle of harmony.
You try it in your life; you just try in small experiments. Somebody slaps your face. Try to absorb it, receive it. Feel happy that he has released energy on your face – and see how it feels. You will have a totally different feeling. And that has happened many times unawares. A friend comes and slaps you on your back.
You don’t know who it is – then you look. He is a friend and you are feeling happy. It was a friendly slap. You look back and he is an enemy, and you feel hurt.
The quality of the slap immediately changes with your attitude. If it is a friend you accept it. It is beautiful, it is a loving thing. If he is the enemy, then it is not loving, it is full of hate. The slap is the same, the energy is the same, the same impact of energy, but your attitude changes.
You can watch it many times. Just now it is raining. You will be going back home. You can take it in an aikido way, or you can take it in the ordinary way.
The ordinary way is that you will see that your clothes will become wet, or you may get cold, or this may happen, or that may happen. And you will be against the rains. You will be running towards home in a bad mood, antagonistic.
This has happened many times. You try aikido. You relax, you enjoy the falling drops of water on your face. It is tremendously beautiful. It is so soothing, so cleansing, so refreshing. What is wrong in your clothes getting wet? Why be so worried about it? They can be dried. But why miss this opportunity? The heaven is meeting with the earth. Why miss this opportunity? Why not dance it?”
Thank You Master 🙏🏿
Do read – March 21, 1953 – Osho’s Enlightenment Day.