An Old Japanese Love Warrior

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December 8, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -

An Old Japanese Love Warrior

"This so enraged the drunk that he grabbed the metal pole at the center of the car and tried to wrench it out of its stanchion. I could see that one of his hands was cut and bleeding. The train lurched ahead, the passengers frozen with fear. I stood tip. I was young and in pretty good shape. I stood six feet, weighed 225. I'd been putting in a solid eight hours of aikido training every day for the past three years. [... But] my teacher taught us each morning that the art was devoted to peace. 'Aikido' he said again and again,' is the art of reconciliation. Whoever has the mind to fight has broken his connection with the universe. If you try to dominate other people, you are already defeated. We study how to resolve conflict, not how to start it.' I listened to his words. I tried hard." Author Terry Dobson shares a riveting story. { read more }