Nonaction and the Art of Blending: Daoist Principles in Aikido

159 Nonaction and the Art of Blending Daoist Principles in Aikido ANDREW COLVIN Just as the way of heaven is to benefit all and not do harm, Therefore, the way of the sage is to act but not compete (Laozi 81) Scholars often describe the contemporary art of aikido, literally “way of harmony,” as the most sophisticated, as well as the most philosophical and spiritual of the martial arts (Stevens 2001, 7; Westbrooke and Ratti 1997, 17). Developed by Morihei Ueshiba 植芝盛平 (1883-1969) in the first half of the 20th century, aikido offers both a unique and effective method of self-defense and a subtle and profound form of spiritual practice . In recent decades, several studies attempting to uncover the philosophical and spiritual principles at the core of aikido have pointed to the influence of Zen, Shingon Buddhism, and the Ōmoto-kyō sect of Shinto (see Gleason 1995; Stevens 2001; Ueshiba 2007). However, in addition, I think, there are important correspondences between aikido and classical Daoist thought. 1 At first glance, there appears to be little basis for a comparative study of these two “ways.” Indeed the strict formal etiquette (reigi 礼儀) of the aikido practitioner stands in stark contrast to the well-known image of the Daoist as the irreverent eccentric, the easy-going scamp who 1 Biographies of Ueshiba and studies of the spiritual foundations of aikido rarely mention of Daoist thought. Stevens (2001) correlates a few Daoist passages with aikido concepts, for example, the aioi 相生 and Daode jing 2. 160 / Journal of Daoist Studies 9 (2016) playfully flaunts formality and social convention in pursuit of personal freedom and spontaneity.2 Moreover, although Ueshiba was remarkably eclectic in his thought, he was, as George Ledyard (2005) put it, a Shinto mystic. He articulated the principles at the core of aikido not by appeal to Daoist thought, but in terms the arcane and esoteric Shinto doctrine of kototama 言霊 or “language of the spirit.”3 Nevertheless, I believe that the practice of aikido involves the cultivation and embodiment of ideals and principles remarkably analogous to those that form the basis of classical Daoist thought. There are two important reasons for outlining these similarities. First, while studies such as Gleason’s The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido (1994) argue that the development of aikido emerged from Ueshiba’s study of Shinto, Shingon Buddhism, and the arcane doctrine of kototama, these esoteric traditions are inaccessible and often not particularly helpful in illuminating the core principles and ideals of aikido.4 By turning to classical Daoist thought to shed light on these core principles and ideals, I hope to offer a perspective on aikido that is less abstruse and more accessible. Second, as I intend to show, the art of techniques of aikido can illustrate in a remarkable way key principles and ideals of Daoist thought and how these ideals can be cultivated by contemporary practitioners. In this undertaking, I do not attempt to show that the founder of aikido was well versed in Daoist thought and practice. Although to my knowledge, the writings of Ueshiba and biographies of his life suggest no direct correlation, a study of the influence of Daoist ideas on the development of aikido might prove otherwise. Nor will I try to demonstrate that Daoist thought influenced the development of Shingon Buddhism and Shinto and from there moved to influence Ueshiba. I will not 2 This image is popularized in works like the Zhuangzi 莊子 in the stories of the lives of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, and more recently in the essays of Lin Yutang 林語堂. 3 Gleason translates kototama 言霊 as “word souls.” He characterizes these sounds as “a priori dimensions of the universe that … form the foundation of our spiritual constitution” (Gleason, 1995, 2). For an in-depth analysis, see Gleason 2009; Ledyard 2005. 4 Ledyard (2005) points out that very few people, including high ranking aikido instructors, understand the kototama doctrine or see aikido as Ueshiba understood it. Colvin, “Art of Blending” / 161 strive to show that aikido is really a form of Daoist practice. Such a redescription of aikido in Daoist terms would be misleading and unwelcome by aikido and Daoist practitioners alike. Rather, my primary concern...