Those who practice the Art of Peace must protect the domain of Mother Nature, the divine reflection of creation, and keep it lovely and fresh.  Warriorship gives birth to natural beauty.  The subtle techniques of a warrior arise as naturally as the appearance of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.  Warriorship is none other than the vitality that sustains all life.

Contemplate the workings of this world, listen to the words of the wise, and take all that is good as your own.  With this as your base, open your own door to truth.  Do not overlook the truth that is right before you.  Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.  Also learn from holy books and wise people.  Everything—even mountains, rivers, plants, and trees—should be your teacher.

Create each day anew by clothing yourself with heaven and earth, bathing yourself with wisdom and love, and placing yourself in the heart of Mother Nature.

As soon as you concern yourself with the “good” and “bad” of your fellows, you create an opening in your heart for maliciousness to enter.  Testing, competing with, and criticizing others weaken and defeat you.

To practice properly the Art of Peace, you must:

Calm the spirit and return to the source.

Cleanse the body and spirit by removing all malice, selfishness, and desire.

Be ever-greatful for the gifts received from the universe, your family, Mother Nature, and your fellow human beings.

All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love.  And the Art of Peace is the purest form of that principle.  A warrior is charged with bringing a halt to all contention and strife.  Universal love functions in many forms; each manifestation should be allowed free expression.  The Art of Peace is true democracy.

The Art of Peace does not rely on weapons or brute force to succeed; instead we put ourselves in tune with the universe, maintain peace in our own realms, nurture life, and present death and destruction.  The true meaning of the term samurai is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.

Even though our path is completely different from the warrior arts of the past, it is not necessary to abandon totally the old ways.  Absorb venerable traditions into this new Art by clothing them with fresh garments, and build on the classic styles to create better forms.

The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love, and sincerity; the heart of martial valor is true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship.  Emphasis on the physical aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited.

The Art of Peace is the principle of nonresistance.  Because it is nonresistant, it is victorious from the beginning.  Those with evil intentions or contentious thoughts are instantly vanquished.  The Art of Peace is invincible because it contends with nothing.

There are no contests in the Art of Peace.  A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing.  Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.

To injure an opponent is to injure yourself.  To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.

Always practice the Art of Peace in a vibrant and joyful manner.

The key to good technique is to keep your hands, feet, and hips straight and centered.  If you are centered, you can move freely.  The physical center is your belly, if your mind is set there as well, you are assured of victory in any endeavor.

Move like a beam of light:

Fly like lightning,

Strike like thunder,

Whirl in circles around

A stable center.

Techniques employ four qualities that reflect the nature of our world.  Depending on the circumstance, you should be:  hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth-flowing like water, or as empty as space.

If your opponent strikes with fire, counter with water, becoming completely fluid and free-flowing.  Water by its nature, never collides with or breaks against anything.  On the contrary, it swallows up any attack harmlessly.

Spring forth from the Great Earth;

Billow like Great Waves;

Stand like a tree, sit like a rock;

Use the One to strike All.

Learn and forget!

When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.

If your heart is large enough to envelop your adversaries, you can see right through them and avoid their attacks.  And once you envelop them, you will be able to guide them along a path indicated to you by heaven and earth.

Free of weakness,

No-mindlessly ignore

The sharp attacks

Of your enemies:

Step in and act!

Do not look upon this world with fear and loathing.  Bravely face whatever the gods offer.

Each day of human life contains joy and anger, pain and pleasure, darkness and light, growth and decay.  Each moment is etched with nature’s grand design—do not try to deny or oppose the cosmic order of things.

Life itself is always a trial.  In training, you must test and polish yourself in order to face the great challenges of life.  Transcend the realm of life and death, and then you will be able to make your way calmly and safely through any crisis that confronts you.

Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people.  Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace.

Failure is the key to success;

Each mistake teaches us something.

Even when called out by a single foe, remain on guard, for you are always surrounded by a host of enemies.