I believe that donating my time to a cause is extremely important, but I understand that it might not be for everyone. I always encourage my students or my patients to donate to a cause of their choice. I often hear people saying that they are bored so I believe that donating time to people that are less fortunate can really help us find a new purpose in life and feel a void.
For the martial artist, benevolence should be part of the training. As we are striving to become better Aikidokas and people, donating our time completes the training and it allows us to apply what we have learned by interacting with our community.
Morihei Ueshiba named Aikido, the Art of Peace.
In the Art of Peace, O’sensei wrote:
I have always believed, that the little that I have is more than some people and my responsibility is to donate my time to those who have less. And I always believe that the world would be a better place if everyone had the opportunity to do the same.
It might sound surprising that a martial artist donates his time to a community. Then, we discover that Martial art is not about fighting but about becoming a stronger and a better person physically and spiritually.
At Ventura Aikido, we believe that donating our time is part of our training and it also important to show that we can work as a team.
“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 grateful for the gifts received from the universe, your family, Mother Nature, and your fellow human beings."-Morihei Ueshiba
On 07/17/2022, we volunteered at the Obon festival of the Zenshuji temple with the Aikido Center of Los Angeles, and as a team we were able to make things happen. Some students cooked chicken while others were taking care of other duties on site, so the event was ready before the guests arrived.
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